Here are the results.
1 point
Artist: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
Song: 1997 (Tonight We're Gonna Party Like It's...)
Sent by: Ultimetalhead
Well, this had to come someday, the first time that you really fail to send me something that I like. I'm sorry, but for a large part of the song, I was simply scratching my head. There was just so much going on! Even after repeated listens and after slowly getting a grip on this, it feels like too much and too random. Many parts were cool individually, but they didn't really fit together. To add to that, I didn't like the vocals on this one, though I couldn't really say why if I were asked for a reason. Sorry, but this wasn't my cup of tea.
2 points
Artist: Eluveitie
Song: Grey Sublime Archon
Sent by: WindMaster
Just like Ensiferum, this is folkish black metal, but they don't do that style nearly as well as those aforementioned. Maybe being disappointed is kinda my fault, because I had pretty high expectation, but nonetheless I was left a little disappointed by this one. It's not really a flaw of the song - the vocals, the riffing, the key layering and that folky interlude were all awesome, but as a whole, it was a nice listen, but not really anything more. The chorus probably contributed to that, it felt pretty underwhelming after the intense verses.
Artist: Apocalypse
Song: Last Paradise
Sent by: lonestar
Where to begin here? Well, it contained a violin, which is pretty cool in its own right, because I most definitely didn't expect any of the songs that I got to feature that particular instrument, and the violin does some pretty cool stuff throughout the piece (though the violinist does look pretty awkward during the moments where he isn't playing), as do the other instruments. However, I'm not really that big a fan of this type of music and the vocals weren't really my cup of tea, even though the vocal melodies were pretty good. By no means a bad song, but considering how good the rest of the submissions were, this is what this song has to contend with.
3 points
Artist: Christian Älvestam
Song: Once Adreamed
Sent by: wolfking
If you had asked me what kind of music the singer of Scar Symmetry makes during his solo career, electronically-laced sax-driven pop would most definitely not have been the answer, but it works surprisingly well. His clean vocals are just as good as his harsh ones (though I do miss the contrast, but growls would have obviously been out of place here) and the vocal melodies fit his voice perfectly. Songwise, this is pretty much straightforward pop with a saxophone included, but it was a very enjoyable listens. The way that electronic effects are used throughout was pretty nifty.
Artist: The New Caledonia
Song: Zoot Suit Pseudo
Sent by: Sigz
The award for the song title that's the hardest to pronounce goes to Sigz for this one. On the musical side, this was a pretty diverse song that had a lot going on, but never to the song's detriment. On the first few listens, I felt that this was too whacky, but I warmed up to it quite a bit and ended up enjoying it a fair bit. The guitar work especially is top-notch throughout, laying down some fresh and funky riffs that really keep the song going. Very good submission!
Artist: Korpiklaani
Song: Väkirauta
Sent by: Nekov
Wow, this was really something else! Some awesome folk metal with an accordion to boot! The whole song was very frantic and aggressive, but it worked very well, especially in combination with the vocals. Especially the chorus stood out a fair bit. The best part of the song was probably the accordion solo in the middle of the song, it retained the frantic pace without wandering off into wankery territory at any moment. The last repetition of the chorus was a little unnecessary, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. Great submission!
4 points
Artist: Mr. Bungle
Song: Pink Cigarette
Sent by: Elite
I had always thought Mr. Bungle were a experimental metal group, so imagine my surprise upon hearing this! The whole piece is very laid back with not a whole lot going on, but rather focusing on the atmosphere, but I enjoyed it all the same. Especially the vocals are awesome - even though I don't really like his work on Faith No More, I can't deny that Mike Patton has some serious talent. The ending threw me off a little on my first listen, but it does fit the song somewhat.
Artist: Nightwish
Song: Creek Mary's Blood
Sent by: jingle.boy
Finally! I knew you had it in you, so I'm glad you delivered this round. I have heard a few songs by Nightwish, but never anything off of Once, so I let it slide, and I'm happy I did, because this song blew every other Nightwish song I know out of the water. The whole song has a very tribal feel to it, courtesy of the drums, and it features some great vocals by Tarja. The flute is a nice addition to the song and the guitar solo around the middle of the track is particularly great. The spoken word part at the end was a little "wtf?" at first, but I grew to like it as well. Great submission, I'll definitely check out the rest of Once soon!
5 points
Artist: Dog Fashion Disco
Song: 100 Suicides
Sent by: ariich
Wow. This song literally made my jaw drop. It isn't really technical or anything, but the was that DFD blend different styles is amazing. The simple yet effective main riff, the totally unexpected and still completely fitting break into the verses, the epic choruses and that goddamn amazing middle part - every part of this song was better than the one preceding it and it all worked together beautifully. Probably one of my favourite submissions so far, for the whole roulette. Way to go!
Rankings:
11 points: lonestar
14 points: jingle.boy, WindMaster, Sigz
15 points: Elite, wolfking
16 points: Ultimetalhead
17 points: Nekov
19 points: ariich
And ariich takes the lead, closely followed by Nekov and UMH. Can they win the next round?
Since ariich is the only one who hasn't sent me a number yet, the number of the round loser will determine the next theme, which is UMH's 4. This means for you:
LADIES TO THE MIC
Send me a song featuring female vocals. They can be the only vocals or mixed with male vocals throughout the song.