Terrible albums with really good guitar tones.

[TheInvisibleHand]

So I’m reminiscing about some music I listened to while I was in high school (only god can judge me!) and I popped it on in the car to see what the adult version of me would think 25 years later. And while I really disliked the music itself i kept thinking, man, this tone is really good. Like, Dayum that’s thiccc.

The album in question?


satellite by POD.

Like I said before, we all make mistakes. But goddamn if that guitar tone isn’t really quite tasty. So I’m wondering, what are some other albums that offer the same dichotomy between fugly music but really awesome guitar tones?

 

[MFB]

What is, every Creed album before Mark Tremonti went to play in a good band?

I also can't say without any certainty since I haven't heard a song of there's since 1998 or so, but weren't Nickleback also the PRS/Gibson combo into Dual or Triple Recs? I feel like people used to at least give Kroeger credit for his tone if the albums were milquetoast to hell.

 

[nightsprinter]

So I’m reminiscing about some music I listened to while I was in high school (only god can judge me!) and I popped it on in the car to see what the adult version of me would think 25 years later. And while I really disliked the music itself i kept thinking, man, this tone is really good. Like, Dayum that’s thiccc.

The album in question?


satellite by POD.

Like I said before, we all make mistakes. But goddamn if that guitar tone isn’t really quite tasty. So I’m wondering, what are some other albums that offer the same dichotomy between fugly music but really awesome guitar tones?

A friend got me that CD for my birthday when it came out. Title track is pretty catchy.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I'm gonna be listing off a variety of stuff not including nu metal and butt rock but

Super Collider, St Anger (I like that tone, bite me), Trapt, 2wo's Voyeurs, late-2000s Iced Earth, Sabbath's Forbidden, Priest's Ram It Down (I love that ultra-processed '80s tone), Trivium's Vengeance Falls (before their tone went to absolute shit lol).

 

[nightsprinter]

Here's my candidate ^

 

[Matt08642]

So I’m reminiscing about some music I listened to while I was in high school (only god can judge me!) and I popped it on in the car to see what the adult version of me would think 25 years later. And while I really disliked the music itself i kept thinking, man, this tone is really good. Like, Dayum that’s thiccc.

The album in question?


satellite by POD.

Like I said before, we all make mistakes. But goddamn if that guitar tone isn’t really quite tasty. So I’m wondering, what are some other albums that offer the same dichotomy between fugly music but really awesome guitar tones?

What is, every Creed album before Mark Tremonti went to play in a good band?

I also can't say without any certainty since I haven't heard a song of there's since 1998 or so, but weren't Nickleback also the PRS/Gibson combo into Dual or Triple Recs? I feel like people used to at least give Kroeger credit for his tone if the albums were milquetoast to hell.

It's absolutely nuts that the first 2 songs that came to mind when I read the thread title were Alive by POD and My Sacrifice by Creed The early 2000s bro-tone setup is just a PRS in to a Dual Rec with some kind of drive.



That opening riff hits so hard. Also, case in point:



Credit to watching WWF/E in the early 2000s when all these PRS > Dual Rec bands had their songs used for Pay Per View promos. Speaking of, I feel like Wes Borland's Limp Bizkit tones were always pretty sick:

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Here's my candidate ^

The next album Faceless is even more terrible and has even better tone

 

[nightsprinter]

Here's my candidate ^

And I'll add this in too:

 

[rokket2005]

I don't spend enough time listening to stuff I consider terrible to think about how good the guitar tone might be, but I suppose post Rosenrot RAMMSTEIN is about as close as it comes. Their guitar mix has been largely unchanged since Mutter, but the songs sure haven't hit the same for me since Reise,Reise/Rosenrot.

 

[nightsprinter]

I don't spend enough time listening to stuff I consider terrible to think about how good the guitar tone might be, but I suppose post Rosenrot RAMMSTEIN is about as close as it comes. Their guitar mix has been largely unchanged since Mutter, but the songs sure haven't hit the same for me since Reise,Reise/Rosenrot.

I absolutely considered throwing the Sehnsucht album in here but I wasn't sure if they were considered "good" in whatever context is being defined as good ITT. There was NOTHING heavier on the radio than when that opening riff from Du Hast kicked in.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

And I'll add this in too:

Literally every Limp Bizkit album fits the criteria. I don't think any LB guitarist ever got bad tone.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1rZsz3kFWE&list=PLnUNgWk4CcybG8Mp5sTNh11hQ-zLRKeX0&index=1

...Okay I don't like Gold Cobra, but that's because I'm super hit-or-miss with Orange amps.

 

[rokket2005]

I absolutely considered throwing the Sehnsucht album in here but I wasn't sure if they were considered "good" in whatever context is being defined as good ITT. There was NOTHING heavier on the radio than when that opening riff from Du Hast kicked in.

I don't consider Sehnsucht to be terrible. Campy and stupid in parts for sure, but that's not enough for me to drag the whole album down.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I don't spend enough time listening to stuff I consider terrible to think about how good the guitar tone might be, but I suppose post Rosenrot RAMMSTEIN is about as close as it comes. Their guitar mix has been largely unchanged since Mutter, but the songs sure haven't hit the same for me since Reise,Reise/Rosenrot.

I think it changed a lot since Rosenrot tbh. From what I can tell Mutter, Reise, and Mutter were 100% tube amps from both Richard and Paul and it shows. Very deep and massive guitar tones. Also tons of layering as well. Starting with LIFAD, Paul went back to using Sansamp gear and he plugs straight into the board with it. The sound got a bit thinner and fizzier with more cut. There also seems to be slightly less layering as well. All of this is especially noticable on the self-titled album. The production of that album sounds a lot like Sehnsuct to me.

 

[TheBolivianSniper]

Every Nickelback album, Drowning Pool, Five Finger Death Punch, Slaughter to Prevail

All of that shut sounds good as hell and I think the songs are insufferable

First Slaughter album kicked ass but I can't stand them any more and they don't sound like they did when they came out either.

 

[ArtDecade]

Periphery. Just kidding. Their tone sucks too.

 

[DrewH]

Every Yngwie album after Odyssey. Say what you want about Yngwie, but his tone never disappoints.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Oh yeah. Lulu. Honestly the guitar tone on that album sounds much better than Death Magnetic, Hardwired, and even 72 Seasons

 

[profwoot]

I'll 2nd Creed. I remember being at a function standing next to a big speaker and thinking the guitar tone in the intro to Arms Wide Open was killer. Then I moved away from the speaker.

 

[budda]

Satellite isnt a terrible album so im a bit lost there .

I cant really think of anything off the top of my head.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I keep thinking of albums

Puddle of Mudd, at least on Come Clean, had that standard Recto sound but damn it was a good sound. Shame the band blows.
Damageplan's New Found Power. Dime's best guitar tone besides Power Metal.
Methods of Mayhem. Legit some of the worst nu metal ever but that guitar tone crushes.
Fozzy sucks most of the time but hey Rich Ward still knows how to dial in an amp.