TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Koto Mangetsu]

I like the pensive mood at the beginning and the rich atmosphere. The vocals and piano arpeggios work well, although the chord progression was a tad cliche. Once the texture gets a bit denser at 1:10 or so, the piece really starts coming together for me. The crisp rimshots and guitars give the piece a nice edge that it was missing earlier, and the rhythmic content gets richer too. I think the melodic content could've been a tad more dynamic, as otherwise the modulations seem to be one of the principal sources of variety later in the piece. The tranquil outro was a good choice, though, and I'm continuing to enjoy that percussion groove until the very end. Strong work, guys! ^^

[-Time Machine 2-]

Oh man. Hard to top the original, but the blissful tone and more prominent strings really win me over here. I kinda miss the vocal samples - I thought the vocals really tied the narrative together well in the original. But okay - I'll stop talking about the original now. The sound design choices here are really good, though - like the groovy bass for that riff at 2:09. The busy beat at 2:35 is nice as well, although the piece gets a little repetitive towards the end and cuts off a tad suddenly after the last reverse crash. Overall, the sound design and mixing are really strong here. Always love to see you revisit old tracks! ^_^

[-Clockwork Maze-]

I like the exotic sound design and heavy downbeats here. The frantic low-pitched piano riff at :48 and the orchestral hits work really well together. The bells and percussion are a nice touch, too. I like the shift towards a more atmospheric flair at 2:00. Later on in the piece, the rhythms feel a tad square, and I feel like the piece didn't quite get back to a big "point of arrival" towards the end. I also think the snare is a bit buried in the mix during the last 30 seconds or so. That said, you nailed the apprehensive mood and sound design here, WF. Keep at it! ^_^

[Darkerly Thunder]

Yay! More old song mash-ups. I'm especially liking the flute at 1:10 and dense atmosphere at 1:22, led by that frantic mid-range synth riff. The added percussion after 2:00, the creepy bells, and dissonant vocal chords sell the mood really well, and that in turn transitions into the refrain at 2:46 quite nicely. The bells at 3:40 are a tad overused, and I thought the transition into 3:57 could've been a tad more creative. That said, the dramatic ending of the piece was top-notch creepypasta, and I really like how thick the texture of the piece is throughout. Strong work yet again, guys! ^_^

[-Glorious Thunderzone-]

I like the especially bright tone of the intro string riff and the denser texture by around :20. Burst's bass line blends in seamlessly with the string melodies, although the transition into the Thunderzone part at 1:44 was a bit abrupt. I like the dramatic transition at 3:02, though, and it leads well into the final climactic section thereafter. The atmospheric outro was a welcome surprise - between this and Hyperspin, you've had a couple of "bonus content" sort of moments in your tracks recently. :D Loving the more melancholy vibe at around 5:10. Strong work, WF! ^_^

[Guitar Chronicle]

Creative rhythmic content and sound design on this one! The key changes help keep it interesting, along with the change-of-pace at 1:25 and distinctive use of panning on the drums. Otherwise, the piece could use a bit more fore-grounding of the melodic line - sometimes, I didn't know what exactly to focus on here. The increased energy and somewhat dissonant harmonies towards the end help make the piece feel conclusive, and overall I'm impressed with the detail-oriented composition and sound design here. Keep it up, guys! ^_^

[Uxvellda - Fire Phoenix]

I like the ominous mood at the beginning and the furtive melodies at :25 or so. The dense percussion and more orchestral flair later on take the piece in an unexpected, though welcome, direction for me. The texture still feels a bit minimal, although the atmosphere and vocals help keep me engaged. I'm definitely hearing the Xtrullor influence at 2:06, although the drop itself felt a tad uninspired and repetitive. The breakdown at 3:30 was a nice touch - almost serves as a re-introduction despite being so late in the piece. The string melodies then hit the piece home nicely after 3:45 or so. Overall, great mixing, sound design, and progression here. Best of luck in the final round of the ADM! ^_^

[Spirited Winds - NGADM'22 FINAL ROUND]

I like the dreamy strumming at the beginning and the flute melodies. Elements of the sound design and harmonic framework sound vaguely far east-inspired, and the atmosphere and flow of the piece work quite well. There's some dissonance in the texture from around 1:10 - 1:25, but it serves to smooth over the transition into a new key very well, and the more energetic last minute of the piece gives it a triumphant and conclusive flair. The final chord seems to be of ambiguous character, like the winds are soon about to shift again. Overall, fantastic work, Elias! Best of luck in the final round. ^_^

Santi-Montali responds:

Thank you very much TL!

[Super Bright Colours]

I like the cutesy piano lines at the beginning. The school bell was a bit cheesy, though, and the rhythm/progression were a bit hard to follow. There are multiple points in the piece where I feel like the individual riffs are tripping over each other a bit, like at :33. That said, I'm really enjoying the atmosphere and creative stream-of-consciousness structuring of the piece. The transition at 1:30 works well to change up the pace, and the blissful and frantic feel of the middle section thereafter is really nice. The piece is almost like the inverse of traditional EDM/pop, where the less-energetic part is in the middle. The quirky, rhythmic, and glitchy conclusion of the piece was another highlight, though. Overall, the arrangement is a bit disjointed at times, but overall I'm impressed with the extent that you integrated all of these disparate ideas into one piece. The production quality is great, and the sound design is really unique and engrossing. Good luck in the final round, Zech! ^_^

[The Final Resolve - NGADM 2022 Final Round]

I like the gritty bass at the beginning and the crisp drums. The mix is really clean and crisp, and I'm enjoying the build-up into :38 and the cutesy leads there. The melody at 1:06 is nice and dynamic, and the flashy sound effects and rhythmic content are great there too. The brief breakdown and glitchy arpeggios at the 3-minute mark were also enjoyable, and the final refrain hits the piece home nicely. Really unique sound design, strong mastering, and an engrossing eerie atmosphere have me more than sold on this. Good luck in the final round, Spadez! ^_^

Spadezer responds:

Thanks for the review TL. Glad you enjoyed it