Gravey's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Cry of War { Ambient Metal }]

Very Intriguing...

This really has an amazing quality to it from the very beginning. I do think the intro went a little long though. Maybe tighten that section up a bit.

I'm not crazy about the guitar part, but it is the feeling and mood you are going for. So I won't hold it against you. You did well to create an ambient metal piece. Although I'm not completely convinced I would say it is ambient. But that is just me.

The melodies are awesome man! Really, you have written some great melody lines. And how you've almost hidden them in the tune is a very cool feel.

The drums really fit the style you were going for as well. Nothing too complicated, but they changed enough to keep from getting stale. Nice job on the drums.

I love the section around the 3:40 mark where the guitars fall out. Very classy touch there man. Very classy indeed.

The mix you created is nearly perfect. I really love where everything stands in the mix. Everything is clear, yet leans on the rest of the ensemble to really fit their purpose. Very nicely done on the mixing for sure.

Now, my only real beef is the quality of the guitars. It sounds like they are FL Slayer guitars. I don't want to hold that against you, because I am forced to use them from time to time. But still, the guitar parts are pretty simple and laid back. I'm sure you could find someone to record the part for you if you can't do it yourself.

But as it stands, this is a very nice and fulfilling song. Great work!

4/5 and 8/10 overall. I really like the atmosphere you created.

Best of luck on future projects man!

-Gravey-

Lorens4444 responds:

Thanks a lot for detailed review, and thanks for your advices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
I'm working on my real guitar, but I have a problem with my soundcard, so I'm using samples. Each time I'm trying to record the guitar part, it sounds like i'm adding a chorus effect to it. Do you know how to avoid it?

[Cubic Ziridium]

I Apologize...

...for taking so long to review this one. My bad. :-/

Now, the intro is cool sounding. I like the pad you used. It meanders and drifts enough to stay fresh, which is very important. Doesn't exactly grab my attention, but rather stimulates my curiosity. Very nifty feel really.

When the song kicks in I like it, but it is lacking ever so slightly in the low end. I'm not so sure you should raise the bass volume wise. But rather add another level an octave lower than it already is. Because it is nice balance mix wise, but just doesn't have the full bottom I'm looking for.

The song overall stays pretty fresh all the way through. I love the different effects with the instruments you created. And the section from the 2:40 mark to the end is awesome. I really like how you ended this piece. Normally I hate fade outs, but it really seems to fit this song very well. So nice choice there.

This is a good solid song, but not quite a great one. It doesn't have that driving power to get a "great" score from me.

4/5 and 8/10 overall. It is amazing me how you are progressing musically man. You are improving at an alarming rate! Congrats man!

-Gravey-

Theledge93 responds:

What was that i said in a pm? I think it went something like..."I'm a quick learner(something) (something) (something)..." ;-) I appreciate the critiscm. i was actually getting tired of this song because i listened to it so much. i got another one, not like this, I simply named "Arp" It's not up yet, but think; mellow, dreamy, (maybe) ambient. and that's what the song is going to sound like. I'll give you a hint. the Title tells you what's in the song ;-)

[{B.A.B.} Warrior's Quest]

Wowzers!!!

The beginning is so cool sounding. I love the cathedral sound you were able to create. I mean shit, anyone can use reverb. But this is something more really. It really sounds like this is in a massive cathedral. And nothing is muddy or warbly as often happens when people use that massive and thick reverb. Amazing work on the atmosphere and location in this piece.

As for the music itself, it is simply epic man. You said it right, this is epic in every fucking way possible.

I love the dissonant chords you used in certain areas. And especially when they grew to crescendos. That really helped push this song along in those areas. Do did very well in creating momentum in this piece. And we both know how momentum can work in our favor when it comes to compositions like this.

The percussion section was fucking awesome. Loved it man! Simply loved it!

Really, there is no flaw in this piece. No, simply no flaws at all. I am slightly green with envy on the atmosphere you were able to create. Man, I really think I can write and compose well. But I never feel like I can get the location and atmosphere quite right. This though man, simply perfect.

So I just got to the end, and I think I realized a slight flaw in this piece. (Yes, I'm contradicting myself from earlier. Sorry!) :-P The ending does not quite do it for me. It is pretty amazing, but the ending is not the loudest and most epic part of the piece. I really think that an emotional and epic composition such as this should really crescendo in the end. Unless you have a certain storyline you are writing for, then I think the ending is slightly lacking.

Yes, I'm being a little picky. But we seem hold each other to a higher standard than most people on Newgrounds. And that is what pushes you, (And maybe even me if you so believe in my music like I do yours!), to write music that is simply better than most.

5/5 and 9/10 overall. If anyone else submitted this it is a 100/10. But like I said, I hold you to a much higher standard. Once again you have proved to be one the top composers here on Newgrounds!

Great work here man! And much love from one composer to another!

-Gravey-

P.S. - I intentionally did not use the word "SONG" to describe this piece. This is much more than just a song. And that sir, is by far the greatest compliment I think I could ever give you. Congratulations on creating such a wonderful orchestral composition!

blackattackbitch responds:

You're completely right about the end, and I wish I hadn't decided to close the book on this song. Oh well, gives me time to make another one, I'm dying for a new theme lol

If you want, I can take a screenshot of the settings I usually put into FL Reeverb 2. It usually just consists of making the decay last anywhere from 1.5-2 seconds, raising the high-cut, putting the high-damping halfway up, putting the low-cut at 30Hz, and making the wet signal about 80% as high as the dry signal. And I usually compose with the reverb kept on so that I know exactly what it will probably sound like when I'm done.

And you've probably given me the best compliment I've ever heard, you don't know how gracious I am for that compliment. The only way I can think of to respond to that is to say this: Your experience in music is probably unmatched on this site. I know that you play not just one instrument but many instruments, and you have years of music theory under your belt, and when you learn the software, you will most likely become unbeatable in composition. And I can assure you, there's much that I can learn from you.

Thanks for the amazing review!

[Ode to Zero-Bombers]

Ok Seriously...

...I can't even begin to leave a review that emphasizes the true epicness of this song.

5/5 and 10/10 overall.

-Gravey-

[3884/x]

Oh Yea!!!

The intro is badass. And then when that blast beat kicks in it really gets my blood pumping man!

I like just about everything in this tune man. The riffs are real cool sounding, and are simply brutal. There is definitely a lot of face-breaking pit inducing potential here! :-D

Couple things though. You should work on the kick a bit. It is kinda weak. Compress the fuck outta that thing until it becomes a bit punchier. As it is now, it sounds more than a little muddy.

Also, make it longer! Way to short! ;-)

Overall though, I like this a lot!

4/5 and 8/10 overall.

*Throws up the horns*

-Gravey-

[Sticky Hands]

Intersting...

The bass and acoustic don't go well together in the beginning. The intro that is. You should change something there because something doesn't sound quite right.

Now when the song kicks in it REALLY kicks ass man. I LOVE the main thought in this tune. It is really groovy, and I like da grooooooooove! ;-)

The drums are pretty bad ass. I really like what you did with them. They were lively and interesting, and never repeated so much to become boring. They were rather groooooooooovy themselves! Oh yea, just one badass groovy motherfucking tune!

5/5 and 10/10 overall. Congrats bud!

Oh, and don't you even THINK of changing this in any way! If you do, then you better upload it as a new piece. Like "Sticky Hands 2" or some shit like that. Because I'm favoriting this shit! ;-) lol

Bud, you really outdid yourself here. Great job, just a great job entirely!

-Gravey-

Theledge93 responds:

WHA, WHA? a fovorite from you? you shouldn't have! (If you fucking delete this of your favorites i will hunt you down and fucking slit your throat ;-) Thanks!

[Golden Times (1st version)]

Nice...

I remember the REAL original version.

First off, the panning annoys the fuck outta me. Don't get me wrong, I've done a lot of panning effects in my music. But to have everything on one side of the field for so long is EXTREMELY annoying. Either change it, or add another instrument to balance it a little.

The guitar part is interesting, and pretty well written. It flows very well musically and sounds well on it's own. So adding more instruments should only enhance this tune greatly.

Really, there isn't much more for me to comment on. It is only a demo, and it is really transparent at the moment.

2/5 and 4/10 overall, for now anyways. ;-)

Good start bud.

-Gravey-

[Pessimist]

It's Alright...

Idk man, I'm about 1:00 into the song and I hear no technicality at all really. Just really plain Jane riffs that go nowhere.

I love brutal metal, but brutal metal with a point and purpose. This is just breakdown after breakdown and nothing much more to speak of. And that isn't really good, cause breakdowns are typically for little 13 year old kids who couldn't write a real riff if their lives depended on it.

Breakdowns can be effective, but god this is just way too much. It becomes very dull after about thirty seconds. It does start getting a little more complicated towards the end, but nothing really that grabs my attention.

You should write some actual riffs that are more than just two power chords played in a syncopated rhythm. That is effective for a short term effect. A section in a song, but for the whole song to be this it is just rather annoying. Sorry to say, but the guitars are just really weak.

The drums are alright, but they follow the guitars too much. Give me some thrash beats and double bass. The kick followed the guitar riffs almost through the entire song. Talk about boring. You played maybe three chords at the max in any one riff, then had the kick play the same rhythm as the guitar riff. Booooooooooooooooooooooooooriiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiing.

And really, you need something else to add to this. Keys, orchestration, maybe the screams of dying children in the background. Something at least. This is so transparent it is ridiculous. Sounds like a watered down form of Lamb of God, without the vocals. Only difference is their riffs are pretty complex, whereas these aren't.

1/5 and 2/10 overall. This was just too bland for me to give any real merit to.

Best of luck on future projects.

-Gravey-

HappyHomicide responds:

Meh, I dont like it either, I agree with you that it's repetative, I just basically wrote a bunch of crap and slapped it in a song a while ago. I put it up here so i could stop telling myself that I'd go back and fix it so i could. basically so i could go write things that deserve writing. this is crap i wrote a few months ago when i was still trying to figure out what I liked. I'll probabally end up using random riffs from this song so i can make a full song. However, you do sound like one of those biased Death metal nazis who only like 1 breakdown per album/ are more of a fan of the faster thrashey songs. Oh yeah, and your metal sucks.

TLDR Fuck this song and fuck you too.

[Terrae - Oblivia (Opening)]

I Like It...Wait...No...I LOVE IT!!!

This is amazing man. Simply amazing. In the beginning it is beautiful, yet dissonant and eery at the same time.

It has great percussion in it everywhere! I LOVE the percussion! Simply wonderfully written!

The harp is a very sexy and classy touch. It really gives a new level to this song, and it has such a nice effect on the listener. Maybe you should add a little reverb to it. Or make it more present if it already has reverb.

You have created a very nice and full sound. It is rich with flavor, and the ending is superb! SUPERB I tell ya!!! Wonderful ending, but it should really end. It just dies off right now, and I'm not sure I like that.

5/5 and 9/10 overall. Just give it a real ending and it becomes a 10/10 easily.

Wonderful job here.

-Gravey-

Zero123Music responds:

Thank you gravey, the harp? hmm, sorry- it's on full reverb xD

and the ending, well It's the opening to a game- which goes into the menu, soo I faaded it
thanks
>>Zero

[Gold Blooded Dragon]

Hmmm...

This is pretty interesting. It changes up a lot, which makes the listener focus on the music constantly. That is definitely a good thing.

The song is therefore pretty complicated structurally. It does not follow a real set pattern of verse-chorus-verse etc. This is something I like to see. A little ingenuity in structure.

And the different instruments you used really helped create different moods and atmospheres throughout the song. Everything meshed well together, so the mix was pretty good. I do think you could add an instrument or two in certain sections, but nothing extensive.

4/5 and 8/10 overall. Nice work here bud.

-Gravey-

Kanped responds:

Glad you liked it. I didn't want to step too far outside of the restrictions of each genre; they're all fairly basic aproximations of each different style, most of which I was fairly unfamiliar with.

Thanks.