ROUND 1 RESULTS
Before we start, I want to say that I am intentionally being a harsh critic to provide more variation in the scoring. With one exception, I liked everything I received.
Sacul: David Maxim Micic – Where Is Now?
Theme (first impression): Liked the opening, and especially liked the vocal and guitar solos. My one gripe upon first listen is that it stayed in the same feel for a good bit of the song. 4/5
Instrument (lead vocals): A great performance from both vocalists, but on the other hand, the vocals take mostly a supporting role in this song (except for the scat solo, which is amazing). 4/5
Overall: There are some spectacular moments in the song, which make the rest of the song seem bland in comparison. But then I have to look at the song as a whole, and as a whole, this is some good stuff. 8/10
Total: 16/20
mikemangioy: Voyager – Hyperventilating
Theme (first impression): I admit I liked the main riff. Too bad the verse and chorus didn’t do much for me. 2/5
Instrument (guitar): The song does in a way revolve around the guitar, and it plays its role well. At the same time, there isn’t anything "special" about the guitar part. 3/5
Overall: I don’t know anything about the band, but it felt like “the single” to me, as in I imagine it as a more mainstream song on an album that is normally heavier and/or more complex. But that’s just what it felt like; I could be completely wrong. And it’s still a solid song. 6/10
Total: 11/20
Dr. DTVT: Pyramid Theorem – Another Day Slips By
Theme (first impression): It takes a while to really get going, but when it does, man, that’s something. It feels like it’ll grow on me after a few listens, which unfortunately is not the best for this theme. On the first listen, I didn’t get a sense of the scope of the song until the very end. 3/5
Instrument (guitar): Yeah, that solo was pretty great. And the guitar in the rest of the song is really a driving force, displaying both beauty and power. 5/5
Overall: And I was right about this song growing on me. Beautiful and powerful are really the right words to describe it. The part before the guitar solo is definitely the weakest link of the song, sacrificing the emotion of the rest of the song for the purposes of adding a technically difficult section. Everything else is superb. 9/10
Total: 17/20
Evermind: Evergrey – King of Errors
Theme (first impression): I’ll ignore the suspicious resemblance to several of the songs on Operation: Mindcrime. I liked the song, but it didn’t wow me. It’s a good start to an album, and it leaves me wanting more, but not quite in the good way. 3/5
Instrument (lead vocals): I like his voice, but I don’t consider it a particularly impressive performance. The vocal lines are fairly mundane, and he doesn’t do much special with them. 2/5
Overall: It’s epic, I’ll give it that. But it doesn’t have any real high points. I’d be interested to see what the rest of the album is like, because I think they could definitely go a step up from this song. 5/10
Total: 10/20
senecadawg2: Anathema – One Last Goodbye
Theme (first impression): I got chills at some point. I could really feel the emotion. The song sets the mood early on, but after that, it doesn’t go anywhere. This makes thematic sense, but it’s not the best for the first impression theme. 3/5
Instrument (lead vocals): Not my favorite voice, but a great delivery. I love the way the vocal line gets progressively more intense. 4/5
Overall: I wasn’t sure if this song was going to grow on me or get old fast, but luckily it was the former. Still not something I could listen to over and over, but great for when the mood is right. 7/10
Total: 14/20
GentlemanofDread: Coheed and Cambria – The Afterman
Theme (first impression): This didn’t do much for me. Felt too subdued, not really anything to grasp onto. 1/5
Instrument (acoustic guitar): First of all, I know what you’re referring to, and it sounds more like clean electric guitar than acoustic. I’m probably wrong, though. Anyway, it’s a nice little riff-like thing, but it’s literally the only thing that happens in that instrument part. 2/5
Overall: Still not doing much for me. Not a fan of the vocals, and it feels like it’s going to build to a nice big chorus, but then it doesn’t. The production is tight, but good production does not always a good song make. 2/10
Total: 5/20
Tom Bombadil: Wings Denied – Generation Y
Theme (first impression): I was a bit nervous after the heavy intro, but once it got into the groove, I really liked it. Not my favorite song of the round, but it left the best first impression. 5/5
Instrument (lead vocals): I really like both the vocal line and its delivery. I especially like the mini-screams at the beginnings of phrases. On the other hand, I wouldn’t call the vocals a standout performance in the context of the song. They’re good, but the instruments that got top score in this round felt more like a centerpiece of the song, in one way or another. 4/5
Overall: I really liked what I heard on first listen, but it didn’t continue to grow on me on later listens. It didn’t get any worse in my mind. It’s just that it is a bit one-dimensional as a song, so there wasn’t much more to appreciate. 6/10
Total: 15/20
Tyrias: The Tallest Man on Earth – Where Do My Bluebird Fly (Live on KEXP)
Theme (first impression): Love the guitar. Didn’t like the voice, at least not on first listen. It’s a nice song in every other respect. 3/5
Instrument (acoustic guitar): That is some sweet guitar playing. It makes the song sound layered even though at its heart it’s just basic chords. I don’t know if the original version is also just guitar, but the guitar playing manages to capture the feeling of several instruments. 5/5
Overall: Well, this was the oddball of the round (as you intended). I got used to the vocals, though I’m still not the biggest fan. The songwriting and guitar more than make up for it, though. 7/10
Total: 15/20
Results after Round 1:
Dr. DTVT – 17
Sacul – 16
Tom Bombadil – 15
Tyrias – 15
senecadawg2 – 14
mikemangioy – 11
Evermind – 10
GentlemanofDread – 5
ROUND 2: Let’s Dance
For this round, send me a song that makes me want to dance. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a song I can dance to, but it should get me energized and up on my feet. (Note that I don’t actually dance, but it was the best way to convey what I wanted from this round.)
One more note: Please make the title of your PM “Round 2 – username” for ease of organization (obviously, replace the 2 with the round number in future rounds).
Topic: Zyzzyva17’s Roulette Thread v. Round 3 Results! Send Round 4 (Read 4644 times)