Arponax's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[The Rebels' Briefing | Turning The Tides Of War]

Hell ye, lets do it.

The intro 0:00-0:52 there is hella anticipation in this part, first thing that comes to mind is that really cool percussive sound, like if i am in a very dense and serious situation. Fits really nice into the narrative.

This all becomes justified at 0:52 with that sick bass synth and morse code. Im also enjoying how you introduce that pad at 1:20 with the arp it adds alot of hope to it all, in the context of story that might be opportunity.

Buildup and the drop work very well together imo. I like the contrast of like noisyness (if thats a word XD) and the solid precision of drop itself.

In buildup all that beefy bass and synths feel very chaotic and stressful and the anticipation is there (with that thought it would be really cool to expand on that percussion you had in your intro, i think it would make the continuity really nice...this is just an idea that popped in my head right now XD).

The drop feels almost anti climactic (did you automate stereo wideness for some sounds? It feels very mono).
I am almost sure this wasnt intentional but i was thinking about how to convey the feel of claustrophobia or of being overwhelmed, and a thought that came to mind was to simply make the mix mono (or atleast a little more mono), this is feels very similar to how i imagined that.

To me the drop is very claustrophobic, as if the soldiers are running through those narrow corridors enemies behind them...there is that action and adrenaline to it and i love it.

Aside from all this i think my biggest issue might be that there is no conclusion...how did it end, did they win or not :D so maybe just having that little coda at the end.

But you made two songs for two different stories and its a speedrun :D so its really cool.
I hope the two songs didnt break your college performance.

Anyway thanks for joining and making some sick banger, really enjoyed it.

Also not sure if any of what i imagined was intentional, i just like to play with various ideas
and scenes while listening to music.

Good job and keep it up.

PS. i tried to decrypt the morse code but for an amateur :D theres way too much sounds around it...so its hard to pinpoint them letters.

[Counter-Attack]

Ayo, its time.

Definitely the longest track of them all :D

So first that i want to mention is that techno (or i think this might be called rumble techno) works surprisingly well...since it feels chaotic it is urgent and heavy weight, very interesting choice imo.

Simplistic approach to melodies and composition is both great and bad in this song. Melodies are simple and powerful. Tho after like 5 minutes of listening im striving for some development, the melodies could change or the pacing in last drop could be different or, hey why not make the last drop whole different genre.

at this state the song could be 5 minutes shorter and i dont think i would lose much, part at 5:30 could work simply as an outro.

the length also does not help to keep the narrative going...when all main parts sound the same it is hard to pinpoint where i am i the story

Aside from that i feel like this song could be awesome as a background track for a mission like that...there are parts of your song that could work in calmer and more stealthy parts of our mission and ofc parts for when stuff gets hot.

That said...development is crucial for this, i believe making B and C sections would automatically make it an incredible and interesting experience.

Mixing is well imo, the song slaps in its peak parts.

So yeah this might be all i can say, thanks for joining my group :D and for making an iteration of my story. Good luck for your next projects.

[ADREN_x67B]

Lets begin shall we? :D

It is loud. Its incredible how you were able to push it so much while still having insanely clean mix.
This stuff far beyond my abilities so ill not talk about mixing (not that i do much tho XD) :D

The intro feels like we are present at rebellions base and just going through the briefing, really nice work with background voices and FXs.

When at 0:30 lead synth is introduced it kinda adds that sophistication to everything from how the base itself works and the strategy were being familiarized with.
Your work with growls is really nice, this kind of "dubstep" (or maybe electro house, not really sure) works very well with the nature of a very chaotic action scene 1:30 there is a short intermission that reminds us were not in a familiar nor friendly environment and i like it, 1:45 those crunchy sounds are just lovely.

2:14-2:57 I feel like some real storytelling begins right here and im not sure if you actually imagined it like that but to me it feels very mysterious as if one of the soldiers looked into a random room and found out some really weird stuff...maybe some of Bastions experiments or maybe just something dangerous that must be told to rebellions command.

After that the song gets back to its pacing and now it feels more furious and raw, stuff got serious.

3:53 We reached our destination and are preparing to plant the bomb and get outta here.

4:12 this short part here is totally my style(absolutely love it) and it feels like just run and gun action...like, we have few minutes to get out and just shoot everything that is not us.

4:50 is a very creative touch in my opinion...after the powerplant destruction we hear some of Bastions systems turning off...and simply know, we succeeded.

Wow, i basically just described whole song, thats mostly because i cant really think of any compositional thing or critique to add or change, development is really nice, mixing is hella crispy i love it...most of the song is not really my style, tho i enjoyed this interesting approach to the mission.

Thank you for choosing this story and making this sick ass banger :D keep it up.

Also congrats on FrontPage

vekoN responds:

thank you so much for the rating and review! <3 it's insane that i got 4.5 stars from you!!

and, intriguing story you have going on with my track! truth be told i didn't entirely consciously try to tell a story with this, i just kind of applied my usual rather narrowly-focused compositional methods and let the track decide where it went. once i have some instruments and sound design going it's easy for me to come up with sections; the tricky part is making them fit together coherently. i think i've gotten better at that

and yeah about the mixing, i'm glad that it sounds both clean and loud! i think i've gotten hella far with that kind of thing since i started mixing that way, although to my ears i still have some distance to cover. but yeah, i'm glad that's good!

again thank you for designing and hosting the challenge! it was super fun applying my skills to create something for it! i hope you have a lovely day :)

[We want a change]

The time has come, so i am here to give my review.

It is a very simple track with interesting development.

To me the intro is very creative with how the bass sound is being distorted i kinda hope it was a bit longer and maybe developed more to convey this feeling of stress and uncertainty of the ongoing mission even further.

There are a bunch of really cool ideas like delayed snare and a pad moving left to right, it adds this dense atmosphere of complete silence where you hear every footstep and maybe some scanner noise in the background.

At 0:39 you introduce a gated synth (if it is gate im not sure) i feel like at this part the pad could move a bit into background to allow these more precise sounds to pierce through a little better to kinda showcase intrique of stealth.

The song goes a little more upbeat at 1:30 and that sliding synth lead is lovely...feels like the soldiers sneaking through some narrow spaces or to dodge some cameras vision.
Love this part

1:58-2:23 someone messes up and now the enemy slowly realises we are here, soldiers realise that their presence is now known and start running to their missions goal while the sliding lead still accompanies it all.

At the end there could be some sort of clue to what is the result of mission...tho that can be given into listeners imagination i think.

Overall i think youve told your version pretty well...and ofc what i described is in my own head :D but it was fun trying to imagine what different parts and elements are supposed to represent.

In the end working a bit with dynamic and leveling of your instruments might upgrade this song alot...by simply putting some instruments more forefront or background based on what should the listener focus on.

Also, FL stock drum sounds, dope :D

I hope you will find this review helpful and thanks for joining my group.
Good luck with your future projects

[Hailstorm | Turning the Tides of War]

Well VGMC is over and now its time to enjoy them bangers.

The intro 0:00-0:10 is very interesting, those subtle percussive sounds at the beginning with a bass and sudden silence, to me it feels like if i just received the message, and at 0:13 went right into the hyperspace with the escort.

Those synths at the intersection are absolutely lovely, dystopic scifi synths are always pleasure to hear in any scifi soundtrack.

The whole part before the drop works perfectly to convey a very serious situation, dense atmosphere and prepare you really well for what is to come.

the drop 1:09 sounds awesome, pure adrenaline driven action scene...i only wish that those dystopic synth lead were utilised (more? i guess they are there tho very supressed compared to before) throughout the drop, to add that dense atmosphere into the drop...after all at that point its a "now or never" situation, every move matters and failure is unacceptable.

Even without that, the drop still slaps and the second half works just fine for what i described. Hard hitting bass adds that much needed seriousness.

2:33 i am a big sudden transitions enthusiast :D so i absolutely love this...it feels like i were following the soldiers at their mission and suddenly went dark not knowing how they managed to push through, to me theres a lot of uncertainty in that and i would kinda like it to be longer before the guitar is introduced...maybe a subtle pad to fill in the void and kinda prepare my focus on that one sudden note.

Now the second half, complete turn around, that bittersweet feeling to it is absolutely gorgeous, we moved from hard hitting synth sounds to more organic instruments, adding humanity and emotion to it all...i know that the soldiers managed to complete their mission as the drums start kicking in yet theres alot of weight and pain. Even tho they won there were loses, even tho they knew its inevitable, doesnt change the fact that it hurts to lose your comrades.

The organ arp is a cherry on top of this beautiful finale and brings in freshly gained hope for the whole rebellion.

Oh boy and i love that contrast between synthesized sound and organic vibes.

I think you nailed your ideas really well...i am not sure to what degree i imagined it the same way but that is one of the beautiful aspects of music where everyone has their own imagination.

Well to stop my bragging :D

Sound wise im not sure what i could talk about since to me it feels mixed well and i consider it the same or higher level than my own.

Thank you for joining VGMC and picking my story, good job.

GasGrass responds:

Thorough analysis! I have to be honest...not ALL of this was 100% intentional, but the interpretation adds to the experience. Glad you liked the track! Your story setup was sick!

[Turning the Tides of War]

Sup,
im here to give you my review.
It is mostly personal preference, since im kinda trying to compare it with my perception of story i made.

First thing that comes to mind is the incredible sound design you have here, i just have to point it out, the sounds are crunchy, big and beefy.

Youve chosen a doom music inspired style. Which for me personally conflicts with the narrative of rebellion and Adal.

The thing about doom is that it is a game about killing literal demons...music there is meant to be the peak of confidence and danger, cause that is what you are...you are the danger, you are the thing they fear (pun intended).

rebellion and Adal is about a not that big of a group of people that miraculously joined together to fight against nearly impossible odds. Im not feeling confident...hopeful, patriotic? maybe. But mostly i am dependent on luck and guerrilla warfare.

these guys are not danger, they are in danger.

That being said, it does not mean the song cant be heavy or hard, hell yea it can be. Tho there is nothing demonic or religious on that story...but that is exactly what doom music evokes for me.

While listening for the first time, i was thinking that there could be some intersection that would convey a little feel of strategy or deliberation, which would then add more weight...cause simply "we cannot fail this mission it is our only try" so we have to think out our every move.

When it comes to sound, i dont think i can say more than what was already said.

anyway these are my views. The song itself has incredible quality...it is fierce, beefy and epic. Tho i am kinda having a hard time actually pinpointing some exact scenery that would tell me a story of these soldiers.

Im sure they are pumped up tho XD cause it is a banger.

Well. Good job, keep it up and thanks for joining my group :D

[Pooo1-Battlefield]

Yo

I have to say that im really loving those synths, they give out incredible scifi vibes and i just feel they would fit into some sort of hi-tech or dystopic scifi, which Adal is.

To me, the 0:00-0:24 feels like the mission is still in stealth and the soldiers are slowly progressing.
When the growl kicks in at 0:30 it almost feels like im listening to a totally different story.

I dont know if you saw "Dubstep guns by Corridor digital" but those drops really remind me of that...those long sliding growls give me those really wonky "badass" slow-mo camera shots.

With that being said im not sure if this kinda dubstep actually fits the narrative, its very slow paced while the nature of our mission after the stealth has been compromised feels more as n adrenaline rush where we are outnumbered and need to complete the mission as fast as possible, cause this might be our last chance.

Aside from that i feel like the growls themselves could develop a bit, they sound always the same and change only rhythmically a little.

And also one of the reasons why im rating 4 stars are those lovely synths in intro, breakdown and second half of your last drop.
I absolutely adore them cause they convey that feeling of "we stand against a technological pillar". I would totally love if you explored them more in this song.

Overall pretty track, thanks for joining VGMC and keep em bangers coming.

pooo1 responds:

yay, thanks!

[3manon - Turning the Tides of War]

This, right here...is the most unique song XD one really has to acknowledge your creative approach.

So heres my review, its mostly a personal preference and i hope it will be helpful atleast a little.

Your mixing is spot on, the vocals are really nice.

0:00-1:31 The intro is awesome with all them spaceship sounds, the scanner in the background while hearing the message...nice atmosphere.

That little smirk at "and rebel we did" XD

Like the little touch of a ship leaving into hyperspace.

1:36-1:54 You took absolutely literal approach and i like it...the sounds and everything.

In short this whole part from 0:00-2:46 is giving me incredible vibes and goosebumps.

So why am i rating only 3,5 stars. Its like i am not listening to a song...i am listening to a movie without actually seeing it.
When making narrative driven music it is absolutely okay to put in some literal scenes (explosions maybe some shouts or gun shots) but in my personal preference it should feel like a part of the song itself.

In that cyberpunk part i want to be immersed but those lasers and all things just break it for me.

If all the talking was saved only for the parts at 0:00-2:14 and 3:43-4:18 i would have absolute blast of an experience.

The thing is, it is still music and we can convey so many emotions and stories simply by working with our instruments. (e.g. if i want to convey sadness, i dont need to put in a recording of someone crying...i make a sad melody)

But im sure you know all of this and this piece is still an incredible experiment of yours.

Sound-wise theres alot of details and work put into it and at the end of the day all i can say is, good job.

You gave me a hard time coming with some actual review :D so i hope everything here makes sense.

Thank you for picking my story and keep up the incredible work bruv.

PS. the hell is that melodic addition at 3:04, its so weird. XDD

3manonMusic responds:

Thank you so much for the elaborate feedback! If you want to feel immersed without the vocals and sfx interrupting, there is also an instrumental on my account!

[MECAOS]

First of all i really like the concept youre taking here...those chiptune-ish sounds add alot to the idea of a machine without any emotions and full of logic.

The reason i am rating 3 stars is simply because, even tho its about some sort of ai it is not really following the story narrative.

There is a lot of potential to make the song richer i believe. I agree on a lot of things with vekoN.
Melodies should develop over time and the song needs to progress.

At 0:45 you introduce some sort of pad or key? works nice for me adds another layer.
Tho i feel like you could play with that a little bit more instead of it following the same pattern as your main lead why not make it work as a counter melody, it would add more interesting variations that i as a listener could focus on.

Yeah, aside from these points im not sure theres more to be said that vekoN already didnt mention.

Thanks for joining the VGMC and keep it up...theres always alot to learn...so i hope that my review will be helpful. :D

Gustavoshark responds:

Thank you for sharing your opinion, I will try to improve my next songs

[The Last Stand]

The deadline is over and heres my real review.

It is a very fun track.
since the very beginning you went with a very upbeat and confident melody.

Personally the intro 0:00-0:24 feels like the mission itself is already on and the soldiers are on the battlefield, wouldnt hurt to make it a bit longer and slower, lets be real briefings are not really something that gets you fired up or full of adrenaline...you sit there in a room listening about upcoming mission and strategy youre gonna take.

0:24 this part simply slaps, soldiers running through long halls, enemies from both sides.
It is an adrenaline rush that ends with a part of the structure falling down, some soldiers are lost.
0:46-1:10 I like how the melody goes down in this short part, the song slows down and it feels like our team lost few of their members but cant stop since they are in a rush.

1:09 this part has potential to add alot of emotions and humanity in it, yet it feels like it goes right back into action, this might be more of a personal preference but i feel like there should be a longer slow down, a different melody that will add a bit of pain...we just lost our comrades yet we have to continue and finish our mission so their deaths are not in vain.

Im saying this cause i actually like the idea that you didnt stop the action right after transitioning to 0:46 structure falling part. We are watching trained soldiers that are dedicated to finishing this important mission, yet there is a moment to add some sort of humanity to them and rethink our next step.

1:14-2:06 this whole part would feel much more impactful if there was a change in melody. The soldiers lost some of their peers and now they know that enemy is surrounding them...its like "guys, lets absolutely destroy them and finish this mission for our brothers"

Yet it feels like just a copy and paste with a key shift. (a nice touch, it makes it feel a bit more urgent) This should have definitely be a B section of your song...a continuation of our story.

2:06-2-27 Im not really sure if this part fits the narrative...tho ill leave that to artistic choice

2:27-3:00 Once again this part feels just like the two choruses before, still the same melody but a synth melody.

Since we are fighting a final boss (might be some big defense droid or whatever) there should be a change song should be more serious...edgy and maybe more hard hitting...now its not just running through halls shooting some small robot soldiers...this thing is a serious threat to our missions success. You know what i mean?

Again, it feels the same.

3:00-3:33 the conclusion is nicely done with the final impact and the bomb exploding.
Mission success.

Aside from all that the song seems to be maybe too loud especially in the last "boss" drop.
The synth bass adds quite alot of mud and seems to clash with other elements in that frequency range.

Anyway i think youve told your variation of this story pretty nicely, tho just learning to make B and C sections would absolutely skyrocket this track up.

Thanks for participating and choosing my story :D great job and keep it up.