# My bands biggest show, constructive criticism please



## Soubi7string (Dec 26, 2010)

well this is of my bands biggest show yet
we almost sold out the venue which holds 200 people
we've only been a band for like 7 months so I like to think we're doing good and the like
but anyways
constructive criticism por favor?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp5lWusfAII&feature=player_embedded#!


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## The Reverend (Dec 26, 2010)

Hmm. I don't know what to say. Nicely, at least.

Great sound, live. Bass was pretty much drowned out, but that happens at shows. A lot. Get a huge bass amp?

I come from a deathcore background, which means I like bands with a lot of energy and attitude onstage. Y'all kinda just sat there. It's kinda like you're not comfortable yet? Maybe the standing in place is what you're going for though, who knows. You don't have to go like full-out, Attack Attack!, watch-me-imitate-a-girl-popping-a-squat style, but I think your stage performance can use some improvement.

Also, write more than four riffs a song. If a standard verse/chorus/verse thing is what you're going for, at least make them more dynamic riffs. I kinda had to force myself to listen after a few minutes.

I hope you take this in the right light. I've been in bands for six years now, I know it sucks hearing not-good shit.


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## Soubi7string (Dec 26, 2010)

The Reverend said:


> Hmm. I don't know what to say. Nicely, at least.
> 
> Great sound, live. Bass was pretty much drowned out, but that happens at shows. A lot. Get a huge bass amp?
> 
> ...



Death metal background, moving is like second to none for me lol
the bassist controlled the bass sound even though its my rig
though I love hearing a lot of bass
and I refuse to go all out pop a squat or invisible anything in front of me stuff
and yeah I get what you're saying on the 4 thing
it drives me nuts
but thats how the rest of the band declared those songs
our 2 newer ones have at least 5 or 6 in them
we're getting better hopefully lol
but yeah I did take what you said into good light

how are we tone wise?


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## The Reverend (Dec 26, 2010)

Headbanging is good. I'm not sure how you would two-step or throw down while playing. That would be bad. I'm saying don't just chill in your spot with your head down. Move around, get mad, do shit. From what I heard, you're not generally playing riffs that would keep you from doing that.

Unless you get a huge bass amp/cab, at a lot of venues you'll be fucked. In my city, only the better places mic/DI the bass. 

Five or six riffs may not be enough. Again, I'm not suggesting you just keep throwing riffs in, just make sure that the song goes somewhere. The songwriting definitely needs to be improved.

As far as your tone, it was great. I was actually surprised by that part. It carried well, notes were distinct, all that jazz. You've got the sound quality of a good band, if you round out the other things I mentioned I think you'll do quite well for yourselves.


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## Soubi7string (Dec 26, 2010)

yeah I don't 2-step or core dance, but I get what you're saying.
and I think its cause we wanna focus on the riffs so much and get them perfect that we don't move.
and we always get the Bass DI/Mic'ed and plus its 600 watts
and suh-weet!!!
and hopefully our new Bass player moves some


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## rotebass (Dec 26, 2010)

No one is going to know/care if you play every note perfect, move around a little bit. Don't force it, just feel it


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## The Reverend (Dec 26, 2010)

Soubi7string said:


> yeah I don't 2-step or core dance, but I get what you're saying.
> and I think its cause we wanna focus on the riffs so much and get them perfect that we don't move.
> and we always get the Bass DI/Mic'ed and plus its 600 watts
> and suh-weet!!!
> and hopefully our new Bass player moves some


 
I know the feeling . When y'all practice, towards the end when you've already done most of the work, just go through the set one last time while going (appropriately) crazy. It may not be much because of the technical aspect of playing, but it will make you more comfortable. 

I might just upload some videos of my first show and last show to show you how much of a difference it makes. Or not haha that shit's EMBARASSING.

As far as the bass, it may just be the video not capturing that low-end well enough. I rescind that critical statement


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## Soubi7string (Dec 26, 2010)

The Reverend said:


> I know the feeling . When y'all practice, towards the end when you've already done most of the work, just go through the set one last time while going (appropriately) crazy. It may not be much because of the technical aspect of playing, but it will make you more comfortable.
> 
> I might just upload some videos of my first show and last show to show you how much of a difference it makes. Or not haha that shit's EMBARASSING.
> 
> As far as the bass, it may just be the video not capturing that low-end well enough. I rescind that critical statement



lol they're lazy shits and act like they have a busy schedule to keep so we only run through it once ;-;

and UPLOAD DEM NAOW!!! I need a giggle and some visual understanding lol

and not really she always kept the bass down due to "traditional" crap she believed in: Bass low,drums loud,guitars loud
which is STUPID


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## ittoa666 (Dec 27, 2010)

I can't help feeling like your band is just "that band." The songwriting needs more variety. Try adding harmonies, underlying riffs, solos, and whatever else to the songs to keep them interesting. You need to really impress the ears of all the random people there for other bands. 

Also, running taped intros before songs in the middle of the set can kill momentum. Try doing just one as a set intro. Remember to get the soundman/light guy to dim the lights while the intro runs, and get them to turn them at right when you start playing. It makes for much epicness.


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## Soubi7string (Dec 27, 2010)

> I can't help feeling like your band is just "that band." The songwriting needs more variety. Try adding harmonies


whatcha mean by "that band"?
harmonies we don't do lol



> Also, running taped intros before songs in the middle of the set can kill momentum. Try doing just one as a set intro. Remember to get the soundman/light guy to dim the lights while the intro runs, and get them to turn them at right when you start playing. It makes for much epicness.


we run them only during the beginning of the set
the rest is just play


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## UnderTheSign (Dec 27, 2010)

With all due respect, the vocals at 1:47 reminded me of a random dying villain in the first season of Power Rangers 

I understand you can't be slamdancing all over the place while trying to play but everyone apart from your vocalist (at times) and the guy on the far right looked pretty dead. 

This is just a random video I found while looking for something else, but it does the job nicely. Just don't be afraid to change 'stance' once every while, walk back and forth a few steps, etc., even small things like that make you look more alive.


And just remember, it could always be worse... You could have Jeff Hanneman's stage appearance! (the post-1990-something Jeff, that is)


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## Soubi7string (Dec 27, 2010)

ok yeah
I'm not gonna lie that had me laughing really fuckin hard lol

and from that vid I am taking with me the drummers voice and the epic DILLIGAF smoking a cigarette face.


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## ittoa666 (Dec 27, 2010)

Soubi7string said:


> whatcha mean by "that band"?
> harmonies we don't do lol



I mean every other regular joe band.




> we run them only during the beginning of the set
> the rest is just play


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## shredzilla509 (Dec 28, 2010)

rotebass said:


> No one is going to know/care if you play every note perfect, move around a little bit. Don't force it, just feel it


 
+1, even if you hardly move there is just some unexplainable body language that can show that you are comfortable and belong on stage. but seven months is a short amount of time. it just comes with experience. just have an extrovert mind set!


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## Soubi7string (Dec 28, 2010)

shredzilla509 said:


> it just comes with experience. just have an extrovert mind set!



funny thing is I am an extrovert


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## McKay (Dec 28, 2010)

Move around more.
More riffs. Way too much repetition man.
Get tuners.
Sounded like you were slowing down and speeding up. Practice to a click.

This is just personal taste but I don't dig the style of the band, you're like if Deathcore and bad turn of the century gothenburg metal collided and it sounds awkward.

You need to make your songs more dynamic and the band more lively. Musically, not just physically. You sound like a band that has put in very little time. You need to be practising a shitload and writing constantly. Write in your head all the time, it's a good way of getting better without really doing all that much. Challenge yourself!!

Everything I write I compare to my favourite music. I inevitably always end up feeling very shitty about myself and I question my ability constantly but it means that I push myself and take a very critical stance on everything I do. The result is that my songs, however people rate them are of a higher quality than if I hadn't gone through this process.

You've got promise, now make something of it!


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## Soubi7string (Dec 28, 2010)

> you're like if Deathcore


surprisingly that statement hurt my ego lol

we try to hit the more old school Death metal like morbid angel and OLLLLLLD Cannibal corpse like stuff

and trust me I'd like to do more but our drummer,lead guitar, and singer don't like my normal style of playing which I think would push it a little further(which is like right under Spawn of Possession,The Faceless and just old school death metal)
all they like is groove based crap =/ and if they had it their way it'd be another Whitechapel or Suicide Silence band which I'd rather sell all my gear and give up guitar playing than be in a band like that.

and thanks for sayin we have promise
it is all our first band so I hope we only get better in the future


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## McKay (Dec 28, 2010)

Soubi7string said:


> surprisingly that statement hurt my ego lol
> 
> we try to hit the more old school Death metal like morbid angel and OLLLLLLD Cannibal corpse like stuff
> 
> ...



Why not try and make a fusion of your styles instead of fighting for stylistic control? Other band members slacking contributions are not an excuse for writing or lack thereof. Do it yourself on a PC!

Seriously man, if you don't like Deathcore, don't be in a band of Deathcore musicians. I dig it, even though I'm from a Thrash/Death background, the result is Deathcore through the filter of my background. Learn to like it and you may have a much better time. You'll definitely make better music because you'll work better together!

Don't get trapped by genre differences, make a band that is a combination of the different musical personalities within the band and include them all. I can empathise with the other members being closed minded about it, just make sure you're not either!!


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## McKay (Dec 28, 2010)

Oh and hey man, I really do think you guys have potential. I saw your rep, I'm not trying to be harsh, I believe that unless you're totally straight with someone you're not helping them as much as you could with an honest exchange.

I know my own music could be totally ripped to shreds by someone and were they to, I would only think 'how can I make it better' and hopefully their act of demolishing it would have given me some kind of idea. You seem the same way, which will help you immensely as a musician because however big your ego is, you don't let it get in the way.

I think if you were to concentrate on two things, I would say to work on your riff cycles/tails and work on your timing/feel/energy.

For the riffs, think about changing the tails, changing the riffs up. How the riffs/drums relate and how the riffs flow with each other. Tails are really important in that. Man, I wrote a thing out for myself to use when I'm not very inspired that can help a ton but it's on a memory stick somewhere. I'll have a look for it if you're interested.


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## UnderTheSign (Dec 28, 2010)

Soubi7string said:


> surprisingly that statement hurt my ego lol
> 
> we try to hit the more old school Death metal like morbid angel and OLLLLLLD Cannibal corpse like stuff


Something went wrong there, then!  Really though, yeah, you sound more deathcore-ish, maybe some metalcore/gothenburg stuff in there... 
Like the guy above me said, there's no use fighting over styles with your bandmates. It'll just cause arguements and will eventually lead to the band breaking up.

Regarding the video I linked... The cigarette would totally be my new stage move if I smoked and if I'd play outdoors. It is, however, a good example of a band that doesn't move a LOT, but shows movement.

If you're gonna stick with the core-ish sound, definitely try to get movement in there. I come from a thrash/powerviolence/grind (no, not the gore stuff) background and tbh, if the band doesn't look energetic, the crowd will pick it up. 

Of course, if you want to really tear shit up, rhino charge into the audience... Don't mind the audio quality, just check out 0:30ish.


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## Soubi7string (Dec 29, 2010)

> Seriously man, if you don't like Deathcore, don't be in a band of Deathcore musicians. I dig it, even though I'm from a Thrash/Death background, the result is Deathcore through the filter of my background. Learn to like it and you may have a much better time. You'll definitely make better music because you'll work better together!


god damn it.....I really hoped we didn't sound like fucking core.I thought we sounded a bit more like some prostitute disfigurement, man must die, and shit like that with the old school stuff.


> Something went wrong there, then! Really though, yeah, you sound more deathcore-ish, maybe some metalcore/gothenburg stuff in there...


god fucking DAMN IT -.-'''''


> Learn to like it and you may have a much better time.


no, no I won't

pray, tell me what is it that gives us this sound?!
I mean fuck me sideways thats going to fucking eat at me if I don't know
I mean shit our influences are like stoner metal and sludge metal and shit.
if you can't tell I try to stay away from that genre with the big fat core attached to the end.


> Oh and hey man, I really do think you guys have potential. I saw your rep, I'm not trying to be harsh, I believe that unless you're totally straight with someone you're not helping them as much as you could with an honest exchange.


thanks man
and I worked on stage presence at band practice today and it worked out pretty damn well.(we didn't have the full band there due to our lead guitarists mom is in the hospital and in bad condition and the NEW bassist was going to see his brother who just got out of jail)
I the wireless I got makes me feel a bit more comfortable cause I don't have the chance of yanking my wire out


> Man, I wrote a thing out for myself to use when I'm not very inspired that can help a ton but it's on a memory stick somewhere. I'll have a look for it if you're interested.


I am interested indeed
but what is it that gives us this core sound?
I mean we only have one song with one breakdown in it and .....its the vocalist isn't it


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## Soubi7string (Dec 29, 2010)

also the gothenburg sound I hear only in our first song cause we were stuck on Amon Amarth for-fucking-ever and decided to make a viking song lol
the rest of our music is heavily influenced by Dying Fetus, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and shit like that
I mean I fail to see any other core aspect since we aren't melodic in any way but in one song and have a breakdown in one song and they aren't even the emphasis of the songs


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## bostjan (Dec 29, 2010)

I'll be frank for the sake of being clear-

I think you are better than your band. Honestly, the material seemed too repeatative, and got downright painful for me to listen to. I'm talking about riffs that are six eighth note triplets that go on for more than twelve repeats. The band needs to tighten up and keep in time with each other. It wasn't like "OMG, trainwreck!" but there were several moments where things started to slide apart a little between the different band-members. For a new band, that's pretty much to be expected, though, and none of my bands ever sounded tighter than that for a first show.

If I was you, I would try to motivate some of the other band members to wood-shed a bit more, and I would really push to get some new material. Those riffs could all work in the right situation, but the song arrangements need some rethinking, IMO. I've had a heck of a time myself, coming up with arrangements that are weird enough not to be too boring, but boring enough not to be too weird. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that in your genre, you need to push more toward the weird/unique side of the spectrum.



And take all of my comments with a pile of salt, because I'm by no means a successful promoter/famous performer.


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## UnderTheSign (Dec 29, 2010)

Soubi7string said:


> also the gothenburg sound I hear only in our first song cause we were stuck on Amon Amarth for-fucking-ever and decided to make a viking song lol
> the rest of our music is heavily influenced by Dying Fetus, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and shit like that
> I mean I fail to see any other core aspect since we aren't melodic in any way but in one song and have a breakdown in one song and they aren't even the emphasis of the songs


I'd debate AA not sounding Gothenburg at all, but meh, nvm 

Yeah, the vocalist adds a lot to your core-y sound. I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to every second of the footage, but just some stuff I noticed. For example the stuff that starts at 3:11 - once a common used thrashy sound, but added with the drums, guitar tone and the fact riffs like those are now overly used by metalcore and other modern bands, it just adds to it all. 

6:36ish is another one of those examples that doesn't yell "DEATH FUCKING METAL" at you.

The track around the 8 minute mark - the intro riff picking style - due to not being musically taught in English I don't know the term for it - is one of those things a load of core bands use a lot. The riff that kicks in at 9.00ish is decent DM styled, I'd say. After that it goes back to the core-y feeling again though.

12:10ish I could imagine being an Immolation riff, so that's pretty good work there. Too bad it's THAT song that has a breakdown Shorten the breakdown and follow it up with some low E tremolo riffs though and there you go, death metal.

Assuming the Wideyedaze I found on myspace is you - whoever wrote that claims you're influenced by Waking The Cadaver and calls that grind.

Now that I'm nitpicking anyway, your logo kind of emphasizes the core aspect.






That said, I might come off a bit assholish here but ignore that please


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## Soubi7string (Dec 29, 2010)

UnderTheSign said:


> For example the stuff that starts at 3:11 - once a common used thrashy sound, but added with the drums, guitar tone and the fact riffs like those are now overly used by metalcore and other modern bands, it just adds to it all.



thats thrash/gothenburg-esque to me still lol


> 6:36ish is another one of those examples that doesn't yell "DEATH FUCKING METAL" at you.


still in the thrash park IMO lol



> The track around the 8 minute mark - the intro riff picking style - due to not being musically taught in English I don't know the term for it - is one of those things a load of core bands use a lot.


yeah they do use it alot but I actually got the idea from Dying Fetus XD


> The riff that kicks in at 9.00ish is decent DM styled, I'd say. After that it goes back to the core-y feeling again though.


Man Must Die gave me said idea when we were making the song lol and I forgot to apologize for the jackass that got on stage to sing as well....our singer thinks guest vocals are "awesome" even if its every show which we have to make sure he doesn't get said person -.-''''


> 12:10ish I could imagine being an Immolation riff, so that's pretty good work there. Too bad it's THAT song that has a breakdown Shorten the breakdown and follow it up with some low E tremolo riffs though and there you go, death metal.


I shall suggest a tremolo pick in there good sir.Thank you for the idea 


> Assuming the Wideyedaze I found on myspace is you - whoever wrote that claims you're influenced by Waking The Cadaver and calls that grind.


I can literally guarantee thats our singer that wrote that mess


> Now that I'm nitpicking anyway, your logo kind of emphasizes the core aspect.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



yeah I see your points lol
and the logo is ollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllld as dirt.
we have gotten better at our song making 8D
one of our songs has 7 parts in it plus a solo
and our other one has 6 parts so we're definitely progressing
and I do take the Immolation to heart, love immolation.

also gotta say the only thing about core I like sometimes is their logos lettering.


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## Soubi7string (Dec 29, 2010)

bostjan said:


> I'll be frank for the sake of being clear-
> 
> I think you are better than your band.



awwwww <3
no homo XD


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## UnderTheSign (Dec 31, 2010)

So basically the first step towards doing stuff YOU like is firing your singer? Lol


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## Soubi7string (Dec 31, 2010)

UnderTheSign said:


> So basically the first step towards doing stuff YOU like is firing your singer? Lol



lmfao, well we've tried to get him to be more rounded but he kinda makes himself out to not be able to do anything but screeching highs =/
at least they have gotten better since I bought him some instructional DVD(it was an asshole moved tbh lol)
which helped make him sound more powerful and boomier so he sounds more like the highs in this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIRUzqHTNh8


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## GuitaristOfHell (Dec 31, 2010)

Sweet man! I dig.


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## ittoa666 (Jan 1, 2011)

UnderTheSign said:


>




That is my kind of music.


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## UnderTheSign (Jan 1, 2011)

^Mine, too. Shorter! Faster! Louder! Rhaaaaahhhhhh

Napalm Death style highs are cool, but I don't know if it'll change much. Post a vid when you get vids of it and we'll judge!


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## Soubi7string (Jan 1, 2011)

GuitaristOfHell said:


> Sweet man! I dig.



thanks man!
our newer stuff is better and has alot more to it lol


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## Soubi7string (Jan 1, 2011)

UnderTheSign said:


> ^Mine, too. Shorter! Faster! Louder! Rhaaaaahhhhhh
> 
> Napalm Death style highs are cool, but I don't know if it'll change much. Post a vid when you get vids of it and we'll judge!



alright but that vid will be at Jan.29th


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