While this track was originally pre-written before I performed it, I still have 9 minutes of raw and uncut guitar and bass jam sessions recorded which all blends into this underlying theme.

It goes happy-cheery, it goes melodic, it goes low beat and super chill.

I have constructed early drumbeat scaffolding for some of these sessions and I've been chomping at the bit trying to transcribe some of the improv licks to tablature so I can replay and re-record it once they've been rearranged properly.

A couple bad slides, a couple bumbled notes and some very precious gold nuggets of licks in the raw recording session. And some crap. It's a mixed bag. I'm refining the gold and dumping the crap.

Could this split into 5 different tracks all following the same thematic pacing, chord phrasing and motifs? Quite possibly.

I've already done such a thing with another track where 1 split into 3; town -> dungeon -> boss all share a similar phrasing and patterns but are definitely not the same.

So there is lots of progress, lots of practice, some stuff has been recorded. The effects pedals have been dialed in so specific tracks will use specific tones, but this is not a heavy-on-the-effects album. Lead, Rhythm and Bass all have their own specified distortion/EQ settings which have been extensively tested, noted, dialed in, changed and re-dialed in successfully. Brand new 9V batteries are waiting to be opened on recording day (if needed), and I've taken great care to not drain the batteries I have now. Some tracks are played absolutely clean with no effects whatsoever.

I'm going to attempt one-shot recording all parts with as little editing as possible. Of course, there will be occasional copy/paste and comparison of "which verse played it better?" or "which iteration played it the cleanest?" So, in that sense, there will be editing, some parts might be "looped" if that's the best course of action, but very minimal editing. I already have a track where I left the mistake in because it enhanced the track in a good way, a sort of Dimebag Darrel / Bob Ross philosophy of keep your good mistakes and do your best with them.

On that note, I don't think I've wrote beyond my play level and if I did I'll revisit it to make it more me-friendly. I'll do my best on the challenge sections but if I can't hack it then it needs to be as real as it can get, I'll revise as needed. I'll properly mix/master it but I want to be minimalistic on the editing and recording re-takes.

Instruments

• RG: Rhythm Guitar
  
• LG: Lead Guitar
  
• BG: Bass Guitar
  
• DM: Drums
  
• KEYS: Keyboard
  

Progress

• (Gray) ?: Track may include this instrument (nothing yet written / recorded).
  
• (Pink) ?: Track probably won't include this instrument (nothing yet written / recorded). 
  
• W: Track has been partially / fully written.
  
• WR: Track has been partially written and recorded.
  
• R: Track has been fully recorded (Draft). Needs written.
  
• R*: Track has been fully written and recorded (Final).
  
• XX: Category does not apply.
  

The run times may change.

"Wicked Underground" is a Belly of the Beast track; I feel it can be replicated on instruments, and I've jammed along to it (kind of), but I've yet to write tab for it. This is a candidate to be on the album, and it feeds into "Hostile Environment". We'll see if I do this track or not.

(One day I'll release a modern version of that game. The old version may exist. I don't know how stable it is. The modern version is practically a different game now and has been through multiple development cycles.)

"Hostile Environment" is "finished" in a sense that rhythm, lead and bass guitars have all been recorded in their entirety and the drum fills are all done. However, after extensive practice / rehearsal sessions, I've come up with better lines and the tone for rhythm, lead and bass has been dialed in and perfected. The tone alone is enough to make me want to re-record this in its entirety; I think the 3 guitars will all layer together very nicely. Also, the whole guitar lead / solo relationship to the rest of the song has changed in the writing. In the current (old) version, the solo begins in verse 2, dances with the chorus, and finishes up in the 1st quarter section of verse 3. Honestly, there is nothing wrong with this track and I could leave it as is, but I think the new pacing might turn out better. The old version would sound cool the first couple of times but I think people would get tired of hearing a solo cut through a verse, a chorus and end in the next verse over and over. These changes would make the track longer (about 5 minutes + some seconds) but there'd be more of a buffer between the basic jam and the shred.

"Technocratic Nightmare" is a pretty dope track, but there will probably be a derivative track that comes before it (a "Town" theme). There is a drum + bass section that has so much swagger, when it is slowed down to 50% it sounds extremely expressive on its own.

"Shrouded in Darkness" is getting ready to split into possibly 3 tracks that all inter-relate; dungeon, boss phase 1, boss phase 2. This track suffers from "Dancing Mad" syndrome, but the 2nd (or 3rd) portion sounds like it belongs in Mega Man X9 (if such a wonderful game actually existed).

I have a surplus of other tracks that aren't even making it onto the list. I'm saving them for a different album and a different year. I don't really plan to have much more than what's listed and I think the track list is nearly finalized now.

Equipment List

Instruments

• Gibson Maestro training guitar (one pickup, use occasionally for great rhythm tone, I don't use for solos.)
  
• Zakk Wylde Epiphone guitar (two ZW pickups, 3 way toggle, used in rhythm, lead and all solos.)
  
• Ibanez G 100 (bass guitar, purposely intonated with a slight buzz for funk).
  
• Custom drum samples made from scratch (the best damn non-drum sounds I could record.)
  
• A Casio keyboard (used sparingly, already used for recording "After Hours (Title)".)
  
• Shake egg (may be used in "Surf-Side Groove" (if I can find where I put it...))
  
• Digeridoo (may be used in last boss fight theme).
  

Effects Pedals

• Zakk Wylde Overdrive (used for rhythm/lead/solos (mainly in Boss tracks.))
  
• DOD Boneshaker (used to boost solos/leads.)
  
• Zakk Wylde Crybaby Wah (used for some rhythm/solos.)
  
• Zakk Wylde Rotovibe (used for "Cold, Dark Place" with clean tone.)
  
• EVH Chorus (used sparingly.)
  

Amplifier

• Marshal MG15FX
  
• Ibanez bass amp (not yet used / might not be)
  

Recording

• Direct line-in from Marshal to PC / laptop.
  
• Blue Snowball.
  
• Misc microphones (bought at Goodwill.)
  

Granted, in a few select cases, I did use stock samples for the hi-hats.

The kick is a cardboard box package being tapped on.
The snare is mixed with the slapping of a step ladder.
There is an alternate snare which is a real snare and... [TOP SECRET] (I'd tell you but I'd have to kill you.)
The hi-hats are subtly mixed with miscellaneous metal foley.
The splash/crash is a mix of miscellaneous metal foley with subtle lightning strikes.
The toms are a pitch shifted variation of the same cardboard box package being tapped on, mixed with some kind of beverage container bottom being slapped.
The ride is the tapping of a metal ink pen against a battle axe bought at the Renaissance Fair.

Other details I probably forgot to mention.

Sometimes I use a stock drumkit. I'm not against any of the stock FL Studio drum kits, some of them sound quite nice. In the end, I'm not sure which track will use which drum kit, but that will be decided later.

As ghetto as it sounds in writing, these drumkits provide a good Mortal Kombat type of vibe. Somebody somewhere is getting bitch slapped into the air and falling into a pit of instant flesh melting acid. Pray their soul doesn't get captured by Shinnok or Tseng Tsung.

At first I was carefully watching to keep it under an hour, but now I don't care.

Because guitar solos are involved, track lengths could be extended from what is posted. Guitar solos are great but I will try to buffer the length of the track so the player isn't confronted with a guitar solo over and over to the point that it's always "too soon" and "exhaustively repetitive". There has to be pacing and I'm taking great care to do good solos without it being jarring within a looped session (such as an extensive boss fight; try to have the solo come in within 3 minutes of a 5 minute song, so they only hear it 3 times in a 15 minute fight for instance.)

Most tracks have phases; an intro, verse, chorus, a new variation verse, possibly the same or altered chorus, a 3rd verse w/ solo, usually some kind of closing or a proper end-meets-beginning outro routine. Battle/Boss fights usually have some kind of bridge to give some breathing space, then goes back to rocking your face off again.

Vocals

In "Hellrazor" I yell "Fight" during the chorus. This is me.

In "Shrouded in Darkness" I use a RMXP programmed variation of my own wicked laughter/giggles. This is me.

There is no further "vocals" planned. There will probably never be "singing" (unless I do a cover track). I could possibly be the greatest singer in the world; I don't care to sing, quite frankly. Now if Ozzy Osbourne wants to hit me up (hahahaha...)

Samples

None of my original music samples other artists. However, I have some prototype cover tracks which DO use 3rd party samples.

A self-recorded "Passing Train", "Emergency Siren" and a "Helicopter" have all been personally recorded, as well as "Ocean" and "Rain". These are all for my game, but I do use these in "Surf-Side Groove" and [TOP SECRET COVER TRACK].

There are two possible cover tracks not related to the album. These are for fun and won't be monetized, ever. One track uses the following...

• "Welcome, we have been expecting you" is sampled from D.P.G. "Doggfood" album "Intro" track. Non-Music dialog/sound sample.
  
• "(Scary Dialog / Sounds)" is sampled from Simken Heights "Religion of the Beast" album "Kingdom of the Shellz" (intro). Non-Music dialog/sound sample.
  

I already have prototype album art I made last year and I'm experimenting with GLSL shaders (within the context of the REGAL engine). I've also got a ShaderToy prototype that I'll be messing with. I don't have super elaborate "music videos" planned, but I'll probably use shaders/REGAL engine to give people something to see.

In "Surfside Groove" youtube, I credited the shader creator in the description. I'll probably be remixing that shader for my personal needs later on.

Plus I'll be working the RGL Graphics module, but that's another topic...