ABSTRACT
This chapter contains interviews with British metal producer and bassist Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Animals as Leaders, Devin Townsend, Sikth, Architects, Haken, Currents), discussing his interpretation of heaviness in metal music and his approach to mixing ‘In Solitude.’ Getgood offered a literal perspective on heaviness, focusing on physical and mechanical qualities. He described heaviness as embodied in the sounds of massive objects or phenomena, such as large machinery, animals, or natural disasters. These sounds, he noted, possess a stomping quality, often characterized by mechanical or military attributes, likening them to unstoppable forces, such as robots like the Terminator. For Getgood, the essence of excitement lies in creating a sense of overwhelming size and power that captivates the listener. Sonically, he associates heaviness with distinct low-end frequencies, sub-drops, and industrial loops, evoking a visceral, bodily experience. By utilizing digital audio technology, he expanded the frequency spectrum to encompass its full range, delivering power, impact, and clarity. He emphasized that achieving this mechanical quality requires highly synchronized performances to create a unified wall of sound akin to the signature style of Meshuggah. In Getgood’s view, harsh sounds typical of low-fidelity productions lack the ability to convey the same overwhelming physical sensations and synchronized energy as modern, high-fidelity metal productions. His understanding of heaviness is evident in his mix of ‘In Solitude,’ where he used dynamic processors to craft a hyper-real sound with maximum impact, while carefully preserving the nuances of musical phrasing and the timbral complexity of acoustic instruments, striking a balance between impact, detail, and expressive performance.
