I'm still soliciting opinions on the TAC rule for EPs if anyone else wants to chime in. I'm honestly just leaning towards trying to be more flexible in that round, but if someone or enough people really like that rule I'm still open to considering it, though I suppose it likely has less value being implemented now than if it was in place all roulette long. Certainly all kinds of things to think about when the time for v.2 arrives.
Anyway, here are the filled-out impressions. I should have comparisons up later tonight.
Round 9 Early Impressions:
1: Lethean - Threshold - This is exactly what I expected from them, but it's quite well done, so it could work.
2: Evermind - Hypno5e - They have a rather unusual hybrid approach between a few genres, but I keep wanting them to take it in certain directions that they might not intend to go in.
3: soupytwist - Camera Obscura - Maybe I do like some happier, upbeat music after all.
4: Vmadera00 - The Mars Volta - Killer drumming, but there's just a messiness to this style of guitar playing that doesn't usually appeal to me, and oh yeah, those vocals...*mutters*
5: HOF - The Week That Was - All these overlapping and interlocking layers are really unique and fascinating, the question is how well I'll remember them.
6: ariich - Submotion Orchestra - This is a really chill and intoxicating mixture of styles.
7: twosuitluke - Zeal and Ardor - As I suspected from the songs I've sampled in the past, this mashup works better than it should on paper, though I'm unsure how much staying power these particular tunes will have.
8: TAC - Circus of Fools - Now this is the kind of band that seems custom-made for me.
9: Puppies_On_Acid - Sieges Even - Good grief the chorus on the first song is addicting. I'm not so sure about the second tune though.
10: senecadawg2 - The Amazing Devil - I'm not sure there's quite enough happening over the runtime for me, though the ending of the second song might elevate it a bit.
11: Crow - East of the Wall - This is definitely better than I feared it might be, though the vocals and noodliness might put a cap on the level it can reach.
12: SoundscapeMN - Ours - I didn't realize that U2 and The Tea Party did an album together.
13: Stadler - Our Lady Peace - Man, I feel like I'm 14 again.
14: Buddyhunter1 - The Comet Is Coming - It's kind of repetitive, but the vibe is trippy and cool, so let's see how much it grows on me.
15: Sacul - Kendrick Lamar - There are some really nice elements scattered throughout these songs, but they aren't prominent enough, and this is still a style that's quite challenging to consistently pull off the way I'd like to hear it.
16: Tomislav95 - Rishloo - The bass and drum grooves are pretty tasty, but I wish the guitars were a bit weightier, and I'll probably continue to struggle with this vocal style.
17: Nachtmerrie - Brutus - Here we have a better example of how to execute a genre I typically haven't cared for.
18: Elite - Gilad Hekselmen - My tastes in this broad style are mostly frozen decades ago, and this might be a bit abstract an update for me, but there are certainly some piquant traits that could blossom.