Steve Woodcock Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 2 hours ago, razor5cl said: Huh, I never knew that! Is there a source for this? I thought he played fretless right from the beginning. I was in to Sadus back in '91 so one of the sources is my memory 😉 Ive just done some googling and found an interview discussing the recording of A Vision Of Misery to back that up though: Quote I was still using the Rickenbacker bass that was my identity sound, but we integrated the fretless in on some songs and working to make it sound really good in a good studio helped me to bring it out a year later to record Individual Thought Patterns. And even with previously mentioned Autopsy [Fiend For Blood EP] & a few songs on Visions; Individual Thought Patterns was the album that not only put me on the map, but is the iconic spawning of the first time anyone heard fretless bass in metal. Also: Quote I know the fretless I built made it in the studio on Autopsy's 1991 Fiend For Blood. I'm trying to remember if I busted it out before that. I couldn't think of anyone else back then that used fretless in metal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted April 27, 2020 Author Share Posted April 27, 2020 Listening to the new Intronaut this morning, some great fretless playing here https://open.spotify.com/album/2GKcaGXK7yLvmR9m5aEN5i?si=wingh0zsQH2AQpBWXyPAOQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted September 16, 2021 Author Share Posted September 16, 2021 Resurrecting this thread as I've been checking out Cryptic Shift after they were announced for Damantion Festival this year. If you like spacey-death metal with some very good, prominent fretless work, this is well worth checking out - I'm really looking forward to seeing them in November. Plus they're from Leeds, so it's always nice to support home grown talent https://open.spotify.com/album/7cGu80ia5OvMQlxIqTLMA1?si=kcVwj6jwTi2kSQLopOJrUg&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted November 12, 2021 Share Posted November 12, 2021 We recorded prior to our split back in 2017, but it remained unreleased until today: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 Another one from me, here I am playing on the new single from UK death metallers De Profundis, again with my fretless Ibanez Gary Willis signature bass: 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sykilz Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 13 hours ago, Steve Woodcock said: Another one from me, here I am playing on the new single from UK death metallers De Profundis, again with my fretless Ibanez Gary Willis signature bass: Oooh, really like that. I'm more of a traditional metal guy, but that's great, the reason I found this thread is I saw a mate's sons band yesterday they were ??death core???, anyway, they had a fretless bass player and it just didn't work for me, all very boomy and ill defined, but this is what it should be like, your playing in this track is very well defined and punchy. Do you think that the fretless makes a huge difference in the final mixed track as opposed to a fretted? Or have you always played a fretless in such bands so don't know/care??😆 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 I played some fretless on my band's album from last year. I think it turned out quite well. No fancy video, alas, just a lyric vid. The bass is a fretless Musicman Bongo 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 On 26/02/2022 at 10:55, sykilz said: Oooh, really like that. I'm more of a traditional metal guy, but that's great, the reason I found this thread is I saw a mate's sons band yesterday they were ??death core???, anyway, they had a fretless bass player and it just didn't work for me, all very boomy and ill defined, but this is what it should be like, your playing in this track is very well defined and punchy. Do you think that the fretless makes a huge difference in the final mixed track as opposed to a fretted? Or have you always played a fretless in such bands so don't know/care??😆 Thanks @sykilz, I'm glad you liked it. That's a good question: honestly no, I don't think it did make a huge difference - in fact when I submitted the session file the guys in the band didn't even realise it was fretless! 🙄 I'll take that as a compliment about my intonation I guess, haha 😅 I've been playing fretless for about 26 years now I think and have used it in similar settings throughout that time but ultimately my decision to use it on this particular session was because their previous bassist had established fretless as part of the band's sound on their previous four albums. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sykilz Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 3 hours ago, Steve Woodcock said: Thanks @sykilz, I'm glad you liked it. That's a good question: honestly no, I don't think it did make a huge difference - in fact when I submitted the session file the guys in the band didn't even realise it was fretless! 🙄 I'll take that as a compliment about my intonation I guess, haha 😅 I've been playing fretless for about 26 years now I think and have used it in similar settings throughout that time but ultimately my decision to use it on this particular session was because their previous bassist had established fretless as part of the band's sound on their previous four albums. Knowing it's a fretless on the track I can 'hear' that slightly different timbre, but in all honesty blindfolded there's no way I'd have guessed. And yes, your intonation is obviously spot on , and there's some nice brisk technical stuff in there. I love Ibanez basses in metal in general, but too many guys spend all their time down the far end of the neck, when playing parts in the higher registers give a lot more punch and focus to my ears. Nice job sir!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted July 16, 2022 Share Posted July 16, 2022 Another new one from me, again from the upcoming De Profundis album: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 THREAD RESURRECTION Anyone going to see them on the current tour? Thesseling is BACK!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 I recently saw Intronaut live. Excellent bit of prog metal with fretless bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StickyDBRmf Posted September 7, 2022 Share Posted September 7, 2022 You can play a fretless bass in Metal. And Punk. And WETF you like. Just juice up the amp. And. Oh. Harmonics. Slide 'em up. slide 'em down.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckminster Emptier Posted September 27, 2022 Share Posted September 27, 2022 If you are saying that Malone is a fretless only player, which I'm not sure about, but if he is, then another band you should have listed is Gordian Knot. I remember one Gordian Knot song that was certainly fretless, but maybe it was all fretless and I just didn't notice it, it's been a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted September 29, 2022 Share Posted September 29, 2022 On Cynic's 'Focus' lp Malone played a fretted Kubicki Factor. iirc he was the house 'Lad' at Morrisound as Bassist/engineer, since Tony Choy had split for Atheist (and the Pestilence sessions) Masvidal offered him the job on the lp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 Focus is fretless Kubicki with some Chapman Stick. The Pestilence and initial Atheist sessions were a couple of years before Focus was recorded, around the same time Masvidal and Reinert were doing Human and Gobel was playing on Imperial Doom. Choy left to join Atheist full-time for Elements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nilorius Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 Can't imagine good fretless sound in heavy metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 You don't need to imagine, there are plenty of links in the thread. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted September 30, 2022 Share Posted September 30, 2022 Cello is close to the tenor bass, so Apocalyptica belongs to this thread. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted October 14, 2022 Share Posted October 14, 2022 Full album out now, all played on fretless except for a short two-handed tapping section in song 5: Bandcamp link Spotify link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted February 10, 2023 Share Posted February 10, 2023 On 14/10/2022 at 17:42, Steve Woodcock said: Full album out now, all played on fretless except for a short two-handed tapping section in song 5: Bandcamp link Spotify link Superb playing @Steve Woodcock, very much enjoying this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTB Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 On 17/11/2018 at 12:12, Hellzero said: I'm basically a fretless only player and have been for at least 2 decades a fretless only player, so I'm interested in fretless whatever style it is. And I'm no fretted bass player, I even can say that I'm not liking playing fretted instruments. I listen to any kind of music as long as it's music, and metal is music. It's not an odd position at all, but to me, the only fretless player in metal is Steve Di Giorgio who is almost unknown outside the metal nor fretless world. His playing is, to me, hallucinating, but burried in the mix, very strange for the guy who almost invented the death metal genre !?! Playing fretless on a tune or two doesn't make you a fretless player as, most of the time, you are playing just what you played on a fretted bass on a fretless. In your list, you can add Svante HENRYSON who is basically a fretless player, but played fretted bass because of the music he was in. He is also a terrific double bass player. And what about Jack BRUCE who has been playing fretless metal bass even before the genre was ever named... I am curious for your view, given your obvious strong opinion on fretless, as to whether you consider lined fretless to be true fretless or whether you are strictly non lined player? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 5 hours ago, DTB said: I am curious for your view, given your obvious strong opinion on fretless, as to whether you consider lined fretless to be true fretless or whether you are strictly non lined player? I play whatever fretless, lined or unlined, and dots at the fretted position on fretless don't bother me. There is no true fretless, there is fretless. The only "issue" with lined fretless is that you're always tempted to look at your fingers and don't play with your ears, but your eyes, which won't help improve your intonation, especially in low light situation... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nilorius Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 If yes, then it should be changed in to different name - fretless metal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greentext Posted February 11, 2023 Share Posted February 11, 2023 On 17/11/2018 at 08:03, Graham said: Then one of my favourite players Sean Malone of Cynic RIP Sean, a true master I watch that Veil of Maya play through all the time its unreal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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