Well... doesn't look like I'm gonna top the 30 page monstrosity from my first Roulette (man that one was fun), but hopefully the 20 pages and 668 posts (damn, would've been cool if I could've had this as post 666... I digress... squirrel!) are reflective of a fun time had by all.
These write-ups might seem a little anti-climactic. I’ve run out of superlatives to give you guys. Again, all the music this round was a treat to listen to – either wow’g the fuck out of me, bringing me back to a comfort zone of very familiar music, or just plain fun. So, I'm not really going to mess with you guys on this one, this will be sorted order of ranking.
Bottom TierWolfking/Gamma Ray
Songs - Anywhere in the Galaxy; Razorblade Sigh; Land of the Free; Eagle
Well, this certainly clicked better with me than the Sabbath of earlier rounds, but still not nearly as memorable as other submissions of yours. If I had to give these songs a grade, it would be B or B+. All very solid, yet fairly unspectacular. I think I really need some sense of ‘prog’ in my power metal. Of all the ‘pure’ power metal bands in my library (Freedom Call, Rhapsody, Blind Guardian, and a few others), there’s actually more that I'm 'meh' over, than that which I'm 'gaga' over. These were all somewhere in between.
Other listening notes: Screaming guitar grabbed my attention; rhythm section dominates way too much; better on subsequent listens; Loved the instrumental; lots of pace changes; didn’t grab my attention.
Bosk/Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Songs - Tamacun; Orion
God damn these were fun tune’s to listen to. Completely 100% outside of the musical box I would normally be in. And I’m really glad you insisted on my watching them live. There’s a certain ‘je ne c’est quoi’ in listening/watching them live vs the studio recordings. If it was just left to the latter, I think I likely would have quickly dismissed it. There’s so much more energy in their live playing.
Other listening notes: Dayum! This puts the ‘fun’ in Funky. Very cool.
Middle Guy Boslters/Twilightning
Songs - Isolation Shell; Into Treason; The Fiend; Fever Pitch
Some really solid rock tunes here. Vocally, it didn’t quite float my boat though. Nothing wrong with any of these songs, they were all very enjoyable (Fever Pitch was the best them), but nothing wow’d me or made me stop and take notice. Most of the solo’s and instrumental sections were quite good
Other listening notes: Excellent. Intro justifies the title, then it slides in to a great groove; vocally this is good! interesting keyboard intro, saved by the guitar ... then killed by the vocals; better with backing vocal support.
Top ShelfTAC/Glass Mind
Songs - Haunting Regrets; Crepusculum Vehementis; Beyond Our Souls
God Bless you good citizen. These three tracks were all genius, and instantly grabbed my attention. Top notch. Great talent, great sound, excellent compositions. It’s a good thing I didn’t rely solely on the Grooveshark links, as they were demo-quality sound. The actual album tracks are so much more sonically robust. And what’s this?? They’re going to be on the ProgNation at Sea cruise in 10 days.
Best submissions by far. By FAR. Purchase is definitely impending.
Other listening notes: Brilliant intro; Great guitar riffs; great percussion; killer fills and solos; Killer instrumental; More killer work on the skins.
Lowdz/Praying Mantis
Songs - In Time; Restless Heart; So High; Touch the Rainbow
As I mentioned coming into this final round, this was Paul’s to win (or lose), and he did. Win that is. I’d actually checked Praying Mantis out once a long time ago, and was pretty ‘meh’ on them as I recall, so my expectations were kind of jaded. However, with each listen, these tunes got better. Not sure they will end up being purchase-worthy, but definitely will go a little deeper beyond just the one album. The recurring thought I had with most of these tracks was ‘unspectacular, but really, REALLY solid’. I did have to scratch one of your submissions, as you sent me 26 minutes of music.
Other listening notes: Dug the intro... big time; nice vocal harmonies; repetitive with the double bass kick - not thrashy though; great guitar solo; simplistic melody; really liked the rhythm section.
Final Ranking:
Lowdz - $5,400TAC - $1,800
Bolsters - $1,400
Bosk - $800
Wolfking - $800
So, how you finished the final round is how you finished the entire competition.
Lowder... you earned this one. Only one dud song all roulette, and I’ve made multiple purchases of what you sent. I (and your competitors) bow to your musical prowess.
To
all of you (even those eliminated in the qualifying rounds),
Why I'm doing this? Mostly for shits and giggles. Not really doing this to discover new bands, just listen to some awesome music, and have fun
I had never intended to get "in to" new bands/albums, but I fialed at that miserably. You don’t even want to know (and probably wouldn’t believe) how many albums I’ve purchased already. Thankfully music is my one vice, I make a good living, and most importantly, I do the finances in the jingle household! And I still haven’t had a solid listen to the all of the great bands/albums from rounds 4 and 5. So Lowdz... your winnings will be used to pay for said purchases.
I'll post some concluding thoughts and awards later.