1st Edition

Heaviness in Metal Music Production, Volume I How and Why It Works

By Jan-Peter Herbst, Mark Mynett Copyright 2026
352 Pages 42 B/W Illustrations
by Focal Press

352 Pages 42 B/W Illustrations
by Focal Press

Heaviness in Metal Music Production, Volume I: How and Why It Works provides an in-depth analysis of the art and craft of producing heaviness, the fundamental musical quality in metal music. Using primarily ethnographic research which draws on interviews and engineering documentation from various producers across different generations, the distinguishing feature of the study is the song ‘In... Read more

1. Introduction  2. Theoretical Foundation of Perceptual Heaviness in Metal Music  3. Pre-Production, Songwriting, and Arrangement: Developing a Vision  4. Recording: Setting Up the Foundation  5. Mixing and Mastering: Shaping and Refining Heaviness  6. In the Producers’ Lair: Approaches to Producing Heaviness  7. Heaviness in Metal Music Production

Biography

Jan-Peter Herbst is Professor of Music at the University of Huddersfield, UK. His background as a rock guitarist has led him to specialize in the study of electric guitar playing and metal music production. Herbst has edited the Cambridge Companion to Metal Music (2023).

Mark Mynett is Senior Lecturer in Music Technology and Production at the University of Huddersfield, UK. Following an extensive career as a professional musician, he is now a live music engineer and record producer with his own studio, Mynetaur Productions. Mynett has authored Metal Music Manual (2017).