Rocks Cry Out

[Hanson]

Genre

Rock

Here is an original Christian Rock song, written, recorded and produced by myself in Studio One V6.

Guitars are a Epiphone ES335 with Gibson pickups and a Fender EJ Strat on the rhythm tracks. Lead guitar is played on a Gibson Les Paul. Bass is a Rickenbacker 4003, drums are Superior Drummer 3. Mastering done through Ozone 11.

Hope you enjoy.

 

[Midiboy]

So I have to ask....was the opening guitar riff inspired by GnR's "Sweet Child Of Mine?"

I have to say, other than that opening riff, it reminds me a LOT of something Michael Knott would have written. (This is a good thing). Are you familiar with him or any of his various bands like LSU, Lifesavers, Lifesavors, or Lifesavers Underground? I think it's mostly the vocals.

I really like this song a lot. GREAT job. One thing that really stood out to me was the unexpected use of minor chords after that opening riff. The verse going into a minor mode threw me, at first I was taken aback, almost like it was unintentional, but it really works. Love the background keys as well.

 

[Midiboy]

Also, I subbed you.

 

[Hanson]

So I have to ask....was the opening guitar riff inspired by GnR's "Sweet Child Of Mine?"

I have to say, other than that opening riff, it reminds me a LOT of something Michael Knott would have written. (This is a good thing). Are you familiar with him or any of his various bands like LSU, Lifesavers, Lifesavors, or Lifesavers Underground? I think it's mostly the vocals.

I really like this song a lot. GREAT job. One thing that really stood out to me was the unexpected use of minor chords after that opening riff. The verse going into a minor mode threw me, at first I was taken aback, almost like it was unintentional, but it really works. Love the background keys as well.

Thanks Midiboy for listening and commenting.

GnR’s….no. I never actually thought of the similarities. I’ve actually never even learned to play that Slash riff. . Modern worship has been using cool little delayed intros in much of the genre for a while and I was looking for something catchy as the intro.

I have also never heard of the bands you have mentioned, but will have to look them up.

Really glad you like this song, it been one of my favorites to date. I’ve made a conscious decision lately to go in more of a harder rock direction with my work. I recently kind of got fed up with the music industry and decided I’m just going to create what I personally like. .

I’m going to give Chat GBT credit for the use of switching from major chords to minor chords. I’ve been running many of my lyrics and chord progressions through Chat lately. I’ll ask it for suggestions on improvements. Most times, it’s not at all what I’m looking for. Often, it’s will spark ideas I’ve not considered and it will spark my imagination to change directions. Basically, I’m looking for opportunities to use it as a tool while I stay at the wheel of my creativity. In this circumstance, I would not have thought of the minor conversion, but when I tried it, it really worked well.

Incidentally, I believe the Beatles used to do that in songs as well, suddenly dropping to the minor in a different verse.

 

[Hanson]

Also, I subbed you.

I’m not sure what that means?

 

[Midiboy]

I’m not sure what that means?

Oh! I subscribed to your YouTube page.

 

[Midiboy]

Thanks Midiboy for listening and commenting.

GnR’s….no. I never actually thought of the similarities. I’ve actually never even learned to play that Slash riff. . Modern worship has been using cool little delayed intros in much of the genre for a while and I was looking for something catchy as the intro.

I have also never heard of the bands you have mentioned, but will have to look them up.

Really glad you like this song, it been one of my favorites to date. I’ve made a conscious decision lately to go in more of a harder rock direction with my work. I recently kind of got fed up with the music industry and decided I’m just going to create what I personally like. .

I’m going to give Chat GBT credit for the use of switching from major chords to minor chords. I’ve been running many of my lyrics and chord progressions through Chat lately. I’ll ask it for suggestions on improvements. Most times, it’s not at all what I’m looking for. Often, it’s will spark ideas I’ve not considered and it will spark my imagination to change directions. Basically, I’m looking for opportunities to use it as a tool while I stay at the wheel of my creativity. In this circumstance, I would not have thought of the minor conversion, but when I tried it, it really worked well.

Incidentally, I believe the Beatles used to do that in songs as well, suddenly dropping to the minor in a different verse.

As far as modern worship goes, yes! I'm in my church band and we do a lot of the modern stuff. We have a great guitar player that can handle all that. He has a Helix and that thing is amazing! I also have several music projects, one which is called "The One Nine Project" which gets it's name from 1 Jn 1:9. It's everywhere streaming music can be found. The album is called "Peace Of My Mind."

Check it out! The song "Heavenly Father" features vocals and guitar by Frank Hart (no relation to me) of Atomic Opera. (They were a pretty good Christian Rock band back in the 90s or so, along the lines of King's X and Galactic Cowboys...and actually produced by the same guy).

I'd post a link, but I don't want to take away from your thread by promoting my own any further. If you wanna check it out, let me know what you think. Drop me a private message if you like. Maybe we could collaborate on a future project.

 

[Craig Anderton]

It's really good. I'm a sucker for music with vocal emotion

 

[SoxialAxxidense]

Like this song. Very cool composition and great vocals - really makes the name of the song "real"

One question about your mixing: I can hear the kick drum even when your guitar wall starts. I always have problems with that. Have you some special trick or a tip to make the kick more present when lots of instruments are playing? When I try to do, I raise the very low fundament of the kick (50-60 Hz), side chain compression to the bass guitar, but it always is hard to hear, especially with headphones like the Sennheiser HD 670 which don't want to show me such low frequencies

 

[Midiboy]

Like this song. Very cool composition and great vocals - really makes the name of the song "real"

One question about your mixing: I can hear the kick drum even when your guitar wall starts. I always have problems with that. Have you some special trick or a tip to make the kick more present when lots of instruments are playing? When I try to do, I raise the very low fundament of the kick (50-60 Hz), side chain compression to the bass guitar, but it always is hard to hear, especially with headphones like the Sennheiser HD 670 which don't want to show me such low frequencies

I wonder if he is side-chaining it? That'll do it every time.

 

[Craig Anderton]

Not sure what Hanson does, but if you're miking with a mic inside the kick throuigh a hole in the head, aim the mic more toward the beater than the body.

If you're using a sample, here's what I do to bring up the beater sound, which fools your ear into filling in the low end and bringing up the kick sound. Of course, YMMV based on the kick sound, but that upper midrange "whack" brings the kick up front and you won't need as much low end, either. Hope this helps.

 

[Hanson]

Not sure what Hanson does, but if you're miking with a mic inside the kick throuigh a hole in the head, aim the mic more toward the beater than the body.

If you're using a sample, here's what I do to bring up the beater sound, which fools your ear into filling in the low end and bringing up the kick sound. Of course, YMMV based on the kick sound, but that upper midrange "whack" brings the kick up front and you won't need as much low end, either. Hope this helps.

View attachment 2780

I will describe my embarrassingly simple process of getting the Kick tone in this song.

1. I am using Superior Drummer 3. I'm using the Dry Yamaha Rock kit, presets. I use the way Superior Drummer mixes the preset, right out ot the box. I used to try to bring each kit part into multiple tracks and mix my own drums, but years ago just decided it wasn't worth the effort when SD3 does such an amazing job with their presets.

2. I put Klangham's MJUC compressor on the Drum Bus and its using a preset to enhance the overhead cymbals. I use just a touch of compression on this setting. I like the cymbals to punch through and ring. They seem more realistic to me when they do.

I typically mix left, right, center and maybe that helps to open up the center of the mix for the Kick. I leave bass and lead vocal dead center. Everything else gets shifted left or right to some degree. Typical electric guitars are left/ right 75-85 percent to taste. I tweak until everything sounds good.

I probably should learn more tricks, but I typically just use my ears until things sound best.

 

[Hanson]

I wonder if he is side-chaining it? That'll do it every time.

I have answered these questions above in Craigs response.

Incidentally, I have this song on 3 different forum sites right now. Once sight is convinced that the Kick is punching through the mix too much. Its funny on forums how one person will mention something and a dog pile is the reaction. I had to politely say that I like where the Kick is sitting right now on the systems in which I have checked my mix and to my ears.

 

[Midiboy]

Dude! That works!