Please review my band's music. Constructive criticism welcome.

Meyatch · #1 02-03-2008, 08:16 AM

My band's debut EP will be released at the show saturday. We have 4 of the 5 songs up on myspace, and I was wondering what other talkbassers thought of it.

The songs can be found at www.myspace.com/endofthesun
the 4 songs are:

What You Need: a mid tempo song, pretty typical of the band

Revenge: a slower darker song, probably my least favorite, but other people like it.

Collision: faster song, some tasty bass licks

Supernova: pretty fast, more upbeat than the other songs. Features a bass solo, probably my favorite song.

FYI, I play entirely fretless in this project, all of these songs happen to be recorded with my Cort Curbow FL, which I bought from talkbasser Snyderz.

A local DJ described us as a cross between Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, I think the floyd refference is pretty obvious, don't know if I agree with him about the sabbath.

Any constructive criticism is welcome, about me, any other member, the mix, whatever.

Thanks,
-mitch

Meyatch · #2 02-06-2008, 03:26 PM

anybody? I promise not to cry if you don't like it.

Barkless Dog · #3 02-06-2008, 03:51 PM

Music won't load-common problem this time of day (after school)

lambro · #4 02-06-2008, 03:53 PM

you guys have a lot of work to do, its better to get feed back on your direction before going to the mastering house, maybe even before forming a band.

1) drums, no groove... and terrible recording, the toms sound muffled the cymbals sound like cheap brass captured with a cheaper SDC, the harsh cymbal zing at the top..wow, but the absence of groove is a deal breaker,

2) the vocals, the singer can not intonate the notes, the singer is not a singer.. its some guy with a mic with terrible projection and no sense of musicality. Who is his vocal coach, what exercises is he working on to train his ear and develop intonation and vibrato??...a complete dud.

3) the guitar is so failed in basic skill that I cant really listen to it, just because you can buy recording equipment doesn't mean you are ready to record, the guitarist has a long uphill battle to get the skills needed prior to hitting the record button, not to mention the terrible tones. This one needs a mentor, but really the upside is very limited here.

4) the bass was the best part, actually had some decent tone cutting thru at points but the recording and the mixing did a great job of obscuring that, get in a new band. (find the best drummer you can of ANY style of music and get IN that band)

5) the song writing was so dull.... I feel bad for you guys. Music is melody harmony and rhythm, there is not much attention to any one of these key areas.

good news: whatever you're doing is not working..at all - so stop what you are doing and change directions hard. Dont look for ego stroking to perpetuate all the bad habits outlined. If you want to be a serious musician, cut the dead weight, do the right homework. As a bass player you can go farther, as a band you can not.

Pink Floyd? Black Sabbath? you might want to listen to those albums again...

SERPENT865 · #5 02-06-2008, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meyatch

My band's debut EP will be released at the show saturday

WHY.?

I think some practice time is in order here..!!!!!

El-Bob · #6 02-06-2008, 04:29 PM

yup, singer is awful, the drums are pretty boring, and the guitarist's tone is terrible, BUT the bass playing is pretty damn good, and so is your tone.

Meyatch · #7 02-06-2008, 08:48 PM

hey, thanks for the compliments on my playing and tone, as well as for the honest feedback on the band. I'm sick of hearing people I know placate me with praise.

For anyone concerned, its not like we are out a ton of money for this CD. Our costs are almost entirely reimbursed from some gig money without even selling a single CD.

This isn't my only band, its just an excuse for me to excercise some originality. My main gig is 90% a cover band.

I'd like to have a producer to work to get a good mix and good tones for everything, but really its a waste without improving the vocals. Thats pretty much the only consistant feedback I've gotten from everyone, is that the vocals need work. He should have plenty of room for improvement, as now he's not so much singing, as talking in the vicinity of the pitch.

keep the feedback coming, it can't get any worse, or can it?

BillyRay · #8 02-07-2008, 08:35 AM

I like your tone on its own, but I feel doesn't suit the band really well. I mean, it sounds good, but it just seems out of place (hard to describe): you cut through nicely and have solid chops, but it's just not the tone I would expect to be there. I'd like something more agressive or either full blown spacey (have you tried adding a flanger or something ?).

Drums are boring as hell and the guitarist isn't all that bad, he just has a very generic, blah tone. Let's not talk about the singer. Had you had the guitarist or yourself sing, it would be decent, but since this guy is the dedicated singer, you cannot have him not be on pitch and have no expression (ie. William Shatner impression).

Overall, decent. Way better than most original bands that tour the dives around here, but not good enough to be shelling money to put out a demo (especially if it sounds like this).