TheBellmaker's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Seasons in the Abyss w/ vox]

That's one long intro....

But still pretty awesome.

The lyrics were a bit iffy for me on this one (again, I don't listen to Heavy Metal alot, so I'm not sure what the norm is). Not because of the feeling they evoke, but because I feel they are somewhat underdeveloped. I see these images of blood and insanity, but I keep wondering what message you are trying to convey. Is insanity something to embrace, something inevitable, something you choose?

But overall, stunning work again!

Schleif responds:

thanks a lot! this is actually a cover of song by a band called Slayer, so i can't really talk about the 'real' meaning and message of the song. to me, it's subject to your own interpretation. i thank you, and Demon-Slayer12 thanks you!

[Zombie Jesus]

Very professional sounding.

I usually don't listen to Heavy Metal, so pardon me if I get terms/techniques mixed up.

The guitar riffs are phenomenal. The percussion is varied yet keeps a steady beat for the duration of the song. I also like how you panned the vocals around near the middle of the song.

Just one suggestion from me, and a minor one at that. Have you ever tried putting distortion on your vocals? I feel that for a song with a title such as "Zombie Jesus" it would fit right in.

Awesome song, sounds like something I'd hear on the radio.

Schleif responds:

really awesome to get a review like this from someone who usually don't listen to metal! never tried distorting vocals. i might try messing with that in the future. thanks a lot for the review!

[Mesothel]

Submitted in 2007?

Oh well, I promised....

I'll keep it short, since you've probably improved your musical abilities in the last 4 years.

First, hopefully you've found some way to record a live guitar or found a more convincing VST plugin.

Second, Hopefully you've gotten better a variation, which is very lacking in this track. However, I must say that I enjoy the chord progression. It's one that I don't hear every day.

Haggard responds:

Sadly I still can't record my guitar, but this simply hasn't been very high on my priority list in the past few years.

Yes, the song is very repetitive, but as I've said before, back then we needed something VERY simple, so we could practice how to play together as a band.

I'm glad you found something you could enjoy, though. :)

[2'29'']

Why so loud?

I mean really? You totally ruined my hearing, and I think you broke something in my headphones....

Haggard responds:

Sorry. Please send me the invoce of your new headphones and I will give you your money back. :(

[Transition Into 3:14]

Interesting

A very interesting mishmash of different styles. They go together very smoothly, but I think the loss is that there isn't anything for my brain to "catch" on to and remember.

DENT-de-lion responds:

I totally agree! I'm constantly battling between rhythms and leads, and this song definitely needs some type of catchy emphasis on the rhythm for a bit. Thanks for the review!

[ETHERWAY]

Sorry for the late review.

Return review from "Equestrian Hymn"

As noise, very good elements, but very limited use. If you could add some very simple melodies, it could actually turn out to be pretty good BG music.

DENT-de-lion responds:

Hahaha. Yeah... Definitely. I know Newgrounds is also pretty anti-noise :P This was more of a little experiment/warm-up for a band I'm trying to put together in real life. We're going to use some pre-recorded stuff, like maybe a track like this. My friend would layer live noise on top of it, and I would play drums and add noise. Something like that. For only two people its the best we can do. Thanks for the review!

[Switchblade Fangs]

Reminiscient

Review #2

Intro - for a 6:51 track, I usually expect the intro to be fairly decent. What you had would have probably sufficed for a shorter track, but not for a track of this length. More buildup, more bang to keep the listener interested in the rest of the piece.

0:56 - I really like how the flute comes in here. However, I think the chord progression is a bit...strange. I can see how it's going in one direction, but at the same time it seems to be wandering around. Not too big of an issue though

3:00 - the part that starts here does get repetitive after a while. I feel like you could have easily added another instrument or had more percussion patterns here. Fortunately, you did now stay on this part for too long.

Conclusion - I always enjoy a good piano conclusion. However, I don't think you should have gone full piano in this case, simply because it is a video game track. Maybe some leads fading in an out of the background would have added nicely. The melody, though, was excellent.

Overall, good job, surprisingly varied for a 7 minute track, just a couple of pointers.

Jakesnke17 responds:

Thanks man, I really appreciate the review. There was a lot that went into this one...over...the course of a week. It took nearly 85 hrs overall to complete...and as much as I know it's kinda all over the place.

But I'm glad overall, the experience was enjoyable. I actually have like...2 more Snake Man remixes...one of which, can actually be now found on OCRemix. Debut mix!

Anyway...thanks again man, really appreciate the feedback. :)

[~SW~ Keeper of the Dead]

Addednum from other version:

I feel that without the "I see you" sample, the song actually feels *more* like an ambient track. I think the sample caused an interruption in continuity, which could be either good or bad depending on the situation that this song is used. For BG music for exploring dungeons, I'd use this version. For title screen music, I'd definitely use the other version.

The track is surprisingly different with just one sample omitted...

SkyeWint responds:

Some people like this version more, some people like the one with the other sample (and reverb/delay on whispers) more. While it's not much of a difference, it does a surprising amount. But then, if you omitted compression on techno songs, that would change them by a large amount as well.

I prefer this version, personally. It's more ambient and eerie. I would change it a bit to have more reverb on the whispers and have the first "I see you" if I could though.

[[dB] Sleepwalker]

:D :D :D

I always enjoy a good DnB song especially with the percussion capabilities of yourself. Seriously, I think you should just write DnB, because out of the three songs that I reviewed of yours, this one is clearly the best.

There's not much to address in this song, but I do have a couple things to say:

-Bass: the bass isn't as strong as I would expect from a DnB. I find that most of the dominance comes from the higher frequency leads that are playing. However, the absence of bass did not detract from the overall awesomeness of the song. However, I do think that the song could have been even better with bass. Just something to keep in mind if you do decide to write more DnB.

-Conclusion: I didn't understand the conclusion that you wrote very well. I was kind of expecting some massive buildup and epic percussion slaughter than would explode into some dramatic conclusion. Needless to say, I was let down a little. A song as awesome as this needs to end with a bang!

Overall, the song makes me think of gansta pirates for some reason....haha good work. I encourage you to try writing more DnB in the future!

Decibel responds:

a 10. Kewl.

I'm definitely making more DnB in the future ;D

thanks again for the 10 ;D