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The post The Alternative Number Ones: The Wallflowers’ “One Headlight” appeared first on Stereogum.

Legendary mincecore pioneers AGATHOCLES have announced reissue of their fourth studio album Thanks For Your Hostility. The release is set to arrive soon via Selfmadegod Records. The fourth full-length by AGx, recorded in 1996 at the legendary Soundshape Studio in Belgium and originally released by German label Morbid Records, will be reissued to mark its 30th anniversary. Thanks For […]

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No matter what style you prefer, we all have to agree that we all have a sweet spot

Here's how the band summed up their "effin' amazing" first week. Continue reading…

Producers often ask one practical question at export time: “Should I export directly to FLAC, or render WAV first and convert later?”

FLAC means Free Lossless Audio Codec. It is a compressed audio format, but it is not lossy. Proper FLAC encoding reduces file size while preserving the original audio data.

The main point is simple: FLAC gives you WAV-level audio integrity with smaller files, better archive practicality, and easier delivery.

Practical workflow issues make that question worth asking. Some DAWs do not export FLAC directly. 

Many producers render a WAV first, then convert that WAV to FLAC afterward. Done correctly, that second step does not reduce fidelity.

What is the Key Difference Between FLAC and WAV

Choosing between FLAC and WAV is not only a sound-quality decision. 

It also affects storage, delivery, metadata, compatibility, and long-term file management. 

Both formats can protect full-quality audio, but they fit different parts of a production workflow.

FLAC

FLAC stores the same audio information more efficiently through lossless compression. 

Instead of discarding musical detail, FLAC packs mathematically redundant information in a more efficient way.

It can deliver the same sound quality as WAV while using much less storage. Common professional estimates put FLAC at about 40% to 60% smaller than WAV. 

Other practical archive estimates place the reduction at about 50% to 70% compared with uncompressed audio files, without sacrificing quality.

It also handles metadata better than WAV in many everyday use cases. 

It can carry artist information, album details, track title, artwork, date, genre, and credits in a more reliable way across modern music libraries and playback systems.

That matters when files need to be organized, shared, delivered to clients, placed into catalogs, or prepared as high-quality listening copies. 

WAV metadata can be less consistent across players, stores, libraries, and client systems.

FLAC also has several practical advantages for finished work:

• Smaller archive folders
• Faster transfers
• Cleaner catalog organization
• Better tagging support
• Lossless playback quality
• Strong modern player compatibility

WAV

WAV is usually uncompressed PCM audio. It is one of the most accepted audio formats in professional production, so it works well across DAWs, mastering rooms, editing systems, and hardware workflows.

WAV is excellent for recording, editing, mixing, and mastering because software can process it easily and most engineers know how to handle it. 

Engineers often prefer it because compatibility trouble is rare.

WAV and AIFF are uncompressed PCM formats that preserve what was captured during a recording session, including headroom, dynamics, and transient response. 

Evergreen Vinyl is a useful reminder that preservation starts with the source. Its Taylor Swift vinyl collection focuses on physical records, album versions, artwork, and collector value, showing why the original recording, pressing, and handling matter before any digital format is chosen.

That makes WAV a safe choice when audio needs to pass through multiple stages of production.

File size is its main drawback. A typical three-minute WAV or AIFF album-delivery file at 24-bit / 96 kHz can be around 200 MB. That can be more than six times the size of a comparable MP3.

High sample rates and high bit depths increase the size quickly. Large WAV archives can become difficult to back up, upload, download, and organize. 

A single WAV file is often more than double the size of a FLAC file.

Several WAV strengths explain why it still matters during active production:

• Very broad DAW support
• Reliable use in mastering and editing rooms
• Strong compatibility with old and new software
• Simple processing during recording, mixing, and mastering
• Fewer playback or import problems in hardware-based workflows

Rendering to FLAC Does Not Mean Losing Quality

Confusion usually starts with one word: compression. Many producers connect compression with MP3 damage, missing detail, or lower fidelity. FLAC uses a completely different type of compression.

Lossy compression, such as MP3 or AAC, reduces size by discarding audio data. Once that data is gone, it cannot be restored.

Lossless compression, such as FLAC, reduces size by storing the same audio data more efficiently. During playback or decoding, FLAC restores the audio data exactly.

Properly encoded FLAC should preserve the same audio information as the original WAV. A FLAC file can be a bit-exact representation of the WAV file. 

During playback, the data reaching the D/A converter can be exactly the same as the original WAV data.

Different FLAC encoders may create slightly different file sizes because the compression ratio can vary. 

That does not mean the decoded audio data is different. With correct encoding, encoder differences affect storage efficiency, not sound quality.

Conversion safety depends on a few practical conditions:

• Clean original WAV render
• Reliable FLAC encoder
• Correct sample rate and bit depth handling
• No added normalization, dithering, or processing during conversion
• No accidental export to a lossy format in between

WAV and FLAC can also be converted back and forth without meaningful sound-quality loss, as long as the files are handled correctly and the original audio is clean.

Quality of the original recording still matters. Lossless format alone does not guarantee a great-sounding file.

A poor FLAC made using bad hardware, poor settings, a damaged record, or a weak transfer can still sound worse than a well-made MP3 created using a stronger source.

Why You Should Render Final Work in FLAC

Final audio files have different needs than active session files. During production, compatibility and processing ease often matter most. After a track is approved, storage, delivery, metadata, and preservation become more important.

FLAC fits that final stage extremely well. It keeps full-quality audio while making finished work easier to store, send, tag, and protect.

Smaller Files Without Sacrificing the Master

FLAC reduces file size while keeping the master intact. That is its biggest practical advantage.

For long-term storage, backup drives, cloud archives, collaborator handoffs, and client delivery, smaller files make life easier. 

WAV files are large because they are usually uncompressed. FLAC gives you a storage-friendly version while preserving full audio quality.

FLAC files can be 50% to 70% smaller than uncompressed audio files without sacrificing quality. More conservative professional estimates still place FLAC at 40% to 60% smaller than WAV while keeping WAV-equivalent sound quality.

For producers storing many final masters, stems, alternate mixes, instrumental versions, clean edits, acapellas, TV mixes, and client revisions, that reduction adds up quickly. 

A huge archive can become easier to back up, move, and protect.

Storage savings become especially noticeable in larger audio catalogs:

• Full albums with multiple master versions
• Stem packages for sync or remix use
• Clean, explicit, instrumental, and TV mixes
• Sample packs with hundreds of files
• Long-form recordings at high sample rates
• Restored or digitized audio collections

Storage savings also matter when working across multiple drives or cloud services. Smaller files reduce upload time, download time, transfer friction, and backup cost.

Better for Archiving

Archiving is not only about keeping a file. It is about keeping the best possible version in a format that stays practical over time.

A FLAC archive keeps audio lossless while saving space. 

That makes it ideal for finished songs, stems, alternate mixes, library music, sound design assets, restored audio, and digitized recordings.

Large catalogs can become hard to manage in WAV only. FLAC makes high-quality archiving more practical because it protects the audio while reducing storage load.

Keeping both WAV and FLAC can also be smart for important masters. WAV can act as the maximum-compatibility production file, while FLAC can act as the practical archive and sharing file.

Delivery is often where FLAC becomes immediately useful. Finished audio may need to reach clients, collaborators, labels, editors, music libraries, or listeners quickly.

FLAC files are smaller than WAV, so they upload, download, and transfer faster. That matters in real production workflows.

Client portals, cloud storage links, label submissions, email-based delivery, private listening links, and sample-library exchanges all benefit when file size drops but quality stays intact.

For final listening copies, catalog review, archive transfers, and high-resolution downloads, FLAC often gives the best balance between quality and convenience.

Stronger Metadata Support

Metadata becomes more important after audio leaves your DAW. A file without clear tags can get misplaced, mislabeled, or separated from its project context.

FLAC can hold useful metadata such as:

• Artist name
• Track title
• Album title
• Artwork
• Date
• Genre
• Credits
• Version notes
• Composer or producer names

That makes FLAC more practical than WAV for organized archives and public-facing digital delivery.

Metadata helps files stay identifiable across music players, client systems, folders, drives, delivery platforms, and libraries.

WAV metadata support is less consistent than FLAC and MP3. That inconsistency can create problems when files travel through different players, stores, databases, and client systems.

A well-tagged FLAC file is easier to search, sort, identify, and deliver. For producers managing large catalogs, this can save serious time.

Summary

FLAC belongs in every serious audio workflow because it gives you lossless quality, smaller file sizes, easier sharing, stronger metadata, better archive practicality, and protection against lossy degradation.

Do not replace every production WAV with FLAC in every situation. 

WAV still matters for recording, editing, mixing, mastering, engineer handoffs, and maximum compatibility.

Always create a FLAC version of the finished work. It preserves the master while making storage, transfer, organization, and delivery much easier.

Public opinion on Moscow’s once one-man black metal project Malist varies quite a lot more than I realized. While several at AMG HQ regarded Ovfrost’s flagship project with a fair amount of praise, others feel most of his material is by-the-numbers melodic black metal. This variation of reception applies album to album as well, which makes pinning down a crowd favorite from Malist’s discography an interesting discussion. I happen to feel Malist are remarkably consistent—albeit somewhat generic—churning out solid slabs of melodic black metal that straddle dour moods and bouncy tunes with poise. Now boasting a full lineup, fleshing Malist out to six fully minted musicians, sixth opus Eternal Echo of the Fall achieves the same feat once more.

Malist remain as reliable as ever. Perhaps a touch bouncier than they’ve been in a minute, recalling the bopping quality of past hits like “Timeless Torch,” Eternal Echo of the Fall opens up with high-energy romps that contrast nicely with their familiar thematic pall. Ovfrost still handles most of the writing here, so long-time followers of the band won’t be caught off guard by Eternal Echo. However, a new vitality blooms in these eight new tracks. As a result of the current band lineup’s various contributions, a sense of immediacy and a burst of vibrancy enlivens everything from songwriting to performance compared to Eternal Echo’s more melancholy predecessors.

Listeners won’t need to wait long to appreciate this refreshing shot of adrenaline. Opening duo “Eternal Echo” and “Through a Distorted Gaze” launch with a blaze hot enough to melt my skin, marking two of Malist’s most successful tracks to date. “Through a Distorted Gaze” especially impresses, boasting a thrashing speed that would feel alien were it not for those trademark emotive leads and weeping melodies that weave in and out of writhing riffs. Slower and more atmospheric items restore that ominous sense of dread and reclusion that listeners expect from Malist at the center of the record, but even longer-form tracks in this space (“Snows of Remembrance”) offer more intensity, chunkier riffs, more accessible melodies, and hooks than usual. These qualities allow latecomers like “To Walk the Path of the Dead” to shine, deftly balancing crushing heft, exuberant pacing, and soaring melodies.

An impressive outing for a band six albums in, Eternal Echo of the Fall’s major fault is that it doesn’t do anything unpredictable or novel, and isn’t so excellent as it is to overcome that shortcoming. Malist competes in a competitive, saturated field, which only makes their task an even greater challenge. Valiant efforts in its high-octane outbursts (“Through a Distorted Gaze,” “Her Dark Backwater,” “Above the Mists of the World”) as well as its more introspective spells (“Snows of Remembrance,” “The Hird”) push hard to propel Eternal Echo to the front of the pack in the context of the band’s own discography. Against their peers, however, Malist haven’t found that intangible quality or that undeniable execution which would make them stand out. Its flat and plastic production doesn’t help matters much. Wholly lacking in low-end body and short on fullness across the midrange, Eternal Echo of the Fall sounds professionally polished but tinny and flimsy, not unlike cheap chrome. It’s not a deal-breaker, and at least all instruments can be heard. Nonetheless, improvements to the frequencies that lost ground in the engineering suite would ensure a sound that gives proper weight to these songs.

As it stands, Eternal Echo of the Fall is more than a competent, but by-the-numbers melodic black metal record. It is, however, not quite memorable or striking enough—nor does it offer a certain level of excitement or originality—to distinguish itself with distinction amongst the horde. Hints of that distinction in its best cuts give me hope that Eternal Echo heralds a new era for Malist, in no small part due to the fresh talent newly inducted into the project. With this in mind, I offer a qualified recommendation to try Eternal Echo. Should you be an existing fan, or a newcomer curious to add another entry into your rotation, you might not be blown away, but you’ll certainly not be disappointed. In a genre as overpopulated with talented musicians and songwriters as this, it’s hard to ask for more than that!

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Rating: Good!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Flowing Downward
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 12th, 2026

The post Malist – Eternal Echo of the Fall Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

A fun, frantic five minute interview with Black Label Society leader Zakk Wylde

Memphis heavy blues rockers The Heavy Eyes release their fifth album, Focus.

The Heavy Eyes is a band from Tennessee that came together in 2010. Following the ever-bright stars of heavy blues and rock and roll, they have released four albums before this newest one, including The Heavy Eyes (2011), Maera (2013), He Dreams of Lions (2015), and Love Like Machines (2020). The latest album, Focus, might be a little heavier than the earlier ones, and it is energetic and innovative as well. I think it is their best set of music so far. The band is Tripp Shumake (guitar, vocals), Matthew Qualls (guitar), Wally Anderson (bass), and Eric Garcia (drums).

Tripp Shumake offers a few thoughts on Focus: “This is The Heavy Eyes taking everything that has inspired us in the musical landscape and not giving a damn if it fits our particular genre. We want to use those impressions to bend our sound into new and exciting ideas for the listener and us, while still remaining true to our Memphis rock and roll roots. To focus on the thrill of creating something that wasn’t there before.”

The opening track, “That Cold Goliath,” is a surprise, sounding as it does like a Lana Del Rey song. “Concrete Halloween” picks up the mantle and lays down rock crushing riffery. There is a mesmerizing echoing throughout, and a delightful buoyancy that allows for continued innovation as the song progresses. “It’s All Simone” has a wondrous bass line and taunting vocals even before the higher order strings present themselves. I love this song. Damn. “Sarissa” is cheeky, “Corporal Upham” is heavy with dama, and “Troublesome Priest” exudes attitude, which is a sensation to hear.

The album delivers for fans and will entice new followers as soon as they hear it. If we front and center the title song, “Focus,” that would do the trick as it holds the fundamental elements of the band, abundantly displaying the vocals, rhythm, and guitars in their most favorable lights. Generally, all the songs are strong with solid compositional defiance and rugged readiness. Listening to the album, every time I think I have heard my favorite, the next song challenges that assumption. “That Cold Goliath (Might Return)” is definitely near the top of the list, though, and so is the closer, “Holy Envy,” with its Pink Floyd vibes and cerebral instrumental cooldown posture. Everything about this set is excellent. Highly recommended.

Focus is out on Friday, June 12^th through Magnetic Eye Records. Listen and buy at the links below.

Links.

The Heavy Eyes website, https://www.theheavyeyes.com/

Bandcamp, https://theheavyeyes.bandcamp.com/album/focus

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/TheHeavyEyes/

Magnetic Eye Records, https://spkr.store/collections/magnetic-eye-records

© Wayne Edwards

Dave Greenslade was a founding member of jazz proggers Colosseum and formed his own band, Greenslade, in 1976

Melding blunt force death metal with hardcore grit and some mighty hooks, Gatecreeper slay Download’s Dogtooth tent