Round 6 ResultsTrain of Naught – Artificial Language – These Aren’t MiragesFirst Impressions:So this is another case where I have listened to this album before, fairly recently, no more than a month ago I think. I remember finding it pretty decent but I dunno if it really caught my interest. Anyways this is a good chance for me to make up my mind, I guess. There’s kind of like, a neoclassical kind of sound in the guitar work it feels like? It’s a sound I can kind of dig sometimes but it can become repetitive and samey really quick, regardless of the chops the musicians have. The vocals being more in line with a lot of modern prog does feel a bit weird though but it’s not necessarily something I’m against. I also feel like for a three and a half minute song this is kind of repetitive too, there’s a lot of the same stuff going on, especially that one piano line. I do think this is an interesting mix of styles and there’s potential here but on first listen (well, second listen I guess) I am finding this leaving me cold.
The technical chops are the what stands out the most here, there’s skill here but it’s melodic enough and not just mindless shred like a lot of bands devolve into. That’s like, the only notably positive comment I have for now though lol whoops.
Final Thoughts:So. I am definitely just not seeing something everyone else is seeing in these guys, given how much love they seem to be getting around here recently (and with the secondary judge giving them top points – spoilers btw). I mean, this is an alright enough song.
There’s actually a lot of elements I do like. There’s pretty decent atmosphere and swell in parts of this song, a symphonic thing going on in the background alongside some big chords giving a nice full sound that I really like. And the bass, whenever it shines through, has some cool licks going on, holds a decent groove. The vocals mesh well with the backing instrumentation too, pretty decent singer.
But I hate. HATE. The tone of the piano in this song. It’s just so ungodly twinkly and completely clashes with the rest of the song. It feels like it was superimposed on a much less flashy song just to give it some prog cred, and it mostly plays the one melody over and over, even when the song slows down. The guitar is kind of guilty of this too, the lead guitar tone also feels really out of place among the rest of the elements in the song.
I highly suspect this song was written without all those lead parts and they were added in later, and I can’t fathom why. Because take out those elements and I would like this a lot more than I do, but those elements and the complete disparity between the leads (which are given front and center presence in the mixing, much to my dismay) and the rest of the much, much more interesting instrumentation going on in the background is just a gap that I cannot bridge.
It almost makes me want to devolve into some tirade about “forced progginess” that has been something that’s really exhausted me lately, because there’s just no reason to ruin a good song just to show off some technical skill. Like honestly even if the leads weren’t so repetitive and the tones so out of place, what they’re playing just doesn’t interest me much. And they drown out the better parts of the song because of some wholly incompetent or misguided mixing.
This song just. Severely frustrates me, to the point where I’ve written both the longest first impression and the second longest final thoughts section on it, despite it being the shortest song of the entire round. I want to like this, I really do, and there is a lot here I do like but the elements I dislike far outweigh the ones I do, especially given their prominence in the song. So it basically just ends up being not for me in the slightest, because what the appeal of this song is obviously intended to be is the last thing I want to listen to in the song itself.
5.5/10 Bolsters – MØ - Red in the GreyFirst Impressions:Ahh, Moe. I know her from like, that one hit song a year or two ago and basically nothing else. I can say right away that this is kind of tending towards the overly electronic side of pop that doesn’t tend to do as much for me, but we’ll see I guess.
It’s the kind of song where it’s a bit hard for me to really comment much on first listen though – mildly enjoying it but I don’t get a whole lot out of it either. That’s really about all there is to say for now.
Final Thoughts:This song has a few small hooks to it, but I don’t really know if it has a single large hook – there’s one synth line that’s pretty memorable, the first vocal melody of the verses is also kind of catchy and I swear sounds really similar to something I’ve heard before. I do think the chorus itself is a bit weak though, it sounds nice but there’s a surprising lack of any kind of hook.
That may be the thing, she sounds way more into the verses than the chorus, and while that makes the verses pretty good it does make the chorus a bit underwhelming when it drops. The bridge between the second verse and second chorus also has some decent atmosphere to it. And I guess there are some more intense vocals in the backdrop of the second chorus.
The thing about this song is that it’s just not very dynamic, and really doesn’t have a ton to it – a lot of layers of instrumentation, sure, but it’s relatively unchanging throughout the song’s runtime, with that one synth line coming in to fill up the spaces between vocal bits. And no other part of the instrumentation carries much weight. It all sounds okay enough, though yes a bit too electronic for my tastes, but it’s alright.
And that’s basically just the feeling I get towards this song as a whole. It’s alright. I vaguely like it but I don’t feel too strongly about any part of it beyond that. Can’t really complain about it when I’m listening to it but there’s plenty of other songs, even pop songs, that I’d prefer listening to instead.
6.75/10home – Bendik – ForsvinneFirst Impressions:Bit of an atmospheric/ambient intro there. If the song wasn’t as short as it was I’d be totally okay with that but it might be a little long of an intro for what is otherwise a sub-5 minute song. But I mean, okay. The synths are a bit… synthy for my tastes, I dunno how to describe it. The vocals are not what I was expecting though but I am also not complaining.
I like the vocals, they provide a lot of atmosphere by themselves and contrast nicely with the more energetic music behind them. I do kind of feel like I am waiting for this song to go somewhere, though it may be because it sounds kind of… muted in general. Like even when it’s building up it’s still palm-muted guitars and these bleepy synths. Okay, it does eventually hit something a bit more fleshed out though so, fair enough I guess. This is… okay but I feel like it’s a bit underwhelming.
Final Thoughts:It’s a bit difficult for me to really write about this because this is another case where, the song itself is pretty fine but I’m not sure what I can add beyond my first impression. I guess, the drumming is pretty diverse and basically drives the mood of the song, some more energetic but restrained parts, some more downbeat and chill parts, and some more intense parts near the end. It’s probably the instrument here that stands out the most.
This is another case where I wish they’d lay off the palm muting a bit or at least have a chunkier tone if they are going to go with as much muting as they do have. Even the very climax of the song feels like it could be a bit bigger and I feel like this more than anything else is the culprit.
That climax is pretty solid as a whole though, a nice amount of atmosphere and a ton of energy as well. It’s not exactly loud, this song is pretty mellow on the whole, but it’s enough for what the rest of the song is like.
This is definitely a case where I can say my feelings are mixed to somewhat positive, but it’s not a track that resonates with me very strongly and I don’t find it particularly memorable either, and in this case I’m not even sure what about it stands out enough to make it worth sending, but what do I know. I don’t know. I feel the potential for a better song is here but it’s definitely not met.
7/10Luoto – Cønstantine - Deep InsideFirst Impressions:Okay, can’t say I was quite expecting such a power metal-y vocalist for this song, especially considering how the rest of the music sounds. It’s a bit more jagged than standard prog metal but I guess the power metal vocals still work fine, it’s not that harsh or heavy of a song really, so. Fair enough yeah.
I do like the style of riff this goes for but I also kind of feel it doesn’t go far enough? Like this could be heavier and still work but it feels… restrained. Maybe so the vocals don’t feel too out of place, I guess. Beyond that it’s like, an okay prog metal song but it’s not really striking any chords too strongly with me on first listen.
Final Thoughts:There’s this really proggy, jagged riff they go for during the verses that I sort of feel is just, kind of botched. I think one thing a lot of prog bands don’t realize is that you can’t just write riffs in nonstandard time signatures, you have to make them actually have flow and groove and that riff just does… not. It sounds so awkward and there’s nothing for me to get into. When just the bass is playing it it sounds a bit better but it’s still kind of off. I think it’s because the riff ends with this weird descending 16th note thing that really just kills the flow. I dunno. The bridge also sticks to this jagged feel that just does nothing for me either.
The rest of the song is not like that, fortunately. The main riff that gets played throughout the song is pretty solid, though I kind of wish the palm muted strumming bits had a bit more power to them, it sounds kind of thin. The chorus starts off making me think they’re still continuing with some clunky riffing but no it comes together & sounds pretty cool. And the vocalist, while a bit weird for the sound this song is going for, is still pretty dang solid & has some cool moments (especially during the chorus).
I kind of don’t have much else to say about this one though. It’s a prog metal song with a style that should work for me that just doesn’t quite ever click. I don’t really mind listening to it but there’s not a lot here that stands out in a good way, it’s just okay. And… that’s it really.
7.25/10twosuitsluke – Set and Setting – EphemeralityFirst Impressions:Has guitars, 0/10. From the start though this is nice and atmospheric. Blackgaze-y even. Actually yeah that’s what this is isn’t it, cool, alright. So far this is instrumental too which? I think you said that actually it’s instrumental which I’m pretty okay with, sure. Somewhere along the line this transformed into distinctly more of a Isis- style post-metal song though and I might have missed where it did that. It makes for a solid combination of styles without really doing any of them in a particularly original way, but all at least pretty decent.
And it comes to a pretty decent climax based on the sludgier riff with some noisy guitar strumming seeping up into the mix for a pretty dense atmosphere, I can dig that, yeah. I am pretty on board with this though I can’t really say I “love” it either, it’s just, pretty solid.
Final Thoughts:I think if there’s one thing this song lacks that I’d like to have seen more of, it’s a real sense of intensity. The black metal parts are mostly pretty and don’t really have a lot of power behind them. They sound totally nice for what they are, certainly, but there’s not a ton of weight behind them. And the sludgier riffs have a strong groove to them but again not a ton of power. It’s all very nice-sounding but I can’t say I emotionally connect with it.
Also, as someone who is pretty neutral on harsh vocals a lot of the time… I kinda wish this song had some somewhere. Or vocals at all. I don’t know why but it just feels like this song is lacking without them. Could even be clean vocals like the Junius song in this round, it’d just be another layer adding to the atmosphere and frankly that’s great.
The atmosphere on this song is pretty consistently good throughout, I will definitely say that, the blackgaze bits are obviously very lush and dense but the transitional bit between the first few minutes and the sludiger rest of the song is pretty dense too and of course the climax does hit a pretty solid peak.
Another small nitpick is that, boy, do they really repeat that one riff a lot. I liked it a fair bit on first listen but its charm definitely wears off with how much it gets repeated in this song. It’s still a solid riff and still holds some decent groove but it’s so unchanging and takes up so much of the song… oh well.
On the whole I think I actually like this less than I did on first listen, but I still do think it’s a fairly solid track on the whole, just missing the intensity and maybe a bit of variation that would really make it click for me. And vocals. It’s missing those, I think it should’ve had those but whatever, I still enjoyed this regardless so all’s well that ends.
7.5/10Stadler – Judas Priest – Run of the MillFirst Impressions:When it comes to Judas Priest vs. Iron Maiden I have always generally preferred the latter, though I’ve never been a huge fan of either really. Dickinson’s style of vocals does a lot more for me, I guess. Though uhh. So far this doesn’t have anything to do with any Judas Priest I’ve ever heard, it’s way more in the vein of 70’s rock. Because apparently this is off their first album. Alright then! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t prefer this to the Judas Priest I’m more familiar with.
Also, I do genuinely appreciate how high the bass is in the mix here. It’s not an especially great groove but I can dig it and it’s great to have it driving the song as strongly as it does. But yeah this is absolutely not what I was expecting from this entry, yet I can’t say I mind it at all? It’s maybe a touch generic for the style but ehh.
Final Thoughts:Okay, yeah, that last bit is basically how this song has fared on relistens – it sounds totally fine but it really is lacking in any unique qualities especially for the era. Which makes this a solid enough song, sure, but leaves me without having much to say about it.
Hmm. I guess one thing is that the vocals are not really doing it for me, but they’re present in so little of the song that it’s a minor complaint at best. I guess also, the “chorus” sounds a bit disjointed and messy, the rhythm just doesn’t line up and leaves it feeling underwhelming and the start/stop nature doesn’t help.
I guess the one thing about this that really stands out is how bass-driven a lot of it is, which is certainly a positive quality. Though a lot of it is just one or two repeating bass grooves, but they’re absolutely solid grooves, and there’s still enough to like beyond that.
The climax is also pretty solid, all the instruments coming together with decent swell and the synth in the background providing another layer to the mix. And okay, the vocals here are pretty strong too. It doesn’t feel like the climax comes out of nowhere either, there’s a long instrumental build to it but the build itself isn’t boring or too drawn out. And if the payoff is decent then again there’s nothing to really complain about, it’s just solid.
It’s one of those cases where I can’t say I really love the track or anything but I do like it enough that I’d probably go back and relisten to it, though I doubt I’m going to be checking out any more Judas Priest after this.
7.5/10Tomislav95 – Oathbreaker – Second Son of R.First Impressions:So this is an album I actually did check out, like, twice I think. And I thought it was solid but didn’t really find it compelling enough to pick up. It’s kind of like… So Hideous but without the orchestra stuff that made that album more compelling? Though if I’m being honest I can’t say I really loved that album either, but it was nice enough. My first complaint here would be that the vocals are a bit loud in the mix, with how washed out the mix is I’d rather hear them blending in rather than somewhat drowning out the instrumentation. Oh okay and there are female vocals in here now too huh. Works for me.
This does sound nice enough and the atmosphere works pretty well, and I do like the female vocals when they appear. But it does kind of fail to stand out in any real way and that’s basically how I remember feeling about this album when I first listened to it too. Nice, but not memorable.
Final Thoughts:This had to contend with several other atmospheric metal songs this round (and this entire roulette) and compared to those, honestly, it’s less interesting and less satisfying in general. That’s not to say it isn’t good, because, I do like this for sure, yeah, but not much beyond that and I’ve already been given plenty of better options too. I actually remember this being one of the most well-liked tracks on this album in reviews I saw & if that’s the case then it’s no wonder this wasn’t really for me.
I do like the moments where they mix the intense black metal with the female vocals, rather than the harsh screams of the rest of the song. Those harsh vocals do borderline on kind of core-y sounding growls which I tend to shy away from. But the female vocals sound great and honestly way more intense too.
There’s a moment in the middle where the song slows down but stays heavy and I think that’s a solid change of pace, it’s still got the atmosphere and the power but there’s a bit more complexity to it than just blastbeats and dense, one-note riffing like the loudest parts of the song rely on. And there’s an entire minute near the end that’s just of standard cleaner stuff, I don’t really get much out of it at all but it sounds nice enough.
Like, I do like this, there’s some moments where it does get really intense and cool, but it never really clicked for me fully. Maybe it’ll hold up better on relisten, maybe not. For now though I’m not sure what more I can really say, it’s still pretty solid.
7.75/10