Round 2 Results
TAC: The Reticent – The Mirror’s Reply
Twice as good as your first submission
Yeah. This one really took me by surprise, for a few reasons. The resemblance to Opeth is pretty striking at times—I mean that in the best way possible—but like if Opeth was still making music that I really like. There are plenty of little things to distinguish it, but the resemblance is striking. But then I discover that this isn’t a Swedish clone band, but rather a one-man project just down the road from me in North Carolina? Wow. Love the harsh vocals. Love the guitar solo. Love that the song doesn’t sit still, but never loses its sense of focus. Really looking forward to checking this album out—is it all this good? 8.5
Cyril: La Dispute – Fulton Street I
I feel like I’m eavesdropping on the sounds of an out of body experience. I appreciate how dynamic this is, despite being so simple
This song is so overwhelmingly angsty that it makes me uncomfortable, and the assault is so blatant that I feel an urge to detach when I’m listening. Like, if I became too attached to what I was hearing, it might wreck me. So, when I tell you that I enjoy the song—and I really do—it’s not due to its emotionally manipulative crescendos, the blunt force of its spoken word vocals, or the simplicity of its composition; I enjoy the song in spite of those things, not because of them. I like it because I found a body at the rest stop / buried in the woods beneath / the garbage and the leaves… a jawbone and teeth / winter into spring… all the tyrannies of grief / if I ever do / will I even have the strength to do anything? / Could I go and leave flowers by the street?... and I saw lights fading every monument / and the passage of time… rose quartz underneath the mattress… summers when you tunneled into nothingness… nights spent after midnight in a eulogy / that you never got to give / cigarettes falling in the tangle of machinery. 8
Ruba: Bruce Dickinson – Jerusalem
In a round in which I received multiple songs over 10 minutes, yours proves that epic doesn’t equal song length
I’ll gladly double down on what I said in my first impression—this is the most epic song I received this round, despite being one of the shorter submissions. Bruce’s voice is exceptional on this song and I’m definitely going to have to check out this album. It’s been a while since I went through a serious Maiden phase, but I’ll always put Seventh Son, Powerslave, and Number of the Beast up there against any other classic metal albums; and if this song is anything to go by, this album deserves similar recognition too. Great guitar work. Also, you just barely missed out on the extra point for best themed song. This song absolutely does remind me of the graveyard image I posted (picture was taken in Glasgow, so it makes sense that it reminds you of England). 8
Evermind: iamthemorning – Lighthouse
Seems it just suddenly bloomed into a much fuller and more satisfying song, but was it too late?
This wonderfully introspective song is a significant improvement from your first submission. I can really feel the solitude seeping through, especially at the beginning, and the silence between the piano parts is really effective. It’s almost as if the vocals and the piano are in dialogue. At least, that’s how I feel until later in the song, when they merge in a more conventional way and the guitar enters alongside Mariusz, who is one of my favorite vocalists in the genre right now. It’s almost not fair sticking him in here—the song was already lovely and he just bumps it up another notch. As I mentioned in my first impression, I always liked the way this song developed, I just wasn’t initially sure if the build-up was worth it. What I found, with each subsequent listen, was that the payoff demands the build-up, and wouldn’t be nearly as effective without it. 8
Romdrums and Ariich and LordCost: Caligula’s Horse – Graves
Very stylish and tightly executed. This is about what I expected, after hearing about this band from several people.
I didn’t realize until later that the vocalist here is the same as from Arcane, whose album “known/learned” I quite enjoyed a couple years ago. I quite like his voice, especially when he extends his range and sings falsetto. Anyway, this is definitely the most effective of the longer songs I received this round. For one thing, it feels a lot shorter than the others and it flows really well. I really like the saxophone climax, the recurring guitar riff (that the saxophone picks up as well), and the airy atmosphere of the song as a whole. It’s light and delicate, which is quite the achievement for such a long song. 8
Tomislav: Goldfrapp – Drew
Really dreamy song, this one. I’m intrigued by the way it adds and subtracts layers throughout the song.
And the prize for the most dreamy and seductive song, by far, goes to you! I really enjoy her dark, sultry vocal style, and the music matches really well. In fact, I can’t think of anything that doesn’t match really well. The strings punctuate the vocals really effectively with those short bow strikes (I’ve no idea whether that’s an accurate term, but oh well), and the song flies by. Another for the list! 7.5
Jingle.boy: Flaming Row – Pictures
I kept expecting this one to develop into something heavier.
This was by far the biggest grower of the round. First couple of times through, I found it pleasant but kind of bland. I probably would've scored it a 5 on Saturday. The first time through especially, I kept waiting, hoping, for it to kick into a higher gear and get a little aggressive with me, but it never delivered. Once I accepted it for what it was and started listening more intently, the song grew on me quite a lot. There are some aspects of the song that feel kind of corny to me, even still, but it’s a corniness that reminds me of Ayreon circa The Human Equation, which is really hard to fault. 7.5
FlyingBIZKIT: The Family Crest – Never Gonna Stop
I like how organic and full this sounds, but it remains to be seen whether it can hold my interest
The shortest and peppiest song of the round. I don’t have a lot to say about it, except that I enjoyed it every time it came on. It’s a simple thing and I think the chorus is a little generic, but neither of these detract from the song in any significant way. The vocals are decent and the song never takes a turn for the worst. I’m going to give this album a listen, for sure. Maybe dance a little, too. 7
Sacul: Angels of Light – Untitled Love Song (car)
This one very nearly put me to sleep.
The combination of stripped-down folk and easy-going island music (which I may or may not be imagining?) is a little disconcerting. One of these I quite enjoy, the other not so much. What really lifts this song up is the male-female vocal harmonies. Seriously, I’m a sucker for that stuff, and it’s done quite well here. Also, quite like the lyrics. 6.5
Buddyhunter1: Thy Catafalque - Molekuláris Gépezetek
The wildest song yet, by a long shot.
This is the hardest song of the round to judge, and you have balls for sending it. It’s challenging, not because I didn’t like it but because it’s hard to fairly judge a 20-minute song in a round when I have 15 other songs to listen to. So, although I enjoyed it and I’m planning on checking out the album further, I suspect this score may be a touch lower than it deserves. To be more specific though—I liked almost all of the middle section of the song, though it may drag on a touch too long for my liking, and I enjoyed the more experimental aspects of the song (telephone ringing in the background at one point, and the bit at the very end, just to name two tiny details). I thought some of the transitions were rough around the edges, which is one of those things that I think I may grow to enjoy, but didn’t so much on these first few listens. The least memorable aspect of the song was actually its heavier sections. Solid song—I’m glad you sent it—and I’m looking forward to marinating a bit more with it. 6.5
Wolfking: Helloween – The Dark Ride
I really like the propulsive energy of this song—it’s undeniably fun
This isn’t my first interaction with Helloween, but it is the first time in a while, and I’m not sure I recognize this as the same Helloween I heard before. I assume there was a line-up change? It’s really solid power metal and a really solid submission for the fairground image. Unlike the Sonata Arctica submission I received this round, this one has some serious teeth to it and more engaging soloing. It’s a lot like your first submission—not breaking down any walls, but really solid and interesting enough to pique my interest. I’ll definitely be checking out the full album when I get a chance. 6.5
Kattelox: Explosions In The Sky – The Only Moment We Were Alone
This one seems to require some patience. The question is whether that patience pays off.
This is an improvement on the other post-rock song I received this round, in that it at least has a culminating moment, some emotive guitar work, and its more dynamic. But it’s also a bit repetitive and maybe a touch longer than I think it needs to be. It’s a nice one to listen to when I lay out in the sun—as I was doing yesterday—or as background music while working, but nothing really mind blowing. My favorite part of the song is the minute before the climax, around the 7:30-8:30 minute mark, when almost everything recedes and the song embraces those moments of silence. 6
Stadler: Fish – Sunsets on Empire
This song feels fragile—hell, it makes me feel fragile—even when it’s putting on a brave face.
I like the emotional vulnerability of this song, both lyrically (we smiled at each other and knew that the moment was lost) and musically. The dynamic changes from verses to choruses match that vulnerability well, like there's a struggle there in his delivery, as do the vocals themselves. Unsurprisingly, it reminds me a lot of songs like “Warm Wet Circles” from Clutching at Straws, which is generally a good thing. The downside of that comparison is that, like Clutching at Straws, this one hasn’t aged very well, sonically, at least to my ears. It has a pretty dated feel to it that I find somewhat distracting. The gospely vocals in the outro don't help—I could’ve done without them. Overall, I found this song solid, but nowhere near as good as your first submission, or even the best of this round. I am however giving you the nod for the theme bonus. The photo you selected was taken near sunset in Glasgow, perfect for the Scottish Fish, and the lyrics and themes of the song match really well too. 6+1
Puppies: Moonsorrow – “Haaska”
Feels a little bit longer than it needs to be
My expectations for this one were pretty high. Too high, as it turned out. The heart of the problem is that I didn’t feel like it offered enough to warrant the nearly-15-minute length. I appreciate that you sent me the lyrics, and I enjoyed reading them as I listened (though they did feel a little typical for pagan black metal), but I didn’t enjoy this song as much, musically. It felt like a less interesting Enslaved, to me, and ultimately, I found it rather average. 5
Lethean: Sonata Arctica – Caleb
His voice must be an acquired taste
This one feels a bit like Nightmare’s “Serpentine” from the first round, in that I find it pleasant but ultimately forgettable. Frankly, I’m not sure what’s supposed to distinguish this song from other songs in the genre. You can tell from my first impression that I wasn’t a big fan of the vocalist, and I’m still not, but they don’t detract from the rest of the package. 5
Nekov: Hammock – “(Tonight) We Burn Like Stars That Never Die”
I found myself vacillating between calm and anxiety throughout this song.
I’ve seen this band mentioned before and I was intrigued, knowing the bands they’re typically compared to, and I tried my best to give this song my attention, but I feel like it never reciprocated. It’s got that hazy, shoegazey texture layered on really thick, which I generally like as a complement to other things (as in the case of bands like Alcest) but not so much when it’s the central focus of the song (as in the case of My Bloody Valentine). The post-rock elements are there, doing what they do, adding atmosphere, but missing the kind of forward movement that I like in a song of that genre. There’s the calmer section that kicks in a bit before the 5-minute mark, but otherwise the song is a bit too one-note and droning for my liking. My favorite post rock band is Sigur Ros, and my favorite of their songs are the ones that build to a more profound climax than the one on offer here. 4.5
Standings:
Romdrums 8 + 8 = 16
Stadler 8 + 7 = 15
Sacul 8 + 6.5 = 14.5
Tomislav 7 + 7.5 = 14.5
Cyril 6.5 + 8 = 14.5
Evermind 6 + 8 = 14
FlyingBIZKIT 6.5 + 7 = 13.5
Ariich 5.5 + 8 = 13.5
Nekov 8.5 + 4.5 = 13
jingle.boy 5.5 + 7.5 = 13
TAC 4.5 + 8.5 = 13
wolfking 6.5 + 6.5 = 13
LordCost 4.5 +8 = 12.5
Puppies 7.5 + 5 = 12.5
Ruba 4 + 8 = 12
Lethean 6.5 + 5 = 11.5
Buddyhunter 5 + 6.5 = 11.5
Kattelox 5.5 + 6 = 11.5
Poll
Topic: Seneca v3 results (Read 78348 times)
