Ranking time! Let me start by saying that I was very, very impressed with the quality of the songs submitted. Each song that was submitted could, in some universe, be a song that I could just throw on because I was in the mood for it. However, one person had to be the best person.
7th placeNominator: WindMaster
Artist: Eumeria
Song: Legion
I don't know, I have trouble writing about this one. The unfortunate thing is here that I don't really think there's anything
wrong with this song; however, there's also nothing that immediately grabbed me either, which is essential for roulettes such as mine. It sort of sounds just like any other "epic" symphonic technical metal I've heard, which isn't a good thing. Sorry man, but you get
1 point.
6th placeNominator: Elite
Artist: Thrice
Song: Daedalus
Again, nothing wrong with this tune. It was perfectly pleasant; I particularly enjoyed how the composition itself isn't all too complex, but the talented musicians and vocalist really sell the song. Love the emotion here, and the syncopated groove at 3:30 or so was a highlight. However, 5 songs were better. Elite, you are an unfortunate victim of circumstance, and for that reason you get but
2 points.
5th placeNominator: Nekov
Artist: Freakeys
Song: One Cup, One Lighter, One Jack
Now this is what I'm talking about: a technical metal piece that doesn't drift into a sea of cliche! The melodies were catchy, the composition was clever, the production was great and the musicians were immensely talented. Of particular note was the bass solo at 3:00 or so, which was tasty as fuck. For general tastiness, you get
3 points.
4th placeNominator: lonestarbaconandporn.com
Artist: The Deadstation
Song: Hundred Foot Drop/Subsistence Defined
Here's where we start to get
really good. In a shallow way, I guess you could compare this song to the 7th place Eumeria song, being that they belong to the same "loud, epic, and technical" metal subgenre. However, while I found Legion a bit cliche and obvious, Subsistence Defined is creative and moving. It starts with an ambient drone giving rise to a pulsing synthesizer; we're then cast into the bombastic main section with little to no warning. That introduction is intense, man. Listen to it loudly. I'm pretty sure I audibly said "holy fuck" when those guitars kicked in.
Also, the vocalist is
incredible. Jesus, man.
The thing about this tune is that it doesn't deliver consistently. Some of the riffs held my attention more than others, and it's really quite a long piece. Unfortunately, being generally awesome but not awesome for every single second wasn't enough to make it during this particular round.
A commendable
4 points.
3rd placeNominator: MasterShakezula
Artist: CAN
Song: Vitamin C
I hesitated putting this one so high, but the fact of the matter is I had more fun listening to this song than any of the others, and that's what counts, isn't it? Wikipedia tells me this is a single from a Krautrock band, "Krautrock" being a subgenre I have absolutely no familiar with whatsoever. I generally like alternative music, and this song was carried mainly by an awesome groove (let that be a lesson to you, gentlemen: grooviness is a good thing). The composition was creative, the lyrics were interesting (to say the least
), and the song generally brought a smile to my face. Loved it. For Master Shake, a better-than-expected
5 points.
2nd placeNominator: jingle.boy
Artist: Dec Burke
Song: Small Hours
An immensely likeable song in the tradition of classic prog. It's just a fantastic little tune, and I sense some real musical joy in the choruses, something which I don't hear enough of in modern music. Speaking of the choruses, they're this song's real draw. Dec offers an extremely catchy melody, and you get a multi-part harmony free of charge; the instrumentation and arrangement are really lovely here. Not much more to say about it, I suppose. A well-deserved
6 points.
1st placeNominator: kingshmegland
Artist: I Mother Earth
Song: God Rocket (Into the Heart of Las Vegas)
I would make love to this song if I could. A masterpiece of ambient rock. It is perfect. Keep it up, your highness.
7 points but only because that's the maximum.
1. kingshmegland - 7
2. jingle.boy - 6
3. MasterShakezula - 5
4. lonestar - 4
5. Nekov - 3
6. Elite - 2
7. WindMaster - 1
The theme of the next round is "Night and Day". If you're wondering what that means, well, it doesn't mean very much at all.
I told you my themes would not be very restrictive; it's just something to get you thinking. Good luck, everybody. See you Monday.
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ROUND 2 - NIGHT AND DAYDeadline: Monday, July 9 @ 9 PM Central time (or whenever Elite gets in his nomination) --------