The DLA "scene": users' own compositions

[Cargést]

"Support" =/= "coddling".  If you can't even provide constructive criticism of the music composed by the people who agree with your ideas on composition, then that's just inadequacy.  Perhaps you shouldn't be an administrator on a music forum.

Imagine if a group of people had left Athens to form Plato's Republic in real life, and Plato himself utterly ignored their efforts.

That's fucking retarded.

[scourge]

I enjoyed the live performance video by Hundred and the music. But I understand why our allegiance to ideals like truth and quality must surpass any positive associations and alliances we have formed.

Good isn't the same as peerless. Yet this isn't sufficient reason to switch a positive association to a negative one.

[Cargést]

I understand why our allegiance to ideals like truth and quality must surpass any positive associations and alliances we have formed.

Yes, so do I.  This doesn't mean that you ought to draw a veil over any output from your memberbase.  I've already discussed this with a number of people (*gasp* IRL!), and they think the position the two of you (and others?) have is ridiculous: if you want to see growth, improvement, or expansion of any sort in Metal, you have to support the musicians who are trying to make that happen.  Perhaps you could give me five top-tier bands who never benefited from external input.

Good isn't the same as peerless. Yet this isn't sufficient reason to switch a positive association to a negative one.

Deathcrush isn't as good as DMDS.  Yggdrasil isn't as good as Vikingligr Veldi.  Abominations of Desolation isn't as good as Altars of Madness.  Bands progress partially through interaction with their audience.  Despite there being a large audience here, nobody seems to be willing to take the time to make any input.  Is the Music not as important as the Philosophy and Politics?

[Forza Romana]

Nobody but the composers and a few others seem to check out this thread, because the DLA doesn't support its "scene".

Of the composers here, who thinks we need to come together to discuss our ideas more often?  As far as I see it, we barely discuss our motives/inspirations/technqiues, to any degree.

I would actually love to collabrate with someone to create a piece if it is in the cards or if it is destined...

[Jim Necroslaughter]

Nobody but the composers and a few others seem to check out this thread, because the DLA doesn't support its "scene".

Of the composers here, who thinks we need to come together to discuss our ideas more often?  As far as I see it, we barely discuss our motives/inspirations/technqiues, to any degree.

OK, let's break everything down.

What bands/projects are we talking about?  If I'm not mistaken, I would say:  Into Oblivion, Wulvgraf, the various projects of Cargest and the output of Forza Romana.  These are the people that regularly frequent here and have metal projects.  If I'm forgetting anything, just pipe up.

Speaking for myself and perhaps some others:  I do keep an eye on the various projects here and I do pay attention.  I don't give much advice or critique because I don't have the vocabulary for it.

Into Oblivion, Wulvgraf and Wiht have all gotten reviewed in some form at the DLA.  Why did this stuff get reviewed?  Here's my hunch:  these got reviewed because they were completed projects.  A lot of stuff that people post is admitted by the very people that post it, that they are not exactly completed projects.  A lot of artists here seem to be testing the waters and looking for feedback.  That's fine, but it makes a non-musician such as myself reluctant to insert himself into a discussion.  I'm only comfortable weighing in on things when somebody says:  OK here is a complete piece of work, front to back, top to bottom, I stand behind it 100%, this is it.  I offered a lot of enthusiastic praise for the Wiht project a few years ago because I was able to offer some "non-musical" thoughts.

So, if I were to offer some advice to the artists I would say:  A.)  Consolidate all of the various recordings that you officially want "out there" so people can go to one single place to find it.  B.)  Artists should be less hesitant to promote themselves and their projects.  I know a lot of people here have good manners and aren't into self-promotion but a reminder every now and then is really no harm.  C.)  If something is not getting much feedback, I guess you have to take the hint.  D.)  Why don't all you guys make an mp3 compilation?  Each project picks out 1 or 2 songs, upload it to mediafire and spread it around.  I think we need a "re-cap" of who is who and what recordings are they officially standing behind?

[Forza Romana]

I like the idea of a compilation. I am currently working on my project and maybe just maybe I will try to make some artwork or a booklet for it...

[Aesir]

I have a few projects:

Nocturnal Evil: Beherit and Ride for Revenge Inspired Black Metal
Realm of a Starving Sun: Ambient
Hiemal : Ambient Black Metal (had the demos officially released 66 Limited copies)

Constructive feedback welcome.

[Forza Romana]

Pardone me for a quick review but these are some enjoyable tracks you have put together, Aesir. At the moment Rain on the Winter Soil is playing and it is amazing.

Very impressive and transcendent.

[analrapist]

This forum has been around for like ten years, right? During that time someone must have written something good, right?

[Istaev]

I gotta agree with Cargest. anus is an island and seems to want to stay that way. a team is disciplined, a squad is creative; a platoon is aggressive. a company is, like an individual, fuckit, whatever.

[Jim Necroslaughter]

http://youtu.be/GCMr8VP8qeQ

The Last Battle, a Wheel of Time inspired song, and a demo I am working on..

I saw that you uploaded a newer version of this song that is 5:19 minutes long and I think the latest version is an improvement over the one you have linked here.  I think Cargest hit the nail on the head - the build up to 3:15 is golden.  Then there is a lull until basically 4:00 and then the badass endings.  If I'm understanding Cargest correctly then I also agree with him that you have a great opportunity at the 3:15 mark to take the song to the next level.  I actually think this song could withstand being made into a 7 minute song or even longer if what you came up with was compelling enough.  I think after a 3 minute build up what is called for is something more dramatic and climactic.  I think there needs to be something more urgent at that point of the song, not a "lull."  At face value, you hit the nail on the head with the "spirit."  What would be really compelling would be to listen to 3 to 4 songs in the 6 - 10 minute range in this style.

Now the older song, "Pagan Fire" with vokills by Sangue Lucano:  I like this song even better than "The Last Battle," in fact I think it's superb.  I don't know how to explain it, but the guitar work is mesmerizing.  There's almost something "catchy" about it although maybe the better word is "intuitive" in the sense that I could see a non-metalhead-but-musically-literate person intuitively grasp the logic of the melodies.  Or I would compare it to some of my own first encounters with good metal like say the Varathron side of the Necromantia/Varathron split or the Crush the Cenotaph EP by Asphyx.  The songs on those 2 releases have a forgiving learning curve and they make intuitive logical sense even to a novice, they are fun to listen to right off the bat, essentially; some metal you can appreciate on first listen, some you can't.  Pagan Fire basically never lets up and I think it works best that way, this is perfect as a 3:37 minute song.  The vokills actually won me over as well.  They are conspicuous, but for some reason it all works in the end.  I think the vocalist really committed to the death whispers and that's the biggest reason why it works.  The cadence of the vocals also seemed to be in sync with the urgency of the music and so I think you could say that as the song moves along the vocals become less conspicuous and the music does in fact win out.  This whole song also has a spontaneity about it.  Just like your other song, what would be really fun would be to listen to about 4 or 5 songs in addition to Pagan Fire, in the same style.

[scourge]

I gotta agree with Cargest. anus is an island and seems to want to stay that way. a team is disciplined, a squad is creative; a platoon is aggressive. a company is, like an individual, fuckit, whatever.

Those are strictly divisions in scale which, because of scale not because of the division categories, experience behavioural gradients. They don't each have distinct behaviours that aren't observable to an extent in the others.

[BillHopkins]

This forum has been around for like ten years, right? During that time someone must have written something good, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIUr4KCseo0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWcJ8b2hJgA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9B0-78dNxE&feature=related (live)

Prog. It's not metal. It has similar, but not identical ideals. And it's actually fully formed.

[BillHopkins]

I have a few projects:

Nocturnal Evil: Beherit and Ride for Revenge Inspired Black Metal
Realm of a Starving Sun: Ambient
Hiemal : Ambient Black Metal (had the demos officially released 66 Limited copies)

Constructive feedback welcome.

I like these a lot. Nocturnal Evil is beastly, but I can't help thinking it would benefit from more sophisticated rythm on the guitar?

[Forza Romana]

http://youtu.be/GCMr8VP8qeQ

The Last Battle, a Wheel of Time inspired song, and a demo I am working on..

I saw that you uploaded a newer version of this song that is 5:19 minutes long and I think the latest version is an improvement over the one you have linked here.  I think Cargest hit the nail on the head - the build up to 3:15 is golden.  Then there is a lull until basically 4:00 and then the badass endings.  If I'm understanding Cargest correctly then I also agree with him that you have a great opportunity at the 3:15 mark to take the song to the next level.  I actually think this song could withstand being made into a 7 minute song or even longer if what you came up with was compelling enough.  I think after a 3 minute build up what is called for is something more dramatic and climactic.  I think there needs to be something more urgent at that point of the song, not a "lull."  At face value, you hit the nail on the head with the "spirit."  What would be really compelling would be to listen to 3 to 4 songs in the 6 - 10 minute range in this style.

Now the older song, "Pagan Fire" with vokills by Sangue Lucano:  I like this song even better than "The Last Battle," in fact I think it's superb.  I don't know how to explain it, but the guitar work is mesmerizing.  There's almost something "catchy" about it although maybe the better word is "intuitive" in the sense that I could see a non-metalhead-but-musically-literate person intuitively grasp the logic of the melodies.  Or I would compare it to some of my own first encounters with good metal like say the Varathron side of the Necromantia/Varathron split or the Crush the Cenotaph EP by Asphyx.  The songs on those 2 releases have a forgiving learning curve and they make intuitive logical sense even to a novice, they are fun to listen to right off the bat, essentially; some metal you can appreciate on first listen, some you can't.  Pagan Fire basically never lets up and I think it works best that way, this is perfect as a 3:37 minute song.  The vokills actually won me over as well.  They are conspicuous, but for some reason it all works in the end.  I think the vocalist really committed to the death whispers and that's the biggest reason why it works.  The cadence of the vocals also seemed to be in sync with the urgency of the music and so I think you could say that as the song moves along the vocals become less conspicuous and the music does in fact win out.  This whole song also has a spontaneity about it.  Just like your other song, what would be really fun would be to listen to about 4 or 5 songs in addition to Pagan Fire, in the same style.

With the Last Battle, this was the very first song I have written over the four minute and above. It was challenging for to pace myself, as I have not had the best stamina for speed. But this comes better as I play everyday. Trust me when I say I taken everything in consideration when receiving tibits or advice. But I have to serious wonder what I can do to improve it. I believe I have locked it in my mind the song is the best I can do..,,for now.

Speaking for Pagan Fire, that was a song where I did not let up at all. Now that I upgraded my drum machine to Drumkit from Hell, and have a new killer amp, I believe it is time to record a new version. I cannot believe I did the vocals as well, so I hope I can do them justice like I did the first time.