Animith's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Xyirx - Dragon's Breath]

Review Request Club

0:00-Loved the drums, they kinda felt like they were mimicking a slowing heartbeat; the dying seconds of someone as the heart stops pumping. Whether it was deliberate or otherwise, it's a really great intro.
0:11-Lovely starting strings, great that you made use of the silences as well, which in general are almost as important as the music itself in the creation of emotion.
0:34-Great addition of the woodwind instrument, just adding to the emotion conveyed in an awesome way
0:53-Nice slight discord there; wasn't expecting it, but it works well.
1:34-In two minds about the cymbal here, not entire sure it's necessary.
1:43-Think the brass could have been a touch louder, took til about 1:55 to be sure it was there at all, before that it was just an ambiguity under the strings.

The ending note I was unsure about because it doesn't really resolve itself, but then again it kind of lends itself to a feeling of uncertainty, because you're not quite sure what will happen to the young hero now that these things have come to pass. Really nicely done track overall, though. Major kudos.

-Review Request Club

Xyirx responds:

Wow....a detailed review. I'm in awe!

There was a lot of problem about the strings at first because I couldn't judge how long the pause between each part should be. But I think I've done fine since you like it, I guess. :)

About a doubt on putting cymbal, I was trying to put a climax in the following part. However, I think it's not really enough with epic-ness I've put currently. xD Maybe brass could've been louder like you said.

Thanks again for the review. xD Much appreciated.

[3 Britney Spears Remix WGuitar]

Review Request Club

Should start by saying I quite like the original of this, so will be interesting to see what you do to it :P
0:02-love the reverb on the percussion, straight off. It's something that doesn't occur in the original so the subtle change is instantly noticeable.
0:12ish-Like the mix of synth and guitar; almost wish the guitar was a little more pronounced just so you got the sharp punch and aggression of it a little more, but I get why it's a little behind the synth in an effort to keep the pop/dance feel.
0:46-Cool lead, though drowns out the vocal a little too much.
0:58-Nice pitchbend into the chorus. AWE-somely heavy chorus, but still with that pop feel, which is nice. Still think the vocal's a little drowned out, though, so maybe consider turning the vocal line up a little.
1:42-In two minds about the prechorus, because you don't change chords as the original does, so it doesn't quite fit at some points with the voice.
1:55-nice drum breakdown into the chorus, 'nuff said
2:25-nice piano work, but in two minds again about how the chords don't change, and when they do..they do oddly. Some with the guitar when it comes in. Clashes majorly at 2:48-2:54 to me. The solo is cool, though some of the notes seem rushed (like 3:14-3:15)

In general, it's a pretty nice remix, really nice guitar work...just maybe pushed the levels a little too high? xD

-Review Request Club

Mushroomhead18nc responds:

I agree with some spots of the vocals being quiet but Im just starting to do mixes with acapellas so I dont have much expierence with using them and puuting envelopes on em and such...

As far as the end solo goes.. Im playing sixtuplets at 145bpm so its pretty quick and thats why they seem rushed lol

Appreciate the review..

[Make Me Feel (Mans0n)]

Review Request Club

0:15-Didn't have much comment on the first drum, but the echo-y percussion here was interesting. Can see how you took inspiration from a guy who uses percussion in a unique way, for sure.
0:44-COWBELL! Everything is awesome when cowbell gets taken out, don't even try to deny it. :P
1:01-Nice percussive introduction; like how the melodic synth is still very much in background, giving it a chance to slowly work its way into the foreground
1:38-Subtle change in the beat here works well to introduce the more padlike synth later on. Which in itself helps to thicken the texture; not that the texture was lacking, given the amount of synths you have in there.
2:05-Again, slowly revealing the synth works well. Percussion seems to be lessening as you go along, though, and I'm unsure of it being either a good or bad thing.
2:23-Not quite sure about the rapid drum fill here, it's toeing the line of machinegun.
2:35-Nice climax; again am torn as to whether I think the fact that the percussion has reduced to just the kick for a few seconds is good or bad...or neither.
2:54-When the perc comes back in here a lot of the synths seem to peter out a little abruptly
3:22-Definitely not sure the repeated drum works here, as there's not much synth at all for it to have a texture to sink into.

In general, it's a pretty solid track. Could have maybe used a stronger buildup, but is gemerally fine structurally as is.

-Review Request Club

Mans0n responds:

Yeah I admit there are a few flaws, but overall it's pretty solid :)

thanks for the detailed review!

[Ashten's Light]

Review Request Club

Nice use of the reversed piano with the drums for an introduction. Reversed piano isn't the kind of thing you see a lot, so it works well.
0:26-the drum seems to fade out randomly here? Not entirely sure what's goin on there.
0:33-the transition here felt a little awkward, but what it went into was cool
1:04-Nice drum work and a break into a slightly different section. One thing I would say is for a lot of it there's not a major point of focus, rather a lot of semi-unfocused synths. When the reversed piano comes in, this acts as the lead, but when it's not there, there's nothing in the front to focus on.
1:40-Little break with the bass into the new section works well. However, because the material's essentially been the same for the first two minutes, it does start to drag a little here. Either change up the synths more or go in different directions with your breaks, because you have a few of them but only slightly changes things
2:52-Like the re-entry of the reversed piano; that's kinda your point of cohesion as it's the sharpest thing in the track alongside the drums, as well as being very memorable.
3:13-I like this section, it feels pretty new-sounding, if a little flat. I think if you'd left the drums as were and allowed it to sustain woulda been fine
4:13-A nice break into the inital material. Sounds newish as you've have 4 minutes of synth between times

You've got some good ideas down, just try and put more variety into the track and be a little more adventurous with your breaks and you'll be fine.

-Review Request Club

DXsamurai responds:

thanks for the review and 8. glad you thought it was alright I'll try to improve the song

[The Ritual of the Sacred Flame]

Review Request Club

0:00-Starts off with a punch, doesn't it? xD Straight away you've got that heavy atmospheric, tribal feel to it; setting off the modd instantly.
0:16-Nice melodic percussion instrument there; the percussion in general is very awesomely varied.
0:22ish I think the break to the strings was a little abrupt, but adds a lot of depth to the track.
0:41-Whatever that instrument is, while it's a touch too loud, it sounds very interesting. Lasts a little too long as well, but links to the break nicely. Starts cool, ends cool, it's the middle of it I had trouble with.
0:57-Like the break back into the drums. There;s a lot of different percussion in there that just emphasises everything.
1:16-in two minds about the run-up of the chimes here and at 1:26, think there could have been a better instrument to make a kind of mystical feel, it sort of stuck out.
1:57-Given the quiet sense of build you got up to this point, I was expecting more of a climax by this point. Part of me thinks the strings could do with being an octave lower just to match the bassy feel of the drums, because they're a little upintheair being as high as they are.
2:34-Nice break, though I think the amount of crash cymbals you had was very very excessive.

Very atmospheric piece. Check the ending cymbals and some of the levels, and you'd have a very solid track.

-Review Request Club

Cimba responds:

Thanks for reviewing

[The honor of hura - TTC CHG]

Review Request Club

0:00-Very nice bell sounds; they had a great quality to them which set up the atmosphere well.
0:11-Came in a little abruptly for me, but sounds cool nonetheless. You get quite an RPG-ish, medieval feel from the sounds you're using.
0:27-Like the choir sounds, though everything seems a little on the quiet side
0:42-The flute melody seems a little random at times, but is a nice addition
0:48-Everything takes on a slightly darker feel, especially love the really low rumble at 1:04
1:11-Everything kind of takes on a happier more relaxed feel here, which is a little surprising. Liked the change to piano and how that set a slight increase in pace. THe instrumentation in general is pretty top-notch
1:50-Nice to see how the emotions follow your a/c narration almost to the letter. You can sense the points at which the man's removing his hood, and you see the bandages, etc.
2:21-The cymbal crash was a little too loud in relation to the rest of the track...also, to a point I was expecting this section to be minor, so now I'm thrown as to whether the temple's destruction is a good or a bad thing xD Very nicely done track, nonetheless.

-Review Request Club

Calamaistr responds:

Yep the whole album is very story concentrated, and the temple's destruction isnt really bad or good, its actually meaningless after you understand the whole story, untill then it can be seen as either.

[Wild Yellowness]

Review Request Club

0:01-Nice piano to start, really like the quiet wobble in the background
0:11ish-nice change in pace, though the high wobble I was in two minds about
0:32-Drum is introducted nicely though feels a little bit flat, soundwise
0:39-Nice new section; lots of different instruments, good depth given by the distant string sound, which sets up a nice atmosphere
1:02-Ccymbal crashes here work well to tie everything together. Fair few quirky sounds in there, which are always nice to her.
1:25-This section was okay, but I think it did drag on for a little too long, having that same melody relatively unchanged til the 2 minute mark was a tad excessive
2:00-Cool change, though some of the harmonies didn't seem to completely gel at the start of it.
2:26-There was a really odd note here, didn't seem to fit at all
2:39-Same kind of thing as before; same melody being cycled a lot does make much risk for it dragging, and a risk you fall on the negative side of.
2:52-Going back to the original theme, with some light variations. The ending is alright, but again feels a little like rehashed material.

You've got some good idea, but I think they're played out for too long. Try and mix it up a little more structurally, maybe go into some different moods with your melodies as well.

-Review Request Club

Radidsh responds:

Thank you for the great review. I understand your comments regarding dragging it on, and I will try to avoid doing this too much in future projects. The awkward notes I believe may have been placed there by accident, yet I decided to keep them. Perhaps I should have removed them after all, lol.

Thanks again for the constructive review!

[Minuet in F]

Review Request Club

The start of this isn't what rings of similarity, but the section 0:20-0:28 seems like a nottodistant relative of a tune I for the LIFE of me I can't remember the name nor artist of. If I remember I'll send you a PM or something about it...but anyway.

It's really neither here nor there. The tune I'm thinking of isn't the same, it's just similar, and only just. So I'd still say this was definitely an original track, for sure. You know yourself when a track is an original, so if someone tells you different, feel free to ignore them. xD

Anyway, the track itself! Awesome minuet. Especially impressive as you only finished it so close to the recording.

I love the naturalness of your tracks; you can tell they're being played by an actual person, and yet are still so accurate. There's a few rushed notes (0:39) and a few light buzzes from strings (0:44ish?), but nothing that really impedes the track, and if anything adds to the atmosphere. You can tell it's a piece you enjoyed playing, and it's definitely, yet again, a piece you could listen to on loop for hours on end. Which I'd do, were it not for the fact I have other songs to review xD. So I'll download it instead. Fair trade?

Really nice work, yet again. Keep it up.

-Review Request Club

Darkmaster603 responds:

Thanks for the review. I need a better guitar, because while some mistakes are mine, a lot of them are from a crappily built guitar. I play hand made Alvarez guitars and i don't seem to make as many mistakes. I may just not notice it though.

The song, which I didn't realize, sounds similar to Minuet in Gmaj by Bach, but I haven't even listened to that song for a few years, just coincidence lol. He's my favorite composer, so a lot of my baroque stuff will be in the style of Bach, or atleast try to be.

I wanted to play this without any mistakes, but there was a few in there. I wanted to re-record and get rid of them, but I thought I liked it better that way. I think it kind of authenticated the playing. So many instruments have VST's for them, but guitar will never be able to sound like the real thing.

Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it!

[Polar Equal]

Review Request Club

I had no problem with the volume, but then again my volume's always cranked to the top so it could just be me xD

0:00-Intro's nice, sets up the song well.
0:08-The bass is alright, but doesn't always completely seem to relate to the synth, or at least not as much as it could do. Drums are simple, but effective. Like the cymbal crescendos when they're around
0:31-Alright transition into new lead; could be better, but is fine as it is.
0:49-Transition again. Always good to mix it up like you're dong to try and keep variety up, especially when you only have the two main ideas to juggle about.
1:34 that being said, you need more than just switching between the two, especially as the ideas themselves are only 4 bars long or so. By here it starts to drag a little.
1:59-Nice mingling of the two ideas together, works well; wouldn't have minded seeing more of that previously in the track

A little too long for the material; as sixflab said, change up the instruments. You've got the startings of structural variety, now just complexify it a little more; maybe have a more ambient section in the middle. Havin a few pads in the background would also help give this song a lot of depth.

-Review Request Club

yours31f responds:

Thanks a ton. I have been working privately to try to increase my skills in melody, synth creation and modulation and have been learning to make a more in depth track. I plan to post a new one soon but I am not happy with it yet.

[_Inspiration_]

Review Request Club

0:00-Like how the start is just the one line of melody; as if you were just paying on the piano and thought of something, really links back to the idea of the track.
0:28-This long sustain was perhaps a little overdrawn, but went into a cool section afterwards
1:04 think the lead was a little too muffled, but the really quite background-y synth that comes in is cool
1:21-The cymbal crash here is a little too loud in relation to the rest of the track, but I like how the hi hat has a bigger part for a few seconds
1:35ish-The fact the melody is sort of constantly evolving throughout the song is a really nice touch
2:05-Lead synth is too loud, but cool choir sound underneath it
2:52-Interesting change in mood. One of the cymbals sounds a little odd, but everything else sounds very awesome.
3:20-Guitar comes in to support the melody, think it was a bit much to have continuing on for as long as it did as it's been the same melody for a while, but that's not that big of a deal.

Nicely done track, in all. Kudos on the originality.

-Review Request Club

Birdinator99 responds:

Thanks very much; I agree on the last part, though -- it was a little too long!