Link to SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-327268453/ill-take-your-pain

Experimenting with harmonic minor scale. Song is written in D harmonic minor. Tempo is 128 bpm. Mixed and produced with Studio One. Not sure what to specify for genre - most of the more energetic portions of the song have a metal flavor. Maybe best described as Nu Metal. Allergies are giving me big issues with my singing voice - comped together what seemed like 100 takes, to get a usable final track.

Two BIAB tracks used (18 bars each):
Real 3308 Guitar, Electric, Soloist Metal 12-key Ev 085
Real 1262 Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopShiningHeld Ev 120

Lyrics:

I feel your pain
I know your pain

I’ll take your pain
Destroy it, push it deep
I’ll take your pain
Bury it, in a grave

I’ll take your pain
Remove you from the suffering
I’ll take your pain
End your ugly time in hell

I see your pain
I touch your pain

I’ll take your pain
Free you from your nightmare
I’ll take your pain
Win the battle, but not survive

Chaotic aching and misery of the mind
Nowhere to run, everywhere you’ll find
Falling into a hole and not climbing out
Don’t grab the rope, there is not hope

Your disease is agonizing torture
Reality of life is more than you can bear.
Let me transport you past the gilded gate
To utopia (Shangri-La)

The end from pain will be your salvation
Escape from pain will end your misery
Dream of afterlife with no sting and hurting
What wicked god does this to a simple man of virtue?

Hi, Mark.

Interesting track - not really the sort of thing I hear around here.

I'm curious where the other instruments came from - loops, VSTis, or did you play them yourself?

In any event, the song works for me - nicely mixed and balanced. And I liked the ending!

Yes, like David, I'm curious about the non BIAB elements.
You've done a decent job comping a vocal track together.
The elements of the acoustic intro don't really glue together well - partially placement in the stereo image and partly placement near and far.
Interestingly dark.
The guitars are "dark" but with some fizz on the top.

Interesting track indeed! I like it.

I'm also interested in hearing where the other instruments came from, more details please!

This is really interesting tune! Very nice minor chord progression which has some heavy rock elements.
Your voice and dark lyrics work really well together. Also, the synths and heavy guitars create an enjoyable cross-over song. I would call this Numan metal because it reminded me of Gary Numan

Janne

Mark,

A cool track and song... Love the drive of the guitars. Cool solo - appropriate.

I thought the drums could have been "sharper", crisper - they seem too smooth (if that makes sense).

Love the vocal. It really sits in the mix nicely. Some added harmonies would have put it over-the-top (most metal has 'em).

Enjoyed this.

fj

Hi Mark,

Wow!

You grabbed hold of me at the intro and carried me along on a terrific journey of music.

Your arrangement is excellent and your presentation really shines. It's easy to hear that a great deal of time has been spent in creating this final mix. Everything sits comfortably together.

Regards,
Noel

Hello, 'Mark K'...

Sorry to hear your allergies are beating you up, but whatever discomfort you were experiencing while you recorded your vocal track didn't make itself heard to my ears .

I'll Take Your Pain has pungent, piercing lyrics -- with nails in them -- that are driven home by the stabbing rhythm. The lyrics seem simultaneously doom-laden, while also vaguely appearing to offer some sort of relief to the obviously suffering subject of the song. They're intriguing, spellbinding, even, because of that tension. The barrage of rhythm electric guitar chords under the headlong dive of the electric guitar solo, is something like a musical shock treatment in their combined effect.

It's a powerful track with a lot of nervous-feeling energy to it. Unique in a tortured way. That sudden ending -- like lights going out in my head!

- bluage -

Hello Mark ...

This is my first time to listen to you ... so glad I did!

I couldn't play or sing Metal even if someone offered me multi-million dollar to do so. But you pull it off so good! I like the breaks along the way ... a few seconds to collect and absorb the drive of the music. I do agree with Floyd that drums could be front and center with a just a touch more high EQ. But, that said, you have a real gem of a Metal song on your hands! Enjoyed my listen as lot, although it's not a genre I listen to often. Good stuff!!!!

Alan

Nicely done - definitely a unique flavour for the showcase, but I think you executed it really well It has some really gusto to it, and I liked the mood it carried. I can imagine it sounding unreal in a live setting.

Thanks for sharing!

Very cool track. Super vocal and backtrack. Love the drum track. Well done

Mark,
Convincingly doomy with some scary lyric images and a good pulsing band.
You found a moody, consistent vocal take despite your difficulties.
I`m curious about the drums- not RealDrums? They sound ok here but something a bit edgier might have done the job too.
I enjoyed your metal experiment!

Robert

I found the song inspirational rather than dark--at least for those of a certain mind and experience. Your vocal "comping" worked well. The progression supported the juice-squeezing of that scale (as I understand it) to good effect. I like this.

Cool vibe you created here! Really good feel, and good sounding mix! I think it would be interesting to take the tune to a major (maybe relative major) for a little change in mood at some point. Enjoyed the song! Take care. Greg

This song had a different feel to it than we typically see on the showcase, but I think you really rocked it! Thanks for sharing.

Mark,
Definitely an experiment gone right! Very cool tune!
Enjoyed it a lot.

P.S. Also curious what else you used on it, besides BIAB tracks.

Thank you for sharing!

Misha.

We are a bit late to the party but wow!

This is most cool and different in a good way. We really like what Robert said,

"Convincingly doomy with some scary lyric images and a good pulsing band.
You found a moody, consistent vocal take despite your difficulties."

Fine vocal performance (comped or not), lyric and arrangement.

The mix sets a good live band soundstage on the monitors.

The entire Nu Metal vibe worked for us. Strong, pulsating, attention grabbing
but not over the top.

Well done!

J&B

Hey, Mark,

Love, just love that intro . . . really sets up what follows. Somewhat of a Depeche Mode feel to it thereafter . . . but unique and well executed. The melody of that bridge is really compelling. . This is more engaging, more enjoyable than 99.9% of anything I’ve ever heard in a dance club, and would just slay. Really nice production on this. Impressive work.

All my best,

Deej

Hi Mark,

a very interesting tune indeed. Love the contrast between that distorted guitar and your calm singing. Good lyrics, I think. Arrangement is just great.

Very enjoyable to listen to.

Cheers,

Stefan

This is different.. but in a very positive way, the write is amazing and fits the tracks really well along with your style on the vocals,

Nice one !

Thanks

Pretty cool track...
Very unusual but pleasant sounding to my ears...
I enjoyed listening!

I really like this....keep up the great work and keep posting!