Different genres in one album?

[Akkush]

How do you solve the problem that each of your song ideas are a bit in different genre, and you want to put them on one album?

For example a have one song in the style, mood of Cannibal Corpse, but the other song is more melodeath, then the other one is pure tech death?

Will the mixing make them connected, since they have the same tone?

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

The key is in the flow.

Put your songs on a tracklist and listen to it from start to finish. See which interchanging moments flow well into another and which songs sound too jarring. Which songs will make a great opener to gain attention, great closing track to make listeners want more, which will work in the middle.

Think of it like constructing a live show setlist.

 

[Dayn]

If your question is about whether a metal song and a metal song and a metal song will mesh together, then you're generally fine. It's kind of difficult to go wrong unless, as you say, you mix them completely differently.

 

[Lorcan Ward]

On some albums this can be disorienting but it can also break up the flow of tracks being the same key, tempo and obviously style. It’s the mix that is the important part, making sure it doesn’t change from song to song. If you listen to Avantasia where there are so many different guest vocalists with songs covering a wide range of styles it flows really well. Acoustic tracks are often the stand out tracks on albums because they bring something knew.

You’ve got 3 metal songs so it’s important to have the drums, guitar tone and mixing balance the same so they fit together.

 

[jvms]

You should listen to Taylor Swift's Red. It has all kinds of genres there and it works amazingly well because of the flow and the common elements between all songs. Maybe that will give you some ideas and hopefuly will be a fun listen.

 

[CanserDYI]

As others have said, mix it all with the same tones and drum sounds, it'll sound fine. Take a listen to Colors by Between the Buried and Me, that album goes from ballads to power metal to hardcore to polka to country chicken picking, but never do you feel like you just randomly changed albums.

 

[odibrom]

I think an album MUST have different genres of musics or it may be interpreted as a "factory made" kind of thing, out of the production line (I'd get bored fast...). So, find your flow between the songs and own that. You'll find other people will receive it positively. Own your shit.

 

[BenjaminW]

The key is in the flow.

Put your songs on a tracklist and listen to it from start to finish. See which interchanging moments flow well into another and which songs sound too jarring. Which songs will make a great opener to gain attention, great closing track to make listeners want more, which will work in the middle.

Think of it like constructing a live show setlist.

Another idea that I've heard is putting your songs on shuffle.

 

[ArtDecade]

Listen to Queen's A Night At The Opera as they wind seamlessly through rock, dixieland, ballads, ragtime, skiffle, and opera. It works as long as you are competent enough songwriter.

 

[Adieu]

Is this a first album with high hopes? Then that could be difficult

If not, then it might be kind of cool... some bands thrive on mixing genres. Hell, some even make a point of switching to a new genre every album (although I guess that's kind of different and easier from a mixing standpoint)

PS are you sure you WANT them to have the same tone? That last bit about same tone was a bit surprising. Unless you're hopping to be instantly recognizable from 1 bar into any song?

 

[Akkush]

Is this a first album with high hopes? Then that could be difficult

If not, then it might be kind of cool... some bands thrive on mixing genres. Hell, some even make a point of switching to a new genre every album (although I guess that's kind of different and easier from a mixing standpoint)

PS are you sure you WANT them to have the same tone? That last bit about same tone was a bit surprising. Unless you're hopping to be instantly recognizable from 1 bar into any song?

Yes, I'm planing to start writing songs for the first time.
Well I never heard an album where different songs have different mixes.

 

[Scar_Symmetry]

I love prog because you can really do anything and it'll fit under the same genre. do what you like and call it prog haha

 

[decreebass]

My favorite band is Hanson (not joking, for those of you old enough to know who they are). Each of the three brothers has a unique writing style; Zac is more emo/ballad, Tay is more funk/roots, and Ike is more gospel/Southern rock - and they all sing their own songs (and back each other up on the rest). This makes each new Hanson album a treat to listen to - lots of different styles to enjoy on one album.

In short, it won't be a problem as long as there's some sort of production similarity that ties them all together - in other words, as long as they all physically SOUND like they belong on the same album, it should be fine.

 

[ArtDecade]

My favorite band is Hanson (not joking, for those of you old enough to know who they are).

 

[Chris Bowsman]

Listen to some albums recorded before the mid-2000's. Most everybody with any staying power had way more variety than three different very similar metal genres. I've been a metalhead since the very early 90s, and never understood cutting death metal into different genres.

Check out any random Beastie Boys album, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Metallica stuff from the 90's, any Dream Theater, and you'll hear vastly different songs on the same album.

 

[decreebass]

Hahahaha yep, since I was 13 and I'm almost 40. I'm even in the fan club

Sure; their biggest hit, "MMMbop" is perhaps not the greatest song ever, but they've evolved amazingly as a band and as musicians in the intervening 24 years; just sucks for them that they made such the impression with that song that someone who says they're their favorite band is met with memes of incredulity, but it's okay.

Aside from being accomplished musicians and the most successful indie band ever, they're also humanitarians, beer brewers, chocolatiers, etc. They're also probably the ONE example of child stars who didn't get sucked into the fame machine and end up in scandals or strung out on drugs or whatever. Overall, just a really good band with good, singable tunes. I highly recommend checking out their albums "The Walk," "Anthem," "Underneath," and "Shout it Out." "String Theory" is also pretty good; think Metallica's S&M, but with Hanson music.