Up to you guys if I should do the album round, it’ll be limited to top 3 anyway, but the next few weeks aren’t quieting down much.
Anyway, although I haven’t done the math for the points tally, here’s the results. Would someone mind running the numbers for me?
Checked Out
Sent by kingshmegland
Ooh, this is catchy. I love the riff from the outset, but the vocals (especially with those harmonies) are just so catchy! All the little guitar runs are so cool. That chorus is the perfect amount of crushingly heavy and infuriatingly singable! That breakdown with the choir is good fun too. That solo section was something else, with the rhythm section doing some really cool timing changes. And that’s just the start of the instrumental! The riffing that follows is super awesome!
This is one of the songs that I felt I had the best time with in this round, and maybe throughout the course of the roulette. You’ve always had great songs, but you’ve finally got yourself a winner!
5
Worlds Away
Sent by romdrums
Certainly a ballsy choice, an almost 8-minute instrumental. And yet, within the first 90 seconds, it’s easy to see why you went with this. There’s a whole lot of variety on offer here if one dares to listen. From a heavier opening featuring a strange lead that goes into a melodic section that almost fills in the backstory of why that lead sounds that way and then recapitalising on these themes. But, it’s at 3:40 where my favourite melody of the song comes into focus. So calm and tranquil over a busy drum track that stands to imply the tension beneath the beauty. The way we build out of this section into something even more beautiful is amazing!
This instrumental was worth pushing as your last submission, rom. It’s amazing!
5
Ask For Help
Sent by ReaperKK
This is another one that might need to go into my playlist, but my ‘between sets at gigs’ playlist too. I love the sound of this song. The melody and harmony counterpoint so beautifully. I like the lyrics a lot here too. This reminds me a lot of Sad American that you sent a few rounds ago instrumentally. I love the idea of the “why is it so crucial who does as long as it gets done”.
This roulette is subjective and this song has hit me in just the right way that, while it isn’t the round winner, this is right up the top. Thanks for playing, Reaper.
5
Revelation
Sent by wolfking
I do love that dissolve effect that’s used at the start of this one. That abrupt stop into the melodic verse was a little odd, but it sounded really cool so I can’t complain. Great vocals, great instrumental and man, what a chorus! This thing is epic and an awesome way to end off the final listen throughs for this round.
5
Space Whisperer
Sent by jingle.boy
Man, that intro is a bit weird, but that riff makes up for it instantaneously. Great tones all over, including the singer’s vocal timbre. The keyboards add a lot without being overbearing, especially in the chorus. The instrumental bridge could’ve done without the speech over the top, but I love how the solo section is a lot of everything at once without feeling like too much of anything. Great restraint while going all out.
4.75, missing out on a total 5 for using speech that really adds nothing of value multiple times.
My Famed Disappearing Act
Sent by Buddyhunter1
Who needs subtlety? This intro comes out guns blazing. I get a bit of a Haken feeling out of this overall actually, but those horns are a super nice touch. I love the prechorus, actually prefer it to the main chorus section. (Just in case, I’m talking about the “burn my bridges”). I really enjoy that bridge with the multiple vocal parts too. The little horns and strings ensemble into the guitar solo is great, and need I speak to how blistering that guitar solo is? Fantastic!
It’s hard to put my finger on what it is exactly, but I feel like there’s something a little bit lacking energy wise. It’s all there, it’s all clearly being given a wholeassed performance, there’s just something a little weak somewhere in my ears that doesn’t quite add up. All together though, banger of a song.
4.75
Life
Sent by lonestar
Ok, straight off the bat, is that Portnoy’s FII tour kit in the video? Looks a lot like it to me.
Ok, onto the song. This has a lot of cool hooks when it comes to the melody. Another song where the language barrier hasn’t actually gotten in the way because everything is so strong. I love those backing vocals through the second chorus. The solo is great, especially with the harmonised sections. This feels like it would be a good encore song for them. I could definitely get behind singing along to that whoa-oh melody in the audience. She’s got a wicked voice!
4.75
Miasma
Sent by twosuitsluke
Ambience to set the scene followed by a tasty drum fill to allow the rest of the band to expand upon it’s basis. The keyboards give me an extremely 80s feeling, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how cool it is when the harmony guitars take over that first melody in it’s second pass. The melodies here are really nice too. I like the way it all builds into the last section with that harmony riff. The solos are short, but pretty good. Can’t tell me that the riff straight after the keyboard solo isn’t based on Beat It though. The sax solo really brings it home!
It’s a solid track, though I feel like it could be stronger. Maybe it’s something in the mix or maybe it’s the bpm, but I feel like this could be a lot more pumping than it is. Even the solos feel a little like “we can definitely play these licks way faster, but we’re presenting them to you slowly” in my ear. But hey, everything here works. Just could be better executed with the exact same notes?
4.5
Brother and Sister
Sent by Vmadera00
That’s a real haunting piano melody that turns into something I could easily dance to as soon as the band kicks in! Those vocals are really nice too, so strong! Great lyrics too, I was definitely singing along with parts of the chorus. This one burns through it’s time quickly, it feels like it’s still only just kicking off when that absolute face melter of a solo kicks in.
But, I have to sin those harsh vocals. They actually really didn’t need to be there.
4.5
Bird of Sorrow
Sent by Sacul
A song that I didn’t know I needed tbh. These lyrics are both sad and inspiring. It’s ok to be afraid, to make mistakes, but at the end of the day we have to keep going. Love and joy will find us again if we keep going!
I love the way that the rest of the band come in at the second chorus and reinforce the back half. This song is an emotional rollercoaster and the band participation make it so much stronger. While I feel that Glen’s voice is a bit much towards the ending while he’s screaming his heart out, it’s exactly that. He is screaming his heart out, he’s calling fir the strength to get through it and see another day.
Damn Sacul, I’m gonna miss songs like these. Even if they haven’t been the highest scorers, you’ve got my heart pinned down most of the time with the lyrics you’ve put forward.
4.5
Homebound
Sent by Puppies_On_Acid
It’s a really nice intro you have here, the chord changes hint at the darker changes to come. But then we get into the vocals. It’s back to gutturals. You know I’m not a huge fan of those, but I know you also said that it’s a tradition to send every new host a Moonsorrow song. When we get into the “when the chains are broken” section, his clean vocals are really nice! It’s the instrumental sections here that I really like, like how the solo plays out over the intro melody instead of just the chords.
Man, I feel like if it wasn’t for the harsh vocals, you’d have almost had a round winner on your hands. There is so much to enjoy here, but those verse vocals really put me off.
4.5, because your instrumental was so strong!
Over the Hillside
Sent by HOF
Such an 80s vibe, like I’m hearing a bit of Police in here. I can easily get lost in this one and I love that feeling. This is a song that I would listen to in a chilled mood and probably stick on repeat as well. It’s beautiful! That trumpet interlude is a really nice touch. This is going in my playlist for sure. There just isn’t a whole lot to say about this song though. I like that little natural harmonic sound at the end. I like the song. I just feel like there isn’t much I can say.
4
Millennium Quest
Sent by TAC
Ok, take my head clean off with that intro, why don’t ya? While this feels like it could easily get washed away in the genre of power metal, there are huge notes being hit seamlessly, there’s enough going on instrumentally to keep me really engaged, especially when it comes to a solo that could’ve in all honesty been just another shredfest if it weren’t for the band behind it.
Now, where it gets cool is at that 3 minute mark when it all changes. The heavy bridge into the melodic guitars is a fantastic touch. But then that unison where the bass is following the lead is SO. DAMN. COOL!!! Admittedly, I felt that the instrumental section may have stretched on a little too long, but the final verses brought it all back together for me.
I will admit, this one may have been a little too long for me in this genre, but I feel like they did a lot in that time and most of which I found really enjoyable.
4
Drift
Sent by Revenge319
Ok, so that intro really gives a false feeling for the song. Opening with that jazzy feeling but going into something almost grunge like before a prog af feel after the first 90 seconds. Talk about laying it all on the line for the last round. Oh, and then the jazzy feeling comes back but super heavy at the same time. Before the end, we also get something that feels like a classic musical theatre cue.
I think this song suffers from trying to be too much at once, because I’m finding that I’m getting really into what’s happening in one style and then getting torn out of it for something else. It’s quite disjointing. It’s not to say that I dislike the material here, because I really don’t. Everything that makes up this song is really quite cool. But I don’t think it all belongs together the way it’s presented here, maybe a few more transitional moments could’ve turned this around.
4
No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
Sent by Stadler
That intro sets this song up to feel really fun, which is a feeling it doesn’t drop at all. I found myself singing along to the chorus the second time. Even though this labels itself as two songs, New Mother Nature slots in as a second half easily. I love the interplay in the third verse of New Mother Nature where the first verse of No Sugar Tonight sits in as a backing vocal and then scatting the chorus line as an ending. This is just a really fun song that left me with a smile.
3.75
Can You Hear the Rain
Sent by Tomislav95
Brutal honesty straight up? I hate that drum tone. So synthetic and kinda unsuited to the song. I felt like I should just get that out of the way.
Right, onto everything else. I love that clean guitar tone that sets the whole song into motion. I think his vocal timbre is quite interesting. The riffs are pretty cool, especially in that instrumental section. I love the way the first ‘solo’ is done on the clean. It’s well structured, it’s nicely paced and the bridge section has a really cool eeriness to it. The ending solo is really good, though it triggers one of my pet peeves. NEVER FADE OUT A SOLO WHEN IT’S FINDING IT’S FEET!!
But, when all is said and done, it is a little basic. Solid effort though.
3.75
My Mystic Mind
Sent by Senecadawg2
That lead riff could’ve fit on Alice Cooper’s Brutal Planet without a struggle, it’s an immense intro. The piano break is a nice touch. I gotta say though, while they are great, the tone of the vocals here are pretty much exactly what I hear when I think of power metal in general.
The thing for me is this feels like just another power metal song. This one doesn’t overly set itself apart in the genre and I found it a little forgettable. The solo is cool, everything sounds fine, but I just didn’t get blown away and feel like “holy crap! I found that golden nugget that’s gonna turn it all around for me on this genre”.
3.75
Baltimore
Sent by Elite
What an intriguing piano motif. I really like the fluctuating rhyming pattern and the vocal melody. It’s an intriguing story actually. It’s hard to really put my finger on what I like about this other than the storyline. There’s not a lot here to really get behind here for me. But an interesting listen, nonetheless.
3.5
Topic: Deadeye21’s Song Roulette - Round 9 Results (Read 66832 times)
