SFaPiL2's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Eternity Remixed]

Nice ideas

Nice intro. Those panning sounds are great at making me get immersed in what's to come. Unfortunately, the bass doesn't seem to be precise in the execution, which is hurting the overall song a bit. In terms of richness of tone, on the other hand, it's making the song full and enveloping.

0:19 that off-beat slicing of the bass in some parts didn't really work for me. Overall the music is good, don't get me wrong, but this off-beat takes some of my attention away (in a bad way). I might be the only one, though, so don't take me too seriously.

1:23: odd cross-fade transition that didn't seem to tie well with the previous groove.

This other version, however, is VERY chill and laid-back, btw (which I really like... nice). It feels very intimate and something you'd hear in a dimmed place with some good friends and a pint of beer. Those trippy pads just make this just great. My only complaint might be to be more careful with the mixing... those pads seem to be suffocating the other instruments for a very brief moment (easier said than done, I know, but I'm just pointing it out).

Very nice ideas you've got, dude. Keep on grooving :)

RunningShadows responds:

Thanks, the little intro panned strumming guitar parts is actually one of the most complex parts. I for one LOVE the syncopated bass line, however I can understand it falling flat for some listeners. I agree, the transition was troublesome for me... but it was worse before lol.

Thanks again for the review and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[SSJ3 - Consumed by War]

well... damn...

Very nice beginning. I'm actually liking this alot.

1:45 - 2:39 => a bit repetitive and dull. The voice is VERY synthetically stretched, kind of ruining the whole feel of authenticity I had before.

2:40 - 3:14 => pretty much like the part before, making this repetitive.

3:15 => I'm starting to lose grasp of where you're intending to go, melodically speaking. I got sort of bored here onward.

In conclusion:
It had VERY good potential during the beginning, but then everything went crashing down little by little. A real shame, really.

I'll give you top marks for the structure used for the percussions. Bravo. I wish I were this good. Really really well done... but blended with the rest, however, a 7/10 is all I can give you. Sorry.

Shiverwar responds:

Ah, no worries. I knew this one wasn't my best either. I don't mind you giving me a 7/10, because I look for honesty, not constant praise, and honesty is exactly what I get from you. Thanks for your review.

[A Hero's Last Stand 320KBPS]

Nice

You're getting close to some epic metal here.

I seem to be noticing that there are certain melodic progressions that you tend to repeat throughout your songs.

Anyway, overall nice drum pattern and guitar+bass sound. The structure is good.

Shiverwar responds:

I thank you for your review. :D

[SSJ3 - Mental Trance RMX '11]

Needs more layers

The beginning is boring.

A pad is necessary throughout the song to give it depth.

The drum beat was interesting at a particular point, but then it just stayed exactly the same (or close) all throughout.

Another melody blending with the already existing one that you're constantly repeating.

More structure is needed. This is actually the first song I hear from you that is very simple in its structure.

Shiverwar responds:

Ha, I expected this to be an adequately scored review. But yeah, I didn't exactly do much to try on this one either. As I've stated before, I've been under a lot of stress and pressure, adjusting to a new place, being away from my loved ones. Kind of hard to deal with, y'know? I'm trying as hard as I can, though, and I appreciate your words.

[SSJ3 - Final Fantasy Victory]

It's missing layers

It sounds empty in some bits and slowish.

Considering that this should be a victory song it kind of drags, don't you think?

Those bright brass instruments you used in your other compositions should actually fit in this song. Now that I think about it, you could place some brass staccatos in the very beginning. That should give a great "POW! WE WON" feel.

Anyway, yeah, this victory songs needs to be a little more energetic... for now it seems to be falling asleep.

Shiverwar responds:

I didn't really take this one too seriously, to be honest. I just did it because I was terribly bored. But thanks for your words!

[SSJ3 - J-E-N-O-V-A '11]

Strange blend of emotions

I like the groove. It's odd however, because it gives me this sense of suspense but with a blend of happy/jumpiness which doesn't really make sense, thus making me emotionally confused (haha, I should get myself visited by a psychiatrist ^_^).

0:40 - strange trumpet staccato. It sounded like some mambo was going to randomly come up next (Oh Chihuahua, anyone?)

Now things start getting more like the original with a "mysterious confrontation" kind of sound, but that tambourine is honestly getting on my nerves. It sounds too loud.

2:12- the trumpets are okayish, but perhaps too bright. This isn't your fault, really... as I said before, it's hard to get nice sounding brass instruments in plugin form.

2:39 - I really like the way you developed the flute. Really soothing and that tambourine fits VERY well in there. This part is awesome. It has some hints of the original, but it's totally different in terms of mood, which makes this an interesting section of the remix, imo.

3:15 - not much to add here. It's pretty much the same stuff as before. Odd ending.

In conclusion, it's hard to explain. I'm actually liking the tambourine, but it doesn't seem to fit all the time and it seems to stick out too much, almost distracting you from the rest. Plus, I think I understood what was "standing out" so much in the general feel of your song. The timbre of the instruments you chose seemed too happy. They don't seem to fit with the general minor key of the song.

Anyway, nice job at managing to grasp the "overall" feel of the song. I tend to suck at imitating original soundtracks so I tend to stick with my ideas (which don't sound nearly as structurally polished as yours), so good job once more. Just be careful with the overall feel.

Shiverwar responds:

I actually tried to follow as closely as I could to the Black Mages' version of this song, but it's hard to get it right. I know where you're coming from, and I thank you for your review. And yeah, I've been under a lot of stress lately so it's REALLY gotten to me. Anyways, I'll keep your words in mind!

[SSJ3 - Encounter MGS4 Ver.]

Hmm...

This one's hard. I haven't actually played MGS games since (a) I don't own a Playstation and (b) I am not intending on buying it, but I still know this song well and, unfortunately, it has a damaging effect on this song.

I mean, yes, you copied the song pretty well, but it doesn't manage to give the same amount of anxiety and adrenaline-rush that the original has.

I've noticed that your song is missing the "beating" bass that goes along with that plucking sound you have in yours.

I'm amazed how much a different percussion choice can have an impact on the feel. That's what you did. Plus, you added that overhead sound that was too loud (and also not following the same pattern as anything in the original - I'm listening to the one on youtube...)

There was no brass section. Very crucial to that epic/dramatic feel

I believe all three of these aspects:
- missing bass
- different drum pattern (more like, "different overhead pattern" to be more exact)
- no brass section

made this song unlike the original by a fair shot. Nice try, but it's missing the essence.

I actually thank you for this song. You made me understand how incredibly crucial certain elements are to the whole.

Shiverwar responds:

Well, even though some things aren't what I'd like to hear, I'm glad you're so honest about it all. I appreciate your opinions. And yeah, it's not perfect, but I tried my best with this. But with your words, I kinda expected a lower score, to be truly honest.

[Endless Confrontation Revisit]

Interesting

The structure of the song is very polished. I admire the whole evolution of it and the balance was ok. Not the best I've heard from you, but still good.

Here's my section-by-section opinion:

start-1:30 - That hammond organ seems out of place, imo. It just seems to completely remove the dramatic feel.

1:27 - The violin staccatos are too slow and seem to drag a bit. Either you lower their attack or shift them a bit sooner in time so that the attack will reach its peak sooner and sound sharper.

2:02 - The bass in this particular piece seems less sharp, which is a shame because it contributes in "dragging" the sharp staccatos of the choir, and violin. The drum pattern is polished and helps maintain "precision".

2:56 - The brass instrument is not very convincing (which is pretty normal since there are few good plugins, which cost a shit-load too, that manage to emulate a good brass). I might even dare say that it gets really annoying during the high notes. There's little you can do there: either change brass sample or find something that emulates it without the distorted highs that make it sound like a detuned instrument.

3:24 - very slick transition. My lacking knowledge in musical theory would've trapped me in the previous melody for all eternity, so this was just a great transition for me.

During 4:45 I believe that the piano is getting over-powered by the rest of the song. Some mixing is required. The bass is simply drowning it. However, I like the harp in there (I appreciate its subtleness).

5:13 - Here comes your trade-mark badass distorded guitar and bass duo again. It sound good and I'm digging that almost mid-oriental string 5:43. Very nice and original. (the hammond organ doesn't disturb me as much as before. Probably because it isn't the primary instrument in there)

5:55 - I didn't really like the strange transition of the melody into something almost irish-like.

6:22 - I understood that you were making a melody transition, but I didn't really like the path you took. It felt odd.

7:03 - end : Sort of bland and repetitive. I

I have to hand it to you. I heard the entire 7:51 minutes. That is a damn long track and you managed to give it an impressive amount of variation. I can barely imagine the work behind it, seriously.

It truly hurts me to give you an 8/10, but I'm basing it on some segments that were unpleasant, one segment that had a mixing "mistake" (the overpowered bass in the harp section) and some repetitive sections (not really a fault if this is supposed to be a game's soundtrack, am I right?).

Nice job overall and keep up the good work.

Shiverwar responds:

Well, you certainly have a way with words, don'tcha? Yeah, I understand that this may not be the best in the world, and no, it is not a game's soundtrack. I just put it under that genre because it sounds like it belongs there. Anyways, yeah, I understand where you're coming from. And I thank you for your honest review.

[SSJ3 - Theme of Solid Snake]

Good balance

Again, you show balance in what you make. Nothing is excessively over-powered. The basses are very rich but not muddy. Very good.

during the start-1:19 a build-up of some sorts would be good. An extra layer of "decorative" melodies that might give this section a sense of dynamism; never truly repeating itself.

When the choir fades-in it's a welcoming touch. It makes me lose attention to the repetitive melody.

The drum transition is great, but the actual drum pattern later on is a very simple drum+snare.

Again, as I said before, the bass and guitar are well balanced and give the song character.

I'd give it a 9.5 due to the drums, which averages to 10. Nice job once more.

Shiverwar responds:

Ha, thanks, man! I always like to listen to your reviews, they give a lot of good points whenever there's something that can be improved.

[SSJ3 - A Hero's Last Stand]

XayberOptics said it best

It's lacking a distinct melody. Perhaps something in the highs that takes all or most of the listener's attention (1:44-2:22 is an example of such a high-pitched melody, but it didn't work too well for me).

There's too much tamburine before the 2:52 mark. Either lower the volume to make it more subtle or make some variation through automations to make it less constant.

What I'm listening to now up until 3:44 is sounding too repetitive. As a listener I'm getting kind of tired of it.

Nice conclusion (with a little too much drum before it, making this sort of "chopper" effect that didn't really work out too well for me)

Overall a very balanced work (with the best part at around 0:55-1:20, where you showed the "personality" of your track), but it needs more personality and variation.

Nice job, nonetheless.

Shiverwar responds:

Did you give the remastered version a shot? I released it after this one and the horns in it were actually provided to me by XayberOptix. So give that one a listen and see what you make of it. :D Thanks for the review!