Documentary: Weaponry “Forever Nothing” Studio Diary Day #6!

It’s the final day of recording for “Forever Nothing” from Weaponry at The Ranch Production House with Producer Daly George (Creeper, Milk Teeth, Boston Manor) and while it seems like the summer has gone as it’s overcast and cooler, the band are bringing the heat in the recording room. Today starts later with guitarist Max Ashworth laying down the leads for “My Name Is Glory” over the top of the already recorded layers of instrumentation with a click alongside and means we can all hear what the final product will sound like ahead of the mixing and mastering. The band have been calling this final day the “cherry on top day” all week but with some leads and vocals left to track, there seems like an awful lot to do. Between takes Max jams little bits of riffs and Daly is the consumate professional, in the zone and ready to go at the drop of a hat. The solo takes a little time to nail, Daly going back to a bare click track so that Max can slow it all down and build up his speed.

Some of the extra pieces of lead sound almost space age with the effects that Daly brings into play when bare but against the backdrop of the track they sound like one of the lesser lights of heaven. It has to be said that observing Daly George is like observing a master at work, he really does know exactly what he’s doing and can hear things in his head, little ideas or moments that might seem like nothing, but when the band take them on board and put their own spin on them they only serve to enhance the spellbinding nature of the beast as a whole. The amount of ambience on some of the lead parts is a fine example. People often ask us about what role a producer actually plays and how important having the right one is. During these recording diaries we’d like to think that those questions have been answered because musicans put their faith in them an it really pays off having the right outside ear on board. As Max begins to lay down some tapping sections (a first for the band) for “Mine“, it becomes really obvious how much more technical certain parts of these new songs are without ever escaping from the Weaponry sound. Development through natural evolution rather than revolution is taking shape before our very eyes. First Max shows Daly what he’s going to play, then Daly taps it out on the desk before setting up a click track to that so they do a dry run against the previously tracked parts before doing a first take. Then it’s a case of rinse and repeat with both Gentleman being perfectionists as we watch on with Al Bristow at the back of the room.

The final vocal takes for “My Name Is Glory” sees drummer Tim Doyle more heavily involved with Daly in getting the best performance from Al vocally. All three make suggestions on diction and tone before playing back sections and repeating them to put it together. While those are taking place talk on the sofa turns to what the band might consider “making it” might look like. The consensus of opinion is that the Dog Tooth stage at Download Festival would be that moment, although Tim would like to be recognised in the street by someone. Max also points out that some of the bands smaller ambitions are being met by playing with bands they know and listen to like Press to Meco, which will happen at Reading Rising Festival in December. After the effort that went into getting the other songs in the right place vocally, “Take It Or Leave It” is done in its entirety from start to finish, then going again in full, leaning on all the experience of playing the song live for the past 3 years. The last thing to be committed to tape is the guitar solo for “My Name Is Glory” and then there is a collective sigh of relief and huge grins all round. All that’s left is for Daly George to provide the finished mixes in a month’s time for the band to review and “Forever Nothing” will have gone from a rehearsal space demo to a full blown EP and we can’t wait to hear that.

…The recording of “Forever Nothing” by Weaponry has been completed with the help of Pepsi Max, Monster, Iron Bru, Golden Virginia, Wicked, Mini Rolls, Hot Tamales, Ibanez and ESP guitars, Ernie Ball strings, Zildjian Cymbals and Vic Firth drumsticks so if any of those companies want to get in touch about endorsements, feel free to get in touch via social media (if you don’t ask, you don’t get, right?!)…

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