ValveDriver

So, at the :55 mark, you have what sounds like some kind of processed vocal sample that runs through the whole thing. That made me wonder, have you ever thought about using full on vocal samples? Like little pieces of movie dialogue, (not singing or rapping.), scattered throughout. In my head while listening, I could almost hear clips from something you'd find in the Prelinger Archives.

Just curious.

I gotta say, though, you've definitely started polishing the guitar hybrid in your work. It's really sounding more naturally blended, and cohesive than in the beginning. This piece especially. It's intense in it's riffage, but relaxed in it's place.
Nice work, man.

This is really good. I'm not a huge fan of trap, but the vocal arrangement was executed very well. I like seeing collabs between members here. Especially when it works well.

Good work, guys.
Take care.
V.

Chris, the only thing I don't like about this is that it stops at 2:10. Way too early, man!
This almost like a psychedelic rockabilly ballad. I'm diggin' it.
To be honest with ya, this reminds me a lot of our very own Mr. Tumbleweed's playing. Partially in style, but more so in the tones. I don't know if you're all that familiar with his work since he's been quiet around here for awhile, but in saying so, this is a very high compliment to you.
Excellent work, as always.
Take care.
Aaron.

Typically, Robin, I'm not much of a Trap fan. But, I know there are a few of you here that really dig it, and have been experimenting with the genre, so I always give it a listen. I like to see what you guys come up with. The mixing of high gain guitars was, collectively, a pretty cool thing. But for this song specifically, what wins it for me is the organ. I've listened to rock/metal my entire life and the organ has always been a major instrument in that. It's a tricky one to get it to sound right. It's one of those that can go sideways real fast if you're not careful. You were careful. It sounds good in this track. Kudos to you.
I am curious about the title, though. "The Seven Twisted Sisters". First, is that a reference to any particular mythology? Second, is it also a reference to the old 80s band Twisted Sister, given the metal guitars? Either way, it's a good title.
Take care.
Aaron.

Rita, you put some time into this one, didn't you? Your instrumentation and arrangement here is sublime. I'm not sure where you found the backing vocal tracks, but I'm glad you did. Along with your vocals, it's like a fine blend of jasmine and black pepper. Smooth and intoxicating on the surface, but theres a subtle bite underneath that keeps it alive.
With that being said, one thing I noticed is that you've started bringing your vocals further up in the mix instead of ducking them behind the beat. That tells me your confidence in your own voice has grown. That's a good thing, Rita. You should be proud.

Take care.
Aaron.

This isn't my preferred genre, but I will say, Dan, for what it is, you've done very well. Excellent work. Keep it up.

Take care.
V.

This is very well done, Kay. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

V.

I'm glad you're feeling better. It sucks being down.
I like where you went with this. You're definitely making progress.
I sent an email your way with a lot of words and stuff. Check it out.
Take care.
Aaron

This is like an 80s tune with a 2000s shell. I can almost see the neon green and pink flowing through big hair!
After listening to a handful of your tracks, I feel confident in saying you are one of our stronger producers here. This isn't really my preferred sound, but I can totally recognize and respect your talent.
Excellent work, Dan. I hope things turn around for you soon. Health issues are no joke. I always end my comments with "Take care", and I always mean it. In this case, It's a little extra.
Do take care, Dan. Get yourself better.
V.

I really like this. But, I'm curious. When you say it's a remix of the soundtrack, what does that entail exactly? I'm not familiar with the game, so I don't know the soundtrack at all. What did you remix?
Take care.
V.

How has this not received more love!? I love what you guys have done here. Especially the strategically placed stereo effects on the vocals.
This has some serious Prong vibes, and that my friend is a good thing! It's like a nice blend of Prong and Anthrax, with just a touch of Sepultura in the vocal delivery. A beautiful mix if you ask me!
I'm really enjoying what you guys are doing here. If you ever release a full album, let me know. I'll be first in line!
Take care, brother!
Aaron

Danke. My friend. This is truly awesome!
This is some serious mid/late 90s style Nu-metal gold right here! It's like SOAD, Mudvayne, and Coal Chamber all rolled up into one explosive ball of pure aggressive energy! I absolutely love it!
I'll definitely be checking out the other tracks you guys have done. Excellent work, brother!
Take care, mister.
Aaron

I do like metal. I've been a die-hard metal fan since the Cold War. The heavier the better.
This isn't too bad, man. I think the only adjustments I would make are all in the bass guitar. You've got a killer Beefcake The Mighty tone going on here, like..really fuckin' cool. But it's a little thin, and sits a little too low in the mix. I would give the 60-150 hz range about a 1db boost with a medium-tight Q. Just enough to fill in the space between the bass guitar and the mids in the guitars. Then, boost the level about .5 to 1 db. That's just my opinion, though. Take it or leave it. I'm just offering suggestions.
Otherwise, killer track, man. I dig it. Overall you've got a winner here. Keep 'em coming.
Take care.
V.

Dan. Hello.
You've done well with this track, man. Right out of the gate it feels intentional. There's a control here that a lot of heavier material misses. I like that nothing is rushed, or overcrowded. Everything in it is because it needs to be. Not just because it could be.
The title is appropriate. The weight in this really stands out. Not just in the low end, but the pacing and restraint. The groove breathes, and it's always moving with forward momentum, but with out excess. That's harder to do than it sounds like. There's confidence in here that's earned. Not forced. Well done, mister.
Another thing, There's a sense of identity in this. It doesn't sound like a collection of influences stitched together. You know exactly which lane you're in and you stay there with purpose, and you command it.
This is solid work, man. Really. I downloaded it to add to my "Dark Tech" playlist with some of the heavy hitters. Good job.
One last thing, I'm honored to have been an influence. Like I've told Pnnywze, that in turn makes me want to do better as well. Thank you.

Take care, Dan.
Aaron.

Hey Paul. How ya doin' man?
I dig the beat on this one. One thing I've noticed in your tracks is that you keep your vocal track low in the mix. Sometimes they get a little buried in there. Especially since you do hard L/R panning with them. They're not getting the full signal, so volume dips out a little more.
So, at 0:37 and again at 2:37...is that a rubber duck!? Please tell me that's a rubber duck! If it is, that's the absolute icing on this cake, man!
A good start to the new year here, brother!
Take care, Paul.
Aaron

One thing I really enjoy about you and Oli is the diversity in your sounds. Today it's rock, Tomorrow it's pop. Yesterday it was industrial. It really shows that you've got good range, and you're not afraid to use it.
As always, excellent work.
Take care.
Aaron.

I get the whole guitar thing, man. I have a B.C. Rich Warlock that was a pawn shop special. Like, maybe 99 bucks. It has bad wiring and loose tuning pegs. Honestly, I rarely use it. When I do, it's just to knock out some riff ideas. It's never recorded.
I have a couple of amp sims that I use. For the more industrial type that I do I use Nolly X. It's intended for more high gain metal. For the sludgier metal, and clean sound, I use Amplitube 5.
Honestly, I don't think the price of the guitar, or even the brand really matters. It's all in what you do with it. And what you're doing with it,...it works, man. Keep on keepin' on!

Mark, how are ya, man?
In a sentence: The body of this track is some sweet-ass funk, but the heart and soul if it is pure Chicago Blues.
Hell yeah, brother. I'm going to go out on a limb and say B.B. King was a big influence! Rightly so, if I'm correct.
Thanks for pointing me to this one, man. I really enjoyed it!
Take care.
Aaron

Chris, this works, man.
I'm on my first play as I type this, and usually, I wait for at least listen 3 or 4 before I start putting words down, but good lord, man! The tone, texture and attitude of that distorted guitar is absolutely gnarly! I love it.
Typically, I don't really care if a song has vocals or not. I generally don't pay attention to them when they're there anyhow, (just a weird quirk I've always had), but my first thought on this was "Damn, I can almost hear Layne Staley in here." Then, I thought, "ooh even better...our very own Bananalu".
As far as the track itself, top notch, my friend. The mix is crystal, the arrangement, the instrumentation, everything, man. It works.
I love the fact that with the drums and bass, its not really about pushing the song forward as much as it is about carrying weight. The drums arent just keeping time, theyre holding the groove in place. Same with the bass. That lack of complexity is exactly what gives it its gravitas.

I already mentioned the distorted guitar. Man, its just sweaty, gritty, and sexy. The clean guitars make the intent of the song quite clear and they keep everything grounded. Nothing feels busy or unnecessary.

I think, really, this track works so well because it uses weight and restraint. It moves slow and confident. The low end does all of the seducing instead of relying on flashy dynamics or excess. Theres a dark, nocturnal sensuality to it, more pressure than motion, and more implication than release. Everything feels intentional and grounded, and that heaviness gives it this intimate, slightly dangerous feel. It doesnt chase your attention at all. It just pulls you in and holds you there.
It's like being F'd up in a dirty, underground-after-midnight bar with broken neon, and concrete floors, knowing you shouldn't be there, but too wasted to care.
Beautifully done, sir! I downloaded it so it can give it a home in my "Dark And Dirty" playlist.
Take care, Chris.
Aaron.

I like this. Especially Lu's part. That man knows how to put emotion behind his voice, ya know it? I don't think I've heard the original, but this is pretty damned slick.
Keep it up!
Take care.
V.

Mark, how are ya man? I thought I smelled some more funky goodness coming from the kitchen!
Honestly, I don't really listen to a lot of funk or jazz. Not because I don't like it, but because I just never really think to. I really need to change that. I don't have a lot in my experience to compare this to, but from what little I DO know, it kind reminds of some early Herbie Hancock. Not that it needs comparison, but sometimes it's nice to know that your work holds weight.
Excellent work, my friend!
Take care.
Aaron.

Paul, I love this! Valvedriver may be a dark SOB, but the man behind the mask loves Christmas! (But that's our little secret!). I'm not religious at all, but I love the tradition, the festivities, the lights, and all the other goodies that it brings. Especially the cookies and candies kind of goodies!
Thank you for helping keep the tradition alive, brother!
Merry Christmas!

What an original, and brilliant concept for a Christmas song. The Christmas dinner! I also love the fact that this an all new original Christmas song. Not just a cover of an old, tired, overplayed one.
Excellent work!
Take care.
V.

Sounds good, brother. You definitely have a handle on mixing the sub tones. Everything is always crystal. Excellent work, man.

Alan, how's it goin' man?
This is a cool piece. It reminds me a lot of early 90s Bowie. Especially when he was working with Trent Reznor. I think the instrumentation and the arrangement was well done. As far as the "home-made mixing", There are a few things that could be adjusted.
The drums could come up. Right now, they sit just a little too low in the mix. Especially when the 5:10 section starts with that increase of intensity. They get a little lost.
Same with the vocals. They're a little low. I would even add just a touch of reverb with a short decay. Doing so would let them bleed into the music for a more blended effect. Maybe even some delay and stereo separation in a few parts for a more dramatic effect.
Honestly, I'd love to have the stems to this to do a re-mix. Not a remake, but a re-mix. If that's something you'd be interested in, let me know.
Overall though, other than a couple mixing tweaks, this is a great track. It's got a good vibe. I like it quite a bit.
Take care.
V.