VERY IMPORTANT: You all start on the giant S panel in the map. The first blank space after counts as your first step, so the first fork in the road is after 5 steps. Make sure to let me know which direction you want to travel either in a post here or in a PM with your next round's submission. And if you're lucky enough to be able to choose multiple directions, you know the drill, just tell me where you're going.
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Magic trails burst in the air over the fire, and from flames of a thousand colors the image of a hooded figure formed, longing for the sounds of music.
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#11. TACTAC from TACsylvania picked up his lute, and, after a few jaunty chords, launched into a trilogy of metal songs, magic distortion thundering from his wooden lute.Hangar: The Reason of Your Conviction 8.0You know, I'm pretty jaded on metal in general, but this grew on me after initially leaving me feeling indifferent. Super fast guitars and drums, nothing too complicated structurally, but what sells it for me is the powerful singer and strong hook. It's a good song, yet it still can't avoid sounding like something that's already been written a thousand times before.
Dead Lord - The Bold Move 6.8I try to get some kind of feeling from whatever song I listen to, but this one confuses me. Is it a ballad, even though it picks up quite a bit? The solo gives me Free Bird vibes, and the main guitar melody for some reason conjures thoughts of Cheap Trick with extra melancholy. I dig the groove when it picks up, but the sad vocal melody sounds out of place with the extra speed. Not quite clicking with this tune.
Chaos Frame - The World Had Two Faces 7.6Prog-power metal, eh? At times it reminds me of Anthriel, especially in the vocals. Epic stuff. Dig what the instruments are doing at almost all times. I wish there was more activity during the 'whoa oh' part, but this is still a really cool and fun song. Perhaps a bit too long, though. The synth lead sound is great and the solos kick ass, but at almost 8 minutes I wish it was a few minutes shorter.
Overall: 22.4
Average: 7.46~
Movement: 7 spaces
TOTAL SCORE: 7.46From the flamed figure came a ragged whisper. "I can't tell if the second song is underwhelming or if the first song was just that good, but I still enjoyed all three to some degree. You may journey 7 spaces."
You travel 5 spaces to a fork in the road, and may travel 2 spaces north or south. Which do you choose?* * *
#10. Sacul The Hanged Man, fortunately not a literal description, sang so softly the flames themselves seemed to roar above his gentle melodies.Ulver - Eos 9.2This was hugely unexpected, because for some reason I had always pegged Ulver as black metal. Okay then. This song is more like a real piece of art - there's not a whole lot to say about it on a surface level, but listening to it, there's a deep power to it that I'm in awe of. A melancholic atmosphere driven by somber vocals and a haunting chord progression conjures images of rain in the early evening with a golden sun peeking out in the distance. What a trip. It's so light, yet it's so heavy. Really surprised at how much I enjoy this, but I love music like this so I guess I shouldn't be surprised at all.
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Mysteries 6.8It's a delicate little song, this one. Beth Gibbons has a lovely voice, but I'm not captivated by this. There's a haunting vibe to those backing vocals that I really enjoy, but overall it's not a song I'm eager to play a lot. It's great at setting a mood and I do dig the sound of those guitars being played in such a restrained manner but I'm not sure this is clicking with me unfortunately.
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Tom the Model 6.4This one takes away the pretty soundscape from Mysteries and replaces it with something else... Something I can't quite describe. The hook makes me think this is the kind of music Lana Del Rey took inspiration from. I do like the horns and strings and what they add to the song, but the verses make me feel weird - her delivery doesn't agree with me.
Overall: 22.4
Average: 7.46~
Movement: 7 spaces
TOTAL SCORE: 7.46From the flamed figure came a ragged whisper. "You whisper incantations that cloud your future. You may travel 7 spaces."
You travel 5 spaces to a fork in the road, and may travel 2 spaces north or south. Which do you choose?* * *
#9. Evermind Evrys the Talespinner commanded the attention of his fellow bards as well as the flame, introducing the songs with a thirty minute introduction on the importance of their existence, as well as how he used one of the songs to escape a barfight with six brigands in the ports of Lagavulin.Airbag - Broken 7.0Not a bad tune at all, and I am certainly not one to turn away to a slower piece, but I like to feel some emotional response to those songs, and I'm not getting it here. I think it's a little long for its tempo, too. That said, I love the guitar tone and how it (slowly) builds into a groove by the end, with a lovely guitar solo to bring it all home. The vibe is all there, I'm just missing the lyrics to connect with to make all the pieces fit, you know?
Headspace - Soldier 7.4This is a very nice ballad with a focus on vocals and piano and that's exactly how I like it. The singer has a gorgeous voice and I quite like the lyrics, particularly because I come from a town built upon an air force base, so I found something to connect with here. There's not a whole lot of meat on the bones, but it is a tasty musical treat.
Lee Abraham - Harbour Lights 8.5I want to score this one higher, but it takes a bit long to get to the real meat of the song. But once it does, boy, does that guitar SING! "To see the harbour lights" - the ending swells on the guitar give me huge John Petrucci vibes. Not sure if this guy is influenced by him or not, but I hear it. What a perfect ending with those bright piano notes. I'm still a bit nervous about giving this song this score because I feel like over time I'm going to enjoy it and appreciate the build up even more, but this is where I'm at.
Overall: 22.9
Average: 7.63~
Movement: 8 spaces
TOTAL SCORE: 7.63From the flamed figure came a ragged whisper. "One song is so utterly compelling to me that I can forgive the other two not living up to it. You may travel 8 spaces."
You travel 5 spaces to a fork in the road, and may travel 3 spaces north or south. Which do you choose?* * *
#8. IndisciplineScipline the Indy of Lagavulin began to sing, and all fell silent as his voice filled the clearing.John Denver & Placido Domingo - Perhaps Love 8.8I feel like I should've expected such a soft first submission, yet I'm still surprised after several listens to this song. It's so authentic in its serenity. I don't care about anything except how this song makes me feel, and boy does it make me feel ways. John Denver is an artist I know for a fact I have to explore because I've loved everything I've ever heard, and this is no exception. I don't know anything about Mr. Placido Domingo, but he takes this to another level with that amazing voice. Love when they double up. This is the kind of music I like to listen to when I want to get all up in my feels, which is pretty often.
Manowar - Master of the Wind 6.2This should be something I love, but I'm not feeling it. I've found it difficult to explain what it is about this I don't like, but it sounds like it's content to stay at a level of cheese that doesn't agree with me - go big or go home, you know? Those synths sound like they came out of a Super Nintendo game's cave level, and while I don't think that's a bad thing, this song lacks the pomp and grandiosity I expect out of a super corny metal ballad. But perhaps that's on me, and I've been spoiled by decades of power metal ballads built upon the backs of artists like Manowar. I've waffled on whether I think this score is too harsh or not, but I don't enjoy much here other than the chorus - and two out of three winners ain't bad at all anyway.
Tommy Korberg - Anthem 9.2Oh, dude. Bro. I close my eyes when I listen to this song and I feel like I'm in my cozy home in the Shire waiting for my cantankerous uncle to finish writing his dumb adventure story. Seriously, though - throw some huge power chords on an electric guitar under this and you've got literally everything I love about a good power metal ballad. All the instruments here are beautiful, but the singer takes it to new heights, and god damn it are those some wonderful lyrics: "Let Man's petty nations tell themselves apart / my land's only borders lying around my heart" Those are my favorite lines in this round without a doubt. I have no idea who Tommy Korberg is - this almost sounds like it's out of a musical - but this is outstanding.
Overall: 24.2
Average: 8.06~
Movement: 8 spaces
TOTAL SCORE: 8.06From the flamed figure came a ragged whisper. "Unfortunately pure cheese dip doesn't pair well with two grand slams... but you may travel 8 spaces."
You travel 5 spaces to a fork in the road, and may travel 3 spaces north or south. Which do you choose?* * *
#7. Elite The flame grinned at Rich, the poor Elite, Whore of Roulettes. Apparently, even mystical conjurations know of his reputation...Spock's Beard - The Doorway 7.0Contrary to my rule about not allowing in Neal Morse projects, I allowed this one because I've been told for so very long about Spock's Beard... This is a bit of a doozy. There's so much obviously gifted musicianship at work here, but like a few other songs this round it leaves me wanting something more. I don't feel any emotional response to the music here, which is a shame given the beautiful piano work and vocals. I love the keyboards and the patches used, and the band sounds great, but as many times as I've played this 11 minute monster, when it ends, I don't feel any different. I wonder what this would sound like with a more theatrical singer? I can't say this blows me away, but I'm still interested in Spock's Beard. This was an enjoyable song, I just wish I felt an emotional connection with it and that it was several minutes shorter as a result.
Agent Fresco - See Hell 8.4I finally get to sample Agent Fresco... twice! What an interesting sound these guys have. It grooves, and it's on the heavier side, but it never leans too heavily into any one aspect of their sound. I like that there's a great balance of that. The singer is very good and I love listening to him sing. There's nothing terribly deep to dig into here, it's just a good song that I like a lot.
Agent Fresco - A Long Time Listening 9.1Now we're talking. This is awesome. Driving drums from the get go and an infectious vocal hook... Sounds like The Joy Formidable's more fun cousin! A nice gradual build to the verses - I LOVE the fun guitar parts in the verse with that gorgeous vocal rise and fall. Then back to the infectious vocal hook and the driving drums. The middle section unfortunately takes out the groove for a little bit yet I don't mind it shaking things up in this song. I just love that this song goes all in on the fast kick drum and the vocal melodies, it's perfect. I saw See Hell recommended around these parts before but now I'm wondering why this isn't the go-to, because this fucking rules.
Overall: 24.5
Average: 8.17~
Movement: 8 spaces
TOTAL SCORE: 8.17From the flamed figure came a ragged whisper. "Morse is an anagram of Smore. Did you know that? You may travel 8 spaces."
You travel 5 spaces to a fork in the road, and may travel 3 spaces north or south. Which do you choose?* * *
#6. kingshmegland The King of the Smeglands, a level 20 Throne Potato, laughed at a demand from an illusory flame, but humored it all the same with a campfire suite.Enchant - Under Fire 8.0While the verses don't pull me into the song, I find myself having fun during the solos halfway through the song. The lyrics leave me a little cold, waiting for something I can sink my teeth into (I like the chorus, musically), and the singer, while not at all bad, isn't selling me on what he's brought. This is a groovy tune with some standout moments that make me want to dig into the band, but with some hesitation, hoping there's a little more there to speak to my tastes.
Mile Marker Zero - Victory 8.6Getting started with a cool synth solo - that synth lead patch is 150% my cup of tea, so that's a great way to start. Vocals remind me of something I can't put my finger on... Catchy vocal part, but what's this? The part at 1:17 has this awesome rhythm and vibe that puts the first part to shame. 1:32 brings the drums in to make this part even better. The transition after that is a little jarring, yet I love the vocals here... What a weird song. Silky smooth guitar tone destroys my concerns, and then we get into some instrumental goodness - I love the airy synths over the guitars, complete with prog metal-style riffing and soloing I think is done very tastefully. The more I play this, the more I like it, even if I find some transitions and the vocals a bit odd.
Southern Empire - Goliath's Moon 8.5This reminds me of Haken for some reason, but I don't know a whole lot about Haken, so I could be completely off here, but I think the singer is much more tolerable, and there's a funkiness here that I can't help but bob my head to. I have no idea what this song actually is about, and I feel silly singing along to the chorus, but it's catchy and fun, so who cares? There's a lot going on in this song but to be honest I could do without 3-4 minutes of it in the middle, because I think it takes away from what the rest of the song sets up and returns to. I'd be lying if I said this really stand out to me, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think this was cool and enjoyable, too.
Overall: 25.1
Average: 8.37
Movement: 8 spaces
TOTAL SCORE: 8.37From the flamed figure came a ragged whisper. "Gets better in some ways with each song, but the second has a strange quality to it that I really dig - why have I never heard of Mile Marker Zero before? You may travel 8 spaces."
You travel 5 spaces to a fork in the road, and may travel 3 spaces north or south. Which do you choose?* * *