Display MoreAt first I was really put off by the mix - the orchestration is definitely dominant in the mix. But I got more used to it - I think as guitarists we always want the guitar in the spotlight. I started trying to listen to the orchestration more and allow the guitar to just be a small but noticeable part of that, not an equal partner. I feel like you are asking for more critique on the songwriting than the tone. I think the tone sounds good regardless.
I really like the intro. This gets repeated right before the breakdown and solo, and sounds awesome again. Sounds like suspended chords everywhere (maybe we get an augmented in there too?), but it moves around to keep it interesting. All the voices and layers really makes it, but in particular those horn runs really add the missing ingredient to keep it from being too much like a texture than a melody.
Once you get the verse, things seem a bit too open - there needs to be a melody on top, or your guitar riff has to say a little more than thrash muting and playing that power chord. I'm also not a big fan of orchestra accents. They always seem out of place to me - like you can't make accents with an instrument that has so little attack.
The post-verse pre-chorus type part I like. Definitely building up to something...
The part right after that, right before the intro repeat I like but I feel like it's out of place. The part right before this is moody and building towards something, but this seems a little light-hearted. The opposite of what I feel would fit.
Intro repeat - awesome.
No guitar breakdown - this might be my favorite part. I feel like it is the most exposed and really allows the emotion to shine through. Like the piano runs and how the bass comes back in. Then it builds up with the guitars coming back in and it really sounds epic. The rhythm and melody guitar lines really play against each other well.
Guitar solo - mix-wise it's difficult to hear it. I really like the solo, but it seems too short. I was trying to study your phrasing a little to see if I could offer any advice, and it seems to be one large phrase. It's a good phrase - good rhythmic variation and movement around the fretboard; I feel like the bends fit where they should. It's almost like 3 phrases - the first part really hits the harmonies, then you have the bends, then the shred part; but musically, they aren't disjoint enough IMO. I just want more
The backing orchestration is really nice. I feel like if a solo is 1 phrase it should be a fill not a whole solo. And a fill can't be as long as your solo. I like the whole point, counterpoint thing - so I'd say extend it and add a few more phrases in there.
The interlude right after the solo is good but boring IMO. It seems like you're trying to just bridge your way from the mood you set in the breakdown and solo back to your verse riff, so you outline a few chords, then throw a symphony X style group of arpeggios to get there. I think this would be fine if the solo was much longer, but you go too quick from shred to chilled out.
verse again - needs melody on top or more to the riff. it sounds too much like you're pedaling on that root note.
pre-chorus - again good, but where is it going?
wah solo/interlude - I like the general feel here. That solo guitar definitely needs to be up in the mix to stand out more, but this part I like. The problem is that I don't find the previous part moves into this part well. I feel like I want a chorus, and this is a bridge, kind of building tension.
I think you should do an orchestral outro - no guitar. kind of wrap everything up. The little outro riff you have is just too quick. Still a good part.
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I feel the overall direction is a bit missing. Maybe that's more about what I want it to be than what you want it to be. I feel like there's two different forces at work here - one is this kind of thrash/rock groove like a roller coaster ride, while the other is this sweet, rich, vulnerable, and more thought-provoking. Neither one is bad, and I think they can work together - I feel the intro really bridges them together. But right now I feel like it's in kind of a limbo where each direction is trying to go its own way.
Whoa, thanks for taking your time on this, I really appreciate it.
I have to say that I agree on... everything!
It's actually crazy, because I felt exactly the same when writing this song about most parts.
The reason why the first solo is quite small is because I didn't intend to do a solo there first, but I felt like doing one because I was building towards something.
I do understand that you'd like a longer solo and get more into the faster/crazier stuff
Honestly, I'm not that motivated and inspired anymore to put so much time in playing guitar. (especially on faster stuff that I need to spent a lot of time on to learn to play it clean)
That's exactly why the ending of the song is not really special and just a fast way to break out of the last solo part, I just wanted to finish the song, lol.
There is so much going on in the orchestra that you almost can't hear (like cello's, contrabass stuff) so that's why I ended up with too much orchestra (volume wise).
I definitely agree on some weird bridges and weird parts that are not exactly right into place, because you expect something else.
This might work in some cases, I like unexpected things in music, so I guess that's why I do some weird things here and there.
There's a new version available on my soundcloud page, with less orchestra (volume wise) and the solo's are louder, I also uploaded a version without the orchestra, FYI:
http://www.soundcloud.com/tecksmusic
Thank you!
