Therein lies the principle catch 22 about mainstream radio play. If you're lucky enough to even get a radio producer/dj/ presenter etc to give your music a listen, if the level in the the first few seconds is way below the metallica track they've just played, they reject it without even bothering to listen to the content. C'est la vie. We spend days trying to master our stuff at a radio compatable level without squashing it to death.
The Metallica album, by the way, is mastered at such a daft level that it automaticaly distorts on many older cd players. They had a major problem with CDs being returned as faulty. I have the album and am a bit of a fan but even I would say, on carefull listening, that the life has also been crushed out of this one to achieve pointles and relentless volume.. Metallicas music, beleive it or not, also has light and shade in it!!
Of course, sometimes the level thing is carefully used to 'advantage'. The Hooters (Philadelphias finest) deliberately do light acoustic intros to some songs which is a ploy to make the listener turn up the hi-fi (Satellite/ Karla with a K to name a couple). When the full band comes in your hair goes backwards.
Those of you who may have wondered what happened to them might want to note that they are a working, touring band again and playing lots of shows both in the US and in europe this year. I'm very mauch looking forward to opening for them in Germany at a festival next summer.
Happy new year!!