I like the ominous sound design at the beginning. The synth bass sounds a little generic, but there’s a good sense of atmosphere here. I think the texture is missing some higher-pitched frequencies for a lot of the piece. The kick drum doesn’t come through the mix that well as a result of the bottom-heavy mix, and I’d be tempted to recommend transposing that mid-range atmospheric synth up an octave, although maybe not with that sample. I like the sense of climax into 1:08, but I think the lead there sounds a little harsh in the mix, and also drowns out some of the other instruments. I think you should apply a high-pass filter to nearly everything, and also equalize the lead and pads more carefully. During the busier sections of this piece, the texture sounds pretty muddy. The vocal samples at around 2:15-2:30 add some flavor to the piece, although I think the sidechaining on the pads and leads are a little heavy. In the second half of the piece, the melodies and harmonic progression get a little repetitive, and it would’ve been nice to hear a breakdown or bridge that shook up the atmospheric pads’ pattern and the bass line. The last melodic section is also rather dragged-out, although the melody itself is pretty catchy. Overall, solid work with the harmonic content, atmosphere, and progression. The mixing needs some cleaning up, and the sound design/arrangement of the piece could be more original, but otherwise you’re on the right track. Keep at it, 8LayneTech8! :)

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.5/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.5/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.75/1
Composite score
6.75/10

Wonderful melodies and grandiose atmosphere!