MusicMyOxygen's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Disposable Breed]

Pretty Good

Pretty good metal track, I enjoyed listening to it. However, there are a few things that could be done to improve it:
- Work on your build-ups, typically between verses and choruses. Good metal songs have some sort of lead-up into chorus, at least every once and a while within a song, which encourages a listener to keep listening. Right now its more alternating between verse and chorus, which have similiar sound, and to dramaticise the change I think some sort of transition or build-up between sections would be very beneficial.
- Somewhat along those lines, try experimenting with dynamics. The dynamics of this song are the same, and far as the instrumental aspect is concerned, the entire time. Occassionally the vocals change ever so slightly between verse and chorus, but that is one of the few exceptions. Try variations in dynamics or gradually getting louder or softer between changing dynamics.
- The vocals. Pretty good, but they are only average right now. I'm not sure whether or not the vocalist has a vocal background or he is new to singing, and although I mean no offence in what I say, I think that more practice could be done to improve the vocals even though you are singing in the metal genre. Right now it just sounds like someone doing vocals not a vocalist, and there is an important difference between the two. The vocals also sound very seperate from the instrumental tracks for some reason to me, I'm not sure how this could be fixed but I'm sure through experimentation a solution could be found.

However, overall a very good song. I wish you the best.

Bad-Man-Incorporated responds:

Thanks for the tips. I'm aware of how to build transitions to chorus etc. This song just has a mellower transition. Mainly on purpose.

On the vocals, I am a vocalist per se. This whole album for the most part is an experiment in mixing styles of music and vocals. This particular song has the feel I wanted, and since I am the musician and vocalist... I'm happy with it. Browse around my other album and non album songs submitted this year. I'd love your input.

As it goes, I'm not charging anything for an "album". The release is free...and it is what it is. If people don't like it, I don't really care about their reasons. Someone else said they wouldn't pay for it. Cool, they don't have to. I'm pretty awesome that way.

Thanks again for the review.

[L'angoisse Romantique III.]

Superior

A fantastic piece, but I'm sure you already know that.
It is very soothing a calm, yet at the same time emotional, and maybe a tad melancholy. I cant quite put it to words. Music does express the unexpressable they say.
Anyway, as a I have said I enjoyed it and can't wait to hear more.
I thought this sounded live as well. Mind telling me what you used to compose this? Thanks.

Winterwind-NS responds:

mix of Edirol Orchestral and Garritan's Personal Orchestra
I don't have the "good" stuff, but I make do with what I have

thanks for the kind words

[Sy(X) - Skyline]

Good job.

You did a good job on this piece, it is much less repetitive than Midnight.
My suggestion this time involves the drums, which are repetitive. The beat is pretty much the same the entire time, which can really bring a piece down when you're trying to build a climax. You use the drum beat as a transition between parts within piece, which is good. But if you're going to do that makes sure it's epic. For example, around 2:06 where the piece builds back up. You could do more with the drum beat there to provide a better transition. Over all, shake up the drum beat a bit more; the slightest nuances go a long way in making an excellent piece. Otherwise, great job.

Sycross responds:

Hey, thanks for the comments! Unfortunately, I didn't read this review until after I made the final cut for my upcoming album. However, I have significantly altered the entire song and the new version is featured on my new web page: http://sycrossmusic.com/

Please check it out and let me know what you think of the new version!

[Sy(X) - Midnight]

Excellent Work Once More

You have done a great job with this piece. I truly enjoy the melody. It does, however, become a bit repetitive at times. It seems to be repeated throughout the entire song, or at least a majority of it. You change the voices that play it, but it essentially stays the same from what I hear. Repitition is not always a bad thing, it allows the listener to take in fully what is occuring what is going on within the piece, but too much could make it take a turn for the worse. My advice on any upcoming pieces is to make more variations on the melody within the piece, and bring out and further develop any counter melodies as well. Overall you did a great job and made a wonderful piece.

Sycross responds:

Hey, sorry I didn't respond to this earlier.

Thanks for your comments, I always appreciate them. My goal in writing this song was to see if I could develop a theme into a full-length song, and that's probably why it may be a little repetitive.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

~Sycross

[Seven Years to Come - Sy(X)]

Awesome

I truly enjoyed this piece, and I am suprised it hasn't gotten more reviews. It's weird returning to newgrounds and seeing how far you're music has progressed (I had reviewed your "When the Fighting Stops" a few months back).

Anyway, I see what you're saying with the ending, when the piece starts it does not leave one to expect it would end in the way it did. Still though, the ending is fine and you do not really have to change it. It seems to provide just the right closure for the song.
What I think could be worked on a little in this song is building it up to more of a climax leading up to the ending, the piece is brilliant but to me it never seems to really go somewhere. I think if you add a bit more tension in the middle and bring it back down to the ending that would have made it even better. Overall, the piece was soothing and I really liked it.

I'm going to go listen to some more of your songs, good work.

Sycross responds:

Thanks! I appreciate the review! I was very surprised to find the scores of most of my songs improve, and I assume that you are the cause.

If I ever decide to revise the song, I will be sure to take your suggestions into account.

Thanks,
Sycross

[I Think I Just Fell]

Enjoyable

I quite liked it. Some things however did not seem to fit with what was going on. It seems like the fast notes came out of nowhere at some points and interrupted the flow. Thats really the only thing I'd suggest working on.
I think this would sound even better with other instruments backing it, brass especially, in order build up a climax in the song.

metallicx66 responds:

It was a project in my Theory class, my teacher wouldn't let me haha. I still got an A lol

[MAC8 - When the Fighting Stops]

An Incredible Piece of Work

Melancholy anger is what I would say is the main theme in the song, which while it is not a common combination was brillianly executed and well expressed throughout the song. I enjoyed this and could definately invision it as a score for a movie. One where both sides face almost iminate failure and are willing to fight to the death until "Nothing is Left".
I feel as though the sorrowful part in the middle of the piece could have gone on a little longer, to further exaggerate the fact that while this piece is incredibly intense it is also expressing a feeling of sorrow. Then again maybe that's just because I tend to enjoy alot of really sorrowful pieces. Don't get me wrong here, the feeling of sorrow is definately present here, I'm just saying it may have helped to further communicate that feeling to the listener. The transition back into the main, intense, theme was brilliantly done and I can really appreciate that because transitions between ideas in songs is often the most difficult part of composing for me. I enjoyed the guitar part immensely, and it supplied a good way to help build the piece into what it was. It did seem like it might have been missing a little something in a spot or two, but as I am not entirely sure exactly what it was. Which is good as that means it may be something minute, and anyway the piece did well without it. One thing I think might have been better is if you had added a little more variation, but it might just seem that way because the main idea is so intense and present. Overall it is a brilliant piece, and I have trouble finding critiques in it. It was incredibly well done. What did you use to compose this? This piece is inspiring me to compose on a grander scale for various instruments.

Sycross responds:

Thanks a lot for the review! Originally, the sad part in the middle was much longer, but I ended up cutting it down. I really wasn't sure how long I wanted the sad part to be, and I was mostly focusing on making sure they weren't too long... I may have to fix the lengths up when I make my adapted version (for live instruments). I also enjoy extremely sad songs, but I love epic songs too... so I mixed 'em together. Thanks for your comments about the transitions, I spent a LOT of time revising them, making sure it to sounded exactly the way I wanted it to.

Variation has always been one of my weak points, and I tried to vary this piece a little more than most of my pieces. I am still working towards creating truly dynamic pieces, though.

I also felt that something was definitely missing during parts, especially the first climax.... but as this was for the MAC8 and I started writing this 2 days before the contest, I was pressured for time, and just needed to get the song uploaded. Again, something to fix for the adaptation.

About the guitar part...... Uh... I didn't add guitar in this, lol, but it may have just been a crappy synth of something else that sounded like a guitar... :/ Glad you liked whatever the instrument part was though.

To compose this I used Sony ACID 6.0, with the Miroslav Philharmonik VST collection. I would definitely recommend composing orchestral pieces. Athough charting out notes on a computer screen for multiple tracks (I think I used 12 in this song) can be extremely tiring and frustrating, I always feel the end result is worth it....

Not to say I don't enjoy a simple piano piece, I love those also. I find them to be more expressive (since they are often the only music which is actually recorded on Newgrounds), and I would record me playing piano, but my piano at home is unfortunately extremely out of tune... :/

Thanks again. It feels good knowing I've inspired someone! :)

~Sycross

P.S. I'm glad you understood what I meant with the quote I put in the song's comments.

[Serenade of Storm (DEMO)]

Cool

Its sounds absolutely astounding. If this is simply the start, then I can't wait to hear it in it's full form. I wish I had the ability to write a piece of this caliber in such a short span of time, I am currently trying to write a piano piece I have been working on for about a week at least, and I'm stuck on what direction the peice is going and where to go from here. Anyway, brilliant work once again and I'm looking forward to the rest.

BlazingDragon responds:

Once I start, it just begins to flow out like crazy. Unfortunately, I get burnt out fast and end up with a thousand 45 second songs. >.<

I've gotten to the point where I am FORCED to compose quickly, because the FL Studio Demo I have does not allow me to save. So I have to do everything in one sitting, without exiting the program and restarting the computer, and hoping that nothing freezes midsong. O_0...

Thank you for the review. Really! :D
~Blaze

[Tears of Remorse]

Tearful Indeed

What an amazing song. I can certainly tell you put your soul into it.
An image definately popped into my head with this one. A man, walking alone on a path. The forest he walks through is not that of trees, but of buildings. He is looking at the world around him as he walks, a solemn xpression on his face. He sees children playing, couples holding hands, a women feeding the birds. Such happiness has left him. He walks on. The sun starts to set. The sorrow that grips him is not a simple sadness, that fades with a smile. Rather, an intricate web of emotion, that has left him where he is today. As he watches the sunset, the scene fades.
Inspiration often strikes unexpectedly, I know it has for me, I wish it would grace me with a song like this. This is a truly amazing piece of work that encompasses sorrow in a way I don't think I've heard before. Your pieces are some of my favorite, and this one didn't dissapoint. Keep up the good work.

BlazingDragon responds:

I love the imagery you've set up. It is very poetic. Your short story here has inspired me, and for that I thank you.

I've found that if you always wait for inspiration to come, you'll end up with very little musical output. Sometimes, you've just got to say, "I don't care how I feel, I'm going to compose!" The song may end up sounded terrible, but you'll at least gain a bit more experience. If you force yourself to get started, inspiration will often present itself oddly enough. You've just got to stick with it and keep the music coming!

Thank you for the review sir. :)
~Blaze

[A Dream Deferred]

Brilliant

This peice perfectly accomplishes what you set out to do. It is very heartfelt and clearly shows your friend means alot to you. I especially enjoyed the ending. Around 2:35 I can see someone just dwindling calmly in space not entirely sure where they are going. At 3:36 it begins to seem as if the person is running, running away from their past. And then it ends somewhat peacefully. This piece has alot of emotion in it and it was well done.
Was this actually you playing? If so how did you go about recording it, I am in need of advice on how to go about recording. You know, what materials to use and what not. Any advice would be appreciated.

brujeria responds:

I used my guitar to compose the song since I don't actually own a piano, so I then used guitar pro to tab out my song added a few things here, edited a few pieces there, then I tweaked with its dynamics, reverb, chorus, phase then I saved it as a MIDI then had it converted to an mp3, I'm still kinda new to recording too, I'm one of those starving students who can barely pay for his tuition so I'm saving up to buy equipment and programs so i can finally record with real instruments, I have played piano before so i know what can and cant be done on it, piano was the first instrument i ever learned how to play.