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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Thunderfoot" data-source="post: 4188590" data-attributes="member: 34175">OK - here it goes - - - -First off Danny made some EXCELLENT points, vox are a definite instrument that can go out of tune as easily as a harp left in the rain.  Ask Steven Tyler what years of bad habits lead to (four vocal surgeries and nearly a lost career)Now, to parse more closely.  I too am not a great fan of the Death metal genre, however, the basic premise of your music is sound.  Which leads to my points (All posts are based of Rise ov Thor):1)  The tempo issue is your drummer and bassist not working together.  The drummer is sloppy and the bassist is too tentative.  As a drummer, I can say that this is easily fixable, as a producer I will say, most production companies would rather have you find someone else than wait on him.  Since you are just starting out, suggest he gets some lessons on basic form and don't worry about how it affects your overall quality, yet.   The bassists sounds as if he is unsure of what to play when (not how the talent is obviously there, just not the experience)  The breakdown sections clearly illustrate this point and your rhythm guitarist is also lacking aggression during the 'solo' part.2) Cohesion - or lack there of.  You have some real talent, unfortunately, you haven't learned how to bring it together.  A band has to be a unit, not a bunch of talented individuals (ask Van Halen).  Again, as you are starting out, this is easy to fix now, let it get away from you and you are doomed.  Also, when the inevitable disputes happen, take a week off before coming back to it.  Don't tread on them, as friends, you have to remain friends first, otherwise, hand it up now. (this is much easier said than done, BTW)3) Structure - This song was formulaic and sounds just like every other Death Metal band I've heard.  While this is great from a talent standpoint, a producer will look at you and say, yeah, but what else can you do?.  There is very much a sense of repetition in this song.  Not much beyond the basics.  For what it can sound like after a few years of doing it for yourselves, listen to Metallica's Kill 'Em All vs Master of Puppets.  Formulaic, yes, bland, no.  Repetition is easy, changing it up and still having a cohesive piece of music is not, but it sounds MUCH better.4) The recording was crap.  As someone that takes pride in his job, I cringed at the sound quality.  Obviously done on a budget, which is fine, but a lot of stuff gets lost because of it.  Next time you record (and I suggest you record this song over at some point in the FUTURE) set up a room capture mic and keep the system away from the drummer.  Drums are loud, ALWAYS, guitars are not, even when amplified.  Next time, try to get someone outside of the band to record while you play and monitor your song to make mic, level adjusts.  Its still not produced, but its a far sight better than what you have now.  You will be amazed at the difference.Now the good stuff - Your lead player is good, he has obvious chops and knows what he wants to do - I suggest he write his solos ahead of time tough as this one got away from him in a couple of places.  If he hasn't taken and basic music theory course, I suggest he do so.  Knowing the rules lets you break them that much easier.Vocals, though obviously growled, are clear ESPECIALLY considering the recording quality.  You lost it a couple of times, so head Danny's advice all the more.  And even though this is a Death metal band, clear vox and harmony can be a great tool - figuring out where and how to place them is a nightmare though.There you go.  If this were to cross my desk I would probably listen to one song (like I did) make some general observations and put you in my - hmmm maybe file and check on your progress in about three months,  If you stayed at roughly the same place, I would pass, if you made any real progress towards professionalism, I would give you a harder listen.  The thing to remember is that you are a young band (regardless of your age and experience) and it shows.  There are all sorts of tricks you can use to makes yourselves sound better without actually getting better.  Don't fall in this trap, get good, because that's what will separate you from everyone else on the block. . . Eric Stearnsaka ThunderfootSeat of the Pants Productions</blockquote>

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