TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Pale Blue Dot]

I like the energetic guitar riff and crisp drums at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliche, but the production quality is strong. This is one of the most realistic-sounding vocaloids I’ve heard. The lyrics are provocative, but clever. The arrangement is also a bit cliche, but there are nice details that keep it feeling fresh - like when the drums and lead guitar fall away at 2:13. Great solo at 2:34, too. The ending feels a tad sudden, but perhaps it’s fitting that the central question at the heart of the lyrics gets the last word. Overall, this is a strong piece. It could feel a bit looser and more humanized at times, but otherwise I like it a lot. Keep it up, Zip-Zap! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
2/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
9/10

[(SOTHC Demo) What Is A Man Without Their Flesh?]

I like the gritty texture and demonic vocals at the beginning. The production quality is super clean and clear - the drums really pop in the upper register, too. The bass is a bit overpowering at times, so much so that it’s hard to make out the vocals. I think the composition might benefit from a bit more ebb-and-flow. There are long sections of the piece that largely have the same texture, energy level, and mood. The atmospheric breakdown at 4:05 helps add some variety. Love the mood there, too - creepy, but also strangely soothing. The pacing of the piece is still a bit slow during this middle section, but I like the more foregrounded vocals at 6:00 or so. The lyrics of the piece in general are compelling. The return of the gritty bass and busier drums at 7:40ish help round out the piece nicely. I feel like there’s an almost full-circle narrative element to it. Overall, killer sound design and mixing as always. This piece is a slow-burner, and could benefit from a bolder “point of arrival” later on, but I appreciate the experimental texture and thematic elements here. Keep at it, LD-W! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
8/10

LD-W responds:

Thanks for the review

Alot of what's going is pretty genre-specific in both merger ways, for the better or worse (although I've ensured to maintain pretty surgical production-values wherever possible, since it's an area important to me). It's a careful balancing act between existing tropes and 'what I prefer' per-say without specifically trying to maximize scoring potential (otherwise I would do exactly that with a completely different style of entry in a more serious contest).

While you don't like the bass-profiling, it's a staple of both the genre(s) and the overall intended design-palette, so a future album's worth of tracks for this project will be keeping it, especially since a large heap of private feedback I've received from metal contacts are demanding more tracks exactly like that and heavily praising the fretless processing. Not overtly-bothered by the vocals situation since they're not that important, and I've resculpted them somewhat anyway for an updated-mix variation being pushed to streaming services shortly, so it's abit more forward (but not by too much more). I won't update it here until the judging period is over.

Bridge sections done with the 'Cinematic Dark Ambient' flare I've done alot over the years are more of a personal staple and I'm always happy to do them, glad that you enjoy it!

I'm very likely to go ahead and do a full album next year since the demand via private feedback is high enough to take the gamble to do so. Although most of what's going on will stay as-is in terms of mixing decisions, albeit with some additional creative additions & compositional shifts where I'm not restrained by a 10-minute contest time limit to squash everything within (it's not uncommon to see 15-25 minute tracks within that space).

[LocaGreñasRojas]

I like the soothing guitar groove at :19. Some of the talking/“false starts” at the beginning could probably be edited out. I like the energetic vocals at :40, but sometimes they get a bit buried underneath the guitars. The “QUIERO” chant at the end of each vocal phrase should probably be mixed a bit further back - it’s often very loud relative to the rest of the vocals. I really like the guitar solo and busy drums at around 2:00. Overall, this is a really catchy and fun piece. Some more careful mixing and maybe a better sense of pacing could really help take it to the next level (by pacing, I mean the “body” of the piece is only maybe a third of it, with the intro and solo/outro much longer. Better to intersperse the two). Still, you guys are some talented musicians. Thanks for coming out to the Battle of the Bands 2024! ^_^

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

Jerossan7 responds:

Thanks for all, we will take it into account for the next :)

[apple pie feat. Rosie Ultraviolett]

I like the upbeat guitar and piano riffs and crisp drums at the beginning. The chord progression is a bit cliche. The lyrics are nice and goofy. Sometimes, the vocal delivery could use a bit more polish - just a few instances where you’re not quite hitting the tonal center of the notes, like “therapy” at 1:28. The production quality also isn’t great, but that’s probably mostly a reflection on the DAWs you used to make this than anything else (frankly, any time someone makes a full-length track in MuseScore, I am impressed). The guitar solo at 1:58 is nice, if a tad behind the beat in places, and I also enjoyed the breakdown section at 2:24. After that, the arrangement of the piece gets a tad repetitive, although I like the guitar solo during the outro as well. Overall, I really like the concept and sound design here. Some of the tracks could stand to be re-recorded, and the mix could also have been a bit sharper. Still, this is a catchy and fun piece. Keep at it, y’all! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
6.5/10

[Polfarer (Polar Explorer) - botb2024]

I like the low, ominous drone at :04. The texture quickly gets too distorted for my tastes, though. I can hear the chords change, but at times the distortion is so extreme that it’s hard to tell which instruments are playing them. There also isn’t a lot of variety in the texture until the lead guitar cuts through at 1:43, but by 2:22 the piece sounds so murky it’s like I’m hearing it from underwater. The drums get a bit stronger at 2:44, but I still feel like not nearly enough of the body of the sound is coming through my headphones. I seriously would encourage you to pull back on the mixing effects - distortion, reverb, etc. - and try to rebalance the harmonies so that they’re each more distinct in the final output. Sorry if this isn’t a very positive review, and I know you’re making these production choices with intention. It just isn’t my cup of tea. Keep at it, Dadlur!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
0/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.5/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.5/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
4/10

[Screed - Queering Cat Rescue]

I like the acoustic guitar and crisp drums at the beginning. I also think that throwing the listener right into the action of the piece (as opposed to having an extended intro) was a good decision here. Love the lyrics too - great storytelling, compelling stream-of-consciousness style. I also really like how the lyrics never repeat, even though there’s still an underlying verse-chorus structure. I think my favorite line is “I have no other friends; I was lying when I told you that before.” The vocals are exaggerated and theatrical in a tasteful way. The vocals also get a bit buried underneath the guitars at times (like at :48). This piece has a ton of variety - I especially like the introduction of the intense strumming at the end of each vocal phrase starting at :55. The production quality is strong too. Honestly, this song is about as close to a 10 as it gets for me. Complete outpouring of emotion. Lyrics are poetry. Well-structured and well-mastered. Excellent job, y’all. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
2/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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?)
1/1
Composite score
10/10

UwUwizard responds:

Aw man, thank you so much for your kind words and thoughtful feedback. I really appreciate the observation about not reusing lyrics but retaining the same lexical symmetry during repetitions of the same melody, that’s something I particularly dig in music too and really liked how naturally it came out here. Will definitely take into account the vocal mixing in future too. Thank you for listening!

[Liberty Priced - Where Am I? - Botb2024]

Love the dissonant guitar noodling at the beginning and the sinister, echoey laugh for flavor. I think you didn’t quite capitalize on the tension built up there, though - I kept expecting the dissonance to be resolved at some point, especially once the more tonal and regular vocal phrases come in at :44. The harmonic center of the piece is still pretty hard to discern until then, and a more minimal and mellow section at some point would’ve also added a nice bit of variety. The drums also get a tad lost in the mix during the busier sections, although the frequencies are pretty well-balanced throughout. Overall, I think you went experimental on just a couple too many parameters here. The dissonant chant-like content would make for a good intro/outro/bridge, but it’s not quite grounded enough for you to pull it off for 90% of the track. That said, you’re clearly a talented guitarist, and a lot of the production decisions are also neat here (like the mixing effects on the vocals). Thanks for coming out to Battle of the Bands, Liberty Priced! Keep at it. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
1/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
1/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
6.25/10

[Behind the Curtain]

I like the fade-in at the beginning and the emotion behind the lyrics at :09. The high-pass on the drums is a little strong for my tastes, and I think the vocals could be mixed a little more up-front in the mix at times. The instrumental tracks are great, though - love the seamless combo of synths and guitars. I enjoy the contrast between the ascending vocal line and demonic response at 1:20, too. The vocals at 1:30 could’ve blended a bit better together, but the rhythmic bridge at 1:43 was a nice “reset” moment, and that in turn transitioned nicely into the more high-octane section at 2:20 or so. Overall, the production quality here is really nice, and I’m impressed with the variety and structuring here. You channel the energy really well throughout, and also tell a compelling story in general. The parallel bass/synth solos at 3:15 really hit the spot, and I love how the tenor of the piece “stabilizes” again for the final refrain at 3:30. This is top-to-bottom a really well-done track, Spadezer. Keep up the good work! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.5/1.5
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
9.5/10

Spadezer responds:

This is encouraging! Glad you liked it. 8 definitely appreciate the critiques on the vocals since this feels like new territory for me.

[Zombify]

I like the instrumentation and the angsty lyrics. The vocal delivery isn’t always perfect - you don’t quite articulate all the lyrics clearly at times (like at :38 and 1:00), and you could also put some more emotion behind the vocals in general. I think the recording/production quality is my biggest problem with the piece, though. The guitars and drums sound seriously distorted whenever the vocals are playing simultaneously. What software are you using to mix the different tracks together? Send me a PM - I’ll try to help you polish up the production quality here. On the plus side, the bridge at 1:28 was good for some variety, and clearly you have some good guitar skills. Thanks for coming out to Battle of the Bands 2024, CrabbyXX! Keep at it. ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
.5/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1.25/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1/2
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?)
.25/1
Composite score
5.5/10

[SHATTERED MEMENTO]

Love the atmosphere at the beginning and the pensive E-piano line at :15. Mix sounds well-balanced and full. The bass line and beat at :40 help channel the energy nicely. The rhythmic content is a bit hard-to-follow at first during the drop, and later on this piece could use a bit more variety and depth in the harmonies. That said, the sound design is really evocative - fitting title in that regard, too. Keep at it, ToirMusic! ^_^