Well, this one was good fun! Well done to everyone for some great picks!
Here we go.
Bitter Sweet - King’s XSent by HOF
This is one that makes me want to get into the band. The vocal layers are all really nice and every guitar part sounds really nice. This song is too short and leaves me wanting way more and I have a sneaky feeling that I’ll be right back to this album as soon as the Roulette is done. The whole thing reminds me a little of the few bits and pieces of Transatlantic I heard and I now know why my guitar tutor rates these guys so highly.
While this is actually my third favourite song of the round, you are the highest ranked song since you can actually earn the bonus point.
5 + 1Quest for Misery - Oceans of TimeSent by TAC
This doesn’t mess around at all. This is just heavy as hell and I’m headbanging the whole way through. I love how the keyboard lead turns into a lead guitar pattern later and the little stop/start motif reminds me of Dance of Eternity. The soloing in the second half of the song is absolutely awesome and that chugging pattern must have inspired Sons of Apollo. I do have to ask if this goes into another song based on the way it ends though, which is the only thing holding it back from a perfect 6 score. Damn, these guys are talented!
4.75 + 1Frankly, Mr Shankly - The SmithsSent by senecadawg2
This one is shaping up to be one of my favourites, not going to lie. The vocal pattern is just so catchy and then there’s a really cool instrumental too. This is just such a cool little song that makes me want to check out a lot more from the band in hopes of getting more just like this.
4.5 + 1Rollin - Tomorrows Bad SeedsSent by Puppies_On_Acid
This is upbeat enough that I want to dance, just I don’t know how to dance. The lyrics are super upbeat and that reggae rock marriage is handled super nicely here. I really like that lead guitar phrase too. This is probably enough of these guys for me, but I’m really glad this came up.
4.5 + 1Dope Nose - WeezerSent by kingshmegland
I know Weezer more for their covers than their own songs. This makes me want to rectify that. The riff really isn’t all that much to write home about, but it’s blunt power really works for the song. The vocals aren’t his best, but they suit the song. The solo is cool. The whole song reminds me of the 2000s sound that I grew up with so this just leaves me smiling.
4.5 + 1Concerning the UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois - Sufjan StevensSent by Sacul
There’s a somber beauty to the sound of this that sucks me right in. I love the story this song tells and it all just really hits me in the right way, which is cool because I didn’t think this is something I’d listen to outside of the context of this roulette. This is a really different sound that I didn’t hear a lot of and I’m intrigued to hear more. Nice pick, Sacul.
4.5 + 1A Night on the Town - The Dear HunterSent by Revenge319
So it’s a second short of counting for the long songs round and perhaps a little shy of being “a song with a story”, so Revenge, I’m sorry that I failed you for not leaving a round for this to be awarded the bonus point it so truly deserves. This song is all sorts of awesome in a neat little 8:59 package. The longer instrumental section towards the end made me lose my inhibition to not make an ass of myself and absolutely start dancing. This song is just every shade of absolutely awesome, by far my favourite of the batch, but it sits kinda mid tier here because it can’t earn the bonus points. So once again, I’m sorry that I’ve failed you. I can’t wait to hear the rest of this album, since that weird ending is clearly setting up a continuance to the story.
5 Sugar Mice - MarillionSent by lonestar
This song is amazing and I’m sorry I didn’t really give you a round where this could be given a bonus point that it sorely deserves. The vocals are perfectly tender against a beautiful backing track with the bass giving some nice flavour. And then you get that solo and my heart just soars! Being this is the Dream Theater Forums, I did know the lyrics about “Daddy took a rain check” from the Chaos in Motion version of Surrounded, but the rest of the song builds to it so well. This is brilliant!
5Firewater - Dan and Leland Sent by ReaperKK
I kinda wish this had vocals, but I think it could have ruined it too. This is a really interesting little instrumental that I thoroughly enjoyed. Favourite riff is the last one that turns into the stop/start fake ending. I really don’t know how to rank this one, Reaper, so thanks for giving me the hard job!
4 + 1Midsummer’s Daydream - TriumphSent by jingle.boy
This is a really beautiful guitar solo that reminds me a lot of the time from 316 by Van Halen. There’s not a lot to say other than masterfully played and a great addition to the shorties round.
4 + 1Maxwell Murder - RancidSent by twosuitsluke
This is cool. Nice and fast and trashy. Pretty much exactly what I think of for it’s genre. But that bass solo is the definite highlight of the song, it came as a surprise the first time and in re-listening for the writeups, it remained a mega highlight.
4 + 1 Blind Eye Halo - SoilworkSent by wolfking
I do love a good snare roll intro into a nice heavy riff. This is a pretty good track, even if I’m not really into this type of vocal. What I do really like though is the kinda call and response type of effect in what I guess is the chorus. The solo is really good and I kinda love that effect of using the higher register of the riff to come back in after that solo. I think this was exactly long enough as a song too. I got the idea they were putting across, got some cool instrumental moments and then left out feeling fulfilled.
3.75 + 1The Flame - McStine and MinnemannSent by romdrums
Everything about this is pretty cool, at least instrumentally. But the vocals drowned in the effect are something I don’t really get into, and the start of the main instrumental section doesn’t quite sit well for me either. However, all up, there’s a lot here that I can really sink my teeth into and have a decent time with.
3.75 + 1Bubbles - System of a DownSent by Buddyhunter1
While there are definitely songs from System of a Down that I really enjoy and not just the hits, this one didn’t quite hit the same mark for me. However, the “May I remind you?” section is really out there and is my definite highlight of the song. Thing is, the song isn’t held back by anything either, it just isn’t a super strong one from a band that has a lot of cool stuff.
3.5 + 1Spirit of the Water - CamelSent by Tomislav95
This actually really reminds me of Forever Autumn from War of the Worlds. Nothing wrong with that either, coz I love that song. I love that flute sound. Don’t really care for the effect in the vocals though. This feels really lost and sad, but also a bit like an interlude track. Intriguing. Might be worth investigating further.
3.5 + 1See You Tonite - Gene SimmonsSent by Stadler
Why does the Gene Simmons give me more of a Beatles vibe than the actual Beatles song in this round? This is a pretty good song all up, even if the lyrics are a bit beginner level. It just moves at a good pace and has a cool vibe. Love that little instrumental with the distorted guitars and string section coming together.
3 + 1Chainsaw Slide - BucketheadSent by Vmadera00
This one is a mixed bag. I don’t feel that it lives up to the hype of the player nor the title of the song. What we have here is something that feels like it was produced for a magazine like Guitar World for the readers to learn a brand new song from Buckethead. The main riff reminds me a little of the vocal to Shout by Tears For Fears and the higher melodic section is pretty good, but the whole time I’m left waiting for a kickoff that doesn’t come. The drums sound like a pretty basic backing track too, which could’ve helped to improve the song if there was a great bit of percussion behind it.
3 + 1Drive My Car - The BeatlesSent by Elite
You have to respect the musical legacy of The Beatles for all it was, but this song is just one I don’t overly care for. It’s well structured, the solo is cool, but it kinda passes by without leaving any real impact on me apart from thinking “wtf was that ‘beep beep mm beep beep yeah’ thing about?” Far from the strongest effort from a band with such a great catalogue.
3 + 1The score so far:
HOF - 11
Revenge319 - 10
Sacul - 10
TAC - 9.75
kingshmegland - 9.5
senecadawg2 - 9.25
Tomislav95 - 9.25
Puppies_On_Acid - 9
lonestar - 9
ReaperKK - 9
twosuitsluke - 8.75
wolfking - 8.75
romdrums - 8.75
Vmadera00 - 8.75
jingle.boy - 8.5
Elite - 8.5
Buddyhunter1- 8
Stadler - 7.5