by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Pierre Rémillard’s recording studio is located about two hours outside of Montreal in a small town called St-Zénon, Quebec. Nestled behind acres of lush foliage and overlooking a serene lake, you would never guess that Wild Studio would house some of hardcore and metal’s most brutal North American bands.

Rémillard has become a heavy hitter among heavy hitters. He’s been the go-to guy to produce recordings for labels like Victory and Relapse, and can list records by A Perfect Murder, the End, Cryptopsy, Krisiun and Misery Index, to name a few, on his ever-expanding resumé. Rémillard started off, like most producers, in a band—in his case, the highly influential metal band Anonymus—before planting himself on the other side of the mixing console.

“I love producing, but I guess I still miss that family atmosphere and the us-against-the-world kind of feeling that comes with being in a band,” Rémillard admits while taking time out from a mix. “That feeling of playing live is incredible, but I really get a lot of creative release from being a producer as well. When I’m in the studio and doing a mix that is pretty creative, I still get that feeling like I’m in a band again. Having been in a band just makes producing so much easier, because you really start thinking about the song and how to bring out the song more with tempo choices, arranging and sound, instead of merely being an engineer.”

Rémillard seems to be getting more and more calls from some of the cream of the crop of heaviosity these days, but unlike most producers, he doesn’t at all mind being pigeonholed as the sorcerer of sonic ballast. “I have done some mainstream stuff and pop stuff, and I think it came out pretty good, but it’s really not my roots. I come from the school of more aggressive music and definitely feel most comfortable in that genre. I think it’s also where I do my best work.”