Round 8 results10 points: Cyril
Wilderun – Ash Memory (And So Opens the Earth/Hope and Sorrow/Bite the Wound/The Faintest Echo)While I’m not usually too keen on this genre, this is pretty good.This is a four song-suite, but it feels like one consistent song. I don’t like folk metal that much, but the balance between folk music and extreme metal is pretty much perfect here. I’m not big fan of fantasy genre, but even I feel like grapping a sword and going to slay some dragons during And So Opens the Earth (even though the song has nothing to do with that). Hope and Sorrow is a beautiful acoustic piece, followed by melodic death metal of Bite the Wound. There are some repeated melodies throughout the suite, but they’re so good they bear repeating. The Faintest Echo has the climax worth this epic song, sadly it happens after the first minute and everything happening after that feels a little pointless. However, this is an engaging, badass song.
9-1 points: Stadler
The Who – Love Reign O’er Me
That’s some great piano right there. Great chorus!That chorus is f’n awesome, I love the lead guitar that descends like a pleasant summer rain. It’s so good it almost overshadows rest of the song. Roger’s performance is pretty much phenomenal and Keith lives up to his wild reputation on the drum throne.
8 points: Puppies_On_Acid
Moonsorrow – JotunheimThe production kinda sucks. Otherwise I pretty much like it. I’ll be probably skipping the last few minutes tbh.The first three minutes are pure beauty. Then there’s a horrifying scream.
Anyway, there’s plenty of amazing melodies. The screamed vocals are mostly good, although the clash with how beautiful this song really is. The lyrics are very beautiful and poetic (well I’m one of the few people on the forums who actually can understand them
). It would be awesome to climb on a fell and blast this over the cliffs and pine trees. And yeah, since the last three minutes is mostly silence, bird song or sounds of fire, I’ve skipped them after the first listen.
7 points: senecadawg2
Agalloch – In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion
I like the atmosphere they’re going for, but I’m not fan of this style of growls.Great guitar playing, I especially love the acoustic lead in the intro. The growls are passable, pretty basic black metal shrieking, but I’m not too keen on the clean vocals either. Thankfully they pretty much nail the melancholic vibe and run with it for the whole song.
6 points: Sacul
Refused – Tannhäuser/Derivè
Man, this is intense but what’s up with that outro?The intro is really promising, with a cool violin solo. I really like the verses with screamed vocals, but the quiet choruses don’t really work. At least they make the verses even punchier. Actually, the changes in dynamics are quite fun. And the outro… it’s something different. Nice contrabass.
5 points: Lethean
Vanden Plas – Beyond Daylight
Not really my thing, sorry. Don’t like the vocals.I have no idea why I disliked this song so much at first. Maybe because it’s not as energetic as the others? Still not loving the vocalist, but this is some quality prog metal. I love the chorus on each listen. Sadly, while the keyboard-driven bridge starts out well enough, it drags on for too long and kills some of the song’s momentum. Thankfully it gains it back during the instrumental section. The guitar solo is blazing!
4 points: TAC
Michael Kiske – Do I Remember a Life?
I know the vocalist and I’d forgotten how good he really is. Sadly, the song doesn’t feel that special.OK, there was a poor choice of words in the first impression. I don’t want to downplay the song itself, the problem is just that… I don’t exactly love power ballads. As a power ballad, it’s good albeit a little formulaic and Kiske’s performance is great, no doubt. With such big choruses I’d wish there was a better climax, now it comes a little bit suddenly. I see Adrian Smith plays on this record, but sadly not on this track. I feel like this song would’ve benefited from an epic guitar solo.
3 points: Train of Naught
Her Name Is Calla – SwanBit too monotonous for my liking.Well… most of the song is Bm chord and steady thumping percussion. I don’t mind the gloominess and the rambling vocal style is kinda cool, but still… it’s a little dull. Maybe I just should be in a certain state of mind to enjoy it. The last minute is very good though and makes me think this band might have something to offer to me after all.
2 points: Kattelox
Blind Guardian – And Then There Was Silence
Cheese, cheese everywhere. Also the mix is kinda LOUD (I haven’t been commenting on production before, but since some of these songs are so long, it does matter).Aww man… This is a good song and I’d probably want to place it higher. But it’s so bombastic with the orchestrations and layered vocals and the claustrophobic production on top… It’s just unpleasant and overbearing. I feel like lying down in a quiet dark room after this song. Well, the chorus is great and I also like the “party theme” at ten minutes.
1-1 points: MoraWintersoul
The Gathering – Paper WavesIt improves towards the end, but I’m not really impressed.I just wish Anneke was singing this. And even then, this wouldn’t be all that memorable. I’ve thought that Anneke was too good for this band anyway. It’s an upbeat pop rock song and it’s… decent, but not something I’d be interested in hearing more.
STANDINGS
TAC 53 pts
Stadler 51 pts
Cyril 50 pts
Sacul 45 pts
Kattelox 45 pts
Lethean 43 pts
Puppies_On_Acid 42 pts
senecadawg2 35 pts
MoraWintersoul 34 pts
Train of Naught 33 pts
Congrats TAC!!! And thanks for everyone who played, it was my pleasure!