Here it is, last round for some of you
it was pretty diverse round and there are many good scores and more than usual not so good scores.
BEWARE: write-ups order is not the usual
Round 8 Results#10: ScorpionWilderun - The Garden of FireI had a hard time getting into this, for some reason. Transitions in this songs are somewhat weird, I didn’t know what’s happening
in one moments it’s folky, in other more of a black metal. On average, I liked folky parts more but there are some great heavy parts as well. My favorite part of the song comes after silence around 2:00, both vocally and instrumentally the best part. There are also some interesting acoustic folk parts. I especially like when that melody played on acoustic is later played on electric, sounds pretty epic. As a whole, this seemed a little unfocused to me, like it’s made out of more songs (I should be used to this, considering I’m prog fan
) but it’s pretty good.
7.5/10I really feel like you hate me for giving not so good scores to some of your favorite songs
Your peak was definitely in the first round with Katy Song, I listened to it many times since round 1 and it just gets better. I even checked that album out but it was too much to digest, an hour of the most depressing music ever. Unfortunately, nothing else really hit me. Thrice is very cool, Beggars just wasn't the best song I heard from them. I was glad to have you and I hope you won't hate me and you'll play in my v2 some day
TOTAL: 58 points#9: SaculShearwater – The Snow LeopardMaybe it's because of the title but this sounds very winter-y even though indie is my spring music
The beginning is really beautiful, piano and his quiet voice. There, I love his voice. Contrary, on louder part of the song I don't like it that much, he sounds like shouting too much and he holds that vibrato for too long
Instrumental part is great, sounds like soundtrack to looking out of the window when there's cold outside. I don't know, I like it but I'd probably like it more if singer wasn't so dominant.
7/10It's interesting how your best scored song was the one that was nothing like the music I listen to
yeah, it was really fun. I think you tried to hard with trip-hop, some of it was good, some less good, unfortunately, not much of it was really great to me. The only thing I think I rated too low was Sufjan Steven's song which is more of my kind of music so
I will definitely check some of the bands you sent though
TOTAL: 59.5 points#8: LuotoAnomalie – Between Reality and the World BeyondWhen you said you sent some black-ish metal, I was like: oh, no. Not because I think black metal sucks or anything but because of the fact there are many similar sounding bands and I don't think I need another black metal band. But I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. As you said, this isn't really typical song for the genre and it's not weird at all. There are some melodic black metal bands like Dissection which are kinda similar to this yet more black than this. My favorite thing about this song are the growls. Really really perfect growls, brutal yet at the same time pretty clear and comprehensive. Not my favorite thing is that the tempo is the same during the whole song and I feel some changes would make it better. This is definitely something I want to check out but I'll need to be in certain blackish mood.
8/10So you've sent some really great songs. None of it was 8.5+ material but you've got four 8s and all of those songs are killer. I checked out Communic already and it is great stuff. My favorite of your songs is probably Aurora by Ghost Brigade and they are high on my wishlist. So yeah, great effort from you, thank you for participating
TOTAL: 61 points#7: EvermindPhideaux – Waining for the Axe to FallI was expecting to get this band from you
they were on my wishlist (Doomsday Afternoon) for quite some time now but I never came to check them out. So this is very classic sounding prog rock and I’m glad I got something like this finally, I love prog rock. I don’t feel like getting into details of this long ass song so I’ll just say what my favorite parts are (there are no parts I dislike). Around 3:45 starts that cool piano-driven section and falsetto vocals come in later, those wacky parts is what makes symphonic prog so good to me. And again, around 6:13, the piano and catchy vocal melodies. There is just a bunch of those wacky and kinda wanky sections I love
Female vocals are little weird (or unusual) at moments but that’s what makes them cool in the context of this song. Another cool part is the reprise of the earlier part, just less “heavy”. That quiet part was necessary to refresh from earlier busy playing. I’d like it if there was heavier part, climax at the end but it’s cool.
This is easily my favorite song of yours, it was almost 9.
8.5/10You hit the peak with this last round and you were actually pretty close to the line, too bad The Wishing Tree happened
Most of the other stuff was really great, like Vanden Plas and Flaming Row. Our tastes are not that similar except for a few meeting points so I guess you did pretty good. Thanks for some awesome music
TOTAL: 61.5 points#6: homeSpiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen, We’re Floating in SpaceUh this is the song for which I said I have no idea how to score
it has grown on me since but I still have a trouble saying anything about it and rating it. There were moments when I thought I finally get it, maybe when I was in mood for it, but I don’t think I do. The idea of having two separate vocal parts/harmonies played at the same time is really cool, there are some song using this technique I really love but this seems like 4 minutes of the same thing over and over. And also, I think I’d rather listen to just one of those tracks and that’s the one with "…All I want in life's a little bit of love, To take the pain away…"
I admit this is very emotional and there’re moments I feel it but I can’t justify score higher that this.
6.5/10Man, I can't believe this really happened after so many great rounds
you started not so good and ended even worse. I was pretty sure you are going through but this last song just wasn't my taste. But, you've sent some of the best stuff of this roulette. I checked out two FtM albums already and there's not one song there I don't like, I think they're already becoming one of my favorite bands. Karnivool is great as well. I think you're the participant who sent me the most stuff which I'll end up loving so I feel so bad eliminating you but others were more consistent. Hope you don't hate me too much for this
TOTAL: 62.5----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shadow Ninja 2.0: Fever Ray – If I Had a HeartI don’t know what to say about this
it is weird, that’s for sure. This sounds like ambient or something, which is pretty weird to listen next to other songs from the round. It has kind of tribal feeling which I like but there’s nothing else that sticks to me. I didn’t want to skip this track when it came when I was listening to the whole round, that’s a good thing to say, right
On the other hand, it was always just a transition song, I didn’t get into it and I heard it many times. Sorry, this is easily my least favorite song you sent in this roulette. You shouldn’t be worrying though, there’re still a few more points you can afford to lose
6.5/10Train of Naught: The Reign of Kindo – Romancing a StrangerI can definitely see why you compared this to The Dear Hunter, it has that swing/jazz feeling some TDH songs have and singer’s voice sounds pretty similar to Casey’s. And yes, it sounds pretty upbeat but even if I wasn’t listening to lyrics I would probably realize this isn’t happy song, it’s just something about vocal melodies. Speaking of vocal melodies, I love them! The make the song very catchy and easy to listen to. Instrumentation is more bright than vocals and lyrics but they make a good combination together. I have to admit I needed some time to digest those jazzy moments, in the end I liked them too. Don’t have much to say really, this is pretty good and I think I’m going to check it out. I wasn’t sure what score to give it but after comparing it to other songs, I think this is fine.
7.5/10Parama: Solsatfir – DjakninnI used to listen to this band, 4-5 years ago when I was really into this kind of music. Never really get into them, I remember only 2 songs. It happens to me, I just stop listening to some bands and then I’m kicking myself when I rediscover the band
(recent example is dredg). This song is literally what progressive means, building and getting more and more rich and heavy. It is very interesting song, I’m still finding some things I didn’t catch on previous listens. My favorite moment is near the end when guitar gets crazy and atmospheric and drums are following it in being crazy. It just sounds so good. Sometimes it’s hard to listen to this, it’s not really in the easy-listening section but when I’m in mood for it, it is pretty great.
8/10Elite: David Bowie – Life on Mars?I head some Bowie before this, a few songs from his last album (which were pretty good but weird), heard the whole Ziggy album (I don’t really remember it) and I know Space Oddity, which is one of my favorite songs ever
it’s funny I never tried to get into his music considering my love for Space Oddity. Life on Mars? Is obviously from the same era, sharing some elements with it. To be honest, when you sent this I expected not to like it for some reason
but it is my kind of music, just no one sent something like this in roulette. Wakeman’s playing is nice as always but I like it more when he’s more in the background, he overplayed some parts a bit. Chorus is really great, it is a good kind of a earworm, I’m humming it all the time. I don’t think I did this song a justice, I like it more than I can show in the write-up because there’s not lot to say. It is great 70s pop song
8.5/10twosuitsluke: Myrath – Silent CriesI heard of them before and I think someone played something by them on plug.dj. That led me to believe this band is much more folky and much more power metal sounding. There are both of those elements in Myrath but (fortunately) not in too big doses. Also, I know where they come from so I knew there will be some of those muslim(or whatever) melodies to which I cringe because there is type of music in some of the neighbour countries which are based on those kind of melodies
forunately(again), they are incorporated well here that it doesn't remind me of earlier mentioned music at all. And I liked this song from the start and it just kept getting better. Chorus is really one of the best things I got out of this roulette, it is great to sing along. Also, there are some epic sounding tight riffs, very melodic and catchy stuff. That guitar solo is nice, too. I like how it's very classic sounding, like it could be in some older hard rock/heavy metal song. Will definitely check out more of Myrath, I'm really glad I was wrong about them.
9/10STANDINGS:1. Shadow Ninja 2.0 - 64 + 1 = 65
2. Train of Naught - 63.5
3. Elite - 63.00001
4. Parama - 63
4. twosuitsluke - 63
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6. home - 62.5
7. Evermind - 61.5
8. Luoto - 61
9. Sacul - 59.5
10. Scorpion - 58
You have realized 5 of you are advancing to the EP round, I just couldn't tweak the points to eliminate someone of you
I'm sure in my scoring this time, can't give anyone 0.5 more or less.