Rabid-Animals's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Raider Cave (Epilogue)]

Intense!

Jungle drums. I feel like there's something sneaking up that the audience knows about but whomever is on screen doesn't. Some very strong imagery works with this song. I'd absolutely love to see it used in something like "Turok."

As intense as the song is, at that ~1:53 mark, I like how the song lets up just a bit to make it hit harder. Again, this would absolutely make the scene it was in, if placed in a thriller.

I think the song goes on for a little bit too long, however. If you had to cut anywhere, I'd suggest that it be from the middle. There seems to be just the tiniest bit of extraneous repetition to trim. Other than that, you've got something that sounds absolutely cinematic. I can even picture (or whatever the proper term is for "imagining a listening experience") in something like "Avatar." Good stuff.

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F4LL0UT responds:

Thank you very much. Personally I thought more of a tribal than jungle theme but maybe you're right. Actually the idea with a thriller is funny because I had a similar thought myself. And yeah, it's quite possible that it's a bit too long, on the other hand it's background music and I think that an extra load of subtle variation is actually a nice thing. :)

[Scrap X Village]

Slogging.

You had me in kind of a drone until 1:10. What was that? The whole song breaks down into a cacophony of warbling effects and odd vocals. I enjoyed the swampy darkness the song had going on up until that point, but that break was entirely distracting and mood killing.

That's the major point of this song for me. Where you could have included a major drop or pick-up (assuming the song was extended a little bit) there was an incredibly odd, unexpected choice. The song kind of dies there. It's not nearly as bad as it sounds, but what I was enjoying about the song kind of dissolved at that point.

I think you have two separate songs, a great loop from 0:00-1:09, and an experimental piece after that. Both would be able to stand very well on their own, but together it's like having conjoined twins fight each other.

You do score some points for the technical ability in the song. It loops seamlessly, which is funny because I don't think it was intended as a loop. Explore your raw material and create some other projects out of it, and you'll eventually find a winner. Maybe consider a mix that's sped up a little bit.

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DXsamurai responds:

thanks for th review. i wasn't sure where or not to put them together. now i know.

[For Ryan]

I can't even imagine...

I'm reluctant to give you less than a 10, simply because there's so much emotion conveyed in this song. It takes a real artist to do that, and a lot of bravery to put the piece out there. I'm sorry you had to make this song, but I hope it helps you get a little peace in such a terrible time.

What you ended up with is a very classy song. My throat felt a little tight at lines like "I'm depressed every day/ but I wish you could come back/ just to see another day." It's rough, and you wrote some beautiful lyrics about such a tragedy. Some of the lyrics read a little too simply, but I can understand that they hold greater meaning to you, and in that, the listeners can easily empathize.

The audio quality of the rapping wasn't the greatest, so I think it's your gear. If you want to upgrade, go for it; if not, save the money. I really have no need to tell you to improve the audio quality, because I hope deeply that you never have to record something in this capacity again.

The sound otherwise was crisp and tasteful. That backing beat kept an adequate pace for the song so it didn't drag on at all. You seemed to hit a happy medium with the time; it managed to tell all it needed to say without turning into a speech.

This song means more to you, your friends, and family than it ever will to us reviewers. That being said, it pains me that a member of the Newgrounds community had to go through what you did. What you did here was altruistic and classy. I really thought the piano in the background kept the beat respectful. As music, this isn't something I'd listen to over and over, but it's invaluable as a piece of a human's soul.

Again, I'm sorry for your loss.

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Luke responds:

Thanks for the review, working on getting a job right now full time and I will then by much better equipment hopefully.
I'm glad you enjoyed it for what it is.

[.:Right off the top:.]

Jazz MIDI Retro? I can't describe it.

At first, I was a bit confused by the song. The instrumentation was interesting, but not the most pleasing mix. I found the brass to be a little too noticeable; rather than being a compliment, it could come off as overbearing. However, something needs to carry the tune, so it got the job done.

The percussion was a high point. It kept the song going, and the mix of instruments lent itself to the composition quite nicely. I think I heard a woodblock, and if I did, it was an excellent choice.

My biggest complaint is that the song doesn't loop properly. When it plays over and over, there is an incredibly noticeable fall back to the beginning. I'm not sure what you can do about it, but it really kills the potential the song had for something to be listened to for minutes at a time. I still enjoyed listening to the loop, though.

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camoshark responds:

Thanks for the review!

-It's actually reggae, thought it may be hard to say because of the MIDI sounds...

-The brass don't seem too loud for me, then again maybe that's because I'm a brass player myself!

-You did indeed here some woodblock, nice ear!

-I know about the looping problems, I don't like it either, but I didn't want to chenge it or make it longer, so I left it so...

Thanks anyways, glad you still enjoyed though!

Cheers

[Glitch-Nerd Like Me]

Nerds have rhythm? Who knew?

Clever. I might be a nerd like you, then again I might not, but I can really appreciate where you're coming from. It's funny that you managed to explore a subculture so eloquently in a 3 1/2 minute song. There's so much brilliant material in the nerd culture; take a listen to "White and Nerdy" or anything by MC Lars.

I dug the funky beat of the song. I didn't realize I was bobbing my head until about two minutes into the song. Somehow, the beat infiltrated my brain and told me to chill out-- I obliged. You've got a relaxed, easygoing vocal style, which makes repeated listens a treat. I didn't hear any slip ups, nor did I hear any microphone-related disturbances; you've got serious record-deal talent on your hands, as it's blindingly obvious that you care about the quality of your songs.

You did a great job keeping this relevant and approachable. The references you used will stand in the future, adding a nostalgic quality to the song; for now, it just makes you seem like my buddy.

I've got absolutely no qualms with this song; your backing track was brilliant, and the rapping was superb. Polish really makes itself evident in this track, as the whole thing is crisp and a lot of fun to listen to. I look forward to more releases in this vein. It's that creativity that earned you a 10.

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glitchs2d responds:

Thanks for the great review. I listen to MC FrontAlot, Deltron 3030, and MC Lars. I really like the whole nerd culture that I am part of in alot of ways. Even though im not as nerdy as half of the nerdcore rappers but I believe that I am nerdy enough to fit in with them and still cool enough to appeal to the average hip-hop fan. The whole goal was to make being a nerd seem cool to the average person and hope every person could relate to what I was saying becasue we all have a little nerd in us.

[Thank Our God Cornet/Trumpet]

Messy.

I'd like to hear a natural recording with no filters. The odd sound that carried through this whole piece was very distracting and took a lot away from an otherwise pleasant piece.

Technically, you didn't do a lot wrong. Your notes sounded crisp where they needed to be, and mournful and held in other spots. That contrast worked nicely to diversify the sound of the piece, making it sound a little bit more intelligent.

Again, I'm really not sure what's going on with the actual sound of the song. It just sounds flat and unnatural. I think what you need to to is take a couple records of an arpeggiated chord or scale in different settings. Then, find the one that sounds best. After that, apply whatever filters you think you need, but do so sparingly. Some of those natural environmental errors add a warmth to music. This method will give you the cleanest sound possible.

Recording's your main enemy. If you tackle that, you'll be making music deserving of at least a 3.75 or above!

AccountableMasses responds:

okay thanks...

[Silent Night Alto Sax Solo]

Needs refining.

This isn't a bad composition, but it is very rough. I'll take it apart step by step.

0:05-07 does not flow correctly. The notes a a bit too staccato, whereas they should be tied.
0:10-12 sounds kind of odd. Did you apply some kind of filter or something?
0:25 sounds a little flat.
0:30-31 has a bit of a rest that puts an unnatural break in the song.
0:33 doesn't sound like it flows right. It's a bit too choppy for the outro.
0:35- do I hear harmonica? It sounds kind of cool, but it's also unexpected.

I noticed you said that you added echo. I think this song calls for a more solemn, lonely type of execution. Just the sax by itself would create a better mood.

Your sax sounds pretty decent. I played clarinet for three years, so trust me when I can sympathize with a fellow woodwind player. Keeping a sax in tune is not easy, and I give you a lot of credit for maintaining that. However, I think you need to work on your breathing a little bit. When I used to play more, I would breathe in for as long as I could, then exhale for close to twice as long. Notes tend to sound more wholesome when you've got that skill down.

You've got the talent, and with a little more practice, you could have this piece down at a professional level. Keep at it!

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AccountableMasses responds:

thanks.
had to put alot of noise filters to this due to recording/noise issues.

It's an alto saxophone all the way... no other instruments were involved in recording this. Didn't really play it as it was written in the sheet music, more like got into it and played it that way. Added some echo to it to fill it in a bit. and did a lot of jaw/throat vibrato.

As for other comment, thanks,
I've been only playing saxophone about a year, (cornet/trumpet a bit longer) and been practice almost everyday (that or a clarinet) since then.

[Rhythmic Serialist Loop]

Where can I get a Pina Colada out here?

Ah, relaxation. I'm picturing bamboo or wicker chairs, fans outside, surrounded by the ocean, swimming people, bright white towels, and a cloudless, sunny sky. I can feel myself stretching out on my chair on that island, letting time go by, enjoying the sun, the atmosphere, the lack of stress.

If it's not obvious, this would work splendidly as a track for something like "Vacation Sim" or Animal Crossing. It screams a motto like: "Not a care in the world, just have fun." I can't criticize you for repetition, nor can I dock you for a light amount of instrumentation, simply because I enjoyed the track so much. It went straight to my favorites and I gave it a five.

Why? It effortlessly created a mood that I love. School, work, and just the daily drag make vacation so much better. Nearly always, I spend my free time in the tropics, and this made me feel right at home. If anything, it's missing a bit of some steel drums. Consider that for another piece.

Musically, the piece loops seamlessly, which greatly adds to its allure for me. Listening to this for ten minutes didn't get old for me, and even while I'm writing this review, the song is on. Truly, I implore you to revisit this style, this structure, and let me know when you release a new track.

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WizMystery responds:

Thanks for the review!

Glad to hear that you connected to this on an emotional level :D We listened to a steel drum/island piece the day I wrote this, so maybe that's what left the impression on me. Steel drums could work, but I don't think I have a VST that simulates them. If I happen to find one, I'll try it out.

[.:Boss Battle:.]

Sounds like the boss gets bigger.

The song almost tells a story. I can imagine getting to the end of a cave in Final Fantasy or Pokemon, ready to leave, with my party exhausted, and then there's the boss. Crap.

It's an interesting experience, to be that frustrated and challenged at the same time; it puts a certain tenseness into the player's mind. You captured that in your song, especially around the 0:41 mark, where things start to pick up. I was really hoping for a massive build-up and a huge crash, but that's just not how the song goes. Oh well.

If you did extend the song, I think you could do with a little more percussion to really thrill the listener with an intense back-beat. It's not the perfect boss battle song quite yet, but it gets damn close. Make the listener feel like a champion at the end, and you've replicated the experience of defeating an infuriating boss.

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camoshark responds:

Lol, thanks for the great interpretation, it helps get a quite accurate image!

I really should extend it one day, once I have the time to do so. I always thought the song had potential, but i wasn't expecting so much great feedback!

I have to agree with you, making a more rythmic part would help the song progress, and I'm pretty sure that's what I was going for when I made it, but being something I did in my spare time (believe it or not), I stopped when I found something else to do...

Great seeing you enjoy it!

Cheers,
Samuel Hébert

[[CG] - Schism]

Slick.

This seems less like a song to me, and more like a bunch of pieces that could be loops. Take 0:52 for example; the song completely changes and doesn't really go back. Don't get me wrong, it's still enjoyable to listen to, but if you took that segment and submitted it by itself, you'd have another very artful piece.

As a cohesive unit, I think you did capture a certain urgency. At 2:18, in the tiny drop, the break in action makes the beat hit much stronger a couple seconds later. At the three minute mark, I think you could have cut the song. The outro seems to take a little too long to wrap the song up. If you really were gearing this toward Madness, I think a better technique would be to have the music build up, explode, then fade off in just a few seconds.

The darkness in this piece makes it a pretty unique listen, and the thumping bass gives it a very addictive quality. I'm going to download this now.

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KroweMusic responds:

Thanks for the review and the download!