Alright, I won't keep you guys waiting any longer. At long last, it's time for the
FINAL RESULTS!Sorry this roulette has dragged on for so long; my life recently has been busier than it has ever been before, and between all of my responsibilities, it was difficult for me to find the energy to give this roulette the time and attention it should have gotten.
But enough of that, let's get onto the results for the final round. Remember, the points awarded for each ranking are higher than usual, and may come with a fraction of a point to prevent there from being any ties in the final ranking!
Here we go!
---FINAL ROUND RESULTS---1st Place: Elite
Anciients - Ibex EyeThis song has a pretty awesome blend of metal styles that sounds great and strikes a really good balance between heavy and melodic. It’s got great riffs, some enjoyable vocals (both clean and harsh), and the song does a great job with transitioning from one awesome section to the next without losing any momentum. My one complaint is that the finale is a bit weak; there’s a huge buildup to it and the payoff is a bit underwhelming, especially since it just fades out without an actual ending. Other than that, this song was excellent.
2nd Place: Parama
Thank You Scientist - CavernsI got two songs from this band this round, and I must say, I’m really digging their sound. It’s a really cool fusion of prog and jazz that’s pulled off in a way that I’ve never quite heard before, and the use of horns is really fantastic. It’s not easy to fit them in with the regular line-up of rock instruments and still have them be just as prominent, but they somehow managed to pull it off, and they really add a lot to the song. The main riff is really awesome, the chorus is powerful and the song as a whole has a great amount of energy. It has a decent amount of variety too, throwing in some calmer verses and a more metal-oriented section about two thirds in. Great stuff.
3rd Place: splent
Thank You Scientist - Mr. InvisibleAaaand here’s the very next track from the same album as the above submission.
My first impression of this song was actually a bit better than Caverns; I really liked how funky and groovy it was in comparison. Like Caverns, it also has some great melodies and a really powerful chorus. With repeated listens, however, I found myself gravitating a bit more towards the previous song. This one is a bit more simple and doesn’t have as much variety, so it started to get a little bit state after a while, especially because it’s a bit longer than it needs to be, in my opinion. It’s still a great track though, and I can definitely see why some people would prefer this one. Between these two songs, I’ve definitely heard enough to make me want to check these guys out more in the future.
4th Place: Scorpion
Indukti - SansaraInstrumentals usually don’t win me over as easily as other songs, but this one was definitely interesting enough for that not to be an issue. It’s got some unusual instrumentation that grabs your attention, and it all comes together very well to create a very intense sound that I really enjoyed. Things mellow out towards the end as the song transitions into a very mellow and soothing extended outro that ends the song on a really nice note. A great example on how to do instrumentals well.
5th Place: Train of Naught
Harakiri For The Sky - ViaticumThis one was definitely a grower, and even with repeated listens, I can say that this song’s biggest problem is that it’s not very memorable. There aren’t too many moments that stick out, and if you’re not paying attention, the song as a whole kind of blends together. I’m also not really a fan of the vocals. That aside, this song has some great guitar work that creates a pretty strong atmosphere, and the song keeps getting better the further along it gets. The last few minutes in particular are really fantastic, and it’s largely thanks to them that I ended up generally liking this song in the end.
6th Place: Evermind
Arstidir - Sidasta KvedjanThis song is pretty, but there’s not really much else to say about it. It’s incredibly quiet and soothing, and it’s got some nice string work. That said, I think it’s a bit too laid-back; some light drums or some more variety composition-wise would have definitely taken this song to the next level. I’m all for mellow, minimalistic music if the atmosphere is strong enough, but this song didn’t quite reach that point for me, in my opinion.
7th Place: LordCost
Cardiacs - Fiery Gun HandThis song is very wacky-sounding, perhaps a bit too much so for my taste. I can definitely appreciate songs that are both experimental and accessible, and yes, this song is very experimental while still being quite catchy. I like that, but the sound just isn’t something that resonates with my tastes too well.
8th Place: Tomislav95
Paradise Lost - An Eternity Of LiesIncluding this, I’ve gotten three songs from this band in my roulettes, and this one was probably the weakest, unfortunately. It’s not as catchy as The Enemy, and it doesn’t have the power or epic-sounding atmosphere that The Glorious End has. Even without comparing this song to those two, it didn’t do all that much for me. The melodies and riffs are memorable, but that doesn’t mean they’re particularly good. The song also relies on them pretty heavily and repeats them a lot without really changing them, and the track is pretty monotonous as a result. I definitely enjoy some doom metal, but I guess you just weren’t that lucky with that subgenre this roulette.
Okay, and with that, let's see how you all did!
---FINAL RESULTS---8th Place: LordCost
31.3 Points1: smilelobber
2: Dark Charade
3: Fiery Gun Hand
4: Severed
5: The Origin Of Species / The Origin Of God
6: Merry Go Bye Bye
7: Sleeve
7th Place: Tomislav95
42.7 Points1: Chlorine And Wine
2: Lechium
3: Black And White World
5: An Eternity Of Lies
6: Eraser
7: I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery
8: Hope
6th Place: splent
44.8 Points1: Mr. Invisible
2: Dear Dead Days
3: Losing It
4: Shoot First
5: Cloud City
6: Angels And Demons
7: The Great Divide
5th Place: Train of Naught
47.6 Points1: Umana
2: Accupuncher
3: Viaticum
4: Set In Stone
5: Clarity
6: The Exile Part I - The Razor's Edge
7: I Hold Dominion
4th Place: Evermind
47.9 Points1: Wheel Of Time
2: Lighthouse
3: Pictured Within
4: The Grandest Accusation
5: Sidasta Kvedjan
6: The Anatomy Of A Nervous Breakdown: Neurasthenia
7: Wherever I Go
3rd Place: Scorpion
56.2 Points1: The River Dragon Has Come
2: The Garden Of Fire
3: Sansara
4: Death In The Eyes Of Dawn
5: The Light And Shade Of Things
6: Marionette
7: Beggars
2nd Place: Elite
60 Points1: Fisheye
2: Ibex Eye
3: Are You Kidding Me? No.
4: The Smoke
5: Oncoming Dark / Through The Glass / Cinnamon Balls
6: Open The Gates
7: Deadman
And the winner is, unsurprisingly...
1st Place: Parama
62.4 Points1: Szervetlen
2: Limousine
3: Caverns
4: Naif / Linear Failure / My Favorite Society Guy
5: Cotard
6: Winter
7: Climb
Thank you to everyone who participated! It's been fun, and I should have enough music on my backlog now to last me for a long long time. I really appreciate you all for participating, and I hope you all had fun. Peace out.