Randy Burns (producer)
Randy Burns is an American Record Producer, Engineer, and Mixer, whose credits include Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, Dark Angel, Death, Kreator, Ludichrist, Possessed, Nuclear Assault, and more, known as one of the pioneers of Thrash Metal recording. [1]
Early career[edit]
As a musician, Burns got his start engineering records for local LA punk bands, which led to producing early LA Punk Rock compilation Hell Comes To Your House, featuring Social Distortion, Redd Kross, and Christian Death, among others. This led to Burns being hired to engineer the self-titled debut from legendary Los Angeles Punk/Metal band Suicidal Tendencies, which included their first hit single "Institutionalized".
Burns was then contacted by Steve Sinclair, now at the fledling Combat Records, who hired him to produce Seven Churches, the seminal debut LP from early American Death Metal pioneers Possessed, also notable for containing in its ranks future Primus guitarist Larry Lalonde. The album was recorded for $10,000 at Northern California's Prairie Sun Studios, whose grounds also housed a chicken ranch. [1]
Shortly after recording Seven Churches, Burns dropped out of the Music Business, with the intention of going back to school. At the urging of Sinclair, Burns went to LA's SIR Rehearsals to hear Combat's latest signing, Megadeth, who were rehearsing the material for what would become their sophomore release Peace Sells.. But Who's Buying?. Says Burns, “I knew right then it would be a hit record. I was just blown away.”[1]
Megadeth[edit]
Burns soon signed on to produce Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?, the sophomore release from Megadeth, recorded at LA's The Music Grinder, with house engineer Casey McMackin, who would become a frequent collaborator with Burns on future projects. Burns was responsible for the album's original mix, which upon Megadeth's signing to Capitol Records, was remixed by Paul Lani, although burns initial mixes would appear on the Combat Records compilation Combat Bullets, and was originally released as a single. Burns' mixes of several tracks including "Wake Up Dead", "The Conjuring", "Peace Sells", and "Good Mourning/Black Friday" would later appear on the 2004 remastered reissue of Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?. [2] [3]
The album would go on to reach multi-platinum status, and was voted #8 on Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". [4]
Later career[edit]
Burns would go on to produce several more genre defining Metal records, primarily for Combat Records, including Scream Bloody Gore, the 1987 debut release from Death, Darkness Descends, the sophomore release from legendary LA Thrashers Dark Angel, featuring drummer Gene Hoglan, Helstar's 1986 release Remnants of War, multiple releases for Nuclear Assault, including Game Over and Handle With Care, and former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland's first post-Megadeth release, Return To Metalopolis. Other notable Metal and Hardcore recordings include releases by Pentagram, Kreator, Excel, Zoetrope, Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist (who would later become Scatterbrain), and more.
Outside of Metal, Burns would produce well-received Alternative and Rock records for artists including The Fontanelles, The Pontiac Brothers, and Hear It Is, the 1986 debut LP by The Flaming Lips. [5]
Discography[edit]
- Possessed - "Seven Churches" (1985)
- Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? (1986)
- Dark Angel - Darkness Descends (1986)
- Helstar - Remnants Of War (1986)
- Ludichrist - Immaculate Deception (1986)
- The Flaming Lips - Hear It Is (1986)
- Nuclear Assault - The Plague (1987)
- Excel - Split Image (1987)
- Defenestration - Dali Does Windows (1987)
- D.B.C. - Dead Brain Cells (1987)
- Death - Scream Bloody Gore (1987)
- Zoetrope - A Life Of Crime (1987)
- Nuclear Assault - Game Over/The Plague (1987)
- Offbeats - The Evolution Of The Stickman (1987)
- Crumbsuckers - Beast On My Back (1988)
- D.I. - Don't Do It (Single, 1988)
- Excel - The Joke's On You (1989)
- Nuclear Assault - Handle With Care (1989)
- Kreator - Extreme Aggression (1989)
- Chris Poland - Return To Metalopolis (1990)
- Kreator - Coma Of Souls (1990)
- Bang Tango - Dancin' On Coals (1991)
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Thrash Producers: The Sound And The Fury". Guitar World. Guitar World. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ↑ "Megadeth – Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ↑ "Megadeth: how Peace Sells turned four thrash metal f**k ups into superstars". Classic Rock. Classic Rock.
- ↑ "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ↑ "Randy Burns - Producer". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
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