It would seem that I'm glad I got eliminated when I had the chance. 
I was looking forward to all the dad rock you had in mind
I apologize for these taking so long, thought I'd have time since I've done rounds before while being out, but didn't plan my shit well. So, have your results!
Parama:
The Ocean -
Stenian (Mount Sorrow)I remember having checked out this record some years ago but didn't get too far into it before dropping it. So let's see, was this worth it? Well, kinda. I like the beginning, it's pretty chill and sets up the main melodies before the heaviness slowly builds up.
The riff that breaks in kinda remind me of those in Obscure Sphinx's Void Mother - in fact the song at this point stikes me as similar to that album but of course doing something different, mostly on the atmosphere and the vocals. Which I don't find any interesting tbh, this songs wouldn't work as instrumental so I think it's just this singer that does nothing to me, his performance doesn't convince me.
Riffs are just... ok I guess? The guitars don't do anything particularly interesting here unlike the cool strings (they are that right?) that I wished were more prominent on the mix and had a bigger role in the songwriting. So yeah, Paramacore doesn't seem to work on me most of the time sadly.
3/5home:
OWEL -
All I'll Ever KnowYou're right, this band share many similarities with TDH, which for many would be a great attractive. But since I am not floored by Casey's music, the appeal won't get me from that place. And I guess it's alright? The chorus is ok, I like the instrumentation on it, but it's mostly the vocal melodies that I find fairly boring tbh, just not engaging for me. The rest of the song just feels like a bunch of fills between each chorus, with no real merit on their own - not bad, but they aren't of any particular interest. Maybe it's just that this band is too attached to their influences, for this is just a nice song that doesn't strike me a anything more than that.
3/5Train of Naught:
Mechina -
On the Wings of Nefeli"What do you get when you mix sci-fi/space sounding atmospheres with deathmetal, djent and Two Steps From Hell-like orchestration?" says your review on RYM, and in my case, I'd answer that while it's an original combination, in the end, it's just a mix of things I'm not fond of (except sci-fi atmospheres ofc), and the sum of them isn't very appealing either. The drumming is boring and predictable, guitar work is only interesting at times when it's glitchy, I don't care about the growls at all. The breakdowns are pretty nice actually, mostly the last section of the song. Sadly it ends in a transition with the next song, which is always annoying for roulette purposes.
3/5kingshmegland:
This Day and Age -
More of a climb, less of a walkSo this is like proggy Indie Rock, kinda? One thing that annoys me from this genre (and from a lot of 2000s music) is the lack of good pacing and balance, with the singer overwhelming the song, almost never shutting up. Only does so at the end for a pretty cool ending, but really, I don't like this approach that many bands take, rushing into different parts of the song without any sort of good progression not instrumental breaks. Besides that, it's got some nice melodies yeah, but, I dunno, I don't feel this is any special at all, really. You said this was the band before The Reign of Kindo - dunno which members remain from this or if it was just a comparison, but I think I just prefer the latter.
+3/5Elite:
White Moth Black Butterfly -
EvelynThis record seemed to be all over the place last year, which is weird because I haven't heard of these guys before (seems I have one of their albums wishlisted tho, huh). Anyway, to the song: it's kind of weird, with the strings and the operatic vocals around the middle not really fitting with the rest of the song, kinda like having a guest sax solo in a song - sure it's cool, but had it been better integrated in the songwriting, would have yielded better results. The main two singers make a nice duo, taking turns to sing and harmonizing together.
I find the chorus fairly mediocre tho, just bland melodies all over it. Atmosphere is quite nice, I like the strings, but I'm not sure if the drums should have had such presence in the mix - it's not doing anything remarkable so it doesn't hurt too much.
So, uh, yeah, this was ok. They have a style and I always appreciate that, but I think the songwriting here is pretty weak, with cool ideas that could have been better executed.
3.5/5ariich:
The Cat Empire -
Song For The DayI have a kind of allergy to ska, because of all the lame national bands here that are played on TV and radio. This seems a bit more interesting, with some reggae influences, and even some jazzy vibes. And... it's ok, I mean, it doesn't feel like something you'd put other than for background. It's got some cool melodies and there isn't something I particularly dislike about it, just that maybe I'm burnt on this kind of music and this doesn't offer something so different enough to appeal me.
3.5/5Tomislav95:
Kaddisfly -
CampfireI think I saw Parama saying this was El Cielo but better, and while I can hear the similarities in style, this is certainly different. From this track I don't perceive as much diversity or experimentation as dredg put on that record, bearing more similarities to normal 2000s alternative rock yet still having a sound of its own. For instance, the singer's voice and style don't strike me as unique, but the use of samples and piano give this more personality.
Anyways, comparisons aside, this was a solid track. The chorus is quite catchy and memorable, and guitars don't do anything special most of the time except on those calmer bits which are nice. It's a well-paced and balanced piece, and... just that. Sure I like the ending and the breaks, but nothing here felt really outstanding. But I'm still curious about this album so I guess I'll give it a try anyway.
3.5/5Kattoelox:
Chris Joss -
Tune DownOh yeah this is definitely not djent at all
. This is some pretty cool downtempo music like what I've been digging lately, kinda reminds me a bit of Air and Royksopp. The bass is simple and groovy, beats don't anything special, but work, and those guitars are pretty cool. It's a little weird that this song feels like it ended at around the middle, only to resume things again, which was kind of an awkward choice. I like the little jam vibes from this. So yeah, this is nothing groundbreaking but it's pretty cool and appeals me so I'll check this album, I love me some chill music.
4/5Evermind:
Bjorn Riis -
DisappearSeems this is from a solo album by Airbag's leader, nice. Never listened to them as I've heard of the Pink Floyd worship, and it quite shows here. As you mentioned, quite some similarities to Gilmour's On An Island because it's a very atmospheric, calm and guitar-centered song with some strings, but I don't mind since this got a bit of personality. I really like the buildups and the emotions here. His voice isn't the most interesting one so am glad the instrumentation is the focus.
So yeah, lovely atmosphere and great melodies, wished it had a bit more of a progression on the structure, but overall I like it quite a bit.
+4/5Nekov:
Leech -
Silent State OptimizerI'll admit this has been quite a grower for me, went from not caring at all for this song to enjoying it a lot. Maybe it's because, for the most part, it's subtle and low, feeling like part of a soundtrack. Yet what won me was how engaging the whole thing feels, like a little journey instead of just a collection of nice sections with no progression at all.
It's quite easy on the ears, I love the soft piano and guitar work - so easy it feels not long at all despite clocking at 8:36 mins. I love the climax starting at the seventh minute, the synth work and the background sounds are very nice.
So despite having a few musical ideas that are repeated over and other with just enough progression, it somehow works for me.
+4/5Bolsters:
Perturbator -
VantablackWell this is almost cheating - only reason I didn't ban this was because, although I love Hotline Miami and Perturbator's songs are some of my favorites on it, haven't checked his stuff yet (apart from the song 'Humans are an easy prey' or something, which is rad). So yeah, this has got some damn good beats, very catchy and make me tap my feet on the floor - when a song gets a physical reaction out of me, you know it's a good tune (unless I cringe, which naturally occurs when exposed to power metal). Maybe I just like electronic music a lot these days. I love the synths here, so layered and rough, and his vocals are simple but very effective. Synth Pop / Wave is something I should definitely check out more of, because what I know it's excellent, like this track.
4.5/5
Positions
ariich +22.5
Bolsters +22.5
Elite 22.5
tomislav95 22
Evermind 22
Nekov 22
Parama +21.5
kingshmegland +21.5
Train of Naught +20.5
Katteolox +20
home 20
Some nice shifts in the standings, fellas. ariich is starting to lose the lead, so there's still hope for several players to get a chance to get into the final EP round. Send within the next 48 hours, I promise faster results now that I'm by myself.
Topic: Sacul's controversial roulette v3. Less frustration™️, A REAL WINNER AT LAST!!!! (Read 76358 times)