Ok... once again, I'm going to post rankings later this afternoon as the middle bunch is really stacked together. Here's the lay of the land - this time REALLY in alphabetical order.
Bolsters -
Killswitch Engage / My Curse (Rank = 3)
First thought was … hhmmm never expected someone to send this, and I've always written these guys off given the company they're often lumped in with (Lamb of God, Slipknot, 5 Finger Death Punch and the like). The opening pleasantly surprised me (reminded me a lot of a song YBS gave me in my first roulette - Live in Love by Times of Grace), and had me optimistic for what this might be like… then came the Howard Jones' vocals. The initial scream was decent, but much of what followed was too much like shouting - didn't really sound like singing to me. His clean vocals were decent, but nothing overly impressive. Great guitar riffage and tone (again, very similar to that Times of Grace song) kept me listening. The music was pretty good, but couldn't compensate for most of the vocal delivery. I didn't mind the outro, which was like a dual of of clean-vs-scream. I appreciate the risk taking - and it almost paid off. It's possible you will get lucky with the ranking due to the relative performance of this round.
Big Hath -
Alter Bridge / Blackbird (Rank = 7)
God, I hope this isn’t one of the universally cherished Alter Bridge tunes. For the first three times that I spun my Roulette playlist, this never left any kind of impression - good or bad. I spin the songs during work, so it's not always a dedicated listen. But I couldn’t remember a damned thing about this. Not sure whether that’s good or bad for your ranking. Upon dedicated listens, it was a very enjoyable track. The main guitar riff makes it feel a little too heavy to really be a ballad, but I hear where you’re coming from. Pace, volume and feel flows up and down to work that ballad-y feel - and of course, a very well crafted solo completes the power ballad recipe.
bl5150 -
Robby Valentine / Overture (Rank = 1.5)
This starts with a slow piano entry that builds the mood. Vocally, there seemed to be a struggle in the high range, and he lost all of his power, sounding like a pre-pubescent teenage boy. The guitar solo was the only redeeming quality in the first 4 1/2 minutes. Part two at the 4 1/2 minute mark transitions to provide some very good vocal melodies and harmonies, but it feels like I've heard this before - oh yes, I have… Expedition Delta/Asunder Hearts - the pace, vocal melodies, structure, keyboard lead-in with some guitar arpeggio’s, and rhythm section all mimic each other… the similarities were uncanny - with the difference being that I enjoy the vocal harmonies in Asunder Hearts a little more. Now, don’t call me out on the technicality that this song was released 20 years before Asunder Hearts… I heard Asunder Hearts first, so this sounds like the clone
. Part 2 of the song was much more appealing, but alas, it ended, and the final 3 minutes brought back all the elements that I didn’t like - despite the obvious Queen nod and influence.
So it was probably a good call to submit your tag-team song this round ….
bl5150 -
Millienium / Hourglass (Rank = 10)
Well shit… it's Jorn, so immediately it's at least in the 'very good’ ballpark. The chorus absolutely rocked it, but I would expect nothing less. Jorn was my first introduction to the modern 'raspy' vocal style that I love - Kelly Carpenter, Rick Altzi, many others scratch me right where I itch a lot of the time when I reach for some solid melodic metal. The vocals in the outro were kinda bland though - Jorn was a little... I dunno ... depressing? Didn't seem to fit with the overall feel of the song first 5 minutes of the song. Still, better than the Valentine track.
Evermind -
Mark Knopfler / Dream of the Drowned Submariner (Rank = 4)
Folk huh? Ok, I can dig some folk every now an then - Spirit of the West made my Top 50. This has a nice acoustic start, though I wasn't too keen of Knopfler's voice, but regardless, he gives a really nice delivery. The tune didn't overstay its welcome, as I was afraid it would. I like some folksy tunes, but the hit and miss ratio is largely skewed to the 'miss'. I sense this is the kind of song that will improve with age, and every listen. Sadly, not built for a roulette. I'll keep it, and come back to it surely.
jjrock88 -
M.A.R.S. / Nostradamus (Rank = 5)
Really enjoyed the almost 2 minute keyboard setup… delivering a rich full, almost church-like organ sound. The rest of the song was, for the most part, really good. Yet again though, the very aged production makes me have to put a bit of unwanted effort just to listen past the production to try and appreciate the music. The song itself brought great metal riffs, and an excellent guitar solo - though what else would you expect with MacAlpine on the axe? With the lineup here (MacAlpine/Aldridge/Rock/Sarzo), I think I may have been expecting a little more. Rock’s voice didn’t do much for me. The ARP albums he fronted are my least favorite from ARP, though I did like the latest Impelliteri album, so I dunno what gives.
Lowdz -
Serpentine / Season of the Witch (Rank = 9)
More melodic metal… seems to be the theme of the round. The song leads with an excellent starting staccato from all band-mates, and a decent little scream… and I do mean little - he could’ve put a bit more effort into that I’m sure
. Vocally, it was not very dynamic… very little range - sounds very Gary Hughes-ish, but what range he did have was pretty good. It seems that Tony Mills used to be the lead singer of Serpentine, but not on this track/album - you may have fared even better with something he contributed on, as I loved the stuff I've heard of him (thanks to Brent). I think this song benefitted most from the relative weakness of this round. This was a good track, that might’ve ranked in the middle or bottom tier last round, but was one of the better tracks this round.
Mystery Machine -
Hibria / Tiger Punch (Rank = 11)
Excellent melodic/power metal, utilizing a double bass kick just the way I like it. This Brazilian act has six albums out!? WTH? Never heard of them, and this vocalist was right in that Jorn/Altzi style of the clean yet aggressive vocals that I love. What a frantic intro, and it never lets up. The chorus turned into quite the ear worm this week - and in a good way. Man those Brazillians know how to rock it. So, Mystery is following the Star Trek movie approach where the odd rounds suck; the even rounds kill it. So here, let me give you your “boohah” back.
senecadawg2 -
Ascendia / Remember Me (Rank = 6)
Leading with a band that I’m gonna see at PPUSA next year, I was really optimistic - Canadian too. What this was turned out to be some great music, but vocally was kinda uneventful. It was the sonic equivalent of a soda cracker, and kinda pissed me off because the music was so good. Would his range be described as bing a tenor? Man he was low in the register. I can hear the talent in his voice, but it just didn’t click with me. Reminded me of Eric Clayton (Reason in The Human Equation). I loved him in moderation, but when I checked out his main band, Saviour Machine, I couldn’t take him as the full-time vocalist. I think this song suffers from that same fate… if there was something else in there (female perhaps) to mix it up, I’d find more appeal in it.
TAC -
The Sacrificed / 24 (Rank = 2)
Nice headbanging riff with some little wanky licks and fills for variation. Vocally, the range was pretty narrow, which hindered my overall appreciation. Now, I’m not going to drop as huge of a turd all over this like Brent did, as it gave me all the same sensations the first time I heard early Metallica - you can clearly hear the influences there. I will agree with Brent on one thing though, the chorus sucked, and the musical wankfest left little to be desired. The guitar solo itself was good, but at that point, the rest of the band was just a wall of noise, and not in the good Devin Townsend kinda way. And the guitar unisons on the outro were like nails on a chalkboard. Ok, I guess I am dropping as big a turd on this. The more I listened to it, the more I disliked it.
wolfking -
Almah / Trace of Trait (Rank = 8)
Well, of course the vocals have a familiar feel (Edu from Angra for those that don’t bother to check). Good melodic metal, great drum work. The screams and growls here are used appropriately, and in tasteful moderation, but I still would’ve been fine without them. Nice melodic solo with a little taste of shred as it wraps up. Good diversity in the guitar tone as well - from heavy/crunchy, to the softer feel you'd expect in a traditional melodic style. Unlike Brent, I also loved the first 30 seconds.
Zook -
A Perfect Circle / The Noose (Rank = 1)
Well, you called it. Given the list of artists that Spotify calls “related” (Deftones, Godsmack, Disturbed, Tool), I don’t have a single one of them in my library, or any desire to change that. This one had a moody grunge feel that isn't totally unappealing, but I wasn't much of a fan of that style 20 years ago when it was in vogue, and only a select few songs from that era appeal to me.
Rankings later this afternoon.
Topic: The jingle Roulette Trilogy - Final Results - no more mind games (Read 82066 times)