Video shoot done

Halloween project 2012

Some of you may already know I am working on a Halloween project. I have uploaded a couple of clips on my Soundcloud. This track is very progressive, with a few time signature and tempo changes.

This is the intro.


I am using a free Church Organ VST I found on the internet. You are hearing my own composition. The scary sounds are from my Sony Vegas Movie Studio 10 editing software. They give you 1,001 sound effects (among other things) with your purchase. The sounds by themselves are actually quiet lame. However, after adding reverb and compression effects, they sound much better layered.

Here is some riffage near the end of the short instrumental.


This sample is heavily influenced by the Christian Progressive Metal band "Becoming the Archetype." If you listen to "Deep Heaven" from their Dichotomy album, you will see the strong similarity. They played around with their notes, but I just keep ascending all the way up the neck and then back down again. So I made it my own riff without ripping them off. I just thought it sounded so Halloweenish! I added some synths, another freebie on the internet.

The other parts of the tracks, not shared yet, have some sick syncopation. I like polyrhythms!! Can't wait to show you the rest of the track, people. :) I will be recording a video. I should have plenty of time. It's not Halloween yet, and I have the track recorded. I just have to add some more parts and tweak the sound.


Brandon

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Casting Crowns Metal

I uploaded this a few days ago and have received positive results. I haven't done this in a while.

People are asking me to do a full cover. I had thought about that, but there are parts in the song I wouldn't know what to play, such as the quiet verse. Glad people are enjoying this cover though. It's just my personal "metal" take on the chorus of the song. It's in the style of Analyzed Within. (that's me)

Brandon

Vocals #2

Our second session was more productive than the last.



If you missed the first session, it is a few posts back. My cousin is sounding much better with his scream. I am excited about when we actually get to record this. We plan on getting together this Saturday at least one last time before recording. We need to finish the lyrics. I told him to be working on verse two some more before we meet, while I analyze the song and see what more we can do with the lyrics. I think it fitting to have bridge lyrics right before the guitar solo kicks in. I still can't decide which guitarist to choose for the part.

We originally were going to hang at this gravel area (you see in the video) and go over lyrics. However, since his neighbors were gone, we took his car to his apartment. Josh, my cousin, showed me how to scream properly, but I was too shy to try. Good think I didn't try anyway, because my vocal chords felt strained and scratchy, after our session, from normal singing. I just don't use my vocals for singing much at all. The only time I sing is at church - and I usually sing bass.

Ibanez S920

I played this guitar yesterday at Guitar Center. As the title states, this is the new Ibanez S920. It was hanging up high and caught my attention because of its super-thin neck. I saw on Ibanez's website that this is a new model. This Ibanez is by far the best soloist I have ever played - even better than my Jackson SLSMG. But this doesn't mean I would trade it for the Jackson. I would trade it for my Ibanez RG 350 DX. I feel like I have so much control of this thing. I played many solos I knew. Even chugged some rhythms. I did this all through my new favorite amp that I mentioned before: the Peavey Valveking 112. That amp has so much tasty crunch. It sounds great with a 7-string and this Ibanez S920. It's easy to get a good rhythm or lead tone, and the built-in reverb sings a baby to sleep. This Ibanez has got to be my guitar. The pickups are awesome! It has my favorite EMG 81 pickup in the bridge, and an EMG 60 in the neck. I had never heard that one before, but it is a beautiful sound. The output of the active pickups are plenty. If this is the attitude of active pickups, I dig them for leads. Next time I go back and play it I will have to take my camera and shoot a video for you guys.

So here are my plans when the funds become available:

- Trade in Fender Mustang 1 amp for the Peavey Valveking 112.
- Keep Jackson SLSMG, but set it back up near standard Eb tuning.
- Trade in Ibanez IJX 121 for a 7 or 8-string.
- Trade in Ibanez RG 350 DX for the Ibanez S920.

Flapping to space

Haha. I had a dream last night I went to space. The way I flew to space was funny. I just flapped my arms and slowly rose up. It was kinda more of a small flap of the arms, and not exaggerated. I slowly rose above the trees, which looked liked they came out of books since they were cartoonish. As I passed through the clouds, the blue sky became darker until it was more black. I rose above the earth's atmosphere and entered  outer space with no harm from the lack of oxygen. I saw the planets, mainly focusing on the Sun, Jupiter, and Saturn - at least those are the celestial bodies that stand out in my mind's eye.

The second time I went, I took my brother, Jordan, with me. I must say he flew very well.  We never got tired of flapping, and it took us seemingly only a minute to reach outer space from the ground up. Looking below my feet to him, I asked Jordan if he had ever been up this high. Of course he hadn't, nor had I before, except the one time by myself. Unfortunately my alarm went off before we both shared the visit to the planets.

-Brandon