TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Saruz - Land of Wrath]

I like the emotional appeal of the strings at the beginning, as well as the rich atmosphere. There’s a nice sense of climax into :22, but the call-and-response action between the brass stabs and the piano doesn’t work very well for me. I think the piano’s rhythm kinda gets in the way of the brass’s reverb fade-out, which makes it difficult to discern the beat. I like the drop at 1:03, but there might be a bit too much reverb at the lead-up at :50 or so. It’s hard to hear the strings at :50, although they’re used well again by 1:28. The cello solo at 1:49 sounded particularly haunting. The sound design here is great, if not entirely authentic-sounding. The second drop serves as a good way of hitting the piece home. I think you overuse the stop-start transitions a bit, although overall the structuring in this piece is good too. Nice work overall, Saruz! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
8.5/10

[[•] NGUAC19: Astral Transfer]

I like the rhythm of the kick at the beginning, although you might’ve needed a smoother transition into :12. The piano chords also sound a bit crunchy - you might want to open up the sound a bit by spacing the notes wider. The instrument itself is also pretty inauthentic. The melodies at :36 are nice, although the underlying chord progression is a bit cliche. I like the mysterious vibe at 1:14 and the filtering work at 1:23. The transition at 1:48 might’ve needed to be a bit more gradual, but I like the emotional appeal there and the structural contrast you provided with the decrease in energy. The melodic content in this piece is great, but sometimes the arrangement of the sections feels a bit formulaic and square. Major changes to the texture almost always occur after 16-bar phrases, and there isn’t a ton of variety in the energy level or dynamics over the course of the piece. The drum beat also could’ve been more creative at some point to make up for the square rhythm of the melodies. That said, I like the more mellow outro. The reverse crash at the end (and throughout this piece) seemed like a bit of a Band-Aid attempt to smooth over some otherwise abrupt transitions. Still, I’ve been tough on you in this review. The harmonic content, energy, mixing, and mood are all enjoyable here. Keep at it, RabidAutopsy! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10

[N3Ogodus - sunrise]

I like the punchy drums and energy at :04, but the sweep at the beginning sounded a bit undecorated. There are a lot of more creative ways to start a piece. Still, the pulsing low chords at rhythmic content at :04 make this piece really catchy, and I like the sense of climax into :26. Some of the drum samples and arrangement elements of the piece seem a bit cliche, but I like the melody at the drop. The texture could use a bit more harmonic depth at times, and sometimes the mix lacks higher-range frequencies for an extended period of time. The synth riff with the prominent 5th interval at 1:35 was nice, but I think the piece gets pretty repetitive later on. You recycle the same transitions, vocal samples, and melodies a lot, and the minimal texture doesn’t help alleviate that problem. The variations at 2:29 were nice, though. Overall, I like the mixing, rhythmic content, and mood of the piece the most. More variation in the harmonies and originality are what this piece most needs. Keep at it, N3Ogodus! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.25/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.25/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.25/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
7/10

N3Ogodus responds:

thanks bro! To be honest I have mixed emotions. Im happy about your positive rating but on the other side im kinda dissapointed with the things that is the song missing. But you are right. I should work harder on that. Thanks for inviting me.

[Bellipotent Old Boman]

I like the percussion at the beginning that kinda sounds like horse hoof footsteps and the sultry vocals. The chord progression is a bit cliche, and some of the synths at :25 sound a bit cheesy in a way that doesn’t necessarily fit the vibe of the vocals. I also think you could’ve used a smoother transition into :44. The arrangement of this piece is a little choppy, and it also doesn’t feel structurally complete. The snippets of vocals are the main melodic component of the track, and while I like the sound design overall, I think you could’ve used a little more structuring to give this piece some shape and contrast. Right now, it only really has one direction (towards a fuller texture, more energy, etc.), which is a bit of a risky formula for maximizing the emotional quality of your piece. Overall, nice work with the sound design, rhythmic content, atmosphere, and melodies. The composition just needed a bit more ebb and flow. Keep at it, Mrcoolisimo! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
7.75/10

[Unbreakable Spirit]

I like the energy at the beginning, although it might’ve been nice if the piece had more of a gradual intro. The mixing and mastering are really sharp and clean, and I like the prominent bass riff at :35. I think the transition at :55 could’ve been a tad smoother, but I also see what you did with trying to foreshadow it with the legato note right before the downtempo section. I like the quirky vibe at 1:06 with the oscillating effect on the guitars, and the melodies at 1:15 are really nice too. The arrangement of this track is a bit choppy, with a lot of distinct sections and sudden transitions. That said, you clearly have a good sense of harmony, textural balance, and rhythm. There were times when I wanted to be a little louder in the mix, but otherwise I have no complaints with the production. Honestly, the somewhat disjointed nature of the structure is the only thing that actively bothers me here. The melodic content, mixing, and sound design are all excellent. I really think you should focus on your transitions as a next step. It might help to change elements of the texture a little more gradually, and also to maintain some more background instruments across sections. Still, I have a feeling you’re going to the final round (I’m actually writing this on the 10th). Keep at it, MisledSatellite! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
9/10

MisledSatellite responds:

Thank you for the review!

[Adventure ^0^]

I like the cute synths at the beginning. The pads sound a bit clunky, and the rhythm of the main melody is a bit overly-convoluted. The percussion at :27 is creative, and despite the cheesy synths, the melodic content falls together nicely after :30 or so. The transition at 1:15 sounded a bit rushed, but I like the emotional appeal of the minimal breakdown section thereafter. You could’ve used a smoother transition into 1:40, though. Ending on such a strong cadence at 1:38 kinda damages the flow of the piece a bit. Still, I like the refrain at 1:40 and the additional layer of harmonies at 1:53. The rhythm at 2:18 is a little wonky - it sounds like there’s just one too many beats in there or something. I think it would’ve been nice if you had some more gradual transitions in this piece. It’s hard to channel the energy effectively and keep the listener grounded when you have such a strong duality of character in your piece that isn’t well-connected. The emotional outro also dragged on for a bit long imo. Overall, though, nice job with the melodic content, mixing, and mood. Keep at it, MishkoLalko! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.25/10

MishkoLalko responds:

Thank you very much, I am very glad that I participated with you in this contest ^^

[Hesperax's Pet]

I like the distorted atmosphere at the beginning and the heavy, wobbly guitar chords. The texture is a bit overly staticy at around :38, and the panning at :57 is a bit too heavy. The vocals at 1:10 are nice - I’m impressed you managed to articulate the syllables so well given the fast tempo. That said, I think they sounded a bit dry, and could probably use some more mixing effects. They also sound like they’re coming from a slightly different stereo space as the guitars, so you might want to record them with that in mind next time. I also wanted the drums to be more prominent in the mix at times - the snare was struggling to come through at some of the busier sections. Sometimes, the syllables could be synced to the beat a little smoother, like at “I can’t get up until you do” at 1:44. I like the provocative nature of the lyrics themselves, though. I also think the structure gets a little repetitive after a while. The verse forms are very similar, although the variations in the instrumental tracks at 2:12 were refreshing. The solo at 3:00 was awesome. It’s clear to me that you’re a very talented guitarist, although sometimes the drums are a bit behind the beat. I think you could’ve foreshadowed the re-entry of the vocals at 3:50, although their content seemed a fitting conclusion to the set-up in earlier verses. The fade-out at 4:13 came across as a bit lazy, and the creepy, echoy whispering at 4:32 seemed a bit unnecessary. Perhaps it’s intended to be Hesperax herself? I’m unfamiliar with Warhammer. Overall, strong work with the melodic content, energy, and vocals here. I think the mixing could use some cleaning up, and the arrangement could be a bit less choppy, but it’s an engaging and fun piece nonetheless. Keep at it, MercyfulDeath! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1
Composite score
7.75/10

MercyfulDeath responds:

>Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.25/1

BIG OOOOF

I'm joking though. Thank you for your detailed review, I'm extremely grateful for it. To answer the most glaring question; the whispers at the end are basically any overtly evil entity from the 40k universe meddling with the song, reversed, they say "covet heretical xeno ass" which is (in my opinion) a very cheeky joke directed at the 40k canon and metal's history, to pontificate, the imperium of man, which is the largest faction of 40k, is led by an incredibly dogmatic (kinda like catholicism on steroids), semi-fascist government which spans nearly the entirety of the Milky Way. The most capital crime you could commit is heresy, which is basically disagreeing with the Ecclesiarchy, which is also the government, and is punishable by death. The imperium is also extremely against consorting with anything that isn't human, so something like screwing an alien is basically grounds to get your shit pushed in with a bolter. The backmasking is basically a nod and a tribute to the satanic panic from the 80's, which given the overtly religious focus of The Imperium in 40k it'd be like whoa, you know, heh.

I'm fond of the beginning as well, feels like hot tension, the way the fuzz burns in. The static at :37 is basically Amplitube telling me FUCKING PLAY SOMETHING CAUSE I AIN'T GONNA FEEDBACK, since I'm using headphones to monitor my playing, the amp simulation can't really cook up the properties a real speaker would bring. I'll work on the panning at :57 as well, I really like the tone I set up for that guitar but mixing it to cut through is a cast iron bitch. I agree with the syncing of syllables, as well as the vocal mix, I'm mostly used to recording vox without a proper professional mic and this being the first time I've gotten the chance I wasn't exactly sure how to get em to mix properly, the biggest complaint I've gotten is "I CAN'T FUCKING HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING" so I just put em as upfront as possible without fucking up my other shit. I apologize for the repetitive structure of the vocals on the first verse and chorus, what I was trying to aim for was a frantic feeling with the delivery, and the closest to that was that way, originally it was gonna be 1 more verse and chorus but I'm glad my laziness prompted me to just call it a day with 2 of each, as I feel it would've been too repetitive to pull that, plus the milking of the money shot main riff would've gotten tiresome. I'm very, very glad you enjoyed the solo, I felt that from 3:00 to end, that's the highlight of the whole tune, and it's what keeps me, and hopefully other people coming back. The reason why the drums feel behind at a couple points is because I intentionally tried to play in front of the beat, reason why is because I read an interview from an old 80's speed metal band called Savage Grace that the lead guitarist on the first album tended to play infront to give it a very quick feeling. As for the fade out, come on dude, that is a HALLMARK of 80's music, and, and, I'm kidding, yeah, it's lazy as shit, was pressed for time and went "hey, what could possibly be more 80's than a fucking fade out?" and bam. I intend to play this tune live with a band so when that time comes I'll just stick in more solos because solos are always cool. And for a final note, yes, I agree with the fucking snare, I figured it out way too fucking late but hey, shit happens.

Once again, thank you for the review, I'm very glad to have participated in this contest.

[Just For This Moment]

The piano sounds full, authentic, and majestic. I like the quirky percussion at :32 as well. The chord progression is a bit cliche, and the rhythm is pretty square. The strings sound pretty fake, but work well enough to support the piano as a background instrument. The texture is pretty minimal throughout, and you may have had a bit too much reverb on the drums. I’d suggest trying to humanize the instruments more if you’re going for an organic vibe here. I also think the piece needs more structural variety - it’s pretty flat in terms of energy for the whole piece. There are a lot of cool melodic patterns and solos later on to keep me engaged, but I wanted to see you give the composition some more shape and really try to maximize the emotional quality of the piece. Two ways of doing that are with a minimal breakdown and a prominent, full-textured melodic section at the end. The fade-out also came across as a bit lazy. Overall, you clearly have a good sense of rhythm and harmony, but I think progression is what you should work on next. This track lacked a distinct transitory moment that captured my attention. Still, solid work with the mood, atmosphere, and melodies here! Keep at it, masterakuma99. :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.75/10

[Split Minded (2a03)]

I like the cute synths and energy at the beginning. The harmonies at :10 are creative, too. I like the chromatic motion there. The mix is a bit quiet, though, and I think it would’ve been nice to switch up the instrumental hierarchy at some point in the piece. Introducing some new instruments, or including an atmospheric section or minimal breakdown would’ve given the piece a stronger sense of structuring and variety. I think the main melodies could also use some more variation. The piece has a nice retro sound, and the blissful mood and interesting harmonic inflections keep me engaged. I especially like what you did with the transition at 2:36 and the looped bit. Overall, the piece could use some more structural variety and shape, but my other complaints are minor. Keep at it, lokimiah1! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7.5/10