I like the riser at the beginning and the airy synths at :04. The drums could’ve been a tad punchier in the mix, especially the snare. I’m also not a huge fan of the kick sample here - seems a bit sub-bassy for a piece like this. The texture comes together well by :16 - I love the string lines and dense harmonies with the overlapping rhythmic patterns. The mellow breakdown at :45 was also nice, although the synth at :55 sounds a bit thin and tinny. You also overuse the hats/crashes in the drum kit here. Later on in the piece, I would’ve liked to hear both some more variety in the harmonic framework and a more climactic refrain or melodic section. Right now, I feel like the piece never quite got back to the energy level it had at around :30, and the ending itself cuts off pretty abruptly. Overall, the sound design is good, but I wish you had done a bit more with the composition here. The production holds up pretty well, but the mix is a bit quiet overall, especially the snare. Still, I hope you keep working on this piece. Flesh out the structure a tad more, and this could be a real banger. Keep at it, ZeroDigitZ! ^_^

Mixing, mastering, and balance
1.25/2
Structure, transitions, phrasing, and variety
.75/1.5
Melody, tonality, harmony, and texture
1.75/2
Instrumentation and sound design
.75/1
Emotion, atmosphere, and catchiness
1.25/1.5
Originality and uniqueness
.75/1
Overall (how do the elements above interact?)
.5/1
Composite score
7/10

Sirens are a great touch. Composition is driving and thematically consistent.

I would like less volume on the crashes to compensate for how quiet the rest of the piece is. Kick could have a shorter tail and accentuate the piece much more.

I very much like your arrangement and the energy of this piece. It feels like a march preparing for battle.

You could use more varied crash samples as well and pan them in various spots around the piece.

outro is short and cuts off early.

Some great things going on here in terms of theme and concise ideas. There is not too much going on, in a good way, no distractions. I would like a bit more clarity and some mastering compression to bring out the energy of this piece, and potentially side chain of the kick to the bass.

Overall, nice work! Thanks for coming out to NGUAC!