Gravey's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Dreaming with pianos]

Amazing My Friend!!!

The instruments intertwine with each other amazingly well in this song man. Simply amazing the job you've done here with the overall sound.

The piano is so elegant. I love it man! I really have a soft spot for a good written piano part, and this is so wonderful. So beautiful, and yet so simple. I really like that aspect of it all. Very simple, and yet very intriguing and beautiful. The piano part is simply spot on in every way!

The pads really add dimensions to this piece. And you were very tasteful in the ones you chose/created/edited. If you added any effects to them, then I must say you did well. But it is hard to tell whether you did or not, because I do not know what they sounded like originally.

The percussion is so wonderful and fits the entire song perfectly. I love the congas, or whatever the hand drums are that you used. They help enhance the mood and tone of the song completely. Just a wonderful job in choosing, and writing the rhythm for them.

I will say, I heard one spot that twinged my ears slightly. There is an area where the pads cut out entirely to abruptly. It is at 1:55. And after listening to it again, I'm not sure the pad itself is what is cutting out. But rather the fuzz that comes along with the pad. It is too apparent when it cuts out, and almost destroys the mood you are trying to create in that area.

But overall, this is phenomenal man!

5/5 and 9/10 overall. Fix that one little spot, and this is easily a 10/10! Amazing job here bud!

This has been favorited!

-Gravey-

Stalagmite responds:

you sir. are the king of reviews man! wowza! always a collection of big juicy comments! this is why you rock!
the piano! yay! i worked hard on it. i have never gone wrong so many times! but i only recorded in chord segments so i didnt have to keep doing it over again.
I simply play arpeggios and chord scales ( i think). adding flourishes here and there.
I am glad you appreciated its merging aswell.
it wasnt meant to be about the piano. it is about the piece as a whole.
the percussion was easy LOL. sorry but i did just chuck some congas together. i havent really worked on a beat much. its not really my "forte'"

the area where the song dies and comes back to life was cetainly a mistake. i thought i would give the audience a second to absorb the music preceeding the solo drum. but it just made it "dead air". i regret it now. and will work on improving this awkward silence.

also. i am not sure if that 10 was an accident. so i will consider this a nine.
thank you for taking the time for this. it has made my day! so about the long wait for reply. i just watched the spongebob musical! yayness.
and thanks for the favourites! :D:D:D

[Forward.]

Interesting...

I am not a trance guy at all. But I feel like you have left me a lot of reviews, so I need to return the favor. So I'm going to tryto be as objective as possible.

The instrument for the lead is pretty cool sounding. It is pretty typical for trance, but then again just about everything that can be done with this genre has been done. So it is pretty hard to find sounds that haven't been used/created/mutilated in some fashion before.

The tempo is pretty nice. I like the upbeat feel it creates, and it gives the sense of this song pushing right along.

The beats you created are pretty tasteful and straightforward. You should think about some delay effects on them in places, as well as creating some panning changes. That would really give it a new dimension I think.

I think it could use another instrument or two throughout the song to give it some color. Something that is a different timbre than the ones you already have. I think it would really add to the song a lot of you did that.

Overall this is pretty good. Not my style, but I'm trying not to hold that against you.

4/5 and 9/10 overall. Nice job here bud!

-Gravey-

OPQC responds:

thanks for a great review!
i tried to make the song going fast and cool, so tempo is 160. :D
i would try the delay effects, on my next submission. and of course, those panning changes.

[awe of things forgotten]

Wow...

I love the intro man. It is so wonderful and beautiful, yet dark and mysterious. It has a very rich flavor to it, and I just want more and more of it. Beautiful job man.

I like the beat in the beginning a lot. You add something here and take away something there to keep it interesting and changing. Not a lot, but just enough that the sense can tell something new is afoot.

I like the wind/storm sweep/pad/whatever it is, that you used. It really helps add to the atmosphere a lot. This is so dark and brooding, yet like I said beautiful at the same time. I'm REALLY liking this man.

The strings are such a nice touch about 3:00 into the song. I think it was the right time to introduce them as well. They go so well with the choir. So wonderfully well.

5/5 and 10/10 overall. Wonderful track, just wonderful.

-Gravey-

PeckaPrime responds:

What can i say man, apathic depression at 3.00 AM in the morning can do wonders.

Ok serious time. You really like it ?, I didn't expect that. Hell even I don't like it as much as i did when i made it. But, im glad you do man. It's always nice when someone enjoys your work. Especially ambiental tracks, they go very much unnoticed here on newgrounds.

Im glad that you "feel" that mood it creates, i was aiming for that, but should probably do it better. Well next time i make an ambiental track, I'll do a better job.

Anyway im glad (and surprised) that you liked it man.
Thanks and see you later.

[Leaving the solar system [PP]]

Haha!

Your response to ShenshuaiOne's review down there is priceless!!! Fucking hilarious man!

This is pretty cool man. I'm not a fan of trance in the least. BUt this is decent. It isn't all just effects throughout the song, which I hate so much in trance.

The melody is decent. It isn't exactly catchy, but what trance song does have a catchy melody. This fits the style and song just right.

I do think you could expand on the beat a little bit. I know trance typically doesn't have great and crazy beats and rhythms. But I think you could add a delay effect on the kick or something in places to give it a little extra flavor. Then make it pan around a little bit to give it some ambience.

I like it the most when it kicks in around 3:30-ish. Very cool feel there. That is where I think you could throw on the delay and pan effects on the kick. But that is only my opinion. Take it or leave it as you will. :-P

But really, this is pretty good for a trance song. Really follows the structure and tone well. So good job here bud.

4/5 and 9/10 overall.

-Gravey-

PeckaPrime responds:

Thanks man, glad you got a few laughs out of that one. :D

I respect you listening and reviewing a song, that doesn't really belong in a genre you enjoy. I normally don't do that, cuz i always get the feeling that my review wouldn't be objective. For example that's why i've never reviewed none of Badspreekill's songs even though he was one of the first to fave me, and I listened to all of them. But I always get the feeling that my review wouldn't do those songs justice.

Anyway that's not the case here, you actually gave me some good ideas, I aswell don't like my kicks sounding generic. So in this song there a second layer of different kicks doin their thing at the end of each bar. And i use delay alot (to some extent, not much on the kicks though) .But i've never really used paning much in my songs, im definetely gonna play with that in the future.

Well, anyway (I allways want to start my paragraphs with anyway, but since i started the above one with that i added "well" here, Im witty) thanks for the review man, and the score and the hints.

Thanks mate, and see you later.

[Vaginal Metal]

LOVE IT!!!

What can I say. I love the vagina sir, and therefore I love this song. I see the perfect correlations between vajayjay's and this song, really they go hand in hand.

X-D

Sorry, but I could not really leave a serious review considering what you said in your comment section.

5/5 and 10/10 overall.

This has been favorited! Mainly because this is as tasty, if not more so, than most vaginas I've had my mouth on. Oh yea, I can taste the rich and fattening goodness! Rofl!

-Gravey-

P.S. - Yea, definitely not one of my better reviews! lol

Fleshbag responds:

Taste the rich and fattening goodness :D
Glad you love it

[A Single Kiss -[Final]-]

Interesting...

As simple as it is, it is still very enjoyable.

The effects really add to the music, rather than simply distract the listener. That is the sign of someone who knows how to write songs well. Anyone can create effects, but for them to truly enhance the music is quite a different challenge altogether.

I love the pan flute. Beautiful touch man. Really, beautiful.

The mixing is pretty solid all around. Everything is present in the mix, from the background pads and strings to the kick. I really like your overall mix a lot.

Although, this is not my typical listening style, I did enjoy this immensely. No reason not to give it a perfect score.

5/5 and 10/10 overall. I just didn't hear any l flaws in this whatsoever. :-)

Great job here man!

-Gravey-

Helth responds:

Thanks alot!
glad u liked it

Helth

[:The Fleshwerk:]

Pretty Nifty...

I like this bad boy a lot. Very different approach on metal than most people here on Newgrounds take. It is pretty pure and straight forward. Not a lot of glitz and glamor effects, and I really like that.

The guitars seem to be pretty simple, and in this song that is probably a good thing. Your riffs are straightforward, and have a real groove to them. I really like it when I can hear something that isn't mind blowing, yet still gets my head banging. Nice job on the riffs man!

The drums are pretty decent actually.

OH WHOA!!! Just hit the solo. Scratch the whole "The guitars are straightforward and simple" concept! X-D Very cool solo man. It was so different from the rest of the song, and yet it fit in there very nicely.

Ok, back to the drums before I was so rudely sidetracked by your kick ass solo! :-P For being programmed they sound pretty good. The kick could be raised in the mix in my opinion. I'm almost always wanting more kick in my songs. But other than that, I think the mix with the drums is spot on.

I really like the keys around the 1:00 section. They sound great!

I see you are looking for a screamer to do some vocals for this song. Might I suggest that you should think of adding some Blind Guardian style vocals in places as well? I can really hear some epic vocals just soaring over these riffs, all majestic and proud. Then in places like the section at 2:30 have those low guttural growls and screams. But that is just what I heard in my head. Go with what makes you happy man. :-)

I really like this song in every way shape and form. Great work here man!

5/5 and 9/10 overall. It is just missing something that I can't put my finger on at the moment to keep it from getting a 10/10.

Best of luck on future projects bud!

-Gravey-

Warhector responds:

Hey, thanks for the big and thoughfull comment :D
Yeah, i tell you that i began play guitar about 3 months ago :P so u cant really espect me to play some headblowing death metal, but i like those riffs thats nice and slow. makes me want to play like Lamb of God :D
but yeah thanks for the massive comment =) means a lot

[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!