Apologies for the delay. There were some very high highs and very low lows this round. While I finally go lay down in a dark room for a while, you can send for round 3 (4 to some of you
). This was a really interesting round with some very noteworthy artists for me to check out after this is over. I'll update the first post's round links and scores and add these to the banned list. And I apologize if you strongly disagree with my views.
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1. The Antlers - Hospicesent by Tomislav952009; indie rock/post rock/dream pop
This is a special album. It's just a delight. I think there is a theme or concept given some recurring motifs, something about someone with a disease. I haven't had time to really dig into it, but even without that in mind, this is just full of beautiful music. Wispy, ethereal sounds from the opening really set the tone for the album and it's like that until the final fadeout. I love the vocals. I'm not familiar with much music in this style, so forgive me, but at times he sounds similar to Cat Stevens particularly in the final track, and other times he gives me a Caleb Followill (Kings of Leon) vibe, in the more upbeat songs like Bear or Two. There's a KoL vibe in other ways, with upbeat or happier sounding songs, but they're all really kind of sad. Two is a good example of this, kind of a poppy vocal melody and guitar strumming, but the keyboards underneath give it a special melancholy vibe. It's incredibly emotional and feels honest and organic, but it's not overwhelming at all. Man, this is good. I really hope their other albums are similar to this. Very strong comeback, Tomi. I love this album.
9.5/10FAVORITE TRACKS: Sylvia, Two, Epilogue
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2. Kepler Ten - Delta-Vsent by jingle.boy2017; progressive rock
DAMN!! jingle knows his stuff. This is killer all around. It's not super heavy but rocks hard, it's got great hooks and a really fun sound. This has been really good for me at the gym, really gets my blood pumping. I don't dislike anything about this, and I really like that they kept it simple, there's only 7 songs and only one over 10 minutes. This singer reminds me of a bunch of different people all at once, but he stands out as unique to me and complements the music perfectly. They know how to write a memorable chorus and have it stick in your head. I like how after just one listen I could immediately identify 5 of 7 tracks without trying. Killer keyboard patches, I especially like the short-lived lead synth towards the end of Swallowtail and the electronic drums on The Shallows. Really hard to pick favorite tracks for this one because the whole thing is a joy to listen to, and I honestly have no complaints or quibbles. I don't mean to jynx you, jingle, but keep it up...
9.5/10FAVORITE TRACKS: Time and Tide, The Stone, The Shallows
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3. Sigur Rós - Takksent by Sacul2005; post-rock
I have another album by Sigur Rós, whose name I'm too lazy to find and copy/paste, but it wasn't as enjoyable as this. This is like the soundtrack to a nice dream I want to stay in. I really, really liked this. The warm synth pads make me feel ways, and Jonsi's vocals are always pleasant. I just wish I knew the language, or that the lyrics were in English, so I could tell if they were as pretty as the music itself. The use of bells is always a plus, the gentle twinkling adds so much to the vibe. It's never in a hurry, which I like, and slowly builds into this wall of sound that pulls up some emotions in me. Sœglópur (no copy paste! I remembered how to type one of the tracks!) kind of sums up everything I love about this record and really shows off what I like in this realm of music. I also got really high to this album which I think is a requirement for maximum effect, but I'm also the kind of person who wants an artist to go for maximum beauty or emotional response in their music as opposed to trying to fit a certain mold, and I've been sleeping on Sigur Rós. This album makes me want to curl up into a ball on the couch and drift lazily into sleep. The *only* reason it's not a 9.5 is because I just don't understand Icelandic.
9.0/10FAVORITE TRACKS: Glósóli, Sœglópur, Andvari
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4. Kris Kristofferson - Kristoffersonsent by Stadler1970; country
Well, well, well. The oldest submission yet - this album is 48 years young. I have very much been into older music like this lately, and I'm pleasantly surprised with this. Blame It On The Stones was a bit of a weird opening and didn't really prepare me for the rest of the album. It's like a time machine when you focus on some of these lyrics (like Blame It On The Stones) and I wonder how this was received when it first came out. There's something relaxing about this. It's no busier than it has to be, it feels honest and real, but most importantly, the lyrics actually mean things and tell a story! That makes a huge impact on the quality of the music. Bland or unmemorable lyrics only hurt a song, not help, and I like Kristofferson's voice. The combination of the two on 'To Beat the Devil' makes that one of my favorites. Mixing spoken word with sung vocals, I tend to associate that with this style of music and it's so good. I wish the entire album was like that song. Kind of like Seasick Steve, but less... inebriated. I know next to nothing about Kris Kristofferson, but if the rest of his albums are along these lines, consider me a fan. You've suggested this album to me more than once, Stadler, but I'm really happy I finally heard this and loved it. I've thrown this in my playlist of Randy Newman, Neil Young, Cat Stevens, etc. and it fits like a glove.
9.0/10FAVORITE TRACKS: To Beat The Devil, Just the Other Side of Nowhere, Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
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5. Phideaux - Number Sevensent by Evermind2009; progressive rock
This one really came out of nowhere - I've never heard of Phideaux and have never seen a mention of it anywhere. But here we are, this album is 9 years old and just now gracing my ears. What a trip! It's proggy, it's adventurous, it's memorable... and it's not taxing at all. It explores other soundscapes than simply distorted guitars, wacky drum fills and nebulous lyrical themes. There's some truly interesting stuff here but it all works. Even the long songs - the second tracks is 19 minutes, and another is 14 - are quality and don't get boring or tedious. In fact, those are two of my favorites here, proving that a long song can be great if it's inspired enough. I love the focus on keyboards and non-traditional rock or metal instruments and the little repeated musical motifs like in Waiting For The Axe To Fall. The stuff about the "Dormouse" as it's written and Thermonuclear Cheese is a bit strange, but doesn't put me off. This is some pretty inventive stuff and I want to hear more. Kind of hard to describe exactly what this music is because it's all over the place but not obnoxiously so. I think this is the most unique submission this round and doesn't offend my tastes in any way. Good stuff, dude.
8.5/10FAVORITE TRACKS: Waiting For The Axe To Fall, The Search For Terrestrial Life, Love Theme From "Number Seven"
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6. Haken - Affinitysent by ariich2016; progressive metal
I'm actually familiar with the album that precedes this, The Mountain. I haven't heard it in a couple years but I remember enjoying most of the music but was very put off by Ross's voice and the dreadful lyrics. Unfortunately the same applies to this album. This album seems to have a theme about robots and computers and... For all the hype this band gets this is a pretty generic concept not helped out by the emotionless lyrics and a simply average singer. If they revamped those two things, this album would be fantastic. The instrumental sections are on the other hand brilliant. 1985 has such an awesome vibe going for it right around the 7 minute mark, a very Ayreon or Time Requiem vibe to the duelling keyboards and guitars and I just love it. I love the riffs, the great bass solo on The Architect, can't say there's much about the drumming that stands out but major props to the keyboardist for setting the mood just right and having the shreddy chops to match the guitars. Sometimes I think the songs are too long and fall into the stereotypical prog metal problem of doing too much but they're a lot more concise than other bands trying to play with massive concept albums. I think the first half if stronger than the second, but after a few listens, I think this is way stronger than The Mountain, and a very good album, but could be fantastic with a good singer and a completely different approach to lyrics. I like that the ending ties in with the beginning. I bet there's a message in the code. Much nuggetz, so prog.
8.5/10FAVORITE TRACKS: 1985, Lapse, Bound by Gravity
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7. Huntsmen - American Scrapsent by Parama2018; post-metal
A brand new album released not even two months ago. This strikes me as rainy day metal. Yeah, it's loud, but it's dreary as all get out, and the album art really conveys the tone of the album: gray, miserable, a little dirty. The guitars have a filthy sound to them. But I really enjoy moments like the start of Canary King with isolated vocals and drawn out pauses, then... a dirty, crunchy barrage of really dirty guitar sounds. The songs all have a groove they get comfortable with, sometimes evolve a little bit, but they always come back to this dismal atmosphere which they do so well. The interludes are nice instrumental treats bookending a great song in Atlantic City which I think sums up the album well. It has a little bit of everything. The Barrens and The Last President do a great job of closing out the album: The Barrens is intense and speedy, but The Last President opens with these lovely female vocals and soft guitars before going into this simple yet powerful instrumental section to close the album. A bleak album that has both spacey and intense vibes and it does it all well, but the back half is where it shines. Good stuff, Parama.
8.5/10FAVORITE TRACKS: Atlantic City, The Barrens, The Last President
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8. Karnivool - Sound Awakesent by home2009; progressive rock
There were moments I really liked on this album, like the end of New Day where everything gets to breathe, but overall I didn't get much of a response from this album. It's good music, but even after three spins I can't really recall much about it, and I find that weird. I enjoy it while it's on, but when it ends, I find it almost impossible to differentiate the songs from each other because there isn't much that makes each song stand out. I suppose it'll grow over time. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad and I certainly don't dislike it, but it's hard to come up with thoughts on something that doesn't leave much of an impression. I want to check out more by this group because I have a feeling this is a case of me just listening to the 'wrong' album. I think backloading the album with two very long tracks was a mistake because those are the ones they seem to let loose on and really show who they are, but you have to make it through all the other tracks first. Although there weren't any lyrics that stuck with me, there's a chill vibe to this group that has me intrigued, so while this didn't really blow my mind, I'm certainly more interested in following them now.
7.5/10FAVORITE TRACKS: The Caudal Lure, Deadman, Change
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9. Redemption - The Fullness of Timesent by Lethean2005; progressive metal
Ray Alder is good, and he was noteworthy as I made my way through Fates Warning's discography, but this was unfortunately a big disappointment that he can't save. This is prog metal by the numbers, very reminiscent of Symphony X but without much charisma, emotion, or identity. It's unwise to backload a 50 minute album with 2 songs that make up 37 minutes of said album, particularly when the title track sounds as pompous as it is (The Fullness of Time, Pt. IV: Transcendence), Sapphire is too long on its own, and there are some really awkward melodic/lyrical choices, like in Pt. I: Rage, instead of "down every darkned avenue" which would make a strong rhyme, they go with "every darkened street" and ends in a very weak cadence. The whole album suffers from that, and even in the first song one of my musical pet peeves rears its head - the 6/8 time signature "kick, kick, k-kick kick" drum beat that every band abuses. After a few listens I went back and just poked at random places throughout the album and it's all very one note. There isn't one strong riff here except for Threads, and even that is a bit rote. To me one of the biggest offenders is that the lyrics are predictable and uninspired, generic stuff about being confused or bland interpretations of emotions - to quote Futurama, you can't just tell the audience how you feel! That makes me feel ANGRY! This wasn't terrible, but just so I'm not entirely negative, I do enjoy the keyboard sounds, the crunch of the guitar, and Ray Alder is certainly my favorite part of this record despite the lyrical quibbles, but I much prefer him in Fates Warning. You seriously impressed me with Coal, but this took no risks that would've helped given it some personality. I have a feeling they have way stronger albums than this. And although you don't care about scores, I have faith you'll come back next round... right?
6.5/10FAVORITE TRACKS: Threads, Parker's Eyes, Scarred
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10. Moonsorrow - Verisäkeetsent by Puppies_On_Acid2005; folk metal
Oh, Puppies, I hope you're bracing yourself. I was so happy when I heard Sieges Even because I expected a lot more along those lines. I gave plenty of warnings, I gave you two chances to pick a better album, and you stuck with it, even after I had already heard some stuff by these guys. Well... I don't have much good to say about this album, honestly. There are five songs - three of them are 14 minutes or longer, one is almost 20, and the other is 8. This entire album is one note until the final track, and it's a real chore to listen to. Insane drumming, guitars that go too far with the gain, boring riffs, and a singer who tempted me every second he was present to turn off the album. The only parts of this album I enjoyed where the very brief folky moments without any metal music. The last track is actually enjoyable with the clean singing and ambient sounds, but that is the only enjoyable part of this. The vast majority of the album is one tedious soundtrack to a nightmare I just can't wake from. Everything about this style of metal rubs me the wrong way, and I've heard a lot of it. I once dated a girl with whom I had to travel to many a folk metal concert for bands just like Moonsorrow, and the genre has become laughably trite in my opinion. The growling is not fun and... well, I've already bashed the album to hell, so you know. I'm not sure if you thought this would somehow change my mind or if it was simply payback for my reception to Tool, but man, I was really hoping you'd send something better than this. It's a shame that the only good thing about this album is the part that isn't even music. Sorry, man, but I honestly struggle to even rate this as high as it does - any lower feels unnecessarily harsh since we aren't doing eliminations. I have faith in your next pick however, and you still have plenty of time to make a comeback...
5.0/10* * *
Scores
1. jingle.boy - 27.5
2. Stadler - 26.0
3. home - 25.5
3. Evermind - 25.5
3. ariich - 25.5
3. Sacul - 25.5
7. Parama - 25.0
8. Tomislav95 - 24.0
9. Lethean - 23.5
10. Puppies_On_Acid - 19.5
Topic: Kattelox's Album Roulette - Party Time! Excellent! v. FIN (Read 108237 times)