Black Metal Mastering that keeps the frost.
Black metal mastering is the final stage that makes tremolo walls, blast beats and harsh vocals translate to every system without sanding off the raw, cold character of the genre. At Polished every black metal master starts with a written audio audit of your mix, so loudness, brightness and low end are decided by measurement, not by a generic preset. From €79 per track, mastered personally by Tim Borchert.
What black metal needs from a master
Black metal breaks most of the rules generic mastering templates are built on. Brightness, noise and density are part of the aesthetic, so "fixing" them the way a pop chain would can strip out exactly what makes the record work. The job is to keep the character and remove only what blocks translation.
Raw & lo-fi
Hiss, grit and boxiness are often intentional. The master protects that texture and only tames what becomes painful on earbuds or collapses on phone speakers.
Atmospheric & post-black
Long reverbs and layered guitars need width that survives mono playback. Dynamics are kept open so crescendos still land.
Melodic & symphonic
Keys, choirs and lead guitars compete in the same upper mids. The audit shows where they mask each other so the master can open space for the melody.
DSBM & depressive
Vocals are often buried on purpose. The master keeps that distance while making sure the track doesn't sound simply quiet next to other releases.
What the audit typically finds in black metal mixes
- Harsh 2–5 kHz buildup from stacked tremolo guitars and cymbals, which turns fatiguing once the track is pushed louder.
- Cymbal wash during blast beats that swallows the snare and turns fast sections into noise instead of intensity.
- Kick drums that disappear under the guitar wall, or triggered kicks that click too hard after limiting.
- Sub-bass rumble and phase issues from tuned-down guitars and wide reverbs, which eat headroom and collapse in mono.
- Over-limited premasters that leave no room to make the track competitive without distortion.
Each finding goes into the written report with a concrete fix. When a problem can't be solved properly in mastering, the report says so, so you can decide whether to adjust the mix first.
How a black metal master comes together
- Premaster in: 24/32-bit WAV or AIFF at session sample rate, 3–6 dB headroom, no master-bus limiter, plus one or two reference tracks.
- Written audio audit: frequency spectrum, dynamics and loudness, stereo image and phase, and a sonic assessment against your subgenre and references.
- Mastering plan: every move is listed with the reason behind it before anything is processed.
- Master + exports: 24-bit WAV, 16-bit AIFF, 320 kbps MP3, platform-specific versions for streaming and Bandcamp.
- Revisions: unlimited, until it matches what you hear in your head.
For loudness, black metal doesn't have to be crushed to sound vicious. Streaming services turn loud masters down anyway, so the target is set by what your mix can take before cymbals and blasts fall apart. More on that in the metal mastering loudness guide.
Black Metal Mastering pricing
One track, full audio audit, streaming + Bandcamp exports, 48–72h.
Up to 6 stems for maximum control per element, 48–72h.
Save €46 vs. 5 singles. Audit per track, consistent loudness across the release, 5–7 days.
Save €161 vs. 10 singles. Per-track + album audit, tonal consistency, vinyl master on request, 7–14 days.
Black Metal Mastering FAQ
Can you master raw or lo-fi black metal without making it sound clean?
How loud should a black metal master be?
Do you master one-person black metal projects?
Can I send stems instead of a stereo mix?
Recording the album yourself? Tools for bands
Tim also builds production tools for metal bands under the label Code Chaos Audio. Gravesaw turns guitar and bass DIs into a raw or thick black metal amp sound, and Rimehall adds the cold hall and tape grit. For writing and demos, Frostfret plays guitar and bass from MIDI and Hoarfell plays blast-ready drums, bass and a choir pad; both are modelled, with no samples. The two packs cover cab IRs and programmed drums, and everything comes together in the Black Metal Suite bundles. Each page shows how to use the tool so the mix stays easy to master.
When the record is done, request an audio audit. All tools for bands →
Other genres
Send your black metal mix.
Send your premaster and a reference track. You get a written audio audit and a mastering plan before anything is processed.