And here we are!
---ROUND 3 SONG RESULTS---1st Place: twosuitsluke (+15 Points)
Coaltar Of The Deepers - WipeoutFirst Impression:
(Ryo Hazuki voice) This is cool!Coaltar Of The Deepers is a band that’s sort of been on my radar for a bit, and I’m pretty sure this song actually came up on my Spotify before. The sound here is just super cool. The guitars have this guttural, filthy tone, and they’re complimented by these filtered, droning vocals, and synths that sound like something out of a video game from like, the late 90s or early 2000s. Some of the layers are pretty basic on their own, like the guitars and vocals, but they all come together into this incredibly evocative, almost alien atmosphere. The heavier, growled chorus works quite well following up the less intense verses, and that more melodic bit around the halfway mark is a nice change of pace. I did see that this is actually a re-recording of an old song from 2007, which I listened to out of curiosity. I think you made a good choice sending this version, as the synths are much more prominent and the guitars are punchier. Not quite sure where I should go next with this band, but I am definitely interested in hearing more!
2nd Place: Elite (+14 Points)
Dvne - The Crimson PathFirst Impression:
Not far off at all from what I was expecting, which probably isn’t a bad thing!It’s a bit funny getting this band sent here because I like, JUST got their new album less than a month ago. I thought it was a good album - progressive metal and sludge metal usually go together pretty well - but my biggest complaints were that the sound got a bit stale over an hour of runtime and the clean vocals weren’t that good. Thankfully, this song is probably the best thing I’ve heard from this band so far, and the clean vocals actually sound better here, though that’s probably just because they aren’t as upfront in the mix. There’s also a more prominent middle-eastern atmosphere that adds a nice element to the sound without being too overbearing or tacky. This song has an excellent progression and flow, with the first half being more centered around some awesome riffs and basslines. There’s a quieter verse halfway through, and then the song launches into a really grandiose and melodic second half, with some super evocative guitar lines. It feels incredibly climactic, and then bringing back that earlier riff one last time at the end ties everything up well. Guess I have another album by these guys to check out now!
3rd Place: Sacul (+13 Points)
TR/ST - BulbformFirst Impression:
Enjoyably dark and dirty.If you took out the vocals, this would have fit in perfectly on a Hotline Miami soundtrack, which you know is a good thing in my book! I love that grimy, distorted synth bass and the blippy lead, and the drums are nice and punchy. The song is a bit repetitive, but there’s just enough switchups and variation in the layering throughout to keep it engaging and enjoyable. The atmosphere is just excellent as well - super dark and cold, and the ominous humming and subtle choir pads give it kind of a gothic vibe as well. The vocals aren’t great, but they don’t feel like the focus at all. You’ve definitely hit upon a style I like here!
4th Place: Metro (+12 Points)
Ween - Buckingham GreenFirst Impression:
The Beatles if they locked in:I only know enough about Ween to know that I should have no idea what to expect going into this. Unsurprisingly, it’s very weird, but it’s also really good! The lyrics are completely bizarre but also really evocative, and that main melody and chord progression stuck in my head almost immediately, in a good way. I wasn’t expecting an epic psych rock guitar solo in the middle, but it’s there, and it’s awesome. I like the dramatic strings at the end too. Between all that, there’s a lot of stylistic variation across the song despite it being so short, and the band pulls off each of these styles quite well. Still have no idea what this band “sounds like”, but this song is great.
5th Place: King Postwhore (+11 Points)
MOLYBARON - Reality ShowFirst Impression:
Very driving.This is a simple but satisfying track. The vocals and the melodic synths really carry it, with the guitars mostly just backing them up, which works out well enough here because the melodies are pretty strong. It also just sounds great - the production is excellent, the bass tone is great, and everything sounds larger than life. There’s a few nice touches here and there as well, like how the end of the second chorus and the start of the guitar solo overlap a bit. Not the most interesting song this round, but still one of the better ones.
6th Place: Crow (+10 Points)
Vylet Pony - The Carrion ChildFirst Impression:
Noisier than I was expecting. A lot of different elements here.There’s definitely a lot to like here. I obviously enjoy the video game-y synths - there’s some bits in the first section that sound like something out of the Undertale soundtrack. The distorted riffs are also really cool, especially at the end of the solo where the song goes into this doom-y half time groove. There’s a lot of punchiness to the louder parts that’s always nice to hear in this kind of music. That said, there are a couple things holding this back from being one of my favorites this round. Even if you ignore the spoken-word intro, it takes a while to get going, as the first section is super jumbled and never quite settles into a decent groove, and the first verse mostly just feels like a setup for the big drop afterwards. A lot of the song is dedicated to a long synth solo, and while I love the instrumentation under it, the solo itself is just kind of okay. It’s a bit repetitive and there’s not a whole lot of expression in the playing, in my opinion. The best parts of this song are excellent and the sound is really cool, but it does feel shorter than its length suggests, and not in a “time flies while you’re having fun” way but more of a “I wish there were more of this” way.
7th Place: TAC (+9 Points)
Abodean Skye - Battle Of TearsFirst Impression:
Schrödinger's synths: are they charmingly retro, or do they just sound like shit?Even though this isn’t ranked super high, I do have a lot of fun listening to this. It’s definitely not the smoothest incorporation of chiptune video game synths into rock / metal that I’ve heard, and some of the sounds are kind of crappy even for retro standards, but it’s still all very charming and a welcome addition to the song. This kind of metal is already super cheesy, so adding in these nerdy synths just feels fitting! The first half of the song has a lot of infectious energy that never really lets up, and the vocal melodies are well-written and catchy. There’s also some really nice power metal vocal harmonies in the chorus. I do think the break in the middle could have been shorter though, as I feel like it brings down the energy a bit too much. So yeah, I enjoy this, even though there were definitely some better songs this round. I know you probably don’t have anything else like this to send, but if you did I would welcome it!
8th Place: lonestar (+8 Points)
Hanabie - Tales Of VillainFirst Impression:
Babymetal is catchier.For as fun and wild as an idol group / metal band crossover should be, this song just feels kind of… average? Granted, female growls are basically always cool as hell, and I especially like when she does that raspier scream over those fast, chopped up riffs in the verses. The chorus is also quite catchy and definitely scratches that big, melodic Japanese rock itch. Apart from that though, there’s not a ton that sticks out to me. The riffs are pretty basic and unmemorable, and those electronic breaks that almost sound like a hip hop beat with growls over them don’t really sound that great in my opinion. Not bad, but not super impressive either.
9th Place: ReaperKK (+7 Points)
From Monument To Masses - Beyond God & ElvisFirst Impression:
Hard to dislike, but I don’t think the impact will be very high.Between this and your Animals As Leaders song, I should make it clear that I don’t listen to that much instrumental rock. Unless it’s done super well, I almost always prefer stuff with vocals. This song is another example of an instrumental that’s nice while it’s on but doesn’t really leave me with much that makes me want to come back to it. The atmosphere is bright and pleasant, and one thing that does stick out from other post-rock bands is the layer of synths in the background, which do make everything feel quite ethereal and floaty. I especially like the louder parts with the synth arpeggios - they feel really vast and grand. Some of the guitars have some nice crunch to them. A lot of the song does feel like somewhat directionless guitar noodling to me, though. Like I said in my first impression, there’s not really anything bad here, but not much that I find particularly noteworthy either.
10th Place: LithoJazzoSphere (+6 Points)
Rein - LIMITLESSFirst Impression:
Did this play on the radio in Cyberpunk 2077?There’s hints of a sound I like here, but this veers a bit too far into some stylistic choices I’m not as keen on. The deadpan vocals aren’t doing much for me, and unlike in that TR/ST song, they’re focused on a lot here. The production is also more sparse than I’d like, especially in the verses, which don’t really have much that I enjoy other than the somewhat intricate rhythmic patterns. The choruses are the song’s big saving grace, as they feel somewhat punchier and that sinister bassline is pretty awesome. I can appreciate the cold aesthetic and the interesting rhythms, but compared to most of the other electronic music I’ve gotten so far, this song’s not connecting with me as much.
11th Place: King Puppies And The Acid Guppies (+5 Points)
*Ancients - CalamityFirst Impression:
Pretty, but I think I was expecting something more interesting.Looking at the cool futuristic cover art, I think I was expecting some sort of vast, atmospheric electronic song, but this is mostly just some very clean, Alcest-esque shoegaze. It’s not the most unique sound out there, but it can be really enjoyable if the execution is good, and unfortunately that’s where this song falls a bit flat. The louder sections are nice and quite massive-sounding, but they’re way shorter than I would have liked, as most of the song is dedicated to a really long buildup that isn’t all that interesting. Also, is it just me, or does the snare drum just go completely out of time with the guitars starting at 3:42? It’s distracting as hell. All things said, this style just feels so easy to come by that it really needs to be pulled off especially well in order for it to catch my attention, and that just wasn’t the case here.
12th Place: Ariich (+4 Points)
Soulwax - Too Many DJsFirst Impression:
A somewhat interesting sound over an otherwise pretty normal song.Sometimes you hear a song where the vibe just does not agree with you, and it’s hard to put a finger on why. Maybe it’s the beatboxing, maybe it’s the smarmy, tongue-in-cheek vocal delivery, maybe it’s that “finger-lickin’ good” is in the lyrics… whatever it is, it’s just not doing it for me. It all reminds me of a nebulous kind of 90s / early 2000s alternative rock I’d hear on the radio as a kid that I just never enjoyed. The guitars and drums do have a bit of a noisy, garage rock quality to them that is kind of nice, but that’s basically the only thing I was able to connect with. Sorry, but not for me.
Newly banned artists:- Coaltar Of The Deepers
- Dvne
- TR/ST
- Ween
CURRENT STANDINGS1: Metro - 35
2: King Postwhore - 34
3: King Puppies And The Acid Guppies - 32.45
4: LithoJazzoSphere - 32
5: Elite - 32
6: Sacul - 31
7: twosuitsluke - 31
8: Crow - 29.25
9: lonestar - 28.25
10: TAC - 28
11: Ariich - 25
12: ReaperKK - 22
Metro takes the lead, and Ariich fell harder than The Fall Of Consciousness.
I'm gonna pull a twosuitsluke and take a shower, then we'll get to the item shenanigans.
Topic: Welcome To BuddyhunterKart! (Roulette v6) - ROUND 3 RESULTS + ROUND 4 ITEMS (Read 6529 times)