Neon-Bard's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Vade et Ego Sequar]

An epic piece to be sure. The only thing that feels off about this song for me is the strange ebb and flow that the instruments go through near the introduction. That probably doesn't make sense, but I'm unsure how to describe it in any other way. The trumpets were a tad too loud, but otherwise, I thought they fit well. The ending was great, I thought the voices were a really nice touch! :)

Koxyx responds:

Thank you! I can't say I understand your critique, but that you knew what you meant is all that is important. Either way, the choir was probably my best bit for the song. Once again, thank you for the review and 4.5 stars.

[Song of Storms Remix]

Excellent remix! Though I have to agree with the others about the 'emptiness' that the intro gives off. Otherwise when you kick things into full gear, all of the instruments shine tremendously. Although this isn't my favorite Zelda tune, I must say that you have given the song an extra layer which is always a fantastic thing. :D

stunkel responds:

Thanks man! I sort of wanted the song to start off soft with the instruments so I was kind of going for an empty feel. But I'm glad that you liked the rest of the song! :D Thanks for listening man!

[A Newgrounds Legacy]

A very epic piece to say the least. The buildup is incredible and is what really grabbed my attention. I was a little unsure about the transition around 0:49 at first, but as the melody progressed it sounded just right. The strong brass elements were also a nice touch as well! Great stuff! :)

Bosa responds:

Thank you, sir. I am very happy that you enjoyed it!

[A Hero Dies]

I absolutely agree with Smackster. The title is very fitting with this piece. The instruments accentuate all of the emotions that goes along with a death, particularly of a hero in this case. Even though you describe it as a 'test', I think it's definitely a 5 star piece, though I would love to hear more! :)

Koxyx responds:

Thank you kindly. Coming back on it, I do notice things that are good, but there are some minor bits I'm kind of ashamed of. Someone else told me upon hearing it that it seemed unfinished as well. Still, I appreciate the thoughts and the five stars.

[Shooting Star (instr. v)]

This is great! Nicely arranged and catchy too! The combination of the different sound effects (like the crickets and wind effect) adds a great deal of depth to the song and I can imagine myself stargazing due to that fact. The guitar work is fantastic, and I have to commend your acoustic/electric blending. Very effective. Overall, this song is very soothing and for some reason I'm getting a strange sense of nostalgia from it. Well done! Keep it up! :D

Jonah-B responds:

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

[>Hills<]

Beautiful piece. Very relaxing. I loved the flute and the piano work which were accompanied nicely by the pads softly echoing in the background. The only thing I would suggest is to develop a more structured melody and perhaps make the song (loop) a little longer because I feel that it could have been a very detailed song. Great work, keep it up! :)

[The Simple Things]

Very elegant and of course a 'simple' piece. Relaxing and calming all the way through, well done!

stunkel responds:

Thanks! :D

[Roll the Credits]

Interesting intro, nice mixing and great arrangement! The different synths and effects that you used, and layered, gave the song a real energetic quality that had me bopping my head throughout the entirety of the song. There were a few notes that I felt were only slightly out of place, or could have used some more effects (maybe some phasing, or even sidechaining) but that's not really a big deal at all. The only other thing that I would point out is the ending and how it had a abrupt conclusion (though also very cool). Typically I don't listen to the 'Techno' genre, but this was definitely a solid song. Keep making stuff man, looking forward to your next one. :)

H2opoloseal responds:

As always, thanks a ton for the insightful commentary Neon-Bard! I'm glad that you find a way to appreciate these tracks despite them not being your main style! Thank you again my friend.

[Release]

Hey EagleGuard,

This is a solid song! I loved the intro, it has a nice feel of urgency to it that I really dig. The strings you used in the introduction and throughout the remainder of the song were a little bit too loud compared to the other instruments. It created a bit of an unbalance within the song. Perhaps you could turn them down slightly and add a little reverb to them so that it blends better with the other electronic elements. Otherwise though, I must say that I generally love the mix of the two. I have to admit that I didn't really see this as an ambient piece, mainly due to the percussion, strings and the guitar work. Everything is a tad too loud to be considered 'ambient' (though my definition of ambient is more relaxed 'background' music, and I could be completely wrong lol). Back to the percussion and guitar work. The percussion was nicely arranged, coming in at all the right parts and giving the song that nice upbeat quality while the guitar added some tension to the song.

The only other gripe I have about this is the ending. It sort of just trails off. I was expecting a suspenseful finish.

In my opinion, this would work great in a game. I agree with BFeltMusic. The song definitely reminded me of Mass Effect. Based on the instruments you have used it would suit well with the FPS genre, though I'm positive it would do well in others too! :D

I think this is a great song overall! Keep up the great work! :)

EagleGuard responds:

Hey man, thanks for taking your time to write such an extensive review!

I never really thought about the possibility that the strings sounded too loud, as I usually use my headphones to monitor the mix. I'm still kind of new to mixing and mastering, so I'll definitely try to improve using the points you've mentioned.

As for the ending, I guess I was a bit 'lazy' when I made that, but to be honest, I couldn't really think of anything special to end the song, so I just went with what it is now. Again, I'll keep it in mind for future productions.

I'm glad you liked the piece as a whole, and thanks again for the feedback!

[B-Doing Premo]

This song is really full of energy and I can definitely see this in an arcade styled game. It gives off a real 'happy' sort of vibe and it has a fair bit of flexibility so that it would be compatible with a number of genres (puzzle, platformer, arcade, etc.) You use a lot of synths that compliment each other nicely and the kicks and claps keep the song upbeat! The only thing I would say that could make this better is a little more variation. Perhaps like throwing in a few extra notes here and there. Great work, keep it up! :D

liljchosen responds:

Thanks man, that really boosted my confidence alot! :D i have a few more that i plan on posting as well. i just got a new laptop ofter a year of waiting and im soooo ready to improve on my music. i will definately need all the criticism i can get lol. thanks :)