This is a NGADM Round 1 Review.

-----

Good:
- Cool blend of genres and use of instruments!
- Interesting composition -- things NEVER get stale throughout.
- Lots of great background material (pianos, synths, etc. -- why background? See below!)

I really dig the grim, sometimes chaotic nature of this track. You've added in a lot of detail throughout the piece, and not only that, but there are some great transitions at work here. Actually, speaking of transitions, things tend to change often while listening, so it's like you're hearing the sounds go through a kind of metamorphosis. Really neat!

I would have really liked to hear more breakdowns in this one, because that breakdown at 0:54 was awesome. Oddly enough, I enjoyed the 'quieter' portions of the track, because this is where you can really pay close attention to the different elements that are at play.

What to consider:
- The mix could use some TLC.
- The ending is somewhat uneventful.
- Needs more high-end (frequency) material!

The mix is what drags the song down in terms of overall quality and production value. Things sound heavily distorted throughout; the volume of the guitars, percussion, and bass overwhelm the lighter instruments (such as the piano)! This is terribly disappointing because those lighter sounds and instruments that you incorporated sounded great! By adjusting the volumes on those three aforementioned instruments, and then equalizing said instruments, this track would sound that much better.

The ending was a little uneventful when you compare it to the rest of the track. However, in a way, I suppose it is suitable because it offers a clean, simplistic ending when compared to the body of the track. Last, but not least, you've used a lot of lower to mid-range frequencies in the track -- perhaps adding some bright piano notes and chord progressions that mingle in the higher range would allow for a nice balance throughout the piece.

An interesting piece for sure! It's easy to tell that you worked hard on the composition of this one. With a little more work on the mix, and this could be that much better. Keep at it!

Score: 7.8/10

This is a NGADM Round 1 Review!
''\\__----====******====----__//''
Final score: 6.5
Composition: 9
Mix: 4

Woah! This is GREAT composition, really interesting and with tons of cool ideas, transitions, different themes that fit really well together and I loved the piano around the 1 minute mark. Awesome stuff! (FYI, reminds me of Sonic Adventure 2 Battle.)

HOWEVER... Your mixing leaves so much to be desired. For one, -turn it down-. The entire song is distorting throughout, from start to finish. Not only does this mean the sound quality is lower, but also your lose any dynamics that would make the song even more interesting.
Once you've turned it down, upload again and maybe we can start to nit-pick and find other issues so I can help you improve. Feel free to PM me. :)

I liked the heavy, distorted bass at the beginning, and the “haunted” theme is really cool. I think you might’ve needed a less sudden transition at :09, or you could’ve at least faded in the melodies that came in there to smooth it over a bit. The percussion you have at the very beginning ducks under the mix a bit by around :17, and in general I thought the drums could’ve been a lot louder, with more reverb to add some punchiness. I liked the full texture you had at :24, as well as the melodies, but I think a lot of the individual elements of the mix could’ve come through a bit clearer, especially in the bass range. The transition at :54 is also quite abrupt. I thought this piece was well-structured, though. The bridge you have at 2:11 is neat, but I think it drags on a little longer than it should’ve. As I see it, that whole section essentially lasts until around 3:20, where you bring some more prominent drums and lead guitars back in. You could’ve done a lot more during that 2:11 – 3:20 section to create more dynamic contrast, phrasing and build-ups into the last “emotional height” at around 3:20. I also thought you could’ve added more to the last minute or so of the piece. You lost some opportunities to add some melodic development there, as there weren’t really any memorable leads and/or solos. Overall, there are a lot of good ideas in this piece, but I think they can be fleshed out more. Hope this helped! Keep at it, CruelDeity. ;)

8/10

This review was written for the Newgrounds Audio Death Match 2015.

This piece really gets ya thinking. Hmm, simply fascinating.