ROUND 1 RESULTS10 points: Parama
fun. – Be CalmDidn’t expect to receive anything like this. I like the quirkiness of it.I was in a school choir when I went to high school and once we sang Some Nights by these guys. It was by and far my least favourite song we had practiced, for most of the arrangement we used consisted of WOOO-OAH WOAH WOO-OOAH ad infinitum.
I have to admit: I like the accordion. The instrument. This song feels almost a piece from a musical. The instrumentation is well, fun (
) and the track goes from minimalistic ballad to My Chemical Romance-y rock. This came completely out of the left field, and I never would’ve expected an artist that has had an #1 hit this decade would win a round in this roulette, but here we are.
9 points: Kattelox
Amorphis – The Bee
Had to dust off the ol’ air guitar for this one. Great blend of heavy and melodic. This band I could’ve banned and will definitely ban after this round.Amorphis has definitely been on my radar. I’d have Black Winter Day on a regular rotation for a while and that is one of the catchiest metal songs ever. This one is however much more recent. I think I’m most interested in their two first and Tomi Joutsen-era albums.
This song is seriously good anyways. I haven’t really had an opinion on Tomi’s vocals before, but his growls are damn good. Especially the long loooow growls. The melodic hook and staccato riff behind it kinda feels like a flying bee. I also really like when they kick into a higher gear after the chorus and rise the key.
8 points: Stadler
The Panic Channel – Teahouse of the Spirits
Up-tempo and in-your-face, I quite like this.This one certainly doesn’t daddle around, it kicks around and keeps the intensity up all the way through. It’s also catchy enough it would’ve deserved radio play. Based on this song I agree that they should’ve been bigger. Reminds me of Foo Fighters except it’s good.
7 points: Lethean
Threshold – Light and SpaceA good track, but I’m not sure if it’s that memorable in long term. I’m not sold yet on the vocals.This is all-around really solid prog track, I get some FII vibes for some reason, the keyboard sound on solo reminds me of some lead sounds Derek uses on that album. The chorus is really beautiful. It ends a bit too suddenly.
6 points: Puppies_On_Acid
The Human Abstract – A Violent StrikeThis is dancing on the line of getting overly proggy for my tastes, but thankfully never crosses it.Well… this is all over the place. But not in a bad way. There is a lot happening and while I am not sure every piece fits, they hammer them into place with raw power.
5 points: Sacul
Porcupine Tree – Blackest Eyes
I’ve heard one album from this band and I didn’t like it, but that was a long time ago. Great riff here, but do heavier parts really mesh with rest of the song?The album in question is Fear of the Blank Planet, in case you were wondering. I love the title track on that one, but didn’t really like the rest.
That main riff is badass. They should’ve built this song around it. Though the contrasts between alt metal and upbeat late 90s rock and the positive sounding music and dark lyrics are intriguing.
4 points: TAC
Hole - Violet
My hatred towards the person behind this band makes it hard for me to be impartial. It’s decent, but the chorus is repeated one or two times too many.Well it is really energetic alright. It doesn’t ask any questions or your permission. Maybe it’s a little too repetitive and lays all its cards on the table in the beginning but I still liked it more than I expected.
3 points: Train of Naught
Orphaned Land – The Cave
The band is definitely talented, and I can appreciate that, but this just isn’t really my thing.Two words: culture shock. I’m not too big on the Oriental/Middle Eastern stylings to begin with and then those stringed instruments and choir vocals… it was too weird to take in. Still, I’m starting to get its appeal. I like the hints of extreme metal. OK it’s kinda big and pompous, I almost get some Eurovision vibes (
) and I feel it goes on for a little too long, but in the end it’s a good song.
2 points: senecadawg2
Thrice – Broken LungsThis sounds like a band I might be interested in, but this particular song didn’t really do anything to me.I like the verses of this song, but I don’t really feel like the chorus or the outro works. The lyrics are also a bit heavy-handed, I'm not big on conspiracies myself. Still, I like what they’re doing musically although this song didn’t strike a chord and might be interested in checking more of their stuff out.
1 point: MoraWintersoul
Nightingale – Nightfall OvertureWhile I generally like this, it could use a vocalist with a bit more powerful voice. They get more into the spirit of things towards the end though.Apparently there’s two versions of the song; this is the newer recording. It starts out promising, I like the verses and the guitar melody preceding them. However, I would’ve wanted a bigger chorus after a quite long build-up. After that it goes a bit off the rails for me for I don’t like the piano melody. Also, I think the vocalist seems to be holding a bit back until the third verse and I wish he’d sang the whole song with same intensity.
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Topic: Ruba's Roulette II v. Final results! (Read 39502 times)