Kurt Ballou Discusses The Top 13 Milestone Albums Of His Career | Metal Injection 

i love how soft spoken and quiet this guy is for producing some of the most violent albums of all time

I wish there was more producers like Kurt or Steve Albini. Their works are so organic. Bar is higher than ever thanks to them.

I could fuckin listen to Kurt Ballou talk about music and production all bloody day

Everything Kurt touches turns to gold. Nails, Black Breath, Code Orange, Converge, all of it sounds absolutely brutal. I want Kurt to produce more popular bands in the future. It will be like a steve albini producing nirvana situation, taking a popular and accessible band and adding sharp teeth to them. Imagine those pounding bassy drums, the thick guitars and heavy bass on a Slipknot, SOAD, or Slayer record. That would be something. Better than Rick Rubin can do.

Good to see Kurt embrace his musical roots. I played Bari- sax next to him in the Andover marching band.

What a legend. I've just listened to the new Sumac record, and it's one of the best sludge albums in a while. Turner+Ballou=insane. Now I'm just waiting for the new Nails album.

Cave In- Until Your Heart Stops is one of my all time favorite albums. Hell, my youtube account is named after track 2 of the album! Love Kurt's perspective on Code Orange. As a bit of an old head, I have been pretty dispassionate about any new hardcore since like 2005. I feel like bands like Code Orange, Vein, Jesus Piece, etc., are bringing back the spirit of the late 90s hardcore that made me fall in love with the genre in the first place. It's something new, but familiar, and above all else, it's sincere.

put a big smile on my face to hear Kurt talk about the tone on Abandon All Life. certainly caught my attention! I was browsing random shit on RU-vid and was like "whoa, what is *this*..."

Super cool video. I'd love to see more producers do a video like this. Very insightful as a musician and engineer.

Can’t believe I’d see pageninetynine come up, hell yea!!

Great insight, great vid. Some choices in there I never would have expected

Missed one of Kvelertaks two first albums tho..

Thanks for this! Introducing me to music I never would have been aware of!

I love the sound of de vermis mysteris. Favorite sound of any high on fire album.

I didn't even know he worked on Document #8. One of my favorite Screamo albums.

Kurt is such a unique dude. This was a super cool thing to listen to.

Best dude, I've been a Converge fan since before Jane Doe, He's also helped make some of my favorite albums EVER including the new Nails LP!

Kurt seems super chill. Love his studio and band work

such a talented man! also - don't forget about last TDEP album ;) love it so much

Sick! Didn't realize he did Document #8. Great band, great album.

Its amazing what he did to the last Darkest Hour record. Its probably my favorite from them.

Relax, this video was made before Full Of Hell Trumpeting Ecstasy

Hearing Kurt talk about that Young Widows record is amazing. He really seemed to think it wasn’t going to work out at all but with him being the sonic genius he is, he ended up help making one of the greatest punk records ever made.

Kvelertak's self-titled is FUCKING PERFECT! I just bought it on vinyl and it's the only album I've been listening to all week (both on my turntable and on my iPod). I love 'Meir', but the self-titled is the best work of their career so far. I love the guitar tones and the band's seamless blending of Black Metal, Hardcore Punk, Rock n' Roll and Classic Metal. The album moves along at a brisk pace, the songs flow into each other perfectly and it's a wholly immersive listen that leaves me wanting to go right back through the whole thing again as soon the last song (Utrydd Dei Svake) is finished. And John Dyer Baizley's incredible album artwork is the icing on this cake. I love his work cause he channels my favourite artist, Alphonse Mucha, and Surrealism, my favourite art style.

I'm a little late to watching this video, but this deserves way more likes than it received. I mean, only 1.1 k? I guess it just goes to show that people like Kurt Ballou fly under the radar more than your average amazing producer/musician. I thoroughly enjoyed this video, and it's giving me a few new albums to download as well. 👏👏👏

best producer/engineer ever

Thank you Kurt for all your work 👏👏👏🤘🤘🤘❤❤❤

Old Wounds is absolutely majestic..

I'm glad I watched this video and looked up all the albums. Beastmilk - Climax is such a cool heavy new wave sound. It's so unique. Nails - Abandon All Life is the definition of brutal. Holy shit.

This man produces some of my most inspiring albums of my mid twenties autistic post hardcore fase❤ thanks kurt.

I’ve waited to hear Converge at the right moment and time. Tell me the best song to listen to, to make me a lifelong fan. This will be my first song outside of a concert clip. Waiting!!!!

Meanderthal is one of the few albums that he has recorded that he also still listens to. All hail Torche and Robotic Empire!

Wow, I had no idea Kurt produced one of my favorite band’s and favorite albums; High on Fire’s “De Vermis Mysteris”. That’s fucking amazing, and I always thought, “damn why don’t all their records sound as good as this one?” Well done Sir Ballou

Dude, what about Genghis Tron??? Board up the house is one of my favorite albums ever!

This is tha boi right here! I luv this man. He is a legend.

Chaos Is Me

I didn’t know YOUNG WIDOWS WAS BREATHER RESIST! Mind blown. Love both bands

Love UYHS, i forgot Kurt produced it and Aaron Turner made the artwork. Doesn't get any better than that record.

Was All Pigs Must Die's first record mentioned?

That Beastmilk album is insane!

Converge: The greatest underrated band of the last 2 decades.

Jane Doe was the best album of the 2000s.

That young windows record...I frequently confuse it for Shellac!!

he said something about new Trap Them, but i can't find anything! please, someone provide me a link! :) also, this guy's productions are AMAZING!

Great list but shocked he didn't include Number 12's first album that shit was important for me.

I wish he mentioned Animal by Animosity one of the best deathcore albums and his production is fantastic.

The quiet Converge track in the background is very distracting, other than that, love this piece.

NEW CONVERGE ALBUM ANNOUNCED! HERE THE NEW SINGLE DEBUT ON NPR TUESDAY JULY 25TH!

Does he record and mix those albums?

One of my fav Kurt Ballou produced records is God Is War by APMD. Not super new and exciting scene shattering stuff so I understand why it’s not on his list, but Jesus Christ those guys just do hardcore so right. Honestly flawless.

Got put onto some juicy shit from this video.

Disfear is so heavy, my phone weighs like a brick when I upload their record onto it.

Was that page 99 band on Robotic Empire? Jw have record label sampler with them but don't know..

Damn I wish Don’t Worry Lady by I Hate Sally was one of them.

trap them one of my fav bands. apparently they broke up recently, idk what the reason was

missing some GOSPEL in here.

DISTORT EVERYTHING..the quote!

every The Armed album should be in this list

Kemper spotting😊

What about Black Breath?

best heavy music producer in America

Chaos is me

Open. Up. This...pit!!!

Old Wounds is one of the greatest punk records ever made so it only makes sense that Kurt worked on it

ETID?

is see that kemper in the background!

Songs to scream at the sun by Have Heart is his best production imo

THE DUSK IN US. NOV 3

I'm new to this, I'm more of a straight up melodic death metal head, but this guy seems super articulate and cool, and intelligent. The band names he mentions are super cool just in the names themselves

I wish there was no music playing or maybe music from the bads

I can't stand convege but this was really cool . He seems like a very genuine nice guy .

He looks and sounds like Father John Misty

distort everything

Cat Ballou

Don't see the appeal of Nails at all but I respect Kurt's approach to production

So did he do jail time? Dudes would literally jump your ass for those spider webs