Ha, that's rich. We're always in the studio. Mostly because we aren't allowed in many other places. Next, we'll be bragging that we're recording something. Here's a tip... we're always recording something. Song ideas, rough demos, XXX vids with the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders, covers of Bjork B-Sides...

The real news is what we recorded. We ran several test recordings of drums using different microphone configurations. We taped a credit card to the kick drum head, and ran the kick drum microphone through an overloaded tube preamp. Then we mixed, monitored, moved microphones and tried again, refining our drum sound as we went along.

It doesn't sound like Slayer. It doesn't sound like Metallica. Thank God.

It sounds like Jagged Spiral. Squared. The sound of the drums alone will probably get us on several lists:

• City of Minneapolis - List of Known Disturbers of the Peace
• Mix Magazine - List Of... Unique Ways To Record Drum Tracks
• Alcoholics Anonymous - List of Reasons Not To Drink
• Vita.mn - List Of The Best New Bands In Minnesota

You heard me. Anyway, our manager Sugar has given me permission to officially announce that Jagged Spiral has begun recording our second album. The working title is "Ten Easy Ways To Kill Yourself" but that title will likely change.

But don't get yourself all worked up. We have the studio booked for a long time.

This should keep you occupied in the meantime:



-Zero

Labels: Recording Update

Hey all, been a bit. We been busy, see. You don't rush greatness. You don't rush us neither. We played a couple shows recently... funny, we don't remember seeing *you* there. Maybe you forgot to go? Maybe we were drunk and forgot you went?

Anyway, *if* you actually did go to any of our shows, then you would recognize the song Horrorcloud. (Here's a hint: It's the song without the word "Horrorcloud" in it)

We hacked out a rough version of Horrorcloud tonight and fluffed it up with enough compression that we could easily enter it in the loudness war with Metallica. We couldn't win mind you, but we'd be in there somewhere. Probably on the back lines ordering supplies, making waffles and complaining about all the noise.

You can check out the new Rough Demo of Horrorcloud here on the Jagged Spiral Myspace Page.

-Zero

Labels: Audio, Recording Update

Alas, a couple minor glitches are keeping the Version 1 master of "Days From Evil" being declaired as Finished. Surprisingly, the issues don't have to do with the sound, they have to do with the track markers; where each track starts. The track markers for Monsters and The Last Song had to be nudged around a bit.

The version 2 master was completed on Friday the Thirteenth, 2007. We are giving the version 2 master a thorough listen, and have even uploaded some of the songs to myspace (www.myspace.com/jaggedspiral).

Once the "Days From Evil" master meets our exacting standards, we will stamp it with the Jagged Spiral Seal Of Approval...um, that is, after we design the Seal, and once the Seal meets our exacting standards...

We still have to design the cover art / liner notes, as well as select the official Jagged Spiral Band Logo.

Work, work, work. Oh well, even though the pay sucks, we don't complain too much, since we can all drink on the job and the dress code is pretty lax...

-Z

Labels: Days From Evil, Recording Update

I feel the need to dispel some rumors about Jagged Sprial, and the lack of blog postings in recent weeks.

1) I (Zero) have Not been abducted, drafted, admitted or committed to any mental institutions. Any recent visits to foreign countries on my part were completely voluntary.

2) Josh has not jumped on the Rehabilitation bandwagon, nor checked himself into Hazelton, nor shaved his head, although I can neither confirm nor deny rumors that he shaved his armpits.

3) Colin has not left the band to start a secret, underground society in attempts to overthrow all other secret, underground societies.

No, No, and No to these and many other silly rumors, I assure you that Jagged Spiral is not only alive and kicking, but feeding the musical fuel tank with beer and burritos and generating on average two new songs per month. If we ever finished the songs, that would be noteworthy.

Also, the album Days From Evil has come out of mastering and we have given it several listens in different venues, including in the car, in the studio, in the living room, in the bathroom, in the bedroom, and that one time we tapped into the PA system at Southdale Mall, which caused lots of fighting, riots and oddly enough; breakdancing. All in all, we are happy with the results and should have the album declaired as "Finished" any day now.

We have also narrowed down options for a band Logo, and sketched some ideas for cover art.

Stay tuned...

-Zero

Labels: As the Jagged Spirals, Days From Evil, Recording Update

The Premaster for "Days From Evil" is complete.

Let me repeat that, because it is significant. (And slightly louder, for the reading impaired)

THE PREMASTER FOR THE PHENOMENALLY UNCANNY, OVERLY-AMBITIOUS DEBUT ALBUM "DAYS FROM EVIL" BY JAGGED SPIRAL IS FUCKING COMPLETE!

I felt more emotional about a month ago, when we *thought* we were almost done. Over and over. There must be a dozen CDs laying around here that say 'Premaster?' on them. The differences between them are not obvious. Nit-picky, you might say.

But if there is one thing I've discovered in the past (nearly) two years while working on Days From Evil, it's that the project is never Done until you proclaim it to be Done. It could always be edited more. It could always be re-recorded and tweaked and adjusted a little more. And it might even be improved. And it might not. At some point in the process, you gotta realize that no one else can even hear the 'improvements' you are making, and you are wasting your time re-re-recording tracks that were fine on the first take. At some point, you have to decide that you have done your very best, and sometimes the best you can do is get rid of everything you simply cannot live with.

At some point, you gotta take your hands off the wheel.

So the performances for Days From Evil are hereby proclaimed to be finished. And the mixing. And the effecting. And the arranging. We now move into the uncharted backwaters of Black-Magic-Mastering. This is new ground for all of us. We've never been this far before. Virgins in virgin territory. Now, we have to turn our work over to someone else, someone who has not had two years of constant contact with the music. Someone to listen to our mixes with a fresh ear and an accurate sound system. Someone to tweak, polish, buff, shine, high-gloss, fold, spindle, mutilate and polymorph our songs into something better, and turn a collection of 9 songs into an album.

I warned you. The end is near.

-Z

Labels: Days From Evil, Recording Update

It's un-ironic that 'The Last Song' is not, in fact, the last song we will be working on for Days From Evil. The Last Song is finished, as in "mixed to Cigar version" Josh said it was more like a Cigarello. Regardless, that is eight down, and one to go. The song 'Run' will actually be the last song, which should be finished next Saturday.

I can't tell you how exciting it is to be so close to completion. I mean, we are discussing shit like liner notes and where to get the CD's duplicated. How many do we order? What should we wear when we take the stage at the Minnesota Music Awards ceremony? What about a CD Release party?

CD Release party? Come again? Yikes, you mean we will have to learn all those songs? Songs we have NEVER played together live before?

Oh boy.

Maybe we can just have a real Listen-type listening party, and Jagged Spiral can sit in the audience and listen to the album in its entirity. Or hide backstage like Metallica did with The Black Album. Pussies.

Whatever. The cigar mixes for all songs should be done on Saturday, and then we go into mastering.

God save the Queen,
-Zero

Labels: Days From Evil, Recording Update

Saturday The Spiral decimated the studio, and slaved away at the last two songs. The first, (ironically called The Last Song) is sounding much better after running over it will a huge pallet of Level and EQ. Starting with just Drums and Bass, we built the song up to a non-overwhelming chaos. We re-recorded my vocals, and that song is coming together nicely.

Josh had to leave to visit some emo bands (something about needing hardware for his drum kit, don't ask me...) so Eleven and I worked on the lead-in for Run. Let's just call it High-Maintenance/Low-Payoff, but it was progress nonetheless, and even if it's baby steps, I won't call it a waste of time.

Tonight, I worked on the last of the lyrics for Run, and I will subject them to the scrutiny of the Spiral on Tuesday night. If they pan out, that could be the END OF WRITING FOR DAYS FROM EVIL. The first of many Lasts, and one of which you could consider a sign of the forthcoming of the album.

You have been warned,
-Z

Labels: Days From Evil, Recording Update

Well, the song 'Lament' has reached critical mass and morphed into a Cigar Mix! Seven songs down, three to go....

...um what's that? Oh, bummer... um, sure I'll tell em...

I guess Josh just got a call from Greenpeace and they got a leaked version of "On The Inside" which they found in laboratory tests would kill small, furry animals when played back at average volume. The lethality increased if they solo-ed out my lead vocal track.

Well, we are going to release the damn thing anyway! I mean, it's better than this, and small, furry animals were never really our Target Audience, if you catch my drift. Besides, Greenpeace protesting the release of our album is just the kind of press we are looking for...um, hold on a sec.

...What now? Alright, quit bothering me! I'm trying to blog here, fer crissake. What? Really? NO WAY! Aw, Shit! Did you tell him to kiss my ass? Fine, fine, I'll tell em...

Well, I guess Chris Carrabba from Dashboard Confessional just called, and wants to buy "On The Inside" from us. That Cuts it! I guess that song won't make the Days From Evil album after all. Shame really, all that work for naught, and such a...pretty song too.

So, as I was saying, Seven Down, Two to go!

-Zero

Labels: Days From Evil, Recording Update

Tonight, we lit the cigar on Hallowed Ground. Six down. Four to go.

Here is the status of Days From Evil on this, the thirty-eth of January, in the Year of the Spiral, two-thousand-and-seven.

Forced Entry - Long Done. Actually done since 1 Dec 2006, when it was entered in a contest for Rift Magazine. The results of the contest should be available in the next couple weeks. A version of this song (Not sure which version exactly) was posted to our myspace page.

Monsters - Done on 23 jan 07.

Hallowed Ground - Done today, 30 Jan 07! I re-writ and recorded the chorus for Hallowed Ground FOR THE FOURTH FUCKING TIME, and finally, it is agreed that the lyrics aren't embarrassing, or stupid, or embarrassingly stupid. We are keeping the old lyrics for posterity, and so we have something to release when we run short of cash.

Run - Needs work. The lyrics for the end aren't quite finished. The lyrics for the begin aren't quite recorded. Josh is going to look into a choir. This might turn out to be the most majestic song since Stairway to Heaven.

Let It Out - Done on 20 Jan 07. Actually, this song was 'done' a year ago. lol. But I'll be honest; at the time we didn't know what the fuck we were doing. We remixed this and it is worlds away from the rough mix you can hear on the myspace page.

Lament - I would say that this is the furthest from done. The guitar is entirely looped from one correctly played section. The vox were recorded while I had a cold, and need to be redone. Badly. Then edit and mix. Serve with a gallon of absinthe with an LSD chaser and a dash of cinnamon.

Not Enough Bullets - Done 20 Jan 07. Right. Actually, this song was done a year ago, along with Let It Out, but again, "we know better now..." and so we remixed it, and the song sounds much better. You can hear the old 'rough' mix on our myspace page.

I Am Death - Done on 20 Jan 07, but some issues with the lower frequencies, so we reduced the bass and drums today (20 Jan 07), and now the vox and guitar stand out where they ought.

The Last Song - Oh boy. Well, lets just say that this song is NOT finished. We actually need to clone an entire team of Bob Rock producers to get this puppy under control, and a 42" plasma monitor screen to see all the tracks at one time.

On The Inside - Very nearly done. I recorded the last of the vox today (30 Jan 07) so the vox tracks need to be edited, and the song needs to be mixed. This will be the next song finished.

Even after all the tracks are recorded and mixed (cigar version) we still have a lot to do. All the 'in between' bits need to be recorded (in some cases, written) and then we run the whole she-bang through the mastering process.

Once the master CD is done, then there is the planning for the cover art, duplication, packaging and distribution. And the party.

You didn't know about the party?

Hmm.....


-Zero
2007 = Year Of The Spiral

Labels: Days From Evil, Recording Update

Lets see, what did we accomplish tonight?

-Taco Bell
-Sincerely discussed the archetecture of the New Guthrie Theatre
-Sincerely discussed that Sal from Artificial Joy Club could Kick Amy Lee from Evanescence's ass.
-Sincerely discussed that if Evanescence HAD any talent (Which itself is arguable) it is certainly gone now.
-Decided that our first video needs Russian Strippers in it. Redheaded Russian Strippers.
-Decided that the bass tracks for Monsters needs to be re-recorded
-Decided that I Am Death is Mixed, more or less.
-Pitchtwisted, EQed, FXed and V-Vocaled my vocals on Monsters, and decided that they suck anyway, and should be re-recorded.
-Decided that Not Enough Bullets and Let It Out need to be remixed...er, re-remixed.

So basically, we set ourselves back about six weeks, but hey, as long as our album comes out before Chinese Democracy...

Labels: Recording Update

Last night J-man, Eleven and myself patched up the holes in "I Am Death", a song MADE to play in the car on a first date. Some day I will take a screenshot of the song as we work on it, it isn't pretty. Actually, the visual is as abrasive as the music itself, and we might consider shipping a screenshot along with the song, to give it more punch.

We could also send a few sticks of Egyptian Musk incense, I think that captures the correct olfactory sensation of the song, perhaps mixed with the smell of burning plastic.

Actually, we could go a step further, and send Lugash along with the CD, and he could kick the listener in the crotch at appropriate parts of the song, so they get the full effect.

Anyway, the song is sounding pretty good, and certainly does not sound like it was recorded in a Turkish Prison.

-Z

Labels: Days From Evil, Recording Update