MaestroSegments's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[KoT - Lord of Storm and War]

Neat

Hello Killer_Of_Trolls.

Lets begin our review by analysing mood and atmosphere of the song.

It has a dark atmosphere, no doubt, a very neat powerful feeling.

I really like the build up first 30 seconds, and then the brutal brass comes in. It stops a little randomly though, however those bass drums with those bells worked little miracles in on itself, I really liked that part.

I could also make out some cello's going on during that time, I think they should have been a tad louder.

That harp and cello(?) near the end was also pretty effective in the story it tells.

I like the ending with the bells, nice!

I'd like you to listen to my work, I would like your feedback, you are one of the better composers that i've seen around here. Thank you ^^.

Great stuff Killer_of_Trolls, keep them coming.

Slayer-of-trolls responds:

Thanks for the review soulstrings

[Tority (MTech)]

Damn nice

Hello JamesMillen.

Lets begin our review with mood and analysis of atmosphere.

You're song is quite misleading JamesMillen, starting off like that, and then so fully jumping into the circus scene.

The beginning part made me think of a great wall scene. A soldier looking over the forest littered scene from atop a great wall, squinting against the light. And then he see's a circus!

yay!

The instruments were all good quality, and you managed to do good with those trumpets. I've been looking to find realistic trumpets, ones like this.

You did something I wouldn't really expect in a circus song, at 1:45 the song gets a bit darker then I would have expected, great flute trilling there.

I found the percussional aspects a little bland though, I think it could have used a base kick every once in a while, and just mixed up a tad more.

If I could ask you to review my work I would really like to hear what you have to say about it. Thank you.

Good stuff though, definatlely one of the better pieces here on Newgrounds. 5/5 from me JamesMillen, keep them coming ^^.

JamesMillen responds:

Thank you for your kind review. It's funny, this is the only place that Tority ever gets any attention, usually it's Smile all the way!

So...ok the whole focus of this song was to have a series of juxtapositions, to keep it exciting since I feared it had the possibility to get dull.

The trumpet, well you're right it's really hard to find a good trumpet sound. So I relied on the fact I know what a trumpet sounded like and used effects and automation until it did sound right.

The percussion...well I was pleased with it. However, I accept your point about the bass kick. Annoyingly it does have a bass kick in it. But for technical reasons it overloaded and would never play loud. i had the same problem with Waltzitzer.

I will check your stuff now!

[One Last Goodbye V.2]

Gentle, swaying...

Hello DJ_Dinero.

Lets begin our review with analysis of mood and atmosphere it gives me.

Well how to say sad piano? You've done it quite nicely with this piece. A simple, yet effective melody, and one that is constantly changing. I get a very sad story, as your name would suggest, a gentle, serene goodbye. Forever? Maybe, at 1:04 the melody changes a bit to a more hopeful one. It may be goodbye, but damnit its not the end of the world!

Now lets talk a bit about instruments and melody.

I know this was meant to be a solo piano piece, but god help me, i'm incompetent when it comes to solo instrument compositions, i'm always thinking "add more!" and this will probably one day be my undoing >:(.

Stupid me. Anyways, here's a few suggestions, of course none you have to take, but here they are anyways.

I feel if you added a flute and gentle violin to sing with the piano, it would make the song so much sadder, perhaps a low cello as well? Some ghost bells would add a really sad tone as well.

1:43 is a really sad part. I thought that part was a bit more special then the rest of the song. Not sure why, I just enjoyed it more.

Very good piano skills you have going on here Dinero, good stuff.

Of course at the end of the day Dinero, you are the creator, and I the mere suggestor ;).

If I could ask you to listen to my song, I would thank you.

5/5 from me Dinero. Keep them coming.

snazzypadgett responds:

Hey SoulStrings, it's been a while since my last review! Thanks a lot for such a great one! (I guess I should write something new soon ^_^).

So, you suggested I add in some accompanying instruments. Oddly enough, I've been working with my piano teacher (more like "music teacher" nowadays) on my computer with Reason 3, on this song, and he's teaching me to elaborately build an orchestral piece from the ground up. So I've actually got a pretty cool orchestral version of this that's nearly done. But I don't know if I should submit it...I'm selfconscious that it'll be too sloppy and cheapy :(

Thank you so much for your kind words and your helpful suggestions, I really do consider them seriously! I'll hit you back, I promise!

[Awake, Bosanian (Required]

Neat

Hello Bosa.

I know you said I should have surround sound to hear this, I don't however, and so I will not discuss distortion with you, I realize this is on my end. Though in reality it would be a good iea to make a stereo version.

Lets talk about melody shall we?

You begin the song with a neat and simple flute melody. I like the direction you went with the melody of that flute, quite sad.

When you brought in the choirs it became quite interesting. Are those Papalmedia choirs? Sounds familiar.

I think there is a cello somewhere in the background when you drop out the choir and flute, but I couldn't hear it right, the kicks were too overpowering. Again probably because I listen to the track through earphones.

You know what I'm thinking though Bosa? I'm thinking what this track would sound like if you had a harp in there, perhaps a violin to support and play along with the flute. The air you give us with this song is a hopeful yet sad piece. I assume by Bosa's end, you meant your old style of playing, you killed it off. With this new Bosa, you are celebrating your new style, yet grieving for the Bosa that helped you get where you are today.

A neat track. It's not as diverse as I would like it, but overal a good piece.

I would like your opinion on my song if you could.

4/5 from me Bosa. Keep them coming ^^.

Bosa responds:

You are exactly right. You are a very understanding, and knowledgeable person. I'm sure headphones help you pick out things from the music alot easier. Anyways, I think I'll take your advice and tone it down a bit. I might just add a a calming piece with a harp involved. Don't know yet until I start working on it.

ßosa, the New Revolution

[§Arbiter§ - Dark Winds]

Awesome

You seem to really like the percussional aspects _Arbiter_, and I love you for making them. I love the percussional set up in both songs.

This song starts off with epic strings, right away i'm in my seat holding my battle axe to any who would dare venture near me.

Many lives will be lost today >:(

I must say I love the brass you introduce in this piece. The swelling horns, really, I have little words to describe it, oh wait, yes I do, here they is!

Those brass instruments work effectively because they don't need the emphasis of any other instruments! I feel they have more power by themselves because you are tapping into the very center of their power. It quite hard to explain really, I hope you understand what i'm trying to say.

Enough with that. Lets get on with the rest of the song. Again I feel the choirs were a tad bland. I would have liked to see more from that department.

I wonder, to myself mostly though, what this song would be like if a few strange twists were added. I realize these next few suggestions would alter the core of the song, but still I am curious, how would this song sound like with an arpeggiated harp, strumming a constant melody, perhaps supporting the percussional stuff?1!11Shift+1. Yes indeed, strange thought. Just thought i'd throw it out there.

The flute part was a tad bit too random for me, yet it was well done. Strange, a little off for me, but never the less like everything else here well produced.

Thats all from me for now _Arbiter_ keep them coming ^^.

[§Arbiter§ - Arise of Loth]

Incredible!

Hello _Arbiter_ I see you are a new comer to the portal like myself. I hope you won't take TOO much of the spotlight now, leave the other people some light ;).

Anyways onto the review.

I think this song can be cut up into 3 segments, the intro, the sad middle, and then of course, our finale.

My first comment goes to those low contrabass spiccato's you have stabbing away at the very beginning with the determined, yet simple percussional beat. That sole tremelo strings was a good way to introduce the song.

When 0:15 comes in, you introduce the choir to us. Now I love choirs, choirs and bells are my fetish. I can't live without them, and yet people seem to be able to do the same... crazy people.

Anyways, I feel the choir, though effective in its own style, was a tad bland. I would have preferred to hear a countermelody choir on top of that, perhaps in another octave, depicting both sides of war. The fear, the bold determination, and above all that, the firey rage.

No at 0:35 you bring in those chords. Oh those glorious chords. I found them very moving, so alone, and yet it was the fact they were so alone that gave them that power. That power of loss, of hesitance. Those slowed, drums really gives the thought of powerless struggle, as if they were thrown into a fight they could not escape. Effective.

My only thoughts concerning this segment, is perhaps joining those chords with an equally lonely instrument. I feel the addition of a high octaved flute, gently weaving itself with those chords (or just really using the prime notes of those chords), may have furthar pushed that feeling.

Leaving that behind, lets talk a bit about after wards. 1:04 you bring in some crazy epic strings. This is the very soul of the piece, I absolutely adored it, and wish you had extended that part. maybe loop it again and add in a French Horn section? I just think the French Horns and Epic strings go together very well.

I love the percussional work, now I felt that the percussonal works with those clangy metal hits made it feel like a very industrial feel. As if Lothian was a kingdom, a very powerful kingdom, preparing for some really rightous ass whoopage.

Whoo, long review. I hope you find some of this helpful, or at least amusing ^^.

With all that said. 5/5 from me _Arbiter_, keep them coming.

Arbiter responds:

I'm indeed new, and you seem to be doing rather well yourself compared to alot of other artists, but let's see the rest of your review.

The tremolo was actually meant as a builder of tension at the beginning, only to be "Overpowered" by the percussionals, drawing the attention to that.

0:35, Alot of work put into those strings. I hope that the rest of the people liked them.

1:04; I introduced the C-Minor and the F-Minor (Inversed). (I think that was what I used)
They were there to create a certain "drive", and I see your points of the choir, and respect them.
But I felt that it's simplicity was actually something required to keep alot of the feel of that moment.

I only like the "clangy metal hits" at the end.

Thanks for your review, this took time to write, so I can understand your time was much put into this.
All comments apprieciated, this one above alot of others.

With best of Wishes, Chris.