lol, I think every metal composer has started a track on that grainy filtered guitar at some point or another. Was listening to a chimp spanner track the other day like "yep. I've heard this filter before." It's always filthy though.

I'm wondering if this track could have used a little more bass compression to being those low tones forward. The guitar work is phenomenal which is why I'm noticing that lack of bass. It also helps that I'm wearing some expensive headphones :/

I wish I could get the same level of variety from my melodies and rhythms. I feel like most the time I just copy and past until I call it a day. Seriously great stuff JD. I love it when a track feels like it tells a story. This composition goes places <3

EDIT: I noticed that guitar at the intro was all the way to the left. I couldn't ignore it after that. I'm noticing a splash cymbal is hard panned too. I spend a lot of time panning but I usually don't pan something 100%. It creates an empty feeling because tones become unbalanced. It creates a lot of extra space in the mix but in a genre where your guitars are each creating unique tones, maybe go softer with that panning to help balance?

I don't know why I'm nit picking all this. Maybe those NGADM reviews below put me in this vibe. Let's just blame them. Your work is great as always :p

The fade-in at the beginning was a tad bizarre, but I like the guitar riffs at :10 and the syncopations at :32, even if the rhythm is a bit hard-to-follow there. The snare sample sounds a bit thin in the mix, but also crisp and clear. The texture comes together well by around the 1-minute mark, although there are a couple of sudden transitions (at 1:14, for example) that detract from the sense of flow and shape of the piece. I wanted to hear some more dynamic melodic content earlier in the piece, too, although the mellow breakdown at 2:18 was a nice touch that added some structural relief. The solo at 3:01 really helped this piece imo, offering a point of arrival that hit the piece home towards the end. While the end came on a tad suddenly, overall the track feels conclusive and cathartic there. I think aspects of the mix sound a bit undecorated and thin, and I still do want to hear some more gradual transitions and phrasing from you. Still, you nailed the solo at the end, the rhythmic content, and the clarity of the mix here. Keep at it, JDawg00100! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.75/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
1/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
1/1
Composite score
8.25/10

This is an official NGADM '19 Review

Composition:
The riffs are nice and heavy, and you get nice grooves going that really gets my head banging. I wasn't anything super complex, which is ok, but I felt like for a NGADM contest setting you could have tried a little more (I am keeping in mind though that this sounds like a recording and the guitar work is super clean). I also kinda say that because it feels like it's left open areas where vocals could work, which gives it this sense of that there's more potential you could have tapped into, but ended up feeling a little reserved. I really like 2:22 - 2:58 though. Nice contrast with the rest of the song.

Production and Sound Design:
I'm really liking how this sounds. You have the right sound for this, but I think there's some cleaning up you could do. The kick is nice and thumpy, but the whole drumset I wish had a little more punch in the mix. The guitars are cool and remind me a little bit of Amon Amarth, but I think some of the low frequencies might be fighting with the bass a little. The balancing is pretty decent though, and I can imagine this as a finished product and really something I would be proud of showing to friends. I just don't think it's something I would expect to hear on the radio.

Structure:
You have a good strong intro that sets a nice tone for the song, and you really keep to using that beginning motif periodically through the song, and I like how it progresses. What you're trying out with different ideas makes it flow really nice and I think you pulled them off really well

Emotion / Conclusion:
I like metal and this is really solid. I think there could be a little work left to make it pop, but I still think you should be proud of this.

Composition: 7

Production: 8

Sound Design: 8

Structure: 9

Emotion: 8

Bruuuuh. This is great!