After living with Rise of the Fall Mark Moots really took hard look at his vocal style and decided that diversity would be the key. The band in general really took to the idea of adding more dynamics to their music. A lot more up-tempo stuff this time. The sound they created for this record is nothing short of punishing. The opening track, “8 years” is probably my favorite December track ever. Mark really went crazy working on his high range being able to these screaming banshee notes that nothing short of evil. Here secured his place in my mind of the best metal singer I’ve worked with. On this they added Julian Peach to the guitar section which also filled out the sound quite a bit. This was also the first time we tried a new hard-core vocal tracking technique with a hand-held close mic along with a really good tube mic 4 to 6 feet away to capture the space around the singer. This allows the singer to move around and double over for those crazy notes without sacrificing tonal quality of only using a cheaper hand held. Very pleased with that combination. This record got them a contract with a LA based label called Inzane Records. But most importantly, I discovered the most wonderful thing ever when mixing this record, Philadelphia Cheesesteaks and Cheese Fries! There is nothing better, PERIOD!

So the label liked the record but wanted three more songs. So now I’m faced again with trying to match tones on tracks I didn’t take tracking notes on, which is impossible! Grrr! But we did add “Umbilical, 1 of 2 and Monuments Collapse” and waited. Then the label BS started. It took a year to straighten up the mess and actually release the record. This time they had lovely new art work from Travis Smith and Jay Bailey and the album was met with mixed reviews in the trades. Some loved it, some hated it. I’d wished they had kept “8 Years” as the opening track. But that’s a label for you. One review actually said something to the extent of “Praying Hoping Nothing, these words could be used to describe constipation.”

In a non-label effort to put out new stuff, December teamed up with English band “Unite” to do a split EP. This was going to be a challenge in a new way because this was going to be our first all digital recording with December. They were a bit inquisitive about the differences but seemed willing to try. Much to my surprise they revamped a song from the first record that was really cool. But the real treat was their cover of Motley’s Crue’s “Shout at the Devil.” However, doing the spoken word intro there was a dispute over the line “In the Depths of Hell” or “In the Dusts of Hell.” For grammatical reasons we opted for “Depths.” But after listening to the original again later, Mark discovered it was in fact “Dusts!” So the “Dusts of Hell” were given a thank you in the record in leau of going back in and fixing it. Amongst the other thank you’s was the “God Bless the Children of the Beast Choir” who did the chants on “Shout.” It is largely due to this record that your at this web sight right now. Thank you Mr. Peach.

This is the first product to be released from Imirage Sound Lab. I had hoped we would have a good first offering from the new studio that would perk some ears. DOG was a great first release because they were really getting a good following in the college crowds. I had worked with drummer, Mark Conrad before with “Supersede” and was really liking their music. Heavy at times, but still melodic. Being big fans of Incubus came as no surprise. They really focused on getting 4 songs as tight as possible which more bands should do on their fist time out. I feel we got a really driving, but really clean CD. I was particularly fond of “Genital Hospital.” Their fans loved it. Unfortunately, the band’s future was not to be and they broke up a few months later. I had done pre-production of some new material just before the break-up for a second recording that was really really cool . Too bad.

This was my boss’s baby, Bjorn Thorsrud. I assisted on a fair amount of the tracking . But I really got involved with doing a Scottish accent on “Going Solar.” I ended the song with “That Bastard Goin’ Solar!” and they took it out. I told them that’s why it never broke into the charts. I even preformed the song live with them once at the Paradox. Then I got “mood” credit for playing an abusing boyfriend yelling at his girlfriend while singer Rick Costa was preparing to cut the vocal for “Release Me.” A really great bunch of guys and some of the funniest segue’s you’ll ever hear on a record.