wmthomasmusic's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[~:Windglass:~]

An absolute masterpiece, probably in my top three favorite songs on Newgrounds. I literally got chills listening to this. Reminds me so much of C418's music, especially the first two minutes before the drums kick in. My favorite parts by far were the last drop at 11:27 and the ending. My GOD the piano hits hard.

I was gonna write a longer review (a bit like the one I did for Speedbreaker by Djjaner) but two other people beat me to it (and I don't think mine would be much different that what they said).

Edit: definitely excited for Real Travel, can't wait to see what happens when Jonathan combines his skills with a masterpiece like this.

[Aether]

If this is too long and boring, or if you're short on time, scroll down to the bottom of the review. Yeah, I know, it's a looooooong way down, but don't give me a "Whatevs..." or "zzZZZZ..." reaction for it.

I know that I haven't been particularly active for almost three years now, and that I used to just write "cool song" in the review section and leave, but I actually know how to review stuff now, so here we go. Clear your schedule while you're at it.

I first found this song when I was playing the former weekly demon "iS" by Grenate, and I was very pleased with what I found to say the least (that goes for both the level and the song). I was very happy once I beat it, but I was also kind of sad to let go of the level for two reasons:

1) The level may have been one of the best levels I've ever played, probably even THE best, and I wanted to keep playing it.
2) I didn't get to listen to this song anymore.

So I looked it up on Newgrounds for the first time and listened to the whole thing (because iS only uses about 0.29-2.07), and I liked the song even more. It has such a consistent atmosphere, and those drops are nearly unrivaled in the world of melodic dubstep (nonmelodic is a different story, but I'll save that discussion for another time).

What amazes me even more is that this was your first attempt at dubstep. Based on your earlier tracks, such as Ocean of Stars, this was probably a MASSIVE step out of your comfort zone. Not many people can make good music outside of their established genre(s), let alone on their first attempt.

Let's break it down, section by section.

0.00-0.29
Excellent intro that definitely grabs my attention and makes me want to keep listening. The piano mixed with the futuristic wobbly thing (I don't really know what else to call it, and I think that's an accurate description) sounds really nice, and I especially like the plucky synth that comes in around 0.14. My only complaint is that the piano is a little too quiet.

0.29-0.56
The vocals fit in perfectly with the rest of the instruments, and they build on the already well-established atmosphere of the song. My favorite thing about this part, however, is definitely the percussion, especially the little triplet rolls.

0.56-1.12
Solid transition into an equally solid buildup. The riser effect gives off the feeling of intensity that leads into the drop, although towards the end, it kind of drowns out the drums. It would be perfect if the drums got progressively louder with the melody. I also love that last bar (half bar?) where the riser levels off at a high C and you hear the drum again.

1.12-1.39
HUGE drop with equally huge bass. That bassline is so aggressive that it nearly jumps out of my computer screen. It feels like it's about 0.01dB away from being too loud for me to enjoy, but not quite. The drums are a different case; they're loud, but you probably could have raised the volume a good bit before they started to sound bad. The main melody fits the futuristic space theme perfectly, and the little wobbly sound effects are a nice touch.

1.39-2.07
This section has the best melody in the song so far. Paired with the massive bassline and the percussion, this section has to be my favorite in the song, without a doubt. I also like the main synth much better than the previous one. This is mainly because I like the short, plucky notes more than the drawn-out ones, but the new synth still does a great job of keeping the atmosphere of the song.

2.07-2.20
There's not much in this section, so there's not much to complain about. The piano does a great job of interrupting the intensity of the last two sections and giving you a break before the next "verse" of the song.

2.20-2.48
I like this section for all the same reasons that I like 0.29-0.56, but this one takes away my favorite part of it: the percussion. If I had to pick a least favorite section, this would be it. It's still good, but it just isn't the same as the other parts of the song.

2.48-3.02
Despite what everyone may say, repetition can actually benefit you enormously in a song if you use it sparingly and correctly. This would be one of those cases. The last section flowed well after the piano section, and naturally, this buildup fits in perfectly afterwards.

3.03-3.30
Again, repetition can actually be a good thing, especially if you don't get tired of what you hear. I may never get tired of this buildup and drop - I've listened to the song more times than I can even count. I always get excited when I hear this song on my playlist, even though I know it's coming (because Newgrounds doesn't let you shuffle playlists for some reason that I fail to understand).

3.30-3.58
Remember when I said that the dotted eighth note section from 1.39-2.07 was my favorite part of the piece? It still applies here, and if you made me pick between it and this section, I would have no idea which one to pick from a pure quality standpoint. I may give the edge to the first one, but only because it comes up first, and I'm impatient. Regardless, I love this part.

3.58-4.24
Still not much to complain about, the only nitpick I have is that there are about eight seconds of silence at the end. I would have preferred if it were three or four seconds, but that may just be personal preference. What a way to finish the track.

My review summarized in a single sentence:
Stunning first dubstep track that keeps a distinct atmosphere throughout and never ceases to amaze with powerful buildups and drops.

Pros:
Percussion
Cohesion between parts
BASS
Creative melodies
Variation in instrument use
Well-timed repetition

Cons:
A few minor mixing/mastering slipups such as volume control
...I can't think of anything else

If you made it all the way down here, thank you so much for taking the time to read this review. A response would mean a lot to me.

Thanks again (and sorry for eating up so much of your free time),
Wmthomas

Geoplex responds:

Hi wmthomasmusic! Thanks for the in-depth thoughts. I think this may be the longest review I have ever received on any piece of music, so I thank you for that too.

It's pleasing to hear that you like the song so much, and I appreciate also your recognition of the notion that this was a step outside my comfort zone. It was very challenging at the time, and though I look back on this song fondly, it is representative to me of the musical naivety I held at the time.

Nevertheless, I'm very glad it's brought you many repeated listens and I thank you for your thoughts and time <3

[Purgatori]

If this piece played as soon as I died, I would have no clue as to whether I was going to hell or heaven. However, I would definitely enjoy the seven minutes before I found out.

What has come, shall come again.
What we see, we shall see again.
What we heard, we will hear again.
What we knew will become known again.

[Random Song]

random comment (inspired by another comment)

[SpeedBreaker]

If this is too long, just scroll down.

Before I get into the bulk of the review, I don't know why everyone just says "subsonic" and leaves without any actual review. Subsonic isn't even a good level - it has terrible gameplay, messy decoration (although I couldn't do much better), and the effects make it unplayable. I wish people would appreciate the fact that this is a good track and deserves recognition. Don't get me wrong, I love Geometry Dash, but I love the music associated with it too and believe that the music should be recognized by everyone and not just the GD community.

Section by section breakdown:

0.00-0.21
I like the fade in and the leading synth for the first 11 seconds but 0.11-0.22 uses a different synth, lead, pad, whatever, to carry the melody that I don't like nearly as much. It eats up most of the audio space (if that makes sense, I don't understand the EDM production process very well) and is kind of loud. If the volume was modulated so that it dipped a little lower, it would be perfect.

0.22-0.43
Ah, there we go. It's a little quieter, and you can actually hear the drums and the bassline (two things that are ABSOLUTELY necessary to drum and bass - wow, I'm so smart). The drums would've been audible even if the synth from the earlier part was kept because they're nice and loud, giving a driving feeling to the track. I like the bassline - it's not really in your face as much but you can still clearly tell that it's there, and the actual tune sounds good.

0.44-1.04
This is my favorite section so far. I like the altered melody, and the bass is much more noticeable, the kind of stuff that you'd bang your head to. I know I haven't commented on this yet (I'm too lazy to go back up and add it in) but when I first heard this song, I didn't expect this specific chord progression. Usually in minor keys, you go from either the v chord or the VII chord to the i chord, but this song goes from the VI chord. It's an interesting twist, and I'm probably not the only one who didn't see it coming.

1.05-1.27
A reprise of the main theme? Normally I'd say "Too early!" or "Wait until the end!" but it flows well in this song. The annoying loud synth is back, but this time, the bass is loud enough to balance it out, and the drums, as usual, complement the melody very nicely.

1.28-1.49
A fresh chord progression, a fresh feeling of epicness (is that a word? It is now). Drums are powerful as always, the bass jumps out at you, and the melody is, well, epic. Love the incorporation of chords into what would be the right hand for a piano piece.

1.50-2.10
Everything I like about the last section, I like even more about this section. The synth is better, too; it kind of drives the piece more. New favorite part.

2.11-2.32
Ok, three strikes and you're out. This section is getting a little bit boring now, but still insanely good. Love the part around 2.28 where the drums just kinda stop and move into the next section.

2.33-2.58
Nice way to end the song with yet another chord progression (the last one, but slightly modified), this time the "left hand" carries the melody. It's something that's rarely seen but always ends up sounding better than you expected. Last few bars are a little repetitive - I would have preferred if you kept the chord progression instead of just going with a Bb minor chord for four straight bars. I get that you were trying to finish the track but it just doesn't work for me.

Pros:
Chord progression
Drums
Middle section (despite repeating 3x)
Mixing

Cons:
The synth in the intro
Reliance on repetition

4/5
9/10
Great work.

Summed up in one sentence: This track is kind of repetitive but very catchy, with epic drums and innovative chord progressions.

If you got through this, thank you for taking the time to read my review. I know this is only my second "real" review (the first being We Can Dream by Creo - ironically, another DnB) and that I haven't been very active on the site for over two years now, but now I know how I can give detailed feedback that gives the artist suggestions for the future.

P.S. For any idiot who gives me a "Whatever" or "zzzzz..." reaction, you don't truly understand how to review other people's creations

[Creo - We Can Dream]

Brace yourselves - long review incoming. Scroll down all the way if you just want the gist.

Definitely a good track. I like the overall DnB feel mixed with all the rock elements like the guitars. It'd sound good as a true DnB track, or even a piano cover as well (the latter being much harder to make due to all the sounds that can't really be replicated on piano). Nice job mixing up the percussion rhythms that are just loud enough to hear over the guitars, they kinda drive the beat of the song (especially at the drop) and are really well mixed. The second drop reinforces the idea that this is a DnB track, as if the percussion wasn't already enough to do that.

0.00-0.05
Not much to say here (because it's only 5 seconds), I liked the drums combined with the strumming pattern of the C minor chord. They would've sounded bland separately but they're cool together.

0.05-0.28
I like the vocals near the end even though I have no idea what they're saying. Melody is pretty original, backed up well by the same guitars and drums I liked earlier, and the subtle bass kind of brings it together.

0.28-1.13
Still can't understand the vocals but somehow they still bring the piece together. The addition of the other electric guitars is also a nice touch, and the reprise was well-timed - it would've gotten bland otherwise. The slightly different ending to the theme also builds well into the "half-drop" (I don't want to say drop because it isn't quite a drop, so "half-drop" works a little better. If you don't understand what I mean, listen to Sphere from 2.19 to 2.38).

1.13-1.52
A little repetitive but just enough variation in the bassline (and a little variation in the melody) to keep it interesting. The drumming pattern is just as impressive as the rest of the song. One of my favorite sections.

1.52-2.21
Another reprise - not very commonly seen in songs this short (it's not really a short song but most times that you see multiple reprises are much longer). Buildup works well in transitioning from the theme to the next drop (not "half-drop", this is a real one). It would be a little boring if it weren't a unique, creative melody that sounds good with the rest of the instruments.

2.21-3.10
Yes I know, I'm not balancing the length of each 'section' equally, just hear me out. This is my favorite part of the piece, by a pretty decisive margin. This is why I voted 5 and not 4 or 4.5. It's basically a better reprise of 1.13-1.52. I dunno why it's better, it just sounds better to me. It might be something to do with the fact that a different instrument plays the melody.

3.10-3.28
Impressive finish to the song. I like the whistling sound that carries the melody, but I feel like if you played this part twice instead of just once, it would have been perfect.

The only major critique I have is that it doesn't really fit the title. When I saw it, I expected a slower trance or lofi song, maybe with vocals, or something like that. I guess I was expecting something closer to Dark Tides or Red Haze maybe (Ironically I think Red Haze would be a better title for this song). However, this doesn't detract from the score, as it's still an impressive track regardless of whether it fits the title.

Yes, I know that this is my first time doing, well, anything on this site in almost 2 years. I'm also aware that this is the first actual review I've posted because 2 years ago I didn't really understand how to properly review a song.

If this was too long, I like it.

PS 33,333 listens and 555 votes when I checked it

[Nevermore]

this man couldnt make bad music if he tried
ok... maybe he could... but my point is he makes great music

[Creo - Aurora]

never fails to disappoint. this guy is the best

[Perestroika]

1 million!!! i wonder what will happen for 2 million

[Speedrun RmX]

what is this