Raw Black Metal and Raw Punk Mastering
A raw record is supposed to sound raw. The hiss, the fuzz, the buried vocals and the brittle guitars are usually the point, not a problem to be fixed. What a raw record often still needs from mastering is to come across clearer and fuller on real systems, without being turned into something it was never meant to be. This page covers what that means, what to send, and how to ask for it.
Can mastering make a raw record clearer without overproducing it?
Yes, within limits. Mastering works on the finished stereo mix. It can bring out weight, clarity and translation from one system to the next, and it can set a level that holds up next to other records. It can't rebalance instruments, re-record anything or change what the mix is.
Overproducing at the mastering stage usually means pushing the record somewhere it doesn't belong: squashing it until the drums stop moving, polishing the top end until the grit turns clean, or chasing someone else's sound. The fix is direction. Tell Jack what the record is, what it should keep, and what it should never become, and the master is built around that.
How do I tell Jack I want it to stay raw?
Say it in your request, in plain words. "Raw, not overproduced" is a real brief, and so is "clearer and fuller, same filth". Name what has to survive: the noise floor, the cold top end, the room, the distortion.
If there's a record you want to land near, send it along clearly labeled "reference only". It shows where you're aiming without anyone mistaking it for the source.
Every project gets a mastered sample for approval before the final masters, and reasonable revisions are part of the process. That's where you confirm the record still sounds like your band.
What should I send for a raw black metal or raw punk record?
The same clean files as any other project:
- Stereo-interleaved WAV or AIFF, exported directly from the mix session, one file per song.
- The native sample rate and bit depth of the session. No upsampling, downsampling, bit-depth conversion or dither unless requested.
- Peaks around -6 dBFS, nothing clipping, and no normalizing.
- No MP3s, YouTube rips or other lossy files as the source, even if the record is meant to sound rough. Lossy encoding throws away information, and mastering can't put it back.
Raw records often lean on a clipper or limiter on the mix bus as part of the sound. Usually it should come off before mastering. If it's part of the approved sound, print both versions, one with it and one without, and say which one the band signed off on.
Name files "Artist Name – 01 – Song Title.wav" and include the track order. The full spec sheet is in the mix prep section of the Technical FAQ.
Does a raw record need separate masters for vinyl, cassette and streaming?
Yes. Every release format gets its own master, because each medium needs specific treatment and formatting:
- Vinyl: a Side A WAV file and a Side B WAV file, prepared with attention to side length, level, high-frequency and low-end energy, sequencing and pressing-plant requirements. A vinyl master is never suitable as a streaming master.
- Cassette: cassette-specific masters when the release needs them.
- Streaming: individual WAV files from the approved master, formatted correctly for the intended platform.
- CD: a DDP image with PQ info, plus ISRC, UPC and CD-Text if provided.
Harsh, bright, loud material is exactly what vinyl is most sensitive to. Shorter sides allow more level, stronger low end and cleaner highs, and the inner grooves are the least forgiving of harsh cymbals and distortion. Put the heaviest tracks earlier on each side and check your timings against the vinyl times chart: a 12" at 33⅓ RPM is optimal at 16–20 minutes per side, with a 25-minute maximum.
Which mastering path fits a raw release?
Heavy Mastering is the core path, with mastering direction by Jack Control. A Single-Format Master covers one confirmed format. The Full Release Package covers every master for the formats you confirm, so a vinyl, cassette and streaming release is one package.
Beyond Heavy is the flagship collaboration of Jack Control and Maor Appelbaum: one fixed price per length with all release formats included, for release-ready mixes only. Fit is confirmed in 24–48 hours.
Prices are fixed by running time. An EP up to 15 minutes is $300 for a Single-Format Master or $400 for the Full Release Package; an LP up to 45 minutes is $500 or $600. Beyond Heavy is $650 and $850 for the same lengths. Everything is on the pricing page.
Who has Jack mastered in black metal and punk?
Enormous Door Mastering has 5000+ mastering credits since 2008 across metal, punk, hardcore, doom, death metal, black metal and grind. Lead credits include Darkthrone, Mork, Aura Noir and Frozen Soul. Darkthrone's Old Star was praised for its production by Last Rites. RUÏM's Black Royal Spiritism…, mastered by Jack Control, won the Norwegian Spellemann award for Best Metal Album 2023.
On the punk side, Beyond Heavy credits include Discharge, Nausea and Fear. More credits and press are on the clients page.
How do I start?
Use the Start Your Project form: what you're releasing, what service you need and which formats are involved. You don't need every detail finalized. Jack replies personally with the right path, a price range, notes on file readiness and the schedule. Expected turnaround is usually 2–5 days, depending on client responsiveness and approval.
Raw record, ready to master? Start your project.