ROUND 2 RESULTS--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shadow – Tom Waits1. Black Wings
2. Hell Broke Luce
3. Downtown Train
First impression: I don’t get it.
Final opinion: A bit of context first – under 7 may not be a good score in my roulette, but it doesn’t mean I don’t like it. You’re only just shy of 7, so overall I think it’s pretty good, just not great. I appreciate you giving me a taste of different sides and eras of Waits’s music and there’s some good stuff, but unfortunately none of the tracks quite work for me. Black Wings is my favourite and has a superb, dark vibe, but the combination of vocal style and lack of any change makes it feel like an interlude track that should be half the length. Hell Broke Luce is a complete gear shift and should be exciting, but it’s by far my least favourite here. And Downtown Train is nice enough, I just don’t find it very interesting.
Score: 6.9--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacul – Fishmans1. Long Season
First impression: Some great stuff but also a lot of meandering.
Final opinion: How is this song 35 minutes long? There just isn’t enough to warrant the length for me. The main opening theme (which also reprises at the end) is lovely – makes me feel like I’m exploring a retro video game landscape. I do like how they develop the theme, but it goes on way too long and there isn’t enough movement for me – it’s 12 minutes before anything particularly different happens, and then that middle section of ambient noise is… not really my thing I’m afraid.
So, a few minutes of that, then into a cool Beatles-style section, and then back to another 8 minutes of the opening theme because the original 12 apparently wasn’t enough.
Score: 7.1--------------------------------------------------------------------------
king – The Fringe1. You
2. A Second or Two
3. Flare
First impression: One of these tracks has a fantastic groove to it, the others I’m not sure about yet.
Final opinion: So yeah, A Second or Two is a cracking song. Really great groovy pop rock, lovely use of harmonised vocals from the two singers, and a cool guitar solo. The other two songs are fine, but very much strike me as mid-tier prog – all very competently done and pleasant to listen to, but neither seems to have the hooks or the depth to really get me into them.
Score: 7.8--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nekov – Hearts of Black Science1. Protector
2. Timeless
3. Gold & Dust
First impression: Not sure I'm sold on the music, but I'm digging the sound
Final opinion: My first impression hasn’t really shifted. I like the sound a lot, it’s a nice take on modern electro-pop with its retro-ish synths mixed with 21st century womps. It all has a good groove to it too. Just melodically and harmonically, I find it a little bland. Timeless is the strongest example of this – it could almost be a really great song for me, and the start of the chorus sounds like it’s going to be, but then the rest of the chorus seems to lose the hook. Still nice stuff though, so I’ll for sure give the album a listen.
Score: 7.8--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stadler – Widespread Panic1. Glory
2. You’ll be Fine
3. You Got Yours
4. Can’t Get High
5. Sometimes
First impression: I don’t see this becoming a favourite or anything, but it’s got a great vibe to it.
Final opinion: When you sent this to me you said you thought it’d be more outside my wheelhouse than glam rock. But when it’s not being too corny, southern rock can have a sort of soulful vibe to it that I rather like. This music certainly doesn’t blow me away, but it’s all very enjoyable and listenable and has a bit of groove to it. Nice use of different sounds too, some horns in there and some synths, which give it a more dynamic feel. You’ll Be Fine is the standout for me – it’s very simple but it’s very lovely as well.
Score: 7.8--------------------------------------------------------------------------
lonestar – IQ1. Stay Down
2. Alampandria
3. Shallow Bay
First impression: Dramatic, nicely done – all the elements are there but it’s not hooked me in yet.
Final opinion: I know you love IQ so will be disappointed in the score here, but again I should stress that it’s a good rating in general. And you have succeeded in getting me more interested in them, as I find this a bit more compelling than what I remember from The Road of Bones. On the more negative side, while it’s very competent prog, nothing massively jumps out at me. The melodies are solid enough but there aren’t the hooks I like in this sort of music, and the general sound is good but lacks a bit of punch. Despite that, I do like it a fair bit – there’s a dramatic approach that works really well. Shallow Bay in particular has a great atmosphere to it.
Score: 7.9--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lethean – Arcturus1. The Arcturian Sign
2. Crashland
3. The Chaos Path
4. The Journey
First impression: Not sure about the production but very intrigued by the music.
Final opinion: As you know, I’ve rated two Arcturus albums before, both pretty low. But, that was many years ago, and my tastes have expanded quite a lot since. I’m pleased to say I liked this quite a bit. From what I remember, the production was always an issue for me, and while the new songs definitely sound better, it’s still not that clear or punchy. Crucially though, it doesn’t stop me enjoying the music, which has a great avant-garde thing going on. Very dynamic and quite exciting. The older song (Chaos Path) has a pretty weak sound, but I love the dark quirkiness. I think I’ll have to also revisit those other albums I didn’t think I liked.
Score: 8.0--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katt – Randy Newman1. Short People
2. Sail Away
3. Dixie Flyer
4. Louisiana 1927
5. Political Science
6. I Love LA
First impression: Exactly as charming as I was expecting.
Final opinion: This is a really charming collection of songs. Thanks for explaining the context of each one, it definitely helped me appreciate the wit and satire in his lyrics, which is something I’d never really been aware of before you sent me one of his later albums in my last roulette, but these songs demonstrate it fantastically. Sail Away in particular sounds so sweet on the surface but is pretty soul-crushing really. Musically, it’s all very nice, but as I’ve always found with his stuff I don’t find it super exciting. The exception is Dixie Flyer, which is just gorgeous.
Score: 8.0--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Train – Algiers1. Dispossession
2. Hour of the Furnaces
3. Mme Rieux
4. The Cycle/The Spiral: Time to Go Down Slowly
First impression: Very cool combination of groovy and moody.
Final opinion: Not quite as exciting as what you sent in round 1, but another strong submission still and for not entirely dissimilar reasons. My first impression was pretty much right, it’s a great combination and groove and melancholy, and a little unusual if not super experimental or anything. The big standout for me is Mme Rieux, such a cool, moody and evocative tune. But it’s all pretty great really.
Score: 8.1--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luoto – In the Silence1. Ever Closer
2. 17 Shades
3. Beneath These Falling Leaves
First impression: Not sure this is as strong as some stuff you’ve sent me in this genre, but it has some really nice moments.
Final opinion: Seriously, how do you keep finding stuff that I’m lukewarm on at first but really grow on me. I wonder if it might be a similar issue to last round – the guitar work isn’t anything special and is quite prominent in Ever Closer, so it probably took time to shift my focus to where these guys seem to be strong, which is the more delicate, emotional and atmospheric stuff. I quite like the first song now but it’s definitely the weakest of the three, whereas I’m completely sold on the other two. Good stuff!
Score: 8.1--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyril – Glass Beach1. Bedroom Community
2. Cold Weather
3. Glass Beach
4. Orchids
First impression: I can’t work out if this happy or angry but I quite like the result.
Final opinion: In some ways this is pretty weird music. It definitely seems to broadly fit within what you might call power pop, but there are also big elements of post-hardcore and similar. I dig it though. Musically, the mix of upbeat and occasionally intense makes it quite unusual and therefore a little confusing on first listen, but also rather enjoyably dynamic. Having looked into the band a little, I also appreciate how that mix fits with the lyrical themes of finding hope and love in a world that is pretty shit.
Score: 8.1--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomi – Tom Waits1. Ol’ 55
2. I Hope That I Don’t Fall in Love With You
3. Martha
4. Grapefruit Moon
First impression: Ok now I get it.
Final opinion: How on earth did I not realise that Martha was a Tom Waits song (I know it as a Meat Loaf song)?
While I appreciate this is much more standard 70s singer-songwriter fare than the more experimental selection Shadow sent me, it’s full of warmth, melody and great song-writing. It’s perhaps a little sentimental, but I’ve always found Martha a really sad tune and it’s even more so in its original form. I also really dig Ol’ 55 and Grapefruit Moon for similar reasons. It appears I need to check out Waits’s early stuff, and work my way forward until I possibly lose interest.
Score: 8.1--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evermind – The Mayan Factor1. Aim for the Sky
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Warflower
First impression: Gets more emotional and impactful with each song.
Final opinion: To be honest I think I would have scored this higher if the first song had been more exciting for me. It’s not bad and it’s got a nice chorus, but it’s a little bland and middle of the road. But the other two are really great, both have engrossing chorus melodies and nice instrumentation, and they’re very emotional in different ways. Beauty and the Beast is quite heartfelt and sorrowful, while Warflower has an undercurrent of anxiety in the plodding beat that works so well.
Score: 8.1--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Puppies – Whispered1. Strike!
2. Hold the Sword
3. Sakura Omen
First impression: Sufficiently over-the-top to be highly enjoyable but not so much as to be silly.
Final opinion: I know there’s supposed to be a big feudal Japan influence here, which is clear from the lyrics and some moments in the music where it comes out too. Otherwise, though, it very much sounds like Finnish melodeath to me. I mean, it could almost be Follow the Reaper era Bodom at times. Which is no bad thing at all. Just like Reaper, this is heavy in style but also very melodic, slickly played and a lot of fun, and the samurai stylings which could have been cheesy instead manage to add to the enjoyability. There’s also a slightly proggier edge here, particularly in some of the more atmospheric moments, which helps it stand out.
Score: 8.2--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indi – Yoko Kanno & The Seatblets1. Tank!
2. Want it All Back
3. Blue
4. What Planet Is This?
First impression: My feet!
Final opinion: I’ve never watched Cowboy Bebop, or indeed any anime (I know, I’m a rubbish nerd), so I went into this with no connotations or expectations. What a fun selection of songs! Tank and What Planet are just really great big bang jazz with a ton of swagger (the former more traditional, the latter more modern) that make me want to dance. The other two sound definitively more Japanese. Want it All Back brings the funk and soul, and it really is damn funky. I don’t find Blue to be a particularly strong example of that sort of moody rock music, but it was worth including to show the more emotional side as well.
Score: 8.2--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buddy – Anamanaguchi1. Endless Fantasy
2. Sunset By Plane
3. We Die
First impression: My cheeks!
Final opinion: I didn’t actually realise that three out of four Japanese or Japan-influenced submissions were getting the same score until literally just now as I type this (sorry Sacul!). Like Nekov’s submission, this has a great mix of retro sounds and modern electronic stylings that works great for me, but the difference is that the music here is wonderfully anthemic, has some really infectious hooks, and the overall mix really brings a smile to my face. A nice variety across the three tracks as well, meaning it never sounds like a novelty that would get stale (although I’ll need to check out some full albums before I can judge that).
Score: 8.2--------------------------------------------------------------------------
wolfking – Pyramaze1. What Lies Beyond
2. Ghost Light
3. Back for More
4. Nemesis
First impression: Full of great hooks.
Final opinion: The power metal end of the prog-power spectrum isn’t a particularly big genre for me, but sometimes I find something that really works for me, and often it’s the more bombastic stuff with big hooks (Blind Guardian being probably a standout in that regard). And this definitely works for me, lots of huge melodies and generally a big sound that doesn’t stray into feeling over the top. It’s great hearing Matt Barlow on one of these as well, but the new/current singer also sounds great.
Score: 8.2--------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAC – Ereb Altor1. A Fine Day to Die
2. With Fire in My Heart
First impression: Dark and heavy, it sounds pretty good but will take more listens.
Final opinion: I initially thought this might rank a little lower, but I really came around on it on later listens. It’s dark and moody doom metal, quite heavy and crunchy, and quite dense melodically, so while I liked the sound on first listen, I wasn’t sure overall. As it happens, I dig it a lot. It reminds me of the Primordial that Puppies sent me in my last roulette (who I’m now a big fan of, thanks Pup). Not quite as beautifully sorrowful perhaps, but similarly it has a fantastic mix of melancholy harmonies with heavy instrumentation and it’s kind of captivating.
Score: 8.3--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elite – Scarlet Stories1. The Tell-Tale Heart
2. In Blood and Limbs and Gore and Clay
3. Nostalgia in a Closed Mind
First impression: Has a big cinematic vibe I’m enjoying.
Final opinion: I enjoyed this from first listen, but perhaps didn’t appreciate how good it is until further listens. The first song you chose starts quite restrained really, but it does set up the dark cinematic vibe nicely. And once it gets going a few minutes in, it’s terrific as are the songs that come after it. A big part of it, for me, is the singer. She’s fantastic. From a technical standpoint she’s really powerful and has an impressive range, but also her voice has a lot of character which really supports the whole story-telling vibe they have going on.
Score: 8.5--------------------------------------------------------------------------
romdrums – Valis Ablaze1. Neon Dreaming
2. Hollow Heart
3. States of Decay
4. Elevation
First impression: My neck!
Final opinion: So yeah I can hear the obvious Tesseract comparison here. But funnily enough, just like with Ihlo, these guys seem to do Tesseract better than Tesseract do (Altered State aside). Tesseract can be a bit too clever and technical sometimes, but what tends to really work for me in this type of djenty prog metal is a) bringing in other styles and ideas to create a more varied sound, and b) a big focus on melody. And these guys do a really great job on both counts. The balance of riffs and melodies in all four of these songs I find incredibly immersive, and they really get me banging my head along.
Score: 8.7--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jingle – Daydream XI1. Ticket 000011
2. Open the Curtains
3. The Circus of the Tattered and Torn
First impression: Enjoyably proggy and wonderfully theatrical.
Final opinion: You’re on a roll so far, because this is the best thing you’ve sent me in any of my roulettes. Sending the tracks that open and close the album works really well I think, because they feel like they give a great impression of what it’s about. And it’s all really excellent stuff – prog metal with a strong theatrical edge which means that, while the core style perhaps isn’t very unique, there’s a dramatic quirkiness to it that makes it a little different and very enjoyable. Even the more straightforward moments are really expertly done, with top-notch performances and writing. And damn, that chorus in the epic is so great. I can only hope the rest of the album is up to a similar standard.
Score: 8.7--------------------------------------------------------------------------
LordCost – Arcane1. Womb (In Memoriam)
2. Unturning
3. Hunter, Heart & Home
First impression: I hoped for something excellent, and I think I got it.
Final opinion: You seem to be making an early bid to reclaim your “Most Inconsistent” crown from two roulettes ago, after v_clortho completely owned it in my last roulette, and you have jumped from the bottom right to the top. Currently Jim Grey seems to be winning my roulette, having come top in both rounds.
I do love how he writes vocal lines, and there’s so much great stuff here. I didn’t know he had a previous/overlapping band to Caligula’s Horse, but I definitely need to check this album out as these songs are really great, with Unturning being the real standout.
Score: 8.8--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Topic: ariich’s inclusive roulette (v6) – EPic final results! (Read 188753 times)