madboss's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[_-={Dark Skies}=-_]

Not bad

But I think you have certainly made better tracks. My main problem with this song lies in the drums: they are too soft and jazz-like for this serious classical track. The cyms (or some metal percussions - I can't decide) are not too bad but still with these drums and snares are not giving the energetic feel that you promised in your description.

The good points: the female choir was fenomenal (almost like an opera) - as the violin was. The whole melody-flow was dinamic and energetic - that showed the problems with the drums even more. So with the melody and it's instrumentation. Your beloved bells are still giving the epic edge - as always.

Now as I'm listening to it for the fifth time I could imagine this stuff under a fast paced chase scene or some martial art-like fight. So this song definitely has potential.

I understand that hard hitting drums are really difficult to put under a complex classical theme - I'm having this problem at the moment with my upcoming prject so I can understand your problem - but some suggestion: how about some deep drums with long reverb and some tipini or conga drums? After my taste some toms would be also fitting to it.

So summing up everything: the instrumentation of the percussion section after my subjective is a bit to soft for this tune (altough I must underline that I don't know the songs purpose) - but beside this everything is fitting greatly.
I think this is still a really good audio - so keep it up!

MaestroRage responds:

there are in fact some heavily reverbed toms in here, they are hard to hear, because so much of the low end was taken up by the brass. In order to let you hear the tom rumbles and hits, i'd have to severely smash them loud, and then that would be an equalizing nightmare and it would distort the song like crazy school X_x.

The percussional side was meant to be a tad jazzy, having burrowed the flow of the percussions off some metal influence I got while listening to some metal tracks I decided to try and incorporate it in here. It was not as you know, a huge success, but it was an interesting turn of events.

The primary emotion meant to be portrayed was that of a vivid, lively, brutal fight between some heroes and a powerful dark figure. At that point you must consider which side you want to lean on.

Energetic dark battle, or deep ruthless battle. If you have deep ruthless, you do not have room for a lot of high end and fast paced elements, if you go deep ruthless, you are not supposed to move too quickly, and things are supposed to sound very tense and dark.

The jazzy percussional was meant to liven things up, keep it moving faster, more fluent.

In any case, thank you for the review madboss, i'm glad you liked it, I look forward to that project, do pm me when it's done ^^.

[The Lord Of The Rings|Remix]

First LOTR-Trance remix I've ever seen...

Wow... I've never heard from anyone from a LOTR remix. I'm really familiar with the score and I could figure out which theme did you use for the track.

(I give it only 9 because it's not finished yet and a bit too short in this way - if I could I'd give a 9,5)

Man it's booming! Great! But I'd suggest you to make a more constant melody not so dotted like this because it's more difficult to realise the theme.

But if you leave it in this way it will be also a booming stuff - it was just my suggestion. So great stuff I'm eagerly waiting for the full one.

P.S.: pls check out my stuff if you got some time. I'm rather in the classical section - but some opinions from people in other genre is also greatly welcome.

Dr-Dajova responds:

Well, im just glad that someone likes it, due that most ppl recordnice this to a classic piece :) I just wanted to boom it up a bit ^.^

[Vu Bakveesh (The Hard Worker)]

Strange composition...

Hello Bosa!

It's been a long time passed that I reviewed one of your songs - but the time has now to come again.

But... I'm totally puzzled with this song. It has soooo wide range of styles, emoition, instruments... it could be enough for a full soundtrack score. But my most problem with these that they don't give a coherent feel - so the global feeling of the track is not a homogen complex.

But let's se step by step.

The beginning piano is ok. A bit softer tunes could give more feeling of it I think - especially for the lower tunes. Than you changed the piano to the guitarre - a bit too abruptly but it's not taht serious. Nice, but the same goes here. And as I could hear there is a false tune there in the end... but not so disturbing.

The next part is a but puzzling... like a cartoonish music where Jerry is hiding around watching for Tom... The pizzicato and the melody give me this kind of feeling. Also a bit carneval-like theme that I could imagine to it.

The pinao part after it is also ok, a bit sad and for me is a bit to sudden change after the carnival feel - but I can feel the continuity.

But the slow strings part... man... it blow my away. Wonderfull melody and when you layered the female woice over it... fantastic and great. I'd suggest you making a stand alone track from this part. This is the far best part from the song. The strings waved like the real ones... Excellent!

The next coming parts are also abrupt. Again cartoonish feel... totally in contrast with the slow string part.

And the Jazz-like part... sorry to say this but it's not fitting here after my opinion.

The next slow string part was again a greatly composed part - but a darker one. The choir part was also fantastic - altough the highly pitched female cahoir was a bit disturbing.

And than the song repeats itself without I could notice.

Summing it up: this track is really diversificated - and I think it's too variated. I think you wanted to grab a complex experience with this... and this is not too bad approach. But next time I'd suggest to work with melodies that are more related to each other - because I havent feel any relation between the melodies. Sorry when there are any but I can't find them.

Don't missunderstand me: you got great skills to compose for many kind of feelings but I don't think it's a good idea to put them into one. It's like you'd read a drama that turns abruptly into a comedy and than an epic story and back comedy to romance... So it's strange...

But this song has definitely got great and uplifting moments. I'm awaiting your next submission.

Happy and peacefull Christmas to you Bosa, and dont give up the fight!

[_-={Brotherhood}=-_]

I imagined somthing else om this...

... we can see only grey smoke and waveing flames... a medieval town is in flames... and than a mans siluette starts to take shape from the wall of smoke. He wanders trough the destroied town with shock on his face... he can't belive: everything is destroied... everything is gone...

So that's about my story now about the song itself. Nice minimalistic approach altough I havent heard oboe and fench horn in the song but still nice job.

The violin and chello sound gives a great medieval feel of it. It's to pitty that you havent made a grand-ending for the song after the arising sound I was waiting to a full climax... but that was the end of the song. Still nice job though and after my vision I think this song has rather got a dramatic and tragic edge than a brotherhood like friendship theme.

MaestroRage responds:

It's been too long for me to respond to these reviews. I apologize madboss, there really is no excuse, it would have only taken me a minute. Oh well, better late then never right?

The image you present is one that is indirectly related to the feeling I wanted. This brotherhood I envisioned was one formed with pain and suffering. More like they all understanding what they have gone through and building bonds off that.

A grand ending you say eh? I didn't really want to make an energetic end, or stray too far from this laid back feeling, this sad, slow, pace. Oh well, maybe one day.

In any case, i'm glad you enjoyed the track madboss, thank you for the review, means a good deal to me!

[Final Conquest]

Good job!

Üdv néked! Jó dolog magyar arcokat látni az NG-n, fõleg úgy, hogy még eggyel sem találkoztam:)

Nos meg kell mondjam, jó kis számot pakoltál össze! A minõsége igazán remek. Milyen programot használtál hozzá? A dobok, meg a kórus igazán remekül szólt, bár a nõi kórushangokon érzõdött egy picit, hogy hangminták - de a férfi kórus bitang jól szólt.

A szám hangulata szintén nagyon frankó. Igazi conquest-es hangulata van, bár ahogy felépítetted, nos az egy kicsit túlzottan ismétlõdõ. Tehettél volna bele néhány kiállást, vagy szóló hangszeres részt, vagy akár néhány komolyabb dob-szólót. A felénél bejövõ váltás érdekes, furcsa az elektronikus-hangzású break-beat egy ilyen témájú dalban, de nekem tetszik.

Szóval egy kicsit túl sokat ismételgeted a fõtémát de alapjában véve jól szól a dolog és tetszik is. Szóval csak így tovább, remek kis szám ez. Ja és ha lesz idõd, légyszi látogass el az én lapomra is és véleményezd a saját dalaimat.

And to switch on to englis that everyone could understand my opinion about this song: altough it's a bit repetitiw with the melody the awesome quality of the instruments and the mood it creats turn the whole thing to an epic and great track.

mechanoid-9 responds:

Csá, én se láttam itt még más magyart, de jó tudni hogy nem én vok az egyetlen:) Hú, úgy hozzászoktam az angol értékelések és válaszok írogatásához, hogy magyarul sokkal nehezebben megy... Nos a program magix music maker 2005, de az csak az eszköz, mert a hangok a magix sound pool 12-bõl vannak. És igen, az egész hangmintákból van. Azért kevés benne a változatosság, mert az ilyen sound poolokon általában egy zenestílushoz viszonylag kevés hang van, csak összesítve sok. Ehhez a zenéhez felhasználtam szinte az összes hangot a movie score szekcióból. Ezért is van, hogy több ilyen zenét nem fogok tudni csinálni úgy hogy másképp is hangozzon, legalábbis ezzel a sound poollal nem.
Nos tényleg tehettem volna bele dobszólót vagy hasonlókat de ha megnézed még így is 4:57 hosszú, egy még ennél is hosszabb számot piszok nehéz úgy konvertálni mp3ba hogy jól is hangozzon, ezzel is vagy egy órát szenvedtem mégse sikerült jobb minõséget elõállítanom. Látom 10-et adtál a clarityre de a waw változat sokkal jobban szól. Nagyon utálom a 4 megás limitet...
Na mit mondjak még... kösz az értékelést, biztosan belehallgatok majd a zenéidbe. Jaj ne most ugyanezt írjam le angolul is? Megpróbálom tömören.
Now an english summary of my reply: I used sounds from magix sound pool 12 and put them together with magix music maker 2005. It's repetitive because of the small number of samples provided for one genre. I could have added different sections like a drum solo but even this way it's 4:57 long and it's hard to convert longer songs into mp3 and make them sound good. I hate the 4 megs limit...
Whew, definitely my longest reply ever!

[National Reqiem Remix I]

Hey, nice stuff!

I liked the whole concept behind the track! The beginning piano was nice and then you layered up to it the national anthems theme - nicely done sounds great.

Then comes the change: the whole glorious stuff changes to a war-like song: like a war machine would get into movement to rush down its targets. Really epic and great sound! Only one thing I didn't liked - that was the reaaaly high pitched strings. I think you should avoid these or at least make there volume lover.

Then the song slowes down: great! I loved it. Another epic boom - choir in the background sad and epic melody... But the high pitched strings coming up again... well the same goes here. Or you should maybe use another instrumet instead of string at that part like piccolos or flutes. The provide tha same high tone sound but not so ear-hurting way.

I'd also suggest to change the strings attack-level in the end part that they start with some fade in to make the feeling more sad and epic. In this way they are a bit to rough.

Summing up: this song has great potential. The composition and melody was perfect - I cound't find any negative things in it. So keep up the good work, you got talent!

ExpectExpansion responds:

Thanks for the input. I recently got a new vst for the strings, and plan to remake the song into a final form, aka the 2nd remix.

[_-={The Rite of Passage}=]

Great composition again

Well... here we are again: listening to one of the newest great audio piece of the maestro...

The start blow me away - I loved the harp(?) sound. The next upcoming percussion brought some tribe-ish or native feel for it - an exotic land's picture came into my mind like the Aztec or Inca civilisation in it's glorious days with their temples striking the skies above the trees of the rain-forest.

The flutes(?) melody was really close to Vangelis - 1492 Soundtrack but still staied original. I think you tried to bring some native feelings to the track with the exotic sounding woodwinds - when yes, you made a great job with it.

Maybe there is only one small thing I would mention: as I could hear properly you used the same melody quite often. I mean there was a melody and you havent changed it, just varied it's structure or plaied on other instrument. Well it's not really a problem I think because the track is varied enough and don't become repetitive.

So impressive job again - congratulation!

P.S.: I've got some new stuff around. If you got some time drop some revs. Tnx!

MaestroRage responds:

Hmm, I was wondering if anybody would catch onto the chords and harp being pretty much the same.

To be honest, I started this piece with just the harp loop, then added a layer on it, then another... and another, and when those layers became too thick, I took them out, and started again. And then merged the layers together. The melody on top of the constant chords and harp does change, rather drastically at times to hide the chords, but they just worked so well I didn't have the heart to change them!

This is especially true when the quick strings come in, the oriental violin sound (it does sound like an exotic flute, but it's not), was just SO damn good hearing to me, I felt it was my DUTY to use it again XD.

I didn't hear Vangelis, but now I am quite curious. I will have to look into it one day.

The image you got, was also very very interesting. To live a life in the shoes of that boy... I went on and on with it for nearly an hour, then had to snap out of it to get some work done ;).

In any case, Thank you for the review, i'm glad you liked the piece. I'll drop on by your page now.

[_-={Corrupted Matrimony}=]

Obeisance to the Maestro

Ahh organs... I remember you have a song "War in Heaven" in your segments. (I hope I recalled the title correctly.) It had an organ melody as well but - as I wrote in my review - it was a bit week comparing to the other more powerfull parts to the track.

And now here is this song: and the organ blows. It brought up the memories of POTC2 - Kraken theme. Not the melody itself - just the organ. Man since than I love organ melodies and personally I'm planning to recreate that theme - and now you've shoved me how that would be perfect! This song could be fitting to the POTC2 movie instead the original Kraken theme as well I think.

So great job as usual - you simply can't make bad songs. I have no simply nothing to criticise. It's a great song - has a bit "evil forces march" feeling some parts and a soft epic edge.

So congratulations another great piece! But tell me: when will be the tiime when you'll be making filmscores?:)

MaestroRage responds:

While Heaven Burns is I believe the song you mean, don't worry about it, I too completely forgot the title, as I do often with most pieces.

That organ melody WAS weak, it was more of a jump into the instrument though, the organ is very much like the choir in the sense it has a very omninous voice (did I spell that right), it eats up alot of the high, low, AND middle end of the frequency range, so using them with a great amount of instruments is particularly difficult.

I love organ melodies too! Like I said before though, they're hard to work with. Solo Organ works, there are some AMAZING solo organ pieces, which just left me in awe. I hope to be able to make something like sometime too.

Do you remember the organ song played in POTC3 by the squid faced guy (I can't believe I can't remember his name right now), now THAT was a sick ass melody too!

In any case, thank you for review madboss, i'm glad you liked the piece :D!

Also, my motto is Forever For Free, any song I make for myself will always be free to the public, as for filmscoring, not yet, need more practice!

[Badlife]

Wrong title great song

Well... personally for me this "bad life" feeling didn't came trough from your track - but a greatly composed epic classical track did.

I liked this music really much - it's like a great background music for battle scenes (for example I can imagine this stuff under a ww2 movie or like this.)

Loved the melody - really well done altough I think there were some moments when two melody lines were hitting each other making a bit dissonant and not harmonic sonud - but not so often. I think I heard them near the end.

But besides these I think it is a great track. Really had epic energy and it was variated enough - never had a boring moment or too much repeat. You also used the instruments well - some brass could give more energy to it but it's also O.K. in this way.

So great track. Next time pay more attention to the melodies and you'll make a top-notch track.
Congratulations!

Thanks for your vote, madboss! You voted 5 for Badlife, raising its score from 0.00 to 5.00.

GMX2 responds:

THX guys

[+*~The Hope of the Kingdom~*+]

Great!

Well - for the first classical audio submission, this song is an absoutely beautyfull and grand debute.

I see that John Williams is one of your favourite composer - I must say the first tunes was just like one of his scores. And when you started to play with the flutes - man this was exactly like his work.

So great job, great melody and instrument useage! Really clear sounds - almost like a real orchestra. I wish it would be longer! You should do more songs because I think you got great talent in that.

So 5/5 from me - for this great start: congratulations and keep up the great work!

Thanks for your vote, madboss! You voted 5 for +*~The Hope of the Kingdom~*+, raising its score from 0.00 to 5.00.

P.S.: pls tell me what program did you use making this! I'm really curious about it!

MountainDewFreak responds:

Hey, thanks a bunch. I will indeed make more music, since it is my favorite hobby. I used garritan personal orchestra (GPO).

Check out garritan.com for all the details.

And yes, John Williams is just so magical with his music. I listen to his stuff so much, a lot of his style has rubbed off on me throughout the years, ha ha. Well thanks again. Some new stuff should be on here soon.