OK, results in 2 parts. The second part to come later tonight. These are in no particular order.
TACTanith - Wing of the OwlFirst Impression - Groovy old school sound. Not sure about some of the vocals.
Theme - Fits lyrically with Fly by Night; Has a similar 70's rock feelThis is one of those songs that both got better and got more annoying the more I listened to it. It's hard to quantify. I like the overall feel of the song, the groove, and the music in general. This all became more enjoyable ever time I listened to it. The vocals on the other hand got more annoying each time I listened to it. I'm not really sure where that leaves me, but I suppose I have to give it a rating of some kind.
7/10___________
Ghostfire - The Last Steampunk WaltzFirst Impression - I see what you were going for here, but other than the cool bass-line, there just isn't much here to grab on to. Perhaps more listens will bring out more enjoyment
Theme - Steampunk lyrics, fitting with Clockwork AngelsThis is one of those songs I wanted to like just based on the title. The problem is the song is very.....bland? Samey? One-note? I mean, all three really.... The bass-line does have a cool groove to it, but that is essentially the only redeeming quality to this song. Not to say it's a terrible song, it's just not good or interesting. Oh, and there is this "atmospheric?" sound that the song starts with that is there in the background throughout the entire song and it gets super annoying and grating.
4/10
NekovDream the Electric Sleep - Let the Light Flood InFirst Impression - This sounds remarkably similar to the Clockwork Angels sound.
Theme - Similar musically to Clockwork Angels, powerful bass tone, guitar parts that alternate between clean melodies and powerful riffs.Not the first time I've received this band in a roulette. I'm not quite sure why I haven't checked this band out in full yet. Every time I hear them, I really like it. This song is no different. This is just overall a very pleasant listen. There are a lot of similarities song-writing-wise that is very similar to Rush, which I appreciate. The second half of the song has a very upbeat and bright sound which I really like and that short instrumental break is awesome. Vocally and lyrically I like this a lot too.
9/10___________
Dream the Electric Sleep - We Smell BloodFirst Impression - Great second half, boring first half
Theme - Lyrically fits the fantasy themeThis one also has a much better second half, just like Let the Light Flood In, and it may be even better than the second half of that song. The problem is the first half falls almost completely flat for me both musically and lyrically. Although the bass groove is pretty tight throughout the song. From about the 2:50 mark, the song just takes off in to the stratosphere and goes through a lot of cool parts.
8/10
Train of NaughtGold - Taken By StormFirst Impression - I wasn't expecting that!
Theme - Lyrical similarities to BU2BTaking in to account the band name and album cover, this is not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting some terrible synth pop or something like that. This is so much better than I could have ever hoped for. The progression of the song, the variety of styles, both musically and vocally, the lighter parts mixed with just the right amount of heaviness. It all wraps up neatly in to a fantastic 5 minute song that covers a lot of ground. I can't really find anything wrong with it, other than the lyrics getting a tiny bit repetitive. This song reminds me a lot, at least stylistically, to No Dog by Esben and the Witch (which turned in to a favorite song, the rest of that album isn't so great). This may turn in to an all time favorite song too! I hope the rest of the album is close to as good as this song.
9.75/10______________
Sâver - Dissolve to AshesFirst Impression - For a genre that seems to get more and more boring as time goes on, this is surprisingly engaging.
Theme - Lyrically similar to Clockwork Angels, sort of.This song is a slow burner, that's for sure. However, once it gets going it hits hard and sounds pretty unique. Especially for a genre that is almost as stagnant as Djent. I love the keyboard sounds in this as well as the guitar tones, plus that minimal use of the flanger on the guitars is pretty neat. The way this builds reminds me, in a way, of how some of Tool's songs move and change and progress in to a heavy climax, so it has that going for it. It's probably why I never find this dull or boring. The harsh vocals could be better, but that's only nit-picking.
8.75/10
TomislavCamel - The White RiderFirst Impression - Sounds like a cross between Pink Floyd, Van der Graaf Generator, and King Crimson
Theme - Lyrically similar to Rivendell, as both are based on Lord of the Rings.This is a band that I have been intending on getting in to for a very long time, like 15 years. I've just never jumped in. I think this song will motivate me to finally do just that. In addition to the bands I mentioned in my first impression, I get hints of The Moody Blues in this as well. This is definitely a sound of it's time and it's a sound I like. I like it so much that it hardly feels like over 9 minutes have passed once the song is over. Anyway, lots of cool guitar leads and drum parts. The bass is sort of low in the mix, but definitely audible and enjoyable. The keyboards do tend to lean hard in to the 70's prog rock cheese at times, but not too often. It's a fun song overall
8.5/10___________
The Sword - Tres BrujasFirst Impression - This is a rockin' and riffin' song!
Theme - Lyrics with an adventurous science fiction narrative.I'm pretty sure I heard this album back when it was first released, but I don't remember a thing from it. Just like my first impression says, this song rocks! Plus the riffage is awesome too! It's a fairly simple song, but it makes me want to revisit this album. The vocals aren't the greatest, but they are passable.
7.5/10
KatteloxWolfmother - VictoriousFirst Impression - Reminds me a bit of a band called The Parlor Mob
Theme - Stylistically similar to the Fly By Night album soundThis song is like if The Parlor Mob leaned more heavily in to their 70's hard rock influences, like Led Zeppelin and Mountain. I like it. And, Kat, you should check out The Parlor Mob's album And You Were a Crow. On second thought, let me send it in your upcoming roulette. Anyway, this is just a cool song, with a great sound and some fun to sing parts.
8/10___________
Unreqvited - Meadows of ElysiumFirst Impression -
Theme - Feeling of beauty similar to The Garden. Sounds like it could be a spiritual successor to it.OK, so this song......What a build up!! The sounds in this song, they just, I don't know, they evoke a lot of good feelings in me. I love it! I'm not even sure how to describe it any better than that. The uplifting nature mixed with the styles reminds me of Saor a lot. Only difference being Saor uses more Celtic music sounds and influences. The only drawback I can think of would be, I wish they leaned a little more heavily in to the black metal sound in the heavier parts. It would have made the whole song a bit more impactful (is that even a word?). Either way, great great song!
9.5/10
EliteMajor Parkinson - Night HitcherFirst Impression - This song is just kind of there and the vocals aren't great.
Theme - Going off of my thoughts on the albumsSo this song, just no. The musical choices, the vocal delivery, the overall repetitiveness. Ugh, just no. Sorry, but this does not work for me on any level. The one redeeming quality is how the keyboards pick up in the second half. Without that this song would be scored much worse. Also the song is about 3 minutes too long. Which is pretty bad for a 5 minute song. Sorry...
4/10_________
Major Parkinson - Isabel: A Report to an AcademyFirst Impression - This song has a lot going on, a lot of which I like. The vocals are just ok, though.
Theme - Going off of my thoughts on the albumsMuch better than Night Hitcher, but again the vocal delivery is just not for me. The female vocals somewhat save the vocals, but they are too few and far between. If she had more time to shine, I'd probably like this song more. At least this song has way more variety and a better overall progression, but this song in no way justifies it's 9:41 runtime. It's, like Night Hitcher, about 3 minutes too long. Which isn't as bad, since only a third of it should be lopped off, instead of more than half.
6/10