MetalRenard's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Unshackling the Necromancer]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review!
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Well there's a lot of good stuff in this piece of music, that's for sure!
Mix: 7/10
It has depth, it's relatively clean sounding and you used a variety of different sounds. You also made good use of dynamics in this piece. What I think is missing is some kind of space to it by which I mean the mix is much too dry. You needed to put those instruments in a concert hall or something, some reverb would go a long way to polishing off the mix.

Composition: 7/10
Once again, lots of good ideas in this... But maybe too many! At times it gets messy and busy, such as around 1:30 and I think some notes clash, though they're in passing so I couldn't tell you that for sure. Something sounds off anyway. What's good is that the piece develops well, it has a lot of variation/variety and it's interesting throughout. The story really helped with this I'm sure, it's really great practice to have a theme or story for a song and this is no exception to that.

Great work, 7/10!

Jay-Turner responds:

Thanks MetalRenard for your review.

I appreciate that the mix is too dry, I'll try and overcome that for the second round by utilising more reverb. I guess my greatest problem with reverb was that because there was a lot going quite quickly, by adding too much reverb I didn't want it all to sound like mush.

The busyness was all part of the plan I'm afraid, haha. For me I find it very exciting when there are a lot of things going on at the same time, that often brings me back to listening to a piece. You are right about the clash of notes too, I used chromaticism to an extent to add flavour and tension.

Thanks again. I will take your advice onto my next piece. I've not kept it as complicated and it is more thematic (so its not a jumble of ideas).

[Junkman Jam]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review!
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This has a really prominant theme that works well to its favour but I feel that you lose a bit of that umph in the execution of the track.
Mix/performance: 6/10
I think the theme of the song benefited well from the raw sound it has, the hard-biting guitar and distorted vocals marry well and give it a definite... "something". I don't know, it just fits. Having said that, it falls flat in terms of clarity (I can't understand the vocals at all) and the guitar playing is pretty inaccurate. It also lacked depth, for example a bass guitar would have been welcome and would have pulled the whole thing together more, even if it wasn't super deep.
Composition: 8/10
Like I said, a definite theme throughout that is complimented by the style of guitar riffs. It reminds me somewhat of Iron Man (Black Sabbath), is that intentional? I found it quite interesting, varied and daaamn digging that bluesy feel to the guitars.
Overall a really cool song!

7/10 total, great stuff! Would Junkman Jam again!

BrainLight responds:

Thanks for the response, brother. Overall I'm glad you enjoyed the track so I have no complants.

I was not inspired by Black Sabbath but I probably should have been. I like my metal a bit on the slow side.

[Gary Goat - Bazaar]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review!
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Hmm... A bit torn about this piece.
Mix: 8/10
I'll start by saying why you didn't get a better score right off the bat - One aspect is the brass part that plays the highlights at the end of each bar. It's excessivly stereo-enchanced and sounds really, really odd in the context of the song, like the song is playing in front of me in a valley and the brass is playing out of a horn at the top of the two cliffs either side of the valley. You can fix this by blending it with other sounds and using less phase-related stereo-enhancement such as Mid/Side or Left/Right EQing. You also need to give some of the acoustic instruments more detail and a space to play in, meaning more reverb so they sit with the other instruments.
What you did get right is the drums are deep, the piece is varied (sonically) and yet it flows. Good job on those.
Composition:
I feel like the piece lacked a focal point. There were some good ideas but the whole thing felt like it was unfinished, just a backing track for someone to come along and add vocals to (hip-hop style?) or play another instrument on top of. That lost you quite a few points. Also a flute can't be played that way (like the intro), you have to breathe from time to time! :P
Aside from that your piece has a consistent theme throughout, sets an atmosphere and keeps it going throughout, which is important. You had a few interesting ideas in there but it gets repetitive eventually.

That gives you 7.5/10 (or 8 here because I have to round it up).

[Shapeshifter 2 (NGADM)]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review!
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Step summed this up quite well in his intro statement. This is a classic example of some good ideas but your apparent lack of experience doesn't do you any favours.
Mix:
It feels quite haphazard to me, like you took a preset drum sound that, in the end, didn't really match the song's style, but stuck with it anyway.
Also the heavier dub-step-y section doesn't fit in so well, the lead synth feels completely out of place. You could fix this partly by adding an "attack" or "pluck" sound to that synth, perhaps, and then EQing the rest of it in a different way. Also the piano intro/outro doesn't meld well with the rest. If you want to mix styles like that you really need to make sure your transitions are solid and the kinds of sounds you use match to some extent (through mixing).
Other than that it's a decent mix, nothing inherently "wrong", but you could improve it by paying more attention to the details.

Composition:
Like I said, quite a few nice ideas. The piano in the intro and outro is good, moody and sets a certain mood that you managed to keep to throughout, good job on that! You also wrote some nice melodies for this piece.
I really feel like the drums in this are unnecessary at times and could have been used to accentuate the other sections instead of playing the role they play right now, being the instrument that holds it together. For example, around 2:50 ish, that works better, it allows the two sections to sound distinct and yet flows well.

Nice work on your track and I hope you continue to make progress!

[Round 1]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review!
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I gave you 7 for both mix and composition in this, which means as an electronic artist you're on the right path to progress smoothly in the future.
Mix: 7/10
The song has a decent mix. It's warm and bright, quite deep sounding which is key for the genre. What it really lacks is punch, your drums are very flat sounding and the whole piece lacks the signature impact of the genre, I feel, except every now and then during the most brutal parts, but even then the brutality is thanks to clashing sounds rather than the mixing. At 2:27 it's closer to what I would have expected. You're on the right track!
Composition: 7/10
I admit electronic music isn't my cup of tea in general so I compare tracks I have to judge to popular examples in the genre. I think that your track is pretty well written, it has some variation and diverse sounds throughout, swapping back and forth works in its favour very well. I do find the heavier parts to be repetitive and noisy though and in themselves could have been more varied. I find the heavy synth sound quite annoying too whereas I can usually listen and not feel annoyed.

7/10 total, not bad dexarson!

[Solarex - Something Like This]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review!
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Some really cool ideas in there but other parts I feel could have been more refined.
Mix: 7.5/10
The mix is generally pretty good! Warm sounds, quite clear and easy to understand. I think it lacked depth, there was hardly anything going on in the bass and the drums were, at times, much too harsh sounding. Sure, a genre has rules, but sometimes you have to sacrifice the rules for the sake of musicality (speaking of the drums in the intro for example).

Composition: 6.5/10
Seriously, speaking of the intro, I have no idea what you were where doing with that intro. The drums seemd to be there for no other reason that to say "hey, this is the genre so I need the drums or people won't understand." It really doesn't work, in my opinion. It would have been great (in fact it is a good intro) but the drums spoiled it.
Besides that I think you had some really cool melodies that I really enjoyed the song overall, it had a light-hearted feel to it that you captured well and I think the lead synth sounds awesome. The chords were also really good and I think the piece developed well despite having awkward transitions at times.

That gives you 7/10 total which honestly isn't too bad. Sorry if the review is a little brutal but I have to justify the score I gave you and I can't do that by sugar-coating things.

KabukiTunes responds:

Not at all! I actually really appreciate the response, and if I receive a bunch of flattery then frankly I can't learn from my mistakes. This review definitely made me consider some things in this track that I hadn't thought about, like the drums in the intro especially. Thank you for your review and criticism!

[Pareidolic War]

This is a NGADM Round 1 review!
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I really enjoyed this, I can feel the different emotions as the piece goes from one section to the next and its theme is persistent throughout despite the changes.
Mix: 6.5/10
A trick I've found over the years is that no matter how good your composition is, when it comes to such changes as your piece displays, good mixing is absolutely vital to helping it flow. Despite the change in direction or style, every section needs to fill the same area of the sonic spectrum or, at the very least, fade well. Keep this in mind for next time and I'm sure even you will realise that your transitions are decent in terms of composition, but maybe not in terms of the mix.
Quite a few years ago, a new musical acquaintance said to me "hmm... you're a musician but you're no producer". At the time I was kind of upset but after about a year working my ass off I understood what he meant. You need to see your song from different perspectives to realise what's missing and take it to the next level and part of this is in how the piece flows (on an audio level). That is the role of the producer. The musician or composer just makes the music, the producer makes the finished product.
Step has already highlighted the issues with the mix quite well so I won't waste any more of your time with my silly anecdotes.

Composition: 8.5/10
Like I said, the transitions are decent, but not exceptional. On that bombshell, I will now shower you in praise so you don't think I'm an ass. ;)
Actually I really enjoyed this track. The heavy piano made me smile (damn I love piano), the intro reeled me in fast and I didn't feel like any section of the song was unnecessary. You showed off some real talent in your composition, your melodies especially were the highlight of this piece. You also made great use of the dynamics to add extra depth (damn, that piano again, so juicy). It's a very powerful composition and doesn't rely too much on that "typical" trailer feel despite having several "epic" moments. The section at 2:30-ish was also a fantastic idea, it gave a lot of relief after a rather long, louder section. Variety and variation are vital (see what I did there?) and you've nailed that.

Honestly, if I didn't have to be so brutal (NGADM demands it) I'd give you a higher score, but I have to make the 9s and 10s worth it, so I gave you a 7.5/10. Excellent work all the same, Phonometrologist!

Phonometrologist responds:

Variety and variation are vital I agree. Good use of alliteration there ;-)
To be honest, I'm already sick of this piece, and I'm ready to move on to something different. Though, I should still properly mix and master this now that I have the time to do so.
Your critique has given me motivation to do some further research in production. I do consider myself first a composer, second a pianist, and who knows if I'll ever get to have the time and endurance to be an engineer down the road.
Your review has left me wanting. I understand the principals that you mentioned here, but when you mention the sonic spectrum, in a practical sense, I'm not so sure how to apply it. To see it with a different perspective. I know it's not just the instrumentation because the instruments used do fill the low, mids, and highs. Perhaps not balanced so well as of right now, but I'm speaking merely as trying to find the tools for this sort of job and to use it effectively.
And if you stopped right after the "Mix" paragraph, I would have not thought of you as an ass. I want truth, and a review from someone that speaks with integrity should be appreciated more. Even though I have to admit that sometimes it is hard to take. Have to take it with gratitude.
So thank you

[Impermanence]

This is a NGADM review!
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Despite the score I gave this, I do like your song, don't take it the wrong way, it's just that I think it had more potential, as do you!
Mixing/performance: 6/10
I'll be brutally honest with you here, I don't think the mix is good, on several levels. This doesn't mean it's all bad - your sound is very reminiscent of Pretty Maids (Running Out), an awesome band (and song) if you ask me! They also had their drums in the foreground to drive the song, preferring to push the heavy guitars back a bit so that the vocals could be in the front. The difference here is that your song does NOT have vocals, so it's a bit of a shame that the guitars are buried in the mix this way. Also your drum sound is very lacking, it has no depth (like Step said, the whole thing sounds very "thin"). If I were toco rely on the drums to the same extent as you did in this I would work my ass off to make them sound insanely good. Beef them up with a bit of white-noise "a la 80's" and a tight but wide reverb and it would be awesome. Instead I'm greeted with the metal kit from Superior Drummer or something... You did get an extra point for some really good guitar playing though.

Composition: 7/10
You have quite a few good riffs in this, nice work! The rhythm and melody sections complimented each other well too, a sign of a good song writer. Sadly there are quite a few things that let this down, namely the last third of the song. The clean section drops in at the end with no warning... Silence... Build up to metal outro... manic drums. It really didn't make sense to me. I also found some things a little repetitive, such as the repeated guitar runs at 2:24 onwards.

Overall I did enjoy the track and I think you have a lot you can do with it, so don't feel put out by my less than stellar review, use this as a platform to grow and come back with a vengeance next time! I'll be rooting for you!

Metallica1136 responds:

Yo man, sorry for the extremely late reply, I visit Newgrounds mainly just to check for new reviews nowadays, not busy on here like I used to be. And I do understand what you're saying about the mix. Snare does sound too tinny and thin, drums are much louder than guitar. I have been learning more and more since I read you and Step's reviews, I've been keeping the drums down, and I've also been working on getting a much heavier wider mix. I already got a much better tone. I appreciate the absolute honesty in this review man, thanks!

[Orcus]

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review!
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OH SWEET JESUS THIS IS INSANELY HEAVY. (thanks for that Step) Need. MOAR. Need... Epic vocals too. Casey Sabol, plzthx. Honestly, this would be at home on a Periphery album.
Mixing: 9/10
I think you have the best, most precise, heaviest guitar tone in this genre (Djent) on Newgrounds. Seriously, it's super pro and super good. I think you still need to work on how you mix the lead sound into the rest, it sounds very out of place, suddenly there in the middle, quite muddy and not really complimenting the rest of the track on a sonic level. This may be because of the amount of reverb/delay used, perhaps you should consider using a different one... Having said that, outstanding playing/technique throughout and a rich, beefy drum sound make this track just that much more awesome.

Composition: 8/10
Well... You melted my brain, pummelled it into nothingness and then some. I love it. Despite that, I still feel there was something missing here, maybe that eureka moment where I lose myself in the ebb and flow of the track as it transitions from one section to the next. In comparison (hey it's your own fault I'm comparing you to these songs, yours is just that good, I want to push you to be even better), I'd say Icarus Lives DOES have that thing I'm looking for. Maybe it's the vocals, sure, but it's also how the bass has a chance to come in about 1:30 into the track and provide a bit of relief, creating a lot more depth to the song, among other things. Perhaps also the variety in that track.
And hey. Perhaps I'm just talking out of my arse.

Either way, excellent track mate. Keep it up!

[Gather The Clans]

This is a NGADM round 1 review!
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The standard set by group E is simply astounding, one of my favourite groups in this round!
Mix: 8
In my mind, an 8 means that the mix was perfectly acceptable, it just lacked the special something that would push it to be incredible. Your mix is like that, very good indeed. It's clear and you make good use of dynamics. Your sounds blend well together too.
What you missed is the depth of the sound. It feels like your instruments are playing from speakers in a room rather than putting me in the room with the orchestra in person. This could be fixed by reworking how you used reverb in this piece, I think the one you used is too thin (not enough low mids/bass) or maybe you EQed them in a way that removed the "muddy" frequencies but took it too far. Listen to your percussion for example, it's like they're only lightly tapping the surface rather than beating the war drum. The reverb doesn't have to be louder, be careful, it just needs to fulfill a slightly different role to what it has rigt now.
It's a shame but it's not such a big deal in the end, maybe something you can work on for next time.
Composition: 9
This is definitely an interesting piece. Where you lost a point is in the realisim. To me this piece didn't feel "real" and I can't explain why, completely, but I can say it may be because you used so much spiccato that it starts to sound mechanical. Besides that, you did a fantastic job. The music is really interesting and varied and it definitely tells the story that you described below it. I guess the expression is to "paint a picture", which you accomplished very well thanks to the different themes that come and go throughout.
Excellent work!!!

LunyAlex responds:

Thank you very much for your review! The detailed feedback is extremely appreciated. The points on reverb, eq and realism will prove very useful!

Thanks again!