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Alice in Chains ramp it up with new video

I had the pleasure of mixing Alice in Chains August 21st acoustic set live at the Space Needle for SiriusXM. Then mixed their live performance at the Crocodile Cafe on August 24th, the day their new album “Rainier Fog” was released. 

Now here they are again with new single Never Fade and video to go along with it.  Produced by Nick Raskulinecz, Engineered by(myself) Paul Fig, Mixed by Evil Joe Barresi.

As Taylor Fields from iHeart Radio says:

Alice In Chains is continuing their story from their “The One You Know” music video, with their official “Never Fade” visual.

The cinematic “Never Fade” music video picks up right where the storyline in “The One You Know” left off with the same two characters as we learn more about who (or rather what) they really are. And the visual ends open ended, which means that the story is likely to continue in the band’s next music video.

Alice In Chains’ William DuVall explains of the Adam Mason directed visual, “The ‘Never Fade’ video is a continuation of the ‘The One You Know.’ The full story will gradually be revealed. For now, check out what we love to do best – play live, and tell a story with our music.”

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“All Out Life” Slipknot

I am so excited to have engineered this recording with Slipknot. We have history from back in 1998-99 when I was playing guitar in Amen touring the U.S. with Machine Head and Coal Chamber. Then life put me at a crossroads.  I gave up touring and being a recording artist to sit at the runner desk at Sound City, where I started my life over on the other side of the glass, so to speak. Since 2001 Slipknot hasn’t stopped. They’ve overcome so many tragedies and obstacles and shown true resilience in the face of the universe trying to slow them down. Now here we are together in the studio with Greg Fidelman at the helm as producer, corralling all their energy into this crushing recording. I am so excited for everyone in Slipknot for this release. Enjoy!

Produced by Greg Fidelman, Engineered by Paul Fig and Mixed by Joe Barresi (All, Sound City guys)

As Tom Connick from NME says:

     ‘AllOut Life’, the Iowa nine-piece’s surprise new single, was released yesterday amidst countless claims from the band that their new album would be “‘Iowa’ levels of heavy” – a call-back to their genre-defining 2001 second LP. You’d be forgiven for rolling your eyes at those claims. The band are a full 18 years older than when they recorded ‘Iowa’– they’re now fathers and husbands, and have full bank accounts and back problems. Such things don’t typically lend themselves to the kind of nihilistic rage that ‘Iowa’ thrived upon (back problems aside).
      It takes just seconds of ‘All Out Life’ to burn away those doubts. An explosion of twisted riffs and the clattering, marching drums that defined their early years, it’s as searing and immediate as a shot of acid to the veins. The pace is unrelenting, even that oh-so-Slipknot percussive middle-eight surging forward. It’s the return to bruising form that they promised, and then some, with Corey Taylor’s rottweiler vocals perfectly summing up the sentiment: “Old does not mean dead,” he bellows, “New does not mean best.”
Read more at https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/slipknot-new-song-all-out-life-review-2395781#sP5xWF6riT6ZfzPJ.99

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AFI Release “Get Dark”

I had a blast tracking this EP with Adam and Hunter at Kingsize Sound Lab,   in early July this year. This was my first time working with AFI, and I was impressed with the dedication, focus and creativity these guys had, so get ready for the The Missing Man EP this Dec 7th. Take a listen to this new track! I look forward to hearing the rest of these super fun tunes. 

As  STEPHY HAYWARD from zrockr.com says

“Get Dark” is a great example of the band’s evolution from punk to gothy rock to whatever you call it now. Sure, there’s some synth in there, but there has always been nods to the new wave bands of the 80’s that influence AFI so much, and you can still hear Puget’s guitars loud and clear. As always, his guitar works is phenomenal on this song. Hunter Burgan’s bass cuts through like a knife, and Adam Carson’s drums are fill after fill before hitting hard as always. Lyrically, it’s simple, but Havok’s one of a kind voice still takes us on a journey into the new.

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Alice in Chains to Release “Rainier Fog” August 24, 2018

I have been working with Alice in Chains since I engineered “Black Gives Way to Blue” with Nick Raskulinecz as producer in 2008. We went on to work with the band on “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” in 2011-12.

It was a long journey with AIC to get demos together for the new album especially when they were doing much of the writing between tours and travel. Its a privilege, and a hell of a lot of fun, to work with Nick, Jerry, Sean, William and Mike again to create this epic new album.  The band wanted to go back to their roots and draw on some of the organic energy that they used to tap when they were part of the Seattle grunge scene.  So we recorded this new album in Seattle at Studio X. From there, they went to Nashville to Nick Raskulinecz’s studio to wrap up overdubs and vocals. Then we were in Joe Barresi’s space (JHOC) in Pasadena, where he mixed every song. I’m really proud and excited of what we achieved with this album; it blends classic Alice in Chains with new sounds and moods. “Rainier Fog” gets released on August 24, 2018, until then enjoy these pre-released tracks!

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Fuzz Evil Release “High On You”, Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Paul Fig

These guys got in touch with me after reaching out to Jim Rota of Fireball Ministry. They were looking for someone to produce their band Fuzz Evil and Jim mentioned me.

After a few emails and phone calls while I was in Seattle tracking Alice in Chains’ new album, we made a plan. There was some great rough material in the early demos they sent and I knew that together we could mold those tunes into something crushing.

We made plans for the trio to drive through the Arizona desert to Burbank, CA where we slaved for two days on pre-production at my space, Underbrow. Then we were off to Studio 606 (the Foo Fighters studio owned by Dave Grohl) to track live on Sound City’s famed Neve 8028, the recording console that Grohl rescued from the failing studio. We tracked for two more days then were back in Underbrow for three days to wrap up solos, vocals, and a shaker track.

These guys stepped up and delivered some of the most fun stoner, desert rock ever. They hilarious and a blast to spend time with, and they worked their asses off. We crossed the finish line in five days. I enjoyed every second of their energy and work ethic as I pushed them to deliver. The fun and the hard work show in the music we produced. I look forward to hear more from these three.

Robert Pasbani of Metal Injection says,

“Fuzz Evil have been doing one thing since their formation in 2014- bringing sweet jams to the masses.We are pumped to showcase the opening track “Get it Together” which features some sweet licks and an epic solo that will make you feel like you are on a rocket on another planet”

Release date: September 14, 2018

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Stavesacre return with new Album “MCMXCV” (1995), Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Paul Fig

This all started when Sam West asked to meet for a beer to chat one sunny California summer day in 2016. After catching up with life, Sam asked if I would like to produce the new Stavesacre album. Sam and I played together in Scaterd Few and in Human Rights with HR from Bad Brains, so I know he can beat a drum. Without hearing any demos I agreed to work with Stavesacre. The next few months (in between engineering gigs) I helped them arrange and shape their demos. Half a year later we started tracking drums and guitars (lots of guitars) with Ryan Dennee and Jeff Bellew, and then finally tracked bass in one weekend after Dirk Lemmenes flew out from Atlanta, Georgia.

In January 2017, Mark Salomon materialized from the east coast where he had been working hard on lyrics and melody. He sang for nine straight days. Two with his vocal coach Jason Martin at his Bull Shed studio, then seven days with me at my space, Underbrow production. Stavesacre knocked this one out of the park. While wrapping up Fireball Ministry’s Remember the Story and Ironaut’s Sick Stupid Lies,  AND gearing up for Alice in Chain’s recording session in Seattle, we mixed at fever pace. I am extremely proud of to have produced this Stavesacre record, and I hope we can do it again.

Review excerpt by Loyd Harp Indie Vision Music:

From the first notes of “The Dead Rejoice” you can tell its Stavesacre, as the Bellew/Dennee twin guitar attack is immediately recognizable. This opening track (not counting the sound collage, “Intro”) speaks of spiritual death and reawakening and brings hints of the joy the title implies.

“Sleepy Head” reminds me of Friction’s “At the Moment” in that melodic, quasi-ballad-that-rocks sort of way. “On Being Human” is a straight forward rocker that grab’s the attention of any listener in danger of drifting off track. Interestingly, penultimate track “Moonstone” intro could almost pass for a lost SF59 track, and while it shifts when the song kicks in, there is a remarkable similarity (influence?) of later period Starflyer stuff (post-2005 or so). “Breathe Me” is incredibly emotional and atmospheric (Sia Cover) performed in a way I haven’t heard them do before, which drives the point made above the band’s maturity during their lengthy silence.

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Cleopatra Records Release Fireball Ministry’s “Remember the Story”, Produced, Engineered and Mixed by Paul Fig

Jim Rota and I hit it off while co-producing Huntress’s Static Album in 2015. A couple years later, Fireball Ministry landed a deal with Cleopatra Records and Jim and Emily asked if I would like to produce their new record. Hell yes! I’m a big Fireball Ministry fan. How can you go wrong with Rota, Burton, Scott f’ing Reeder, and Big John O! 

With my hands full of class A mic pres from Shadow Hills Industries and Aurora Audio, tracking when we could, I set up for drums with John O in the middle of Angel City Drum Works’ warehouse. Then I tackled guitars with Emily and Jim. Once we had a nice pile of tracks we headed toward Palm Springs to Banning to track bass with the left handed, barefooted beast of a desert rock low-end player, Scott Reeder, at the studio on his ranch.

The Obelisk’s review of the album said, “…as opener “End of Our Truth” and the following “Everything You Wanted” set a tone through hook, comfortable tempo and a purposeful fervency of groove, the contribution of producer/engineer Paul Fig — who has helmed records for post-reunion Alice in Chains as well as Rush and Ghost, among others of a more metallic ilk — shines through in presenting the songs with a clean sense that nonetheless doesn’t detract from their harder-hitting aspects”.

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Ironaut Release “Sick Stupid Lies”

The Sick Stupid Lies EP is the third installment from Ironaut, and it was a great to hear how they have grown together musically since their Iron Vessel EP. Tracking live again at my no frills production space (Underbrow), Ivan Najor (drums), Pat McHugh (guitar), and Erik Kluiber (bass, vocals) never cease to amaze me. Standing back once the dust had settled, I have to say that World of Shit is my favorite track. From the epic intro to the first set of lyrics “In a world that tries to crush your dreams and nail you to the ground” Kluiber sets the tone of reality in Ironaut’s universe.

According to Pat (Riot) Whitaker from Riff Relevant (Riffrelevant.com):

It’s their third offering in just as many years as well, following the bands two previous EPs Iron Vessel 2016, and the “Ironaut” self –titled début from 2015.

The same trio of musicians that crafted those previous albums have returned once more again for their latest outing.

Ironaut deliver the goods once again as only they can, with flare and unique sense of purpose. These guys are the very embodiment of the hard rock underground as

So, they remain a secret that many music fans are oblivious too.

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Marty Friedman Release “Wall of Sound”

Marty Friedman’s new album Wall of Sound is out. Marty, Anup Sastry and I had a great time working on it. We tracked Anup’s Tama drums at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606. We then set up to track guitars, piano and violin at Dave’s Room in North Hollywood.

Blabbermouth CD review:

“It’s been three years since Marty‘s last album, “Inferno”, and if that album was mind-melding, “Wall of Sound” is a maestro’s pronouncement.”

Read more

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Ironaut Release second EP with Paul Fig Iron Vessel

Ironaut are back at it again, tracking live, then doubling or tripling guitar solos. This three piece have crafted three new crushing tracks, staying true to their roots is psych-doom, thrash metal. We tracked this beast of an EP in one day, finishing up with vocals. Once again, it was an absolute treat to work with these talented musicians.

As Dragon from Metal Nexus says,

“Los Angeles has long been called the “City Of Angels” but it has recently bestowed upon us all a rather darkened amp worshiping trio of crusty blackened punks named Ironaut. And these guys are not fucking around with their highly volatile style of groovy speed freak biker metal but that should really be expected once you realize who is in this band. Formerly of The Sixth Chamber, guitarist Pat McHugh, bassist/vocalist Erik Kluiber (ex-Gypsyhawk / White Wizzard), and former Level drummer Ivan Najor are just musically merciless in this genre-distorting three piece…

Ironaut are yet another incredible discovery I have made recently and based on the versatility exemplified on this EP, I have no doubt that this band will gain ground quickly with their widely appealing balance of varying genres. For fans of High On Fire, Mastodon, and (the) Melvins.”

-Dragon (Metal Nexus)