ariich’s inclusive roulette (v6) – EPic final results!

[The Walrus]

Yessss I'm glad you dig Tycho. I'm right there with you on your choice of favorites, right down to preferring Simulcast over Weather. I do enjoy the vocals on Weather but the instrumentals just prove Tycho is at his best without them, imo. Also, I was listening to the Awake Remixes album that's on Spotify over the weekend and forgot just how damn good they are. They are REALLY chill and I highly recommend checking them out when you need something to kill 40-ish minutes in the background because it's even more low key than the original record.

[jingle.boy]

Very pleased to see the rating for Hemina and, just as much, for Anthriel.  Their debut album is one of the best things I've ever been recommended by DTF.

[King Postwhore]

I agree with you Rich that their newer output is much better.  They sounded amazing live when they played Rosfest.  I think it was 2016 or 17.

[Nekov]

Yeah, Pendragon is kinda hit or miss. Some of their 80s albums are fun if you are into a more Asia kind of sound. The Jewel is a pretty good album from them and so is Believe. I recommend you check those

[Crow]

the thing about my EP is that a -lot- of the songs on it i haven't even listened to the full album they're from, and in most cases where i have i'm not a huge fan of the album either  the pup album is pretty good tho nothing compares to scorpion hill imo

[Buddyhunter1]

Heads-up that the King Gizzard album Crumbling Castle comes from isn't super representative of their overall sound, but the same could be said of a bunch of their other albums as well. I'd actually recommend their recent live album Live In San Fransisco '16 - it's an awesome setlist that covers a lot of their best heavy-psych material, while also throwing in a few curveballs here and there. It could also help you figure out what albums to check out, as they have... quite a lot! Feel free to hit me up for recommendations as well.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets and Lauri Porra are more straightforward - just listen to the albums the EP songs come from and explore further if you feel the need. I'm actually not really familiar with any other Lauri Porra albums, The Walrus would be the person to ask there!

[The Walrus]

Which one are you familiar with, again? Dust and Flyover are my two favorites; All Children Have Superpowers is pretty good too imo. I like all his stuff honestly but yeah I'd suggest Flyover and Dust for starters

[Buddyhunter1]

Which one are you familiar with, again? Dust and Flyover are my two favorites; All Children Have Superpowers is pretty good too imo. I like all his stuff honestly but yeah I'd suggest Flyover and Dust for starters

I only have Flyover. I think I might have listened to Dust like, once.

[The Walrus]

Which one are you familiar with, again? Dust and Flyover are my two favorites; All Children Have Superpowers is pretty good too imo. I like all his stuff honestly but yeah I'd suggest Flyover and Dust for starters

I only have Flyover. I think I might have listened to Dust like, once.

Dust has some reeeeeally good moments. Might have higher highs than Flyover for me. Think I'll replay them soon.

[ariich]

Glad you enjoyed Nils! His output is really interesting, and I also wished he did more of the electronic stuff. I highly recommend you his live album Spaces, it covers a good range of his work and plays some the more minimalist pieces in a very maximalist, intense fashion. It's a brilliant bunch of performances.

Hmm, interesting - I did notice that it's really highly rated on both RYM and Sputnik, so I guess I'll add it to my "Check out later" folder in Spotify.

Yessss I'm glad you dig Tycho. I'm right there with you on your choice of favorites, right down to preferring Simulcast over Weather. I do enjoy the vocals on Weather but the instrumentals just prove Tycho is at his best without them, imo. Also, I was listening to the Awake Remixes album that's on Spotify over the weekend and forgot just how damn good they are. They are REALLY chill and I highly recommend checking them out when you need something to kill 40-ish minutes in the background because it's even more low key than the original record.

Hmm, I might do, but I'm not generally all that interested in remix albums and I definitely don't need music that's any more chill than his stuff already is.

the thing about my EP is that a -lot- of the songs on it i haven't even listened to the full album they're from, and in most cases where i have i'm not a huge fan of the album either  the pup album is pretty good tho nothing compares to scorpion hill imo

True. But then I keep doing that - exploring artists in more depth than the people who sent them to me have - so I guess I can carry on doing that.

Heads-up that the King Gizzard album Crumbling Castle comes from isn't super representative of their overall sound, but the same could be said of a bunch of their other albums as well. I'd actually recommend their recent live album Live In San Fransisco '16 - it's an awesome setlist that covers a lot of their best heavy-psych material, while also throwing in a few curveballs here and there. It could also help you figure out what albums to check out, as they have... quite a lot! Feel free to hit me up for recommendations as well.

Yeah I remember you telling me about them during the roulette, they sound brilliantly mad. I'm not sure about starting with a live album, though I'm not against checking it out once I have a couple of studio albums under my belt. I'll definitely give a listen to the album you sent me a song from, but if there are maybe 2-3 other ones you think it'd be worth me also checking out to start with, that'd be great. If I'm loving them all then I'll just keep going, if not then I might report back on what I'm digging and what's working less well for me to get more tailored recommendations!

[Buddyhunter1]

Listen to Nonagon Infinity and if you want more like it, check out I'm In Your Mind Fuzz. There's also their thrash metal album Infest The Rats' Nest, which is really good but only if you don't mind thrash metal.

[ariich]

Alright here's the first batch of EP artists. In quite a few cases I only received one track, so even more so than the main roulette rounds, it's probably going to be a little hit and miss.

Also, I've been working through artists in the order that they're in my roulette spreadsheet. In previous rounds that was alphabetical by player (which is why Buddy was always first and Kade always last). But it turns out I recorded all the EP artists in reverse order of final ranking after I'd posted the results, so Buddy you're going to have to wait until the end this time.

Anyway here are the first few players' EP artists that I wanted to check out.


Stadler

• Sammy Hagar - As you'll remember, your Van Halen-focused EP was not exactly your strongest round. But one the Hagar tunes in particular I really liked a lot, so I decided to check out the album it came from, Cosmic Universal Fashion. And yeah, it's very enjoyable and overall I do think it's more up my alley than the rest of what was in your EP, but most of it still doesn't match up to the groove and energy of Psycho Vertigo (3.5 stars).

Lethean

• Off the Cross - I went with the Era EP that you sent me the song from, and it's a pretty cool mix of metalcore with some black metal and symphonic metal influences in there with nice guest appearances. I wouldn't say I love it though - the Jonas Renkse song you sent me is definitely the best one, and the Marcela Bovio one is pretty good, but the other two don't interest me too much (3.5 stars).
• Pantheon I - You sent me a song from Worlds I Create so that's what I started with, and it's a great album. Heavy and dark but very engaging and melodic (4 stars). I tried the album before that too, The Wanderer and His Shadow, but while the style was similar, it didn't grab me in the same way (3.5 stars).
• October Tide - I gave a listen to Rain Without End, and ehhhhh it didn't really do much for me I'm afraid. The track you included worked well as a moody interlude of sorts, and I do like that element of their music, but the album I just find a bit dreary and lacking in either energy or emotion (3 stars).
• Long Distance Calling - I've had a weird history with this band. Before the roulette, I'd rated three of their albums - two of their purely instrumental post-rock ones I'd given 3 stars, while the album they did with Petter Carlsen, Trips, I really liked and gave 4 stars. Anyway you inspired me to check out a couple more albums, so I went with Avoid the Light (which you sent me a song from), and also The Flood Inside as another vocals-heavy (ish) album. I don't find either as interesting as Trips, but I like them both more than the other albums I'd heard previously. Avoid the Light, in particular, not only has the excellent Jonas Renkse but also the instrumental stuff just has more energy than a lot of their music, even if not all it is particularly interesting (3.5 stars x 2).

LordCost

• Norma Jean - This was an intense few days of pretty much entirely checking out metalcore. I started with Norma Jean, and I liked what I was hearing at first. Wrongdoers, which you included a song from, is heavy and angsty but also balances this nicely with more atmospheric and melodic moments, in a way that works well for me (4 stars). So I gave a good few listens to some of their other albums - Meridional, Polar Similar and All Hail - but none of them seems to get the same balance and I find them each a bit draining (3.5 stars x 3).
• Underoath - Underoath next, again starting with the album you sent a song from, Ø, and again liking what I heard. While exploring their recent albums, I was having a look at ratings and reviews on RYM and other places, and like with so many bands I find it hard to relate to the general consensus. Ø seems to be considered by many to be their heaviest and least melodic, but while maybe it's very heavy, I find it far more melodically engaging than the two albums before it which seem to be more popular but which to me lack any good hooks. And angst without melody isn't normally something I find very interesting. And then their latest album seems to be pretty unpopular because it's now apparently too melodic and not heavy enough. Anyway I don't really care about the style, and personally the more melodic alt-rock influences work well for me. So I'm a bit weird in that I like their latest two albums a lot (4 stars x 2) while the two before that are far more popular I don't find as interesting (3.5 stars x 2).
• The Dillinger Escape Plan - Hmm, ok I think these guys just aren't for me. I still really like Mouth of Ghosts, but the album it's from, Ire Works, just sounds like what I've heard from them before and it just doesn't really do anything for me. I don't mind chaotic music if it's balanced with good melody and/or rhythmic grooves that I can get into, but DEP's music just doesn't have enough of those things (3 stars).

Tomi

• Sharon Van Etten - I gave a couple of listens to Remind me Tomorrow which you sent me a song from, and it's a nice folksy indie album. But, much like the song you sent, I don't find it very exciting or memorable (3.5 stars).
• Elliott Smith - My feelings towards the Elliott Smith songs you sent were similar to the Van Etten, but it was nice music so I figured I'd check both albums out. And yeah similarly, it's nice music and I particularly like the Beatles vibe that comes up in a lot of his music. But, as I thought I might, I do still find it all a little bland (3.5 stars x 2).
• Daughter - Ok, here's where things pick up. My favourite song on your EP was Youth, so I started with their debut LP, but interestingly enough it's my least favourite thing I've heard from them. There are some gorgeous moments but I find it a little samey (3.5 stars). I also checked out the Wild Youth EP (which also had an older version of Youth on) and liked that more - perhaps it was simply the shorter run-time made it punchier (4 stars). It was at that point that I realised their latest album was the soundtrack to Life is Strange: Before the Storm, a game that I only recently played and really liked - so that was next and it's a lovely album. Both that and the album in between (Not to Disappear) have a bit more energy and variety of sound than the debut and I really think it suits them well (also 4 stars x 2).
• Okkervil River - I mentioned in the final that the songs you sent by these guys reminded me of an American Frank Turner, and yeah that's definitely the case with their earlier albums. I obviously started with Black Sheep Boy which you sent me songs from, and both that one and the album before it (Down the River of Golden Dreams) are fantastic - really emotive folk rock with a lot of passion and energy (4 stars). I gave a listen to their debut, but found it really boring by comparison (3 stars). I also checked out the two albums that came next, which seem to also be highly regarded, but while they're pleasant, I haven't been able to really get into them. They're nice, but they don't have the same raw energy as the earlier ones, and sound much more middle-of-the-road indie to my ears (3.5 stars x 2).

king

• Yesternight - The song you sent me wasn't my favourite on the EP, but it was great and a real grower. The album (their only one) didn't need to grow though, I immediately loved it and was pleasantly surprised by how much so. There isn't anything particularly special or unique about it, I couldn't really point to any distinctive features, but it's just really nice emotive prog (4 stars).
• Cellar Noise - By comparison, Cellar Noise were a slight let down. Nautilus was my favourite song on your EP because of the amazing dramatic stuff in the second half of the song, but the album as a whole doesn't quite live up to that. Don't get me wrong, it's very nice still, but there aren't enough moments like in the title track that really draw me in (3.5 stars).
• Cyril - This might be sig fodder, but: Cyril is good, but not great. I gave a good couple of listens to The Way Through, and my feelings towards it are very similar to the Cellar Noise album. I think I perhaps find the music slightly more varied and interesting, but the production is weaker which lets it down. It's solid enough, but pretty unremarkable really (3.5 stars).
• DarWin - And finally, some of the most indulgent prog I've ever heard. There are no doubt some great moments on Origin of Species, and some nice vibes and proggy grooves, but it's so bloated and not nearly enough of it is interesting to make it a great album overall (3.5 stars).

[King Postwhore]

How you explained liking Yesternight is exactly how I went through stages. I think it's well written,  well produced and it get on me daily.

[Crow]

Cyril is good, but not great.

on it fam

edit: nvm don't have space in my sig for another quote and you have not topped indisicipline's

[King Postwhore]

Rich you know who Yesternight reminds me of?  RPWL.

[ariich]

Cyril is good, but not great.

on it fam

edit: nvm don't have space in my sig for another quote and you have not topped indisicipline's

No worries (although if you did actually want to, two quotes would be fine, pretty sure lots of people do that).

Rich you know who Yesternight reminds me of?  RPWL.

Yeah there are similarities for sure. I find Yesternight more melodically and emotionally engaging than what I've heard of RPWL though (so far anyway - obviously I'm new to them).

[Crow]

Cyril is good, but not great.

on it fam

edit: nvm don't have space in my sig for another quote and you have not topped indisicipline's

No worries (although if you did actually want to, two quotes would be fine, pretty sure lots of people do that).

no i mean i literally do not have sig space for it. i can't add a second quote there is a 500 character limit

[ariich]

Cyril is good, but not great.

on it fam

edit: nvm don't have space in my sig for another quote and you have not topped indisicipline's

No worries (although if you did actually want to, two quotes would be fine, pretty sure lots of people do that).

no i mean i literally do not have sig space for it. i can't add a second quote there is a 500 character limit

I did it for you, just removed the hyperlink which was taking up loads of characters.

[Crow]

the hyperlink is important tho 

[ariich]

Fair enough.

[LordCost]

Alright here's the first batch of EP artists. In quite a few cases I only received one track, so even more so than the main roulette rounds, it's probably going to be a little hit and miss.

Also, I've been working through artists in the order that they're in my roulette spreadsheet. In previous rounds that was alphabetical by player (which is why Buddy was always first and Kade always last). But it turns out I recorded all the EP artists in reverse order of final ranking after I'd posted the results, so Buddy you're going to have to wait until the end this time.

Anyway here are the first few players' EP artists that I wanted to check out.


Stadler

• Sammy Hagar - As you'll remember, your Van Halen-focused EP was not exactly your strongest round. But one the Hagar tunes in particular I really liked a lot, so I decided to check out the album it came from, Cosmic Universal Fashion. And yeah, it's very enjoyable and overall I do think it's more up my alley than the rest of what was in your EP, but most of it still doesn't match up to the groove and energy of Psycho Vertigo (3.5 stars).

Lethean

• Off the Cross - I went with the Era EP that you sent me the song from, and it's a pretty cool mix of metalcore with some black metal and symphonic metal influences in there with nice guest appearances. I wouldn't say I love it though - the Jonas Renkse song you sent me is definitely the best one, and the Marcela Bovio one is pretty good, but the other two don't interest me too much (3.5 stars).
• Pantheon I - You sent me a song from Worlds I Create so that's what I started with, and it's a great album. Heavy and dark but very engaging and melodic (4 stars). I tried the album before that too, The Wanderer and His Shadow, but while the style was similar, it didn't grab me in the same way (3.5 stars).
• October Tide - I gave a listen to Rain Without End, and ehhhhh it didn't really do much for me I'm afraid. The track you included worked well as a moody interlude of sorts, and I do like that element of their music, but the album I just find a bit dreary and lacking in either energy or emotion (3 stars).
• Long Distance Calling - I've had a weird history with this band. Before the roulette, I'd rated three of their albums - two of their purely instrumental post-rock ones I'd given 3 stars, while the album they did with Petter Carlsen, Trips, I really liked and gave 4 stars. Anyway you inspired me to check out a couple more albums, so I went with Avoid the Light (which you sent me a song from), and also The Flood Inside as another vocals-heavy (ish) album. I don't find either as interesting as Trips, but I like them both more than the other albums I'd heard previously. Avoid the Light, in particular, not only has the excellent Jonas Renkse but also the instrumental stuff just has more energy than a lot of their music, even if not all it is particularly interesting (3.5 stars x 2).

LordCost

• Norma Jean - This was an intense few days of pretty much entirely checking out metalcore. I started with Norma Jean, and I liked what I was hearing at first. Wrongdoers, which you included a song from, is heavy and angsty but also balances this nicely with more atmospheric and melodic moments, in a way that works well for me (4 stars). So I gave a good few listens to some of their other albums - Meridional, Polar Similar and All Hail - but none of them seems to get the same balance and I find them each a bit draining (3.5 stars x 3).
• Underoath - Underoath next, again starting with the album you sent a song from, Ø, and again liking what I heard. While exploring their recent albums, I was having a look at ratings and reviews on RYM and other places, and like with so many bands I find it hard to relate to the general consensus. Ø seems to be considered by many to be their heaviest and least melodic, but while maybe it's very heavy, I find it far more melodically engaging than the two albums before it which seem to be more popular but which to me lack any good hooks. And angst without melody isn't normally something I find very interesting. And then their latest album seems to be pretty unpopular because it's now apparently too melodic and not heavy enough. Anyway I don't really care about the style, and personally the more melodic alt-rock influences work well for me. So I'm a bit weird in that I like their latest two albums a lot (4 stars x 2) while the two before that are far more popular I don't find as interesting (3.5 stars x 2).
• The Dillinger Escape Plan - Hmm, ok I think these guys just aren't for me. I still really like Mouth of Ghosts, but the album it's from, Ire Works, just sounds like what I've heard from them before and it just doesn't really do anything for me. I don't mind chaotic music if it's balanced with good melody and/or rhythmic grooves that I can get into, but DEP's music just doesn't have enough of those things (3 stars).

Tomi

• Sharon Van Etten - I gave a couple of listens to Remind me Tomorrow which you sent me a song from, and it's a nice folksy indie album. But, much like the song you sent, I don't find it very exciting or memorable (3.5 stars).
• Elliott Smith - My feelings towards the Elliott Smith songs you sent were similar to the Van Etten, but it was nice music so I figured I'd check both albums out. And yeah similarly, it's nice music and I particularly like the Beatles vibe that comes up in a lot of his music. But, as I thought I might, I do still find it all a little bland (3.5 stars x 2).
• Daughter - Ok, here's where things pick up. My favourite song on your EP was Youth, so I started with their debut LP, but interestingly enough it's my least favourite thing I've heard from them. There are some gorgeous moments but I find it a little samey (3.5 stars). I also checked out the Wild Youth EP (which also had an older version of Youth on) and liked that more - perhaps it was simply the shorter run-time made it punchier (4 stars). It was at that point that I realised their latest album was the soundtrack to Life is Strange: Before the Storm, a game that I only recently played and really liked - so that was next and it's a lovely album. Both that and the album in between (Not to Disappear) have a bit more energy and variety of sound than the debut and I really think it suits them well (also 4 stars x 2).
• Okkervil River - I mentioned in the final that the songs you sent by these guys reminded me of an American Frank Turner, and yeah that's definitely the case with their earlier albums. I obviously started with Black Sheep Boy which you sent me songs from, and both that one and the album before it (Down the River of Golden Dreams) are fantastic - really emotive folk rock with a lot of passion and energy (4 stars). I gave a listen to their debut, but found it really boring by comparison (3 stars). I also checked out the two albums that came next, which seem to also be highly regarded, but while they're pleasant, I haven't been able to really get into them. They're nice, but they don't have the same raw energy as the earlier ones, and sound much more middle-of-the-road indie to my ears (3.5 stars x 2).

king

• Yesternight - The song you sent me wasn't my favourite on the EP, but it was great and a real grower. The album (their only one) didn't need to grow though, I immediately loved it and was pleasantly surprised by how much so. There isn't anything particularly special or unique about it, I couldn't really point to any distinctive features, but it's just really nice emotive prog (4 stars).
• Cellar Noise - By comparison, Cellar Noise were a slight let down. Nautilus was my favourite song on your EP because of the amazing dramatic stuff in the second half of the song, but the album as a whole doesn't quite live up to that. Don't get me wrong, it's very nice still, but there aren't enough moments like in the title track that really draw me in (3.5 stars).
• Cyril - This might be sig fodder, but: Cyril is good, but not great. I gave a good couple of listens to The Way Through, and my feelings towards it are very similar to the Cellar Noise album. I think I perhaps find the music slightly more varied and interesting, but the production is weaker which lets it down. It's solid enough, but pretty unremarkable really (3.5 stars).
• DarWin - And finally, some of the most indulgent prog I've ever heard. There are no doubt some great moments on Origin of Species, and some nice vibes and proggy grooves, but it's so bloated and not nearly enough of it is interesting to make it a great album overall (3.5 stars).

I agree with you that Ø is much better than the previous albums. I didn't even listen the last one after reading bad reviews thinking that Ø was just an outlier, I may give it a spin. From Norma Jean I usually like songs more than albums, and I agree with you that Wrongdoers is by a small margin the best one (Meridional and Polar Similar after it).
DEP is by far my favorite band amomg those, but I understand you.. And I see you skipped Car Bomb💣 Meta is a better album than most of the ones you went through the last metalcore days. It was also well received by many reviewers, but it's very heavy and chirurgical. The cover fits the music too, weirdly. Just the first two songs give you an idea of what the album is about.

[Lethean]

Alright here's the first batch of EP artists. In quite a few cases I only received one track, so even more so than the main roulette rounds, it's probably going to be a little hit and miss.

Also, I've been working through artists in the order that they're in my roulette spreadsheet. In previous rounds that was alphabetical by player (which is why Buddy was always first and Kade always last). But it turns out I recorded all the EP artists in reverse order of final ranking after I'd posted the results, so Buddy you're going to have to wait until the end this time.

Anyway here are the first few players' EP artists that I wanted to check out.




Lethean

• Off the Cross - I went with the Era EP that you sent me the song from, and it's a pretty cool mix of metalcore with some black metal and symphonic metal influences in there with nice guest appearances. I wouldn't say I love it though - the Jonas Renkse song you sent me is definitely the best one, and the Marcela Bovio one is pretty good, but the other two don't interest me too much (3.5 stars).
• Pantheon I - You sent me a song from Worlds I Create so that's what I started with, and it's a great album. Heavy and dark but very engaging and melodic (4 stars). I tried the album before that too, The Wanderer and His Shadow, but while the style was similar, it didn't grab me in the same way (3.5 stars).
• October Tide - I gave a listen to Rain Without End, and ehhhhh it didn't really do much for me I'm afraid. The track you included worked well as a moody interlude of sorts, and I do like that element of their music, but the album I just find a bit dreary and lacking in either energy or emotion (3 stars).
• Long Distance Calling - I've had a weird history with this band. Before the roulette, I'd rated three of their albums - two of their purely instrumental post-rock ones I'd given 3 stars, while the album they did with Petter Carlsen, Trips, I really liked and gave 4 stars. Anyway you inspired me to check out a couple more albums, so I went with Avoid the Light (which you sent me a song from), and also The Flood Inside as another vocals-heavy (ish) album. I don't find either as interesting as Trips, but I like them both more than the other albums I'd heard previously. Avoid the Light, in particular, not only has the excellent Jonas Renkse but also the instrumental stuff just has more energy than a lot of their music, even if not all it is particularly interesting (3.5 stars x 2).

You're now way more familiar with the artists on my EP than I am.   I may use your write-up to check some of them out further.  In general, what I did check out was just too harsh vocals for me but sometimes if I'm in the right mood I can enjoy them more than I'd expect.

[ariich]

Next batch! I was hoping to finish by the end of the year, but that looks unlikely now. Not sure I'll do another roulette of quite that scale again, or not for a while anyway - I designed it really well to make it very manageable for the roulette itself, but I can't help wanting to properly check out the vast majority of the artists submitted and there are just so many.


Sacul

• Ed Harrison - I normally don't really get into soundtrack albums when I don't know the thing they're a soundtrack too, but Neotokyo really is just excellent as an album - fantastic electronic/drum'n'bass music with some big ambient and post-rock infusions that make it really immersive (4 stars). On Spotify it's all one big album which is a bit full on, but when you buy it from bandcamp it's split into two "discs" (I'm guessing for two different factions?) which helps break it up. The first non-soundtrack he did after that, 0edit, was a bit weaker and lacking in punch (3.5 stars), but the one after, TGR fuel, is fantastic again (4 stars).
• Arms and Sleepers - Turns out I was wrong to think I might be less interested in a full album by these guys, at least regarding the Organ Hearts. I think perhaps on your EP, because of the energetic opening and the lush matryoshka piece, the Arms and Sleepers tracks felt a little bland. But in fact on The Organ Hearts, there's a great vibe to the whole album and with no distraction from other styles, it's really engaging and enjoyable (4 stars). I also checked out Matador, plus a couple more albums from around the same time - Black Paris and Swim Team - but none were as consistently interesting (3.5 stars x 3).
• matryoshka - The track you included in your EP is beautiful, and there are some other lovely moments too, but as a whole Laideronnette isn't grabbing me as much as I thought it might. It's very pretty, but after such a gorgeous start to the album, most of the rest feels a little bland (3.5 stars).
• Boards of Canada - I went with The Campfire Headphase as that's the album you included a full song from, and it's pretty much what I expected really. It's a nice bit of folksy electronica, and there are some cool moments and a couple of tracks I enjoyed a fair bit more than Dayvan Cowboy, but overall it didn't excite me much (3.5 stars).

romdrums

• Living Colour - I loved the tracks you included from Vivid, so that was my obvious starting point. And I was not disappointed, it's a cracking album and I love their blend of hard rock with
  a fun infusion of funk and poppy elements, lots of great hooks and energy (4 stars). Interestingly enough, the other album I've also found myself really digging is their latest, Shade, which is more modern and has a couple of corny moments but otherwise has exactly the same elements I like so much about Vivid (also 4 stars). I gave a listen to Time's Up, but it didn't grab me as much - seemed to go in a slightly more serious, heavy direction but it didn't work for me (3.5 stars). I understand Stain went further in that direction so I didn't even bother with it. I also tried the album before Shade, but that was similarly less interesting (also 3.5 stars).
• Public Enemy - I've tended to struggle with most 90s hip hop and never find it has the kind of melody and/or groove I want, and on the whole that definitely applies to Public Enemy I think. But that said, they seem to have a few excellent tracks. I went with the albums you sent me songs from. The one I liked most was Apocalypse 91 - it has By the Time I Get to Arizona which is a cracking tune, and in general there's a bit of variety on the album that makes it enjoyable (3.5 stars). Fear of a Black Planet, I appreciate it's importance, but honestly I just find it too samey and a drag to listen to (3 stars). So I ended up checking out their greatest hits album, Power to the People and the Beats, and while that still didn't blow me away (3.5 stars), it did help me identify a few songs from throughout their career that I really dig (the other main standouts being Prophets of Rage and He Got Game).

Nekov

• Gordi - Really nice indie pop here. You included two songs from Reservoir that I liked a lot, and yeah it's a very cool album, a nice sound and some strong melodies (4 stars). Her new album seems to be slightly more popular, but I found it less interesting on the whole, and a bit lacking in good hooks (3.5 stars).
• Lucy Rose - The song you included was my favourite on the EP, and while most of her stuff isn't quite so lush as that track, I'm definitely not disappointed. Her first two albums seem to be mainly be indie pop with a very emotive approach and some nice folksy elements, and it's a lovely mix. She has a great, soulful voice and some really heartfelt music (4 stars x 2). Something's Changing was a shift to more stripped back indie folk, and it's pretty but less interesting and I thought perhaps I'd find that side of her music less exciting (3.5 stars). Thankfully her latest, while in the same style, is just really emotionally compelling and a great return to form (4 stars).
• Beirut - Wasn't sure where to start with Beirut so I went with the album you sent a song from, No No No, and yeah it's pretty good. Once again a kind of indie pop with folk elements, a combination that I do like but I don't feel these do in the most exciting or creative way (3.5 stars).
• As Tall As Lions - By contrast, this was a really pleasant surprise. The ATAL song you included was easily my least favourite on your EP but I figured I'd check them out anyway, and I'm so glad I did. I can see why you included that track to fit with the vibe of your EP, but it wasn't a great representation of the band. As it happens, this is really top-notch indie rock. Both their self-titled album and the last one they did, which included your song, are excellent, energetic indie (4 stars). I did give their debut, which I'd heard before, another try, but I still didn't like it much (3 stars) so it seems I'd just given up on them too early.

Indi

• Savatage - You only used songs from The Wake of Magellan as intros and interludes in your EP, but I figured I'd give it a listen anyway. And I definitely like it more than Streets, which I'd heard before but not been impressed by. The riffing is enjoyable and the overall sound has a lot of theatrical character. I just find a lack of interesting vocal lines, something that seems to always be the case with Jon Oliva (3.5 stars).
• Jason Robert Brown - I gave a couple of listens to Songs for a New World, and it's pretty enjoyable music theatre, but I find myself struggling to properly get into it. There are some pretty good songs but it's all a bit samey, the melodies aren't that exciting, and I don't even find much in the way of emotional narrative - I understand there's a loose narrative arc for the show/song cycle, but I'm not feeling it - maybe it works seeing it on stage (3.5 stars).
• Lucifer's Friend - Now we're getting to the really good part of your EP. The Lucifer's Friend song wasn't my favourite on the EP, but I think they might be my favourite artist from it. Banquet is an excellent, quirky and characterful bit of 70s prog rock that, perhaps helped my modern remasters, really feels quite modern and head of its time (4 stars). Mind Exploding is fantastic too - it has a couple of dud moments particularly early on, but it also has the best stuff I've heard from them and an epic ending (also 4 stars). After those albums, Good Time Warrior is just a bit dull and middle-of-the-road (3.5 stars) and from what I've read that's the direction they stuck with so I haven't bothered continuing forward. Their first two albums seem very popular, but aren't available on Spotify - are they worth sourcing?
• Crack the Sky - I was excited to check these guys out after loving A Sea Epic, but they've gone the other way from Lucifer's Friend and ended up being a little disappointing. Not that thei self-titled isn't a very enjoyable album still, it's just a bit all over the place and I can't really get into it. Sea Epic is still amazing, and there are two or three other songs that are great for similar reasons. But most of the rest I just find quite uninteresting and it all jumps around it feels like a collection of unrelated songs rather than an album (3.5 stars).
• Wuthering Heights - The Mad Sailor was my favourite on your EP but I was curious as to how much I'd enjoy a whole album of cheesy folk power metal. Turns out, in the case of Salt, actually quite a lot. It's cheesy for sure, but going pretty hard on the folk metal style actually gives it a lot of swagger and makes it a really fun, catchy album (4 stars). By contrast, the two albums before, while I can understand why they are generally more popular, strike me as more standard Dio-esque power metal and they don't grab me in the same way (3.5 stars x 2).

Elite

• Obsidian Kingdom - I'm so glad you sent me the songs from Mantiis, because after you failed with A Year of No Summer in one of my previous roulettes, I'm not sure I'd have given this band another chance. I've also given some good listens to their latest album, Meat Machine, as well. One thing I find really interesting is how different each of their albums is, despite common elements. Thankfully both Mantiis and Meat Machine really work well for me - both excellent, intense albums in their own way (4 stars x 2).
• Misþyrming - My last couple of roulettes have seen me getting more into some melodic black metal, and Algleymi is another album I can add to my favourites from the genre. It's definitely intense, but there's a melodic approach that evokes a real sense of bleak Nordic (well, ok Icelandic) atmosphere and it's pretty fantastic really (4 stars). I tried their debut too, and eh it has some good moments but most of it is not very melodic and I couldn't get into it at all (3 stars).
• Hamferð - My first band from the Faroe Islands. They have a total population of like 40,000 so there can't be many metal bands from there. Doom metal is a genre I can be a bit picky with - sometimes it's just too monotonous - but these guys have a wonderful sense of melancholy that make their music very engaging. Both of their albums are excellent - I might even slightly prefer their debut more than the album you sent songs from - but both are really great (4 stars x 2).

[Buddyhunter1]

Saving the best for last I see

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Saving the best for last I see

Yeah, mine 

[Sacul]

Glad you liked Neotokyo! It's indeed a giant album but very consistent and awesome . The Organ Hearts it's also lovely, I'm happy you liked it.

Yeah Boards of Canada I find I only dig a few songs from their records tbh, but the closest they've come to me liking the whole thing is Geodaddi, great atmosphere there.

[ariich]

Saving the best for last I see

Yep, as I said before I had everything from the EP round logged in reverse order of final standings, so you, Ev and Walrus will be in the final update!

Anyway, MOAR OPINIONS


lonestar

• InnerShine - I was a little touch and go on whether to check these guys out based on the song you sent, but figured I might as well give the album it came from a listen. And yeah it's pretty much what I expected, competent and talented prog metal that lacks enough of a spark or hook to really interest me that much (3.5 stars).
• Kingcrow - You guys are bloody persistent in constantly sending me Kingcrow in my roulettes, so it's rather fitting that The Persistence is the album that finally wins me over. I've always liked their style but never found them that interesting melodically or emotionally, but on both counts this album is a definite improvement - it's punchy, heartfelt and really engaging stuff, thanks for including a song from it as I'm not sure I'd have given them another chance otherwise (4 stars).
• Absolute Priority - This was the other song from your EP that I rather liked so I gave Hunter a couple of listens, but similar to the InnerShine album, while it's all very solid, it feels kind of perfunctory to me (3.5 stars).

wolfking

• Amon Amarth - This was the band I was by far the most interested in from your EP, and they haven't disappointed. Not that every album is that great, and indeed their style doesn't change much from album to album so it does get a little on the samey side after a while. But to my ears, they are at their strongest when the instrumentation is melodic and/or melancholy, and in general the albums that have hooked me in are those that take this approach the most. I've gone back as far as Versus the World, and the four albums that stand out are With Oden on Our Side, Twilight of the Thunder God, Deceiver of the Gods and Jomsviking (4 stars x 4). The other albums in this period are solid still but feel like more of the same, just with weaker hooks (3.5 stars x 4). If based on this, you think any of their first three albums are essential for me to check out, I'll be happy to do so.
• Sabaton - While I found the Sabaton song you included a little a cheesy, I enjoyed it a lot so I wasn't sure what to expect from them really. As it happens, I was pleasantly surprised at least with some of their albums. Heroes, which your song came from, is simply a very enjoyable bit of epic power metal with a lot of charm and lots of great melodies, and Carolus Rex which came before it also has a lot of great songs and a bit more variety which is appreciated - so I'm digging these two albums a lot (4 stars x 2). The others I checked out have been decidedly weaker. The two albums before Carolus seem much more standard power metal fare and are a lot less interesting, while the album after Heroes takes the same simpler approach but is really lacking in good hooks (3.5 stars x 3). As with Amon Amarth, if you think based on this I should check out any other albums I'm happy to, but I suspect this band might have had a specific period that works well for me.

Puppies

• Vektor - Vektor were the big standout in your EP and sounded a little different to anything I'd heard before, so I was really excited to check them out. At first though, it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. The first album I tried was Outer Isolation, and I was a bit disappointed. The two-punch of Tetrastructural Minds and Venus Project is fantastic, but the rest of the album just feels a little lacking in melody and I find it gets quite samey (3.5 stars). Still, I preferred Recharging the Void anyway, so I then dived into the 73-minute beast that is Terminal Redux, and wow what a completely different experience. The overall style is I guess the same (e.g. the vocals are still almost all harsh), but the music is so vibrant and creative and epic - it's a long album, but it's so damn good that it doesn't feel long (4.5 stars). Happily won over, I then went back to their debut Black Future, and while not quite as exciting as TR, it's another strong, epic album (4 stars). Really interesting band and I'm glad you introduced me to them!
• Absu - Aside from Vektor, Amy was my next favourite song on your EP so I was hopeful going into this. Unfortunately, it was a pretty disappointing experience. I gave a listen to the self-titled album that song comes from, and while that song is still great and there a couple of other good moments, to my ears the album as a whole just has a dearth of melody or musicality. It's not even that long an album but, despite some good moments, it was a chore to get through (3 stars).
• Warbringer - On the flipside, the Warbringer was my least favourite on your EP but I was pleasantly surprised by them. It doesn't blow me away, but Weapons of Tomorrow is a solid thrash album and they have an interesting mix of mostly pretty traditional thrash metal instrumentation with more of a modern metalcore vocal style. It doesn't always work great, but the album is consistently enjoyable, and there are a couple of excellent songs (Defiance of Fate and Heart of Darkness) on there (3.5 stars).
• Revocation - My overall opinion on The Outer Ones ends up somewhere close to the Warbringer. It's an interesting style somewhere between thrash metal and death metal, has a nice intensity to it and some cool ideas. There's definitely a lot of elements I like, but the overall experience of listening to it just leaves me feeling a little cold (3.5 stars).

jingle

• The Chronicles Project - This was exactly what I was expecting based on your teaser trailer EP (and indeed it being stylistically the epitome of jingle.core in general), and that's no bad thing at all. While there's nothing here that's original and most of it sounds like other power and prog metal bands, it's consistently excellent stuff, with strong production, great singers and tons of excellent hooks and melodies all throughout the album (4 stars).
• Epysode - I was expecting Epysode to be similar based on your EP, but it turns out I'm not quite as keen. The style surprised me a little - I hadn't picked it up from the songs you included, but the core sound here, particularly on Obsessions, is more grungy 90s/early-00s prog metal. Which isn't in and of itself good or bad, but I don't feel it has the punch or variety to work for me in the way that my favourite bands have in that style. There are some great songs peppered throughout the two albums, and Fantasmagoria also benefits from tighter production, but in the end neither album quite grabs me in the way The Chronicles Project does (3.5 stars x 2).

Train

• Raketkanon - So yeah, these guys are pretty much what I expected from the songs you sent, though with a couple of twists. What met my expectations was that this is some weird shit with some cool grooves. I have a good listen to both the albums you sent me songs from. I think I have a slight preference for Rktkn #3 as the sound is more varied - one of the nice surprises was the moodier, slower stuff that I think works pretty well. But overall, neither album quite works for me despite being enjoyable. I don't know that it's a case of being too weird, so much as the weirdness not being sufficiently balanced out with melody (3.5 stars x 2).
• Mutoid Man - The two songs you included were my favourites on your EP, so Bleeder was my obvious starting point and it's a damn fine album for all the reasons I liked those two songs - a cool sound, strong hooks and slick guitar work (4 stars). Their latest album, War Moans, has some of those elements too, but the hooks aren't as interesting to me, and similarly their first EP is exciting and dynamic but also kind of messy and all over the place (3.5 stars x 2).
• He Is Legend - You sent me songs from three of their albums, and of those I found myself loving two of them and quite liking the other, so I ended up checking out all their stuff. White Bat and Heavy Fruit are comfortably the albums I like the most - they have a great stoner rock/southern metal vibe going on with some hardcore/post-hardcore elements thrown in, and on these two albums in particular it's all brought together in a really fun way with lots of great tunes which I think is essential to make this style work (4 stars x 2). The other four albums aren't so strong melodically basically, the debut is kind of interesting as it's more squarely post-hardcore, but it's all a bit samey (3.5 stars x 4).

[Nekov]

It seems I'm doing much better in the post-roulette writeups than in the roulette itself 

[jingle.boy]

Totally fair assessment of Chronicles Project and Epysode.  I don't hear the 90s influence you do in Epysode, just heavy/djenty riffs.  Glad to see that Kingcrow clicked as well. 

[Elite]

Elite

• Obsidian Kingdom - I'm so glad you sent me the songs from Mantiis, because after you failed with A Year of No Summer in one of my previous roulettes, I'm not sure I'd have given this band another chance. I've also given some good listens to their latest album, Meat Machine, as well. One thing I find really interesting is how different each of their albums is, despite common elements. Thankfully both Mantiis and Meat Machine really work well for me - both excellent, intense albums in their own way (4 stars x 2).
• Misþyrming - My last couple of roulettes have seen me getting more into some melodic black metal, and Algleymi is another album I can add to my favourites from the genre. It's definitely intense, but there's a melodic approach that evokes a real sense of bleak Nordic (well, ok Icelandic) atmosphere and it's pretty fantastic really (4 stars). I tried their debut too, and eh it has some good moments but most of it is not very melodic and I couldn't get into it at all (3 stars).
• Hamferð - My first band from the Faroe Islands. They have a total population of like 40,000 so there can't be many metal bands from there. Doom metal is a genre I can be a bit picky with - sometimes it's just too monotonous - but these guys have a wonderful sense of melancholy that make their music very engaging. Both of their albums are excellent - I might even slightly prefer their debut more than the album you sent songs from - but both are really great (4 stars x 2).

Awesome, I'm only seeing this now!!

Mantiis is one of my all-time favourites, so glad you liked that one. I also agree Meat Machine was a step up again from AYWNS (even though I enjoy that one a lot as well).

Regarding Misþyrming & Hamferð, I must say I'm only familiar with the albums I sent tracks from and even then, I haven't listened to those a lot, I don't think, but I like them both (else, I wouldn't have sent anything from them). The former impressed me for its relentlessness, while the latter for its plodding (NOT in a bad way, can't think of the right word) heaviness and bleak atmosphere. I think both are quite comparable, since I have no idea what they're singing due to the language and both are bleak, yet different (one is fast, the other slow, wow!).

[ariich]

It seems I'm doing much better in the post-roulette writeups than in the roulette itself 

Yeah there have been some nice surprises - a few cases where I think your song choices didn't quite work for me but I liked the artists/albums a lot more.

Totally fair assessment of Chronicles Project and Epysode.  I don't hear the 90s influence you do in Epysode, just heavy/djenty riffs.

Interesting, I don't get a djenty vibe at all, but I think I know what you mean - rhythmic use of single chords. That's what reminds me of turn of the century prog metal actually, it's not as low-tuned or syncopated as djent and sounds more like the prog metal style that predates it. To my ears anyway.

Awesome, I'm only seeing this now!!

Mantiis is one of my all-time favourites, so glad you liked that one. I also agree Meat Machine was a step up again from AYWNS (even though I enjoy that one a lot as well).

Regarding Misþyrming & Hamferð, I must say I'm only familiar with the albums I sent tracks from and even then, I haven't listened to those a lot, I don't think, but I like them both (else, I wouldn't have sent anything from them). The former impressed me for its relentlessness, while the latter for its plodding (NOT in a bad way, can't think of the right word) heaviness and bleak atmosphere. I think both are quite comparable, since I have no idea what they're singing due to the language and both are bleak, yet different (one is fast, the other slow, wow!).

[Buddyhunter1]

I agree that Outer Isolation is the weakest Vektor album, outside of Tetrastructural Minds which is fantastic. Terminal Redux is a bit better but I find the song structures to be very drawn out and meandering; Black Future is easily their best album IMO

[jingle.boy]

Totally fair assessment of Chronicles Project and Epysode.  I don't hear the 90s influence you do in Epysode, just heavy/djenty riffs.

Interesting, I don't get a djenty vibe at all, but I think I know what you mean - rhythmic use of single chords. That's what reminds me of turn of the century prog metal actually, it's not as low-tuned or syncopated as djent and sounds more like the prog metal style that predates it. To my ears anyway.

It's also quite possible I simply don't know what the fuck "djent" really is/means.   

[wolfking]

Honestly, I'm not that an extensive fan of Amon or Sabaton but I think you have  both covered.  Suutur Rising is solid from Amon too but the ones you mentioned I think have it covered.

I've always found Sabaton hit and miss.  I did like The Last Stand though, that was a nice album.

[ariich]

Next batch, then after this it's on to the final three. Just preparing myself for an onslaught of power metal this week.


Luoto

• Häive - You sent the best EP of my final round, so I went in with high hopes and was not disappointed. Having already checked out (and loved) Illyria from previous rounds, my next stop was Häive as the song you included from them was my favourite on the EP. The album it's from, Iätön, isn't as consistently brilliant as that song, but it's still pretty damn great folk/black metal - around half the tracks are amazing, and the rest are still solid (4 stars). I gave their debut a listen as well but it really didn't work for me nearly as well - it was ok, but much weaker in both songwriting and production (3 stars).
• Wormwood - My least favourite of the artists on your EP, but possibly my favourite of the bunch now I've explored them all (or at least tied with Illyria anyway). The songs you included are still great, but probably in the bottom half of Nattarvet for me. This album is just really fantastic melodic black metal with some folksy influences, some really lush melodic stuff and some heavy crunch as well, all very nicely balanced (4.5 stars). Their debut Ghostlands isn't as special, but that's pretty great too (4 stars).

Cyril

• Spiritualized - I went into this not really knowing what to expect as you'd only included a track from them as an intro, and I knew pretty much nothing about them. Anyway I checked out Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space based on really liking that intro, and it's a very cool sort of proggy space rock album. I wouldn't say I love the album overall as it does meander and drag a bit, but the core sound has some cool vibes and there are some really nice, grand moments throughout. Overall a nice surprise (3.5 stars).
• Mac Miller - Good News was my favourite song on the EP, and I still love it now, but you're right that his other stuff mostly isn't so brilliant. There's lots to enjoy and appreciate on Circles, and I do enjoy his chilled out jazzy hip hop style, but about half the album is just a bit bland and so while there are some really cool songs, the overall listen isn't that exciting (3.5 stars).
• PUP - Scorpion Hill was my second favourite on the EP, so I started with Morbid Stuff and it's definitely my favourite thing to come from your EP. There are a couple of not very interesting songs I guess, but most of the album is an excellent blend of post-hardcore and pop punk and it's just full of energy and great hooks (4 stars). I tried their first two albums as well, and both were good but the song-writing wasn't nearly as strong or catchy (3.5 stars x 2).
• Kevin Devine - I gave a good couple of listens to Brother's Blood based on rather liking the title track which was on your EP. I definitely found it a more interesting listen than what I'd heard from Devine before, and definitely a few good songs, but mostly nothing very exciting really (3.5 stars).

Shadow

• Novo Amor - My favourite on what was a very strong EP, and my favourite off it too. You included two songs from Birthplace, and damn it's a really beautiful album - rich, warm, not massively varied perhaps but enough so to keep my attention and focus on the album's lush melodies and harmonies (4.5 stars). His second album, Cannot Be, Whatsoever, is really lovely too, not quite as gorgeous but compensated with more variety of sound and tone (4 stars).
• Kishi Bashi - My least favourite on the EP, but a really lovely surprise. I think in the context of your EP and after some much more serious stuff, Philosophize In It felt a bit corny in how upbeat it was, but it's quite a different experience as an opener and sets the quirky tone for the album, which honestly is just a really fun indie album with cool electronic infusions and some lovely vocal harmonies (4 stars). His latest two have not been as varied or quirky or fun, but they're still great in different ways - Sonderlust went further into electropop stylings, while Omoiyari is much more acoustic (also 4 stars x 2). His debut is more along the lines of Lighght, just not as good in either its song-writing or its sound (3.5 stars).
• PVRIS - Compared with the above, PVRIS have been a bit of a let down, at least when it comes to full albums. I really like their poppy electro-rock sound, and they have a handful of great songs on each album (at least on the two I checked out). You and I especially I still find hugely infectious. But both their first two albums also have quite a few songs that sound very similar but lacking in good hooks, and the album experience is weaker for it (3.5 stars x 2).
• Landon Tewers - You had explained to me that his solo stuff varies from album to album, so I tried a bit of everything. And what's weird is that the one I like by far the most, in contrast to apparently other fans (based on RYM) is his "horrorcore"/hip-hop EP Dead Kid which you included two songs from. The angry whispers stuff is still weird but still cool, and the more energetic stuff also works really well, it has a great groove and he's a surprisingly good rapper (4 stars). I tried the first two metalcore Ai640 EPs and I enjoyed the intensity but there just wasn't enough melody for my tastes, and also his first LP Dynamite which is pretty varied in style and it's fun but a bit all over the place (3.5 stars x 3).

TAC

• Cloudbreaker - Just the one short EP here, and it's pretty hard to find any information about this artist. I loved Stargazer as the intro to your EP. It's still great and the other two tracks are really nice too. But I mentioned at the time that I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to instrumental prog, and I don't think this EP does enough to stand out. It's very pleasant music but I don't feel there's enough to get my teeth into in the absence of vocals (3.5 stars).
• Darkaeon - This was my least favourite on your EP - I liked the song you included, but didn't love it. And overall I think my feeling towards the album Nihilism is basically the same. It's 
  a nicely done mix of prog metal and melodic death metal with some great ideas, some less great ones, solid performances but rough around the edges, and a competent but not great vocalist. I think this band definitely have some serious promise, but for my tastes anyway they're not there yet (3.5 stars).
• Aesmah - Here's where it gets really good. Walking Off The Horizon is, perhaps, not particularly unique when it comes to melodic death metal, but it's a damn fine example of it. Feeding he Eclipse, which you included on your EP, probably actually ranks around the middle for me - most of my favourites are the big, grand tunes particularly towards the start and end of the album - but it's all pretty great really (4 stars). Their debut Imeria seems to have all the same elements, but not execute them nearly so well, and it's a less interesting listen (3.5 stars).
• Enshine - And now saving the best to last, and this band are I think turning out to be one of my absolute favourites of the whole roulette. I'll start with the only (very minor) knock against them which is that the vocalist isn't especially interesting. But he is at least capable and his growls fit in well, and the occasional clean vocals they employ work really great too. But the music... oh man this is exactly my kind of metal. It's like they've taken the best features of doom metal and melodic death metal, avoided any of the traps that those genres can fall into sometimes, and meshed them together to create music that is both heavy and beautiful, and incredibly cathartic as a result. I've given both their albums a good few listens and I love them already (4.5 stars x 2).