ChronoNomad's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Arcade Rondo]

Happy Pixel Day!

Pretty much all the same instrument, which makes sense for a Jazzy piano improvisation, but I'm not sure it translates so well into an 8-bit style. The layers overtake one another when there's a lot going on and it just gets really loud.

That aside, the overall composition is really fun to listen to! Would be awesome to hear it as a piano piece or, as a Chiptune, broken up into a few more instruments. Good stuff.

H1K0 responds:

Thanks! And I think it's a great idea. Maybe soon I'll try :)

[Small Steps]

Happy Pixel Day!

This is incredibly cute and fun, with some truly stellar note progressions. Lots and lots of great ideas just coming together all in one place, and pretty much the best thing I've heard so far. The overall level of quirkiness is positively off the charts! Very nicely done.

ShinsukeIto responds:

Glad you enjoyed it! Happy Pixel Day!

[what I have to tell you]

Happy Pixel Day!

Another short and sweet throwback tune, with a fun and Jazzy atmosphere. Happily, I'm able to hear the bass just fine through my headphones. Like most of the tracks I've listened to already today, it's crazy short. Not much instrument variety here, and I feel as though this could have been fleshed out a bit more for sure, but I totally enjoyed the ride.

Leon-ex responds:

Thanks for the review!
I'm glad you enjoyed it

[Thats the Spirit]

Happy Pixel Day!

In this particular instance, I can really understand why this track is just over two minutes long. You've got so much going on throughout — pure retro awesomeness that makes it feel longer than it really is. Very cool.

It has a decidedly Mega Man sort of vibe, which makes it feel like it was ripped straight from some unreleased level of the game. Phenomenal work once again, Fretzone!

Fretzone responds:

Galloping riff = Mega Man :P Good ears , Thanks Dude

[PixelDay Chiptune]

Happy Pixel Day!

What you've got here is really energetic and fun, so it's a real shame that you had to get bitten by the flu bug. Hope you're feeling better soon! If you decide to finish this up later, I'd be more than happy to come back and have a listen.

Blarrgensnorf responds:

Thank you so much! And yeah, the flu sucks a lot :’)
And I do plan on finishing it once I get better~!

[PancakePocket - Chipstep Quest]

Happy Pixel Day!

You've got a very rich sound here, which is always good when there aren't a ton of instruments involved. A right enjoyable Chiptune, PancakePocket! It definitely has that epic quest feel, though it's over far too soon. The ending is especially abrupt — that poor harp barely had time to shine.

PancakePocket responds:

It was meant for a loop for a game coming up on Steam so that’s why it’s short, but thanks for the review and happy pixel day to you too!

[Colour in Greyness]

Man, I just have to say, this is a truly fantastic atmospheric track! You certainly have no reason to be disappointed in your score, and I'm really glad that you took some extra time to polish this up a bit from the CHIPS version.

The section that begins around 1:47 and goes until the end actually reminds me, oddly enough, of the ambiance in Tourian from the Metroid games. It's got a dark sense of tension, sort of like an 'anything can happen, so be ready' kind of feel to it. You've got all kinds of fantastic atmospheric sounds and ideas going on, some incredibly timing and ideas, and they're brought together incredibly well with a really solid instrument selection.

Your musical elements mesh pretty nicely with the ambiance, although I personally feel that the melodic content could have been much more fleshed out and less sparse, but your percussive game is straight up tight. You really do kind of overdo it with the reverb, though. Dialing that back in general would be good, but some spots end up getting pretty muddy, so I'd suggest ditching all of it and just adding it back in bit by bit. With the overall atmosphere of the track, I do understand what you were going for, but still...when it damages the overall mix, something should be done.

Suffice to say, this is a really solid Ambient track and a very enjoyable listen! You knew that it would be a pitched battle, and you came prepared. Thank you once again for coming in after garlagan dropped out, and I look forward to hearing what you come up with next.

8.94 out of 10

[Le Vil Brequin]

I can totally get what you were going for with the Industrial power noise sound, and you've got some really cool underlying elements, but those are ultimately far overshadowed by what ultimately comes off as too much crunchy distortion. At no point does the listener get a break from that, and - whether intended or not - it ends up being rather abusive on the ears. I try to be very discerning when it comes to loud, harsh sounds that could damage my hearing. Suffice to say, this track has been a bit of a struggle for me, despite how incredibly talented I know you are.

Now, of course I know that this was never intended as a NGADM track from the beginning. I am overjoyed that everyone still in the contest had something to contribute to the Round of 16. You had this available, it was made within the allotted time-frame for CHIPS, you asked and I was happy that it could be allowed in. But at the same time you knew that it probably wouldn't help you to move on to the Quarterfinals. Not that it still doesn't frustrate you, especially with the judge averages being less than complimentary, but there is a precedent right within the contest guidelines.

A quick perusal of the Tournament rules brings us to the following statement: "Keep in mind that this is a MUSIC competition. We won't judge voice-acting, experimental noise, sound effects, or anything that doesn't count as music." Although there are indeed musical elements, the fact that highly divisive noise pervades the entire track without a respite was damaging. Sure, we could debate semantics over what "music" actually is practically forever, but as the judges of this contest we can't afford to take anything other than a decisive stance when it comes to our scoring.

Long story short, this is the case of a good idea that simply didn't pan out for the contest. It's happened a lot, to many of the contestants, since this whole thing started back in May. Giving your listener's ears a break is vital, especially with hardcore distortion and lots of loud, crunchy noise. I would have liked to have seen the levels of distortion rise and fall, or switch from one mode to another at least some of the time. There are all kinds of ways to alleviate ear strain, which happens far too quickly in this instance.

What I could actually hear going on beneath the somewhat overwhelming power noise was excellent! I just couldn't hear enough of it, which is a shame. Regardless, I love what you do, and I wish you the absolute best of luck going forward!

7.25 out of 10

[Self Discipline]

Man, I've got such a soft spot in my heart for your brand of Rock! You've put together a ton of epic riffs here, but the mix comes off as being strangely thin, especially during the sparser sections. That said, I can hear each and every single instrument just as clear as a bell, with the exception of the percussion. The kicks sound especially washed out and could really benefit from some additional punch.

Ultimately, the melodies and overall mix were at odds in my mind during the judging round, which made scoring this more difficult than usual. While it all sounds good, nothing seems to stand out on its own and really take ownership until almost halfway through the track.

I think the bass could definitely use more presence, and while most of the riffs themselves feel just kind of slapped together with a fair lack of transitioning, your change up at the 4-minute mark really made me sit up and take notice. And while 2:15 comes rather suddenly, that release of tension is one of my favorite parts, including the heavy metal section immediately following.

There is so much potential here, but many of the different elements just don't seem to get the attention they truly deserve. Your melodies are so solid, and your playing is - as always - superb! But the mix is surprisingly lackluster by comparison. It leaves me feeling so torn, but nevertheless remains a sweet Metal journey.

8.87 out of 10

[Starry Sky]

Hey, Tech! I know you're been having a really rough time of it lately, but you still managed to put together a truly solid NGADM track, and that's what I call impressive.

Love the overall vibe here from start to finish, and it feels like you've made really good use of your Sytrus library to create a very nuanced and layered sound. Really great drum work overall, though the fuller sections could use a bit more punch so the kicks don't fall behind the curtain so much, and those snares could do with more velocity variance, especially the builds. Gotta do something about that reverb on those deep drums, too; they just kind of swallow the entire mix without proper equalization.

I like how this track goes from the softer, more chill sections and suddenly blows up into the bigger and bolder sections, though the wall feels a bit too high between the two modes. Making some of the layers more subtle could serve to make those transitions a bit less jarring. I also really dig what you did by first having a more melodic ending, then you followed that up with a nice, gradual ambient one. Actually, your ambient and melodic elements are woven together very smoothly from the beginning. Well done!

This is seriously incredible for just two days of work, in all honesty! You have no reason to be anything but proud of the effort you put in. I sincerely hope that you keep making music for a long time to come.

8.66 out of 10

Teckmo-X responds:

Honestly I can't show you right now but this made me tear up. I did try my best to come up with something so it wasn't enough time to finish up as much as I wanted. I'm glad you liked it though. Thank you.