I am not good at grading things. Here, I am struggling grading each song on its own merits, versus grading it in relation to the other songs in the round. There were 3 GREAT songs and 2 very good songs this round, which made the others pale by comparison.
TAC: Innerwish - Rain of A Thousand Years
9
Really liked the music, got hooked from the beginning. The "Hey Heys" seemed contrived and cliché, but a small blemish on a near 10.
Tomislav95: Ghost - Square Hammer
8
1st listen: Eh, this is ok; 2nd listen: Pretty good; 3rd listen: I am digging this; 4,593th listen: Damn this is the catchiest song I've heard in a long time!
Jingle.boy: Magnus Karlsson - Not My Saviour
8
Solid entry. Seen the name float around dtf.org but never heard any of his work. Reminded me a little of Evergrey but better.
Shadow Ninja 2.0: Nightingale - Lucifer’s Lament
7
Good track, didn't knock my socks off, but will check out more of this band. Vocals didn't fully impress me, but worked with the song well, and certainly weren't a detriment.
Twosuitsluke: Witchcraft - If Crimson Was Your Colour
7
A great driving song. Killer riff.
Stadler: Angels and Airwaves - Secret Crowds
5
Thought I would hate it when it started, but ended up liking it more as it went on. Found myself enjoying it more without watching the video. Resolved to not watch any videos throughout this roulette.
Parama: Earthside - Mob Mentality
5
Most challenging submission to evaluate this round. At times it sounded like a metal band decided to write Bond theme. Which could be a good thing. Someone make this happen! Wanted to like it more than I did. Not a bad song, but didn't fully resonate with me. Felt like it was trying to be too grandiose for the sake of grandiosity. Will check out other songs from them though.
Elite: Caligula's Horse - The City Has No Empathy
4
Band sounds like they have potential.
Sacul: Janelle Monae - Tightrope
3
Well here is a Clayton Kershaw curveball. This is so far out of left field, I am not sure what ballpark I'm in. This…. just isn't my thing, I don't even know how to rate this song on its own merits. I wouldn't give it a second listen if not for this thread. So after a couple spins, my call..... high and outside.
home: Mew - The Zookeeper's Boy
2
Didn't care for this at all. Those high and whiny vocals… aiieee!
Kingshmegland: Mr. Invisible - Thank You Scientist
1
Terrible. Stopped after a minute. Revisited later. Still terrible. Way to kick off week 1 of the roulette like the Pats kicked off week 1 of the NFL season.