Well...
You have a good start. I can hear some really neat melodies and sounds; they're just not all there yet. The drums really need more "umph". Right now they sound so weak and they're just hidden in the background.
I really like the rhythms you have from 0:17 - 0:42. I think that's the scale thing you say you hate. If done correctly, that can actually be a really cool section. You may try adding some extra sounds to back it up, and just keep working on the drums.