Karco's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[FL - Summer Rain [Remastered]]

Has its ups and downs.

I think I just might leave a monster review on this one. ;) We'll see...

First thing that comes up to me is that you're using the VERY recognizable FL Keys and... correct me if I'm wrong, but VEC? 1 or 2, I can't tell. If you're using any common samples, go ahead and FX them, heavily! That way it'll sound LOTS more original, and in turn that much better. ;)

I hear the bass on the offbeat - this is quite commonly done, and though it's quite catchy, and works well almost all the time, it comes at a price of originality - dropping the bass on the offbeat is one of the most unoriginal things you can do with it, unfortunately. Next time, try arping it. Play with rhythms you'd call ridiculous. Change the 'Snap' on FL Studio (which you PROBABLY use XD) to 1/2 step, and experiment until you have something that sounds good.

The composition of this all is nice, and you've paced this song pretty well. Was this, by any chance, inspired by cornandbeans's Lazy Summer Days? :P Sure sounds like it... I notice that you switch between piano breaks and climaxes, several times in the song. If that's the deal, then take, say, a part of the song from one low point to the next (preferably the biggest) climax, and then the next low point, and work on it by itself as an original song, polishing it until it shines. Putting that kind of effort into a shorter song will almost all of the time give you something a LOT better than what you have now. ;)

Claritywise, there are a few things that need addressing. I'm noticing you're stacking your hits in a fashion that cause your song to clip... careful, there. ;) Use less hits at these points. If you absolutely HAVE to, though, then lower the volume on all of them so they don't clip, and mix/master them individually and as a whole. If that still doesn't work, then bring them back up to normal volume instead and lower the master volume, and start mastering the hits. If THAT doesn't work, then you need to get rid of a few hits. ;)

The general mastering could use some work... do you use FL Studio 7? Even if you don't, you probably have some version of Fruity Parametric EQ - I reccomend you use EQ 2, though it's up to you. Use it to master your songs, it helps me a lot when I master mine. ;) When I master mine, I generally end up cutting the middle frequencies - where buttons 3 and 4 would be, for example - a bit, so there's less clutter in the song. Then I build on that by raising the 5 and 6 knobs as needed until I have some nice, sharp, clean treble. I boost the kick by raising the 2 knob a bit, and then toy with the 1 and 7 knobs as needed until the song sounds good. It's up to you how you master your songs, and different songs often need different mastering, but that's the general formula that's worked for me nearly all of the time. ;)

Hmmm, anything else? This is a very good song, though songs like it are very common. If you want to get known on Newgrounds for songs like these... you're going to have to try VERY hard. ;D I reccomend taking up different, more original genres that less people do, but it's up to you in the end. If you want to stick with this style, go for it, and good luck. :) Just a thought you might want to consider.

That's about it, I enjoyed this song! I hope my comments help you in the future. Mind stopping by my page sometime? My latest could do with a review, especially since it's some of my best and I'd really like to see what lots of people think. ;) Find it at http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/liste n/96663.

Great work! Don't hesitate to PM me in the future if you want another review for a song of yours, though no guarantees on my availability. I'll try. :P Keep up the great work.

Pyroific responds:

MEGA REVIEW! lmfao, and NO i did not use FL Keys i used The soft grandpiano sound from Refx nexus.. D: w/e man thanks for the review

[_-={He's a Pirate Dance Remix]

A bit too used to submitting in Classical, are we?

After all, it is a DANCE remix, and you submitted the demo version under Dance... unless you think that it's Classical with Dance influences and not the other way around. :P But it's neat to see you're exploring genres, I'll give you what I think! Now that I'm in my real element, I'll give a nice juicy one too. >:)

Great use of vocals in that entrance! I'd have liked to hear it a bit more often, on the other transitions, though...

The first thing that stands out to me is that, as far as dance influence is concerned, your synths all sound quite the same, and quite video-gameish. I'll hazard a guess, correct me if I'm wrong - mildly FXed 3x0sc? The one exception is the sine in the beginning, which is quite an original touch and works well as an intro. It also works pwnsomely in the little interlude starting at 0:48, which happens to be my favorite part of the song. :D Here's a tip for your other synths, though. Try throwing whatever effects you find onto your synths, and play around with them. I like to use the Fruity Flangus, for example, to spice up a synth when it sounds rather dull, and I've been playing with Fast Dist these days, too. :P If you use FL Studio 7, pull out a Fruity Parametric EQ 2 on the Mixer channel of one of your synths and play around with the knobs until it sounds good. :P I once started with the default 3xOsc preset - as in, right when you open it up? I ended up making an NES-like distorted electric guitar purely with the FX I added on. XD

I'll comment on that bass of yours - it's on the offbeat, which works and can be quite catchy sometimes, but is also very unoriginal. Creatively arping it works out - once again, it's an experimenting sort of thing. Listen to other songs of this genre to see how they do it (assuming that they don't have an offbeat bass too, which could happen) and use them as a template.

You don't do too much harmonizing, which is a bit of a disappointment - your bass stays on C for a lot of the song, for example.

Something about your claps - this song is in 3/4 time, so the claps can't simply sit on every other beat like they would in a 4/4 song. I'd have either left the claps out entirely or experimented with the rhythms so I had a consistent one-measure-long clap pattern that sounded good. The kick is fitting, though nothing amazing. You might want to switch it up a bit on the transition measures, for diversity's sake. You could throw in a bit of extra classical percussion at those points too, for extra effect. :D I can hardly hear your hihat - it's closed, and closed ones usually play eighth notes or sixteenth notes in this kind of song. If you want a hihat on the offbeat, make it open for the most effect. ;) Finally, your snare rolls - they sound a bit off to me. I can't really tell how far off, but they SHOULD be ending right as the measure does. It could just be the 3/4 time throwing me off, though... XD

Oh, wait, I just noticed a 4/4 section... does that mean this song goes in both 3/4 and 4/4 time? I hardly noticed! o_O Great job bringing them together like that, I hardly noticed. Or was it unintentional on your part, too? XD

As far as the orchestrated parts of the song go, I don't have very much to mention. I don't think Dance always works well with orchestral influences, though you make it work. Not in a particularly unique or amazing way, unfortunately, but I can't say there's anything negative about it. :) If we're not talking about how they go together, though, I will say that there were times when the orchestra was a bit overpowering compared to the synths... but other than that it's all just fine.

A great effort at what came out to be pretty good, MaestroRage! :) You should give it another shot soon, you could be doing techno/dance as a side genre! :) Hope these comments have helped. :) Oh, and just something I'll say about what I've been up to lately, while I'm at it: There should be a new pwnsome submission on my audio page very soon... >:) But that aside, great work! I definitely enjoyed it. :)

MaestroRage responds:

I always love buying a small coffee while reading your reviews. There are a lot of great points, and because this is your genre we're playing in now, i'm very thankful for hearing your expertise.

You're right on several accounts, the hi hats for example are closed, for some reason I thought i'd try putting them in there. Failed experiment, but then again, experiments are not meant to be 100% success all the time!

And how did j00 knew aboot mah 3x0sc D: !?!?!?

I guess when you work in a genre enough they just stand out eh? Yes in fact, I did a pretty vicious melt and meld on those oscs. Saws, sines, and triangle 3xOsc's put together in one layer, after playing around with them for a bit I felt they sounded decent. Of course at this point even Sytrus presets sound decent to me, so how much that means could very well be nothing.

Also this song WAS meant to be in Dance. My absent minded submit mode kicked in and I just clicked on classical because heaven knows, my mind's always busting out an oboe and rudely interrupts my train of thought with a sick arse solo. Strings are usually included. For this song there was also a guy holding this cube, it r mede sounds.

As for the 3/4, 4/4 time switch, yes in fact it was intentional. The claps you see were designed for those sections, for some reason I didn't quite like them there, and then moved them to the 3/4 sections. I guess this was a bad move.

*If I am not mistaken the beginning and the heavily orchestrated parts are in 4/4*

That build up snare, is one I don't quite like myself. I just really didn't have any other snares on me. Or at least ones that didn't sound like fail.

The bass does stay at C. I thought the repetition would help keep the song together as everything else is pretty melodically active, i'll be sure to make it do something more on upcoming projects.

A brilliant review Karco, thank you for your tips, i'm glad you liked the project, i'll be checking out your sick tunes soon!

[_-={The Djsou Forest}=-_]

Huh, odd title.

Care to elaborate? :P

So it's another collab with LadyArsenic? Neat. Unfortunately, I'm not hearing too much singing in this one. I hear something at 0:36, but it sounds like it could be a choir as well. Did she simply collab with you the normal way this time? :\

Anyway, whether it's your choir or LadyArsenic singing, the singing becomes... buried, under the rest of the song. I have to strain my ears to hear it, and, considering the part singing usually would play in a song, I don't think I should have to.

Huh, at the end - the song simply cuts off. It sounds like it was supposed to loop, but it feels like it loops too soon. It loops perfectly - great job there - it just loops a little too soon.

There's not much new about this song. Your MAC7 entries were great, and you had put tons of effort into them - but this could have been done before all of those, in my opinion, just as easily. :\ Personally I'd rather see better submissions that come less frequently than average ones coming often. Come on, you know how I am about effort.... ;D

That's enough criticism, it's all I've got, anyway. :P On to the positive sides of the song. I'll start by saying that the atmosphere set up by the river and owl effects is great! :D I'd have liked to hear a little more - maybe the owl once more, or some other sound effect. It's simply the river playing through the entire song and the owl hooting.

Now, what I'd like to know is HOW THAT TURNED INTO CRITICISM ON ME! >:( That was supposed to be praise! XD

I can see you're using the guitar as well, and it's well-used! :) I especially like what I'm hearing starting at 1:32. Quite original and far away from your usual composition style. (Ha, that was praise and STAYED praise. >:) )

I think that's about it. It's a decent song, but more effort could be going into songs like this. Don't get me wrong, I like it. :P But, again, I'm more for the occasional pwning than the frequent "good job." ;) Keep at it, both you AND LadyArsenic. ;D

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, I FORGOT THE IMAGE!!! :D Here it is! It's another piece of imagery, with a lot of the figuring out left to be done. I had fun writing this one, hope you enjoy it. :D

A dark figure leisurely walks through the forest, unaccompanied. It's nighttime, but the dense trees cover the stars and moon. The forest is nearly blackened, except for a few visible moonbeams shining through openings between the branches.The sound of a river can be heard from far away, and the dark figure walks towards it.

They approach the river, kneel down, and dip their hand into it. It is very cold, and the current is very fast. The figure stands, and sees a light on the other side of the river. Fire. There are voices. There is laughter. The figure sits and watches.

After what could have been any amount of time, the figure stands up. They turn around, and start walking in the opposite direction. East. The figure's shadow follows behind.

Here's the end of the review, for REAL this time. >:) Hope you enjoyed it.

MaestroRage responds:

The title of the song, is the name of the forest in a game LadyArsenic is working on with a friend. It is only right to keep the name.

It is a collab with LadyArsenic, but not in the sense of her singing, but more her musical talents. Other then some subtle choirs there isn't singing.

The export might have cut off the end I suppose, on Fruity Studios it loops perfectly. I know what you mean though, it does seem to cut off here too quickly.

Concerning effort, this song didn't take any effort at all. It was just brilliantly fun for myself. It may seem like the song is not finished, or is rough, but to myself, and hopefully to LadyArsenic, we are happy, and proud of it. It is actually this kind of music that I love making. Simple, powerful, celtic-esque, warm, soothing... It's just great fun for me.

In any case, I always appreciate your honesty, so please, don't stop them.

As for the owl, I didn't have more then 2 types of hoots, and I didn't want to make them over used, so I used them twice each. I should have hunted for more, but simply could not find any decent ones. Many were halloween oriented and it was painfully fake or childish.

And as for the guitar from 1:32 onwards, that completely LadyArsenic's work. In fact ALL the guitar in this song is LadyArsenics work XD. But I know what you mean, I learned a great deal from studying under her in this song. Her guitar style and melodic work is very different, and I loved it.

As for your image, my image was always oriented around sunset, with the warm orange glows, but your image is as effective as that one! I never even considered night time, yet it clicks well. Good stuff Karco!

Thank you for your review, it is always a pleasure to hear from you Karco, i'm glad you enjoyed the piece!

[_-={Deranged Sanctuary}=-_]

Finally, a decent amount of time!

I've been meaning to review one of your songs for a while now, but I've never had a big enough amount of time - knowing my reviews for your songs, I'll need a decent amount of time to review 'em, and, knowing my computer, I'll have to do it all in one sitting or I'll risk losing the review when the window stops responding. XD I have been keeping up at least listening to them, though.

A different kind of song, I can't recall ever hearing a song quite like this from you. Quite rhythmic, and driving - almost energetic in a sense, though I doubt that's what you were aiming at. :P All of the instruments fit together so well, and how they all come together harmonywise is great, too. I can't say I've ever seen that kind of skill from you... you've improved here quite a bit. :D

Is that a panflute? :O It fits so well, and reminds me of certain parts of GoldenSun, for some reason... have you ever played it? Such a great game. :D

That sitar... I'm not so sure about it. It fits just fine, but I think there are instruments that could fit even better, while contributing better to the image you have in the description. That's just what came to mind when I heard it.

Not much else about the song, so here's my image...

Far out and isloated from the other ruins nearby, a fairly large, but not quite enormous, building sits - also ruined. It's obvious it was built with the intent of being a place of worship, due to its structure. However, it is worse-ruined than any of the ruins it is isolated from. Its builders were followers of a largely unaccepted belief, thus the isolation. Still, people would go out of their way to vandalize or destroy parts of it, even in its prime. And now, whoever invaded and wreaked havoc... this place of worship before could have been compared to the rest of the ruins afterwards. By destroying it as well, they were in almost a literal sense kicking a dead, bloody horse.

You'd think by now it would be simply a pile of stones - however, destroyed, lifeless, and uninhabited as it is, it still stands, stubborn and refusing to die. A memory of the past.

That's all, hope you enjoyed it! I enjoyed this song, that's for sure. ;D Keep up the great work and good luck in the MAC. :)

MaestroRage responds:

I'm glad you felt I have improved, because I feel the same way. This contest has given me so much insight on so many things, it's quite thrilling to have learned what I did. Mostly learned through sitting at my computer through the whole night hammering away at things, ripping my hair out, cursing my competitors names, and vowing vengence of the most melodic kind!

It was worth it though. All of it was worth it.

That is indeed a panflute, my favorite woodwind eva! I havn't played GoldenSun but it got mad good ratings, and my friends all liked it. I should try it out sometime.

Your image and story were both entertaining and vivid. Seen like bacteria, hated and shunned, these small group of people strove together to build a place, to withstand everything that was thrown it's way...

a very interesting, unsettling, yet pleasent thought.

Thank you for the review Karco, always appreciated :D!

[Lost In Metal Minds]

About time I got to this...

Though I don't think I'll have too much to say about this song. This looks like it's going to get a short review, but we'll see in the end. ;)

Hope you don't mind: I'm going to be copy-pasting a paragraph from another review I left earlier. I think you need it just as much. :) It's below:

Firstly and most importantly - from now on, stay far, FAR away from the drum presets that come with FL Studio. They sound weak, flat, and VERY overused. Find some better samples, even if it means buying them - as long as you're avoiding those FL samples like the plague. They're not going to get you anywhere. Don't be fooled by your ridiculous number of reviewers who praise your work to no end within the few lines that they do give. There are samples out there that can offer so much more than any of the samples you're currently using can.

That's all I'm going to be copy-pasting. Hope it helped. Now for the actual writing... :P

I can see you're getting the hang of getting notes to sound good together - the notes the guitar plays aren't half bad, in fact! :D (Though I don't think that guitar needs the And I really like the sound of those strings... where'd you get them? I wouldn't mind getting a chance to use them myself. :O They didn't need the panning, though. Another thing I don't like is the guitar-ish thing that comes in around 1:15, which isn't necessary in my opinion.

The next things you should be working on mastering, along with getting notes to sound good together, is song structure - this song right now is just a collection of loops in my opinion. Also try to get your drum rhythms right - fine, you're trying to be original. :P It almost works. But make a song with the kick-hat-clap-hat for once and see how it goes. It might actually turn out to be pretty good. :D

Not quite a monster review like the kind I used to leave you, but it should help anyway. You just might get somewhere if you keep at it and follow my advice as it comes. :)

New-Milkman responds:

Ya, because a 5 paragraph review isn't very "monster" ;) And I promise I will not use the drums that show up when you open up FL next time. And I didn't think the guitar panned at all, but I wasn't really paying attention to that. Or maybe I'm just retarded, I don't know...

As for the thing at 1:15, I just wanted to pass the 2 minute mark, and I couldn't really think of anything at the time, and that was the best I could come up with. And for "kick-hat-clap-hat"-ing... maybe I'll try it once just for you :P

Thanks for what you call a "not so monster" review!

[{SD} - Dark Memories]

Heh, you're welcome. :)

Ugh, though! What happened? Something must've went wrong with the file sending over chat, because this isn't the version I got! The kick is heavy to the point of distortion... and the hihat could be a bit quieter, right now it's fairly overpowering. Suppose there's no use crying over spilt milk, though, I suppose you should move on, leave this one behind, and start a new song.

You really got that diversity problem down! :) Great job there. You really made that lead fit. Also, kick and hihat aside, you figured out how to make that quality work! :) Great job there.

I really don't have too much else to say about it seeing as that I listened to it so many times already. But it's an improvement overall, so keep up the good work. Don't hesitate to ask me again for help if you ever need it. :)

ShirkDeio responds:

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks so much for all the help on it, now I will (try to) set out on my own =p.

[_-={Tell Me Once Again}=-_]

You really are crunching! :O

So many entries in such a short time! Better now than later, I suppose, I guess I'd rather not have a deadline breathing down my neck too. :P

Still, I feel a bit more effort could have been put into this entry. It's good, but it doesn't shine like your song The Desire to Destroy. How much time did you spend on this?

In my opinion it's a bit lacking in emotion as well. Something about the melodies, harmonies, instruments chosen... it doesn't feel well done, in my opinion. I do think it's sad-sounding, I think it would fit a Game Over screen just fine, but there could easily be other songs that would fit one better.

As far as the actual song, compositionwise, is concerned, I don't have too much to say. My main problems here are with the clarity. There's... something, it sounds like a timpani, in the background. I think you made it too quiet, I have to listen VERY carefully to hear it. Not too much else to comment on... suppose I'll move onto the story now.

An aged character sits under a tree, at the top of a hill, and they sit facing the city the hill overlooks. The morning sun shines down at their back, and at the tree, casting a shadow towards the city, which bustles with life. People are walking, running, laughing, chit-chatting meaningless nonsense the character couldn't care less about. Peace reigns over the city, yet our character doesn't want to have anything to do with it.

Our character is in exile.

They stand up, turn around, and walk away.

A bit vague, but the rest is for you to figure out. :P Not a bad song, but again, lacking in effort in my opinion. Keep trying, hopefully your other contest entries will be better. :)

MaestroRage responds:

The things with loops Karco is that the more diverse you make them, the more powerful you create them, the more tiring they are to the human ear. The less you can listen to them. The Desire To Destroy, if you listen closely, has no main theme or melody. it is a long sequence of punishing chords and percussion.

Now if I had put a melody on top of that song, it would get super old, super fast. Battle/Angry pieces also tend to demand having a climax *build up* of sorts. The end of that song DOES have a semi-climax, but ultimately it leads back to the beginning, which some have claimed was a bad idea.

What i'm trying to say with all this is, a sad game over piece, DEMANDS melody. It DEMANDS having a voice, and for this reason I had to make it semi-bland, had to make it as powerful as I could whilst making it as fragile as possible.

True I didn't put as many hours into this as I did Desire To Destroy, though I didn't slack on it either. I suppose this one was just a failure, thats perfectly fine! That just means i'll have to try harder. Make another Game Over theme!

I also enjoyed your story, short, but there is room to figure things out myself like you wrote, which I did... in great detail. I wish I could show you the image in my head of him sitting under the tree atop a hill, overlooking the village...

In any case, thank you for the review!

[_-={The Desire to Destroy}=-_]

Huge effort here! :D

You said in your news post this was a MAC entry, so why am I not surprised? :D I'll jump right in and start reviewing right away.

Not really too much to comment on, I like what you did with the choir in the first half or so of the song. Makes it nice and ominous. >:) I really like the way this song is structured! :) The percussion is very well-done, too, it adds a lot to the song.

The one thing I don't like, however, is the buildup at the end of the loop, which sounds like you're trying to make this song sound like one of those movie trailer soundtracks at their climax. :P A little more effort could have gone there - you tried but it was missing a little something that made it fall flat there, unfortunately. It kinda stood out of the song that way. The rest of the song was brimming with effort - this had it too, but not nearly as much. Of course, if the movie trailer feel might not have been what you were going for there, but even then it still could have done with a bit more effort.

That aside, though, I have to say this is a serious contender to be reckoned with in the MAC! I wish you the best of luck in the contest, Maestro. :)

Storytime now, though it'll probably be a short one since this is only a minute long. :P What's more is that, exciting as battlethemes are to listen to, stories end up being a bit cliche for my tastes. :\ Aah well, I'm trying to be original.

The sun glares harshly on two swordsmen in the center of a battlefield. All soldiers around them have fallen, and they, the leaders of their armies, wait for their opponent to make the first strike as they circle each other.

They realize that there is no good or evil - they are simply fighting for their own side. They realize the other's cause is as worthy as theirs, and that the battle is virtually a tie already and their fight here is meaningless if they wish to serve their own country. Yet they continue to circle each other.

Tension builds, and as they circle each other they realize only one between the two of them will live. The last thing they will see is the victorious gleam of their foe's sword. And still they circle.

That's all. And, whaddaya know, if you go back to the first paragraph, it loops too! :D How many people have done THAT before? ;)

Great song, Maestro, I enjoyed it! Keep up the great work, and good luck in the MAC. :)

MaestroRage responds:

Ah i'm glad you mentioned the percussion Karco, a lot of time was spent on them this time. For a brutal punishing theme the percussion is what makes or breaks the piece. Without them the song sounds incredibly flat and lifeless. Enough to the point it makes me laugh, and shed tears of shame.

Of shame Karco!

The climax at the end was not really intended to sound like a trailer, and i'll be honest here, I got the idea to try something like that after listening to Hans Zimmer's Pirates of the Caribbean 3rd OST "Drink Up Me Hearties". Somewhere in that song, alongside many other songs, he has a very powerful build up. Though my build up differs, and honestly doesn't convey as much energy, I felt the method would be a convinient way to loop. Whether that was the case or not is obviously debatable.

and Hah! I've never seen anybody write a story that loops XD. An infinite cycle of walking in circles, I can picture it now! The seasons, the weather, all cycling with them!

In any case, thanks for the review Karco, always a pleasent read! I am glad you liked it ^^.

[_-={Vengeful Mind Break}=-_]

Hooray! :D

It's here! :D Awesome, I'm downloading it, right away. :)

Know what I'm going to do to review this? I'll watch the video and comment on your syncing as well. >:) Right after I comment on the song itself.

Great intro with the metal-on-metal effects, not too much to comment on... the way you build tension around 0:25 is just amazing! Then a crescendo into a march-ish section, and, awesome! You've got the choir singing more than aahs and oohs! :) Ohm, cha, something like that. XD

I have next pretty much no criticism for this song, the production is amazing. :D You definitely did push yourself to your limits... :) Though I do agree with you now, that it doesn't make too much sense without the video. :\ It feels inconsistent, changing its mind, like someone walking randomly and making sudden and almost instantaneous turns in random directions. You could also say it's like a blind person trying to sit in the corner of a circular room. XD The video really adds a lot to it. Anyway... I'm going to watch the movie now and give any comments I have for it.

(Shoot, know what I realized? After I watch the movie, and comment on it, I'll still have a story or at least an image left to give! Unlike with most artists my reviews for your songs are getting longer and longer... ow. XD)

I'll PM you the rest of the review. My computer's being REALLY annoying right now. Sorry. :\

MaestroRage responds:

I don't even know how to respond to your review Karco. To those who may be reading this response, Karco pm'ed me 2 other messages, each larger then even this! It's absolutely amazing how you find such time, and I must admit, it's even a little awe inspiring. For so long you've managed to keep this energy up, and for this I commend you.

Yeah, the choirs flowed into different things this time :D. It was a neat addition to teh song!

I'm not going to even respond to everything Karco, I don't even know how to begin, but I DO want you to know I really appreciated it, thank you.

I'm glad you liked the piece!

[_-={Wolven Shrine}=-_]

Always sad when a site shuts down...

What sort of site was it? I'm guessing the wolves have something to do with it...

A lonely feel is what I'm getting, though it becomes quite defiant and powerful once the timpani comes in... then there's the section that begins at around 1:46, at which point the song becomes a lot darker, angry, even. This song changes quite a bit... hmm. I don't quite like the note the song ends on - I see a trend... you seem to end abruptly on many of your songs. Now that I think about it, I can't believe it took me this long... XD But work on those endings! ;)

Another thing - maybe it's my headphones, maybe it's Newgrounds - I wouldn't be surprised if it was, actually - but I hear clipping in the beginning and end (it could possibly be in other places but I can't find it) of the song, and it seems to be on the part of the wolf sounds. I see down there that you just googled for them - ha, you're pretty lucky to find such good ones for free and with google but you can't forget sound quality when choosing them. ;) Aah, I'm hearing it with the choir - while it's hard to hear at first, the distortion gives itself away around 1:09-ish, or something like that. And I'm pretty sure you didn't google those samples... don't tell me you're getting lazy with the sound quality, now! XD

I'm not so sure about that flutelike instrument... It starts around the two-minute mark and it seems it was just "dropped on there" for the medieval sort of feeling. That spot could have gone to another instrument for adding to the dark feeling, which would have definitely worked out better, I think...

Hah! I just saw the timer go to 1:60. XD Ha, it goes to 0:60, too. Sometimes the redesign glitches are just... too funny. XD

I suppose nothing's left to add to the song except a nice story... >:) I'm on time constraints so it won't be too long but I'll try.

The sun sets on the far side of the mountain... a group of hikers climb it slowly, tired out from the hard work of a long, long day. They're not too far up - they're essentially in a slanted forest. Trees are plentiful where they are, as is wildlife, and there's no snow. They hear the wolves howling off in the distance but think nothing of it.

It's dark now. A campfire is made and sleeping bags are put out, tents are lifted. But in the middle of this hard work, a forceful gale begins to blow - the fire disappears and tents are blown away. Even the stars and moon seem to have been snuffed out.

One of the campers stands up and looks around. His friends are still there. He hears a wolf howl, and turns - to see one of his friends replaced by darkness. Wolves howl again and he turns to see two more have disappeared. He fumbles for a flashlight, a lighter, a match, just ANY source of light - but finds none. Fear grips him and he starts turning in circles, seeing now nothing but darkness.

A wolf strikes the camper, jumping onto him. He fights back but is quickly knocked out... and, unfortunately, killed.

The wolf howls.

Another great song, I enjoyed it! Hope you enjoy the review, and the story, as always... :) I recently uploaded a song that my friend and I collabed on while I taught him the basics of FL Studio, how about you stop by my page, give it a listen sometime? Much appreciated... and keep up the great work! :)

MaestroRage responds:

Hello Karco!

Sorry for my late response! The endings of my songs ARE abrupt, often. I do this mostly because I hate fade outs, and really I find if I don't make it abrupt they tend to drag on and on. But you're right, this is a flaw, and I should find a way through it.

The site was called rpg wolfpack, hence the reason for the wolves.

The song was also designed to be as RPG'ish as possible, which is why the flute part is up for debate by many, I thought it would be more RPG like to put them in there. I might have been wrong.

The song picks up, as it was my way of showing our strength. We have disbanded, but we have not weakened. We have taken many skills over the years, and taken up many crafts, and armed with these we walked away, true Wolves in heart, and a promise to always prosper.

The song was meant to be much much longer, but due to external project deadlines, had to be cut down.

In regards to the story, I loved it >:}. Those poor campers didn't see it coming, and I could visualize it quite well! I will go check out that friends piece right away!

Thank you for the review, i'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm sorry for the late response!