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Title:Podpalic Swiat (Set The World On Fire)
Author:XnmE
Genre:Metal, Death Metal
Comment:Listen , burn ...and DIEEEE!
Size:4580 KB
File:XnmE-Podpalic_Swiat_(second_edit).rar
Date:2003-06-07

Inge:   Bad

Expanding limits

XNME does something that I always wanted to do back in my 'old'-days, namely sequencing metal on an electronic format. I used to sample individual guitar-touches from Pantera, Fear Factory and Life Of Agony, made new melodies in FT2 and programmed beats, bass and so forth. When I listening it now, all I can think is: pathetic. Does that mean that sequencing a specific 'analogue' music style in a digital format isn't possible? A strong and powerful 'no' may be answered. Xnme does a pretty amazing job with his Podpalic Swiat, and works around the limitations of programming instruments rather good.
Tracking instruments has distinct limitations. For instance, normally every guitar touch is unique, since every string is touched every time with a different intensity, power and feeling. Sampling one chord and using that to program a melody will always result in a rather static and non-energetic feeling. The same goes for bass guitar and drums. Xnme didn't solve this problem, but just did the best within the given borders of possibilities. This melodic metal song (which reminded me of Metallica, In Flames, Slayer and so forth) shows everything I never was able to make, and furthermore showcases a good talent for structure, melodies and feeling for this style of music.
The vocals are beautiful. I love the double-layered combination of aggressive grunts and clean vocals. This hybrid of voices gives a vivid, powerful touch to the song, and is mixed very well into the whole spectrum of the sound. Solo the channel of the vocals, and you'll be amazed how good they sound (even though they are mono/22khz). The classic double guitars are also splendid. Full, hard and natural is the main feeling I get. Of course there's this 'synthetic' characteristic of the guitars, since (although multisampled) every touch is identical. Due to the fast variation in melody this doesn't bother the overall sound much. The bass guitar could use a bit more accent, since it sounds too clean and to dull. Some more high frequenty might have been added, and distortion would also benefit its appearance. The same goes for the kickdrum, but the overall drums sound natural and constructive for the song.
As for the song as a whole part: very good is all I can say. I never heard anything like this in the field of tracked music, so I can't compare it to other tracked metal-songs, but this song is just plain good. Good overall balance, much variation, a catching main melody and an overall feeling of strength and speed characterize Podpalic Swiat.
Very good. This really shows how broad tracking can go. From what I've read on internet, Xnme belongs to the upperclass of tracking metal-musicians. This song shows why.

Inge


em22:   Bad


In contrast to Inges favourable review, I have other ideas.

I was expecting more of a tracking technique through Inges review but was confronted by a mash of sound.

Its basically clear that this is a tracked song, the beats are robotic there seems to be no variation in the way the kit is used, which I would considered a crucial point as tracking this type of music is difficult, as it is hard to simulate the style played by a live band. I have heard alot better use of samples in similar style tracks.

I would advise to find some old audiomonster tracks, different style all together but, in which audiomonster uses acoustic instruments and creates music which is very hard to tell that is was tracked. This sounds really linear, especially when playing something death metal in winamp and coming back.

The vocal warbles on completeley indecipherable, but half way through the snare really becomes annoying, I would encourage more variation of the drum kit. A drummer in a death metal band would really give it some welly, different snares, more than one ride cymbal, but the drums seem to have been tracked in a basic way.

The guitar samples are a nice relief when they start to belt away, but this was a sample and nothing tracked.

It does sound basic, and if the tune was played by a live band, this version would do no justice to that.



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