MW2 Mercs: Dust River Remix (Dust Ocean)

[cfx]

Howdy.

Sauce:

Mix: http://soundcloud.com/cfx-music/remix-dust-ocean-preview/s-NyeF4

Title: "Dust Ocean" (Original: "Dust River")

Game: "Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries" (ActiVision, 1996)

(SoundCloud has a volume control waaaayyyy up in the upper right, it's a tiny speaker icon.)

I have submitted (a different track) to the panel before, but it isn't quite posted yet. I got it into my head that it's because the mix is good, but not awesome -- and there are plenty of awesome tracks which pass the judges.

So I'm trying to top it and make something better than 'good'. I have several nit-picks about my track, but I want to see if they're really problems (to see if people notice) or if I'm just being too picky.

Full disclosure:

• Too many themes?
  
• Too loud?
  
• Lack of flow (despite neat transitions)?
  
• During the long intro, there's a space where nothing much is happening. Feels dull. Where is it?
  
• Intro backing guitars come in/fade out randomly, but does it detract from the mix?
  
• Kickbacks to the original are mostly just repetitive riffs... need more source more often?
  
• Does the outtro suck?