ABSTRACT
This chapter contains interviews with British metal producer Mike Exeter (Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi, Heaven and Hell, Judas Priest, Cradle of Filth) on his interpretation of heaviness in metal music and his approach to mixing ‘In Solitude’. Exeter expressed the view that heaviness is not exclusive to the metal genre, drawing significant parallels between metal and classical music due to their shared broad frequency and dynamic ranges, as well as their reliance on expressive performances. Comparative perception was central to his understanding of heaviness, which he defined as arising from contrasts in intensity and sonic density between preceding and subsequent moments. Both classical music and metal, Exeter noted, allow for extensive exploration of atmospheres and emotions over time, unrestrained by the brevity of a typical two- to three-minute format. For Exeter, heaviness fundamentally involves conveying emotion through sonic storytelling, with audio engineering and production serving to enhance the musical qualities inherent in songwriting and performance. Reflecting his traditional, performance-centred recording approach, he was not an advocate of overly produced releases, instead prioritizing the capture of the emotional essence of performances. As an engineer, his focus lies in translating performances into a recorded format by carefully crafting tones and managing gain staging during recording, followed by precise automation during mixing. This philosophy was evident in his mix of ‘In Solitude’, where he employed processing and extensive automation to enhance the performative gestures and support the song’s emotional and musical intent.
