Round 4 ResultsBolsters: Foxes – In Her ArmsFirst Impressions:Right away this is definitely weirder than any of the other songs you’ve sent thus far. It sort of feels like the instruments are carrying the weight of the song here more than the vocals are, which is a bit of an inversion from the rest of the stuff you’ve sent thus far too. I kind of feel like it’s musically a bit cluttered though.
The instruments have both punchiness and atmosphere to them and the vocals sound pretty fine as well. That one repeating bell-like sound though especially feels a bit out of place and kind of repetitive. And I dunno, it just doesn’t ever come together well for me. Still solidly interesting though, I suppose.
Final Thoughts:Maybe it’s just me, but the more artsy and eccentric pop stuff gets, the less it seems to do for me. I don’t know. There’s not really anything that offputting about this and I can tell it’s a pretty delicately crafted song, but. It’s kind of just this mellow drone that goes on for five minutes. There’s slight dynamic variance sure but most of the time it doesn’t vary too much.
And I should really like the pounding drums that drive a decent sense of energy in this song. And I should really like the gentle strings in the background. And I definitely should like the vocals, probably the most talented singer out of all the artists you’ve sent this roulette. Especially those little backing vocal bits during the chorus and bridge.
But there’s just. Something that never quite clicks for me here. For one I don’t think the song ever truly comes alive, like I said previously. Even the climax at the end isn’t that grand, or that notable from what came before. Also. That bell instrument probably bothers me more than anything else. It’s probably the most iconic feature of the track but if it was dropped entirely I bet I’d like this way more than I do. That might really be the problem for me, and with how prominent it is throughout I can’t just ignore it.
At the end of the day though, this is still… alright. There’s enough here that does work for me to keep me from getting bored, even if none of it is particularly compelling. And aside from that bell everything in the song sounds great, the production is very organic and broad and makes the song feel very lush. Maybe it’s just the lack of a strong hook, maybe it’s just the lack of dynamics and a climactic moment, maybe it’s just that bell that really feels obtrusive to the rest of the song. Whatever it is I do wish I liked this more than I do but I can’t see myself doing so anytime soon.
7/10twosuitsluke: Paradise Lost - Last Regret (Lost In Prague Orchestra Mix)First Impressions:Using a different version of the song because the one you sent was 240p badness. Considering it’s an orchestra song I figure we’re trying to hit on some Mob Mentality vibes here, right? Or is this like entirely orchestral. It seems like it. Hmm. I usually am not actually that big a fan of entirely orchestral stuff honestly, this is fine but it’s like, not really doing anything special with it. I’d definitely like it more if there was a metal edge to it in there.
It does have decent power to it though regardless and the instrumentation is at least varied. I don’t know, I’m not feeling this much at all though if I’m being honest. I don’t know if I’d like the normal version either though considering I am pretty sure it’s some power metal thing Evermind would send. So.
Final Thoughts:Okay okay so. What the heck is up with the horns at the climax? They sound like. Like a comedy instrument, like a “wah wah waahh” horn you hear all the time when something dumb happens in a cartoon or something. That’s just a bad instrumental choice I can’t take it seriously in the slightest. And it kind of kills the climax of this song
But I mean beyond that this is pretty solid? I’ve warmed up to it a little since my first listens, at the very least. Because yeah, it’s (for the most part) really well orchestrated, a lot of little details to pick apart and enjoy, especially during the denser parts of the song.
One big gripe I have is actually how the singer sounds. I don’t know if there are two singers or if there is some effect on the vocals to make it sound like he’s doubled. But I really wish it was just a single voice. I think that would be so much more effective. It feels like just compensating for how kind of boring the vocalist would be without the weird doubling, I guess. His tone is a bit flat throughout, he’s easily the weakest aspect of the song besides that dumb sounding horn.
Overall though I can’t get too bothered by this, but I am just not compelled by it either. For a song whose entire focus is on the emotional power of this bombastic orchestral backing, it just… doesn’t stir much in me. I don’t know what else to say. It’s alright, sure, but not much more.
7.25/10Tomislav95: Katatonia – The Racing HeartFirst Impressions:I don’t really know why I’ve never bothered to check out more Katatonia either really. Just never been on my radar I guess. They seem really popular around these parts. I mean if I had to guess it’s because the vocals generally aren’t my style?
The atmosphere at the start of this song is pretty nice though, a lot of small details contributing to a good vibe. And the chorus does have a fair bit going on too though the denser atmosphere is actually not as interesting. It feels like a bit short of a song though, two verses and two choruses and that’s basically it.
Final Thoughts:I’m not really sure how I’m supposed to feel about this one. Does it have decent power to it? Yeah. Does it have emotional depth? Definitely, not incredibly emotional or anything but it definitely comes through in the vocals & the music does well to match that.
I feel it’s a bit too simple of a song though. The instrumentation doesn’t really feel like it has a ton of nuance to it, and as well I feel like the production does the song no favors, it does sound a bit muddy during the louder moments and where I can tell there’s quite a bit going on, it ends up a bit of a blur with only that noodly guitar line and the drums coming through clearly. And it definitely feels like it’s over far too soon, the song fails to hit any sort of climax because of how brief it is.
It’s also a bit unfortunate that I’m having to judge this at the same time that I’m finding myself really into the Blindead album I got, which has a similar vocal style but much more depth and instrumental nuance and plays to a genre that’s much more up my alley as well. I can’t really blame this band for that and I can’t blame you for being unlucky to send this at a bad time, but it can’t help but affect my opinions towards this song.
So at the end of the day what do I feel? I feel like… I’m still probably not going to check out more Katatonia based on this song, and as well the song I received from them in my first roulette. There’s just nothing special about this music. It’s not gripping enough for me to get invested in it and it’s not musically complex enough to have much relisten value. I have bands that do either of those much better individually, and bands that do both of them better at once, and I just can’t see what makes Katatonia worth my time at the end of the day.
But I mean, the song’s alright? I’ve mostly not talked about it because there’s just so little to say. It’s an alright song. I like it but I’m not going to remember it either, I feel.
7.25/10Train of Naught: Mechina – On the Wings of NefeliFirst Impressions:I’ve seen these guys somewhere before and I have no clue where. Thus far this is definitely something where I can see why you sent it.
It’s got a very dense atmosphere to it driven by both the synths and the guitars and that’s something I can definitely get into. I guess I’m not a huge fan of the vocals but they’re not awful either. Also the chill, pretty moments break up the song pretty well and sound pretty lush as well. Yeah this is pretty solid.
Final Thoughts:I think this song is totally fine and enjoyable but I also get the distinct impression that for these guys, this song isn’t really anything special? Like not even my opinion just like. It’s a very normal song for them that wasn’t designed to stand out in any way from the other songs they make. It’s got that kind of feel to it.
What do I think of it though? I totally get why you sent it after I played that Khonsu song a few weeks ago, yes. It doesn’t really hit on much of the same sound or anything, but it’s got kind of similar vibes to it.
I do think the electronic stuff here ends up feeling a lot more enjoyable than the more metal elements though. The riffing is… very average. There’s a few riffs here that I can kind of groove to but they’re not anything that special or memorable. The synth orchestration and the female vocals are the real highlights though, the former infuses the song with a lot of atmosphere while the latter does well to give the song some unique flavor.
While I can enjoy this song for what it is certainly, I just never feel that into it at any point, honestly. Nothing about it really holds a ton of power or emotional depth. It’s just a song that trends towards “solid” in every way, nothing I really dislike about it but not much I find myself getting really into or finding all that memorable. But I mean, it’s nice, yeah.
7.5/10LordCost: Aoria – A Slow Moving StormFirst Impressions:Honestly the start of this makes me think of Leprous-lite, maybe this is what their new album is going to sound like? Anyways.
It’s actually a pretty solid riff to base the song off of, pretty punch and the lead guitar stuff harmonizing with it is pretty nice too. I dunno if the vocals are doing a ton for me but they’re pretty fine. When the song really kicks in halfway it’s got this great wall of guitar fuzz with the drums doing some solid stuff under it. It’s a simple but intense sound I tend to dig a lot. Huh. The ending felt a bit abrupt though I guess.
Final Thoughts:I actually started spinning Coal like, right before you sent me this song and was enjoying it quite a bit, so I was definitely alright with having something in a similar vein, yet distinct enough to still stand out. Plus, this album came out before Coal, so if anything Leprous copied them haha. Yeah no I doubt there’s any correlation.
It does bring up the point though that I do wish this song was a bit heavier than it is. It’s obviously trying to have some degree of power considering the booming riff it opens with. If that riff had more crunch to it or more bass, maybe, I think it’d hit harder than it does, not to say I dislike it or anything as is, just a thought.
Also the video I was linked and have been using has kind of bad audio quality – I checked another version I found just a minute ago and the audio quality there is totally fine so I’m not gonna hold it against the song but the version I have definitely sounds muffled and may have harmed my enjoyment of the song a bit so ehh. That may nullify my earlier complaint honestly because it sounds better in general on this version. So. Oops. Not really my fault though.
I’m writing about this because besides that I… really don’t have a lot to say about this honestly. On one hand it’s pretty solid stuff, but on the other hand it’s just not something I feel that strongly. I guess its’s because it feels like it’s lacking emotional depth. Simply put the singer sounds nice but isn’t very compelling otherwise, he doesn’t have the power or tone to really make me feel much of anything, he just blends in with the music.
And that’s about all I have to say. A pretty decent song. May check them out further, may not. Dunno.
7.5/10home: Tall Ships – T=0First Impressions:Let’s see if I remember this from plug.dj, then. Huh, kind of but only because that one guitar line repeats a heck of a lot, apparently. It’s actually kind of annoying if I’m being honest because it’s not that great of a line and it’s so short that it gets feeling repetitive really fast. Everything else around it is pretty solid though at the very least. Oh and it does stop eventually okay.
I actually like this quieter verse a lot, especially this vocalist, has a tone to his voice I really enjoy. And there’s the guitar line again. I mean I guess it’s not as bad when it’s buried under other layers of instrumentation to the point where you can barely hear it, but still. Also dang this really is quite a short track isn’t it. Well then.
Final Thoughts:I think what’s off about this song to me is how… robotic it comes off at the start. The drums at the start feel very rigid, and the one looping guitar line that goes on through most of the song has something off about it too. I can’t really place my finger on it but it does bother me, especially given its prominence.
And really that’s the only complaint I have because the rest of this is actually pretty good. The way the song ebbs and flows at the start, leading up to a sort of climax before peeling back for the verse, it makes for pretty a pretty compelling listen. Or would, if not for that guitar line. And as I mentioned before I do quite like the vocalist here, he has a very charismatic voice.
I do legitimately feel that repeated guitar line does nothing but detract from this song as a whole though. During the louder moments it’s trying to steal the attention away from some goddamn gorgeous dense atmosphere, with the guitars and horns and strings? in the background all painting this luscious soundscape, but that guitar is still wailing duh duDEE duDEE the whole way through and it’s just. It’s so wrong. It’s like musical vandalism. I cannot fathom what made them think that was a good musical choice.
And in the end that’s what bothers me most about this song. It has potential to be a lot better than it is but its most prominent element is its weakest and feels like it’s trying to steal the spotlight from other elements far more compelling than it. So it really takes me out of the song as a whole and makes me not as inclined to listen to it. You know what it reminds me of? Within My Fence by Leprous. That song, too, has a repetitive guitar line that dominates the rest of the song, with that guitar line just not being very compelling. This song is better than that one though by quite a bit, since I think that song isn’t anything special even besides its weak points. And if this is the band’s “Within My Fence” then I can only hope the rest of the album lives up to the potential this song had and failed to capitalize on.
7.5/10Evermind: Eden Circus – Her Lovely Hands Upon the Black EarthFirst Impressions:Eww, has guitars. 0/10. But no this actually starts out fairly promisingly. Lots of layers of texture coming in as the song’s intro builds upon itself and I’m expecting it to explode at any moment. Though I think they end up not quite capitalizing on that momentum unfortunately. Oh and then the song just… stops at around the four minute mark to go be something completely different. Well okay. I feel like that break, while fine on its own, utterly destroyed the momentum of the track. The bit after feels like an intro to a different song.
I do think all the individual segments of this song are pretty good, not incredibly unique but interesting enough. But string them all together the way they have and man it feels like it does not work at all.
Final Thoughts:I think, because of that monumentally stupid complete halt to momentum in the middle of this song, I find it hard to really get a good grasp of what this song sounds like. Because it is literally two songs. There’s no way around it. This is two songs with an absolutely abysmal transition between them. So I’m going to review it as two songs.
The first song I can actually enjoy quite a bit; the vocals actually work pretty well for me and the chorus has an explosive power that flows quite well with the stunted 11/8 time signature. It’s a prog touch that I actually think works in the song’s favor. It really keeps you on your toes without ever obstructing the song’s flow and gives it a touch of uniqueness in the process. It changes up its flow for the “climax” though and I don’t think that does it in favors, may be why the climax comes up a bit underwhelming. I’d give this song like a 7.75/10 or so. Maybe an 8.
The bit in the middle is completely disconnect from both songs and is a fairly barren and probably too long interlude. It’s not bad on its own but it fails to be anything interesting and is absolute utter garbage at tying the two songs here together. Not gonna rate it as it’s basically nothing.
The second song actually starts off really great, I dig this bassy 7/8 groove quite a lot. I do think this one takes a bit too long to build up though, it sticks to that groove a bit too heavily. It’s a cool groove but I don’t think it can support the song on its own. And it comes full circle, reusing the chorus of the first song (without much notably different, making it a fairly weak climax, I might add), and then has a decent reprise of the intro to the first song. I’d probably also give this song a 7.75/10. Not quite as strong as the first one overall.
And yes I know I’m being a bit facetious with this whole two song thing. But. That middle is absolutely disasterous for this song. I legitimately do not understand the decision to completely halt the momentum of the song right as it was building up to something just to go and do something completely different and unrelated. It doesn’t work. It flat out doesn’t work. And it’s a shame because the separate pieces of this song are there. But as a whole it does fall apart. Honestly, if they’d capitalized on the momentum of the first half, cut the interlude entirely, and had the 7/8 groove bit as a bridge to the last chorus, this could’ve been really great stuff. Maybe amp up the intensity of the last chorus too. But as it is. Ehh. I’m just frustrated by this, moreso than any other song in this incredibly frustrating round. I’ll probably check out this artist further, though, because the potential is definitely there. It’s just not realized here.
7.5/10