TaintedLogic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[-Groovy Tower-]

I like the distorted vocal samples at the beginning and the catchy bass riffs. Later, the frantic melodies and quirky secondary harmonies really make this piece a fun adventure. I especially like the apparently Middle Eastern-inspired riff at :58. The choir in the background at around the 2-minute mark was a nice surprise. Seems like you were still itching to use that sample after finishing "Running from Demons." ^_^ The sub-themes of the piece all come together really nicely by the end. This piece has a really strong sense of direction and cohesion overall, which I really appreciate. The ending was a tad sudden, but that's honestly my only major complaint. Another baller track. Keep it up, WF!

Waterflame responds:

Thank you! :D Yeah those choirs are nice, Its 8dio samples so quality is great, but I actually destroyed the quality in this one to make it fit the track more and not poke out so much. It just seemed right at that part. No idea why, but I went with it!

[-Escalade-]

I love the industrial sound effects and the James Bond-style guitar at the beginning. Interesting...at first I thought this was going to be one of your bassy, rhythmic tracks. The progression is a tad slow for the first minute, but you do a great job of slowly morphing it into a more upbeat track. I'm definitely getting some older Waterflame-style vibes here, but the instrumental palette is a bit richer and the texture feels more saturated, both of which are pluses. There's a lot of melodic content to keep me engaged. Your mixing has definitely gotten better in the last couple of years, but I think that snare wasn't always as prominent as I wanted it to be. The piece also feels a tad repetitive by the end. The contour in the main riff is very similar throughout the track. I also thought the ending could've been a bit more creative. Overall, though, I really like the sound design and mood here. The bass is really important to the texture of the piece, but it's still a really strongly melodic track. Keep it up, WF!

Waterflame responds:

Thanks for the review! Thats great to hear. I actually agree with the criticism too, I was entranced by the repetitive melody. I tend to fixate on certain bouncing appreciating things and make them go on for a tad too long. This could def. have been cut down a bit and mastered with less emphasis on the bass.

[Cs - 'Mirage']

I like the victorious vibe at the beginning and the gradual fade-in. The tempo felt a little slow (and the texture a little dreamy) for a dance song, but maybe all it needs is a drum beat to give it some drive. I appreciated the changes in dynamics, but they seemed occasionally haphazard to me, as opposed to reflecting the harmonic direction to the piece. The synths are a bit cheesy, but they fit the cutesy mood well. Solid piece overall. I can tell you're improving. This one is particular has a smooth flow a well-balanced mix to it. Keep it up, Csucskos! ^_^

Csucskos responds:

Thank you. I was in big dilemma when I had to choose the genre. I thought, the dance was the closest to the mood of the song.
The drum is a good idea, maybe only the bass kicking is not enough for keeping the tempo "feel".
I know the second melody just jumps out of nowhere, but I feel like this song needs that really bad. I may have a solution though: I'll repeat the main melody a few more times, giving the listener the opportunity to familiarize with that and only than will change to the second melody.
Thank you for your feedback again, I'll definitely improve on them in the next iteration of this song.

[Spiritual Hunger]

I like the gritty bass synths and ominous mood at the beginning. The vocal samples were integrated well, and the progression is solid, if a bit slow to develop. The production is strong, too, although I'm not sure you needed all of the treble end in some of the synths. The breaks at the 1-minute mark felt like a bit of an anti-climax after the long intro, and after a while I was itching for some more melodic content. The frantic synths at around 1:20 are fun, and you continue to use the vocal samples well. There are a lot of stop-start moments in this piece, though - be careful not to overuse them. The organ-like riff at 1:59 has a fun vibe. It serves well as a sort of breakdown/bridge section. Overall, the piece feels a tad disjointed structurally, but the sound design, mood, and mastering are all really cool. Nice work! Keep at it, HeyJellyBear. ^_^

HeyJellyBear responds:

Thanks for the in depth words! Super appreciate you taking time to listen! :3

[DJT & Rusyd Rosman - Breathing Space (Shuffle Horse Remix)]

Hey, sorry for the slow response, man! I like the energy and the vocals. In fact, I think the vocals may be a little too quiet relative to the instrumental at times. Nice job chopping them up at 1:18, too. The synths are really crisp and catchy, too. The sound design is also pretty cool here. The one exception may be the piano at the beginning, in fact - I'd suggest taking some treble off of it to add some more emotional appeal. I also think there are a lot of moments in this track that don't quite have a sufficiently full texture. Even the post-chorus thing at 1:16 is kinda missing a legato element, for example. Otherwise, great job with this track. The production is really strong - I'm particularly impressed by that. Keep at it, man! Good luck with your new account. ^_^

ShuffleHorse responds:

Thanks a lot man :D, really Thanks

[Unusually Complex Understanding]

The tone of the piece is very sensual and romantic. I think the string samples could be a bit more authentic, and the rhythm in the beginning was a little hard-to-follow. The soft percussion is nice, and the piece has a great sense of flow. I think the piece might need some more variety in the texture. The cello and piano were dominating the texture for almost the entire piece, although occasionally their “relationship” (in terms of foregrounding) changes. Normally this wouldn’t bother me so much, but I think the quality of the cello sample detracts from my enjoyment of the piece, especially when it’s playing the main melody for most of the track. I also think the pacing of the piece is a little fast sometimes, as it’s hard to discern the distinct structural elements of the piece through the first couple of listens. Overall, though, the mood of the piece is more than enough to keep my attention. I also think the production quality is rather good here. Keep it up, AzulJazz!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.5/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Satisfies bingo requirement?
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

AzulJazz responds:

Thanks !!

[Lighting Another]

I like the powerful guitars and frantic riffs. The vocals are pretty haunting, if hard to discern solely from listening to the piece. The production quality is generally good, although there were times when I thought the drums could be a tad louder, especially during the vocal sections. The lyrics themselves are also quite good. It seems like the tone of the content is rather different between the two verses, at least from reading it. Compositionally, the piece is a tad repetitive and also lacking on melodic content. The piece’s constant sense of energy and drive comes at the expense of structural variety and dynamic contrast. I understand that this is a metal song, but I think it’s hard to maximize the emotional appeal of a track if the level of emotion is so similar throughout. Overall, though, electrifying piece. The guitar work is really strong, and the vocal content is quite memorable. Keep at it, TSRBand!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
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
Satisfies bingo requirement?
1/1
Composite score
8.5/10

TSRBand responds:

Thanks so much for the detailed review :) Really glad you liked it overall, and your tips are always invaluable!

[Fear As Though You've Never Feared]

I like the call-and-response opening section. There are a lot of fun and catchy riffs in this piece, in fact. The progression is a little slow-paced, though. The first minute and a quarter or so felt like an intro to me. Production is pretty loud and clean. All of the guitars sound really distinct, although the drums don’t come through quite as well on some of the busier sections, especially 2:03. That said, I thought the melodies at 2:03 were great, and really help channel the energy of the piece. The vocal sample at 3:22 caught me by surprise a bit, but fits in well with the directionality of the piece. Nice job incorporating the flute, and I love the victorious mood in the texture at around the 4-minute mark. The transition at 4:16 was a tad sudden. Would’ve helped to let the sound fade a bit before completely shifting gears. The next section was quite mesmerizing, though, if a little out-of-character given the rest of the piece. The piece loses a bit of cohesion that way - almost makes it feel like a filler song on an album, meant to bridge the gap between two different styles of composition. Still, this is a strong piece. Nice job with the sound design, mastering, and melodic elements. Keep it up, Djt820!

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.5/2
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
Satisfies bingo requirement?
.75/1
Composite score
8.75/10

djt820 responds:

I rarely get my music analyzed to this degree haha. I'm glad you dug the song and can appreciate your feedback. Its funny... I've gotten that "slow paced" comment a lot lately but I don't mind! I come from a doom metal background and the motto is "low and slow". If you ever explore doom metal, smoke a joint beforehand.

Melody is always important to me so I'm glad you liked that aspect.

Like my life, there is very little cohesion so your criticism is valid.

Thank you very much for the detailed review. This is why I like NG!