NekovKarmakanic - Who's the Boss in the FactoryFirst Impression - This may take a quite a few listens to fully digest
Theme - Caress of Steel is Rush delving into longer epics and as such, this song fits right in.The intro to this song is so amazing and atmospheric. It's so magical! The song never really gets back to that amazing atmosphere of the first couple minutes. The tone completely changes after that. It goes in to more of a typical Symphonic Prog epic, not very dissimilar to The Flower Kings. Which I typically enjoy and this is no different. The background spoken vocals feel out of place a bit, though. They would probably be better if they were sung. The instrumental interlude is fairly standard for this type of song. Nothing groundbreaking or ear catching in particular. Overall everything is performed well. The bass stands out in places and is enjoyable, the drumming is performed well. Not much to complain about other than the background vocals and occasionally the lead vocals. It's a good song, nothing more.
7/10_________
Karmakanic - Where the Earth Meets the SkyFirst Impression - I love the piano driven nature of this song
Theme - Lyrically, Snakes and Arrows refers to some religious themes, and so does this song.Between the extremely piano driven nature of this song, plus the other Karmakanic song having a lot of pianos, it has come to my attention that they like to do that "Falling rain" piano sound (not sure how else to describe it), but it happens in both songs. Anyway, as I mentioned the drive of the piano is very well executed here. I really appreciate when a rock band (or in this case a prog rock band) can pull off a song that is driven mainly by the piano. Besides that there are bits in here that are very reminiscent of Pink Floyd, Marillion, Genesis, and again The Flower Kings (this is to be expected because there seems to be some overlap of personnel between these 2 bands, along with The Tangent and Kaipa (2 other bands I like)). There are some great lead guitar parts, along with unison guitar and bass parts that are really cool. The parts with vocals are much more enjoyable than the other Karmakanic song. They seem more melodic and heartfelt. This song is what a Symphonic Prog Rock epic should be!
9/10
TomislavEloy - Poseidon's CreationFirst Impression - I'm sort of familiar with this band, and like the other stuff I've heard, the vocals always seem a bit off? The music is pretty great though!
Theme - Epic similar to those on Caress of SteelThis is a great example of a song where the music is pretty phenomenal, but the vocals don't hold up their end of the deal. This is the problem I've always had with Eloy. Their vocalist is just not convincing, neither in his tone or style or (lack of) passion. However, the rest of the song is so freaking good, I can almost completely ignore the vocals here. I love the bass tone and melodies created with it. Reminds me a lot of Geddy Lee in places. The keyboards here are a great example of playing for the song, instead of dominating it and drowning everything else out or devolving in to cheesy wankery. The drums are tight and have a great groove. After a few listens even the vocals became less of an annoyance, just not completely enjoyable. In the lead up to the first verse I get a lot of Pink Floyd vibes. It's really a great song. Now if only someone else was their vocalist...
8/10_________
Machine Head - HaloFirst Impression - This feels like its cut from the same cloth as Pantera, but a little more epic
Theme - lyrics on The Way The Wind Blows seemed critical of religion and Halo definitely is anti-religion songHere's a song that I got more and more in to as I kept listening to it. The intro transitioning in to those first heavy riffs is pretty epic. I think my Pantera comment still holds, but only mostly regarding the vocals and some of the riffs. This song is better than just about anything that Pantera has ever done (except Cemetery Gates). It's pretty epic and has a great chorus with some fantastic guitar harmonies. I guess the vocals are the only thing I don't particularly care for. They aren't all bad, but there are times where they just don't work for me. Other than that there isn't a whole lot to complain about. Just another solid song.
8/10
StadlerJane's Addiction - Three DaysFirst Impression - When I saw you sent this band I groaned a bit, but then was pleasantly surprised
Theme - prog-gish in it's construction, but writing about the most personal of issues.This was completely unexpected. I remember you sending Deconstruction in my last roulette and it only being OK. This on the other hand was much much better. This is definitely proggy. The music on this is very well constructed and played with a technical proficiency I didn't know Jane's Addiction was capable of. I like the overall sense of progression in the song and the buildup. The guitars mostly have a jangly sound to them, but when the song really kicks in and that guitar solo wails in, it's a pretty epic moment. What a great melodic guitar solo too! I didn't know Dave Navarro had that kind of solo in him. The bass line on the other hand is much more simple, but it has a nice tone and cuts through the mix well. I like it. The song overall is quite a fun rocker all the way through. Great pick!
8.5/10_________
The Kinks - Do It AgainFirst Impression - It may be on the simpler side, but damn if it isn't a fun little song
Theme - not prog-gish per se, but it has "nuggets" (the song starts with the chord from "A Hard Day's Night") and isn't construction in a traditional way, but writing about the most mundane of issues. A band that fairly radically abandoned it's more prog-gish sensibilitiesThis song lost it's fun luster a bit through repeated listens. It's just not complex enough to really stick out. Although it is quite the earworm of a song. I would find myself humming the melodies or chorus randomly. I've obviously heard The Kinks before and never much appreciated them. I may have to take a bit of a plunge in to their discography at some point after the roulette is over. I'd be interested to see if they have some better albums than what I've heard on the radio before. Back to the song, there are some great lead guitar parts, the vocals are pretty decent and the lyrics are relate-able to (possibly) most people. It's still a fun, decent song, just nothing special.
7.8/10
AriichBear Ghost - StarkillerFirst Impression - I think I've heard this before, it's fun
Theme - use of both analogies and humour to tell what are otherwise personal stories. Combination of the serious and the light-hearted.I'm sure I've heard this before. Did I get this in a roulette previously? I can't find it in my records.... Anyways, this is a fun song. I love the upbeat, yet proggy nature of this song. It also helps that it's super catchy. Just a great all around song.
8.5/10_________
Bear Ghost - Sickness for Nothing/She-WrecksFirst Impression - The beginning sounds like the original Zelda on NES
Theme - use of both analogies and humour to tell what are otherwise personal stories. Combination of the serious and the light-hearted.This Bear Ghost song (or songs) is a whole other beast. I absolutely love the Zelda-like sound of the first part of this song. The more relaxed nature of this first part is a great contrast to the rest of the song. There's actually some great buildups and releases throughout both parts of this. The She-Wrecks portion brings out more of the fun and upbeat parts similar to Starkiller, only a little more subdued. I think I prefer this song overall to Starkiller though, by just a tad. Also the random screamed YEAH at the end always gets a chuckle out of me. I'm going to have to check out this album in full.
8.75/10
LetheanHubi Meisel - Lost in the Waters of SargassoFirst Impression - The mix is really strange on this one
Theme - Part of a concept album and the narrator is going on a quest looking for Atlantis. You were right, this wasn't the greatest song in the world, but it is still a fantastic journey (or beginning of a journey, I'm definitely checking out the full album at some point). The mix on this is still very bizarre. The rhythm guitars for the most part are almost completely buried and the vocals are mixed too high and sound a little strange at times. The bass, while not bad, isn't very interesting and is mixed way too high. Anyway, this song is still pretty good. It has some great melodies and a great progression. The drums are also pretty cool. Overall it's a good song that could be much better with a different mix.
7.5/10__________
Voyager - The Meaning of IFirst Impression - I like the style of this bands most recent album, but this is still very enjoyable
Theme - This one mostly goes to The Larger Bowl. The first verse (below) reminds me of the Larger Bowl - why such different fortunes and fates, some are blessed and some are cursed, etc. The Fountain of Lamneth is also a quest/journey. Snakes and Arrows in general gives me a feeling of trying to figure things out or maybe making your way through life even though you can't really figure it all out. and The Meaning of I has some of that same spiritThis song really grew on me the more I heard it. I mean, it started out very good, but just got better. I'm not sure what it is about Daniel Estrin's vocals, but I just love them. Like most of the other stuff I've heard from Voyager, I just really appreciate the thought put in to the melodies. They are very pleasing to my ears. This song also has just enough technicality and variety to keep it interesting.
9/10
Scores
Train - 18.5, 19 = 37.5
Romdrums - 17, 16.75 = 33.75
Ariich - 16.25, 17.25 = 33.5
Cyril - 15.25, 18.25 = 33.5
Nekov - 17, 16 = 33
Kattelox - 17.5, 14.7 = 32.2
Tomislav - 16, 16 = 32
Stadler - 14, 16.3 = 30.3
Lethean - 13.5, 16.5 = 30
Elite - 10.5, 16 = 26.5
TAC - 11, 11 = 22
Topic: Puppies' Rush Roulette V.3 (Ultimate Post-Roulette Mega Rundown!) (Read 84073 times)