TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-Pain Engine-]

I like the dark mood and distorted drums at :10. All the dissonant chords at :43 set the scene really well. After a while, I think you overuse the chords a bit so that it loses its "shock value." I can't help but feel that you didn't do a lot with the treble range in this track, and it seems to be lacking some melodic content. Also, the ending was pretty sudden. While I like the energy and sense of direction in the piece as it is, I think it would be worth it to slow down the pacing sometime and give it a bit more overarching shape and structuring. Still, nice job with the mood and instruments. I can totally picture this in a video game, probably haunted house-themed. :)

Waterflame responds:

Thanks! I kinda felt that way myself, that more could be done near the high-end. maybe I'll revisit it at some point :)

[-Race Around the Desert-]

I like the groovy guitars at the beginning and the thematic elements. Sound design reminds me a bit of "The Wanderer". Melodic elements are nice. I really like the subtle vocals in the background at around 1:20. Good job making the piece come full-circle by the end too. The ritardando into that last note at 3:57 was a great touch. Really fun and upbeat track overall. :)

Waterflame responds:

Thanks :D

[Bossa 07]

Right away, I'm enjoying the dense rhythmic texture and rather good saxophone samples. Melodic content is solid. The organ at 1:42 was a nice touch, too. I guess one criticism I have is that it has a very uniform level of energy and emotion throughout, which makes me think it's more background music than a stand-alone piece. Still, I'm loving the thematic elements, mood and instruments. I'm also glad the saxophones returned by the end. Keep it up, man! ;)

AzulJazz responds:

Thank you very much!

[Adventurous]

Chopped vocals work really well right away. Melodic content is solid as usual. An element of this piece that really stood out to me was the section at 1:08. It almost sounds like a drop, but it has a rather busy melody playing over the top of it, which I thought was a really good idea. Atmospheric outro was also a highlight. That treble-range synth that fades in at around 2:37 is a great touch. Another strong effort. Keep it up, man!

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the constructive feedback! :)

[Nice Vibes]

Smooth intro and nice job with the instrumentation. I really like the string pizzicatos at around :15. Mix is really loud and clear, although at times it felt like it could've used more bass. Breakdown at 1:38 is a welcome dose of structural variety. Overall, the track is really smooth-flowing and has a pleasing progression. The melodic content is also enjoyable. The main melody gets a tad repetitive by the end, but the variations/post-chorus at 3:03 really help sell the thematic elements of the piece. Overall great work!

MrKoolTrix responds:

Thanks for the feedback, TaintedLogic! :)

[Too Far]

Cool pensive-sounding synths at the beginning. Has a 80s space documentary vibe. Autotune is really heavy, yet fits the overall vibe of the piece pretty well. The guitar riff at 1:07 sounded a bit too busy rhythmically, and therefore distracted from the vocals. It makes a great riff for a post-chorus, but kinda dominates the texture a bit when it's playing along with the vocals. The lyrics are good, if a tad cliche. I also would've liked a stronger transition into the bit at 2:20 where the instruments re-enter the texture. Still, excellent job with the instrumentation, mixing, and atmosphere. Keep up the good work!

McGorilla42 responds:

Hey, Tainted! :)

Thanks for the review and feedback! I really appreciate you taking the time to listen and give some solid criticism. Yeah -- lyrics were definitely hastily written and a bit trite in parts. I'll look at re-working that guitar riff, or thinking of being less rhythmically dominating in future songs, because I overlooked its busyness completely!

[The Cross]

I like the groovy guitar riffs and bass line. Mix is loud and clean, although I think the effects on the vocals were a bit excessive. It sounds like you they were electronically harmonized with a chord, and I thought that was a bit much. The mix is also a bit overly compressed to the point that there's not a lot of room for shape and musicality. Lyrics are probably my favorite part of the piece. Relatable, yet insightful and poetic. Fun track overall. I remember listening to some of your earlier tracks a few years ago. The mixing has totally stepped up since then. Keep it up, man! ^^

[Gaia's River]

Oh my God. This has been in my iTunes library for 5 years. Really beautiful piece. I love the bass line that alternates between ascending and descending patterns. Has a very pensive and human feel to it. Nice job with the reverb and progression too. This piece is timeless, man. ^_^