Round 7 ResultsSo, is this the round where the top contenders slip and all the standings change suddenly? You know what the thing is with this elimination system? I probably haven’t figured it out completely yet. I thought if all participants would somehow score roughly even every round, it would create a lot of tension, as every song sent has to be good. As it turns out, there are a couple of players consistently scoring high, while others are scoring low and some of you are all over the place. Watching this round unfold was a little strange for me, because as you’ll see, some of the ‘better’ contenders sent some relative clunkers this round. As it turns out; I do not like eliminating anyone and have felt bad for doing so the previous two instances. This round was bound to see an elimination, and there definitely is one. Although it’s just one round less you’re playing, I’m genuinely sorry – and probably a bad host for creating rules I don’t fully stand behind.
5 Pointsariich
Kyros – Technology Killed the Kids II
Progressive Metal - from ‘Vox Humana’ (2016)So, yeah.. This one didn’t work at all. While I get the idea of combining progressive-ish metal with electronic music, the execution here is what I found to be very poor. Contrary to the Novallo track you sent in Round 1, the riffs here aren’t interesting and the sounds feel very rushed and/or ‘plastic’ for lack of a better word. What ultimately killed it though, was the extremely annoying whiny voice of the lead singer. The band rehashing the same riff into oblivion didn’t help either and this became a chore to listen to.
4 PointsNekov
We Came From Space – Pieces of the Sky
Progressive Rock - from ‘While You Were Away’ (2018)You know what the problem is with the progressive rock genre in general? And I don’t mean to sound condescending, but I’m pretty sure I’ve said something like this before: there’s barely any ‘progression’ in this style of music anymore and this sounds like stuff I’ve heard before. No doubt that’s there’s good musicianship in here and the song does have its good moments indeed. The final build-up with the guitar leads under the repeated vocal lines is – of course – a cliché, but it works really well and gives the song some tension in the final minutes. In the end though, this song failed to excite me in any way, and I’ve felt the same about similar bands that try to re-create some ‘progressive rock’ archetype without actually bringing any new stuff to the table. So while this may not be a bad song, it’s going to be your final destination in my roulette. Like I said in the preamble; I don’t like eliminating anyone, but I set up the rules like I did and it’s the way it is. Thank you very much for playing though and props for sticking to your guns, even though they didn’t always hit the mark with me.
3 PointsTrain of Naught
Brand New - 137
Alternative Rock - from ‘Science Fiction’ (2017)This song is weird, because not a lot happens in the first half, but somehow that actually makes the second half that much more powerful. While I found the main vocal line to be pretty dull (I said ‘exceptionally’ in the snippet, but I feel that was slightly too harsh), it’s the build-up towards the end here that makes the song extremely powerful. I don’t know whether this is a typical song for this band, but I can recall listening to the ‘Devil & God’ album some years ago and not understanding what the fuss was about. If it’s this sort of stuff, but better, I might actually enjoy that one. I feel like with repeated listens this song might have ended up higher, but then again it really only has one melody it builds on, so there’s not a lot to it actually. Enjoyable, definitely, with an excellent ending.
Parama
El Drugstore - Steakback
Instrumental Freak Attack - from ‘Plague Ship’ (2013)Here, have a different score than 0 or 2. So, I get why you like this indeed, as it sounds completely and utterly similar to East of the Wall, only.. without vocals. And it’s good, but I seriously feel like the vocals are missing, which is always a difficult thing with instrumental music. The lack of vocals gives the excellent riffing extra room to develop, except that I feel that the band tries to overcompensate for the lack of vocals by starting a new riff every half minute. This makes the song sound as if it has a lack of focus; the band doesn’t exactly know where it’s going and fills up every second with new material. Add to that the fact that most of the riffs are really that – riffs – and you’ve a metal riff showdown with barely any melodies in them. This is not a problem per se, but it didn’t really work all the time and actually sounds a little messy at times. Despite all of this; I did enjoy this a bunch, because while weirdly structured, the song sounds cohesive through use of the same guitar sounds and that pummelling bass guitar throughout. I liked this, but this was honestly my least favourite submission from you so far (which show how strong of a participant you have been this far).
2 PointsLordCost
The Human Abstract - Antebellum
Progressive Metalcore - from ‘Digital Veil’ (2011)I received ‘Faust’ in my first (or second?) roulette and bashed the hell out of that one. I clearly wasn’t ready for progressive metalcore music, despite loving BTBAM’s ‘Colors’ (which is probably still an all-time top 25 album for me). But damn, this song is tasty. I like the guitar work, which is flashy, but seems to serve the song at all times. The vocals, alternating between clean and screamed – and even doubling them in some places – give the song extra flair but the highlight of this song for me was the chorus with the rhythmic guitars in the background, which took a little time to fully appreciate. In fact, this goes for the entire song. Having disliked ‘Faust’ before, upon receiving this song I was immediately biased, thinking I wouldn’t like this and guess what? My first listen proved me right; until I started listening more honestly and actually came to the conclusion that this actually really is fucking good.
Puppies_on_Acid
YOB – Adrift in the Ocean
Doom Metal - from ‘Atma’ (2011)My first listen to this song had me thinking: ‘what the hell is Puppies thinking, sending me this?’. At over 13 minutes, this song took up almost a quarter of the entire playlist and having 6 minutes of instrumental noodling and build-up before the first vocals come in (at 06:04) means that as a listener I had to be patient. The first vocal is a growl, which is weird, since the growls don’t return any further in the song. In fact, all the other vocals are strangely nasal-sounding high vocals, a complete opposite of the heavy riffs underneath. Now, I had heard of YOB before, but never checked them out, because their albums consisting of mostly ridiculously long songs are pretty daunting to get into, but this song might have won me over. I’m very intrigued, because this is stuff I’ve never heard before. It’s heavy, but it’s also really hypnotic in a way that it takes ages to build up without having you lose interest. I guess this is not for everyone and you might have taken a great risk in sending this one, but I think it has payed off.
1 PointTAC
Structural Disorder - Drowning
Progressive Metal - from ‘…and the Cage Crumbles in the Final Scene’ (2018)What took you so long? Here’s TAC hitting the mark yet again for the second round in a row. This is some quality progressive metal here with surprising twists and turns. I like the musicianship on this track, with the band showing everything they’re capable of, from soft piano and low warm vocals, through a sing-along chorus with the singer going all out into the stratosphere to this extreme breakdown with growls that initially came out of nowhere, but found its reprise later in the song. The middle section of instrumental wankery is far better than I make it sound with those two words and actually help to elevate the song to higher levels, making the return to the growled section that much more logical. The song ending on a positive note with the chorus repeated and that happy melody, is another nice twist that made the song a very enjoyable listen. Between the album this sng came from winning a round in Parama’s roulette and me thoroughly enjoying this track, I think I have another album to check out!
0 PointsSacul
Cosmo Sheldrake - Hocking
Alternative Rock - from ‘The Much Much How How and I’ (2018)Why do the weird songs end up on top all the time? Again, I certainly didn’t think this would happen with my first of this particular song, because the first two minutes are, whilst a little strange, nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s the little musical party in the final minutes of the song where all instruments go completely crazy that have won me over. What a joy to listen to this is, wow! After my first listen, it actually became more clear how the song gradually buils up tension and has that ridiculously catchy motif in the beginning as well – the one that the entire ending is built on. Apart from the lyrics seemingly being nonsense, this song is probably one of the most ‘fun’ songs I’ve received in the entire roulette. Thanks!
Current Standings
Puppies_on_Acid: 1, 2, 0, 3, 3, 0, 2 (11)
Parama: 2, 0, 2, 2, 0, 2, 3 (11)
Train of Naught: 1, 3, 1, 3, 2, 3, 3 (16)
ariich: 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 5(16)
Sacul: 4, 5, 1, 0, 3, 4, 0 (17)
TAC: 4, 1, 4, 4, 4, 1, 1 (19)
LordCost: 0, 4, 5, 1, 4, 5, 2 (21)
Nekov: 3, 3, 3, 4, 1, 2, 4 (20)
Tomislav95: 3, 4, 3, 2, 5 (17)
Stadler: 5, 2, 4, 5 (16)
Final regular round is coming up. Both Parama and Puppies have no way of missing the EP Round and are mathematically ‘safe’. LordCost is mathematically eliminated for the EP Round, but is still eligible to send for Round 8. The other two places can go to any two of the remaining four candidates, depending on next round’s results.
As the rules in the OP state; only the top 4 contenders get to play in the final round, which will consist of you guys making an EP. Full EP rules will follow shortly, but in the OP are rough guidelines, if you plan on starting out already. 40 minutes tops, with a minimum of three different artists. The ‘three different artists’ rule excludes interludes/short intro tracks/etc.
---
Send your Round 8 songs from now on. I’ll be going on holiday until Sunday in about 12 hours, so no hangmemes until Sunday or Monday, but I may be able to get a listen in here and there while I’m away.