My sincere apologies for the lack of reviews from my side, and I'm afraid it could still take some time before I get them on here. Not only am I very busy, I've been plagued with internetlessness (yes, that's a new word) as well. Unfortunately, I've got a deadline in 7 days and lots of other responsibilities, so I doubt I'll get it all done this week.

Thanks to the ones who've reviewed so far, all comments are appreciated. And Arkhane, I especially appreciated your elaborate comments on the lyrics. It's a bit of a shame that the lyrical part of the challenge doesn't get that much attention.

There’s a guitar in the mix and I think it’s reasonably prominent, even with the heavy use of synth pads. That said, it was the first time I’ve used a guitar on a recording and I don't really know shit about shaping guitar tone. Next song I do like this I think I’m going to try to get a bit more body to it.

Mmm yeah, I would think it should only be used in the background, not really as lead.
Seems like it would take some experimenting with to get it to sound right.

I turned up the guitars in my mix and it definitely sounds better, I think I'll put it up on soundcloud later. Might octave shift and put some bass on it this week if I can.

Also I thought the guitars were kind of obvious on CorpseFisters track...

well I was drunk when writing. maybe if I play it through my speakers I'll hear it better.

Ha, no worries. I did try to mix the synth pads and the guitar to sound like one big atmospheric, oppressive gloom.

Hey all.
I've been crazy fucking busy with school and all.
The reviews will be coming within the next few days.
Sorry about that.

well i'm glad I was the last one to complete their reviews!

http://soundcloud.com/fidesinferno/the- ... bronze-age

Tweaked a few things, guitars are higher and shit.

will be checking out this evening.

edit to just say i checked it. and it sounds better with the upped guitars.

i'm still gonna submit some reviews though. i got this thread bookmarked i don't care how long it takes

im gonna do the rest tonight

(exams are over)

Shocking! bout time

Oh, btw, i have a version of Two girls One cup with the guitars evened out and the drums are a lot more prominent in the mix if anyone is interested. also my vocals are backed off on the volume too.

Ok, i've finished the rest of the reviews. all in all this was a fun competition.

Drowning Sleep – ShaolinLambKiller – Lyrics by SoulsInferno
Lyrics: I saw the theme, and immediately I cringed. But when I read the lyrics, I was rather surprised. I was expecting something shallow and uninsightful like every other radio song about fucking romance, but like most of the lyrics here, this has some intelligence and inspiration put into it. No real complaints come to mind when reading these lyrics. They’re not breathtaking, but there was nothing wrong with them at all. 4/5

Genre: Fuckin cool, although not exactly what I would have chosen for this particular set of lyrics. I read the lyrics, and I immediately felt that this song deserves a real melancholy atmosphere, but instead, it has a real sickened and disturbing vibe that just does not go with the lyrics. While I like what the lamb killer did, I feel it does not match the lyrics whatsoever. 2/5

Composition: The bad – I don’t mind all the feedback, but it drags on a little too long in the beginning. Also the vocals tend to drag out the lyrics so far apart they lose meaning. Ok the good – FUCKING BURNING ASSHOLES IN ALASKA!! What a fucking sick song! While a little repetitive, it fucking works to make for a sludgy and filthy atmosphere. I like it. 4/5

Performance: So the whole song is a little sludgy, but everything is tight and right on cue. Although not much can go wrong here, everything was damn tight. 5/5

Production: This is some sick as shit sounding shit! Its dirty, scabby, bloody, rotten spewage. I absolutely love it. The only thing I can really complain about is the vocals being a little weak and the drums being a little un-produced, but otherwise fucking cool. 4/5

Overall: Pure filth (the good kind)! 19/25


The End of the Bronze Age – SoulsInferno & DecayingMyYouth – Lyrics by Corpsefister
Lyrics: I gotta say, I kinda like the fact that you took the metal theme to a literal aspect. I think that was fucking clever. Although the lyrics aren’t overly intelligent or insightful, I did not find anything wrong with them. It was clear what the idea in mind was, it was pretty clear what genre song you had in mind. I had kinda hoped for metal worship lyrics at first, but then again, if they were metal worship I probably wouldn’t read them simply because I don’t just listen to metal because it’s metal, you know. But back on subject, good lyrics… not great, but good. 4/5

Genre: Hmmmm… from the start it sounds like thrashy death viking metal, the only death metal aspect being the vocals and the downtuning. Pretty cool that it’s not just a Viking metal song like I had imagined, but that it still goes well with the lyrics… including at the end where it sounds like there’s a midget tapping a staircase with a spoon. 5/5

Composition: There is no bass…. Which would have helped you a lot in during the little octave driven prechorus. I do like the concept behind the start of the song, just wish it was done a little better. The chorus is badass though! STEEEEEL!!! The end of an age. STEEEEL!! The end of your life. I got goosebumps on that part, no joke. However the insanely fast double kick and snare fill at the end just kinda killed the mood. Would have had a better score, but no bass just kills me. 3/5

Performance: Ok, this is where I’m back and forth like an ass with a chick behind it (makes sense? No… fuck it). A lot of this is really tight and almost machine like, but then at times the two guitar parts do NOT mesh well at all. The vocal work sounds ok, but it lacks projection. I can tell because I still hear your natural voice moaning through the mix, and that happens when your not pushing out the gurgle in your throat. Also, it doesn’t sound like you have full control of your growl volume either. The tone of your voice has potential to be monstrous, but just work on evening out your attack and projecting and you’ll be fine. The drums are ok until the end, and the bass like I said is non existent. Hence the low score 2/5

Production: I really like the potential of this song, but I have to be critical. The production was not the best I’ve heard, as the guitars were a little dry, the leads did not stand out at all, I’ve complained about the bass already, and the vocal mix was too reverby and muddy, and also loud. 1/5

Overall: Good song, just a lot of flaws from those five standpoints. 10/25


Years Have Passed – Gelseth_Andrano – Lyrics by Overkill666
Lyrics: It really doesn’t seem like the lyricist took his time when writing this. They have a little “cool” factor, but all in all it is bland and uninspired. 2/5

Genre: For it being a post-apocalyptic theme, it sounds more like a raging war. I would have pictured the post-apocalypse to be lonely, miserable and what-not. The song choice just sounds too hectic and upbeat for the lyrical theme. I would’ve done doom death, drone doom, or depressive black. 1/5

Composition: The song is repetitive. However, given the lazy style of the lyrics, there wasn’t a lot of working room at least in my opinion. I gotta admit, the solo towards the abrupt ending was damn near professional quality, so kudos to that. On the other hand, not much else stood out on the instrumental section. I gotta say, I was disappointed in the composition 2/5

Performance: Instrument wise, everything was pulled off smooth enough to be passable. The vocals I kinda found to be a little annoying, which I don’t think is your fault, I just don’t like the style so no points will be cut for my different taste. Everything in the mix had just the right aggression for the genre, and there wasn’t a whole lot that was wrong with the performance. 4/5

Production: The production is actually pretty good. Although there’s not much to say about it, the levels were ok. Only thing is the bass had a little too much low end coming through, it was trying to override the kick during certain parts. The whole thing reminds me of an iron maiden song without the whiny fucking nasal vocals. 4/5

Overall: A rather mediocre track if I had to be blunt, though first listen was entertaining enough. 13/25

awesome, thanks for the feedback!

EDIT: Everyone, actually, thank you all for the feedback. As my first attempt at a finished metal project i'm looking for every shred of feeback I can get, whether it's good, bad, or ugly. If anyone wants to PM with harsher more detailed stuff, I'd be most appreciative.

very nice reviews! thanks for the feedback as well!

i decided not to give points for lyrics, since theyre written by someone else...

The Ninth ring - Corpsefister

Lyrics - St. Thomas + Vergilius, few others, lots of fantasy... Dante is nice source, with given theme, theyre all right.
Genre - Ambient black metal, or so it seems... (5/5)
Composition - great, i can see, that you know what do you want. I like the synth and guitar synthesis. (4/5)
Performance - vocals are nice, very adequate for this style of music. Chanting is okay, no bigger errors. (4/5)
Production - clean, yet the guitar is full and everything important is audible (5/5)
Overall (18/20)

Total Fcking Destruction - DM Youth and MoonPenetrator

Lyrics - Terrorism, theme for causing ruckus ... anyways, these got some nice parts and are thought out.
Genre - Thrash i assume? (4/5)
Composition - good riffs, some programmed drums, end is rather unexpected. (3/5)
Performance - it's played properly. Vocals remind me of Glum (maybe not actually his voice, but just of him as a whole) (4/5)
Production - okay (3/5)
Overall (14/20)



... and more to come

SoulsInferno - I'm digging the new mix! Although now it seems that maybe the vocals are not quite as prominent as they should. Not by much though, maybe you just need to EQ the guitar and vocals a bit to get them out each others way?

Arkhane - Post up a link! Your song grew on me a ton, so I'd like to hear it with a bit more presence from the drums.

As for the rest of you- finish your reviews damnit!

I'll definitely work on that, hopefully DecayingMyYouth is up for recording maybe 2 more songs and making it a demo, I'll try to perfect my mixing in the meantime.

Who else is left for reviewing anyway?

Should we share this compilation on youtube? You know, just to get more listeners. Would be interesting on how this would somehow lead to more exposure and might get new fans for your music.

I love Arkhane's the most.

I guess you could, but I'm not uploading videos because I can't. I'm doing a collective thread for all the challenges soon.

lol I think Arkhane's video will definitely go viral.

As for my review, should be up in 10 minutes. Man I'm slackin'.

OK maybe a little more than 10 minutes. Here it is. Don't base your impressions too much on the scores.

Duisterling & Devirginizer: Irrelevant - Lyrics by guitartheist [The Cosmos]
Lyrics ( 4/5 ): The lyrics are simple, short, concise, poetic, but I imagined that the Cosmos theme would have something a little less subjective and a little more realist. I think this is the reason why Duisterling & Devirginizer thought of nihilism while reading these.

Genre choice ( 4.5/5 ): I honestly expected to hear some spacey tech death for the Cosmos theme, but orchestral black metal? Didn't even occur to me. At the end though, I'm pretty satisfied with the genre choice made and especially with the execution, considering that the lyrical style keeps yo-yoing from the intended theme to nihilism.

Composition ( 4.5/5 ): The composing is likely the most impressive and ambitious from the whole challenge. Interesting harmonies and counterpoints, indeed a unique approach. However, after listening a couple of times, I noticed a lack of harmonic tension in the metal parts. I don't know if this was intended for a specific effect, but it kind of takes away from the initial interest and makes the track feel longer than it actually is. Aside from that, beautiful theme, LOVE the keys @ 7:16. Some serious work has been put into this.

Performance ( 4.5/5 ): Some of the strings are a bit off, they sound OK but somehow not to smooth. Pretty ominous hum at 1:02, was that a contrabass? The low growls are quite powerful and expressive, the high BM growls are fucking killer! The guitars aren't particularly tight at the end riff, but hey this is black metal and I like it just the way it is.

Production ( 3/5 ): Drums are too muffled, the bass drum is very boomy. The double bass sections especially muddy things up a lot. The overall mix is in need of some air, but maybe you did that on purpose, because this track feels like suffocating. I think I'll leave it at that.

Overall: 20.5/25


bjornobomb: Dormant Choirs - Lyrics by Duisterling & Devirginizer [War & Genocide]
Lyrics ( 5/5 ): Great lyrics, some pretty vivid imagery of a battlefield in the early morning. I can visualize some Otto Dix while reading them. These have to be my 3rd favourites of the challenge.

Genre choice ( 4.5/5 ): I was expecting some groovy Bolt Thrower style death metal to go with these lyrics, but hey old school thrash/death totally fits as well.

Composition ( 3/5 ): There's some nice catchy thrash metal riffs here. Silence of DEAAAAAAAAATH!! I think I've said it before in the last challenge, bjornobomb's voice works really well for the genre. Huh, the clean part at 4:25 was too sudden, but some interesting things going on. OK, I think I'm going to stop here and talk about the things that really hurt this one.

Performance ( 1/5 ): The performance is bad. Really, really bad. I want you to go to the nearest music store, now. Yes, now. Right now. DO IT. Get yourself a metronome, attach a couple of strings to it, tie them together and wear the thing as a necklace. Don't go anywhere without it. Every time you think about making music, turn the damn thing on and try to follow the beat, mmkay? Act like it's the only pussay in your life and make sweet love to it every time you sing or play an instrument, for a month minimum.

Production ( 1/5 ): Vocals sound like someone is screaming into my ear, and the guitar is grating in a very bad way. OK, I'm 100% certain that bjornobomb is a very capable individual with his instruments and voice, but it's a pity that his approaches to recording and mixing, or even lack thereof, leave a lot to be desired for the final product. If you're serious about making music, then I fully recommend that you start learning about recording and get some decent audio gear to record with. Otherwise, the potential will unfortunately remain unexplored.

Overall: 14.5/25


DecayingMyYouth & MoonPenatrator: Total Fucking Destruction - Lyrics by Bonged [Terrorism]
Lyrics ( 4/5 ): I like the lyrics, they convey a sense of awe, fear and helplessness, which is what terrorism does.

Genre choice ( 4.5/5 ): Adequate genre choice I'd say, could've gone with full on thrash metal myself.

Composition ( 4/5 ): The songwriting seems well influenced by Death in some parts, particularly in terms of progression and drumming. Reminds me of Suicide Machine. The groovy intense riff at 00:55 I really liked. Good rhythms, but some transitions don't sound too good, like the one at 2:35. The ending is huh?

Performance ( 3/5 ): The vocals sound like Chuck Schuldiner with a bad case of flu. The bass playing is usually off, but not uninteresting, in fact often complementing the guitar like DiGiorgio's playing on Individual Thought Patterns. The guitars sound weak at times, though I suspect it's mostly due to production rather than technique.

Production ( 4/5 ): In contrast to the lyrics, the guitar tone sounds unthreatening; more amp gain and warmth could've gone a long way here. The bass drum is all slap and no bass; speaking of which, the bass guitar pretty much has a monopoly over that region. Its attack needs to be compressed and then lowered in the mix.

That said, I dig the song. Not bad by any means and has a couple of infectious grooves, but it could greatly benefit from better mixing.

Overall: 19.5/25


Arkhane: 2 Girls 1 Cup - Lyrics by LordOminous [Alcohol, Sex & Bitches]
Lyrics ( 5/5 ): LordOminous did such an awesome job with the lyrics, definitely my favourites from the whole. Humorous, self-aware, well-written, and despite the theme and title, very usable! This shit got aced.

Genre choice ( 5/5 ): For the genre choice, shit I had some groovy death metal in mind myself! Well that or some crazy fast grindcore. Still, I think you made just the right choice here, and there's nothing more to be said.

Composition ( 4.5/5 ): All the riffs are memorable. NEVER expected this theme to get such good music, which makes it more fucked up because now I've got a scat song stuck in my head! But at least it's a fun and catchy scat song, you could probably get a crowd to sing this shit! I mean fuck, even now I'm still harping with shit.

Performance ( 5/5 ): Very tight performance, from riffing to soloing to drum programming, and to OMG THE VOCALS. WOW. Awesome low growls you have there Arkhane, very powerful AND intelligible. The vocals on the verses sound like a less gravelly Lemmy, but still a pretty badass delivery. Fuck you, sign your vocal cords for donation so I can kill you and have them motherfucker!

Production ( 4/5 ): The production is not too bad, but the drums seriously need to be higher in the mix and the vocals are overpowering everything else, especially during the chorus. I can't think of anything else to say.

Overall: 23.5/25


LordOminous: Cleansed in Blood - Lyrics by odinallfather [Rebellion & Revolution]
Lyrics ( 4/5 ): Like the lyrics! Short but straight to the point and audacious. "There came no justice from our wicked king, now he’s dealt with sword and mace"

Genre choice ( 5/5 ): Quite a few things could've worked with these lyrics, and fortunately viking/death metal was one of them. I had some late era Kreator in mind myself, but I think you've done a much better job than I expected with your take.

Composition ( 4/5 ): Very jolly mood throughout; guess I was expecting something a bit more ominous (hurr hurr). The riffs are simple, a bit repetitive but enjoyable. The brass sections are quite epic, reminding me of the brass in Dvořák's New World Symphony. The 8-bit solo @ 2:56 is cool but felt too random. The guitar solo @ 3:16 is no, just no. That said, the overall composing is not bad, it's just that some parts don't gel together too well.

Performance ( 4/5 ): The guitar performance comes off as very decent for someone who hasn't recorded with the instrument before. Cleverness pays off after all. You should definitely get more familiar with the guitar.

Production ( 4/5 ): Production is decent. Something's wrong with the vocals though, I think the higher ones should be lower in volume than the growls. The guitars and bass drum need more low end. The guitars are way too high in the 3-5 kHz region.

Overall: 21/25


CorpseFister: The Ninth Ring - Lyrics by DecayingMyYouth & MoonPenatrator [Literature & Paintings]
Lyrics ( 5/5 ): Nice retelling of the Ninth Circle of Hell with a good ending. My 2nd favourite lyrics of the challenge.

Genre choice ( 5/5 ): Atmospheric BM works well with the lyrics, probably would've been my choice as well.

Composition ( 4/5 ): The synths sounds like something I'd hear on a Gershon Kingsley album. The whole sounds so laid-back and dreamy, almost like a blurry materializing vision. I dare say the writing, though very simple, is effective.

Performance ( 4/5 ): Nothing much to be said here. Everthing is on tempo, guitars make a simple 4/4 rhythm and the drum line is super simple. The end vocals are awesome. "Abandon all hope, YE WHO ENTAH... HEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Production ( 3.5/5 ): The production is some sort of Black Metal Lite, hehe. Very smooth sounding, the guitars have no attack whatsoever and sound more like a metallic synth pad. I think you used too much reverb there. The keys sound fine. I don't think I've heard a bass, in which case the song really needs one. I would've liked the harsh vocals to be just a little bit higher in the mix. Also, try using a hint of overdrive on them.

Overall: 21.5/25


Sadr_mordvig & Menschenfeindlic: De Cryptikon - Lyrics by Det_Morkettall [Cryptic]
Lyrics ( 2/5 ): Don't seem too cryptic to me, was expecting something full of riddles and word plays. Truth be told, this had to be the hardest theme to get right and required an exceptional degree of creativity.

Genre choice ( 4/5 ): Any sort of extreme metal fits with the lyrics I guess.

Composition ( 4/5 ): The riffs are nice. I can't help but think that Menschenfeindlic is a Blut aus Nord worshiper, especially with the choice of guitar tone and landscapish synth @ 2:30. Some interesting stuff happening with the vocals @ 0:34. Wow this is weird, there's a sort of happiness to the track at times. You know what, there's some interesting writing here, but I think the production really hurts it.

Performance ( 3/5 ): The guitar riffs and solo are tight. The vocals sound weird and weak especially during "Heed the call ye blasphemers". MOAR POWER. The choral-like vocal doubling didn't work well at all during the Latin passage.

Production ( 2.5/5 ): The lead guitar lines are barely audible. The bass is buried in the mix. Some really annoying peaks at 100 Hz, compress them. The vocals need to be higher in the 3-6 khz region. Guitars could use some more gain in the same region + more between 8-12 kHz. Bass region is way too muddy. It might be black metal, but that doesn't mean that it can't benefit from better mixing.

Overall: 15.5/25


GeoCO3: I Am Despair - Lyrics by Arkhane [Loss & Bereavement]
Lyrics ( 5/5 ): Quite poetic lyrics. Looks like they're more than just about loss and bereavement, but also self-loathing as if a terrible wrong has been dealt unto the bereaved. They come across as honest, personal and convincing, so much props to that.

Genre choice ( 4.5/5 ): Reading the lyrics, the genre isn't what I expected. I would've gone with something closer to gothic/doom metal. However, the sheer aggressiveness of the progressive death metal here is much in favour of the hatred in the lyrics.

Composition ( 4.5/5 ): I'll have to agree with CorpseFister on his dynamics comment, although it might be a bit too dynamic with that super quiet clean guitar. Anyway, this is a well thought-out song. Very enjoyable, aggressive and lugubrious especially during the "I am cold, I am withered" part. I think the metalcore parts @ 2:34 and 4:50 aren't bad, but not very necessary either. I think if these were omitted, we could've ended up with something close to Draconian's Arcane Rain Fell in style.

Performance ( 5/5 ): Awesome growls man, very fitting for the genre. The clean vocals @ 3:54 somehow don't sound right relative to everything else. Let me just say that the powerful delivery of the harsh vocals is on par with the amount of honesty in the lyrics, as if GeoCO3 could see through them and into the author. This is precisely what the challenge was all about.

Production ( 4/5 ): The drums are too loud, they need to be lowered so they can make way for everything else. The vocals and especially the clean guitars are way too quiet. This song can definitely be killer with better mixing.

Overall: 23/25


ShaolinLambKiller: Drowning Sleep - Lyrics by SoulsInferno [Romance & Tragedies]
Lyrics ( 4.5/5 ): Interesting gothic style lyrics, though more tragedy and separation than romance, to a point where they almost wander into the loss & bereavement theme.

Genre choice ( 3.5/5 ): Again, I could've gone with gothic/doom metal or maybe dark metal. Black/funeral doom sounds so odd for these lyrics.

Composition ( 4/5 ): The composing here is fairly simple, very reminiscent of Nortt, except much more crushing. I think there's a problem with too much repetitiveness though, for example the section @ 3:50 is quite creepy but it's played over and over again that it stops being so. Anyway, I think the strength of this track is all in the production rather than the songwriting, like most tracks of the subgenre.

Performance ( 4/5 ): I don't dig the vocals. Too much rasp, too little power, like a mummy waking up early in the morning. LOL I can almost hear you puke @ 6:06. The guitar is, well, a guitar... Or maybe an angle grinder. Fuck knows what's been used for this. The drums are either drums or buffalo skulls.

Production ( 5/5 ): Guitar tone is awesome. Dripping with pure evil. The production here is unique in that it is is very claustrophobic, as there is a complete absence of ambience of any kind, like it was recorded inside a sarcophagus.

Wait a minute... A sarcophagus, drowning sleep, a mummy waking up... I see what you did there.

Overall: 21/25


SoulsInferno (collabing with DecayingMyYouth): The End of the Bronze Age - Lyrics by CorpseFister [METAL]
Lyrics ( 4/5 ): Damn you CorpseFister, WHERE'S MY BIKE AND MY SPIKED LEATHER GARMENTS? Oh wait, there are swords here, awesome. "All who stand before us, feel metal at their end!" Pretty good lyrics, pretty metal as well.

Genre choice ( 4.5/5 ): Good choice going with melodic death metal. It was either that or heavy metal, or some medieval/folk. The latter would've been much more interesting, but also more difficult to do with fiddles and flutes, so I won't complain.

Composition ( 4/5 ): I like the general direction of the song, pretty energetic melodic death metal sort of vibe. Some nice riffs and lead lines, but those octaved leads I didn't dig.

Performance ( 4/5 ): The performance is reasonably tight. Nice death growls you have there, totally works for the genre. I can't say too much else, the production takes away much of the clarity.

Production ( 2.5/5 ): Vocals need to be compressed a little. There is an overall terrible lack of low end to the song without a bass guitar. The bass drum is almost non-existent. The guitars and snare have no body whatsoever. I think you have the opposite problem of Sadr_mordvig & Menschenfeindlic. I can't tell if it's the recording source or the mixing, but I suspect it might be the latter because even the programmed drums lack low end. Either way, I can't help without more details.

By the way, this is a review for the original version. I can't download your newer version right now, I probably will later on today and give you my opinion on it.

Overall: 19/25


Gelseth_Andrano: Years Have Passed - Lyrics by overkill666 [Post-Apocalypse]
Lyrics ( 4.5/5 ): Fuck yeah, these just scream thrash metal. Reminds me of lyrics by Carnivore and Nuclear Assault, maybe some Sodom. overkill666 didn't give a title for these, so I used the first 3 words.

Genre choice ( 5/5 ): Spot on with the genre choice. Oh yeah, this wants me to listen to some Toxic Holocaust, so I'll do that and come back.

Composition ( 3.5/5 ): Okay, the riffs are not bad, but the problem is there are only three of them, and a couple of solos. Come on man, WE NEED MOAR! How about one of those galloping guitar bridges that transition into an awesome solo duel and a furious drum break?

Performance ( 4/5 ): The bass and guitar performances are tight, same for the drums. The vocals are the weakest here, I think you're tightening your throat too much or something, because it shows at the end. This has to be the only place where you lost to bjornobomb.

Production ( 4/5 ): Those vocals need to be lower, guitars higher and more gainy. A bit more attack from the bass drum can help, in which case you'll need to compress the bass guitar and/or do some sidechain compression.

Overall: 21/25

--------------------------------------------------------------

In the end, I think this challenge has yielded some enjoyable, fun and memorable stuff; definitely a leap in quality from the previous challenge. I hoped that there would be an entry that completely drifted away from metal given the diversity of themes, but I'm most certainly happy with the results. Maybe we can do a follow-up challenge with the leftover themes in a year or so, see how we improved at our ability to write songs based on given lyrics. I think I'll be more than up to it.

Meanwhile, if anyone wants to, we can discuss some cool ideas for the summer challenge in mid-June/July. I've come up with some good ones myself.

Is it ok with everyone if I post the songs on my youtube channel?

hell yeah! Except no one is going to belive that Kingnuuuur's and SLK's tracks were made by ametures lol.

I had an some ideas myself!

-Pop covers
-Write a non metal song
-Randomly assigned genre
-Create a new genre/Mix two (or more) genres
just some I had.

Sure, man. Post 'em. I think most people would agree that the more exposure, the better.

I share two ideas with G_A: non-metal music challenge, and random genre challenge.

Some other ideas I have:

Modern vs. Old School Death Metal Challenge
In short, participants get to choose between either (with some subgenres allowed) and we compare the results from both styles and see how well they hold up against each other.

Group Work Challenge
Ok this one, probably not a good idea because it can easily fall apart. Basically, participants must collab with each other in small groups, each member handling a different aspect of the group song.


I've no problem with that, but make sure to specify that they're from an MA songwriting challenge (use the same title of the thread if you want) and make sure to include links to this thread and the bundle.

I think it would be more interesting to have a more homogenized contest. Like, everyone gets 1 set of lyrics, and we have to write a song that fits them. Or we all have one theme/idea/challenge, and everyone writes a song on that.

This would be interesting. I can't wait to hear someone creating a Reggae/Black Metal track. It would be dead beat funny and awesome at the same time. If Gloominous Doom can combine Death Metal and Reggae, why not?



Will do sir.

This is the best idea.

I'm almost done with my reviews. Will post them later this day, probably.

That would provide for a better basis to compare songs, but it might turn into a contest of who can write the best song and I’m not sure if that competitive emphasis is a good idea.

And I think using a single set of lyrics would be kind boring to listen to in the end.

I think it could be fun as hell just to hear all of the different things people would come up with! But yeah, it could also cause some issues I think. Maybe if we stressed that it would be just for fun, and not a competitive thing. I also vote that, if Kingnuuuur is up to it, that he hosts the challenge again, since he did such a fantastic job with everyhting! A round of applause!

Thank you, thank you, you've been a wonderful audience tonight.

*bows*

*receives flower bouquet and love letters*

Not sure if I'll want to host the next one. Depends on when it happens and my mood. I think I'd rather just join in.

post the songs up on youtube, that'll be cool.

dm vs dm is cool I play and record both anyway.

group challenge is cool

homogenized is cool. though if based on one set of lyrics... I'm just going to play whatever and not care either way what the lyrics are. it's just something to give something for the vocals to say.

Come oooon! This would finally give you a chance to bust out that accoustic album you've been working on if we do the non metal. And man, I know you told me about your cover of backstreet's back in confidence but the non metal challenge could be your time to shine! Bust out the line 6 and the Fender Strat and show the world the real SLK!

hahaha. what I would do is something experimental with 'treated' guitars.....and blast beats

I'm basically fucked for the next challenge. I either need to get really good at drum programming or convince my drummer NOT to move to california. Or unless a kind soul will lend me their sticks and create me some sweet drummadge.

Sure i'll help out as long as you aren't way off in timing.

...pssssssh....really O.O

yea really. I'll do it up.