Ariich
The Drapery Falls...8.1
After an uneventful 1:40 intro, there’s a cool Fields Of The Nephilim section. Harsh vocals make their first appearance about 5 minutes in. Gets somewhat proggy at 5:55. After another harsh part, the song settles in nicely to the end. Really enjoyed the ride out on this. Not sure it it’s as memorable as some of the other tracks though.
Burden...8.8
Evident right off the bat is a fantastic vocal. Love the keyboard solo that comes in shortly after the two minute mark. Trying to place the “aahh” part at 3:30ish. MSG maybe? Sounds like a Schenker solo that follows. The first one anyway. Great solo trade offs here. Ahh Schenker again at 5:13. Can’t say I love the detuned ending. The song was perfect until then. Still one of the best in the round.
8.1+8.8=16.9/2=8.45
Elite
When...8.9
The brief acoustic intro feels kind of 80’s power ballad-y. Of course it gets blown up pretty quickly. But at :56, it goes for a nice Dave Lombardo groove. I like how the harsh verse is over a nice steady line, even some acoustic underneath. I like how this song stays straightforward, even when stepping back, and groovey.4:18…wow! One of my favorite passages in the round. The “And I Die” section that ends it sounds like Alice In Chains with advanced drumming. Excellent tune.
April Ethereal...8.4
Great groovy opening. Not used to hearing double bass with this pattern. Even though it’s mostly harsh vocals the music really let’s them breathe, so they’re not overbearing. Love the rhythm at 6:05. Doing some headbanging at 6:45. The outro is pretty soothing.
8.9+8.4=17.3/2=8.65
Kwyjibo
Bleak...8.0
OK..three minutes into this, and my ears are kind of glazed over. There’s nothing to really latch onto. The clean vocal section is actually pretty good. The middle softer section is nice. Moves along and of course the harshies come back, but it’s short lived, so that’s good. I’m surprised that I had heard so much about this song. At nine minutes, it’s better as a six minute song. Cut off the first three minutes.
The Drapery Falls...8.1
After an uneventful 1:40 intro, there’s a cool Fields Of The Nephilim section. Harsh vocals make their first appearance about 5 minutes in. Gets somewhat proggy at 5:55. After another harsh part, the song settles in nicely to the end. Really enjoyed the ride out on this. Not sure it it’s as memorable as some of the other tracks.
8.0+8.1=16.1/2=8.05
Vmadera
Face Of Melinda...8.0
I like this acoustic intro. The vocals have an almost 60’s quality to it. Real retro sounding. Even when the full band joins in, it feels Classic. I keep waiting for the harsh vocals to come in and blow this up. Surprisingly, they don’t make an appearance. An almost majestic outro closes this out. There’s something refreshing about this and the old school vibe is endearing.
Windowpane...8.4
The song goes back and forth three times in the first 3-4 minutes between vocal and instrumental sections. I like those instrumental drop ins. It’s pretty chill, but by the end of the third cycle, I’m ready for something else. It begins to draw some energy before a slight change at 4:40. It stays kind of Pink Floydish and really fucking cool. I love these couple of minutes. They should’ve just let that fade out, but unfortunately the vocals come back at 6:30. The keyboard treatments in the outro are nice. This is a cool song.
8.0+8.4=16.4/2=8.20
Kingshmegland
Sorceress...7.8
This has an old school feel to it. Still trying to place it. Deep purple, maybe? Lucifer’s Friend? The solo at 3:47 smokes. There’s a keyboard player? This chill part at 4:50 is cool. Woah, that’s the outro? Cool song. Not my favorite though.
Dignity...8.0
Is this Lucifer’s Friend? Sounds a lot like John Lawton in the intro. That is some strong lead guitar at 1:14. I like when the song kicks back up at 3:30. Such a groovy 70’s lick. I can hear Ian Gillan singing this. Cool song.
7.8+8.0=15.8/2=7.90
Evermind
Will O The Wisp...7.5
Thought of Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull right away. I like the subtle lead guitar in the second half. Very pleasant and nothing not to like.
Faith In Others...8.3
Cool shuffling opening. The diddle at 3:20 reminds me of Ritchie Blackmore which makes sense as it moves into the next section. Dio-ish “ooohh”s. Stays pretty mellow throughout. Quite enjoyable, harkening back to some classic Rainbow for me.
7.5+8.3=15.8/2=7.90
LudwigVan
The Funeral Portrait...8.8
Starts with a big time Sabbath romp. There’s a quick section before the four minute mark with some cool drumming tradeoffs. The solo that follows that is really cool, as is the rhythm that carries it. The cleans come in late in the song, and I like the uptick in pacing right after that. The thing about this song is that, while no section really stands out, maybe with the exception of the Sabbath styled start, this just picks you up and never drops you. This does not feel like an 8+ minute song. The pace is strong and steady, but never feels like it meanders.
The Drapery Falls...8.1
After an uneventful 1:40 intro, there’s a cool Fields Of The Nephilim section. Harsh vocals make their first appearance about 5 minutes in. Gets somewhat proggy at 5:55. After another harsh part, the song settles in nicely to the end. Really enjoyed the ride out on this. Not sure it it’s as memorable as some of the other tracks.
8.8+8.1=16.9/2=8.45
Stadler
Chrysalis...8.1
Right off the bat, I like the pace of this. The song moves along, and at 3:46, there’s a cool guitar solo then a keyboard trade off. Reminds me of Deep Purple. Chills out at 4:50.. a little Black Sabbath. Fades out with this. I like this song. Has an Old School feel to it.
Harvest...7.6
The beginning reminds me of Iron Maiden’s Prodigal Son. I like the subtle lead guitar at 3:15.Hear a little Schenker in some of the notes. Looks like it was a breather during Blackwater Park, the album. The song is a little blah, yet enjoyable.
8.1+7.6=15.7/2=7.85