I’m voting a “9”. Not much of a metal guy by any stretch, but I really love this album--it has that same shifting focus between heavy and mellow prog-like passages that made Porcupine Tree’s last four albums so compelling. Favorite tracks include “Takeover”, “Old Hearts Fall”, and “Pale Flag” (gorgeous!).
Bruce Soord’s 5.1 mix is a stunning improvement over the stereo version--not just in terms of instrument separation, but also dynamic range, tonal balance, and overall clarity. Unlike the stereo mix, the 5.1 is extremely crankable and doesn’t suffer from the same shrillness in the busier passages. Even the loudest parts of the album, like the intro to “Sanction”, are not fatiguing at high volume. I wish Metallica’s Black Album DVD-A sounded this good! The bass is powerful and tight, while the vocals (emanating primarily from the front speakers, with some isolated support in the center) are always clear.
Soord has also made great use of the surround field, with the rear speakers typically engaged for isolated backing vocals, percussion, mellotron(!), piano, and rhythm guitars. There’s a particularly cool bit in “Takeover” where everything cuts to black except for a distorted guitar in one of the back corners. “Old Hearts Fall” opens with the electric guitars completely isolated in the rears. The layered vocals that blend together in the stereo mix are nicely separated between the front and rear stages, with the higher harmonies usually sent to the rears (as is typical with Soord’s own music in 5.1).
My biggest gripe with the 5.1 mix would have to be the nearly-inaudible lead guitars in “Serein”. I wonder what happened there? Could it be possible that the session file Soord was given didn’t have those tracks? I know from experience that it’s easy to lose things when you’re not careful moving DAW sessions between computers. Maybe a fader got pulled down before it was exported? Whatever the reason, it's a really glaring mistake--especially since he so carefully replicated most of the key balances/effects from the stereo mix, like the reverse-reverb on the vocals in “Pale Flag”.
Unfortunately, I think this disc is now out-of-print (I snagged a beat-up used copy on eBay for $12)--but it’s absolutely worth seeking out if you like the music. One of the best 'metal' 5.1 mixes I've heard to date.
