Guitar Gear Forum

Long story: I suck at book promotion. So I'm writing a concept album to go with my books. That way I'll have TWO things I don't know how to promote!

Anyway, main character goes through some shit. At some point his "dad" (vampire creator/sire) locks him in a storage container out in space. He mopes around until he finds a guitar. He starts playing this old riff he and his bros used as a backing track for "The Headbanger's Prayer," a joking payer they wrote back in the day. As he's playing it through he mumbles that he can almost hear the harmonies in his head. As it kicks in, he starts reciting the prayer:

https://theleehousehold.com/mp3/HeadbangerPrayer.mp3

Slayer lay me down to sleep
James Hetfield my pick hand keep
Tom Araya's vocal chords
Dave Mustaine playing Phantom Lord

Testament's will of do or die
Kerry King's shades, we've all asked why
Gene Hoglan, he slams the skins
The Hamster knows that wah is still in

Sepultura tears down halls
John Connely's got all the balls
Jeff Waters V blasts ears for days
Phil Demmel's leads always find a way

Death's main man is cut down short
Scott Ian's Not Man always retort
Trey Azagthoth and his ratted tones
Gustafson tears the flesh from bones

Hear my prayer, you gods of old
Let my dreams be filled with tone
Riffs and leads rip skin from face
I don't care, I found my place

Slayer lay me down to sleep
James Hetfield my pick hand keep
If I riff out before I wake
May long term memory cut a take

If there were a music video, because why not? It'd start with him sitting on the floor playing this guitar, then cut to him in the studio he eventually builds on his future wife's ship (she's a space navy captain in the year 2575 when they meet) recording all these parts. Those last two groupings there are him coming back to reality, suck in that storage container, him just speaking these words as he plays the single riff over and over.

Got a few more layers to add to it, some trills over the harmonized bits, but I had to finagle the DAW to get there and ran out of loud time. Probably next week.

Then there's this bit of fun that I've referred to as "Dainty Elephants in Jaunty Hats." I'm not sure where that riff came from, but I'm pretty sure whoever delivered it has a vast collection of rainbow stickers.

https://theleehousehold.com/mp3/TheMarchingMorons.mp3

Just a quick little test for me to practice vocal patterns over. Should be a riotous good time once completed. Love those vicious upstrokes with the chime on the top strings sparking through.

All DSL all the time. Metalzone->DSL, Keeley SD1->DSL. Broughton Audio Frequency whatever hi/lo pass thingy.

How goes things, bros?

Sounds great man!!!!! That's the kind of heavy Marshall tone I love

On my speakers there is a bit of boominess in the low end of the first track. Use a HPF to control the super low frequencies a bit. The second track doesn't have it so whatever you're doing there do on the first one too

But the guitars sound killer and I love the build up on the first track. The second track is straight up Good stuff.

btw, I don't think Draelyc posts here anymore. I think he got butthurt about something. Well, actually he got butthurt about so many things I am not sure which one was the catalyst for his rapture.

Thanks, Billy. First track has bass that I haven't bothered working on mixing in properly, which is probably where the boominess comes from. Got a few other mix tricks to slap on it as well, but didn't wanna go through all that until I have all the vocs and everything put together, not to mention the six or seven more layers of different guitar bits going over the top. I had to take time to re-route all drums to audio tracks, comp them, then delete the MIDI to free up enough resources to keep recording guitars. Kinda taking my old "heavy metal orchestra" things to new places with this one.

Track two gives me a little bit of that "na na na na boo boo" vibe.

Speaking of which, if I'm not careful, that first one sounds a touch like I Dream of Jeanie. I guess I'll steal musical ideas from anywhere. LOL.

I think Draelyc probably got tired of the inevitable manpile. It probably clashed with his priestly sensibilities.

Sounds great!

I remember Draelyc. Good guy. Lots of clips.

Wiggum wrote: ↑Wed Sep 04, 2024 4:20 pm Sounds great!

I remember Draelyc. Good guy. Lots of clips.

Thanks, man.

Drae was cool sometimes. My reference was only about the fact that he had a momentary obsession with his electric guitar's "acoustic" (non-amp) tone, and I used my guitar without an amp at the beginning and end on the Headbanger's Prayer.

I was wondering how you recorded the beginning of Headbanger's Prayer!
My first guess was a polarity flip with a bass cut and treble boost. Nevertheless, I dug it!!!
Cool lyrics too... you should add vocals!!!! DO IT!!!!

I'MAPUNKROCKERDAMNIT wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2024 3:24 am I was wondering how you recorded the beginning of Headbanger's Prayer!
My first guess was a polarity flip with a bass cut and treble boost. Nevertheless, I dug it!!!
Cool lyrics too... you should add vocals!!!! DO IT!!!!

Oh, there will be vocals. Just wanna get the whole thing recorded and the instruments sitting right before.

And - the reason for Draelyc approved tone in the title. The intro is literally the same guitar I used for the whole thing, just with a microphone sitting on the desk about four inches in front of it pointing right at it with the gain on the mic amp cranked to the ceiling. No amp, no direct line, nothing. The crickets you hear? Gecko food sitting in the cage about three feet away.

I've already integrated that into the chapter where Chuck plays this little ditty, sans any amplification, while locked in a storage container. He's chatting with the crickets (cause he's about half crazed and losin' it) and then plays a "show" for them, which is just him playing the electric guitar and speak-singing, imagining the rest in his head, trying to escape his life for just a few moments in a memory of the band he used to play in, a century or so back.

Think this is your best stuff yet, good job!

nightflameauto wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2024 12:46 pm
Oh, there will be vocals. Just wanna get the whole thing recorded and the instruments sitting right before.

Sing it with a pirate accent!!!

RaceU4her wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2024 9:33 pm Think this is your best stuff yet, good job!

Agreed!