I've never won a roulette and I don't plan to start now
Then I have good news for you.
FINAL RESULTSThird place here:
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2479328#msg2479328--------------------------------------------------------------------------
RUNNER UP: Parama
Xanthochroid – Blessed He With Boils (2012)First impression: This has some amazing stuff. Not yet sure what I think about how it all fits together yet.
Final opinion: Thank you for contributing to my education in black metal (along with Puppies’ Enslaved submission from round 2). I mean, there’s clearly a range of ideas here, but black metal seems to be at the core of it all. This is a very cool album, in a schizophrenic sort of way. There’s quite a variety of styles and influences, and the way it all fits together doesn’t always quite work for me (most songs have bits I love and bits I’m not so keen on), but it’s never jarring enough to stop this being a strong album overall. And I love how cinematic it is at times, the use of choirs, strings and other effects creating a great atmosphere and some brilliant moments. I also like how they utilise a wide range of vocal styles. There are a few individual parts that are slightly derivative (bits of the title track sound like pure Opeth, for example) but not enough to stop the album from feeling fairly original. It’s all solid stuff, and very impressive for a debut.
Score: 8.0
fun. – Aim And Ignite (2009)First impression: This is really great, right up my alley but not like anything else this roulette. Reminds me of a couple of other bands but pretty different at the same time.
Final opinion: I listened to Be Calm as part of your EP which beat me in t’other Rich’s roulette and loved it, so I wondered if you’d be brave enough to send me stuff like this. Really glad you did as it’s a great album! Very different to anything else you’ve sent in the roulette (or anyone else really). Be Calm is definitely a highlight but there are a lot of other really strong songs as well. They have a pretty unique style. There are moments that remind me of Queen’s poppy years, and others that sound like a more chilled out Foxy Shazam. Not every track is killer but they’re all at least good fun, and some are great. And in general I love the upbeat, quirky and occasionally theatrical vibe they do a great job of. This also wins the award for Most Appropriate Band Name.
Score: 8.5
Variety score: 4.0/5In most regards these two albums are clearly very different. One is dark, heavy metal while the other is fun (lol) upbeat pop. Tonally they couldn’t be more different, so definitely a high variety score. The reason it scores just a half point lower than Luke and Train is that there’s something in the way the music is constructed that feels kinda similar to me. I fully appreciate this might just be the way I approach music and everyone else may disagree, but for all the differences, both albums are quite dynamic, theatrical, quirky even, and bring together a range of styles and influences.
Total score = 8.0 + 8.5 + 4.0 = 20.5So close and yet so far! A part of me would have loved the symmetry of you winning my roulette after I scraped through to victory in yours, but I’m nothing if not fair (and you pipped me to win Elite’s anyway, so I feel we’re even) and Train just edged ahead on subsequent listens. You sent me so much great music (your 8.5s in particular are pretty certain purchases) and have definitely got a better handle on my tastes. Semi finalist last time, finalist this time and with a 0.3 higher average rating. So you'll win next time right?
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WINNER: Train
Gunship – Gunship (2015)First impression: Probably the best thing I’ve heard in this specific genre.
Final opinion: According to RYM, I’ve listened to precisely zero synthwave albums. Even the wider label of synthpop, which seems to get applied to a lot of different stuff (Alan Parsons? Ulver?!) I’ve heard few albums within, and those that I’d consider vaguely close to Gunship in genre (i.e. not Ulver) I don’t normally rate highly. This is terrific, however. Great vibes - with a nice sense of energy yet really chill as well, and gorgeously atmospheric at times. Some of it reminds me of the poppy end of Everything Everything, in a good way. The Martin Grech collaboration caught me by surprise and I’m not sure his vocals 100% work, but it’s pretty interesting. There’s not a great deal of variety across the album, but there doesn’t need to be as it’s not a long album, and there’s enough to keep it engaging. And actually the consistency of style helps to keep it feeling coherent - it’s definitely a good album experience.
Score: 8.5
Slice The Cake – Odyssey to the West (2016)First impression: This is damn epic. Takes elements of two particular bands I like and fuses them together well. I dig it.
Final opinion: Good lord, this is intense. You described it as “deathcore” which sounded a bit scary although I don't know what it actually means. I’m not sure it’s as heavy as Parama was making out though. I mean, a lot of it is pretty damn heavy, but there’s nothing here that is heavier than some stuff I listen to. Indeed there are a whole load of moments that remind me of a cross between Between the Buried and Me and The Human Abstract. And in terms of balance, ok I do find it gets a bit much in some stretches that are very full-on, but when that happens, it’s inevitably not long before a melodic or even calm section appears and provides the necessary reprieve. In addition to the heaviness, it’s also narratively intense as well. But despite it occasionally getting a bit much (and the album length doesn’t particularly help in that regard), it’s really well balanced overall - good mix of calm moments, clean heavy sections, harsh but still melodic stuff, and then yeah the manic intense stuff, particularly as the album reaches its emotional climax and the character seems to lose his mind. It’s an incredibly immersive and cathartic experience, and the quality is consistently very high throughout.
Score: 8.5
Variety score: 4.5/5I think to get a 5/5 here, the Gunship would have needed to have been ambient electronica with no vocals. So you weren’t that far off! But yeah these are as different as any roulette submissions really. One is heavy, intense, aggressive, with huge mood swings and really focused on organic sounds. The other is chilled, atmospheric, consistent in tone, very synthy, and generally rather pleasant. Pretty much nailed the theme!
Total score = 8.5 + 8.5 + 4.5 = 21.5So there we have it - congrats on the victory, you are now bathed in glory forever. There wasn't a huge amount in it in the end, but you did enough. And you do have the highest average score of the roulette, plus the only person to hit 9/10 twice so this feels pretty deserved. Good tactical play as well, holding back some of your strongest stuff for the knockouts! Thanks for all the awesome music and also for totally getting into the spirit of sending me such varied and unusual stuff all with such high quality. I had no idea what to expect when starting this roulette in terms of who would do well, but you dominated from early on and managed to hold on. All hail the great Train of Naught!
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The end Thanks again to all 18 people who participated, and also those who didn't but followed and joined in with comments etc. I loved my last album roulette and if anything this one turned out even better after learning from the mistakes of the past in terms of how I set it up. So much fantastic music, and I found it a lot of fun as well.
Here's the final ranking:
1. Train of Naught
2. Parama
3. Luoto
4. twosuitsluke
5. LordCost
6. TAC
7= Lethean
7= jingle.boy
7= Puppies_On_Acid
7= Sacul
11. Kattelox
12= Elite
12= Evermind
12= kingshmegland
12= Nekov
12= romdrums
17= Indiscipline
17= Stadler
And a reminder, it anybody wants to send me additional post-roulette submissions to check out, rate and report back on, I'll be happy to do so. I've got some on my list already. I'll also do another roulette sometime next year, so you can of course hold stuff back to send next time as well. But if you wanted to, say, send a couple of things you thought were too risky to test them out safely, this is your chance!
That's all folks! But I will keep this updated with post roulette submissions, and may also update with any catalogue exploring that I do on my favourite submissions, like last time. I might also post some more fun stats, because I'm cool like that.
Topic: ariich’s new album roulette, v. totally mad (The End Again: post-roulette Train) (Read 79114 times)