Everratic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Transient]

I didn't expect to hear this genre from you, but it's very enjoyable :)

KevinMueller responds:

Thank you!
Yeah, I really like this genre. It's a nice change from the cinematic stuff. :)

[Escape From the Grave]

The orchestration is excellent. I noticed many types of articulations, and they all seem to fit perfectly. My favorite part of the song is the percussion, the cymbals especially; they greatly enhance the intensity of the eerie vibe. The rising piano run leading to the ending is spectacular.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Thank you! I had a hard time picking out the articulations for this one, so I'm glad if it paid of. I used a lot of "short" sounds, as that made the most sense, given the fast tempo, and how difficult it would be to mix if all the layers stayed in place for a long time.

I'm very happy with the cymbals myself! Instead of using an orchestral cymbal, I used a good drum kit, with many different cymbal articulations, and I placed all the hits myself.
I'm still impressed by your ear, as I think you notice individual details behind all the layers (in particular, the piano coming back in the end, a little bit a time).

[Exoskeleton Deathmatch]

I predict this will get the highest score.

LD-W responds:

We'll see what the judges think haha

[RPG Town Theme]

The melodies are lovely! Cinewinds sounds better than I expected based on what I heard about it.

AceMantra responds:

Thanks! I've been quite happy with Cinewinds Core so far. My only complaint is that I wish it had more instruments. There is Cinewinds Pro as well but that's a big chunk of change.

[The Arctic Sanctuary]

Wow. You captured the cold, desolate atmosphere perfectly. The instrumentation is awesome; I love how you blended in synths for a more otherworldly vibe. The music evokes a vivid picture in my mind of a beautiful serene landscape. The english horn seems to represent the anguish and mourning of the dead.

This is on par with some of my favorite video game songs from likes of Jeremy Soule and Borislav Slavov. You definitely have what it takes to be among the best :) I wish this could be on Spotify so I can add it to my vgm playlist.

Deemo-R responds:

Thanks Everratic! I've only just recently found some of Slavov's work in Divinity II and that comparison is extremely humbling. There's definitely a sort of magic that's hard to match with the best of them, but it's always fun to try and see how close we can get!

I've been wanting to have this on Spotify, but it's a part of a collaborative album that the team is still sorting out. Once it's up I'll probably be able to post the other arrangement I did of a friend's desert theme as well, so fingers crossed!

[Operation Fleshhunter]

Im in love with your detuned synths. I like the vocal effects.

LD-W responds:

If I can slip any of my designed virus-esq patches into a project, I'll always take the chance to ;)

[AIM - Fox Dreams]

This is very enjoyable! I especially like the use of percussion and the organ. If possible (I know it's difficult if you're using free/cheap instruments), I suggest working to improve the realism of your virtual performances. That would take the song to the next level.

Petrol4brains responds:

Really glad you liked it! You’re right, the guitar definitely has potential to sound more dynamic, I ignored some features it has for the sake of simplicity but I’ll try to dig in deeper next time I use it!

[Tutorial (SplatterDash Remix - Instrumental)]

I like the percussion!

SplatterDash responds:

Thanks!

[Your Father's Blade]

This is one of the first songs that inspired me to dabble in orchestral music so I still like to listen to it sometimes. I'm happy you republished it :D

From my experience, it's extremely difficult and rare to create a melody that's as moving and powerful as this one. The orchestration is phenomenal, and although the song builds up to the climax in a sense, each second is pleasurable enough to listen to that I'm not waiting for it.

My favorite instruments in the song are the double basses. They provide an earthly vibe and greatly enhance the emotional appeal.

I read the judges' reviews and have to say that I disagree with the criticism that the build up is too long or not stimulating enough. Absolutely no part of the song feels remotely extraneous to me. The comments regarding the chord progression and harmonization confuse me even more because that could kill the song's identity and turn it into something not befitting of the title.

I know a lot of time has passed, but I hope you make more music like this :)

EvilRaccoon responds:

Thanks for your comment, I really appreciate it. I really enjoyed making this track back then, the way it evolved,etc.

Unfortunately, the belittling which followed through a horde of PM's from the judge was a testament to the true perspective and what they really thought of me and the music. I haven't spoke to them since, and any time I see their participation, anywhere, I steer clear. It was a toxic amount of negativity.