Handled by producer and mixer Tyler Smyth (Dangerkids, I Prevail, Falling In Reverse), “Cutthroat” is both creatively ambitious and technically demanding. Smyth—known for his meticulous hybrid mixes combining programmed and organic elements—built this track around heavily processed drums, textured synths, and a vocal approach that swings between brutal and melodic. This mix involves multi-layered vocal harmonies, advanced tuning and automation workflows, multiple effects tracks used for transitions and drops, and extreme drum editing to shape a relentless rhythmic grid.

There’s a careful balance at play—this is a dense mix where every element is fighting for space. You’ll learn how to carve definition into crushed guitars heavily loaded with midrange, how to use sidechaining and subtractive EQ to manage low end between sub drops, kick, and bass synths, and how automation and spatial effects create internal dynamics in the arrangement without losing clarity in wall-to-wall distortion.

If you’re ready to dive deep into modern/alt metalcore production at a professional level, download the multitracks and mix “Cutthroat” yourself. This session is a perfect lab for dissecting the sound design, layering strategies, and punchy, hyperreal polish that defines the genre today.