I'm sorry for the tardiness, I won't bother with excuses. Here are the results.
1 point
Artist: Author & Punisher
Song: Terrorbird
Sent by: Sigz
I feel a little bad placing this so low, because the guy is obviously very talented and I find it really cool that he builds his own instruments and manages to play such a track live, but I just didn't find it that interesting. The main theme was pretty cool, very heavy and groovy, but it didn't really change throughout and it does get boring a little quickly. It also sounds as though there are some heavily distorted vocals layered above it, but I could be wrong. This kind of music is just not really my thing, sorry dude.
2 points
Artist: Frost*
Song: Hyperventilate
Sent by: ariich
I had heard of Frost*, but I'm not really all that interested in prog rock, so I never really checked them out. I did enjoy the track quite a bit, so it was a pleasant surprise, but I had my fair share of problems with it. It stars out really cool, with some awesome key layering and a quiet piano introduction that segues into the main theme, which is very simply, but works very well. However, when the band enters, it sounds a bit too bombastic and overblown and that doesn't really work in context with the piano introduction. There are some well-placed breaks throughout that make it somewhat less predictable and give the whole thing a rather eclectic feel, which perfectly fits the song title, so there's that. The other major gripe I had was that the song started to drag a little around the five minute mark. The ending was awesome again, but some stuff in the middle could have been edited out. So while this wasn't a bad song by any means, it had a lot more potential than it ended up using and that's a damn shame.
Artist: Neonfly
Song: The Ornament
Sent by: jingle.boy
This song was pretty enjoyable as well, but just like Hyperventilate, this could have been a bit shorter. The riffing was great, as was the general instrumental work, especially the keys gave this song a nice touch. Another thing that bothered me a little was that the two acoustic breaks, which were placed very well were so short and barely given time to develop before it went back into the mood where it had come from. My personal highlight of this song was the guitar solo around 3:30, which was really cool as well.
3 points
Artist: Paul Wardingham
Song: Ghost of the Machine
Sent by: lonestar
Some time during which my last.fm scrobbler was down, I had actually heard a song or two of his, but not this one, though I suppose it wouldn't have made much of a difference if I had, because they all sound rather similar. That's not really a bad thing, though, because Wardingham does his stuff well: pumping riffs that have you rocking along even against your will, some great key layering and very technical, though still song-oriented soloing. My favourite part was the break slightly before the four minute mark with the electronic drums and the subsequent transition into the main theme again. The ending was little weird, but it certainly fit the song and it did grow on me during repeated listens. Overall, a very enjoyable submission, though again, a minute or so could have been cut out in the middle because it didn't really develop anything new in that time.
Artist: Last Tribe
Song: Agadir
Sent by: wolfking
First of all, I have no idea what the title means, but that doesn't really matter here. Overall this was an awesome song with a great groove and some very good instrumental work throughout. The intro was a little unfitting, but once the folky guitars entered around 0:30, it kicked off and was an enjoyable ride. High points were definitely the acoustic guitar solo in the middle of the song and the reprise of the introductory theme. The end feels a little tacked on, though, and it wasn't really my thing, with the guitars playing on while the other instruments fade out, though I had initially expected a full fade-out and I was happy that that didn't happen, because it wouldn't have fit the song.
Artist: dredg
Song: Down to the Cellar
Sent by: Elite
Well, I have to congratulate you for sending me the first dredg song I truly enjoyed, which is probably because I can't really stand the vocalist. This song was very laid-back and mellow throughout, but because it wasn't very long either, it didn't get boring. The main guitar motif is very simple and hypnotic, and it's really cool how it continues throughout and then end on it again. I don't really have much to say other than that, but I certainly enjoyed this song a lot, kudos for that!
4 points
Artist: Trioscapes
Song: Blast Off
Sent by: WindMaster
When I read in your PM that this was jazz metal, I was a little skeptical if I would like it, but this song most certainly delivered. It's quite heavy, but that works really well with the jazzy elements. All instruments are great, especially the bass, which is the star of this song. The song is mixed great as well, so you can always hear what the bass does, and it never gets boring. The calmer middle section is very cool, which then leads into one of the best bass solos I have ever heard, I think I listened to that part ten times, simply because it was so cool. A great submission, I'll definitely check out more stuff from them!
Artist: Scale the Summit
Song: The Great Plains
Sent by: Ultimetalhead
On my first listen, I found this pretty boring, but subsequent listens revealed how awesome this song actually is. The whole song feels very laid back, which is awesome because it really lets the music breathe throughout. The middle section is probably my favourite part of the song, with every instrument shining here, especially the guitars, which play some great melodies. The drums were a little too cymbal-heavy for my tastes, but that only a very minor criticism. Great, great submission, keep up the good work!
5 points
Artist: Aghora
Song: Garuda
Sent by: Nekov
This song was the shortest of the bunch, and I instantly knew that this one would also be the round winner. The first part, up to around 1:30 has a slight oriental vibe, mainly due to the scales that the guitars employ. Then, around 1:30 it shifts into heavier territory with an unexpected transition that works very well nevertheless. The riff that enters there is very heavy and completely awesome, it really gets you going after the calm intro. The soloing above that is top-notch, and even though I liked the first half a tad better, both halves complement each other incredibly well. Perfect submission, exactly what I was looking for this round.
Standings
8 points: Ultimetalhead
7 points: jingle.boy, Nekov
6 points: WindMaster, wolfking, lonestar, ariich
4 points: Elite, Sigz
This is still everyone's game, so I expect more great music!
Since Nekov won this round, his number 6 decides the next round theme, which is:
STILL A MINOR
Send me a song that is less than 18 years old. Otherwise, open round.
Go!