@sc it's the trend among record labels, etc. to just make stuff louder by removing the dynamic range. it kinda took off with digital mastering and editing, because it was suddenly much easier to just make the entire track *loud*. marketing was convinced that customers wanted this lousy mastering, so everyone was competing to make their releases like that. in the process, every instrument becomes the loudest in the mix and it just isn't as nice to listen to. sorta like hearing a giant drum in a quiet room versus hearing it while you've got a vacuum cleaner running, there's not that sudden *boom* that stands out