ROUND 3 RESULTS--------------------------------------------------------------------------
LordCost – Soundgarden1. Jesus Christ Pose
2. 4th of July
3. Half
4. Blow Up the Outside World
First impression: My eyelids!
Final opinion: I’m afraid to say that your inconsistent run continues, as most of this does very little for me. I know Black Hole Sun already and that’s a decent song, but the first three songs here just feel like they plod along. When I consider the four bullet points in the “My Tastes” section of the OP, these songs don’t hit any of them. The exception though is the last song, which is genuinely excellent and is the saving grace that still warrants a decent score. It builds up nicely and has strong hooks, a punchy sound and quite a cathartic emotionality to it.
Score: 7.3--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Train – Junius1. Betray the Grave
2. Dance on Blood
3. Telepaths & Pyramids
First impression: Resembles another band I find merely decent, which might be the case here too.
Final opinion: Holy Deftones! I know the music style isn’t quite the same but the general vibe is incredibly similar, and the vocal lines in both composition and delivery could so easily be Chino Moreno. Which is not necessarily bad as Deftones have a handful of songs I love, but for the most part I’m not much of a fan. There’s nothing to particularly dislike here and I prefer it to most Deftones, but it’s not entirely grabbing me. The first song is really great and I had high hopes on my first listen, but the other two, while fine, aren’t nearly as engaging.
Score: 7.5--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elite – Darkwater1. All Eyes On Me
2. Again
First impression: Sounds like solid prog, but it’s not really doing it for me so far.
Final opinion: To be honest, I don’t have a huge amount to add beyond my first impression, which hasn’t changed much. This is moody prog metal in a Fates Warning sort of way, but sounds to me like quite a mid-tier version, albeit a pretty solid one. It’s all very competent, and the score has ended up slightly higher than I originally thought it might thanks to the choruses being pretty good. But it’s just a bit lacking in energy and emotion to really hit me.
Score: 7.6--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stadler – Dio1. The Last in Line
2. Just Another Day
3. Shoot Shoot
4. Egypt (The Chains Are On)
First impression: Not sure it’ll change my mind, but it’s pretty rocking.
Final opinion: In my first album roulette, you turned me into a fan of Dio-era Rainbow (before you got yourself eliminated with Ozzy). I’d also, as you know, previously heard Holy Diver and liked but didn’t love it (and let’s not talk about his last solo album). So I was interested to hear these songs from the next two albums. The ones from The Last In Line sound really great and seem to have the charisma and grandiosity that Rainbow had but I thought Holy Diver lacked. Definitely giving that album a listen. The ones from Sacred Heart, unfortunately, sound much blander and bring the overall score down.
Score: 7.9--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomi – Birth Control1. Stop Little Lady
2. Flesh and Blood
3. Pandemonium
First impression: Rocks harder than I thought it might.
Final opinion: German prog from the early 70s isn’t something I know much of (i.e. anything), but I like this quite a bit. Definitely sounds ahead of its time in terms of how much it rocks – not that music didn’t rock in the 60s and 70s, but there’s something quite thumping and modern sounding about this. As with a lot of experimental music, there are moments that don’t quite hit the mark for me, but generally speaking all three songs are solid and enjoyable, and with a tolerable amount of Hammond organ.
Score: 7.9--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jingle – Primal Fear1. One Night In December
2. We Walk Without Fear
First impression: Not too hot on the singer, but this is enjoyable nonetheless.
Final opinion: As I said earlier in the thread, Scheepers is a talented singer, but has that high-vibrato style of power metal singing that doesn’t usually work very well for me. This is the first thing I’ve heard him on for years though, and while I’m by no means converted, I find him ok now his voice has matured. As for the music, it’s good - I wasn’t 100% sold at first and I don’t see them becoming a top power metal band for me, but there are cracking moments that ended up pushing the score higher – the second half of We Walk Without Fear in particular has some glorious stuff.
Score: 8.0--------------------------------------------------------------------------
wolfking – Vanishing Point1. Two Minds One Soul
2. When Truth Lies
3. Once A Believer
First impression: Nothing special, but very good at what it does.
Final opinion: Another solid entry here, probably the least exciting you’ve sent me so far but still pretty great. Stylistically it’s nothing out of the ordinary, pretty straight up power-ish prog metal, and there don’t seem to be any aspects that deviate from what I’ve heard before. But it’s a really good example of that style. Nice big sound, talented performances and some strong hooks in both the vocal and guitar lines – When Truth Lies in particular is a real highlight and has a fantastic chorus.
Score: 8.0--------------------------------------------------------------------------
lonestar – Kiyosen1. LadiesTalk
2. Drumatica
3. POTOS
First impression: Just as groovy as I was expecting.
Final opinion: Senri Kawaguchi is a fantastic drummer, and I’ve liked what I’ve heard from her solo stuff quite a bit. This collaboration with a keyboardist seems like it might be even more up my street. Tight jazz/prog fusion with a lot of energy, groove and good humour. POTOS is perhaps slightly “wank-fest” for my tastes but it’s still very enjoyable, and the other two tracks are excellent. I’ll check this band out and also revisit Senri’s solo stuff!
Score: 8.0--------------------------------------------------------------------------
romdrums – Thematic1. Skyrunner
2. Malice
3. Carry the Fire
First impression: Sounds like solid prog, even if perhaps not desperately original.
Final opinion: For a reasonably new band on their second album, there’s a ton of promise here and already a lot of great stuff. Doesn’t sound especially original to me, very much in a Caligula’s Horse style of prog metal, but that doesn’t stop it from being pretty immersive and engaging. The first song, Skyrunner, is especially excellent – fantastic big sound and a really lovely chorus. The other two are both very solid too, if not quite as exciting.
Score: 8.0--------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAC – Aephanemer1. Path of the Wolf
2. Crows (instrumental)
3. If I Should Die
First impression: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Final opinion: You’re definitely on a good run so far with your “melodic metal with harsh vocals” submissions – clearly an area where we share similar tastes. This is the least exciting you’ve sent so far – it’s pretty middle-of-the-road melodeath really – but it’s still great. The songs from their latest definitely interest me the most – If I Should Die in particular has a great folk-metal vibe to it that’s pretty damn epic. The instrumental version of Crows sounds nice too, although it mainly just makes me curious to hear what the normal version sounds like.
Score: 8.1--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luoto – MyGrain1. A Clockwork Apocalypse
2. Dreamscape
3. Ghost In Me
First impression: Heavy and catchy – immediately appealing.
Final opinion: After sending two slow-burn growers, this time you went with something much more immediately impactful and enjoyable, with energetic riffing, heavy verses and big melodic choruses. On the downside, it hasn’t really grown on me much as it’s fairly straightforward really, but on the plus side I’ve liked it a lot from first listen. Sounds somewhere between Soilwork (if perhaps not as exciting in terms of melodic approach) and Diablo who you sent me in my last roulette. Great stuff once again.
Score: 8.2--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shadow – Architects1. The Distant Blue
2. Memento Mori
First impression: My head!
Final opinion: This is some pretty intense stuff. It reminds me quite a lot of the more sincere side of Periphery. It’s heavy, crunchy and really quite aggressive at times, particularly in the vocal department. Those full-on metalcore vocals don’t always work for me, but after a few listens I found myself really appreciating just how well they work with the music here, plus not all the vocals are that intense. And then as well as the heaviness, there’s also a pervasive ambience that brings a beautiful atmosphere in as well.
Score: 8.2--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacul – Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man1. Tom the Model
2. Spider Monkey
3. Show
4. Funny Time of Year
First impression: Gorgeously gloomy.
Final opinion: Oh man, the moods in this music are amazing. Such rich, gloomy vibes that suit Gibbons’ voice so perfectly. I also love the diversity on show here, with folk, jazz and electronica all pretty significant components, making it impossible to categorise. The music itself doesn’t consistently quite hit the spot for me but it’s all pretty great, and the standouts (Tom the Model and Funny Time of Year) are so wonderfully melancholy.
Score: 8.2--------------------------------------------------------------------------
king – Southern Empire1. How Long
2. Forest Fire
First impression: Sounds like solid prog, enhanced by a cool range of influences.
Final opinion: These guys seem to take a lot of inspiration from Transatlantic, from the general style of expansive prog rock they play right down the visual stylings on their album covers. Within that general style, though, they utilise a really nice range of other ideas that thankfully mean they’re not just a TA clone. How Long especially has some wonderful jazz and folk/world music stylings all throughout and it’s pretty thrilling. Forest Fire definitely sounds more like something that would come from Morse and Portnoy, but it’s still a great example of it.
Score: 8.2--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indi – Dire Straits1. Love Over Gold
2. Telegraph Road
First impression: My tear ducts!
Final opinion: I believe I am open minded, but I don’t mind admitting that I was a little sceptical when you suggested you would change my mind about Dire Straits because I’d “picked the wrong album”. Right from my first listen, though, I knew you were right. There is such a harmonic and melodic richness to these two songs that was simply lacking in Brothers in Arms (which I do still like by the way). Love Over Gold is beautiful, and Telegraph Road, while it does some more middle-of-the-road moments, also has some gorgeous and heart-wrenching music too. On final listens I was liking it so much I decided to bump your score up.
Score: 8.3--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nekov – Portico Quartet1. Ways of Seeing
2. Objects to Place in a Tomb
3. A Luminous Beam
First impression: A fusion of two genres that is great when done right, and this is done right.
Final opinion: Soulful jazz and downtempo electronica can be such a wonderful combination – Submotion Orchestra do it wonderfully and are one of my favourite bands. Portico Quartet are all instrumental so they don’t have the same beautiful catharsis, but otherwise this is really lush music for many of the same reasons as Submotion Orchestra. Rich soundscapes, moody vibes and gorgeous delicate playing all combine to make this such a lovely listen. Big standout is Objects to Place in a Tomb.
Score: 8.5--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lethean – Borknagar1. Up North
2. Gods of My World
3. Colossus
4. Voices
First impression: Huge.
Final opinion: Finally you send me a band I haven’t heard before.
You should consider doing it more often because this is probably the best thing you’ve sent in either of my roulettes you’ve been in. My first impression was spot on, this is huge, moody folk/black metal. Based on these four songs, it sounds like the newer material is more focused on clean vocals while the older stuff is a mix of clean and harsh, but it’s all really great stuff. The new songs particularly stand out because the sound is so full and immersive. Can’t wait to explore their stuff.
Score: 8.5--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Puppies – Matthew Good1. The Rat Who Would Be King
2. Weapon
3. While We Were Hunting Rabbits
First impression: This sounds fantastic, lots of influences but all very coherent and heartfelt.
Final opinion: I genuinely don’t know why you thought this might be a risky submission – I can only think that perhaps it’s because you’ve personally never sent me anything like this before? Anyway, it’s very much up my alley. It’s convincingly heartfelt, and exhibits a really interesting range of influences. I can hear elements of Radiohead, Tool, Steven Wilson and a bit of country, all held together with a lovely warmth that gives it its own unique flavour.
Score: 8.5--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cyril – Billie Eilish1. party favor
2. watch
3. idontwannabeyouanymore
4. ilomilo
5. listen before i go
6. everything i wanted
First impression: Sonically rich and warm – sounds like my kind of thing.
Final opinion: I think you accidentally sent me something too good for an 8.1. Nah this is really great pop music. I can’t quite put my finger on it but, while their music is different, there’s a certain quality that Sia, Regina Spektor and Gabrielle Aplin have – a sort of delicate approach that blends cute with sincere – that really draws me to their music, and Billie Eilish seems to have it too. There’s also a ton of sonic richness and depth that I love. My only question is why it took you so long to send this to me in the first place.
Score: 8.6--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buddy – Destrage1. Destroy Create Transform Sublimate
2. Purania
3. Are You Kidding Me? No
First impression: Not sure how well I’d cope with a whole album of this madness, but I’m enjoying it in this small dose.
Final opinion: What is this I don’t even.
Score: 8.6--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evermind – Marketa Irglova1. Gabriel
2. Fortune Teller
3. Without a Map
First impression: This seems to be a gorgeous mix of ethereal and grounded.
Final opinion: Your “send Rich random stuff instead of over-thinking it” approach is really working rather well so far. Much like the Evan Carson you sent me in round 1, this is moody, beautiful, diverse and hard to categorise (I’d guess I’d call her folk, but that doesn’t really get across the breadth of her sound). Without a Map is one of my favourite songs of the whole roulette so far – I’m not religious but this song really moves me so much. The other two are lovely as well, and I like the variety you included.
Score: 8.7--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Katt – The Night Flight Orchestra1. Domino
2. Transmissions
3. Divinyls
4. Josephine
First impression: Even groovier than I was expecting.
Final opinion: I basically can’t get enough of this, and the score has increased twice from where I initially thought it might be. It’s not like it’s particularly unique really, it’s essentially a mix of 70s funk and hard rock (although the funk part I wasn’t expecting at all so that first listen was a blast). But there are all sorts of modern sensibilities in there as well, plus Strid and Andersson have brought their melodic approach from Soilwork, which I love and which I can’t believe works so well here. This is amazing.
Score: 9.0--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Topic: ariich’s inclusive roulette (v6) – EPic final results! (Read 161173 times)