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

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I'm looking forward to whatever makes me say "My pancreas!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqDBB0no6dQ

[jingle.boy]

21. A style you’ve sent me before, but this feels more immediately engaging than it sometimes is. [Jingle – Subsignal]

[wolfking]

21. A style you’ve sent me before, but this feels more immediately engaging than it sometimes is. [Jingle – Subsignal]

I thought that was a positive impression.

[wolfking]

15. This is exactly what I expected it to sound like… and that’s no bad thing. [wolfking – Solution.45]

I didn't post but skimmin the impressions this is one I thought mine would be.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I've always considered Solution .45 to be a poor man's Scar Symmetry.

[wolfking]

I've always considered Solution .45 to be a poor man's Scar Symmetry.

For Aeons Past is as good as any SS record IMO.

[ariich]

ROUND 1 RESULTS

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LordCost – Van Der Graaf Generator
1. A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers

First impression: Some very engaging and innovative stuff, if a little all over the place.

Final opinion: I very much enjoy how creative, off-the-wall and ahead of its time this is. I had no idea how big VDGG were in Italy, as I think they’ve always been a niche band in the UK and I’d never bothered to check them out before. I’m glad I now have, as there’s lots to like here, and some of the stronger individual sections scratch that experimental prog itch. Unfortunately, some other sections are a lot less my thing. It’s a bit all over the place too, and not always in a way that makes it fun and dynamic but rather suddenly shifting from something enjoyable to something quite annoying. 

Score: 7.2

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Tomi – Weyes Blood
1. Andromeda
2. Everyday
3. Something to Believe

First impression: Very pleasant background music.

Final opinion: This is all very pleasant, but Andromeda is the only song that really grabs me (which I’ll come onto shortly). The other two are nice enough, but I find them a little bland. Pretty to have on in the background while doing something else, but when I want to pay attention and get something from them, I find them lacking. I actually found Andromeda slightly backgroundy on first listen too, but man it was a real grower. The vocals are lush and the whole vibe of the song is so dreamy and makes me feel like I’m floating in space.

Score: 7.3

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Stadler – Sweet
1. Set Me Free
2. Sweet F.A.
3. A.C.D.C.
4. Fox On The Run

First impression: I feel dirty.

Final opinion: So, glam rock about girls and sex isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse, as it were. With the odd exception, I generally get very little from it lyrically and conceptually, so it’s very reliant on the music, and there again I don’t often find it very interesting. This, however, I find more enjoyable than most that I’ve heard. There’s nice Maiden-esque guitar work, some entertaining instrumental sections and use of synths, cool use of vocal harmonies and there’s something about the attitude throughout that, while not entirely my thing, I can’t help but find enjoyable (particularly in the lyrics to AC-DC).

Score: 7.4

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Lethean – Riverside
1. Saturate Me
2. River Down Below
3. Discard Your Fear

First impression: Some lovely moments, but also others than sounded a little run of the mill.

Final opinion: I used to know Riverside reasonably well and have heard their first few albums, but despite their style being very much what I’d call “emotional prog”, they never really managed to make me feel much. As my library expanded, I ended up giving up on them. So at least I’m getting to hear a bit of music from the albums that I never kept up with. These songs haven’t really changed my mind about them, I’m afraid, but similar to Tomi’s submission, the first song here was a grower and I’ve ended up liking a lot (although I find the opening quite weak still). The other two are nice enough, but very much what I’d expected from Riverside.

Score: 7.6

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Puppies – Blut Aus Nord
1. The Cosmic Echoes Of Non-Matter (Immaterial Voices Of The Fathers)
2. Epitome II
3. Mahagma

First impression: My ears!

Final opinion: Ok so my first impression here might have been a bit misleading. It was actually about the production mainly in the first song. I’ve gotten used to it now (and I appreciate black metal production is often not very accessible), but the start of that first listen wasn’t an easy one, even though musically the song is fine. Although I do find it easily the weakest of the three – the melodic approach is odd and it doesn’t sit very comfortably with me. The other two tracks are much stronger – Epitome II is all based around a single repeated theme but there’s something wonderfully hypnotic about it that works, and it’s probably my favourite of the three. Mahagma is also solid and has some gorgeous moments. 

Score: 7.8

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Indi – Area
1. Guardati dal Mese Vicino all'Aprile
2. Il Bandito del Deserto
3. L'Elefante Bianco
4. La Mela di Odessa (1920)

First impression: My brain!

Final opinion: Crazy experimental Italian fusion of jazz, prog and revolutionary politics from the 1970s is, I’ll admit, not a significant feature in my music collection. Your choice of song order is quite a funny one too, starting with arguably the weirdest of the lot. The main piano motif is great, but I have to say that some of it loses me, particularly the presumably-improvised free jazz section. But then maybe putting this first paid off, because the rest is still pretty bonkers but the balance works better for me, helped possibly by being sent into the deep end on track 1. The other three tracks strike me as a quirky mix of jazz fusion and experimental prog, and I find myself enjoying them a great deal on each listen.

Score: 7.9

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romdrums – Edge of Reality
1. Attack of the Great Worm
2. Remorse Code
3. Illegal Chord

First impression: Bonkers and very entertaining.

Final opinion: You were right to think that I’d enjoy this, it’s a very dynamic and enjoyable brand of prog metal. I like your description of “if Haken had A.D.D” as it works pretty well. The music jumps around a lot and much of it is quite quirky, so this combination makes it a highly entertaining listen. I might perhaps have liked it even more if there had been a little more coherence to it – it does feel a bit all over the place. But structural issues aside, the music is always enjoyable and exciting.   

Score: 8.0

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Shadow – The Plot In You
1. My Old Ways
2. Pillhead
3. Time Changes Everything
4. Better Vibes

First impression: Intense and a lot to take in, but pretty engrossing as well.

Final opinion: I did wonder at first if this might be pushing at the more metalcore end of the metalcore/post-hardcore spectrum to quite hit my tastes, as there’s some pretty intense stuff here, particularly in the first two songs. But I also found it all quite engrossing, and further listens have really helped it settle in and I find it pretty great. The inclusion of Better Vibes at the end is particularly excellent – the song works really well for me on its own, but also provides a good balance for the crushing intensity of Pillhead.

Score: 8.0

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Elite – Blindead
1. s1
2. e2

First impression: Dark, dense, moody and pretty engaging.

Final opinion: I’ve heard the album before this (Cyril sent it to me after my first album roulette) and I liked it, but found it too crushingly miserable to really get into it. This music feels more the right balance for me, or possibly I’m more into misery now (or most likely a bit of both). It’s dark and tonally heavy but, like much of the best post-metal, there’s something oddly delicate about it too, particularly in the quieter parts of e2. I’ll definitely be giving this full album a listen and might well revisit the previous one as well.

Score: 8.1

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Sacul – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1. Jubilee Street
2. I Need You
3. Sun Forest

First impression: My heart!

Final opinion: This is a strange one for me. Jubilee Street is… ok, but really doesn’t interest or move me much (there’s some good stuff in the later parts of the song but I find a lot of the build-up quite boring). But then I Need You is a real step up in emotional resonance and intensity, and then Sun Forest is another step up again (as well as being really beautiful musically). After my first listen I looked up the albums each song came from, and learned that his son died while he was making Skeleton Tree, and it just heightened what I’d already felt about the latter two songs. So, a mixed bag overall but with enough quality to get me much more interested in his music.

Score: 8.1

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Cyril – La Dispute
1. Rose Quartz
2. Fulton Street I
3. I See Everything
4. Rhodonite and Grief
5. King Park

First impression: Not super immediate for me, but the newer tracks in particular sound like they could be up my alley.

Final opinion: Yeah both of the songs here from Panorama (plus the intro) work really well for me, and I’ll definitely be giving that album a listen soon. Some of the most emotional and heartfelt post-hardcore I’ve heard, and really delicately crafted which I think is part of why it wasn’t that immediate for me, but which makes it all the more engaging on further listens. Wildlife doesn’t sound quite as exciting based on the songs here, and I See Everything is definitely the weakest of the bunch for me, but I have to say King Park was also quite a grower, particularly the climax at the end which has a fantastic intensity to it.

Score: 8.1

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Jingle – Subsignal
1. Feeding Utopia
2. The Trick is to Keep Breathing
3. A Long Way Since the Earth Crashed

First impression: A style you’ve sent me before, but this feels more immediately engaging than it sometimes is.

Final opinion: It’s our good friend neo-prog, which you’ve had mixed results with in the past. Thankfully I’m really digging all three of these songs. I think it’s a genre (sub-genre?) where production matters quite a lot to me, and this is generally crisp and has quite a big sound, which really helps bring the music out. And crucially, it’s also great musically. There are strong hooks (another important feature for me in most forms of prog), good use of keys, and nice guitar work that isn’t too flashy but adds new layers to the music.

Score: 8.1

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Buddy – Thy Catafalque
1. Fekete Mezők
2. Trilobita
3. Kő Koppan

First impression: Very epic, and varied but also consistent in mood.

Final opinion: My initial reaction to the first song was “good lord this sounds huge”. To be honest the sound is a little on the too-dense side for my tastes, but not enough to detract from the quality of the music which is epic and pretty exciting. Avant-garde black metal is a pretty risky choice but this is some of the best such music I’ve heard, and across the three songs you’ve provided some fantastic variety. The first is intense, the second is more energetic and very unique sounding, and then the inclusion of the third track was excellent to really show their atmospheric side, which is what sold me on them in the end. Very interested to check out this album.

Score: 8.1

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wolfking – Solution.45
1. The Close Beyond
2. Gravitational Lensing
3. For Aeons Past
4. Winning Where Losing is All

First impression: This is exactly what I expected it to sound like… and that’s no bad thing.

Final opinion: You really weren’t lying when you said this was very similar in style to Christian’s time with Scar Symmetry, the general sound is pretty much identical (although without Per’s fairly distinctive guitar style). I carried on following SS after Christian left but lost interest, and hearing this now I think he must have brought a lot of what I liked so much about the last two albums he did with them. The heaviness and crunchiness is there of course, but it’s the huge choruses that really bring it all together, and he writes such great vocal lines. Can’t really pick a favourite here, all four songs sound great.

Score: 8.2

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king – Rise Twain
1. Golden
2. Prayers
3. Into a Dream

First impression: This has a lovely warmth to it, and I liked this more than I might have expected.

Final opinion: To briefly explain my first impression, I know that the guy from Echolyn is in this band, and I’ve admittedly only heard one Echolyn album but I didn’t find it very interesting. So I wasn’t sure what to expect really. I had nothing to worry about though, this is lovely, heartfelt and at times anthemic rock music. Not sure if I’d call it prog, it’s all pretty straightforward although it’s clearly been written with a lot of thought and has a nice variety to it. It reminds me of the more sentimental side of Alter Bridge, in a really positive way – gorgeous melodies and great vocal performances.

Score: 8.2

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Nekov – Lazerhawk
1. Feel the Rush Tonight
2. Hypnic
3. King of the Streets

First impression: This isn’t a genre I often find that exciting, but when it works, it works.

Final opinion: This was either a very insightful submission, or a lucky one. 80s-style synthwave isn’t exactly a major genre in my collection – in fact if I search my RYM for synthwave I only get two artists, one of which is Gunship who in fairness I think are great. So as with any genre, it can be done right, and this is another such example. Although I’m arguably pickier with instrumental music, it’s actually the two instrumental tracks here that I like the most – great groove and energy – but I do also like the inclusion of the first track as well as it provides some nice balance.

Score: 8.2

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Luoto – Eternal Storm
1. Through the Wall of Light Pt. I
2. Through the Wall of Light Pt. II

First impression: A solid example of the genre, if perhaps not particularly a standout one.

Final opinion: Ok so you’ve done exactly what you did to me with Be’lakor two roulettes ago, which is to send something that I initially find good but nothing special but then find more to love on subsequent listens. If I had to guess why I felt that way at first, it might be the blast-beats that appear at points in the first part, which production-wise sound a bit muddy to me, although I’ve got used to them now. And otherwise, this is actually pretty great melodic death metal. The second part in particular has that sense of atmosphere I love so much that really hooks me in.

Score: 8.3

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TAC – Atlas Pain
1. The Moving Empire
2. Hagakure’s Way
3. Ironforged
4. Till the Dawn Comes

First impression: A little on the cheesy side perhaps, but extremely enjoyable right from the first listen.

Final opinion: I know we’ve talked before about whether our tastes overlap much, but I think playing in each other’s recent roulettes has helped us identify the intersections much better, and here you’ve found one straight away in round 1. My last roulette (primarily Puppies and Tomi) definitely increased my interest in harsh-vocals folk metal as well, which will have helped. When it’s melodic, folk metal tends to be a bit cheesy, and that is the case at times here, but I don’t find it overly so, and it really is very richly melodic and has some nice atmospheric moments too. The two tracks from their latest album grabbed me most straight away, but the older ones are great as well.

Score: 8.3

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lonestar – Aeternam
1. Damascus Gate
2. The Keeper of Shangri-La
3. The Bringer of Rain

First impression: Wasn’t sure the vocals fit the music at first, but was thoroughly enjoying myself by the end.

Final opinion: Ok let me explain my comment about the vocals. Damascus starts in a slightly cliched (but nicely done) eastern-style prog/power metal vein, so on first listen I found the sudden shift to death metal a bit jarring. But first listens can be like that. Suffice to say I quickly got my head around what this band was doing, and it’s a great mix – really grand, epic and exciting. I love that you included Shangri-La as well, very moody and restrained and it did a great job of pacing these three tracks before the intensity of Bringer. All round top-notch stuff.

Score: 8.4

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Katt – Monica Heldal
1. Boy From the North
2. Tape 03
3. Silly Willy
4. Follow You Anywhere

First impression: This is rather lovely.

Final opinion: You faced a major injustice in the royal rumble roulette, this is really gorgeous music, so you are rewarded by comfortably beating both Cyril and Alex with it. I guess I can see why some people wouldn’t be keen on Heldal’s kind of cutesy voice, but it completely works for me, and it’s a perfect fit to the music. I like how you included a few different styles here too – my favourites are the more reflective ones which I genuinely love (Boy From the North and Follow You Anywhere), but including the lighter tracks gave me a better sense of her music and drew me in more.

Score: 8.5

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Train – Clarence Clarity
1. Will to Believe
2. Buck-Toothed Particle Smashers
3. Those Who Can’t, Cheat
4. The Gospel Truth

First impression: There’s a lot to take in on first listen, but what a great sound.

Final opinion: You half-heartedly described this as “RNB / indie / glitch pop” but that massively understates how weird this is (for example where do the sudden bursts of intense industrial rock fit in?). It’s fantastic though, the mix of crazy sounds, great tunes and serious groove somehow works to make this an absolute blast to listen to. I know Will to Believe is one of your favourites but I actually found it the least exciting here, while the other three are amazing. Also, as an aside, “No NOW” is the main thing my 2-year-old says at the moment, which I found amusing.

Score: 8.9

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Evermind – Evan Carson
1. Sky
2. Shards
3. Otriad

First impression: Dark, dynamic and quite beautiful – early contender for favourite of the round.

Final opinion: I loved this on first listen and have continued to love it since. It’s unusual in its use of sounds, styles and instruments – Carson is clearly a really creative guy – and as a result it’s very hard to categorise. But it’s all underpinned by a dark and moody coherence and a strong sense of both melody and harmony, and the combination of factors makes it really quite gorgeous. I particularly love Otriad with Jim Grey on it, but all three tracks you sent are cracking so I’m looking forward to giving the full album a listen. You had nothing to worry about with this one!

Score: 9.0

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[ariich]

Scores after Round 1:

 1. Evermind = 9.0
 2. Train    = 8.9
 3. Katt     = 8.5
 4. lonestar = 8.4
 5= Luoto    = 8.3
 5= TAC      = 8.3
 7= king     = 8.2
 7= Nekov    = 8.2
 7= wolfking = 8.2
10= Buddy    = 8.1
10= Cyril    = 8.1
10= Elite    = 8.1
10= jingle   = 8.1
10= Sacul    = 8.1
15= romdrums = 8.0
15= Shadow   = 8.0
17. Indi     = 7.9
18. Puppies  = 7.8
19. Lethean  = 7.6
20. Stadler  = 7.4
21. Tomi     = 7.3
22. LordCost = 7.2

[Indiscipline]

My immense pleasure in seeing Area reasonably enjoyed (you're right about the listening order shock & awe tactics) and scoring good marks is only surpassed by seeing Monica Heldal find vindication and revenge.

[ariich]

By the way a 7.9 is more than "reasonably enjoyed" - I enjoyed it a great deal and will definitely give those two albums a listen. The low-ish ranking is simply because of the strength of this round, but the average score from all my roulettes (v3 onwards) is 7.76, so 7.9 is a very respectable rating.

[TAC]

I must say that was way better than expected.

I have another band similar I may end up using then.

I’ll send tonight after work.

[The Walrus]

The crowd erupts with thunderous applause! "Justice for Katt! Justice for Katt!"

Oh, sorry, wrong roulette. 

The two songs you really liked - Boy From the North and Follow You Anywhere - are my two favorites on that record, so I'm - as you say over there - chuffed to have come in third. Now I'm ready to tank! You'll have my next submissions soon.

Props to Train and Evermind; I'll have to check out Train's songs, but I know that Evan Carson album and it's awesome.

[LordCost]

I managed to be the last of 22 participants, not an easy task!
Still a decent score though.

Yes, I read they stayed at the top of the chart for 12 weeks and they had concert with 40000 people. It seems impossible considering the weirdness of the music.

Now that I listened the Pawn Hearts album more times, my favorite remains Lemmings, the first track. Shorter (10 minutes), less dispersive than the track I sent and ahead of its time

[Evermind]

I'm good with this score. I'm just going to keep sending random things and see how it goes.

Btw Train and Katt,

[jingle.boy]

Middle of the pack... I’ll take it!

[lonestar]

Very nice!!! Now to screw up that pretty score with some bullshit submission...

[Evermind]

Sent!

[The Walrus]

Sent. No regerts.

[Elite]

Sent for Round 2.

(Can you believe that? )

[Nekov]

Some people know what they are doing, other are just lucky 

Will send later today probably

[Crow]

hashtag the middle 
yeah go give panorama a listen it's great

[Tomislav95]

Uh this was bad

[Sacul]

Huh, guess Jubilee Street makes more impact in the context of the album, as most songs are pretty chill and that's the intense one. Just wanted to include it to contrast the other two. Still a nice score tho.

Uh this was bad

Injustice! 

[Buddyhunter1]

Right in the middle, woooo. Hopefully more people drop the ball in future rounds.

Glad you liked it though! Apart from Regenteg, I'd also recommend Sgurr (very epic and their best album as a whole, according to both me and Cyril), and Roka Hasa Radio (has easily their best song, you'll know the one). Their last three albums aren't exactly essential listening by comparison but you might like them too.

Going to be doing a complete musical 180 on this next round, though I might switch up the songs a little bit based on these results. Will send shortly

[LordCost]

Sent a super safe submission for round 2

[Luoto]

Solid start Come the Tide is spiritually similar to the first Be'lakor full-length, both are a bit rough in a way but still good.

Also sent for round 2.

[Buddyhunter1]

Sent something that will make you puke rainbows

[Elite]

Sent for Round 2.

(Can you believe that? )

Or so I thought. Found it strange I got no reply, so I checked my sent messages and it wasn't there. Turns out I typed everything in another tab and didn't hit the 'send message' button

[The Walrus]

Sent for Round 2.

(Can you believe that? )

Or so I thought. Found it strange I got no reply, so I checked my sent messages and it wasn't there. Turns out I typed everything in another tab and didn't hit the 'send message' button

 

[Indiscipline]

Sent some cowboy music

[King Postwhore]

I am very pleased with the score. 

[ariich]

Apologies for radio silence today, had a lot on including looking after the toddler and haven't really been online. Thanks for all the submissions you've already sent!

I managed to be the last of 22 participants, not an easy task!
Still a decent score though.

Well someone had to come last, but as you say it's not a bad score, just a very strong round.

Now that I listened the Pawn Hearts album more times, my favorite remains Lemmings, the first track. Shorter (10 minutes), less dispersive than the track I sent and ahead of its time

I'm definitely interested in checking the rest of the album out so that's good to know!

Uh this was bad

See above - definitely not a bad score and Andromeda is enough to make me want to give the album a listen. Anyway, lots more rounds to catch it back up.

Sent for Round 2.

(Can you believe that? )

Or so I thought. Found it strange I got no reply, so I checked my sent messages and it wasn't there. Turns out I typed everything in another tab and didn't hit the 'send message' button

Weird, it did actually come through, so I ended up getting it twice. No idea what happened there.

Middle of the pack... I’ll take it!

hashtag the middle 

Right in the middle, woooo.

Funny, I think of 8.1 as a strong score (and indeed it's comfortably above average for my roulettes), but yeah in this round it is all three of the mean, mode and median, so you really can't get more middle than that.

[Crow]

8.1/10

[ariich]

8.1/10

I knew exactly what that was going to be.

[Crow]

surprised it didn't just take some time