SONGWRITING COMPETITION - SWC075 November 2023 - Winners announced

[Lady Incognita]

Hello fellow challengers!

I really enjoyed this challenge and enjoyed listening to all the entries. Thanks for sharing! Here's my feedback and votes etc. Cheers! : )

My experience:

► Show Spoiler

I started with little experience with metal music, tried aiming for prog metal and got side-tracked as I ended up realizing there's someone inside me who'd really love making symphonic gothic rock/metal tracks. It's dramatic, cinematic and I caught some new genre bug as a consequence. (Thanks to challenges like this, I've caught quite a few surprising genre bugs! They're all well-loved.) And now my mind is already working on another track in this genre. Inspiration is a taskmaster! I also need to start listening to more tracks in this genre.

My current mix is a bit of a mess as I am still working on the track. I need to learn to mix better for this genre, and experiment a bit and learn. Hopefully the track will start sounding better as I work to finish it up and read-up-on-and-experiment with how to better achieve clarity and cohesion in this genre with so many (distorted) things thrown in.

Feedback:

► Show Spoiler

Please take my feedback with more-than-a-pinch of salt. Anything I say is just meant constructively and is simply my 2 cents. I don't have much experience with rock and metal and prog, and I also tend to do better at giving songwriting/composition/structure feedback than mixing and mastering feedback… With that said, here it goes…

Arelem - Eternal Odyssey: Nice clean production and mix! Great composition with your bass, guitars and drums - that metal vibe is there from the get-go. Vocals were really good, and its clear you put a lot of effort in the vocal delivery and processing to get to that metal vibe - because of that, I feel you could have pushed the processing even more during the main song though. The outro vocals definitely push the boundaries more in that respect. Well done! The ending feels a little abrupt. I would have liked to hear a little bit more instrumentation and a smoother finish. Hats off for really getting into the genre to this extent!

APi_ZZ - MonumentalMemorandum: Love that organ! It's so dramatic with those guitars and bass. The strings again add to the drama. There's continuous change, which works with the prog metal idea. Your work is always like a giant puzzle and keeps interest throughout. The updates to the track made a difference!
I do miss one thing in this kind of style/work a bit - a defined starting point and destination. With lyrics, the story goes from A to B. With an epic soundtrack, we'd continually build up the track to a more dramatic finish for example. Here there's that dramatic feel pretty much from beginning to end, so I miss that evolution in the track if that makes sense. Totally nitpicking!

Brandon Ogilvie - Resource: I enjoyed the lovely introspective/ambient/dreamy metal vibe, especially of those first two minutes. The tempo changes work well with the genre aim. I like the simplicity of the riffs - but it would have been nice to hear you experiment more melodically. The riffs in the outro may need more work though. I missed reading about your process with your submission.

Esteve Corbera - Metal A Tope: Those guitar sounds and riffs for the main rhythm guitars are cool. Yes, the bass is hard to hear - it would have been nice to give it something to differentiate it/make it stand out. There's a lot of repetition and the track is kept rather simple, like a relaxed jam rather than a track, but the overall vibe is neat and nice to listen to (probably especially since it feels like a relaxed jam).

Doc Jon - Escape From City 17: Good use of those freesounds. The track took me by surprise with the opening comp, your vocals and the British rock sound, but then you have your sentinel bringing in the metal. Wonderful natural vocals, lyrics build a really great story!!
The guitar solo has a beach vibe! : ) That bridge adds a really neat uplifting feel, and what a dramatic end! Enjoyed this. Comp, production and mix are great. Don't really have any suggestions.

DJ Chrisantimos - Kror Amfpten: Lovely harp with its very melodic phrasing. The chord progression and tempo changes work great for the challenge genre. I feel that the guitar sound and processing, and to some extent the moog sound too don't fit as easily in your band, so the whole doesn't feel as together. Choosing those sounds and fx is tricky. I'm still mulling over mine. You did really great going fully into the prog element of the challenge with your jazzy chords and time signature changes

György Becsei - Goddess Of Time (feat Asterian): Dramatic! Lovely use of choir. I don't know how hard Synthesizer V is to work with - but you did great with those vocals. Enjoyed the rock guitars, and composition and structure work well, as do the production and mix. If I were to make any suggestion, it's that the solo guitar can sit a little better in the mix w.r.t. processing maybe. Somehow it just stood out a bit. Nicely done!

Top 3:

► Show Spoiler

1) Doc Jon
2) Arelem
3) becsei_gyorgy

[APi_ZZ]

Disclaimer: I'm no expert for that genre. Though I'm raised on tons of Prog, I rarely consume (and like) Metal.
I'm no expert either on things like loudness, elaborate EQing /mixing /mastering.
So, here I just & merely spill out my (harsh) opinion about how well I regard the goal met.
As said: No expert :: Totally biased opinion(s) :: Hopefully not too harsh

My experience

► Show Spoiler

I tend to go at things, -eh- here they are tune & tracks with a certain don't care too much attitude.
Since I am doing music since decades, without any commercial goals or success, just for fun and keeping some brain cells busy, I got to a point where I enjoy many genres, styles and trends. I (still) prefer things from the Prog corner, but that doesn't exclude much others.
This challenge here showed me that I shy from any brutal Metal shredding. And --puleeeze-- spare me from any growls ...

Rating

► Show Spoiler

My top three:
#1 Brandon740
#2 Arelem
#3 Doc Jon

Comments

► Show Spoiler

becsei_gyorgy
Cool track, but -- as I feel -- but not very Prog and/or Metal.
It takes up to half the track to get to some metal-like shredding. The vocals are too "Rock", neither angelic nor growl.
As said: Cool track, but hardly Metal in the demanded style.

Brandon740
Certainly Metal to me, and I mean (not being any expert) the Prog contents are there too.
Well produced.

Doc Jon
Really well done Rock track, edging Hard Rock, but no Prog, no Metal, no Prog Metal.
Some pleasant-growl in the latter part doesn't change much. Cool vocals by the way ...

EsteveCorbera
Another well done driving Hard Rock track, but kinda missing the Prog Metal theme.

Lady Incognita
I like her Goth Metal attitude, but the track sounds a bit unfinished.
Her vocals are well done, I love the eastern undertones. But -uh- no Prog Metal.

Arelem
One of the tracks closer to the demanded goal.
Well done cruel guitars, bass and vocals. I (personally) miss some Prog though ...

[Doc Jon]

Things I have learned during this month’s competition:
This month I learned how to cope with the frustration of mixing to a -14LUFS limit when working in a typically ‘loud’ genre such as rock/metal. It made me look at my mix much more closely than usual to trim away any unwanted stuff to maximise my headroom but I’m still not sure I was particularly successful. (I have already made a new ‘rule-breaking loud’ mix ready to upload after the competition is over!!)

Feedback

► Show Spoiler

Arelem – Eternal Odyssey
Authentic prog subject matter in the lyrics and some of the best guitar sounds this month, certainly well in keeping with the metal element of the challenge. The drums are also convincingly metal and everything is very well mixed. My only issue is with the sung vocal where I found the obvious auto-tuned effect a bit overpowering and not really in keeping with the prog or metal genre. Having said that, overall a good track

Api_ZZ – Monumental Memorandum
Promising intro. Some nice guitar sounds, nicely distorted and certainly metal enough for my liking. Great prog organ and some convincing prog style chord progressions. When the track kicks off at 0:14 all seems good, it progresses well with a nice arrangement, probably more prog than metal but it all flows nicely. The mix would benefit from a bit of attention with balancing the various different instruments against one another, the bass in particular is lost a bit and would benefit from being a bit more up front while various other sounds could definitely be scaled back, in fact the overall track levels would benefit from being pulled back just a bit. I did enjoy listening to it (several times!)

Brandon740 - Resource
Promising intro with a nice prog feel in the first section. I was waiting for the metal to appear and at 2:02 there it is! Some convincingly distorted guitars and a really great dissonant chord progression, very nice indeed and immediately captured my attention, I like it a lot. Convincing guitar solo at 3:16. Drums were good throughout too. Fade out at the end seemed out of place coming when the solo guitar was still in full flow, I can imagine a furious guitarist in the band moaning that you cut off the best part of their performance!! I think a final build up to some power chords and a drum finale would have made a more convincing ending, nevertheless this is an excellent track

EsteveCorbera: Metal A Tope
Very experimental style intro, almost ambient in nature until those guitars appear. Some great riffs and rock style chord progressions but I did feel that the guitars are not weighty enough and sound like they have been hi-passed too much in the mix, I would have wanted a much more ‘beefy’ heavy sound. Drums are good with some great patterns/programming, always nice to hear a ride cymbal based rhythm in rock but could be more aggressive in the mix, guitars are too loud by comparison, particularly noticeable in the section from 2:50 onwards. Bass guitar was difficult to hear. Very nice ending!

D J Chrisantimos – Kror Amfpten
This was quite unexpected, certainly best use of a harp in all the compositions this month! We are very firmly in prog territory here, lovely guitar and solo synth arrangement against the harp backdrop, the drums complementing it all nicely with some great rhythm programming. I can definitely hear the influence of your classical/orchestral background coming through in this composition. I was waiting for the metal to appear but it never really did so I think it falls a little short in fulfilling the brief for the month, but from a prog point of view it was very good (even down to the authentic 70’s vinyl noise!)

Lady Incognita – Momentum
A great theme and as a whole the track fits this month’s theme well enough for me. Nice to have a vocal and I liked the hook. Great guitars and particularly impressive guitar solo! Fade out came too soon though, I wanted more!
Mix-wise I would have liked a little more prominence for the bass guitar. Overall there was a lot going on in the very centre of the stereo field, particularly the guitars which sounded mainly mono in the opening section and opening these up across the stereo field with panning or stereo processing would have given more of a sense of occasion to the track. When the lead widens a little at 1:04 you really feel the benefit!
The vocals were well delivered but I think would benefit from being a bit more ‘aggressive’ which could have been achieved with just a small amount of distortion to help give them an edge

The Soundcloud mix does present some problems which I suspect is more related to the fact that you have uploaded an MP3 file which doesn’t always translate well with the subsequent Soundcloud processing, particularly where the higher frequencies and transients are concerned. Using a high quality WAV file should avoid a lot of those issues in the future. Also pushing the loudness of your mix too far will upset Soundcloud and adversely affect the conversion algorithm but given your mix figures I don’t think that would have been an issue here

Gyorgy Becsei: Goddess of Time
A great arrangement and very well mixed as always. Great choral intro followed by nice guitars and drums with a great arrangement throughout the track. You have nailed both the prog and metal aspects of the challenge musically with some very characteristic subject matter in the story with the vocals. My main issue is with the choice of that vocal, the deep voice sounded more operatic than metal. It is possible that tweaking the gender setting in Synth V or adjusting the formant of the vocal output would have presented a better sounding tone more suited to the style of the music. I did not really like the vocal staccato repeats either – sorry! I must however compliment you on your lyrics, I know English is not your first language but you have done really well, particularly the verse:
“In the ticking of the clock,
Lost moments that we can't unlock
We're dancing in the shadows of time,
Chasing dreams, a rhythm so sublime”
which is excellent

Voting

► Show Spoiler

1) Brandon740
2) Lady Incognita
3) Arelem

[Chrisantimos]

Hello friends,
I’m still happy that I managed to submit my first entry here at SWC. I’m mostly a classical composer, and working with Kror Amfpten I learned a lot more about MIDI-editing and the possibilites of composing directly in DAW, without using notation software.

My overall impression of the entries is that they all sounds very good mixed and mastered, and I will definetely work more on that for myself. I have for each entry evaluated musical quality of composition, sound of mix, overall impression and how the song fits the progrock/”motion”-task of SWC075.

Feedbacks

► Show Spoiler

Arelem - Eternal Odyssey
Nice beginning, very good vocal, maybe too much bass drum compared to snare. Nice guitar-riff. The genre is more metal for me than progrock. Composition might be developed some more.

APi_ZZ - Monumental Memorandum
Very nice beginning, I liked the organ and guitar-intro. Big epic sound, exciting composition and it nails the prog-rock task. Brilliant mix! Good development of the musical ideas at end of song.

Brandon740 - Resource
Exciting composition, very good mix, simple but nice drums, cool guitar sound, I enjoyed the pedal in the bass. Definetely prog-rock. The guitar riff starting at 2:40 is superb and made the song for me.

EsteveCorbera - Metal_a_tope
Cool beginning, nice riff and sound on guitar, but not as sophisticated as I could wish for progrock. I enjoyed the synth-sounds at end of song.

DocJon - Escape From City 17
Not a typical start for a prog-rock song, but I liked combining street sounds at beginning. Very nice vocal, wow! Who is this – yourself DocJon? More progrock from 1:00, but the riff could be more sophisticated. At 2:40 it’s a new song, that was a little confusing. Excellent mix!

Lady Incognita – Momentum
Very good mix, nice steady groove, I liked the guitar-solo with the arabic tunes, nice melody on vocal. It’s not what I think of a progrock-song, but very nice chords.

Becsei Gyorgy - Goddess Of Time (feat Asterian)
Nice and simple chords, surprisingly cool vocal, guitar-riff is ok, maybe a too simple composition for the prog-rock-genre. Nice sound on guitar-solo, I like it when a little out of tune. Arrangement maybe too long with 2 solos.

Top3

► Show Spoiler

1. Brandon740 – Resource
2. APi_ZZ - Monumental Memorandum
3. Becsei Gyorgy - Goddess Of Time (feat Asterian)

[EsteveCorbera]

Good night,

Based on the votes so far, I see that I have to dedicate myself to soundtracks.
Jokes aside, this month has been a challenge that has made me research and leave my comfort zone. I have to say that this type of music is completely unknown to me. Therefore, it is possible that he did not make a suitable track and that he does not know how to give you good feedback either.
I had to research time signatures in music.
I also have to thank Mister Fox for organizing the challenge with things that make us leave our comfort zone. Precisely for this reason I would like to receive your feedback, Mister Fox. Thanks.


I will give you some brief comments.

Arelem - Eternal Odyssey
good topic I agree with you that this month you can be satisfied.
You have made music very much in your style.
Good vocals, good mix, good drums and good lyrics in the song.
Actually I can't say too well, because I find everything very correct.

Api_ZZ – MonumentalMemorandum
Curious mix of elements: organ, guitars, orchestra... You're right when you say you've done something more progressive than metal.
I love the organ and some of the guitar progressions give it a rock opera feel.
Good theme, varied, doesn't get boring, several pieces that fit together very well. Good progressive music.

Brandon740 (BrandonOgilvie) – Resource
I like the beginning, very calm. When the battery comes in it is also very good. The theme progressed in a very original way until the entrance of the more aggressive guitars. Maybe this part is the one I find least interesting, I guess it also influences the fact that I don't like this type of music.
I definitely stick with the opening half of the song. Very good. It reminds me a little of Agean Sea, the absolute masterpiece of Aphrodite's Child (in this case the work of the genius Vangelis).
The end a bit abrupt. I don't quite like this lowering of the volume.

Doc Jon - EscapeFromCity17
Damn, what a pass.
Just a negative comment, it reminds me more of a pop/rock track than metal. That said, the rest is great. Fun topic to listen to. The lyrics that go well with the music. I really like this style.
The more metal part is left for me, but of course, this month I had to do it that way.
good mix Good composition, good rhythms, very good everything.

Chrisantimos – Kror_Amfpten
Beginning with very curious and original harp. Surprising, even. The guitars are a secondary thing, with the harp and moog-like sounds taking center stage. Very interesting jazz influences.
As DocJon says, the best harp this month.
For me it is very far from metal but very good the part of changes of measure.

LadyI ncognita - Momentum
Very gothic metal song. I wanted to get on a motorcycle and go for miles listening to your song.
I love half-track guitars. Very exciting, very strong.
Perhaps the battery would stand out more. And add distortion to the vocals to give a little more rawness and strength. The ending was too abrupt, I wanted the song to last longer.

becsei_gyorgy – GoddessOfTime
Listening to the voices of your song this month, I imagine a fat guy with a beard, a hat and singing quietly in front of the microphone.
The least interesting part of your subject, as you say, is the guitars. The rest is very original and in very good condition. It's always hard to find things to improve in your music.

(translated with google)

Impossible to vote this month. I don't know who to choose.
I need to be able to vote for more people.

► Show Spoiler

01 Api_ZZ
02 Chrisantimos
03 Lady Incognita

[Mister Fox]

A friendly reminder:
We're in the final 24 hours to submit your feedback and cast your vote.


Please check post #024 regarding the feedback and voting mechanic. Please don't let yourself be put at a disadvantage by not participating (fully). The Songwriting Competition lives from the given feedback towards each other.

Outside feedback is welcome, of course.

[Arelem]

Hello All,

I had a hard time really figuring out what makes rock or metal prog. From some of your feedbacks, it sounds like I still didn't quite get there. That's ok though because I still think I managed a pretty solid song. I tried singing in a different style for the verses and I think it sounded pretty good. I might have to experiment with that a little more in the future.

Feedback

► Show Spoiler

APi_ZZ - Interesting track. I felt it lacked a little bit of melody to really grab my attention. The instruments are all so wide that the drums sat very front and center, maybe too much so. Some pretty minor things really. The elements went together well and the instrumentation was nice. Overall, a solid work. Good job.

Brandon740 - Really like the drums they sit perfectly in the mix and have a great sound to them. I can't help but feel like this track was written with the idea of a singer being over it. It still stands on its own fine, but I got that feeling from it. The subtle guitar squeals in the background of parts was a nice touch. Your post doesn't have a description of how things were done but I'd be interested to know. If the drums and/or the guitar were digital/midi I'd be pretty impressed.

EsteveCorbera - Guitars lack a little bit of grit for me and the kick drum is really weak. Otherwise, I think you did a pretty good job. The patterns and melodies were good. The random little synth or percussive elements helped add interest. It does start to feel a little repetitive towards the end, but not too bad. Solid submission.

Doc Jon - I like the groove created with the drums and bass. The verse-to-chorus transition is a bit jarring. The chorus vocals were mixed a bit low but the rest of the mix sounded good to me. The verses definitely had that Doc Jon sound with a heavier chorus, I like it.

Chrisantimos - Drums are mixed a bit quiet and cut out weirdly at times. The harp sounds nice. The random synth solo was out of place in my opinion. Apart from some small presence of guitar at times, I'm not really feeling that this fits with rock/metal much.

Lady Incognita - All the elements fit together well. The track is lacking a little bit of the low end for me, especially in the bass guitar. The vocals fit decently. You sound a little reserved to me, like you lack the confidence to really go for it. That's something I'm certainly guilty of anyway but that's because I can't sing You don't seem to have that problem IMO. I'd be interested to hear what it might sound like if you put some more oomf behind your singing.

becsei_gyorgy - The choir fits in really well with the rest of the track. The drums were a little quiet/subdued for my preference. I didn't hear much bass but you didn't list a bass as one of your instruments so maybe that's why. The vocal works for the chorus but I'd like something with a bit more grit in the chorus. I'm sure that's a limitation of using a VST for vocals though.

Vote

► Show Spoiler

1st Brandon 740
2nd Doc Jon
3rd Lady Incognita

[Mister Fox]

It's the 02nd December 2023, 05:40 (UTC+1/CET) - the Voting Period has officially ended.

Sadly, not all participants have submitted final feedback, we would therefore have 1 disqualification.

I will send out another newsletter/message to those particular participants (@Brandon740), give you until the end of Saturday, 02-NOV-2023 as per the rule book on the voting process ("overtime mechanic"). If there is a feedback and a vote by the participant in question, only -5 points will be deducted from the scoresheet. Else, sadly a disqualification.

Once I have this feedback as well, I will post the results within 2-3 days and take "late feedback" into consideration.
(this is not an automated process)


The only disqualification criteria is by "not participating" with feedback at the end of the game. Time constraints can happen -- but I do not consider entries to be "withdrawn" at this point. You unfortunately just didn't have the time.

Everyone else, please no more changes to your vote. Thank you.


Please have an eye on this thread

[Mister Fox]

It's the 03rd December 2023, 07:15 (UTC+1/CET) - the Voting Period extension has officially ended.

Unfortunately, not everyone has sent in feedback and cast a vote (still). We therefore have 1 disqualification.


Please no more changes to your feedback from this point forward.
I will post the results within 2-3 days. (this is not an automated process)


Please have an eye on this thread

[Mister Fox]

Technically, I announced that I won't be giving any feedback or cast a vote. However, this month's genre was a bit tricky, and I want to at least give some positive words of encouragement on the way.

Most of you tackled a genre, that you usually don't even dabble in. And I am delighted to see you "try" and learn from this experience. I hope to see similar attempts in the future.

Although, let me please reiterate once again - you are never forced to add any lyrics during the Songwriting Competition. Don't pressure yourself. Focus on a great piece of music first, then take it a step further (if you want to). On that behalf, to those giving feedback, a track with vocals doesn't automatically have to mean "higher scores" either. Let the music/arrangement speak just as loudly.




Feedback (in order of how the entries were submitted):


@Arelem:
I think the biggest criticism here, is the sound for the guitars. A different amplifier would have done wonders, or maybe even just a different guitar cabinet. If you then heavily compress and then distort the bass guitar, to bring out the "attack" of the instrument, you might get a better balance overall. Also, since you used "RealEight"... keyswitches and humanize features - else the guitar feels choppy.

Another thing I noticed - there are some intricate background details with some more guitar riffs. But you barely hear them cutting through. They could have been louder. With the vocals, I would have actually opted for a delay (ducked even) and not the reverb you've used. Or... a touch more delay (if you used that) and only a subtle reverb. Maybe even pull the vocals down just a tad (-1dB) to blend a bit more into the mix.



@APi_ZZ:
Some very interesting ideas here with the switching of sections, and even some "Pachebel" thrown in there? As with my feedback for the first entry, the weakest part here are the guitars (which is not an easy thing to create a good sound for). You could have pushed the amp a bit more.

Unfortunately, the section around 0:45 with a switch in drums and "clean guitars" also throws you a bit for a loop (the clean bass in the "bridge sections" is way too loud!). The volume feel all over the place for the sections, with the "intro drums" being too quiet compared to the rest (it's as if you used 3-4 different drum kits). However, you mentioned in your feedback/vote section that mixing is not your strong suit. I would have used the drums from the first section for the whole song, but actually raised the snare in volume a bit (maybe even give a bit more upper mids, to cut more through the mix), and then only switched up the hi-hat play.

You want a cohesive experience - vour ears are your best judge. For example, the "toms" in the end section shouldn't be louder than the overall drum kit. I would still say, great experiment - mixing is something that comes with experience.



@Brandon740:
Now this entry really set the bar high for everyone, and really pushes what I imagined to hear for SWC075. Unfortunately, you abandoned the game and neither provided documentation, nor participated with the voting process (your only way to get disqualified). Shame really - also considering that you were basically the "participants favorite".

My only complaints are with the mix in general. I find the reverb a bit "too stadium" for this song. Additionally, the song feels like it has a "blanket" over it, very lower mid-range heavy while the high frequencies have been dulled out. Else, the overall balance in this mix is great. I would have not(!) done this fade out though. It's not smooth, but sudden.



@EsteveCorbera :
As with every month, you're really trying to push yourself, do something new and dabble in realms you're usually not comfortable with. That is admirable. However, there is so much room for more with this entry. The used guitar amplifier sounds are just not the right ones for this particular song. Maybe some hints: the "lead guitar" could have a different / stronger distortion - the input signal (DI) was already quite compressed, but the amp wasn't "screaming" yet (hints: EQ in front of the amp, boosted around 3,3kHz with about 2-3 dB, and then sent about 3-4dB "hotter" into the amp, over-driving the input stage more, giving you a better lead sound). It's also super harsh... you could have rolled off high frequencies down to 8kHz easily. Also... "vibrato" for a lead melody is a thing.

Same goes for the rhythm guitars. Different amps, different feel. Sustained chords definitely work better, rather than the "chugging" ones -- but this also depends on the source sound/instrument. The drums also have way too harsh high hats (in my opinion). It's furthermore nice to hear synths in the later section of the song, but where were they in the first section? These instruments sadly drowned a bit.

Instrument balance has always been your main topic. Maybe this is your bigger challenge for 2024.



@Doc Jon:
This is more "late 1980s prog rock" than metal. But hey, it has distorted guitars, so I'll let it count (also, it's catchy)

The biggest things that stand out to me, are the balance between drums and guitars. Especially the "metal rhyhtm". Those guitars could be a bit louder (and in places harsher). Another thing that stands out, is "Superior Drummer"... it kinda drowns overall, feels too compressed (probably due to the squashed room mics being too loud). Maybe reduce that a bit, bring up the snare and the kit in general -- this changes the feel of the song, makes it more "driven"/punchy. Kind of hard to say what rhythm guitars are what, but the ones at 2:38 were definitely a bit too loud. I really like what you did with RealStrat (Solo). Did you use the "built-in" amps for all these guitars?

Overall, as mentioned, more "classic prog rock" than "metal". But I imagine you had a lot of fun with this. And hey, you could take Cubase 13 for a test drive.



@Chrisantimos:
Many great ideas here, with an overall great concept (and a lot of tools used to get there). Although this feels more like "fusion", than metal (I miss the "chugging" rhythms / more guitars -- where are the guitars?!). As with a lot of the other entries, the instrument balance is not ideal (biggest point to address - the pads are super loud for example), and the used guitar amps also don't necessarily "add" here.

I am pretty sure that Guitar Rig has more than just the usual "fizzy Marshall" with a SM57 microhone in front of a V30 4x12 Guitar Cabinet. A different tone might work wonders here. And as mentioned further up, a slight compression of the signal to bring out the sustain, then run a "treble booster" (e.g. Bell EQ at 3,3kHz with +3-4dB) in front of the amp. This definitely goes a long way. Also, "pull back" those high frequencies a bit. Creating guitar tones isn't easy - it can make or break a production.

The drums could also see some love. It's not the way they are played - these are actually nice grooves. But the kit could be a bit louder, and have a dose of more high frequencies (like a parallel EQ with a high shelf at 6,8kHz with a boost of 2-3dB). It sounds squashed and lofi currently. Since this song feels more "fusion", you want that groove a bit more in-your-face.



@Lady Incognita:
I am instantly reminded of Danzig meets Power Metal meets "Pop with Oriental influences". This is an interesting blend and concept, taking a swing, and announcing "here I am, take a listen". Such a pity that it's not fully available for everyone. It's still set to private on SoundCloud. Maybe a WAV file download would have sounded different, this is hard to tell. Maybe Ozone messed things up a bit too much, and then SoundCloud's encoding had a hiccup. Or, you uploaded an MP3, and Soundcloud turned that MP3 into another MP3 - which explains some tone wobbling ever so often.

For your (apparently) first attempt in this genre, not to mention at this unholy "low" loudness (hehe), you did great. I like the overall tone. Although Shreddage feels "chopped" if we talk rhythm, while the lead melodies are working nicely. SSD5 feels too over-processed (which is the case for most "ready-to-go" drum VSTi presets, see EZ Drummer). Maybe here as well, try to pull back the "squashed room sound" a bit (to ease up on the overall compression), raise the snare by like 1dB for more perceived "smack", and that should give you a way different feeling already.

Overall, a bit too much reverb for the whole song. I understand the concept to let this sound more "ethereal". But I would at least dial that back for the guitars, drums, and your vocals. Not fully dry, but definitely more subdued. The reverb helps you place your instruments. Less reverb means "more dry" means "more in front", while more reverb means "instruments are further in the back". Great for your strings for example.

In fact, the reverb has a mid range heavy tone, changing your vocal tone a bit too much as well. I'd try the following: definitely less reverb here, maybe a different reverb for the vocals altogether (more warm), or at least address the mid-range (around 1kHz to 2kHz) with a bell EQ dip. Ducking the reverb also results in more clean and up-front vocals. Alternatively, maybe try a more subtle delay instead.

I really hope you revisit this -- now you also know the time-frame of the game for future entries. Also, a more proper ending might be of interest. Although your fade-out wasn't as harsh.



@becsei_gyorgy:
Bringing back Synthesizer V for the vocals with this one. Great ideas, as with all your entries, but as with pretty much every entry this month: room for more.

For example: Addictive Drums, while being great, the snare is sadly not working here (IMHO). It's a bit too high pitched and with the VSTi processing, also a bit too aggressive (it feels like a "whip" sound). I'd maybe tune it down just a bit, and raise the snare bottom signal strength so that it's more felt than heard. This should already change the overall tone for the whole kit.

I don't know if the chord guitars use the built-in amp sound (UJAM Iron I assume), or you ran that through a dedicated amp. If it was a dedicated one, a different amp tone would definitely work more wonders here. Something that has a bit more "low end", and more drive -- else this feels too thin and too choppy. Maybe you wanted to shoot for a Gothic artwork inspired Japanese Platformer Video Game Soundtrack from the 1990s with this one. Who knows. I think you've used Shreddage for the Lead, and recorded it live. Some tones sadly cut off (maybe a legato issue). But overall, a way more fitting tone.

Now Synthesizer V seems to be a beloved tool with the Songwriting Competition as of late, and I get the appeal. However, in this case, the vocals feel a bit "offset" (lagging behind). Maybe on purpose even. And I am not a fan of the machine-gun voice at the 2:05 min to 2:19 min mark. Maybe just a "time... tik, tok" or something would have worked better here rather than chopped repetition.

But hey, you stepped into new territory - great job!




Final Thoughts and Vote:

I might have to re-think some parameters for future Songwriting Competitions. It feels like, I'm setting the bar way too high as of late (even with providing plenty of audoi demos!), which in turn results in low participation. Expectations are a highly subjective thing. Although admittedly, "Heavy Metal" is not an easy task if you've never worked with guitar amps before.

I really don't want to influence the overall score sheet. But considering that most of the points went to a participant that sadly ultimately abandoned the game, and I think certain entries fit the premise more than what the results show, I am also adding a vote. This is never an easy task, as you all know (plot twist - it doesn't drastically change the podium - but strengthens certain positions). Overall, you all won in my book. You've created something in the first place. You tried something new, even if it was way out of your comfort zone. Be proud of this achievement, no matter the position on the score sheet.

Please keep up the good work, and please keep spreading the word. The game is just more fun if there are more people involved.

► Show Spoiler

01 -- Arelem
02 -- Lady Incognita
03 -- Chrisantimos