Amazing!
This is great dude, a real masterpiece! You've done really well in both the original, and then your own styles. Also, the blending of the two together was amazing, and one of my favourite parts. I would have thought that the two styles clashed, and there would be a weird transition in the middle, but you did a great job of mixing them together. Anyways, I'll split the review up into several pieces:
Classical:
The heavy drums and vocal sample at the start were really cool, and set the song up in such a was as to make anything that followed sound cool. The drum roll leading into the strings was really well done, was it a lone sample, or did you do it yourself?
The strings were amazing! The steady, Hans Zimmer-esque lower strings were some of the best I've ever heard on NG, and has motivated me to look into Edirol Orchestra. Then came the higher, strained strings. These ones were really cool in the sense that they added tesion and mood into the song. Weither you came up with them yourself, or if they were in the original piece, they are great.
I didn't notice it at first, but the deep strings and bass drum that steadily pound through are a really nice touch. They help give that "Epic Confrontation" kinda feel that makes this song so good! The crashes were also really nice, as they werent too loud.
Transition:
As I said before, this is probably my fav part of the song, because it sounds so cool. You perfectly managed to keep the epic tension and mood, while introducing a completley different genre which, in my opinion, is a really great feat. The introduction of new instruments was good, while the retaining of others helped make it a steady transition.
The part where everything goes quiet, exept for one set of steady plucks is awesome. Like, seriously! You've just finished this massive build-up, and then at the end of the climax, in stead of just leaving it, you fade in this supencefull, dramatic pluck which really makes this song epic. It also adds some needed variation into the piece, as you are still using classical instruments, yet ones not previously heard in the song so far.
The epic strings that play on top of the pluck are awesome too. They connect the transition, and breakbeat part of the song, with the original classical part. They just sound so amazing as they pump out on top of the pluck. And make a perfect opening for the introduction of the drums...
When I first heard the breakbeat drums in the middle of the tranisition, I was like, "Oh hell yea!". They sound really epic in there man, and almost seem as if the song was designed to have them in it! Full credit for this man, really good job! The thing that makes the drums soo awesome I think is the heavy amount of Reverb/Delay you have going with them. They (obviously) make it seem like they are comming from a distance, which is really sweet. Also, the way that you start out with them having only little segments of the loop, before just letting it loop through in the end is really kewl, and helps that really smooth transition.
Breakbeat:
The only main difference between the classical and your styles is that epic drumline you have going there, which in my opinion is perfect! I love how you introduced the drums, and then brought back all the epic strings and kicks and stuff. It just made an awesome climax full of suspenc and tension. I can easily see this being in a flash/video.
It is obvious that you put a considerable amount of effort into constructing, and then mastering that drums loop, so I just wana let you know that it sounds really good, and in fact, perfect for this song! The mastering is really tight, and it actually sounds like something you would find in a proffesional loop pack, yet you made it from single samples, which is just amazing.
So yea man, you've got a really nice piece here! I love this song, and think that you should include it in any demo's you ever send to anyone, because it shows a different side to your style, and to electronica in general. Keep up the great work and Good Luck in the competition!
Mack
Claims of New Grounds-DecMAC08