Overall this was a better round than the first. Higher highs and higher lows, too. Unfortunately this is the end for 4 of you. Thank you for playing, and I'm sorry to see you go. In no particular order:
black_floyd Gordian Knot- Muttersprache
I didn't say so earlier, but instrumentals can be a rough patch for me, in the sense that even if I enjoy them they rarely stick and get a lot of listens in my rotation. Apart from a couple standouts, Liquid Tension Experiment comes to mind, I've often had the problem of not finding a lot of replay value. So, whether you knew it or not, this was a potentially risky send from you. Fortunately, it paid off in a big way. It's got almost everything I look for in an instrumental: beautiful (while not excessive) soloing, good pacing, just the right amount of playfulness, and interesting composition. It's also got very clearly defined sections, rather than coming out as one constant blur of wankery, and I really appreciate that. I don't know what else to say, except that this was my favorite song of the round and roulette so far. I reward you with 7.5 points.
LieLowTheWantedMan Thank You Scientist- A Salesman's Guide to Nonexistence
It hits the ground running, and I love that. It's catchy as all get out, and I love that. It's got some of the most tasteful uses of trumpets I've ever heard, and I LOVE that. This song is a winner on almost every level. My one complaint, and the only thing keeping this out of the 7+ range, is the vocalist. This is a pretty common occurrence for me, in that I enjoy the vocal melodies but don't completely enjoy the voice itself. A lot of times it will grow on me, and I sense that it already has to some degree, but as of now I'm not completely sold. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it at the moment. But that's okay, because everything else more than makes up for it, and as a result this was my second favorite submission this round. Big step up from last round (even though 1 point may not seem like that much). I reward you with 6.5 points.
Shadow Ninja Second Person- Gone Fishing
'One of these songs doesn't fit', and this is it. Firstly, I'm a big fan of her voice, the trip-hop elements, the semi-dark atmosphere, and the lyrics which I don't understand at all. Honestly, this song just makes me want to fuck something. There's something very seductive about the delivery, and its a testament to the song that I can't attribute that to one single characteristic. Because it's not just one thing, but rather the network of sound. My one complaint is that it is just a touch repetitive, and I'm not a fan of the almost-rap elements that make an appearance before the 3 minute mark. Still, another very good song from you... I reward you with 6.5 points.
Adace Mono- Follow the Map
This one truly is beautiful. It's one of the shorter submissions, and it's also more on the minimalist side of things. Despite both of those things, this is the most emotive song I have received thus far. I will say that I don't feel it's entirely original, which may be a slight problem in terms of long term appreciation, but it's still very effective. I'm not entirely sure whether or not I'm supposed to feel sad or inspired, and I like that ambiguity. It's also very dramatic, which I enjoy. In terms of the music itself, I really enjoy the simple guitar work at the front end of the song. It seems to bend, stretch and reach, all at the same time. I reward you with 6.5 points.
jingle.boy Star One- Perfect Survivor
Arjen sure does like his science fiction. It's evident in every single one of his albums I've taken the time to listen to. Now what are the repercussions of such a statement? Cheese. That's right, lots of cheese. Being a vegan, I'm not a big fan of cheese. However, I am a big fan of Alien, and this song serves a purpose that I can't ignore: tasteful cheese. Sure, it's quirky that he's decided to basically summarize the entire film in a very literal way. In fact, it's almost laughable. Yet I can't complain when I'm compelled to sing along and tap my feet like an epileptic spider. Highlights are the chorus and guitar solo. I will say though, I don't like the audio quality on this one. Not sure if it's because of youtube, or if that's just the way it was produced. Anyhow, I enjoyed it quite a bit and will be checking out more. I reward you with 6.5 points.
Dr. DTVT Dimmu Borgir- Progenies of the Great Apocalypse
Heaviest song of the round, as well as one of the more interesting ones. Also, one of the more difficult ones for me to rate properly, because I feel that it does some things really well while also doing some things that don't tickle my fancy in any way whatsoever. Lets start with the bad. The guttural vocals, you know the ones. They're the first ones to make an appearance, and I'd rather they hadn't. Growls are one thing, black metal screeching is another thing, but this thing… I just don't get. Their just kind of ugly, in my opinion, and that's the just of it. Sounds like someone caught Satan on recording, put it in a blender, and then messed around with it using auto tune. Now, with that out of the way, I do think that this song does a lot of things really well too. It is both symphonic and cinematic, and it pulls it off without any cringe-inducing effects; I REALLY appreciate that. It has really good pacing, some of the vocals are actually quite nice, and the keyboard work is very effective. Finally, my girlfriend claimed to enjoy this song, and that's got to mean something. I reward you with the strongest 6 of the round.
Dark Castle Anciients- Faith and Oath
Another solid submission from you, DC. This is also one of the heavier songs submitted this round, as was the case last time. I'm not sure this one has me quite as interested, as I find it a little more on the safe side, but that's okay. The guitar riffing is very effective, the vocals are both powerful and persuasive, and the song manages to flow very well despite its heaviness (rather than clunking about). My only complaint is that the first 3 minutes or so feel very repetitive. Once the guitar solo enters things change for the better and the rest of the song satisfies me in a way that the first half can't. Overall, good song. Will be checking out more from this band! I reward you with 6 points.
Elite Serenity- All Lights Reversed
I initially enjoyed this one a lot, but now that the novelty of it has worn off a bit it's settled in as a solid middle-of-the-pack song. Firstly, these are the kind of vocals that I can get behind. They're semi-operatic, with a nice balance of power and melody. Like Doc's submission, this one is also pretty darn symphonic. I will say I don't think this band pulls it off quite as well as Dimmu Borgir, but that's quite alright. I love how it sort of eases into the first short and sweet guitar solo, as if it's not entirely sure that's what it wants to do. Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass, I don't know. Regardless, this was a good song from a genre that I don't typically get into. Thanks for introducing me, I will definitely try to make my acquaintance with more of Serenity's work. I reward you with 6 points.
Lucien Pendragon- The Freak Show
Pendragon is one of those bands that I wasn't quite decided on when I made up my list. I have a couple of their albums, but I haven't listened to them enough to say that I'm fully satisfied or dissatisfied, and I am very open to exploring their stuff a little more in depth. This song is off of one of their albums that I don't own, so that was nice. Overall, I did enjoy the song. It's good progressive rock, as far as I can tell. Still, I'm not sure there's too much that elevates this particular song above that genre, which was a little disappointing for me. In other words, this song (and other songs I've heard front the band) does a good job of capturing the essence of the genre, but I'm not sure it necessarily stands above it in any way. Now, with that being said, the intro is absolutely beautiful. If I was rating these songs on intro alone you would be sitting at the top of the pile. Unfortunately I tend to start losing interest after the first couple minutes, about the same time as when the vocals enter. And that's odd, because I do like his voice. I also found myself intrigued by the lyrics, which was nice. Ultimately, this one is not going to save you from my distaste of Shostakovich and I'm sorry about that, because you have rekindled my interest in Pendragon. Thank you. I reward you with 6 points.
bl5150 Conception- Retrospect
You and Lucien were in a similar boat this round, having to make up a lot of ground. Rather than keep in you suspense I'll go ahead and say I'm sorry but this didn't quite make up that ground. I was happy with the song, for a number of reasons. Soaring vocals? check! Catchy with just a hint of cerebral? check! Guitar solo that makes me want to smile? check! Ultimately, however, it's only about 3 minutes. It feels more like a transition song than anything else, and that's a bit of a letdown. It's done a great job of piquing my interest on the rest of the album, so thank you for that. And I really am sorry to have to do this, but this is going to be the end of the show for you. Conception is on my 'check-out' list, and for that I reward you with 6 points.
lonestar 81db- Manicomium
It's a good thing you performed so well in the first round, because this particular song didn't do a whole lot for me. While only 7:25, in a round of shorter songs this was the longest submission, and it definitely showed. I really like the bit starting at around the 3 minute mark... A LOT. When it takes the time to slow down and breathe I can really get into it. The guitar solo is also a real treat. However, the first 3 minutes of the song are verging on frustrating, as well as the last minute. I'm going to blame the vocals, because that's the major difference I've noticed. When he goes for the more aggressive approach it rubs me the wrong way. Honestly I would have been much happier if the first 3 and last 1 minute were spliced off. Because those middle three minutes do have me very interested. I reward you with 5.5 points.
zantera Amplifier- The Emperor
As I'm sure you've noticed by now, you're at the bottom of the list. I noticed it pretty quickly too, after I felt comfortable enough to start ranking the songs. And I felt terrible about it. Truth be told, I want to keep you around in this roulette. I earlier mentioned that I have a certain bias for a few posters here on DTF when it comes to music suggestions, and you're one of them. So yes, I did try to think about how I could keep you around. Maybe fiddle with someone else's score, or artificially boost this one. But when it comes down to it, I have to be honest. I do not like this song. It feels longer than it is, I find the vocals to be uninteresting, the instruments clamor away very steadily, but they don't do anything for me. All the "yeah"s "ay"s or whatever they are throw me off. I get what you are talking about the hypnotic riff, but I think that it's more likely to put me to sleep. As for the other riff, I sense far too much repetition. Maybe it's just space rock in general that I don't get, I don't know. It does remind me a bit of Oceansize (which I have to thank you for introducing me to), which is a good thing. Unfortunately it's only comparable to Oceansize in sound. Because overall it sounds like a more boring, meandering, and diluted version of that aforementioned Manchester band. For all of the above, I punish you with 4.5 points. Thank you very much for playing, and introducing me to Jane's Addiction.
Scores:
Shadow Ninja 7+6.5=13.5
black_floyd 6+7.5=13.5
Dark Castle 6.5+6=12.5
Jingle.boy 6+6.5=12.5
lonestar 6.5+5.5=12
Elite 6+6=12
Dr. DTVT 6+6+12
LieLowTheWantedMan 5.5+6.5=12
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bl5150 5+6=11
Zantera 6+4.5=10.5
Adace 4+6.5=10.5
Lucien 3+6=9