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Jon2 -> RE: Some of my writings (9/4/2009 8:36:21 AM)
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Wow, huge thanks to you for this great review, nncerpower! [:)] I've been having mostly technical reviews so far from both, people who have basically been laughing at my work (especially my singing) and then people who have given me credit for making this at such a young age and with not much experience. No one so far has done a review like you did though, which portrayed your feelings and thoughts about the songs instead of wondering if something is on-key or on-tempo, and I got to say, it's really refreshing and valuable to see. [:)]
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ORIGINAL: nncerpower
Hope. Fear. Down. Love for...
Really like the beginning, I mean with the melody, even if the rest is much more based on rythmics, it is like turning out something else, but it announces quite well what the whole will be like. And the dark touch, I guess the bass plays a big part with that, is also a characteristic of all of the tracks I guess. Maybe it goes away too fast for an 'introduction', it would have worth to last a little bit longer, to be developped a little more.
What I meant with the rythm and the dark touch is clearly pronounced with Memory, really dark melody in introduction, that I really like. The rythm is then very well done, it works for sure, it stays in mind =) The chorus is kind of worrying, and added to the lyrics, it's like bitterness, for what I felt. Bridge is like a fragile balance with the atmosphere, and lyrics talk to me more disturbing than ever (but it's also a very personal feeling I guess) and the following guitar on this bridge is just great I think, simple, with like a variation of the main melody, but it's very efficient. And after having listening to the whole EP, I'd say this track is the only one which clearly follows a plan, I mean verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus. It's not a bad thing, just each track have its differences and characteristics.
Dive Inside is with no doubt the one I like the least, the verses are nice, but it doesn't catch my attention as the others. It's more 'joyful', once again not a bad thing, but it turns it more for the all comers. (OK, it's also logical with the lyrics, I guess) But, even with the bridge, I can't get it. And I find on the chorus that the vocals and drums are not so well together, there is like a weird gap. Nevertheless, I really love the sound of the bass! X)
I'll go through the whole review now to explain some things. Memory and Dive Inside certainly are the only songs on this EP that follow the formula that you hear in popular music. I also made it so that the EP would be better and better by the end, so I personally do not think much of any of the 3 first songs. In Memory, I did my first solo and I personally think it's not bad for one - it's a lot like the solo in Bottom Feeder by Project 86, only faster. As for Dive Inside, I guess I'm not that proud of that one either, but since it's lyrically pretty much a step away from everything else I've done, I wouldn't call it the worst track on the EP, even though you're not the only one to say that. But yeah, my screams still need A LOT of work. [:D]
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ORIGINAL: nncerpower Now .... my 'coup de coeur', absolutely love this one coming... The Listener... the introduction is just wonderful, I really mean it. The melody is insistent, haunting, it's like a severe march, and light at the same time, and the bass still beautifully present carries the whole. The verses follow so well, and I guess it must have some flats in there, right? Because, when the guitar and the voice get down together, it's something I can't explain, just beautiful. And when the guitar plays back to the upper tones, with still the melody basis back, just beautiful too. I feel this melody really as a story first... And when I look at the lyrics, I realise it's a true poem, with no rules, just words putting together into a feeling, which lead us through the story, it's fluid. And the 'middle part', it sounds like a sudden shower, so cool! XD like a strom ready to burst. And by the end, the story goes on with a change of ambiance, in a unexpected funny way I think, but enjoyable. And when the voice let the place to the high melody, with the low ones of the bass and the second guitar (?) in the back, it's so refreshing. This end, with just the music, sounds like an accomplishement, I got almost tears, just these little notes.
I really give applauses to this one, it's so well done.
The thing with The Listener is that I think I could've done better with it, but I got really frustrated with it (and I got to admit, I rushed on the release date). The composition seems to have been so good though that many people still say it's their favorite. The intro and the verse I'm personally very proud of, and the flats are meant to be in there yes, if you mean the parts where there is barely any singing or change of notes. About the singing itself, I'm very disappointed in that here, but I did try many takes and I just couldn't find a good key for this song. The lyrics (which overall I would like you to discuss about at the AS forums, btw [;)]) are simply about finding a person in your life who is there to listen to you whatever you have to say. The middle part you're referring to is the one coming at 1.57, right? Heh, I personally intended it to be a more haunting and heavier part than anything before that, to create some contrast. As for the end, it's a little funky but I intended it to be like that, again, for the contrast factor. The singing by the end is actually a little off-tempo, I didn't notice that until I had put the download up already, but it's not a major flaw. The outro to this song (from 4.02 and onwards) is something I truly am proud of, too, because the harmony is one of the rare ones I've actually been able to produce well, not to mention that the rapmetal part at the end is so addictive! [8D] I don't know about you, but I personally can't stop chanting that part (without inertia... turn blood to reflections of red strings). Thanks for the virtual applause, means a lot. [:)]
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ORIGINAL: nncerpower Winterstorm in the HAErt is also great, love the really beginning. The guitar after the first chorus is great! And all the instruments are well managed around the vocal, hum... I mean everything is well together, it sounds like there is a unique rythm, it works well. And the lyrics help me to define the melody: obsession =) It's quite like a persitance to a quest, really on the first part of the song, I think.
This is actually a track me and a Canadian musician called Shades of the Atmosphere were planned to do a collaboration on (not sure if you've read about that) but in the end, time got in the way since he had studies and other things he was busy with. The whole bridge (from 1.49 to 2.42) is once again very contast-filled with a build-up and then a heavy part, which could've really been great without my screaming, since that bass is really deep there. I actually recorded the vocals and wrote/recorded the bass track just a day upon release, and I also consider this one of my own favorites among with tracks #6 and #8.
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ORIGINAL: nncerpower Night+Day=Awake ... ... ... well, well, well, I love songs which debuts are such beautiful, when melodies are such well done. And I love the slighty discordance between the chords, it gives a tint of incertitude, wavering. I really like these changes of ambiances, as these different emotions balanced between irritation, hope, despair, will. But all goes away with a wave of light! =) And the bridge (46+2/ 44 and 2...etc) (I love that part of the text by the way), GREAT, a really good rythm, it 'empowers' the whole. Again, the tint of discomfort, worrying, also cured. And then, we can feel it starts to fly, everything is to burst soon. And the end.... the melody is, well, close to be perfect, it's the exact echoe of the whole, with something like we fly. And when the vocals come back, it gives a last loud breath, and then it's a final point. In fact, this one is a whole of different ambiances, contradictory and complementary though.
Nothing much to say about this one, because you've told me your opinion already before and I already commented on it back then. It's just very funny how people credit that one specific part (46+2, 44 and 2...) because I don't think it's that great at all, and I didn't put much emphasis on it at any point.
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ORIGINAL: nncerpower Sun.06 is a one I really love, mostly because of the melody of the vocals, sometimes followed by the guitar, which gives power to it. It's like in fire I find, everything is like blazing up, and I came to realise, just like the sun does... ;) , and the bass is like a roaring. Really, the whole song burns from beginning to end, except for the choruses, which are more like warm winds. I'm sorry if this wasn't meant at all, but this feeling is very clear to me, and, well, everyone feels music differently, right? =p
Another track I didn't expect much from but turned out to be good. The vocals indeed are some of my best here and on Lightless. There's a lot of bass on this song, yeah, but also a lot of other things - at some points there's as much as three different layers just for guitar. [;)] And don't worry, the chorus was meant to be just like you thought - a more harmonizing and calmer moment to the song, whereas the bridge and the verses are more haunting and build-up.
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ORIGINAL: nncerpower Lightless begins more calm (reminds me a song of Deftones, by the way), then catches a nice rythm. Well, still the same, I find the melody of the verses is really well done, and the chorus' one is very logical... This is quite appeasing. It hasn't the energy of the other songs, but this isn't disturbing. And for what's about the lyrics, I found some words are so simple that it is even more hurting, some images are strong. This is also nice putting such a subject on calm music. And oh! there is THE moment of the song (I precise, starting at 3'28 lol) when the leading melody 'doubles', it's so beautiful, and when instruments add to this, it is even more, it grows with intensity, to finish in apotheosis.......... but I precisely would have let the melody go on, without the shouts which kind of break this growing I think.
Wow, a Deftones comparison?! [:o] Thanks a lot. [:)] I got to say that I definitely see what you mean, and like I said previously, this is one of my favs as well. Lightless is actually the only song I use a Drop C tuning on so it was meant to be heavy and darker than the rest, but seems like the whole made you feel the opposite, haha. Anyway, I definitely was looking for more simplicity here lyrically to paint strong images, since the theme is very deep (once again, don't want to give away too much, let's discuss elsewhere were other people actually might shares speculations etc.). I really tried to make this a strong closer for the EP and I think I succeeded, even if the screams are a little off-putting.
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ORIGINAL: nncerpower Oh well, I thought it since the beginning, but go and listen to the band AqME (yeah French Band =p), Autumn Scream really reminds me some of their songs sometimes.... that's impressive!!! And in order not to go out of subject, I am to recommand this band in the appropriate thread ^^
And for the whole of the EP, I'd say the bass is the key of everything, the key of the whole underlying ambiance, a dark and haunting one, it helps to bring unity, to reinforce the low sound of the guitar, where a style can begin to be defined.
edit: Honestly, for someone your age, it's a really good EP, I hadn't listened to your first one, but I'd say you got potential [:)]
I will put that band at the top of my list, you can count on that. [;)] Bass I particularly like as an instrument and I want to emphasize it as much as I can (not too much of course, but I really do not like when bands don't emphasize it enough) and my guitar and bass parts are what I'm best at apart from the lyrics, I think. Anyhow, I would once again like to thank you for this awesome review, and while I still do ask you to give a rating, I'm sure you will like what I have coming in the future [;)] (even though at the moment, I have challenged God to show me my true purpose in life since many people, and I mean real experts, say that I need a vocal coach and that my music just isn't good enough, going as far as questioning my passion... [:(]).
Oh, and did you get the special edition? If so, what did you think of the interview and the extra thing?
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