In no way do I consider myself to be an expert on production or mixing nor would I say I'm one of those purist or production snobs that will criticize even the most sterile of mixes to no end. Despite all that, a good mix is something I value in an album even if I can't critique it to the same degree as an audiophile. Then, on the opposite side of the spectrum, there are genres in which the artists and bands strive towards absolutely raw and unfiltered production and unfortunately end up sounding like complete shit, objectively speaking. There's possibly no genre guiltier of this than Black Metal and yet, my favorite albums from a production standpoint are [i]Roads to the North[/i] and [i]Autumn Eternal[/i] both by the band Panopticon. They're an Atmospheric Black Metal band and imo they perfectly capture what the genre is about -- what some many other bands absolutely fail to. The production is on point, but not to where it sounds sterile and done in multiple takes to make it seamless. It still manages to have that raw, dirty in your face energy which they have perfected so much so, that you could be forgiven for thinking it's a live recording. Just listen to the drums, for example on the above track, [i]A Superior Lament[/i]. No sampled drum sounds, nothing giving the impression it was done in multiple takes or brushed up with studio magic. Just the pure -blam!-ing drums. With the exception if the red headed step child that is the bass mix on most albums, nothing is fighting to be heard over the other in some incomprehensible cacophony. It all just goes together well in an amalgamation of pure production genius. Tl;dr Panopticon albums sound like live recordings and accomplish what so many other Black Metal acts fail miserably at. This shit can be turned to eleven without sounding like, well -- shit.