ghost Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 Suvara - Demo 1( most songs are available from http://www.soundclick.com/suvara )Way back in the mists of time (Autumn 2002 I think!), I was handed two CDs by Frosty Jack over a bottle of Jacobs Creek. Naturally, I promised to review them as soon as possible and (of course) it's taken me over a year to fulfill this promise (and hey, there's still another CD to go!). Thankfully, in that time I haven't completely ignored the CDs - they actually get regular rotations on my stereo at home - and they've worked their way into my head. Look out for the review of the 2nd CD soon...Halo:Ever find yourself drawn into a song by distorted mandolin? Do yourself a favour and listen to this track - it kicks! I have no idea what this song is about, but the upbeat, almost manic mood is infectious. I wondered about the location of the main vocals in the mix (about 25% right) but when the chorus kicks in and Keith's backing vocals filter through at 100% left the whole song balances. I think I've just listened to this track 92 times in a row without failing to tap my toes when the drums kick in. It really is the drums that make this song, and I think that is the first (and possibly only) time I'll say that, as without them the mood would be completely different.Karma Overdraft:A song about being considerate to others I think? This one is a slow burner with echoey bass and dry upfront vocals hooking you before the track explodes into some kind of bastardised collaboration between the Sawdoctors, Kirsty McCall and erm... The Muppets? It's the drumming and the slightly off but still entirely viable harmony, honest! There is also a cracking solo to round the song off, unfortunately marred by a peak at exactly 3mins which seems to cut the guitar entirely. If that can be corrected, and the drums pulled back into the mix, you're listening to the song of the summer - guaranteed.Treasure Island:Starts off like a sea-shanty, like the simple mandolin riff. It's light and breezy and there is a heap of space in the mix.... then you're suddenly thrown into a tumultous chorus where the skies are black and there's tension in the air. The way the listener's mood is controlled is frankly amazing. This track stands out for me because it doesn't hook you in the same way as the other three do - this one is a more demanding listen, but offers greater rewards. Strong traditional air which sticks in your head months after the first listen, I could see this getting airplay from Mike Harding or on a similar show.Overall, the comments for Brass Eye regarding the mix also hold true for the other tracks. The drums and vocals have been recorded brilliantly and sound really three dimensional, but the other instruments sound like they've been recorded in a different studio at a different time.(original Brass Eye review included for reference. See http://www.aberdeen-music.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10591 for more details)Brass Eye:I love the ticking-clock style intro, is that fret noise? It counters the rising/falling lead guitar and building drums nicely. When the chorus kicks in the harmonies really expand the stereo depth of the track - plus they're in tune! I really like this track - it's the kind of track you wouldn't think twice of popping on to a compilation to drive to a festival in the height of summer. The lyrics stir up some delicious imagery. Mix wise, I'd bring up the levels of the guitars in the chorus - for some reason everything falls a bit flat when listening on headphones. It's like the instrumentation has been squashed into a wall of sound (ie: everything is limited to -6db behind the vocals - this is just a guess btw). Some EQ to separate the instruments from each other might help. In the verse you don't have this problem though. If you still have the separate tracks, bung it into Cool Edit and run the 30-band Graphic Equaliser over each one. I'll try and remember to post a thread on key frequencies (picked it up off the net a few years ago, but the website isn't there anymore) soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Jack Posted April 6, 2004 Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 Man, you are far far too kind. Really. Those CDs are well rough, (and rather old now) the bvs sound atrocious... Thanks for the excellent comments though. We're doing a new demo this week which should be waaay better, we will use your advice when mixing, and we'll see what you think of it next year. ;-) We've progressed quite a bit from those tracks I think, and in a more metal direction too. See for yourself on the 28th... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted April 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 I've got space in my diary for May 2007? Will that do? Oh yeah - details ok for the 28th? You got the email?Was I right by the way - where did you record the demos? Did you overlay the vox & drums later with a different engineer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Jack Posted April 6, 2004 Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 Originally posted by ghost:I've got space in my diary for May 2007? Will that do? Oh yeah - details ok for the 28th? You got the email?Was I right by the way - where did you record the demos? Did you overlay the vox & drums later with a different engineer? Yip, I'll mail you about the 28th, everything fine.The demo was actually all recorded basically in one evening at Capt Tom's, which would explain a lot, a bit rushed. Know exactly what you mean about the difference in sounds, but somehow we managed to fuck it up all at the same time... Any tips on what we should do this time to integrate everything better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost Posted April 6, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 Use a different studio? Seriously though - worth just taking the individual tracks away with you and mixing in Cool Edit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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