Odyssey of Power

Hey guys, Kyero here!

I composed this piece to go along with a fan fiction I wrote about a Dragon Ball Z style adventure focusing on a handful of Saiyans. The main heroine is named Era, and she and her comrades come face to face with their first major enemy who's power grossly outclasses theirs. Basically it's the Frieza of the story. Even so they stand strong and power up to fight, and it seems they are holding their own. But as the music changes, you begin to feel that perhaps things aren't going so well, and indeed they go very wrong very quickly as their enemy takes control and beats them down without resistance.

Down, but not out, the Saiyans begin losing heart. However Era stands up once more to challenge this being, but again is beaten back and beaten down until she has no fight left. As she begins to realize that she's no match for this creature, her worst nightmare comes to life as he kills one of her comrades. And wouldn't you know it, it was her Commander. Though she didn't even realize it due to her pride and ignorance, she was in love and how he's gone forever. Her mind floods with memories of her fighting by his side and back to back with him against seemingly insurmountable odds, and she sheds silent tears of anguish and shock.

But it seems that this was the ultimate trigger. She snaps, and all seems lost. But suddenly she begins a sudden, powerful, and violent transformation into something new. A shimmering golden aura surrounds her as she transforms into a Super Saiyan.

This piece is long. 8:45 to be precise, and was meant to capture a visual of the battle I just described. I composed as I saw it unfold in my mind, so hopefully you can stand to listen to it in context using this general visual guideline because it sounds much more appropriate when you know the context. It is through music in that it only repeats one motif which appears and the rest is music that evolves and never repeats.

I hope you enjoy!

I think the music generally holds its own the story, with exception, possibly, of the end. Strange EmM9 to throw in there at the last second, especially considering what that's supposed to represent.
The way that this is through-composed an non-autonomous makes it lose its edge a little bit. Since it doesn't directly accompany anything, it grows flat in some parts where there would generally be visual impact. 
Some of your sounds aren't as impactful as you probably want them to be. Drums, especially. The sound falls flat in the bass drum and I'd suggest you either add more to the attack of reverb so it carries through more.
 

On November 14, 2016 at 11:03 AM, Monarcheon said:

I think the music generally holds its own the story, with exception, possibly, of the end. Strange EmM9 to throw in there at the last second, especially considering what that's supposed to represent.
The way that this is through-composed an non-autonomous makes it lose its edge a little bit. Since it doesn't directly accompany anything, it grows flat in some parts where there would generally be visual impact. 
Some of your sounds aren't as impactful as you probably want them to be. Drums, especially. The sound falls flat in the bass drum and I'd suggest you either add more to the attack of reverb so it carries through more.
 

 

Thanks for the advice.

I composed this piece almost two years ago when I had first begun composing, so I agree there's a lot left to be desired. The drums I use are the EWQLSO Concert Bass Drum, and I've never been too happy about it. I am definitely considering revisiting this piece with different software in the near future.

Is there anything else specifically that you can tell me about places where it falls flat? Instrumentation, harmonic content, etc? Feel free to really nit pick it and dig in with as long or short a response as you care to provide. I'll be happy to listen to all that you have to say about it as I want to improve it and make it the best piece I possibly can.