Ryan-of-the-Metal's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[.:Ledge:. WIP]

This reminds me of someone.

This distinctly reminds me of Crueldiety. Really, I'm being honest, he's pretty beast at electro-space-ambient metal like this, of which, this song also is pretty dang awesome in it's own respects, dude, like seriously lol.

I just love the flow of the lead and the rythm when momentum pick up. I also like how there's this strangely absent-sounding reverb stemming off of the rythm guitar, maybe some sort of reverb or something, but I love it dude.

I also like the vibraphone, or xylophone, or whatever you used in the intro, it fit perfectly in with the song, sitting with the chorus and the licks riding right off the lead, those notes were just sweet, I wish you'd tab something like that out for me along with the effects you used! Haha, yeah, how funny Ryan. :P

Anyway, the tone on that rythm is just domination, really. I think there could be more volume to this track, like add more highs and mids to the cymbals, and, honestly, bring everything out in the drums more by EQ. I had the same problem with my drums tending to sound flat. I reccomend highs for cymbals, high-mids for the snares, and low-lows for the toms and bass kick, I bassically followed that formula and most peeps dig my drums.

BUT, this doesn't suck. It needs a little bit of tweeking in my opinion, of course other things could be EQ'd more, since when you do that, it increases the volume of an instrument, maybe bring out the ones you have a bit more, that's all I'm saying. :)

Either way, I love the melody of this song, it's great, if this wasn't a loop, I'd reccomend it to be longer. :P

[Save the Star]

NYN?

He's at it again!! Someone stop this dude!! Wait, he's trying to save the star from a black hole... Wait, what is NYN anyway? Never heard of that before dude.

Anyway, you got me at the intro, but then again, just know it's one of your songs, I can already assume it'll be melodic punk metal awesomeness. And thankfully, you keep up your record with this submission.

For your guitars, tone's good and all, you're probably using a familar tone, since the ones you use aren't necessairily new territory, but suit you well regardless for your style and formula.

The dual lead thing is really cool, oh wait, you usually do that since it's melodic metal lol, okay. This song really jams, but that chugging has some bassy peaking to it that makes it fill the ears real nice. Sometimes hitting those mids work.

The section 1:21 is in opinion cool, with the improvised-sounding chugging and the light cymbal hitting, I always wanted to recreate that, but I never had the good fortune to, ah well, it perfectly suits to your genre.

And then the solo's cool too, but I can't hear the lead all the time at first, but that might have been intentional, because then it returns, but attacking both ears, and then it melds right the frick back into the main groove. DUDE.

I think I heard bass in there, but I'm not all too sure lol.

The drums were so complimentary, that I don't need to go into detail, they're on beat and everything, I don't know if you would play them since that'd wake up everyone in your apartment haha, but still.

The end was cute, and overall, this would be an awesome addition to any flash animation, or any progressive melodic metal epic orchestra lol.

BERSERKYD responds:

Hey thats a HUGE Review, I really appreciate you take the time to wright this.

Well haha! My description is only a quick note to keep you in touch with the song intention. I really like Science Fiction and I find METAL to be one of the best type of music to fit with this genre. And I'm a huge IRON MAIDEN fan, so I really like to be melodic instead of pulling the same double pedal riff with only one chord... Maybe thats why its sound like a jam fest !

I always try to have the best mixe up but you know what, I learn everything by myself since I'm recording, so its really hard to pull something professionnal, there's some artist here that are way better than me to do that. So thanks for all your good comment ! That really Rock me On !

\m/,

[You Like RnB]

I'm feelin' it.

Yeah, son I like this track. I ought to take snippets of it to make R&B loops!! Lol, Jk. I would never do that, it wouldn't be justice for this track.

Boy, this is quite the fiesty little thrasher isn't it? It actually reminds me a little of how I might do a thrasher for some odd reason. Anyway, you must be pissed at R&B since I feel like this too after listening to that sappy crap.

Anyway, words to help this submission along!

That rythm tone is just like fine chef cutlery, cruel and unforgiving, with all the low in it. Just some people might not appreciate all those lows, unless the have booming speakers.

Also, the progression seemed just fine in my opinion. I honestly can't tell where the choruses and verses, but that's fair since I know they do progress, along with other snippets of sections. It progressed pretty smoothly too, I may add, but there's some minor timing errors scattered throughout that are easy to repair, so I don't dwell on those.

Okay, here's the big thing those drums. I love the kick. The snares feel a little castaway, but the main thing is those cymbals, just where they lie in the ears is a little odd. If you could pan them more to either side, that'd be frickin' epic.

And, when the seperate from the rythm blasting, they hold up on thier own nicely with those contrasted sections. Despite al the negative I pointed out, there's good here!

\m/ Don't quit metal.

Casualty responds:

thanks for the awesome feedback man! i never put effort in mixing the final piece though, haha. and honestly, these were just a bunch of riffs i came up with on the spot, just an hour or two of work.

also about rnb, my girlfriend listens to rnb >;O which is gay

[Fabricated Son]

I need to refabricate my ears now.

As I was just getting into this, at the sweepy fades in the intro I was already thinking 'Oh this will be good.' I learned that stuff like that always gets people interested in songs for some reason, which maybe why techno artists get so much recognition for abusing this technique lol. Either way, it's cooler here, in the metal realms. That part also had a fantastic buildup that set the tone of the song, and it transisted well into the next part.

You decided not to keep using those effects as much for the subsequent part, which seems like a good plan and introduce the drums instead. With effects like those, I personally use them all the time, but it's best to relax with them every once in a while, to replenish thier 'wow' factor, I mean, the intro was that much cooler since those effects were present.

The part just after the intro, 0:16 reminded me of something Fanatical would almost do, with the feel to those riffs, they're strong, and musical, but make you feel almost gutteral, and overall wierd. If you can relay an emotional message with just chords and riffs, I guess you've gon somewhere, huh?

Speaking of that guitar. The rythm just seems to be a crunchy slam with cool time signatures but then that switches into extended chords. This is probably the verse/prechorus onto the chorus, which is cool since... Well, I personally think so because I do the same thing lol. The tone on that rythm is really trashing crunchiness of sickness that I want.

But I love what you're doing with the lead. Again, sonmething that Fanatical is common to do, he blends it into the rythm's riffs by making it less louder. Now, some people would hate that, and complain that the lead needs to be louder, but personally, I like that sort of sound, and it definately works here too. Especially in parts, like 0:52 and the breaks.

2:21 Pinch harmonic :D

I don't hear ANY bass. >_< But also, I might've complicated the song too much if it were audible, but I don't hear any of it still.

Oh, boy, now for those vocals and lyrics lol. It might just be me, but your vocal style sounds almost like a metal version of Pink Floyd. I don't know if it's because you just started, but that's what occured to me. Not that I have any problem with that, it's just this song definately ingores the books. xD

Well, for your lyrics, you pronounce them well, as it's a little tough to hear them, but the message they have is alot more. After reading them over, I understand what you're getting at. The social media has basically denounced Christ and blocks everyone in a sense from reaching Him. They bait everyone and make His efforts seem like thier in vain.

'We gave inro greed and caved into lust'

'He died for our sins so they burned us with trust and promises'

Actually, this entire song is moving now that I look at it. You have a masterpiece here, sir, I can't believe that I never heard of this before. OBVIOUSLY you placed so much effort and time into this. \m/

[Dirty Cries]

<Copy Paste>

Yeah, do that from my last review for the intrumentals, since this is more about your vocals. But holy frick, I still get the goose bumps, since you arrive at some really interesting, and deep, thought-provoking songs.

So I presume you remember what I said in my last review, with it talking about how I really loved everything, with the guitars sounding like Metallica, and how the bass came out to play every once in a while.

I also talked half the review about the intro too hahaha.

I never talked about how you actually included fills for this song, lol. I love those fills, and I can hear a triplet on that bass kick every once in a while, which is sweet. i also like the EQing on the drums and the crashes too.

Well, anyway, enough about that, vocals. You REALLY did revamp everything about the vocals, and really, everything, as you said, the structure, melody, lyrics, they all ift the song so much better like tetris.

Looks like, through my interpretation, that you really hate humans as a race. 'Hope is lost... Blood won't clot.' That sounds like humans would have to attone and suffer through armageddon, and the clotting is interesting, since clot stopps people from continually bleeding, just as you mentioned, so the bloodsheed and bleeding won't end.

Nice poetic sense.

I see you kept the 'stuffed martyrs' thanks. That was no doubt one of my favorite parts, since it seemed similar to Enter the Sandman, a line that should be remembered and alluded to, and have people thinking 'Why didn't I think of that?' I sure did lol.

Dirty cries, usually crying is considered a cleansing, catharsis action, and has an after feeling of resolution or some cleansing. So even the bodily functions that are initiated to help ourselves and help us deal with so much loss are utterly useless? You're so cryptic!

But... Shoot, the vocal introduction was so smooth and melodic...

Anyway, another section! I think, just like last time, your vocals were on key, but you weren't kidding. They're so much better, they have that Bad-Man standard of roughness and now I don't even know why I said that about the last time. That vocal vibrato! It's there! Oh shoot, that makes this song sound that much more expressive, thank's for singing Bad-Man!

By the way, that autotune was just ghetto lol. But at least you didn't completely overwealm the mix of your vocals with it like T-Pain.

\m/

Bad-Man-Incorporated responds:

Dude, you hit the nail on the head with your understanding of my feelings. haha. Fuckin eh. We suck. We've fucked ourselves up so bad, we don't even know how bad it is. haha. Some are awake. It's like a nightmare.

Don't get me wrong. I have a nice house, beautiful wife, beautiful children. We are all healthy, sheltered and never hungry. But I fear...as I look around me...this will crumble. Maybe not in my time, but soon. And it creeps to that day without anyone noticing. I kind of feel guilty some days, for having all I have, when others have jack shit and will die a long painful horrible death from circumstances they can't control.

The more I enjoy what gifts I have, the harder it is to know that it could all crumble at the hands of humans that don't mean a thing to me or know I even exist.. In a way, this is my voice. If "they" hear me, maybe they'll figure out their own gifts and smarten the fuck up.

If "they" knew I existed, they would know, I would bitch slap them for letting shit get all fuckered like it is. haha.

What I enjoy, should be for everyone. And sadly, it isn't.

Anyways, that is another day.

Thanks for the review and understanding. You are a kick ass dude.\m/

[Saint Heavy (II)]

How about that?

I think you've got yourself here a well rectified track, you put alot of time in this bad boy from all the way back like a year ago lol. But hey, I think it mostly payed off since this time around, it sounds much better.

The distortion on those guitars is cool, and I think I like them, but I'm not sure if everyone else will take such a liking to them, since they're REALLY fuzzy. I kind've like that, but it's just not going to appeal to other people though.

When one guitar becomes quiet, the still ringing guitar's buzzing is quite overpowering, that's probably the phrasing that I'm looking for. The distortion's just really powerful. Although, everything is synchornized very well, it still all sounds better from last time.

Man, you nailed that solo just like the first version, it sounds really cool, I may have been a bit wrong about that distortion, since it make that lead just wah perfectly. It has a nice tone that I think I may be looking foward to. I also liked how the lead progressively migrated and became louder, it made the impact stick.

That bass seems to either blend it's distortion really well into the rythm or it's cleaner, either way, I learned that it's tough to find good-sounding distortion for bass, and kudos to you for accomplishing that.

By the way. Those drums rock, I mean it, they sound so much better compared to last time too, I don't know what you did, but the ring out much more clearly and better sounding, the snare is a very tiny bit quiet, but it has some nice acoustics for this submission. The also sound much nicer on the crashes too.

I don't know what program you're using, but I use Riffworks T4, and sometimes either Audacity or Ableton, I reccomend Riffworks, the demo is free and good, I think you could makes some interesting submissions with it. ^_^

GraniteOverworld responds:

Like usual, thanks for the review! I can always count on you to have an opinion on Saint Heavy! You should only have to write one more review once this song is completely done. It's gonna top out at like 6 or 7 minutes if it goes right.

But yeah, if you think the distortion is overpowering sometimes, you should hear it when it's cranked. I had the the sustain (Distortion) set at only about halfway for the rhythm and the lead. My fuzz pedal is pretty versatile in the fuzzes it can dial in.

Although I think this solo is good, I still don't like it as much as the very first time I played it. If I could have remembered exactly how the original went and polished that instead, I would adore the sound. Oh well, I still like this one better than the last version.

I don't typically distort my bass, I leave it clean so it cuts through the mix a little better instead of blending into the sludge of the guitar riffs.

The drums are much fuller because I use a lot more cymbal crashes and filled some empty space. A few examples are that between every crash there's a cymbal ride and that there's usually a pedal hi-hat holding the rhythm. Also, I used an equalizer on every individual drum part, except for the toms, which sound rubbish no matter what.

And lastly, I record with Adobe Audition, which gives a lot of production options over most free recording programs.

Anyways, thanks a lot for the feedback. I expect to finish this song soon and to record a new one as well.

[We Hate Tuesdays]

Well.

You may go read my review of Bad-Man's version of 'I Hate Tuesdays' but I do believe that there should be an alternate review for you, my good, sadistic sir.

This will probably be one of my shorter reviews since all of the instruments are Bad-Man's, therefore, you're probably not banking on me to review them, instead, I know you want me to talk about singing and lyrics, which I shall.

I like how you kept some of Bad-Man in this, so it's like 'Featuring Schleif' but only more badarse. And also with more hate agains Tuesday. If I may make a little comment, I was one of the beginners with the war against the plauge known as Tuesdays lol.

Well, anway, your voice is rash, and ferocious as usual, I'm glad you didn't dissapoint! Early in the song, I like how you accented Bad-Man by vocalizing as an echo.

Also, you did pretty dang well keeping up with the rythm of Bad-Man's vocals for this song, which, in my opinon, was pretty difficult, considering he had a pretty difficult act to follow this time around. Your panning is always awesome and never boring to listen to.

There were a FEW times you were off-sync, but I don't mind. \m/

Schleif responds:

i was off-sync a couple of times, indeed. but i didn't bother to record it again. glad you liked it dude, thanks alot for giving me another badass review! keep rocking \m/

[TNR - Gone]

Seriously emotional.

Fanatical, you really struck a vein of emotion here, this is really moving, I musn't lie, this is powerful. I really thought that all parts of this song were really interesting, involving and really piqued my interest.

That intro really thrust my attention assertively. I don't think I've ever heard your percussion assemby this involved in your tracks. Inside some of them, they're there in physical form, but not in soul or spirit. But here, they really have snagged a significant value. I don't know how you accomplished this with the drums, but you made it, congrats.

The details in this song make it's sum worth more than it's parts, with the filter fills, I thought that was a fantastic touch, it sent a chill through my body, but in a good way. Strange, it's 82 degrees outside, but I feel oddly chilly from this song.

When that break occurs, it shatters the mood to evoke more hollow and upsetting, angered senses. And even when that section stops and the song returns to its normal state, I love how there's a shard of that section being carried through via reverb. I know it's not quite something substantial to applaud, but it was a detail that I thought was just perfectly fitting.

The guitar tracks for the tranquil sections are definately quiet, but ambient, almost, being there, but on the fringes of the mix almost. I think that was some great mixing there, and I hope to see more of this!

It's those details.

Everything in this song makes it atmospheric, but those vocals really hit it on home. I never heard you sing like that, and I can see why. Respectively, only specific submissions should allow singing like this. It could do with more work, BUT, I still think the singing here was good. Although, a con to your singing is that I usually don't understand your vocals, as I kind of like this, it'd still be nice to know exactly what you're singing.

But, singing about being gone, I can relate, which is probably why I like this song so much, sitting with migranes, gone, I feel you too.

I must also say, this song really reminds me of Tool! I was listening to them not too long ago, and then I stumble across this, how uncanny. An interesting correlation between you and Tool are that your vocals both, come across as very symbolic and thought-provoking, probably why people don't understand either of you, and at first would easily write you off! I think that's a good deduction for today.

Keep it up, I look foward to it.

[I Hate Tuesdays Motherfuckers]

I agree, Tuesdays suck.

Except that, I have my lessons on Tuesdays, that's really just about it. I'm guessing that your Tuesday this week must've just been horendous, sorry dude. But, hey, at least your suckish Tuesday spawned something productive, like this song, right?

Well, you really kicked your guitar in the arse today, you really ripped out some punching riffs, I'd say I'm proud, but I really never contributed to your riffs lol, so nevermind that. I can't tell exactly what they are, if they're death, thrash, or what, but all's I know is that they're heavily in your face, PISSED about Tuesday.

And then we have those harmonics too, at least you never neglected those, but some of this reminds me of Dimora's challenge to make a song that somehow didn't care. You seemed to capture an essence like this, not only for the guitar tracks, but also for the others too.

It feels like you want to lash out getting to the Tuesday causing all the problems, but there's crowds restraining you, but when this song plays, you can just toss them all aside. But, hey, that's more of an opinion.

I can't exacly hear that bass in there, but it does decide to peak out in some parts. I think maybe I don't hear it since it's actually melding really well with the rythm guitar to make that earth-moving, trembling tone? I think so.

Those drums are Bad-Man standard, really ferocious kick, but everything else just moves at just about normal speed, but again, I don't hear quite any fills here, but that's fine, since Bad-Man's so cool, that he doesn't even need fills to make his songs have all that impact. XD

Well, here's probably the most tense part, the vocals. I wasn't sure of the intro when I heard it, but I knew to give you some time, and then you got some fricking NUTSO screaming/shouting going on here, which is what I commend in regards for vocals in metal.

I'm concerned about the part after you are done speaking elligeble lyrics, since I have no idea what you're saying. O_o Actually nevermind, there's plenty more people that need more therapy than you my good man. I think I should play this song whenever I'm having a bad Tuesday. \m/ Remember, eff Tuesdays.

Bad-Man-Incorporated responds:

Dude, you made my Tuesday. <3