Metallica - Blackened (Professionally Remixed & Remastered)

I've started from scratch and remixed and remastered Metallica's Blackened from ...And Justice for All.

The guitars have been given a mid boost and the speaker rattling bass frequencies on the guitar have also been removed. I've also reduced the harsh treble of the guitar to create a more crunchy sound akin to the Black Album.

Jason Newsted's bass has been added. I've kept the bass fairly modest in the mix, to match the style of Metallica's other albums - but it is there. I've found that other ...And Justice for All remixes feature the bass too loud, possibly due to the novelty of having Jason's bass added.

The drums have been given a more punchy, live mix. The drum overhead sounds have been boosted to increase the ambience, and the EQ for both the Snare and Kick have been reworked to reduce the overly clicky sound. I tried to match the ambient drum sound from Ride the Lightening.

James Hetfield's vocals are almost as is, as I like the natural sound they have on the original mix. The only difference I've made is adding some high-end to hypen the performance and to help cut through with the added high-end from the boosted drum cymbals in my mix.

The only other changes I have made are some muting and panning choices throughout the mix. At certain points, the guitars and bass will mute or pan differently, to help give the mix dynamics when they pop back in.

Cheers, enjoy.

[GetInVert]

Jesus Christ. This is RIDICULOUSLY good

[YouCantDeleteDenzelL]

This.... this is exactly it. The bass is there, not overpowering but just the right amount. The drums sound like actual drums and not cardboard boxes, and the guitars don't sound like some semi-musical noise in the backgrlund. Incredible work, dude.

[ahsenserhat]

5 years later and still the best AJFA remix i have ever listened, i wish a full album like this one day...

[IamTheShadows]

Oh my god finally a version where i dont hate the drums

[evan_gori]

This should’ve been the mixes in the 30th Anniversary Box Set.

[AnonymousHappiness]

Holy shit! How’d you get this sound? The snare sounds so crisp, and the guitars resonate WAY better with each other! AND THE BASS!

[chris.bradshaw]

This rocks! The vocals sounds more aggressive some how and everything is sitting perfectly. Please do some more dude!

[eptheguitartist]

Holy..! The breakdown sounds more killer on this one!

[foytjqn]

tbf this is way better than the popular remix of the song

[hobbsmack]

Ohhh I was not expecting this! I was ready as always to drop my volume levels when the drumline kicks in so as not to break any windows but it's perfectly balanced....I have never enjoyed this song so much and at such high volume....I have a system with several pairs of speakers and several amps, It's silly but whatever...so much of this stuff is enhanced low-end bass wise and just ruins it for me...hell it was like that from the studio...you are a genius...many thanks.

[marct]

You, sir, have done a wonderful job. I initially expected this to be a lot worse, but you have really outdone yourself here. The mix sounds ultimately better, even using my cheap earbuds. The guitars have more overall clarity throughout, the bass is present and adds a lot to the mix, the drums are less clicky and ear-splitting, and the vocals, though you didn't alter them much, are noticably clearer in the mix. Every instrument sits in its own place, making room for the others to shine, while still having that togetherness that really makes a Metallica song a Metallica song. It's a lot more enjoyable to listen to and easier to feel. Great work, Kevin. I look forward to hearing more from you.

[paullalremruat]

Finally, it's not too thin or thick...Perfect Mixed

[pdb]

Man... ... blackened with the black album style production....great job.

[GiveUsMusic]

It actually works nicely (barring the 80-120 Hz compression suck), as there is more of a homogenous quality to the sound mix vs. the slightly disjointed original mix. I would love to hear the master tape remixed, without having to comp and carve out EQ too much.

[robintst]

If the band had listened to the sound engineer that was working with them on Justice, the whole record would have had a similar "big sound" tone to the black album... your remix sounds like it has a touch of that, it's the sound the band decided on but made to meet half way with the black album's mix. Very cool dynamic to it.

[amazen]

Great sound, wonderfully done. The song has so much more force with the bass added, and you also added this modern sheen to the rest of the mix. The only criticism I have is the transition from the intro, there is a noticeable drop in loudness as the first riff comes in.

[jamesbondarchuk]

This is the best remix of this track I've heard!

[thepurplewalrus]

Holy shit that snare drum sounds incredible. I would like the bass to be a little louder, but I am currently listening on some crappy earbuds

[Paulanergarten]

Sounds so much better than the original one 👍

[ph]

Actually a really good and original remastering!! This video deserves more views.