Tom Bombadil's Roulette v. COMPLETED

[senecadawg2]

Senecadawg2: Journey - Of a Lifetime - Wow. I literally had no idea Journey played good music.

Sadly, most people don't. And even a lot of self-proclaimed Journey fans haven't heard this stuff 

I'm glad you liked it though, and I've sent the next round!

[Big Hath]

Round 3 sent

[mikemangioy]

I'm glad that you've relatively enjoyed the song. It was a risky post with the lyrics, yeah. Anyways, round three sent.

[Tyrias]

Sent. I hope you interpret dark as "bleak, depressing and hopeless", because that's about the feeling I get when I listen to this song . (Or, most of the album for that matter)

[adace]

Sent for round 3.

[Sacul]

Sent .

[lonestar]

I'll send late tonight or tomorrow, been in the weeds at work man. Sorry.

[Tom Bombadil]

I'll send late tonight or tomorrow, been in the weeds at work man. Sorry.

No problem.  I've been in the weeds at school myself so no worries

[Tom Bombadil]

Everyone's in 

[jingle.boy]

Oooh.... Ooohh... Things heard every Thursday night by Jay Cutler's mom.

[GentlemanofDread]

Damn it Jingle 

[lonestar]

 

[TAC]

Lonestar: The Deadstation - Subsistence Defined - Wow, this song explodes out of the gate. I can't quite put my finger on why, but I find this to be more than just a "generic prog metal" song. The guitar solo is very impressive, and the drums (especially the beginning) are solid. Do you know if when they play it live the guy sings and drums at the same time? Because if so, then he is unbelievably talented. Speaking from experience, that is one of the hardest things to do, especially with a drum part as difficult as this one. Speaking of this immensely talented guy, I also like his vocals, although they weren't anything amazing. Also, in the Youtube video there was a link to download the whole album for free, so fuck yeah 
Grade: 8

Wow! That's an awesome tune!

[Tom Bombadil]

Round 3 RESULTS

Shadow Ninja 2.0: Puscifer - The Humbling River - Despite being a big fan of Maynard, I'd never checked out this project of his. My loss, apparently, because this song is excellent. Definitely enjoying the atmosphere here, and Maynard once again proves why he's one of my favorite vocalists. Excellent dark tune.
Grade: 8

GentlemanofDread: Chris De Burgh - Spanish Train - This song was one that you really had to listen to the story of the lyrics to get it. The darkness was mostly in the lyrics, and although the music wasn't necessarily dark, I found that it complimented the story nicely.
Grade: 7

Sacul: Ulver - Lost in Moments- I've seen this band pop up a lot in roulettes here, but this was my first time listening to it. Definitely an interesting and experimental band. I can't say I enjoyed the whole thing, but there were parts here and there that were really awesome and quite dark. This is one that will probably require more listens to really sink in, but unfortunately these roulettes are based mostly on first impressions.
Grade: 6.5

Lucien: Howard Shore/Emiliana Torrini - Gollum's Song - I think its fairly obvious I'm a big LOTR fan, so this was instantly recognizable when it started, but I never knew there was a version with vocals. I can't say enough about Howard Shore's music here. It's pretty much perfect. The vocals took a little getting used to, but I enjoyed them, and the lyrics somewhat accurately described Gollum's life after the Ring found him. Man, I really feel like reading the book again now.
Grade: 7.5

Senecadawg2: Ulver - Eos - Another Ulver tune this round, and this one was very different from the previous. If they didn't have the name on the videos I probably would've thought both songs were from two completely different bands. The one similarity is that this too will probably take some more listens to sink in. Like you said in the description, this song is all about the atmosphere, which is pretty dark (obviously). And like a lot of songs so far, the vocals were great in some places, but in others they just didn't connect with me all that well.
Grade: 7

Big Hath: The Mayan Factor- Warflower - I'm really digging the intro to this song. The guitar work is excellent, and manages to create that dark tone single-handedly, which I found pretty impressive. The vocals come in really soft, but subtly build until they're at normal volume and you didn't even realize it. The only part I found a little weak was the bridge, which wasn't quite up to the quality of the rest of the song, but overall it was still a great tune.
Grade: 8

Mikemangioy: Storm Corrosion - Drag Ropes - Another side project from one of my favorite musicians, this song pretty much made me feel exactly what you were hoping. I really should only be judging this strictly by the music, but that music video was so chilling that it kind of affected my interpretation of the whole song. I wouldn't rate it as high as some of my favorite PT songs, but it's definitely another great work of art by SW. Pretty much the perfect song to send on a round like this.
Grade: 8.5

Jingle.boy: Star One - Master of Darkness - You were one of the only ones to go the metal route with this round, which is certainly fine. I enjoyed the main "chug chug" guitar riff, and most of the guitar parts in general. The solo section was pretty darn impressive. My only complaint was the vocals, which gave me a real Symphony X vibe at times. And I'm not that big on SX. The music was better than most SX, though. And the lyrics were pretty cool. I assume from your email (and some of the lines in the song) that they're about Star Wars? Good stuff.
Grade: 6.5

Tyrias: Brand New - You Won't Know - This was a tough song to figure out. I really enjoyed the intro, but then I can't decide if I like the vocals or not. I definitely like the majority of the lyrics, and I also really liked the bridge, but overall it's hard for me to put into words exactly how this song made me feel. Definitely more parts that I liked than disliked, though.
Grade: 6.5
 
Adace: Dead Can Dance - Opium - This was another good atmospheric song that for me was mostly centered around the lyrics. The vocals were on point, and I enjoyed the strings quite a bit. But like a few others this round, I didn't find it all that amazing, although definitely above average.
Grade: 7

Elite: Leprous - Mb. Indifferentia - There were a lot of things I liked about this song. Mostly, I'd say the guitar work was pretty stellar throughout. I really liked the vocals in the beginning, but I'm not sure how I feel about them after it got louder and heavier. I feel like I'm saying this about every song, but again it was somewhere in that "good not great" range.
Grade: 7

Lonestar: Silent Memorial - The Darkest Hour - Another occasion where I think the intro was my favorite part of the song. After that the song seemed pretty standard. And whereas a said your last song sounded more than just "generic prog metal", this song unfortunately does kind of sound generic in a way. There wasn't a whole lot that surprised me. Here I go again: not bad, but not great.
Grade: 6.5

My assholery was starting to show this round 

RESULTS
1. Big Hath - 24
2. Shadow Ninja - 23.5
3. Senecadawg2 - 23
4. Lonestar - 22.5
5. Elite - 21.5
6. Adace - 21.5
7. Sacul - 21
8. Tyrias - 21
9. Jingle.boy - 20.5
10. Mikemangioy - 20.5
11. GentlemanofDread - 20
12. Lucien - 20

Only 4 points separating first and last place. That's pretty consistent.

For Round 4, send the heaviest thing you can think of. Doesn't have to have harsh vocals, but now would be the best time to send them.

[jingle.boy]

Star One should give you a S-X vibe.... Russell Allen is one of the vocalists!  And have a good listen to the lyrics, it's all about Luke, Darth and Yoda.

Heavy coming right up.  Just gotta find the message in my outbox.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

oh yeah sent

[Tom Bombadil]

Star One should give you a S-X vibe.... Russell Allen is one of the vocalists!

Ha I guess I nailed that one.

[Lucien]

Heaviest thing I can think of. Hmmm...

[lonestar]

I can accept that write up of the song, but as I said in my message, listen to the epic, that thing kicks ass man.



Heavy, I got this shit man. Sent.

[Big Hath]

The only part I found a little weak was the bridge, which wasn't quite up to the quality of the rest of the song, but overall it was still a great tune.

my exact thoughts as I was listening to it while deciding to send or not.  It kind of drags at that point, but the rest of the song is so awesome it makes up for it.


Round 4 sent.

[Elite]

Are you sure you want harsh vocals? Because I can have something on your way right now that you probably wouldn't like, but it's 'the heaviest thing I can think of'.

[senecadawg2]

Yeah I don't think you will enjoy the heaviest thing I can think of.

[jingle.boy]

Send it anyway.  You heard the man ... Now is the time to send the growls ... I did.

Sack up boys.

[Elite]

Yeah, but I think I know what you sent and that's a way more accessible song than what I was thinking of

[senecadawg2]

What's the limit on song length, Bombadil?

[Big Hath]

infinity

[Tom Bombadil]

What's the limit on song length, Bombadil?

I'll say 15 minutes

Are you sure you want harsh vocals? Because I can have something on your way right now that you probably wouldn't like, but it's 'the heaviest thing I can think of'.

I'm not saying it has to have harsh vocals, but if you have a good one, now is the time.

[Tyrias]

Are you ok with live versions? Studio and Live version are really similar, but the song is only half as good without all the pyros on the live show

[mikemangioy]

Nice to see that score after the first two rounds 
Round 4 sent.

[Tom Bombadil]

Are you ok with live versions? Studio and Live version are really similar, but the song is only half as good without all the pyros on the live show

Sure that's fine

[Lucien]

Sent. Maybe, maybe not.

[Tom Bombadil]

Just missing Adace

[adace]

Sent.

[Tom Bombadil]

[Tom Bombadil]

Ok this round didn't have a whole lot of diversity, but I'm not all that concerned about the lack of an old old wooden ship.

ROUND 4 RESULTS

Shadow Ninja: The Dillinger Escape Plan - Sunshine the Werewolf - I've only heard "Setting Fire to Sleeping Giants" by these guys, but this one I thought sounded pretty similar. It was definitely heavier, though. The weird thing is that I think the softer part at about 1:30 might be my favorite part of the song. Then there's this part that reminds me of Neurosis and its pretty  . The only thing I wasn't too big on were some of the blast-beats, as I've never been a huge fan of them. Definitely an enjoyable song, but I think I liked Setting Fire a little more.
Grade: 7

Jingle.boy: Flaming Row - Rage of Despair - This song had a little bit of everything in it. It starts off really heavy, and I actually like the harsh vocals in the beginning.  I also liked the female vocalist, which reminded me a bit of Beyond the Bridge. I also thought the chorus was very catchy. My only complaint would be that some of the transitions between harsh and clean vocals were a little jarring, but I guess it was kind of necessary with the way the story is laid out. Great song overall.
Grade: 7.5

Lonestar: Destrage - Destroy Create Transform Sublimate - I said this band had "serious potential" when mikemangioy sent one of their songs, and this is a step in that direction. Some of the riffs in this song are amazing, and the drumming is really good throughout. Now, some of the complaints I had about the other song still hold true: I liked the vocalist's deeper singing, but the higher pitched stuff was a little off-putting. The electronic ending also seemed a bit out of place to me. Overall it was a really energetic song that pumped me up quite a bit.
Grade: 7

GentlemanofDread: Coheed and Cambria - Vic the Butcher - I've been meaning to check this band out, and now I feel pretty stupid for not doing so. This song is pretty great from start to finish. It's  a great blend of catchiness and heaviness that was just a joy to listen to. I think the only things I didn't enjoy were those weird background noises, but that was only for like 5 seconds. I also thought the ending was really cool in a way that I can't really describe properly. I'll definitely have to check this band out more.
Grade: 9

Big Hath: Opeth - Bleak - Well you made me feel really dumb for writing this band off so quickly. This song pretty much kicked ass. I didn't have a problem with the harsh vocals, but I'll admit I probably would've liked the song even more if it was all clean singing, especially because I really like this guy's voice. Just about all the instrumental sections were spot on too. Another band I really need to look into more now.
Grade: 8.5

Elite: The Devin Townsend Project - Kingdom - The first of many from Devin this round, and I think this one might be my favorite. It had a pretty epic feel to it, especially that part with the scream going into the chorus, which was easily my favorite part. Like the Coheed song, I thought this was a great blend of heavy and catchy, and it just put me in a good mood overall.
Grade: 8

Senecadawg2: Opeth - Ghost of Perdition - Between you and Big Hath, I think I've been swayed on the whole Opeth thing. The two songs were pretty similar, and just about everything I said about his song applies here too. I did really like the acoustic parts in this one that weren't in the other song. Not a whole lot else to say, except that my it looks like my summer job money is going down the tubes
Grade: 8.5

Mikemangioy: Gojira - Backbone - Another band I've heard of before, and another one that I enjoyed quite a bit. The riffs for the most part were excellent, and I even enjoyed the blastbeat section (only the part where the guitar was going chug chug underneath though). Again, this is a band I'm going to need to look into more in the future.
Grade: 7

Lucien: Devin Townsend - By your command - Another one from Devin, and I had similar feelings towards this one. It seems that all his stuff just has an epic feel to it that I really enjoy. My only complaint I have on this one were the lyrics, which I believe were intentionally funny, but I generally prefer more serious lyrics. Another great song, though.
Grade: 7.5

Tyrias: Strapping Young Lad - Love? - This one was also a Devin project, but had more of a straightforward metal approach. The main riff here was killer, and very worthy. It was pretty interesting that I thought it was similar to the other Devin songs I got this round, yet also very different in a way. Really enjoyed the chorus as well.
Grade: 7.5

Sacul: Devin Townsend - Universe in a Ball - The final Devin song of the round, and as before, this one was pretty enjoyable. The riffs in pretty much all of these songs have been so catchy and overall just excellent. My only problem with this one was that it was a little repetitive. Still great.
Grade: 7.5

Adace: Gojira - Vacuity  - Another Gojira tune, and I was surprised by how different this one sounded from the previous. Overall, though, I had similar feelings towards it. Great riffs, incredibly heavy, and very impressive playing.
Grade: 7

STANDINGS
1. Big Hath 32.5
2. Senecadawg2 - 31.5
3. Shadow Ninja - 30.5
4. Lonestar - 29.5
5. Elite - 29.5
6. GentlemanofDread - 29
7. Adace - 28.5
8. Sacul - 28.5
9. Tyrias - 28.5
10. Jingle.boy - 28
11. Mikemangioy - 27.5
12. Lucien - 27.5

Definitely wasn't expecting this round to be so good, so I'm very impressed.

For Round 5, lets change things up a little and go with mostly acoustic songs. It can have some electric stuff, but I'd prefer if the majority of the song was acoustic.