ROUND 3
Sorry, I'm lacking in creativity today:
*clever metaphor for being the best of the round*Evermind: IQ – The Road of Bones
Atmospheric intro with a little bit of piano - yay! I just had to close my eyes and I didn’t open them until the epic climax. There’s something really magical in this song... The singer has a soothing voice, the bassline is cool, the build-up is just perfect and the song never feels too long, despite being over 8 minutes long. Certainly the best song I’ve received in this roulette so far!
*clever metaphor for being safe*senecadawg2: Susanne Sundfør – Knight of Noir
You forgot to send an actual link to the song, but that’s ok because I’m not a helpless person and I found it on Spotify. Sundfør’s voice reminds me of Anneke van Giersbergen, which isn’t a bad thing as Anneke =
. As I said in the last round, I love melancholic piano ballads and you clearly took note of that
The orchestral elements give a nice dramatic feel, especially the drumming.
Onno: Ludovico Einaudi – Burning
A classical piano piece – nice! The very beginning reminds me of
Freecard by Dark Tranquillity: even the piano sound is a little bit similar. Anyway, this piece is full of beautiful melodies – what’s there not to like? The strings in the background add a nice layer.
Scorpion: Amon Amarth – Embrace of the Endless Ocean
I’ve always thought Amon Amarth is a folk metal band because of the Viking themes, but it turns out they’re closer to melodeath. Maybe they're the Swedish equivalent of Amorphis in that regard... The really deep growls are pretty bad-ass! I don’t find the lyrics cheesy, as they’re pretty dark. This song has a good balance of melancholy and intensity and the lead at the end is beautiful.
LieLowTheWantedMan: Bark Psychosis – A Street Scene
There is a post-rock vibe in this song, but it manages to stay interesting, unlike some post-rock I’ve heard. I guess it’s because this song has a bit more focus on “rock” than “post”
I don’t hear any Talk Talk here, but then again I’ve only heard Spirit of Eden. Anyway, the bassline is tasty, the drumming is great and the smooth guitars give the second half of the song a relaxing atmosphere.
adace: Epica – The Essence of Silence
Ok, I’m not big on symphonic metal, especially with operatic vocals. However, the bad-ass riffing and the growls give this song enough balls and the guitar solo is pretty awesome. The melodies are catchy and the key change at the end is nice too. I only wish Simone used non-operatic vocals throughout the song, as her voice sounds great when she doesn’t go for the ridiculously high notes.
kingshmegland: The Pineapple Thief – Tightly Wound
I’ve thought about checking out TPT because of the Wisdom of Crowds connection you mentioned, but never actually done that. This song sounds a little bit like Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun era Porcupine Tree, but has its own identity. There are some pretty cool guitar effects and I like the semi-acoustic chorus. The final “wow” factor is missing and I’m not crazy about Soord’s vocals, but overall this is a decent tune.
Would've been eliminated without the protective immunityShadow Ninja: Rusted Root – Send Me on My Way
You sure as hell took advantage of your immunity!
This kind of music is a little too cheerful for my taste and the vocals are pretty irritating. Not much else to say... You need to step up in the next round if you wanna stay in the game!
*clever metaphor for elimination*GentlemanofDread: Coldplay – Amsterdam
Probably the most mainstream band in the roulette so far… However, I’m not a hipster, so this elimination was done purely based on the song itself! I appreciate the use of organ and the climax is pretty nice, but unfortunately it’s really short. It feels like an eternity until something starts to happen and suddenly it’s over. On top of that, I don’t like Chris Martin’s voice that much.
jingle.boy: Spirit of the West – Home for a Rest
You certainly took a risk with this one!
Unfortunately it didn’t work in your favor... The beginning is pretty nice, but after that: meh. There were so many actually good songs in this round that comedy value isn’t enough to save you, and I’m not a drinker so I can’t relate to the lyrics (yes, I’m boring as hell!
). Rush shall remain my favorite Canadian band
We say bye-bye to Gentleman and Jingle... Evermind is the last person to gain immunity, as the number of participants is getting so small that I don't want to make it too easy for any of you to get into the final four. In other words: NO MORE MERCY! *evil laughter*
I'll once again go on a trip tomorrow and won't return until Sunday. This time I'll be able to listen to your songs while I'm away, but don't expect results until Monday at earliest.