Dr. Riot Shield (Demo 2)
I like how it sometimes sound kind of nice, sometimes quite grimy and heavy.
The volume levels seem to swing quite a bit - like there's some heavy compression going on, but I like the way it sounds like it's almost falling apart at the seams. The mix somehow reminds me of the original album mix of Megadeth's 'Into the Lungs of Hell'. Not sure that comparison will make sense to anyone but me, but there you go.
Trapped On Frozen Star Nine (Demo 2)
I feel like those bright synths that play during much of the track are almost ear piercingly loud and clear compared to the backing sounds. I can't compare it with the original demo, so I'm not sure of exactly everything that has been changed, but I do feel that this track is messing about with the same melody for a bit too long. I could imagine this as a backing track used in some action game, but listening to it intently for 8 minutes gets a bit tiring. It is a pretty strange track - you can't say it doesn't have personality.
Love At First Light (Demo 2)
I'm turning my volume up for this one. It's quieter than the previous track, but it also sounds a lot nicer. It isn't as shrill, which is a plus in my book.
There's a fair amound of things going on here when I listen to the different layers, which is nice. Again, I can't quite remember the first demo enough that I can tell exactly what is new, but it does strike me as a bit more fleshed out from what I remember. The subtle bass I notice in some sections might be new.
In terms of what vibe I get from it; this is pure cyberpunk. I'm seeing System Shock and Blade Runner inside my head when this is playing.
Overall, I think it works quite well.
The Identity War (Demo)
Down with the volume again several steps! After 'Love At First Light', this plays very loud. I like how it suddenly gets kind of weird. Those off kilter harmonies around 1:30-2:00 (ish) are very cool.
I will point out that some sounds are a lot nicer and more sophisticated than other sounds/instruments used in this track. It feels like it lacks some sort of musical climax. It has a sort of A-B-A-B structure and then simply ends.
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