ChronoNomad's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[MM4 Sequel Wars Boss Theme]

Oh man, this is such a hot MegaMan nostalgia trip! As much as I've always loved the Blue Bomber's soundtrack, it's never had so much thrash and chug to drive the excitement home. The drum riffs have that flamin' hot galloping quality that RockMan (I had to call it that at least once, I mean come on) almost singlehandedly made famous. And then there's that awesome percussive slowdown that lets you ramp back into that sweet gallop. The tension stays pretty high at all times, but that rhythmic change lets it ease off just enough to draw you back in.

It's nice and short, like pretty much all MM tracks, so it's easily great for several listens in a row. I totally dig those Heavy Metal vibes, and your version makes the old-school goodness feel fresh and new. In my mind's eye, I was 100% head-banging.

ADR3-N responds:

If you check out the original prompt I was given, this is believe it or not a cover of a cover, almost one to one, excepting that I took quite a lot of liberties with turning a synth part into trumpets and doing wild modulations on everything.

Recreating this by ear was quite challenging, as hearing the percussion parts as a full drumset and not chip instruments is hard! And would you believe it, this was near my first introduction to Megaman music since I never got into the series before Megaman X command mission for the GameCube! As such it was a lot of fun to do, and a challenge to keep things interesting and dynamic throughout

[Because We Miss You]

It's like I'm the piano and you're playing on my heartstrings. Simply gorgeous, Lucid. At times it was reminiscent of Uematsu Nobuo of Final Fantasy fame, at others it was like Hisaishi Joe of Studio Ghibli, and yet it was always the epitome of your piano at the heart and soul of the piece.

A sad yet hopeful Requiem; the perfect way to immortalize your grandmother in music. Bravo.

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Ooh, hello! It has been a while since last time. I hope you are doing well!!

I can definitely hear the inspirations you mentioned. It's no surprise, as they both are amongst the ones who have influenced my style quite a bit! Thank you for your warm words <3

[Villavslutning]

This somehow reminds me of something that's just out of reach and threatens to bring tears to my eyes. How do you manage to play those piano keys while simultaneously plucking at the heartstrings? Being able to evoke an emotional response truly is the Holy Grail of musical accomplishment.

You instantly drew me in with that delicate intro, and kept me utterly enthralled throughout. I haven't been around much lately, but I am so glad that I didn't miss out on this. <3

LucidShadowDreamer responds:

Waaah, I thought I responded to this ages ago! So sorry for the delay D:

You have a way with words, mr. Thank you for listening to this song in particular, and sharing your thoughts.

I hope that 2022 brings you all kinds of interesting experiences and lovely memories.

[Longing]

Man, I really, really like this, and it absolutely reminds me of those amazing Your Lie in April feels. The main problem, to me at least, is that it has a highly compressed sort of sound. Between that and the heavy reverb, it gets incredibly muddy around the :50~:57 mark. Again, I adore the composition, but I can't help but find myself wishing for a crisper, less affected sound.

I also feel like the release on that final chord arrives too soon. It could have been drawn out a touch longer for greater impact, but maybe that's just a personal preference thing.

Oh, and next time remember to incorporate some melodica! Of course, that suggestion is purely referential in nature. Then again, for anyone who's seen the Anime, a bit of melodica at the end could be particularly emotional. :)

Everratic responds:

Thanks for the feedback! I agree with everything you said :) I wish I had a nice melodica!

[Underwater Bitz [Pixel Day 2021]]

Really into these different sections of the track, Teck. The vibe is smooth and chill one minute, then ramps into a hard-thumping banger, and there's something about it that feels awesomely reminiscent of the Metroid Prime soundtrack.

Love how you ease the rhythm back out at the end, but then you've got that whole sweep and fade thing going on. Smooth and effective. Really nice instrument layers throughout, and despite the fact that it's a whopping 7 minutes long, it doesn't really feel like it. Good stuff, Teck! Rock on.

Teckmo-X responds:

Ignore that Crying React, I'm actually not crying cuz I'm sad but because I'm touched by your kind words. The goal of this song was to give my listeners a taste of my own reality. I didn't know what I was doing, I had no clue where I was headed to begin with. This song was made in less than 24 hours. I know the song is long but it really gives off that feel good vibe but yet a calm nature of it's own. I've been working with electronic dance, dubstep, and synthwave music for the past half year. I feel like I've made progress. I'm not gonna lie to you. Everything I make is random, I have no real goal or plan to make things, they just happen. People tell me my songs have a story behind them. I think it's time I tell a story.

Thank you for such kind words. No really, it makes me feel good. It makes me feel like for once I did something right.

[8-Bit Drum Kit]

This is so funky and just plain fun to listen to! I can't sit still with those sweet 8-bit drums and retro VG effects being pumped into my head. And hey, you don't have to try and convince me that ChipHop is a thing—I've been a fan for years.

You knocked this whole thing out in just a couple of days? Color me impressed. It's a wild ride, and despite the fact that it's five minutes long, it sure doesn't feel like it! Always the hallmark of a great track. Love the custom avatar you whipped up for the occasion, too.

What if I told you that I've turned running with scissors into a contact sport...?

Quarl responds:

Honestly, two to three days is regular for a track I'm really into. The longer the work drags on the more likely I am to hate it by the time it's done. Plus, with 15 years of experience I've cooked up production shortcuts. I didn't want to write this in the description but I gutted my Paroxysm file for the instruments. More importantly, the crunchy drum kit is the same rhythm as the intro from Paroxysm but I routed a digital distortion unit through an Aux channel then automated some knob twiddling on Scream's parameter 2. Most the melodies were recorded live so if you get a good take you just chop the midi and copy/paste. Some of the instruments were largely unaffected from Paroxysm.

Music is no different from programming, coding, or animation. Recycled gold is still gold. Many coders will reuse code from game to game. See Bethesda reskin bears from Skyrim into Fallout. Disney animators get spotted tracing their own work from years prior. The Simpsons famously made fun of themselves for recycling backgrounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbx31eWZ9vc

Also, what if I told you scissoring was already a contact sport? There's enough hentai on newgrounds to prove it but the activity is well older than the two of us :)

[Classic Overlord]

This is a very cool ride, man. Both frenetic and nostalgic. It's hard to keep track of all the classic Mega Man call-backs, but there's a whole heck of lot of Blue Bomber goodness going on. Dr. Wily and his robotic army are officially on notice. Well done!

Manderby responds:

Thanks a lot! I just can't think not of Mega Man when it comes to 8-Bit sound. So inspiring!

[Inktober #6 - Listerine]

You know this is what's up, bro!

When ADR3-N originally laid down these beats a couple of months ago, I thought to myself, 'Man, this track is just begging for a sweet wordsmith treatment by Cyberdevil.' And BAM! There you are, bringing the whole package up to collab level.

Thanks for making me feel weirdly prophetic. It simply had to be, and the rhymes are on point. An epic tag-team development, both of you. Stay frosty.

Cyberdevil responds:

Aw man, what are the odds! :D Fortunately too I didn't see that she'd written and recorded her own take on this already when I was skimming for beats, might not have gone with this particular one if I did...

This was awesome to read. You do have an alias befitting a prophetic persona too. One who wanders and discovers and brings forth new truths in this wonderful but wacky world...

[Do Not Disturb - NGADM 2020 - R3]

I really enjoy the progression here, Mackievellian. The music box intro is kind of like EarthBound, while the additions around :29 embody a more Zelda-esque mystique. Once the percussion and electric guitar kick in, it's like the Black Mages are holding a Persona jam session. And those final chill strums give off an ambient sort of Diablo vibe.

As a guy who can obviously appreciate a good VG reference, I hope that you'll take all of that as being quite complimentary...because it is! This is a very cool ride, and my only complaint is that it's too short, which is ultimately a compliment in itself. Best of luck in the NGADM, man.

P.S. I hope your neighbors quiet down and let you sleep from time to time. Or you could just throw your own wild party while they're trying to sleep it off! (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

Mackievellian responds:

I love your comments man, always really sound. I thought about your last comment a lot during AIM2020 and tried to work layering. Wish I had more time! And man, last time I threw a party I could barely move in my house lol definitely got noise complaints.