---ROUND 5 RESULTS---
IMPORTANT: Starting with this round, the number of points each ranking is worth has changed. There is now a 2 point gap between each ranking, rather than 1 point. See my post above for more info.
2nd Place 1st Place: Kattleox (+14 Points) [PERK USED: RANKING SWAP]
Lauri Porra
The Prisoner
First Impressions: Sounds like something that would be played at a little foreign cafe, or something. Can’t say I expected you to send something like this.
This is a nice little instrumental piece that’s well made, but I would have liked something a little more substantive. My favorite aspect of it is the ambient soundscape in the background, which gives me some strong Porcupine Tree vibes. It’s a bit of an odd fit with the rest of the instrumentation though, which is very jazzy and feels almost flamenco-influenced. The lead guitar work is quite good, and there’s a very subtle increase in the intensity of the performances towards the very end, which gives the song a noticeable climax without breaking away from its more laid-back mood. Going back to my comment about substance though, like with your Enya song, this feels a lot like a segue track to me, instead of a piece that really leaves an impact on me on its own. I feel that way about most short instrumentals, which may be a bit close-minded, but it is what it is. For short instrumental standards though, this was pretty good.
Dislocated
First Impressions: Completely different from the other song you sent this round, and much, much better. Very beautiful.
Wow. The atmosphere here is just beautiful. I really like songs that are sad and melancholy, yet still have a decent amount of upbeat energy to them. It’s a tough balance to get right, but this song nails it, with its soft instrumentation and somber chord progressions laid on top of a driving drum and bass beat. The fantastic main piano / guitar riff fits this theme perfectly; it’s sad, but it still has a lot of presence and power. I can’t think of a single instrument here that doesn’t work well. The strings are heart-wrenching and beautiful, and the bright synth that comes in towards the very end is a nice touch. There’s even an awesome bass solo thrown in there, and it… somehow doesn’t sound out of place at all? I’m super impressed by how well-made and evocative this song was. One of the best songs I’ve gotten this roulette, for sure.
Overall
Well, Dislocated was easily the best song I got this round. That song alone pretty much secured you a spot near the top, even though I’d rank The Prisoner somewhat near the bottom of all the individual tracks. There’s a big gap in quality between the two, and I would have liked a bit more consistency, but Dislocated was so good that it hardly matters.
1st Place 2nd Place: Cyril (+24 Points) [PERK USED: DOUBLE POINTS]
Cryptodria
Constituted
First Impressions: This definitely seems like the kind of metal I like. The calmer section was really nice, too.
This was a two-parter, and while there’s a tiny gap of silence between the two parts, they are very much a single piece, as you said. The first part is quite heavy, and in the way I like my heaviness, for the most part. There’s some great beefy guitar riffs, tight performances all around, and even a few quick bursts of zany lead guitar lines. The sound is great too; it’s got a nice raw and dirty aesthetic that’s clear without sacrificing punchiness or edge. The ending of this part suddenly gets quiet, and transitions super cleanly into the calmer second part. Even with the aforementioned small gap of silence, I liked that transition a lot. The majority of the second part is an atmospheric build up with an emphasis on clean guitars. The buildup is done very well, and this whole part has a really smoky, haunting vibe that I enjoyed a lot. If I had one complaint about this song, I’d say the heavier ending after this buildup could have been a little bit longer and more climactic, especially since it had such a long buildup to it. It’s good enough though, and as a whole I really enjoyed this song.
The Gods Of Epicurus
First Impressions: I actually found the cleaner parts of this song to be the most captivating.
Sound-wise this song isn’t too far removed from the previous one, so all my praises in that department carry over. The pacing is a bit different though; rather than keeping the calmer bits confined to a single section, they’re spread more evenly here and the song switches between them more frequently, which makes it feel a bit more dynamic, in a good way. My opinion hasn’t changed in that I still think the clean parts of this song are where it’s at its best. I really like the clean guitar work here, and the addition of clean vocals was a nice surprise. The heavier parts of this song aren’t quite as memorable as they were in Constituted, but there are some good bits for sure, especially the “I’ll take you down with me” part. That section is a nice climax, and the calmer part before it sets it up fantastically. I preferred this song to Constituted the first few listens, but as of now, I think it’s just a tiny bit inferior. They’re both quite good and very close in quality though.
Overall
This was the only band this round where I highly enjoyed both songs sent. The two songs are a bit similar to each other in sound, but the lack of variety is more than made up for in consistency. As such, this artist was the obvious winner among the group.
3rd Place: Sacul (+10 Points)
Bent Knee
In God We Trust
First Impressions: Seems very focused on the vocals, which I can’t say are bad, but I’m not sure if I personally enjoy them.
I’ve heard some stuff from this band before, and I even saw them live when they were opening for Haken and Leprous last year. I thought they were interesting, but even after listening to these two songs, I’m still not sure if they’re really for me. I think the biggest hurdle for me is the vocalist, which hurts me to say, because I think she’s actually doing a great job. Her delivery is passionate and genuinely emotional, and she hits all the notes fine… I’m just not really a fan of the shrill quality her voice has. That shrillness is very much present in this song, particularly in the latter half, and as much as I want to look past it, I can’t say it doesn’t hamper my enjoyment of the song somewhat. Anyways, the first half of this song is pretty solid. There’s some great-sounding vocal harmonies, the instrumentation ramps up and pulls back in intensity at the right moments, and the whole track has a very dramatic, emotional vibe to it. That emotion is really focused on in the second half, which is very repetitive, carried almost entirely by a looping sequence of vocal lines which become more desperate sounding over time. Repetitiveness aside, this probably would have worked fine for me if I enjoyed the vocals more, which as I’ve already gone over, I’m not that into. As a result, I liked the first half of this song, but the second half unfortunately gets a bit grating for me.
Being Human
First Impressions: Dramatic and dynamic. Still not sure if I’m sold on this band yet, but there’s potential here.
I’d say this was a decent improvement from the previous song. Like with that track, the dramatic emotion here feels quite genuine, and the lyrics about suicide (I think?) give the song more weight than it would have were they about like, fantasy or space or something. I also found the vocals here to be much easier to listen to. There’s some really interesting instrumentation towards the start of the song; the combination of guitars, strings, and keys that bursts in after the intro creates a really unique and captivating sound. I also liked the finale here a lot. That said, I feel like there’s something holding this song back from being truly great that I can’t really put my finger on. I do wish it were a bit longer; it feels like it’s over very quickly, and the last couple minutes are just an ambient soundscape. I don’t have much in the way of legitimate criticism here, but I can’t shake the feeling that this song had the potential to be even better.
Overall
This is a band that I want to like more than I do. Their sound is very unique, and I deeply admire them for taking progressive music in a very different direction than the vast majority of their contemporaries. That said, I’m still having difficulty enjoying some of the vocals, and something about their instrumentation and songwriting feels like it’s missing an ingredient that I need to really get into them. I enjoyed both of these songs decently well, but at the end of the day, I think I respect this band more than I actually enjoy listening to them.
4th Place: Ruba (+8 Points)
Glassjaw
Piano
First Impressions: This is very 90s-sounding, and not really in a good way.
Aesthetically, I just found this one to be pretty ugly. That doesn’t bother me if the song’s heavy or dark enough to back that ugliness up, but this didn’t really have either of those things. It sounds like it would fit in with a good amount of 90s alternative rock and grunge, and I can’t say I’m a fan of either of those genres. I didn’t really like the song of the stripped-back verses, and the vocalist sounds plain silly at some parts, especially before the finale at the end. That finale is pretty much the only part of this song I enjoyed, the rest I could do without.
Cosmopolitan Blood Loss
First Impressions: This had the energy that I was left wanting from the other song.
Piano obviously wasn’t my style, but this? This kicks ass. I love the heavy instrumentation and the supercharged energy that never lets up once in the song’s short but sweet runtime. There’s a great contrast between the verses, which are a relentless assault of aggressive guitars and drums, and the choruses, which are more on the melodic side. They’re very catchy, yet they still work perfectly with the song’s energetic vibe. I also need to mention the pummeling, noisy breakdown before the final chorus, which is just crazy. Like Cyril said, this was a total banger.
Overall
In case it wasn’t obvious, I thought Cosmopolitan Blood Loss was great, while I didn’t really like Piano at all. As such, my sum opinion of these two songs ends up being pretty average. I’m still not entirely sure what qualifies as post-hardcore music, but between Arcarsenal and Cosmopolitan Blood Loss, I think I prefer it when it’s on the heavier side.
5th Place: Nekov (+6 Points)
Subsignal
Where Angels Fear To Tread
First Impressions: Sounds very classic prog. That style isn’t usually too up my alley, but we’ll see if this grows on me.
I can’t say the classic prog rock-influenced sound here is all that unique, and I usually prefer my prog rock to be more modern sounding. Thankfully, that doesn’t really matter in this case, as the song happens to be quite good. It’s got a very nice floaty atmosphere to it, emphasized by the arpeggiated guitar and synth lines throughout. There’s also plenty of cool moments where the lead guitar and keys shine with a bright unison or a short solo. Finally, the vocal melody in the chorus is incredibly catchy, and the Yes-eque vocal harmonies work very well with it. This style isn’t usually something I seek out too much, but I enjoy it when it’s done well, and it’s certainly done well here.
A Giant Leap Of Faith
First Impressions: Between this and your other song, I can’t say I’m really into this band’s sound.
Compared to the previous song, this one tries to be a little heavier, and the results from that are a bit mixed, in my opinion. The choruses are catchy and the heavier guitars lend them a good amount of power. I’m not sure if the Yes-esque vocal harmonies compliment the guitar riffs too well, though. It mostly works, but it’s still kind of a weird aesthetic disconnect. The finale of the song also features a heavy, rhythmic guitar riff, but it feels more flat than it should. This is still a decent song, and I like what they were at least trying to do here, but I felt like the execution was somewhat shaky.
Overall
While I had a clear preference for one song over the other, both were at least decent. I still don’t really think this band is too up my alley sound-wise, but at least I can safely say that I enjoy Where Angels Fear To Tread a good amount.
6th Place: jingle.boy (+4 Points)
Kingcrow
A New Life
First Impressions: Bright and pleasant, but not particularly moving.
This feels like two unrelated songs that should have been separated and each given more development than they got here. The instrumental first half is pretty solid; the intro is very calm and peaceful, and I like how it kicks into a loud, but melodic guitar solo. It’s an increase in intensity for sure, but it’s still a smooth transition. Then the second half comes in out of nowhere, and the song pretty much loses me completely. This part isn’t terrible on its own, but it feels completely out of place and disconnected from the first half. The vocals finally come in when the song’s nearly over for a triumphant, jubilant finale that fell pretty flat for me because I really don’t think the song warranted it or set it up properly. We then get a guitar solo that quickly fades to silence, and the track’s done. Maybe this song works better in the context of an album, but on its own, it just found it to be awkward.
If Only
First Impressions: I liked the warm, comforting atmosphere at the start, but the song seemed to abandon that as it progressed.
This song was an improvement from A New Life for sure, but that track did set the bar pretty low. I really like the warm, dreamy vibe at the start created from the synth soundscape, gentle guitars, and soft vocals. It’s peaceful and relaxing, and it builds into a crescendo of soaring lead guitars and triumphant vocals. This isn’t the climax of the song though, as it then transitions into a darker, more serious-sounding finale that reminds me a lot of Anathema. It’s different, but it’s still good, and I do give the song props for covering a lot of ground. My one big criticism though, is that even across all these different sounds, none of them feel far-removed enough from other modern progressive rock groups. The first part sounds like Porcupine Tree / Steven Wilson, then it becomes Riverside, then it ends sounding like Anathema. I really like all of those artists, but it almost feels like this song’s imitating them. While that resulted in a song I liked much more than the other one you sent, it didn’t really leave me with a desire to listen to the band more when I could just listen to those other artists instead.
Overall
If Only managed to be good enough to elevate this band’s ranking a bit, but overall I still wasn’t too impressed. Not bad for a back-up plan after IQ didn’t work out, though.
7th Place: Tomislav95 (+2 Points)
mewithoutYou
Julia (Or, 'Holy To The LORD' On The Bells Of Horses)
First Impressions: I think the song title left more of an impression on me than the song itself.
I thought that the instrumentation here was solid, if a bit reserved. The chord progressions are nice, and the lead guitar provides some nice little melodies throughout. On the other hand, I really didn’t like monotone vocals that feel downright sedated throughout the entire song, except for some screams in the background towards the end. Not every vocal performance needs to be energetic, but here the vocalist just sounds bored, and that boredom starts to become contagious after a while. This was an okay little song that was inoffensive (except for the stupid title), but not very impactful either.
Another Head For Hydra
First Impressions: This song felt like it was right on the verge of letting loose and going wild the entire time, but it never quite did.
Based off of how you described this song when sending it, I was expecting something more on the aggressive and energetic side. I suppose it was… barely. At least with Julia it seemed like the sleepy vibe was intentional. Here it sounds like the band’s trying to be louder and more aggressive, but they hardly sound any less sedated. Like I said in my first impressions, this song feels like it’s building up into a big heavy explosion, and it just never happens. If the heavier riffs in the middle and end of the song are supposed to be aggressive, I can’t help but say it’s a pretty lame attempt. Oh, and the vocals here are even worse than they were in the last song. During the heavier bits, he’s not yelling or singing so much as he’s just talking very loudly. The last “have I made myself clear” in the first heavy bit sounds laughably bad, almost like a bad take. He does start to actually scream eventually, but at that point the song’s already over. I don’t know if the lack of heaviness here was intentional or not, but regardless, all this song leaves me with is blue balls and disappointment.
Overall
Julia was an alright song, but it did leave me wanting something more impactful. Another Head For Hydra could have been just that, but sadly, that was not the case. Between my least favorite song of the round and every other artist having at least one song better than Julia, this was a pretty obvious choice for last place. Sorry, but Glassjaw is now scientifically and objectively the superior post-hardcore band.
Just for funsies, here's how I would rank each song of the round individually:
1st: Lauri Porra - Dislocated
2nd: Glassjaw - Cosmopolitan Blood Loss
3rd: Cryptodira - Constituted
4th: Cryptodira - The Gods Of Epicurus
5th: Subsignal - Where Angels Fear To Tread
6th: Bent Knee - Being Human
7th: Bent Knee - In God We Trust
8th: Kingcrow - If Only
9th: Subsignal - A Giant Leap Of Faith
10th: mewithoutYou - Julia
11th: Lauri Porra - The Prisoner
12th: Glassjaw - Piano
13th: Kingcrow - A New Life
14th: mewithoutYou - Another Head For Hydra
Because of this roulette's two song max rule, all artists from this round are now banned.
---THE SCORE SO FAR---
1: Sacul - 78 [ALL PERKS USED]
2: Cyril - 68 [ALL PERKS USED]
3: Kattleox - 56 [ALL PERKS USED]
4: Tomislav95 - 55 [PERKS USED: DOUBLE POINTS]
5: Ruba - 50 [PERKS USED: DOUBLE POINTS]
In Danger
6: Nekov - 49 [PERKS USED: RANKING SWAP]
7: jingle.boy - 47 [ALL PERKS USED]
Eliminated
8: DTA - 36 [ALL PERKS USED]
9: Puppies_On_Acid - 34 [ALL PERKS USED]
10: TAC - 31 [ALL PERKS USED]
11: Stadler - 18 [PERKS USED: DOUBLE POINTS]
12: kingshmegland - 17 [PERKS USED: DOUBLE POINTS]
13: senecadawg2 - 12 [PERKS USED: DOUBLE POINTS]
14: Evermind - 9 [ALL PERKS USED]
---ROUND 6: EPIC---
I hope you're ready, because this is going to be one beefy and T H I C C round. It's time for the round of epics!
For this round, you are required to send a song anywhere between 10:00 minutes and 23:59 minutes. As long as the minutes are in the double digits and it's shorter than Octavarium, it's fair game. Now's your chance to send songs that were too long for previous rounds!
Two participants will be eliminated after this round. Let's make this one as epic as possible...
Poll
Topic: Buddyhunter1's Roulette v4: Post-Roulette Updates: Sacul (Read 43842 times)