Everyone is a critic these days – and no one is immune, Boundaries included.
After signing to Sumerian Records and releasing their newest single, “Skies cast amber black” this past Friday (20th March), there were quite a few fans in the comments, commenting on the production and mixing of the track, disappointed by technicalities which, for some, overshadow what could be Boundaries best song yet.
Between YouTube and Reddit, remarks like “someone put a boundary on the low-end in the mix I believe,” and “awesome buildup and then just completely fucked by the horrible mix” were pretty common, and Boundaries vocalist Matthew McDougal caught wind of this while scrolling through the r/metalcore subreddit.
Commenting on a post of the band’s new video in the subreddit, McDougal says that (edited for clarity): “Really appreciate y’all for checking this out early, this sub has always been so supportive of us. I look forward to seeing how you guys react to our art more than I do any other platform at this point.
“As far as why Sumerian, it’s pretty much the new Sharptone because the guy that ran that label moved to Sumerian and we went with him, shopped labels for a bit but [in] real life we’d get responses back akin to “They don’t make r&b music over low-tuned guitars or stream well enough – not interested,” so the landscape for places that will take on what we do artistically is sadly not as wide as one might think.
“More and more labels are looking for overnight success-TikTok bands they can rob blind and dump after a year, which is largely what this song is about coincidentally. So far, [Sumerian] has been great to us and we are looking forward to making a home here for at least the next little while, and using the significant step up in resources to make even cooler stuff.
“That all being said, we had no clue the mix would be so divisive – we spent months on it and really love how it came out and we’re thankful for your honesty regarding how it hits people’s ears for the first time. I’ve been listening to this song in my room since fucking November and this mix really grew on me… maybe it will with everyone else as well? Who friggin knows.
“I can’t wait to be on the road playing it for you guys. We have so much more music locked and loaded.”
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A few fans noted that the mix didn’t seem as bad with the YouTube music video, and McDougal pointed out that streaming platforms have their own settings which can impact the sound people hear, “All the platforms sound different, to be honest. Spotify has lossless listening now and they have their own EQ, YouTube has their own EQ – it legit sounds mad different on everything, but I can tell you the downloaded version on PC I am in love with.” A Qobuz user replied in turn that it sounded “fantastic,” through that streaming platform.
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Guitarist Cody DelVecchio was also in the comments, confirming he was indeed providing screaming vocals throughout the track.
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You can check the song – and the mix – out for yourself below, and pre-save the new Boundaries single on streaming platforms here.
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