Thanks for understanding, folks. Alright, here they are!
Puppies_On_Acid
Gandalf's Fist The Lamplighter (Overture)
First impression:
This song is lenghtyIt's got a good start with the piano section, then some guitars appear and I'm not a big fan of the tone they have. Then some alright vocals. And then some lame synths here and there. And the song goes on and on through several different sections, none of which I'm a fan of tbh. And it goes on for 15 mins, oops. It just lacks interesting dynamics, both in terms of songwriting and mostly production - it sounds very flat. It's just a very generic sort of prog epic, and I'm not interested in those these days.
2.5 + 1 =
3.5Elite
Major Parkinson Isabel: A Report to an Academy
First impression:
This song is a mixed bagI'm not that sure about this one - there are some pretty wild and interesting ideas here, but you also have some lame male vocals and the synths I'm not convinced by. This track goes through many different sections, getting interesting when there are some strings around, but other than that, I'm not thrilled overall. The ending is kinda nice though. It's kind of hard to judge this track, but I'm afraid that in the end it's just not doing that much for me.
3 + 1 =
4TAC
Drifting Sun Twilight
First impression:
This song should have ended soonerOn my first listen I felt like this song had ended like 2 or 3 times before it actually did
. It's 9 and a half minutes long and it kinda is too much for what's here - a pretty generic prog piece. It's like the combination of a lot of bands from the genre (mostly of Riverside) but without adding anything really new at all. Add to that the cliched synths and a boring guitar tone, and I'm not amused
3 + 1 =
4Buddyhunter1
Phideaux The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice, Part Two
First impression:
This song reminds me of Pink FloydThere are some strong Floyd vibes throughout, mostly on the use of synths, which is quite interesting. There are some sections here and there that heavily evoke 70s prog, which I'm not that fan of, but they're a small part of the track so it's fine. Overall I think it's the synths that quite shine here, I love the diversity of sounds at display. The guitars and vocals are alright, and while the main motif is cool, I don't think that at any point during the whole tune I was that impressed by their development, despite being quite an engaging and well executed piece. I wouldn't say it's aimless, but it just kind of ends in an anticlimatic fashion.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5Vmadera00
Plini Cascade
First impression:
This song djentsI haven't been into djent or similar in a very long time, mostly because it all sounds boringly similar - David Maxim Micic was one of the few to make something quite unique with that sound, while the rest were copying Tesseract imo. And while this song has a nice sound to it and it's well-written, I just don't feel it's that original for the genre.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5kingshmegland
Kyros Two Frames of Panic
First impression:
This song reminds me of Devin TownsendThe very beginning had me thinking of The Caretaker's work, but then it went on a pretty different direction. Those introductory guitars and synths remind me of Devin quite a bit. Then it goes into a bit of a different style for a while, an enjoyable one but not one I find that interesting. All the bits with the glitchy drums and ghostly vocals are quite nice but they're barely featured here. I feel this track tries to go into many different paths at once, and while it's an interesting choice, I don't think it's executed that well as sometimes it feels a bit confusing to me. But it's still quite a fun song and the ending is great.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5wolfking
Sieges Even Tidal
First impression:
This song is heavier than expectedFor some reason I had thought these guys were a more atmospheric, laid back kind of prog. This is a nice metal song instead! It's a cool tune, but feels a bit like prog metal by the numbers to me. Sure the execution and performances are quite good, but it doesn't sound extremely original to me. I don't have much else to say, it's an enjoyable track for sure.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5TheSoylentMan
Frost* The Boy Who Stood Still
First impression:
This song has too many wordsI love me some spoken word sections on my music, but I feel the narration here outstays its welcome before the song can properly begin and then pops up here and there. The sound here is a little unusual, feels like the 80s but with a modern production, I kinda like it. The drumming is pretty interesting, the synths are cool, but I'm not that sure about the guitar sound. It's quite a fun song and with lots of character, but that excess of spoken word sections kinda drags it down for me.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5Stadler
Genesis In the Cage - Medley
First impression:
This song is a bit of a messI mean it's messy since it's more of a collection of many different songs rather than a single one. I don't mind medleys when I'm familiar with the original pieces, but since I've never listened to Genesis, I'm a bit lost
. It's a fine collection of tracks, just wished you had sent me a single piece instead. So, about what's here, it's a fun listen and the live setting surely enhances it, and it all flows surprisingly well. I know it's one of your very favorite pieces of music, but I'm afraid it's not connecting with me as much as I'd like to. It just feels made for a different generation than mine, or a different person than me at least. Or maybe it's that sometimes it feels they're overplaying their parts, mostly the synths here, but I'm not that engaged overall. And it's kind of a long tune.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5ReaperKK
Children Of Nova The Complexity Of Light
First impression:
This song reminds me of The Mars VoltaI'm not the biggest fan of TMV but I love some of their songs, and this tune has some similar vibes to them albeit a bit more prog and alt rock oriented. While it's quite a fun track, I feel it may be drawing a bit too much from its influences to really be able to stand on its own. Which is a shame, since there are lots of great ideas here but I can't help but feel its a watered-down version of that band.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5Tomislav95
Kingcrow Adrift
First impression:
This song reminds me of Porcupine Tree and OpethThis one feels quite like the amalgamation of said bands, the former which I love, and the other I've tried to get into to no avail. I don't mind the inflences here, as it's quite a nice sound, but I can't help but feel it draws too much from said bands. The small moments when they have more original ideas I enjoy the most, but they're a bit sparse. Quite a shame, because the execution of the ideas present here is excellent.
3.5 + 1 =
4.5HOF
Marillion Afraid of Sunlight
First impression:
This song reminds me of Steven WilsonI'm also vaguely reminded of Talk Talk, a band I love, but this one is quite different. It definitely goes into a softer, more melodic style of prog that's usually my cup of tea rather than the more technical one. It's a lovely song and reaches a very interesting climax, while having so many things going on. I kinda wished the vocal melodies were a bit catchier, but they work fine here.
4 + 1 =
5Evermind
Evan Carson Otriad
First impression:
This song reminds me of RiversideI think it's mostly the combination of piano and the singing that reminds me heavily of the Polish band. It's quite a nice combination of many different sounds that somehow fit together quite well, and focuses on the more melodic side of things. It's grown on me quite a bit I'll admit, as I wasn't that much into it at first. But it's a great song with a strong theme, an interesting sound, and a excellent execution. Well done.
4 + 1 =
5Cyril
Really From Quirk
First impression:
This song is closer to math rockYeah I can see why you said this wasn't prog by some hipsters - it really reminds me of many math rock and emo bands more than prog ones. But it's just prog enough for me to apply for the bonus point, so I'll take it. I like the dynamics here, it's quite an inventive song in structure and how it develops the ideas present. I love the trumpet btw, sounds so nice. I'm not that sold on the soft guitars tho, but the rest of the song is wonderful.
4 + 1 =
5lonestar
IQ Closer
First impression:
This song I vaguely rememberI think someone sent me this on my first or second roulette ages ago, but I don't remember a single note from it so I allowed it, maybe this time I'd grow to like it more. And seems like I do dig it more this time around! It's quite a grower tbh, and a satisfying one. It's got a take on prog I can see myself digging since it's way more melodic and original than most stuff out there. I just love how this song flows and nothing feels forced at all.
4 + 1 =
5Scores
Buddyhunter1 25.5
lonestar 25.5
Vmadera00 24.5
HOF 24.5
kingshmegland 24
wolfking 23.5
Evermind 23.5
Cyril 23.5
TheSoylentMan 23
Stadler 23
ReaperKK 23
Puppies_On_Acid 22.5
TAC 22.5
Elite 22.5
Tomislav95 22.5