Revenge319's relatively normal roulette: Love list complete! (FINAL RESULTS)

[Revenge319]

Results 1/3 coming very, very soon...                              (It's really happening!)

[425]

Is it really... going to be?

[Revenge319]

It may have taken over two months, but I’ve finally gotten to the results of Round 5! If things go according to plan, the next two parts will be out very soon. We’re almost at the end now!

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Buddyhunter1
Periphery

First impression: This seems like a band I'd really like, but at the moment, there isn't much that I find particularly interesting.

Final review: You’ll be hearing me say this a few more times throughout the results, but this is a band that has grown on me a good bit since my initial impressions. While I don’t think they’re amazing, Periphery has a lot of interesting ideas, and those ideas are generally very well-executed. There’s only one real issue I have with Periphery, and it’s that I feel like they’re at their best when they’re not doing the hardcore metal stuff. That’s not to say it’s bad or anything, but the metal sections of the songs, while they’re good and full of energy, usually aren’t anything particularly special. “Have A Blast” has an AMAZING opening: There’s a violin playing, which is then followed by these gorgeous keyboard sounds. And then comes the metal stuff, which is a good energetic start to the song, but the first 14 seconds of the song is so beautiful and great that it’s rather disappointing that it stopped. I almost wish that was what the whole song was built upon. That’s what I mean when I say this is their flaw; they have these great ideas, but because the primary focus is being metal, the non-metal parts don’t feel fleshed out. A better moment is in “Ragnarok”; the majority of the song is pretty great, but near the end of the song, it transitions into this really pleasant, melodic section with a softer guitar sound and some atmospheric keyboards. And in this case, it does feel developed and fleshed out. I do wish it went on longer, though, it’s just that great. “Omega” has quite a few interesting ideas, both in the metal and more experimental areas, but I do feel like it goes on a bit too long. I think this could have been a lot better if they trimmed some areas. I do really like this one section around 8 minutes in, where there’s a quieter section (though it could’ve been trimmed just a little bit), which is then followed by this almost jazz-like guitar solo... which feels a little too short. But even though the best aspects of these songs don’t usually reach their full potential, there’s a lot to like here. All three of these songs are great, but I feel like this band would be something special if they gave more priority to the melodic and experimental side of their songwriting.

Have A Blast - 8.25/10
Ragnarok - 8.75/10
Omega - 8.25/10

Roulette score: 8.4

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Sacul
Massive Attack

First impression: I appreciate the effort in sending something different, but I don't think this is something I'll get much enjoyment out of.

Final review: Considering I thought Portishead was pretty good, I can see why I was sent an artist like Massive Attack afterwards. The music generally has a similar feel to Portishead, in that it’s moody and atmospheric. There are some good moments here and there, but I generally find it to just be serviceable at most. I don’t find it to be particularly interesting, and it doesn’t feel particularly unique to me. I think the only thing I outright don’t like are the vocals. The female singer sounds alright, but the male singer(s?) sounds kind of boring, and I don’t really enjoy the rapping style of vocals, either. To list some positives, I do think there’s generally a good atmosphere across all these songs. As I mentioned before, it’s similar to the sort of vibe that Portishead gives off, and it is an atmosphere that I do like. “Unfinished Sympathy” is the best song here, and while it isn’t anything special, it does have some good moments, like the string instrument synths towards the end of the song. The vocals are also pretty good. On the other hand, there’s not much at all that I find interesting in “Risingson”, and it feels longer than it actually is. And while the vocals sort of fit with the song, they’re rather bland. If you’re into this type of genre, I imagine this would be an artist worth checking out. I do like electronic music quite a bit, but I guess this artist just isn’t for me. Regarding where I’d rank this artist out of every artist in the roulette… I’d rank it above Moonsorrow, at least; I’d much rather listen to a 5-minute song where not much seems to happen than a 19-minute song where next to nothing seems to happen.

Unfinished Sympathy - 7.25/10
Teardrop - 7/10
Risingson - 6.25/10
Take It There - 6.75/10

Roulette score: 6.8

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Stadler
Black Sabbath

First impression: This band is more musically diverse than I was expecting.

Final review: This might be the most surprising band in the whole roulette for me. I didn’t have bad expectations, but considering Black Sabbath is considered one of the pioneers of heavy metal and the name is… well, Black Sabbath… I didn’t expect to like this as much as I do. Now, it’s nowhere near my favorite artist in the roulette, but the songs I’ve heard from this band are all pretty good. “Spiral Architect” is surprising in another way; the song alternates between an upbeat, rock ‘n roll sound and a slow ballad in the vocal sections. Speaking of which, another surprising element is the vocals. Ozzy’s voice sounds like the kind of voice that wouldn’t sound good at all, but it actually works really well with the music. And it’s not just with this song; the other two songs are more consistently upbeat, and his voice sounds good on those songs, too. And yet another element of pleasant surprise is the lyrics. Considering the name of the band, I was expecting the kind of lyrics you’d hear from Slayer or Ghost, but that’s not the case here at all (at least of these three songs). These lyrics are rather down-to-earth; they’re nothing innocent (it wouldn’t surprise me if it turns out “The Thrill of It All” was about drugs or something like that) but they’re well-written and somewhat interesting. And I keep mentioning how much of a pleasant surprise this band was, but that’s really the biggest thing I took away from my time listening to Black Sabbath. If I haven’t conveyed it very well, I think all of these songs are pretty good, and you should check them out if you haven’t.

Spiral Architect - 8.5/10
The Thrill of It All - 8/10
Supernaut - 7.75/10

Roulette score: 8.1

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Anguyen92
Within Temptation

First impression: The vocals are very nice. The music is a bit grand, but has this very accessible feeling to it at the same time.

Final review: Honestly, I don’t think I have much to talk about with this band besides what I said in my initial impression. Within Temptation is just an artist that makes pretty good music. It’s easy to listen to, and the vocals combined with the style of music gives off a bit of a serious tone, which makes it sound a little grandiose at times. The main highlight here for me is “In the Middle of the Night”. It’s different from the other songs I’ve heard, in that it’s a straight-up rocking kind of song. The chorus is fun to listen to, and the instrumentals are quite entertaining. And this is just a side note, but I’ve noticed that the main riff in this song is almost completely identical to the boss theme in the GBA version of Crash Nitro Kart. Just listen to both of these songs, there’s a striking resemblance. Another good song is “Paradise (What About Us?)”, which gives off that grand sort of feeling I was talking about before. The vocals are very good here, and Tarja Turunen from Nightwish even makes an appearance as one of the guest vocalists, which is pretty cool! While the songs here aren’t anything amazing, this band has a good sound, and there’s a lot of good hooks here. I’d say I would be interested in checking out more of their music at some point.

The Heart of Everything - 7.5/10
The Cross - 7.5/10
In the Middle of the Night - 8.25/10
Paradise (What About Us?) - 8/10

Roulette score: 7.8

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TAC
Lost Domain

First impression: Some interesting parts here and there. I'll have to see if these songs as a whole grow on me.

Final review: I see a bit of similarity here between Lost Domain and Within Temptation; their music is metal that isn’t too complex, and it’s fronted by a female singer. Generally, Lost Domain’s music is heavier in comparison, though overall I think I prefer Within Temptation a little more. Talking specifically about Lost Domain, though, there’s quite a few moments that are pretty enjoyable. I really like “Silent Cry”; it’s heavy, it can be a little aggressive here and there, and the chorus is really good, with a back-and-forth between the normal female vocals, and some harsh male vocals. “Judicium”, however, is a song that I don’t exactly care for. There are some good moments, but the main thing that bothers me is the lyrics (at least in the chorus). I don’t mind dark/depressing lyrics in music at all; for instance, I love Steven Wilson, and a lot of my favorite songs from him are very dark and depressing lyrically (Stop Swimming, Heartattack in a Layby, Anesthetize, and so on), but the lyrics here just rub me the wrong way. I think it’s because personally, it just comes across as nihilistic to me (“We’re all gonna die, and we need to let it go / We’re all gonna die someday”) and that kind of depressing nature is something that doesn’t really appeal to me. Lastly, “...In the Waiting Room of Death” is good, certainly a step up from Judicium. That said, I probably would’ve liked it just as much (if not more) if it was shorter. So, Lost Domain is pretty good, all things considered. Not one of my favorites, but I do like their heavy yet somewhat accessible sound.

Silent Cry - 8/10
Judicium - 6.75/10
...In the Waiting Room of Death - 7.5/10

Roulette score: 7.4

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MoraWintersoul
Unleash the Archers

First impression: I like the overall sound, but the songwriting doesn't seem too great.

Final review: So this one’s a bit interesting. When Unleash the Archers is good, it can be pretty great! But when it’s not at its best, it can be rather tedious. Considering when it is and isn’t good, I almost feel like my feelings on the band are kind of the inverse of my one complaint about Periphery. Generally, the music is upbeat, fast-paced power metal. That’s what this band is all about. When they don’t do that, that’s when things don’t get so good. Starting with the positives, “The Coward’s Way” is really good. It’s simply just very satisfying to listen to from start to finish, and the chorus and guitar solo are especially great. And “Apex” is pretty good as well. Not quite as good as The Coward’s Way, but it’s the band doing what they do best, with some good quieter moments here and there. The other song, “Northwest Passage”, is what I don’t exactly enjoy. I remember finding this rather annoying the first time I heard it, and while it has grown on me to an extent, it’s still not a song I really care for. Honestly, this is probably my least favorite song in this entire roulette (although considering the score I gave it, I’d say that’s pretty impressive, in a way). There’s two main problems I have with the song. Firstly, the first two minutes are boring. There isn’t much music here, so it’s just the vocals with some drums on occasion. After the whole band comes in, it does get better, and there are some good moments from that point onward. However, as I said, there are two problems I have, and that other problem is that I find the chorus very tedious, if not outright annoying. It feels like it goes on forever, the lyrics don’t feel well-written for it, and it sometimes feels like it makes up way too much of the entire song’s length. Also, I don’t have any inherent problem with the lyrics, but as I don’t care for the vocals/chorus, the lyrics coming across as grand and important falls flat for me. Overall, my verdict of Unleash the Archers is that I’m interested in what else they have to offer, so long as the majority of their discography is in a similar vein to The Coward’s Way and Apex. If there’s more songs like Northwest Passage, I’m not sure how interested I’d be in listening to more of their material.

The Coward’s Way - 8.5/10
Northwest Passage - 6/10
Apex - 7.75/10

Roulette score: 7.4

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On a side note, I wanted to rename the thread "Is it really happening?" once I got to posting the results (especially after 425's response to my previous status update), but I can't fit it in the thread title, so the reference to The Count of Tuscany will have to do instead...

[Buddyhunter1]

Hey, not bad. Periphery II is probably their best album (and one of their more melodic ones) so if you wanna listen to any of their full albums (and I suggest you do) I'd recommend starting with that one.

[twosuitsluke]

 

[Revenge319]

Results 2/3 should be out tomorrow. Then the last batch of results shouldn't be that long of a wait, because I'm saving most of my favorites to review last, and those will be easiest to write about.

[Crow]

awesome, so, my results tomorrow then 

[Revenge319]

Here's Part 2 of the Round 5 results! We're so close to the end now!

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HOF
Mew

First impression: This is one of the more unique artists I've heard in this roulette. There's some very good stuff here!

Final review: This is quite a different artist from what I’ve heard from this roulette. Mew has a strong pop-rock feel to their music, and while there might be a couple other artists I’ve been sent that could be classified as pop-rock, this one still feels unique. While the rock elements are definitely there, the electronic/pop elements are present a lot, too, and there’s some experimental stuff at times. And that all comes together to make some pretty good songs. The vocals are a bit odd, but I quite like them; I’m kinda surprised I do like them, though. I could imagine a lot of people being turned off by them, but anyway, I find them pretty good. Talking about specific songs, “Candy Pieces All Smeared Out” is a good showcase of what this band’s like. The chorus is very catchy, and feels anthemic, almost. There’s experimental aspects to the song, too, like a somewhat bombastic intro before going into the quieter, more vocal-driven verses, as well as the outro, which has some weird electronic stuff going on. The other two songs are a bit more straightforward, but then there’s “Comforting Sounds”, which, for what occurs in this song, is a very fitting title. It’s a softer song, starting with guitar but later adding some keyboards into the mix. The melancholic lyrics really add to the atmosphere, too. On its own, this would be a pretty good song. But then, the song gets a little more upbeat, and for the rest of the song is an instrumental section that just gradually becomes more and more amazing as it goes on. It’s beautiful, no doubt about it. I may be giving this song a 9/10 now, but I think over time, my opinion of this song is gradually going to get higher and higher. A bit like how this song goes, eh? So yeah, Mew has some pretty good stuff. Comforting Sounds is easily the standout track here, but the other songs are quite good as well.

Nothingness and No Regrets - 7.75/10
Apocalypso - 7.75/10
Candy Pieces All Smeared Out - 8/10
Comforting Sounds - 9/10

Roulette score: 8.1

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Puppies_On_Acid
Agalloch

First impression: The harsh vocals aren't that great, but I'm really liking everything else.

Final review: Agalloch reminds me a lot of (older) Opeth. Probably because of the death metal elements, the shift between harsh and soft vocals, and the generally lengthy songs. There is a difference, though, and that’s while old Opeth shifts between heavy and soft sections, Agalloch kind of combines the two; the music is usually heavy, but it’s also very melodic at the same time. Not that Opeth wasn’t melodic, but that aspect is more noticeable here. And to compare both of these bands as a whole, I think Agalloch is more enjoyable. I like Opeth’s sound and style, but for some reason, outside of a couple songs they just never truly interested me. Alright, enough comparisons. Agalloch’s style of being death metal while still having a strong melodic feel is the best part of this band. The soft vocals are quite good as well. The harsh vocals are kinda weird, though. They’ve grown on me for the most part, but I much prefer the soft vocals here. My favorite song that I’ve heard is “Not Unlike The Waves”. The recurring guitar riff is really good, and there’s just a lot of good moments overall, and despite being somewhat repetitive in structure, it doesn’t feel like it’s overlong at all. Even some of the harsh vocals are great! I could probably describe “Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires” in mostly the same way, although I do prefer Not Unlike The Waves more. The only song I really have any problems with is “Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation”. It’s good, but I do feel like it goes on a bit long without much going on. There’s also this really weird moment with the harsh vocals at the end of the song. I feel like it’s supposed to be this really cathartic climax to the song, but the way it’s sung is jarring and almost comes across a little silly to me. But aside from that, there’s not much about these songs that I don’t care for. I quite like Agalloch, and to make one more Opeth comparison, I think I’ve found “Opeth, but better”.

I Am The Wooden Doors - 8/10
Not Unlike The Waves - 8.5/10
Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires - 8.25/10
Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation - 7.5/10

Roulette score: 8.1

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jingle.boy
Trans-Siberian Orchestra

First impression: Musically, it's amazing, but some of the vocals could be better.

Final review: It may have been more fitting to have reviewed this back around the time when Round 5 started, but I think Trans-Siberian Orchestra is good enough that you could listen to their music at any other time of the year and still get a lot out of it. So, this is a band that makes a lot of Christmas music, but puts a rock/metal spin on it. There’s some great covers of familiar songs, but (to my knowledge) there’s some original content as well. The band does well with composing both, and while I slightly prefer the more original stuff, the covers are just about as good. “A Mad Russian’s Christmas” is an instrumental, and contains a few familiar Christmas melodies (which, to be honest, I couldn’t name any of them), and while it gets a bit repetitive at points, it’s still a fun listen. “Good King Joy” is the best song out of the four I’ve heard. It starts off as a cover of Joy to the World (and a pretty good one, at that), but then goes into an original composition, which is where it gets really good. The piano intro is great, and it gets better when the whole band joins in. The vocals are great, too; I’m not sure what my issue with the vocals was my first time listening to these songs. I guess there’s a couple lines in “Old City Bar” that I found a little odd, but that’s really not a problem. Incidentally, Old City Bar is my least favorite of the songs I listened to, but it’s not bad. It’s just a quiet ballad where the focus is more on the vocals and lyrics. While it’s good, it’s just a little less interesting than the other songs I heard. But overall, very good stuff! I’ve heard of Trans-Siberian Orchestra before (and I’ve actually seen them in concert a few years ago) and just thought they did Christmas song covers, but they’ve got more than that, and like I said, their original songs are where they’re at their best.

A Mad Russian’s Christmas - 7.75/10
Good King Joy - 8.75/10
Old City Bar - 7.5/10
Christmas Eve / Sarajevo - 8/10

Roulette score: 8.0

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Luoto
Wintersun

First impression: There's a lot going on here, but I think this will end up as something I greatly enjoy.

Final review: This is another one of those bands that I feel is very dense in terms of how much is put into their music. I’ve given this artist quite a few listens, but I still feel like I haven’t absorbed all of it, so I apologize if this review seems lacking. Wintersun has a similar style to bands like Fireproven, in that the primary aspect is metal, but there is room for some experimental stuff. The main thing I’m drawn to with these songs is actually the lyrics, and how the vocal performance conveys them. That’s not to say the other parts aren’t good, because they definitely are. But when I think of the best moments of these songs, it’s usually the vocals/lyrics. I feel a lot of emotion from the lyrics, especially in “Time”. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness, but yet there’s also some hopefulness in it (if that makes any sense), and the way it’s delivered comes across as powerful. Some of the harsher vocals can be a bit much sometimes, but usually the vocals work out really well. It’s hard to pinpoint any instrumental moments I particularly like out of both of these songs, but it’s consistently enjoyable. Both of these songs are rather lengthy, but despite the density and overall runtime, neither one feels overlong. I like Wintersun quite a bit, but I just need more listens to really absorb and appreciate the music.

Land of Snow and Sorrow - 8/10
Darkness and Frost / Time - 8.25/10

Roulette score: 8.1

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Iamthemorning
Evermind

First impression: Very pleasant and beautiful music.

Final review: Iamthemorning is, as I described in my initial impression, pleasant and beautiful music. It’s pretty relaxing, even in the moments where the music gets more upbeat. The music is piano/keyboard-driven, and there’s some pretty female vocals on top of everything else. I really like the sound here, but honestly I feel like I like it less than I should. And I do like this, it’s just not quite as great as I feel like I would consider it. “Freak Show” is probably my favorite song here. It’s got the stuff I like about this band (relaxing atmosphere, lots of piano) but also has more to it than just that. There’s a couple upbeat sections, one of which has an electric guitar solo, and another which has a saxophone solo. Another song I like is “Lighthouse”. It’s a much quieter song than Freak Show, and while it’s just piano and vocals until the last two minutes, it’s really nice to listen to. In the last two minutes, an acoustic guitar is added in, plus a male vocalist who sounds quite alright as well. I will be honest, though, and say that there really isn’t much else I can think of to say about Iamthemorning. They make good music, and they’re good at what they do, and I like the style and sound that they go for. It’s just difficult for me to say anything beyond what I’ve stated already: They make relaxing music that’s quite pleasant to listen to. And they’re an artist that I’d like to hear more from.

Freak Show - 8/10
Scotland - 7.5/10
Os Lunatum - 7.75/10
Lighthouse - 8/10

Roulette score: 7.8

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kingshmegland
The Pineapple Thief

First impression: VERY reminiscent of a certain artist I really like.

Final review: Making these writeups, I tend to draw comparisons to other artists when talking about a certain band. And with The Pineapple Thief, I think most people could agree that there’s some level of similarity to Porcupine Tree (or really, Steven Wilson in general). They’ve got a mellow, sometimes melancholic sound, and the singer sounds a lot like Steven Wilson himself. Like, if I heard the beginning of “In Exile” without knowing anything about the song or who made it, I’d probably assume that this was just some song Steven Wilson made at some point in his career. And to compare the overall quality to Porcupine Tree, I’d say they’re good, but not as great as Porcupine Tree. Then again, the way I see it, you’ve gotta be consistently really amazing to match the level of quality that Porcupine Tree has. But like I said, The Pineapple Thief is pretty enjoyable. The songs are good, the music is pretty diverse while maintaining the same general style. In Exile is a calm song, mainly focusing on the vocals but still having some interesting instrumentals. “Last Man Standing” goes back and forth between more subtle verses and high-energy choruses. And “Tightly Wound” is a more unique song, with an interesting style of vocals. The only flaw this band seems to have is with the lyrical content. This may just be me comparing the band to Steven Wilson again, but the lyric writing feels more simple, and at times it comes across as weird (“Now look what you’ve done, you’ve made me throw up on your flooooor”). Sure, Steven Wilson has some weird lyrics at times (“XBOX is a god to me”) but with those lyrics I feel like he’s writing about more complex things. To me, the songs here tend to come across as lyrics about a bad relationship, or something similar to that. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that (Lightbulb Sun has a few songs focusing on the negative aspects of relationships, and I love that album), but it just doesn’t feel as deep or well-written to me. While I wouldn’t put this band on the same level as Porcupine Tree, I still think they’re pretty good, and it’s nice to listen to another band that has the same general sound and mood that Porcupine Tree conveys.

In Exile - 7.75/10
Last Man Standing - 7.75/10
Far Below - 7.75/10
Tightly Wound - 8/10

Roulette score: 7.8

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And thus concludes the second batch of results.
Next time on “Revenge319’s relatively normal roulette”… We see the final artists of this round reviewed, and the winner shall be determined.
And then after that, I’ll go over some miscellaneous stuff, such as statistics and my thoughts on taking on this roulette.

I hope to see you all at the finale.

[Buddyhunter1]

Do yourself a favor and listen to the rest of Ashes Against The Grain. It's so good that Not Unlike The Waves isn't even one of the best songs on it.

[HOF]

Glad you liked Mew. I had the same feelings about the singer. Didn’t think I’d like him and then I did. Comforting Sounds is definitely the song by them, though I’ve only heard the three albums I sent songs from. I love how that ending builds and builds. In general I prefer the more symphonic and electronic side to the heavier side of the band, but I think a lot of people prefer the heavier from what I can tell.

[Revenge319]

Do yourself a favor and listen to the rest of Ashes Against The Grain. It's so good that Not Unlike The Waves isn't even one of the best songs on it.

Is that so? Well, that makes me even more interested to listen to more of Agalloch's discography!

Glad you liked Mew. I had the same feelings about the singer. Didn’t think I’d like him and then I did. Comforting Sounds is definitely the song by them, though I’ve only heard the three albums I sent songs from. I love how that ending builds and builds. In general I prefer the more symphonic and electronic side to the heavier side of the band, but I think a lot of people prefer the heavier from what I can tell.

Yeah, I'd say I prefer the symphonic/electronic side as well, although I do enjoy the heavy rock stuff, too. I like them about equally, really; I think I mainly just like how it all comes together.

[425]

tfw no me, no cyril, no luke in the second batch, and the third batch has the favorites...

[twosuitsluke]

tfw no me, no cyril, no luke in the second batch, and the third batch has the favorites...

Yep, making us wait until that final round! This shit is gonna be close and I'm 90% certain I'll have blown it in the final round 

[Revenge319]

tfw no me, no cyril, no luke in the second batch, and the third batch has the favorites...

Yep, making us wait until that final round! This ahit is gonna be close and I'm 90% certain I'll have blown it in the final round 

I'll say this much for now: For the rest of the submissions, I haven't given a total score for them yet (I always make the roulette score after reviewing to ensure my ratings are accurate). As such, even though I have a general idea of how much I like each artist, I don't actually know who will be the winner of this roulette, or even this round. So I'm pretty excited to find out who will be the winner, too!

[Crow]

5. The symphonic elements here are great, and add a lot to the already pretty good music.
6. There's so much energy here that it's crazy... and I like it!
11. This is some of the strangest and most insane music I've ever listened to.
12. Not bad by any means, but it is a bit of a step down from the other artists that I've been sent by the person who sent this.
13. This is only the first time I've listened to this, but this could potentially end up as one of my favorite artists of the whole roulette.
18. Really interesting stuff here! I think this will end up as one of my favorites of this round.

and what's left:
romdrums: Meshuggah
Cyril: Mithras
Lethean: Angra
twosuitsluke: Thank You Scientist
Cardiacs
Metallica

too lazy to figure out who sent cardiacs and metallica by process of elimination but i assume 425 sent the latter based on comments

TYS will be the round winner btw calling it now

#5 is pretty obviously Metallica given that it's the symphony concert
#11 is probably Cardiacs
the other 4 no clue which is which
#12 being an artist that got into the "favorites" implies an "it grew on me" comment incoming also 
since the rest of these are all really positive

[425]

I sent Metallica. Most likely impression for me is obviously #5, although I guess you could argue that Angra has symphonic elements.

[King Postwhore]

Thanks Revenge.   I loved being in your Roulette.

[Revenge319]

Thanks Revenge.   I loved being in your Roulette.

Thank you! Getting to the end (well, I suppose at the moment it'd be more accurate to say "very close to the end") has been a long time coming, but I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it despite all the delays!

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Do yourself a favor and listen to the rest of Ashes Against The Grain. It's so good that Not Unlike The Waves isn't even one of the best songs on it.

This is mostly true, however I still believe that Not Unlike the Waves is a great song to introduce someone to Agalloch. Our Fortress is Burning is one that a lot of people call their favorite. Fire Above, Ice Below has one of the best buildups in all of music. Limbs and Falling Snow is a great 1, 2 punch right out of the gates.

As far as The Birth and Death of the Pillars of Creation goes, I've never heard anyone else say they love that song quite like I do. I can't really describe why I do, other than I just instantly connected with it both musically and lyrically. The music has this almost mournful dirge-like quality to it that fits the lyrics extremely well. I do feel it's an often overlooked gem.

[Elite]

5. The symphonic elements here are great, and add a lot to the already pretty good music.
6. There's so much energy here that it's crazy... and I like it!
11. This is some of the strangest and most insane music I've ever listened to.
12. Not bad by any means, but it is a bit of a step down from the other artists that I've been sent by the person who sent this.
13. This is only the first time I've listened to this, but this could potentially end up as one of my favorite artists of the whole roulette.
18. Really interesting stuff here! I think this will end up as one of my favorites of this round.

and what's left:
romdrums: Meshuggah
Cyril: Mithras
Lethean: Angra
twosuitsluke: Thank You Scientist
Cardiacs
Metallica

too lazy to figure out who sent cardiacs and metallica by process of elimination but i assume 425 sent the latter based on comments

TYS will be the round winner btw calling it now

#5 is pretty obviously Metallica given that it's the symphony concert
#11 is probably Cardiacs
the other 4 no clue which is which
#12 being an artist that got into the "favorites" implies an "it grew on me" comment incoming also 
since the rest of these are all really positive

I already claimed #11 a few weeks ago pages back and I did indeed send Cardiacs.

[jingle.boy]

jingle.boy
Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Final review: It may have been more fitting to have reviewed this back around the time when Round 5 started,

[twosuitsluke]

So when are you planning to put us out of our misery?

[Revenge319]

So when are you planning to put us out of our misery?

The last of the results will be out by March 6th at the latest.

[Revenge319]

Status update: It's more likely that the final results will be out tomorrow, but depending on my efficiency, I could have the results out tonight.

[Elite]

Really looking forward to the results

[425]

Hey, I'm willing to wait my whole lifetime for a 9/10.

[Crow]

 

[Revenge319]

Hey, I'm willing to wait my whole lifetime for a 9/10.

Do you mean for this specific round/artist or just in general? If you mean that generally speaking, you've got at least two of them; I gave The Poet and the Pendulum a 9.5/10 and The Great Escape a 9/10 (the latter giving your Round 3 submission a score of 9.0).

[425]

I was just making a joke on the lyrics of one of my submissions and the idea of being patient.

[twosuitsluke]

Status update: It's more likely that the final results will be out tomorrow, but depending on my efficiency, I could have the results out tonight.

Well I'm hoping on tonight!

[Revenge319]

Here's my plan: I only have two writeups left, and those should be done pretty soon! So, I'm gonna get the final results out tonight, but the post-results stuff that I want to go over will come tomorrow.

[Crow]

 
 
 
 
 

[Revenge319]

The time has finally come. Results 3/3 is now here!

---------------------------

Lethean
Angra

First impression: This is only the first time I've listened to this, but this could potentially end up as one of my favorite artists of the whole roulette.

Final review: Angra is so, so good. I could tell you to just go listen to it right now for proof of that and stop the review right here, but I’ve gotta do it some justice with my words! So, Angra makes progressive rock/metal music, and it has a unique aesthetic that I don’t usually hear in other music. The first time I heard “Carolina IV”, I thought it was great. I think what tipped me off that this band (or at least this song) was something special was that when the song ended (which is over 10 minutes, by the way), I was disappointed that it was over. And upon repeated listens, it just got better and better. I love how progressive this song is, in terms of the various styles and changes it goes through. It starts off pleasant and upbeat, but then it changes to being fast and more guitar-driven. The vocals in this song are amazing, and in general they’re amazing. There’s this absolutely beautiful part, where the vocals and music create this sort of dreamy atmosphere (“I’ve been such a fool, I’ve been so afraid”). The tempo drops as the song enters a great instrumental section, with a pretty good guitar solo. There’s a piano solo to cap it off, and then it slows down and the song stops… but it doesn’t end there! There’s not too much new after another energetic instrumental section (featuring an even better guitar solo than the last one!), but this song is so fantastic, it doesn’t really need any more ideas than what it’s already got. Now, Carolina IV is easily my favorite song out of what I’ve heard, but all four of these other songs are really great, too. “The Shadow Hunter” is another progressive track that’s somewhat lengthy. It’s not as energetic as Carolina IV, but it manages to be great through other means. The vocals on this song are really good as usual; there’s a section where the band quiets down a fair bit, and the following verse (“What does a man gain from his work?”) is just so good, and I wish it was longer. But there’s great instrumental work here, too. The highlights are the instrumental section following that verse I love so much, and there’s this really cool part at the end of the song that I feel could’ve been fleshed out more. They could’ve extended that part by two minutes, and I would’ve loved every second of it. To talk about one more song (because going into detail about every one could take a while), “Upper Levels” is another favorite of mine. It has this really cool bass intro, and it goes through some exciting changes from there, both heavy and melodic. And have I talked about how Angra songs always have good vocals? Because that’s just how it is with Angra songs. I had no specific expectations for Angra going in, but they are easily one of the best bands I’ve been sent in this entire roulette. Fantastic stuff. And because this review will only get longer, I’m just gonna end it here and ask that you please listen to this band now, especially if you never have before.

Carolina IV - 9.5/10
Acid Rain - 8.5/10
The Shadow Hunter - 9/10
Ego Painted Grey - 8.5/10
Upper Levels - 9/10

Roulette score: 8.9

---------------------------

Elite
Cardiacs

First impression: This is some of the strangest and most insane music I've ever listened to.

Final review: Before, I didn’t even know it was possible for a band like this to exist. The music that these people make is so bizarre and insane. This is nothing like anything I’ve ever heard in my life. But you know what? Something like this is perfectly fine by me, because I really like this. I have no idea whether I should be surprised by that, but I’m certainly not complaining. It’s honestly hard to describe what the music actually is, just because of how unique it is. I mean, I guess you could call it some form of rock, but Cardiacs doesn’t feel like any particular genre. Cardiacs is just… Cardiacs. That’s all there is to it. “She is Hiding Behind the Shed” is as good a showcase as any as to what this band does. It starts out normally enough with an energetic keyboard riff, but then the first verse begins and you’re treated to the vocalists singing/yelling. The vocals are strange, but they’re charming and fit in really well with the music. The music is consistently really catchy, and this song in particular is something of an earworm. “Dog-Like Sparky” is very absurdist not just with its music, but also with its lyrics. Not that the other songs have normal lyrics, but this one’s really over-the-top. One thing I really enjoy about this song musically, which I wish I heard in more songs, is a constant change in tempo. It starts out slow in the first verse, then the chorus gradually gets faster, then it gets slow again as it goes to the next verse. There’s some parts with a female singer (at least, it sounds feminine; I can never be too sure with Cardiacs) that really mess with the tempo, and it’s just so good. “Duck and Roger the Horse” is the craziest out of all the songs I’ve heard. It’s just shy of four minutes of erratic, enjoyable madness. This is a song that I can’t really describe at all beyond that; you just have to hear it to figure out what’s going on here. “Dirty Boy” is the most normal song here, but it’s certainly got that eccentric charm that makes Cardiacs so great. The last two minutes or so of this song is really interesting. It sounds like when the singer ends the last verse, he just keeps holding the last note for the rest of the song. And it’s a pretty high and loud note, so if that was actually done in one take for two minutes straight, that is VERY impressive. That’s a word to describe this artist as a whole for me, too. For how bizarre Cardiacs is, I really enjoy this. This is basically the antithesis to my mentality on listening to music before doing this roulette. Before, I thought that I may as well just stick with my favorites, because I’ve pretty much seen all there is in terms of good music. Cardiacs proves that not only is that statement wrong, but also that I don’t think I’ll ever truly see everything there is in music in general, unless I were to literally listen to every song by every artist ever made.

She is Hiding Behind the Shed - 8.5/10
Dog-Like Sparky - 8.75/10
Duck and Roger the Horse - 8.25/10
Dirty Boy - 8.5/10

Roulette score: 8.5

---------------------------

romdrums
Meshuggah

First impression: There's so much energy here that it's crazy... and I like it!

Final review: This band is… intense, to say the least. Meshuggah is all about extreme energy and technicality. The music’s very heavy, the vocals are particularly aggressive, there’s a slower section on occasion, and it’s all written in such a complex way. I don’t understand music theory at all, but from listening to these songs, it’s clear that they’re all pretty complex in composition. Sometimes the music can sound like a disorganized mess, but everything really does come together here. Even if I didn’t like this band, I’d still easily recognize the sheer talent that goes into composing these songs. And yeah, I like this band quite a bit. “Future Breed Machine” is amazing. It is just such a satisfying listen every time I listen to it. The intro with the beeping noise leading into that brutal riff is so, so good. I am disappointed that I lack the writing skills to really convey how awesome the chorus is. There’s even a part where the intensity stops and goes into a more melodic section, and it manages to do so without killing the momentum. The other songs may not reach the heights that Future Breed Machine does, but they’re still really good. “Clockworks” would be my least favorite. There’s not really anything wrong with it; it’s just a good, enjoyable Meshuggah song (much like any Meshuggah song, I’d assume). I just think seven minutes might be a little too long for the song. There’s not really anything I’d want cut out, but I think if they’d made this song and it ended up being one or two minutes shorter, I don’t think anything of value would’ve been lost. “Bleed” is an interesting one. A large part of the guitar’s contribution to the song is a repetitive riff with not much variety in how it sounds most of the time. But the band somehow makes it work quite well! The vocals keep things interesting, there’s a slow soundscape-ish section, and they do give some variety to the guitar to keep it from having just one note being played. But good songwriting is kind of to be expected from Meshuggah. Honestly, the only downside with the band (and this is a very minor one) is that with the style of music they do, and how it’s all composed, the songs do kinda sound the same. But the songs do have their own distinct qualities; it’s not as though I feel like they’re writing the same song over and over again. It doesn’t really bother me, though, since with a band like this, it’d probably be hard to make things really diverse while not straying from your core sound. So, yeah… I like Meshuggah. Very good and impressive band.

Future Breed Machine - 9/10
Clockworks - 7.75/10
Rational Gaze - 8/10
Bleed - 8.25/10

Roulette score: 8.3

---------------------------

425
Metallica (Live with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra)

First impression: The symphonic elements here are great, and add a lot to the already pretty good music.

Final review: A bit of background here, since I am talking about a band as well-known as Metallica: I’ve actually barely ever heard Metallica’s music in my life. I think I listened to the song Master of Puppets once, but since my parents never had any interest in them (I hear them say they think Metallica is a bad band quite a bit), I guess I just never bothered to seek them out for the most part. So I’m basically new to Metallica, and I’ve never heard any of the songs that I was sent before this roulette. So while I can’t judge the original versions of these songs, I can at least say these live symphonic arrangements are pretty enjoyable! “The Call of Ktulu” is a pretty good instrumental. While it’s not something I find particularly memorable, it’s an enjoyable and interesting listen from start to finish, and I never find myself bored despite its 9+ minute runtime. “The Outlaw Torn” is also pretty good. I admit I don’t have much to say besides that I like the chorus and that the guitar riff in the intro is really good, but like The Call of Ktulu it’s consistently interesting and enjoyable to listen to. Oh, and the instrumental section at the end is pretty cool, too. Now, there is one song here that I like more than the others, and that is “One”. Not only is it my favorite of the four Metallica songs I’ve heard, but I think in terms of the symphonic arrangements for each song, they used the symphony to its best potential here. The song is a bit somber for the first half, and the orchestra helps to convey a little extra emotion in this part of the song. Since I haven’t mentioned it yet, I will say that Hetfield’s vocals are good. Nothing special, but they’re definitely good, and he has some great moments during the more aggressive parts. Speaking of that, the second half of this song gets a lot more energetic. There’s a couple verses which are sung quickly, and at the end is a cathartic “NO, NO, NO NO NO!”, and afterwards, the band just goes into overdrive, and it’s amazing. What’s even better, the orchestra is even utilized really well here! They’re playing at just about the same speed as the band is. And it keeps going and going and doesn’t let up until the end of the song. Great stuff right here. Metallica is a band I’ve not been familiar with at all until now, but I think after hearing some of what they’ve got to offer, even in a different fashion from normal, I’d say I’m quite interested in seeing what else they’ve got to offer, both with their original studio releases and these live symphony performances.

The Call of Ktulu - 8.5/10
One - 8.75/10
Hero of the Day - 7.75/10
The Outlaw Torn - 8/10

Roulette score: 8.3

---------------------------

Cyril
Mithras

First impression: Not bad by any means, but it is a bit of a step down from the other artists that I've been sent by the person who sent this.

Final review: I’ll admit, the first time I listened to this, I did almost think that Cyril blew it with sending this one. The music wasn’t as interesting as the other stuff I’d received from him, and I found the vocals really strange. However… This one has grown on me considerably! Mithras is an unusual band, but listening to them again and again, I’ve come to think that this is really good. Musically, it’s pretty diverse. It’s got a death metal style to it, but there are times when it’s more melodic, and at times it’s even quieter and more relaxed. But then there’s also points where the intensity goes so far, it becomes just as brutal as something like Meshuggah. While not every part is consistently enjoyable, there’s so many individual parts of these songs that I really like. The opening riff of “Why Do We Live?”, the verses of WDWL? (in which that very question is asked), the fast-paced intro of “When the Stars Align”, the “Who could know the mysteries of life itself?” verse in WtSA, the almost relentless stretch of music that is “The Outer Dark”, the extreme moments in “Inside the Godmind”, the reprise of WDWL? In “On Strange Loops”... I could probably keep going with examples of good moments from the songs I’ve heard. There are moments I’m not as fond of, though. For instance, while “The Statue on the Island” has some nice melodic moments, as a whole it’s not quite as interesting as the two songs that preceded it. Inside the Godmind is really brutal, which I like, but then towards the end, they take it too far by having these really weird growling vocals, and they just don’t sound that good. Plus, the words just become an intangible mess at that point. The vocals are otherwise pretty good, and it’s easy to tell what’s being sung. But here, I almost can’t make out anything at all in this section. Fortunately, the rest of Inside the Godmind and The Outer Dark is really good, so it doesn’t hurt the enjoyment of these songs too much. Another thing I like, though, is this sort of “outer space” vibe I get from the music, which I’m guessing was intentional based on the album cover of On Strange Loops. Mithras isn’t a favorite of mine, but the positives here definitely outweigh the negatives. All things considered, I think this is some great music.

Why Do We Live?/When the Stars Align/The Statue on the Island - 8.25
Inside the Godmind/The Outer Dark - 8.5
On Strange Loops - 8.25

Roulette score: 8.3

---------------------------

twosuitsluke
Thank You Scientist

First impression: Really interesting stuff here! I think this will end up as one of my favorites of this round.

Final review: I was pretty excited to listen to this band when it got submitted to me, and Thank You Scientist certainly doesn’t disappoint! I do feel like I should enjoy these guys a lot more than I do, but considering that I really like this band already, I’m sure their music will just keep growing on me over time. There’s not really any flaw to be found with this band that I can see. There’s great compositions, a lot of memorable moments, a great singer, a variety of instruments, interesting instrumentals… Yeah, Thank You Scientist has just about everything I love to hear in this type of band. Honestly, it’s hard to pick a favorite song out of three I’ve listened to. They’re all about equally great. “A Salesman’s Guide to Non-Existence” is an accessible song that shows you just what this band’s like. There’s some brass instruments throughout this song (and the others), and they feel like such a natural fit for the songs. The vocals are quite pleasant. They remind me of Claudio Sanchez from Coheed and Cambria, both in general sound, and also how it can sound like both a male and female voice. I can’t really think of any one highlight for this song, but that’s probably because I greatly enjoy every single part of it. It’s just a fun, energetic song. “FXMLDR” kinda feels like a follow-up to A Salesman’s Guide to Non-Existence, though that might just be because they have similar intros. FXMLDR goes in different directions, though. While it keeps the core sound of the band, there’s more atmospheric moments, and the chorus is more anthemic than in ASGtN-E. I really like the burst of energy at around 2:28, especially with the fast guitar playing. “Psychopomp” is quite a bit different from the other two songs. The intro has this slightly ominous feel to it, and it’s pretty cool. The song in general also has a more metal sound to the guitars, in contrast to the rock sound that the other two songs have. The chorus is rather long, but considering it’s one of the most satisfying parts of the song for me, that’s no problem to me. The ending’s kinda weird; it’s this crackly static noise, and a man contemplates the meaning of his existence. It’s odd, but I’m assuming this makes more sense in context of the full album. But it’s not as though I don’t like the ending, because I think it’s a pretty good ending all the same. This might not be the highest-scoring submission of the roulette, but I think by the time I’ve gone through and absorbed their discography, Thank You Scientist will likely be among my favorite artists. Without a doubt, this is a very great band.

A Salesman’s Guide to Non-Existence - 8.75/10
FXMLDR - 8.75/10
Psychopomp - 8.75/10

Roulette score: 8.8

---------------------------



And that is all the results of Round 5. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve finally reached the end! Final standings coming in the next post...

[jingle.boy]

Spoiler .... next post coming in July.

[Revenge319]

Now, for the winner...

It was a bit close between the top three, but one player stands victorious over the rest.












And that winner is...
















(fireworks) twosuitsluke! (fireworks)

Congratulations!


FINAL STANDINGS:

twosuitsluke:      8.6 + 8.6 + 8.9 + 9.3 + 8.8 = 44.2
425:               8.9 + 8.4 + 9.0 + 8.8 + 8.3 = 43.4
Cyril:             8.8 + 9.0 + 8.4 + 8.7 + 8.3 = 43.2
Buddyhunter1:      8.9 + 8.0 + 8.8 + 8.2 + 8.4 = 42.3
Evermind:          8.6 + 8.6 + 8.3 + 8.6 + 7.8 = 41.9
Lethean:           7.7 + 8.2 + 8.7 + 8.2 + 8.9 = 41.7
Elite:             8.1 + 7.7 + 8.3 + 8.4 + 8.5 = 41.0
romdrums:          8.4 + 8.1 + 7.0 + 9.0 + 8.3 = 40.8
kingshmegland:     8.2 + 7.8 + 8.5 + 8.3 + 7.8 = 40.6
jingle.boy:        7.9 + 8.1 + 8.1 + 7.9 + 8.0 = 40.0
Sacul:             8.2 + 8.6 + 8.3 + 8.0 + 6.8 = 39.9
TAC:               7.8 + 8.4 + 8.4 + 7.9 + 7.4 = 39.9
Luoto:             8.3 + 7.6 + 7.8 + 8.1 + 8.1 = 39.9
MoraWintersoul:    8.3 + 8.1 + 7.9 + 7.8 + 7.4 = 39.5
HOF:               7.6 + 7.6 + 8.3 + 7.4 + 8.1 = 39.0
Stadler:           6.4 + 8.6 + 7.8 + 7.9 + 8.1 = 38.8
Puppies_On_Acid:   7.8 + 6.6 + 8.6 + 7.4 + 8.1 = 38.5
Anguyen92:         7.9 + 7.3 + 7.1 + 7.6 + 7.8 = 37.7
Nekov:             8.2 + 7.4 + 8.5 + 7.6 = 31.7