Round 8 Results
Sacul vs. TomislavSacul: Hearts and Bits
Excellent stuff, if a bit of a blur right now. There are songs on here that made me want to dance, songs that made me want to screw the nearest source of life, and songs that made me want to sit pensively and watch the rain splash against my window.
Blue Sky Black Death - Sleeping Children Are Still Flying
DARKSIDE - Sitra
DARKSIDE - Heart
DARKSIDE - Paper Trails
Telefon Tel Aviv - Your Mouth
The Black Queen - The End Where We Start
Low - Dancing qnd Blood
Low – Fly
So yeah, the opener was my least favorite thing on this EP. But let’s be clear—that says more about the highs of the other tracks than it does about the quality of Blue Sky Black Death. Despite being a touch long, and my not really getting the purpose of the sampled spoken bits later in the song, this is a good opener that combines the electronic elements really well with traditional instrumentation (I’m looking at you, guitar licks). Things improve considerable from there, up to the magnificent DARKSIDE. I see this is Jaar again, so I shouldn’t be too surprised by its excellence. I appreciate that it takes a different, more accessible approach than what I heard on Killing Time. Paper Trails in particular is captivating. None of the last four tracks work quite as well for me, but they’re still really good. From the cyber-dreamy Telefon Tel Aviv to the libidinal Black Queen to the atmospheric Low, you consistently appeal to my tastes, never lose sight of the overall mood, and yet keep things interesting through the end. 8
Tomislav: Ballads For a Friend
After the first two songs on here I had really high hopes, but that was pretty much wiped out by the third song. You’re playing to the same winning formula that got you here in the first place, which I can’t fault you for, I’m just not as taken with some of these songs as your earlier offerings.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Are You the One That I've Been Waiting For?
Tom Waits - Little Trip to Heaven (On the Wings of Your Love),
Tom Waits - San Diego Serenade
Micah P. Hinson - Patience
Jake Bugg - Broken
Tom Waits - Martha
Micah P. Hinson - Close Your Eyes
So you’ve definitely turned me on to Nick Cave. In fact, I just printed off sheet music to start learning “Into My Arms” on the piano. I just think his baritone vocals shine especially well when combined with sweet (even sappy) songs like these two. Unfortunately, none of the other songs on this EP reach the standard set by the first two. Micah P. Hinson ain’t really my thing, especially on “Patience.” Whereas Nick Cave is smooth, controlled and deliberate in his style, Hison feels much more unhinged, wielding his scratchy voice in a way that I’m not at all fond of. And although certainly not irritating in the same way, Jake Bugg did feel a bit generic—in that same school as Ed Sheeran and other folk-tinged pop artists who write inoffensive coffee house music that is best put on in the background but not listened to too closely. That may be a little harsh, cause it’s really not that bad, but again, not on the level that I was hoping for. Lastly, Tom Waits was the big surprise for me, as he was initially my least favorite part of the EP but gradually grew to become my second favorite. The jazzier “Little Trip to Heaven” initially missed the mark for me, but now it’s one of my favorites, so that’s pretty cool. In another match-up you would have fared better; unfortunately, Sacul edged you out by virtue of consistency. Which is a damn shame, given that you were one of the most consistent participants in this roulette, up to now. I’m gonna miss ya.
7
Ariich vs LordCostAriich: Loss of a Loved One
I really appreciate that you didn’t stick to only one genre and that the music intensifies from track to track. There are, however, a couple tracks that haven’t immediately clicked for me. We’ll see how that changes with future listens, but right now I’m slightly underwhelmed by this basket of low hanging fruit.
Daniel Cavanagh - The Exorcist
Petter Carlsen - Spirits in Need
Petter Carlsen - Cornerstone
Ihlo - Hollow
Daniel Cavanagh - The Silent Flight of the Raven Winged Hours
Insomnium - Shadows of the Dying Sun
I think this EP fits into the category of “I should enjoy this one more than I do.” Danny’s songs should be instant winners, seeing as how Anathema is one of my favorite bands, but his solo works have never gripped me all that much. I do think his vocal contributions in Anathema are an underrated asset for the band, but here he feels a bit samey. Don’t get me wrong—The Exorcist is a solid song, and The Silent Flight… is also decent (the latter feels a bit like a b side that might have been stuck on Hindsight, which is both a strength and a weakness in my book). I wasn’t entirely fair on Haken, Devin Townsend and TesseracT earlier—I think they’re all solid (some great songs mixed in), but Ihlo never unlocked me. It is by far my least favorite track here. Still, as negative as all of that sounds, your EP is a winner, and that’s mostly down to Petter Carlsen and Insomnium: those three tracks are great. I was somewhat familiar with Sirens when it came out, but not Clocks Don’t Count; I’m going to have to rectify that oversight, now. And yeah, Insomnium is wonderfully gloomy, heavy closer but also melodic and breathable. Mixed bag, but good enough to get you into the semifinals. 6.5
LordCost: Modern Prog in Pastel Colors
Despite being one of the more intricate EPs musically, I’m having a hard time picking out the details worth remembering. The reason I haven’t listened to any of these bands before is because I’m a bit disenchanted with this kind of music. It (mostly) falls flat and feels sterile.
Artificial Language – The Back of My Mind
Ihlo – Reanimate
VOLA – Indigo
Ihlo – Hollow
Artificial Language – Now We Sleep
It’s unfortunate that things are ending like this, as you’ve sent me a lot of good songs throughout the competition, but this one came up short. The Artificial Language tracks are both decent and make for good bookends. Speaking of which, I appreciate the symmetrical structure of the EP. It’s just a shame that my least favorite artist here, Ihlo, occupies so much time. VOLA is my favorite, as you already know, but even that one didn’t grab me the way Petter Carlsen and Insomnium did on Ariich’s EP. The problem with these songs, to my ears, is that they all sound very similar. The heavily polished production, the djenty influence, the pastel-colored vocals—all of these elements which are really typical in modern prog bands. Very similar to The Contortionist, Tesseract, Periphery, etc., none of which have ever fully clicked for me. Good music, impressive musicianship, but ultimately artificial, hollow, and safe. 5.5
Evermind vs StadlerEvermind: Standing On An Avalanche
This is probably the smoothest, most consistent, and most wonderfully dark EP of them all. I can tell you put a lot of time into this. My favorite song is the closer, though there are moments I enjoy in some of the other songs too.
A Perfect Circle – The Noose
Lee Abraham – Harbour Lights
Falloch – Horizons
A.A. Williams – Belong
Scott Walker – On Your Own Again
Bjørn Riis – The Waves
I really enjoyed the story you wrote up to accompany this EP, but even without that, the songs speak for themselves really well. Despite not having any heavier songs, I would say that this is the heaviest EP of them all, emotionally and tonally, from beginning to end. The opener is about what I expected from JMK—an intense piece of music but also carefully restrained. It’s not on the level of my favorite Tool songs, but why should it be? Things only get better with Lee Abraham, which patiently builds to a great guitar solo. The next three tracks are a bit more subdued, but still engaging and really great at establishing the right kind of atmosphere to match your story. Finally, The Waves is a crushing but apt closer for this EP. I’m not going to labor over the intricacies of each song, because this is a classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, and the whole is an absolute, clear-as-day winner. Every one of these artists is going to get another look after I'm done with this roulette. 8
Stadler: Songs About John Lennon
Despite the obvious link between all of these songs, I’m finding this EP a bit of a mixed bag, ranging from “not my thing” to “okay, I can at least see what you’re trying to do.”
John Lennon's Guitar - Barclay James Harvest
3 Warning Shots - Rick
God, Part II – U2
I'm Outta Time - Oasis
John Lennon - The Outfield
Early 1970 - Ringo Starr
All Those Years Ago - George Harrison
Too Late For Goodbyes - Julian Lennon
Here Today - Paul McCartney
Empty Garden - Elton John
The Man Who Never Died - Elton John
I really like the way you approached the theme, and it feels fitting given that one of my favorite songs from you this roulette was a John Lennon tune. Despite that, I found the overall quality a bit mixed. On the one hand, I quite liked the McCartney, Elton John (both songs), The Outfield, and Oasis. I’m Outta Time has a really nice rainy-day-on-the-street, nostalgic atmosphere to it that works well for me. Unfortunately, these were largely canceled out by some of the other songs, especially Rick Springfield, which I found generic and somewhat irritating, U2 (I enjoy several of U2’s biggest hits, but this is not on that level), and Julian Lennon. Far be it from me to criticize Julian Lennon’s tribute to his dad, I just didn’t enjoy the bouncy, light-hearted style of this song. Sadly then, this is the end. I really appreciate that you agreed to play along for these 8 rounds, as you've introduced me to several songs that I never would've have checked out on my own. 5
jingle.boy vs NekovJingle.boy: Roulette – Other
This is a solid batch of songs and pretty much what I would have expected from you. At least, it is until the final track. Maybe I need to study this more to figure out how things are meant to progress, but right now I fear I might be missing something. It’s almost as if you thought, “okay, great, I’ve been playing it safe—now for a curveball!”
Echoes - Rude Awakening
Primal Fear - Born With A Broken Heart
Mystery - Looking for Something Else
Absolute Priority - Dead Man Walkin’
Sarah McLachlan – Angel
Although you incorrectly guessed the first impression—the one about the third track being a big stumbling block—it actually still applies really well because my least favorite track on your EP ended up being the Mystery. And yeah, that pretty much killed your chances right off the bat, seeing as how it takes up ~17 minutes of the total 39. To be more positive, the Echoes and Primal Fear tracks are really solid, and I’m definitely going to check out both albums when this roulette is done. The Primal Fear especially feels like a quintessential jingle.boy submission: not quite on the level of Lords of Black but definitely one of your better offerings this roulette. Back to Mystery, my main complaint is that there’s something majorly incongruous about the track length and the overall experience. There’s nothing about the track that feels really epic to me. It takes a long time to get going (the opening riff that’s repeated a hundred times could easily be a lullaby, in another context), and even then, the payoff is underwhelming. Not including Evermind’s accompanying story, your take on the theme is my favorite of the round, and I think the 5 stages of grief would’ve been really badass. Unfortunately, though, this is the end of the road for you. 5.5
Nekov: Seneca’s EP
Your submissions throughout this roulette have felt a bit like they’ve been chosen by a blind monkey throwing darts at a board. Lots of different things, with a pretty wide range of scores. So I’m somewhat thankful that you narrowed the focus with this submission, which, when taken as a single unit, is surely your most consistent offering yet. The only question is just how highly I rate it. Is it consistently good, or just decent background noise?
Manchester Orchestra - The Maze
Owl John - Songs About Roses
Manchester Orchestra - The Alien
Owl John - Ten Tons of Silence
Frightened Rabbit - Nitrous Gas
Wintersleep - Search Party
Frightened Rabbit - Blood Under the Bridge
Wintersleep - Miasmal Smoke & The Yellow Bellied Freaks
Let’s get the bad out of the way: Owl John. Songs About Roses irritated me both musically and lyrically. To be plain, I don't like the repetitious call to abandon “songs about roses.” Sure, it’s probably true that we don’t need any more songs about roses; but by extension, surely we don’t need songs about how we don’t need songs about roses either, right? Rather than write a negative song about not needing another kind of song, why not just write something original yourself? This felt like a self-congratulatory stab at wittiness, and it never hit the mark for me. Ten Tons of Silence is a little better, but still my second-least-favorite song on the EP. Now, all that being said, the rest of the tracks are on a high enough level to get you into the semi-finals. Both Frightened Rabbit songs are right up my alley, Wintersleep’s Search Party has some lovely lines that stuck out to me and kept me wanting to come back (“I used to dream about saving the world, now I just dream about the holiday”), and The Alien is fantastic (a level above The Maze, I think). With a better EP from Chad you might have been in trouble, but luckily for you his EP didn’t wow me. 7
Parama vs The Ghost of ParamaThe EP peaks somewhere in the middle, but it’s not a very high peak. Another issue is that I’m not enjoying the heavier parts of these songs very much. There’s a lot of blunt force packed in here—it’s kind of exhausting and angsty and over the top.
Thanks for sending—I enjoyed listening to this a couple times—but it's more of the same and I'm not sure why our tastes haven't lined up as well throughout the roulette.
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So there you have it! The top seeds won 3/4 match-ups. Group B has been decimated and both Group C participants remain. Which leaves us with:
Sacul Vs Ariich
and
Evermind vs Nekov
The Sacul-Ariich matchup should be really good—both of you have been bossing it from the beginning. And can the unpredictable Nekov take out Evermind?
Round 9 Submission GuidelinesThe theme is Deep Purple's "Child in Time," which was my favorite song from my second roulette (courtesy of Elite)
As with Round 8, you can interpret this "theme" as loosely as you want—there's no penalty for seizing a tangent. Maybe you go for classic rock, maybe something with an epic sound, maybe something that showcases phenomenal vocal or guitar performances etc., etc.
As per the previously voted-upon options,
submissions this round should be full albums by a single artist (Final round submissions, should you reach the final round, will be "Greatest Hits" by a single artist). It may be a good idea to run albums by me, in case I've missed something on the banned list (I'm sorry for not doing a good job of updating the "banned during roulette" list—I'll try to get that done shortly.)
Questions?
Poll
Topic: Seneca v3 results (Read 75998 times)
