ariich's DARK TO LIGHT roulette (v8) - Post-roulette updates (ongoing)

[nick_z]

More orange than usual! But as always scores can shift on my final listens.

Oh boy, I read this as "scores can shit on my final listens", and wasn't sure how to take that 

 

[Crow]

three big W's making me overconfident, so
you already have my round 4, but rounds 5 thru 7 sent, i had 6 on lock for a while and while throwing together my EP i realized one of the artists i was considering for it fits better as round 5/i don't have room for 6 artists on my EP anyways so everything worked out perfectly and now i've sent bangers all the way down 

[Glasser]

After being the caboose last round, I had nowhere to go but up.

[Glasser]

Rich, I just sent you Round 4, cool?

[ariich]

After being the caboose last round, I had nowhere to go but up.

Perfectly fitting in context.

Rich, I just sent you Round 4, cool?

All good.

[jingle.boy]

After being the caboose last round, I had nowhere to go but up.

Perfectly fitting in context.

Indeed. Well played, Tommy Boy

[King Postwhore]

[ariich]

Hope everyone had good weekends!

Didn't quite manage to finish writeups and final listens, so results will be tomorrow as planned. Start thinking about your next HEAVY submission for round 4, if you haven't already.

[TAC]

Hope everyone had good weekends!

Didn't quite manage to finish writeups and final listens, so results will be tomorrow as planned. Start thinking about your next HEAVY submission for round 4, if you haven't already.

You already have mine!

Maybe you can finish Litho's writeups while you're at it.

[lonestar]

I'll get it to you now...



Sent something Japanese.

[nick_z]

Sent for round #4!

[TAC]

Get on it Elite!!

[ariich]

ROUND 3 RESULTS

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Vmadera – Prototype
1. The Chosen One
2. My Own Deception
3. Heart Machine

First impression: Not sure if there’s any specific aspect of this you thought could be risky - if anything it might be a bit too normal with nothing to really stand out, unless that was the issue?

Final opinion: This type of thrash-derived prog metal doesn’t tend to really excite me without strong melodies, which unfortunately I don’t feel these songs really contain enough of. Even somewhat comparable bands where I’ve loved an album or two (like Nevermore and Communic) I’ve found other albums a bit bland. Each of these songs for sure has something to enjoy in them. The Chosen One has a solid main chorus; the Nevermore-style verses in My Own Deception are cool and have some slick riffing in them - especially that section in the second half of the song; and Heart Machine has a neat pre-chorus. The overall experience of listening to these songs is enjoyable enough, but too little of the music interests me - it’s almost like they could only do one thing really well in each song and the rest is just kind of there.

Score: 7.3

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Elite – Wes Montgomery
1. If You Could See Me Now (Live at the Half Note)
2. Unit 7 (Live at the Half Note)
3. Impressions (Live at the Half Note)

First impression: Exactly what I expected - talented playing and nice energy but perhaps lacking a bit of pizazz.

Final opinion: You said you’d selected these songs before this round, so I’m going to assume that it’s therefore not an unfortunate and misguided response to my comments in the last round about generally preferring jazz live (which I had intended to mean about actually being there in person). As you know, I’ve checked out a few of Wes Montgomery’s albums before - including one or two in response to the songs you sent me last time. But despite liking those songs a fair bit, and generally being a fan of his playing, his stuff doesn’t really excite me enough. These songs feel like a weaker batch than last time. I guess the jazz and jazz-adjacent music that speaks to me most tends to have a lot of either funky groove, energy and/or flamboyant pizazz, or alternatively if it’s a more laid back style then emotion and melody that I relate to. Unit 7 has a great main theme and a really nice energy to it, which definitely salvages the score. The other two I appreciate, but I don’t think they really hit any of those qualities I’m looking for.

Score: 7.5

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Reaper – From Monument To Masses
1. Checksum
2. Beyond God & Elvis
3. A Sixth Trumpet

First impression: This mostly sounds pretty standard for the genre, although there are a few nice flourishes here and there.

Final opinion: At its best, post-rock can be amazing at building soundscapes and immersing the listener. But I do find that quite a lot of it ends up sounding like middle of the road rock with vocals missing. This feels somewhere between the two. There are some really nice moments dotted throughout. By far the most engaging bit is the emotional section starting around the middle of Checksum (with the piano and strings) which is really great, and the short vocal section within it has a lovely delicate touch to it. But other than the odd nice flourish - usually again involving strings - the rest of this is pretty standard stuff really. It’s very pleasant, but I can’t help feeling like I want something more - some interesting instrumentation, big emotional swells, anything really to evoke a bit more feeling in me.

Score: 7.7

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seneca – Emma Ruth Rundle
1. Return
2. Blooms of Oblivion
3. The Company
4. Razor’s Edge

First impression: A little more minimalist than I’d normally go for, but it’s nice stuff and has some great moments.

Final opinion: I can see the appeal of going for single-album submissions - I’ve often done the same in roulettes with a similar structure to mine, and indeed I think it was probably a good shout with The Killers last round. But in this case, I think the submission may be a bit narrow. I like the first two songs a lot. Return is delicate and sombre, and very attractive. Kind of reminds me of the quieter, more minimalist end of A.A. Williams’ stuff, if not as full in sound. Blooms of Oblivion is very much the standout - slightly more upbeat in tone, but the way it develops and builds up at the end of the song is gorgeous. Her approach both to the songwriting and to her vocals is quite subtle, but these songs are strong enough for it to work. The other two songs, though, feel like weaker versions of the same style but without the qualities I find engaging in those first two.

Score: 7.8

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Stadler – Asia
1. My Own Time (I’ll Do What I Want)
2. Open Your Eyes
3. Midnight Sun
4. Ride Easy

First impression: The overall sound was very unsurprising, but there were some really warm and emotive moments that elevated this over what I might have expected.

Final opinion: My prior experience of Asia is pretty mixed. I’ve generally preferred the sound from the Payne era, most albums of which I’ve heard and one I loved (Silent Nation - Guthrie Govan’s guitar work was also a huge plus for that particular lineup, even if the music in Aura wasn’t that interesting). In terms of the original lineup, Heat of the Moment was a great tune but the rest of the debut never interested me at all. I’m pretty sure I heard a couple of other songs from that time but wasn’t inspired to explore further. I guess I should at least give Alpha a proper listen now. While the overall style might still be very much AOR, there’s a really warm symphonic prog vibe to these songs (the sort of thing we still hear these days with most of Neal Morse’s projects) that evokes more feeling in me than most of what I’ve heard from their early work. I’m not sure I love it yet - there are some moments I find a little dull or vocally weak - but I’m keen to check out the album and give it a chance to win me over. Ride Easy is also a really neat b-side. I already own Silent Nation on CD, but this might prompt me to make my own mini “best of the rest” of the songs I like from the albums I’m not that interested in overall.

Score: 7.9

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Luoto – Cain's Offering
1. The Best of Times
2. Antemortem
3. Oceans of Regret

First impression: Sounds pretty much exactly like I would have expected based on the people involved - not sure whether that familiarity is comforting or bordering on generic.

Final opinion: This is a weird one for me. In terms of my first impression, I’ve definitely come down on the side of generic. Like, if I took the various power and symphonic metal bands the members also play or played in and mixed them together a bit, this is exactly what I would expect the end result to sound like. If there’s anything that surprises me at all, it’s how the main riff in Antemortem is completely ripped off from Nightwish who don’t even have a direct connection (although I guess there’s definitely a bit of their sound in some of Wintersun’s stuff). It’s just about tolerable that Nightwish themselves have re-used it two or three times - it’s their own riff after all - but here it’s just really distracting. And yet. And yet… I can’t help but really like these songs anyway. They may be generic, but the choruses are really strong and catchy, enough to kind of make it all ok. Even in Antemortem, I can get over the riff because the chorus is just great.

Score: 8.0

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Sacul – The Black Queen
1. That Death Cannot Touch
2. Secret Scream
3. Porcelain Veins
4. Ice to Never
5. The End Where We Start

First impression: This mostly sounds like a slightly modernised take on a popular 80s artist, if perhaps not quite as melodically rich.

Final opinion: Alright, so a lot of this reminds me a lot of Depeche Mode. There are other influences in the mix, no doubt, and not all the songs go too hard on the Depeche style, which means there’s some nice variety to keep things interesting (especially the more modern pop stylings in the last two songs). But a lot of the sounds are very reminiscent of DM’s early albums, as is the dark and melancholy tone. And ultimately, while I don’t think I would say that this is super exciting music, it’s that dark synthpop vibe that I love in DM and which makes me very much want to come back to these songs as well. My opinion has also improved since the first impression, and as I’ve got to know the songs I’ve found them pretty engaging melodically and harmonically.

Score: 8.0

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romdrums – Jaga Jazzist
1. Starfire
2. Prognissekongen
3. Oslo Skyline

First impression: For the first few minutes I wondered if you’ve made a rare misstep, but it picks up a lot after that although I do wonder if I’ll end up finding it a bit too “thinky”.

Final opinion: This is not entirely dissimilar to your last submission, but more synthy and eclectic. And it’s pretty damn cool overall, if slightly inconsistent. The first three minutes are… well, just really very dull. I don’t know if they were going for mood here, but it just sounds lethargic. But then suddenly the synths hit, the guitar starts those staccato riffs and suddenly we’re into some really cool fusion. All three of these tracks have moments that are a little uninteresting - a section that drags on a little too long or an idea that’s just not that engaging to listen to - but are salvaged by some cracking stuff. In Starfire it’s those synths, in Prognissekongen it’s the low horns (although in general I’m not digging this track so much), and in Oslo it’s the post-rock-esque build ups that are more immersive than the actual post-rock I got sent this round.

Score: 8.0

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TAC – Castleway
1. Jormungang
2. The Hunt
3. A Shivering Sea

First impression: The use of strings stops this sounding too generic, and each track seems more interesting than the last.

Final opinion: The general sound here could have been quite cheesy and generic folk metal, had it not been for the excellent use of the violinist. Obviously that wouldn’t be enough on its own, the music needs to be good too, and it is. Jormungang is pretty standard fare really, solid enough but nothing too exciting other than the violin which adds a nice flavour to the sound. On its own, this might not have even made the 8/10 mark. But The Hunt steps things up - the violin feels less like an addition and more like a core part of the main motif which has a great energy and catchiness to it. And then A Shivering Sea steps things up again, with a gorgeously melancholic introduction that again has the violin at the centre and then some really excellent folk-metal, and the interplay between the violin and the guitar in the extended instrumental in the second half of the song is just fantastic.

Score: 8.2

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lonestar – Rolling Quartz
1. Delight
2. Blaze
3. Good Night
4. Azalea
5. Rock’n’roll Paradise

First impression: Seems like this might be a happy middle ground between your first two submissions.

Final opinion: Stylistically, these songs are incredibly straightforward - pretty middle of the road hard-rock really, maybe with some metal leanings here and there and nice poppy influences. It doesn’t feel like the sort of thing that will ever excite me enough to reach particularly high ratings. But there are two things this has that make it super enjoyable - strong hooks (helped by those poppy influences) and really fun energy. The riffs aren’t anything to write home about, and in general the instrumentation isn’t as interesting as Saiseiga, but there’s enough going on and played with a nice enthusiasm such that they service the songs which are built around some super catchy choruses. Your scores are creeping up each round - I wonder how long you can keep this up!

Score: 8.2

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soupy – Fellowship
1. Glint
2. The Saint Beyond The River
3. The Hours of Wintertime
4. Oak and Ash

First impression: In sending the polar opposite of your last round, you’ve hit upon some great melodies but possibly a bit too much cheese factor.

Final opinion: Man, this is so cheesy I feel like it’s going to cause my son’s lactose intolerance to spread to me. When it comes to power metal, I don’t tend to go for the upbeat, brothers-in-arms, “I’m off to have an adventure” side of the genre, generally preferring the more dramatic and/or darkly epic flairs. But good grief, after a few listens to these songs I was absolutely in the mindset of “I’m off to slay the dragon, who will join me!”. Despite the vomit-inducing cheese, these songs are so insanely catchy and infectious that they really do spread those upbeat feelings to the listener. Whereas sometimes there’s music that in theory ticks a lot of boxes but just doesn’t sit well with me for some reason, this is something that I like a lot more than I would have thought and can’t exactly point to why. You told me to embrace the cheese, and apparently I did.

Score: 8.2

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luke – Coheed and Cambria
1. The Embers of Fire
2. Beautiful Losers
3. Rise, Naianasha (Cut The Cord)
4. Window of the Waking Mind

First impression: Don’t know whether it’ll wholly win me over, but this was both poppier and more dramatic than I was expecting and more engaging as a result.

Final opinion: Coheed is one of those bands I’ve tried several times and never quite managed to get into. There are stylistic elements that appeal to me, sure, and some of their albums I’ve thought were good, just… not great. But when the elements are there, there’s always the potential to eventually make something that works, and these guys definitely wouldn’t be the first band to do that to me. At least based on these songs, this new series (or this album anyway) seems to have potential to finally get me engaged in their stuff. There’s still something slightly compositionally awkward about it - most of these songs either don’t quite flow that smoothly or have moments where the vocals and instrumentation feel a little disconnected - but less so than in everything else I’ve heard from them, and held together with strong hooks (finally some proper choruses!) and a nice dramatic edge reminiscent of The Dear Hunter - especially in the pretty epic title track - such that those limitations don’t really hold it back.

Score: 8.2

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[ariich]

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King – Our Lady Peace
1. Where Are You
2. One Man Army
3. In Repair
4. If You Believe
5. Superman’s Dead

First impression: I’ve said before that this genre needs quite a lot of hooks and/or emotion to work - these songs seem to do rather well at both.

Final opinion: My first impression kind of says it all really, and this hasn’t particularly shifted since then. Almost by definition, this type of post-grunge alternative rock is quite straightforward in style and sound. I said earlier in the roulette that I generally need alt rock to have a strong emotional angle or catchy melodies. Ideally both, but I’ve greatly enjoyed some stuff that only really does one but has really excelled at it. This doesn’t really do that on either dimension, but is very solid at both and it’s the combination that makes it work really well. To varying degrees, all five songs have good hooks - especially Where Are You and the two songs from Spiritual Machines, though the other two have grown on me quite a bit as well, and they definitely incorporate the aspects of grunge that offer up a lot of feeling and emotion into the sound.

Score: 8.2

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Buddy – Blanck Mass
1. Rhesus Negative
2. Hive Mind

First impression: There was some very cool stuff here but the sound is very full and dense, I think it’ll be hard to form a proper opinion before getting in a listen or two on earphones.

Final opinion: You’re having a very consistent roulette so far, despite sending me quite varied stuff (and I suppose that consistency is part of why you won my v6). Took me a bit of time to get my head around this one, but I eventually concluded that once again I like it a lot. It’s not that there’s a ton going on musically - indeed it’s reasonably simple in that regard - but sonically there is a lot happening at once, especially in most of Rhesus Negative which is a pretty intense track. But it works great because 1. it’s kept in balance with the quieter sections, 2. a lot of the sounds he uses are quite unique and interesting, and 3. crucially, the music throughout is just really engaging and grand. If I have one minor gripe, it’s that both songs feel a bit drawn out - the hypnotic effect sort of works, but there’s not really enough variety in either tune to go on quite so long - but ultimately these tunes are both a great listen.

Score: 8.3

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faizoff – Van She
1. Kelly
2. Jamaica
3. Idea Of Happiness
4. Sarah

First impression: Mmm warm vibes and synthy goodness - not mind-blowing maybe but a really nice listen right from the off.

Final opinion: This is some really nice electropop. It’s a weird one where I like it a lot but don’t feel like I have very much to say. The indie feel is cool and I think adds to what is already a warm sound. The synths are great - right up front in the mix and with a nice variety of sounds always well matched to the vibe of what’s going on musically. And of course the songs are all really catchy, which is pretty essential for something this poppy. Nothing here blows me away, but I love all of it. I think this is the shortest write-up of the roulette so far.

Score: 8.3

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nick_z – Eneferens
1. Leave
2. This Onward Reach
3. Selene

First impression: Vocals are a little weak and some of the production isn’t that great, but some of the music is so gorgeous that those things hopefully won’t matter too much.

Final opinion: Yep, I was right. It’s not uncommon for one-man-band projects like this to have weaknesses in the sound department. It’s not bad as such, just slightly on the thin side and the vocals are indeed fairly weak for the most part (especially his cleans) but, again, not terrible. But what it lacks in production values, it more than makes up for in atmosphere, a gorgeous harmonic approach and some lovely guitar melodies. The intro track sets this up nicely, starting with delicate and ethereal acoustic guitars and building up to some gorgeous lead guitar lines once the full band kicks in. And really, those are what the two substantive songs cover as well, just with the addition of a mix of black metal vocals and clean ones. Lovely stuff.

Score: 8.3

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Evermind – Lords of Black
1. Before That Time Can Come
2. Ghost of You

First impression: I feel like I’m either going to find this a bit too straightforward or I’m going to love the melodic hooks and big sound, and after one listen I’ve no idea which is more likely.

Final opinion: Hey so this is pretty good stuff, huh? I’ve definitely come down on the side of loving the big sound and big hooks. I mean, yes, stylistically it’s not really anything special or unique. Somewhere between power metal and classic heavy metal, with a singer who sounds somewhere between Jorn Lande and Dio (and with regard to the former, indeed there are hints of Masterplan here and there). Before That Time Can Come is a pretty straightforward rocker that doesn’t necessarily excite, but it has a nice groove to it and an instantly likeable chorus. Ghost of You takes those qualities and expands on them with a wider range of ideas, a more thoughtful and interesting composition (especially in the way the song builds up over the first few minutes), and an even better - grand, epic - chorus. Great song.

Score: 8.3

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Puppies – Echolyn
1. When Sunday Spills
2. Speaking In Lampblack

First impression: This was some nice warm prog - with each song, I wasn’t wowed at the start but was won over by the end.

Final opinion: My overall experience with this has essentially been a macrocosm of my first listen to each song, which is that I started out liking but not necessarily loving it, and ended up being a big fan. They definitely have a very retro prog sound for such a modern band - not even a modernised take or anything, this really does sound like it could have come from the 70s or early 80s. That kind of full-on reproduction isn’t something I would often go for unless there’s something to make it stand out, and thankfully both these songs are elegant and interesting enough to do so. The performances are understated but tasteful, there are really nice melodies throughout, and what helps elevate it is the way each song builds and develops such that the last few minutes of each song is both great music in itself and a lovely culmination of what came before it.

Score: 8.3

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Litho – Dejafuse
1. Exploring
2. Blanque Cheque
3. Clipper
4. State of Being

First impression: The melodic approach isn’t that immediate, but I can already see this being a grower because every time I started feeling unsure about it, something exciting came along and cast away any doubts.

Final opinion: Back on form, and I was spot on with what I thought might happen. I don’t know Autumn, so I can’t make any comparison of style but wouldn’t generally do so anyway - I’m perfectly happy for artists to do something completely different in spin-offs or solo projects. This is really excellent alternative rock, the best from the genre I’ve received so far this roulette. I was digging the general sound straight away, punchy and full of energy - kind of Foo-Fighters-like in that regard, if slightly quirkier at times. As I said in my first impression, I didn’t find the melodic approach that immediate, but having got to know these songs the hooks are strong. And even where they’re slightly weaker, there’s always something else to draw me in. The best example of this is Blank Cheque, where the main themes in the first half are a little unexciting but serve to set up the incredible and emotive bridge section in the second-half which is one of my favourite moments of the round. But really all these songs are great in slightly different ways.

Score: 8.4

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wolfking – Brymir
1. Voices in the Sky
2. For Those Who Died
3. Wings of Fire
4. Rift Between Us

First impression: You have a knack for sending me very epic music and this is no exception - cheesier than some but very richly melodic.

Final opinion: Pretty sure this is the most power metal thing you’ve sent me, a sort of combination of that and melodic death metal. I guess it’s not super cheesy overall, but the big power metal choruses, occasional chanted vocals and folky acoustic guitars are things I don’t recall from any of your previous submissions across three roulettes. But what is absolutely in line with most of your submissions is the overall sound, the epic vibes and lots of strong hooks (whether in the vocals or the lead guitars). Indeed this might be the most melodic thing you’ve ever sent me, even more so than things that have been entirely clean vocals, which is a big plus. And thankfully, these songs do both the MDM and the power metal really well, and the combination of the two works surprisingly seamlessly and really enhances how epic the music feels.

Score: 8.4

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jingle – Nuclear Power Trio
1. A Clear and Present Rager
2. Grab ‘Em by the Pyongyang
3. The Fusion Collusion
4. Ukraine in the Membrane
5. Mutually Assured Seduction

First impression: I’m pretty picky when it comes to instrumental rock but this is eclectic, super melodic and so full of energy and charm that my first listen was an absolute blast.

Final opinion: My first impression says it all really. For the amount of instrumental rock and metal bands and artists out there, there are very few albums that I’ve found exciting because, more often than not, these bands seem to struggle to craft music that works effectively without vocals. But this navigates its way through my tastes in exactly the same way as Andy Gillion’s Arcade Metal did last year (just without the explicit video game music homage, although these tunes would absolutely be at home in some of those classic 80s and 90s games). The main themes in each song are so melodic, insanely catchy and instantly memorable - evidenced by the fact that I immediately noticed that your original version had the same track twice with different names. Couple that with big full production, a real sense of fun and super slick playing from everyone and you end up with some great music.

Score: 8.6

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Crow – Vylet Pony
1. I’ve Still Got Something to Teach You
2. The Carrion Child
3. Futura

First impression: I’ve heard all the individual elements of this before but the overall effect still feels really unique and really rather great.

Final opinion: The most comparable thing you’ve sent me previously, musically, was songs from Sayonara Wild Hearts. On that occasion, what you’d really done was introduced me to a music-based video game. This time what you’ve really sent me is the realisation that My Little Pony not only has a massive fan community (of fully grown adults) but that it pretty much has its own music genre attached to it. I’m not sure this will get me into that fandom in the way that the songs from SWH led to me becoming a big fan of the game, but musically this is even more engaging than that was. The blend of cutesy pop and a range of different electronica styles (from the more ambient to some harsher sounds) is just the right amount of bonkers. All of it is great in itself - very melodic and interestingly produced - and the variety keeps it exciting. Not the biggest fan of her vocals, but they’re good enough to serve the songs and styles that she works through.

Score: 8.6

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HOF – Dim Gray
1. Mare
2. Ashes
3. Undertow
4. Avalon | The Tide
5. 52~

First impression: You’ve been holding out on me! Rich, emotive, gorgeously arranged and produced - this is probably the best thing you’ve sent me.

Final opinion: After a slow start, you’ve gone for a complete gear shift and it has served you very well indeed. I appreciate the limitations of the theme from my last roulette, but this is the first time you’ve sent me something mainly or wholly from the last 20 years. Which isn’t to say you didn’t send me some nice stuff last roulette - I ended up downloading a few Journey songs and even a couple of Kip Winger albums (someone hold Tim back!). But this is easily the most effectively you’ve hit my tastes. It’s lush, emotional, varied, intricate. Every song balances some lovely melodies and emotive delivery with lots of delicate little touches in the production - a gentle piano flourish here, some spacey synths there. It’s just really rich music that was appealing on the first listen and has offered something new with every subsequent listen.

Score: 8.7

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Glasser – Nospūn
1. Within the Realm of Possibility

First impression: Closer to your first submission but probably even more my thing - proggy yet crunchy and quite a few moments that remind me of a particular favourite band of mine.

Final opinion: In case it wasn’t obvious, the band I was referring to was of course Haken. My word these guys take huge inspiration from Haken, at least in this song. On the very slight downside, I prefer it when bands take an influence and do more to make it their own, whereas most of this really sounds like it could have come from early-mid era Haken especially (although there are hints of their more recent stuff here and there too). But then maybe they do that more on the rest of the album, and either way this seems to be their debut as far as I can tell, and it’s natural to wear influences on your sleeve at the start. Conversely, on the huge plus side, normally when I hear bands influenced by Haken, they seem to miss the things about Haken that I love so much. No so here. It has the things that other bands replicate ok - the tight riffing and rhythmic intricacy that sits somewhere between classic DT and more modern djent stylings, the big backing synths and general huge sound - and it does them all excellently. But crucially, there is a consistent focus on strong melodies and a slightly dark and melancholic edge to those melodies that makes it all so engaging. Even the quirky bits have that dark, theatrical vibe that Haken do so well. The voice acting in the middle is cheesy as hell and I’m not sure I’m that keen, but everything else is so great that I can get past it.

Score: 8.8

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Scores after Round 3:

 1. Crow     = 8.8 + 8.4 + 8.6 = 25.8
 2. Sacul    = 8.3 + 8.9 + 8.0 = 25.2
 3. wolfking = 8.6 + 8.1 + 8.4 = 25.1
 3. TAC      = 8.2 + 8.7 + 8.2 = 25.1
 5. Buddy    = 8.4 + 8.3 + 8.3 = 25.0
 5. Luoto    = 8.3 + 8.7 + 8.0 = 25.0
 5. nick_z   = 8.2 + 8.5 + 8.3 = 25.0
 5. Glasser  = 8.1 + 8.1 + 8.8 = 25.0
 9. Evermind = 8.4 + 8.2 + 8.3 = 24.9
10. Puppies  = 7.9 + 8.3 + 8.3 = 24.5
10. soupy    = 8.4 + 7.9 + 8.2 = 24.5
10. Litho    = 8.3 + 7.8 + 8.4 = 24.5
10. jingle   = 8.2 + 7.7 + 8.6 = 24.5
14. luke     = 8.2 + 7.9 + 8.2 = 24.3
15. Stadler  = 7.9 + 8.4 + 7.9 = 24.2
15. romdrums = 8.0 + 8.2 + 8.0 = 24.2
18. lonestar = 7.8 + 8.0 + 8.2 = 24.0
17. HOF      = 7.5 + 7.9 + 8.7 = 24.1
19. seneca   = 7.6 + 8.3 + 7.8 = 23.7
19. King     = 7.3 + 8.2 + 8.2 = 23.7
19. faizoff  = 7.2 + 8.2 + 8.3 = 23.7
22. Reaper   = 7.6 + 8.1 + 7.7 = 23.4
23. Vmadera  = 8.0 + 8.0 + 7.3 = 23.3
23. Elite    = 7.8 + 8.0 + 7.5 = 23.3


Click the graphs to enlarge.

[ariich]

The question now is... can anyone stop Crow's total domination of this roulette?!

[Crow]

i would not say i'm a fan of MLP either and haven't been super impressed by other music from the fandom i've been shown but vylet's been knocking it out of the park with her recent albums and i'm all here for it

considering what i've sent in the upcoming rounds (sans round 5 which i need to resend since i plopped one of the songs from it onto my EP since one of the songs there was banned for being too good) i'm gonna say, no, nobody is stopping me 

edit: actually wait, realized a song i can put on my EP and then just let my round 5 stay the same, hmm 

[ariich]

i would not say i'm a fan of MLP either and haven't been super impressed by other music from the fandom i've been shown but vylet's been knocking it out of the park with her recent albums and i'm all here for it

considering what i've sent in the upcoming rounds (sans round 5 which i need to resend since i plopped one of the songs from it onto my EP since one of the songs there was banned for being too good) i'm gonna say, no, nobody is stopping me 

edit: actually wait, realized a song i can put on my EP and then just let my round 5 stay the same, hmm 

Well you have over a week to decide!

EDIT: Oh also, to everyone but prompted by Crow, do give your EPs a title!

[Crow]

i'm probably just gonna edit together the EP into a file eventually, anyways

might play around with it a lil more but i'm really happy with it as it stands, so, eh

edit: and by eventually i mean: now oops

[TAC]

I always give my EPs a title. I haven’t started on this one yet but it feel like I stumbled upon a seed or two this weekend.

[soupytwist]

soupy – Fellowship
1. Glint
2. The Saint Beyond The River
3. The Hours of Wintertime
4. Oak and Ash

First impression: In sending the polar opposite of your last round, you’ve hit upon some great melodies but possibly a bit too much cheese factor.

Final opinion: Man, this is so cheesy I feel like it’s going to cause my son’s lactose intolerance to spread to me. When it comes to power metal, I don’t tend to go for the upbeat, brothers-in-arms, “I’m off to have an adventure” side of the genre, generally preferring the more dramatic and/or darkly epic flairs. But good grief, after a few listens to these songs I was absolutely in the mindset of “I’m off to slay the dragon, who will join me!”. Despite the vomit-inducing cheese, these songs are so insanely catchy and infectious that they really do spread those upbeat feelings to the listener. Whereas sometimes there’s music that in theory ticks a lot of boxes but just doesn’t sit well with me for some reason, this is something that I like a lot more than I would have thought and can’t exactly point to why. You told me to embrace the cheese, and apparently I did.

Score: 8.2

 

Be prepare for more power metal adventuring cheese next round as I don't really listen to much heavy stuff!

[wolfking]

The most melodic thing I've ever sent?!  Wow, glad you liked them though.

[jingle.boy]

Giddy up. A couple more rounds in the top 4, and I might just stay in the top 10

Working on the last couple of tracks. Will try to send tonight.

[twosuitsluke]

I'll take it 

The question now is... can anyone stop Crow's total domination of this roulette?!

Can confirm I will not be able to stop Crow's domination.

[Lonk]

And there's the risky part of my submission  I'll send something later today 

[lonestar]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
lonestar – Rolling Quartz
1. Delight
2. Blaze
3. Good Night
4. Azalea
5. Rock’n’roll Paradise

First impression: Seems like this might be a happy middle ground between your first two submissions.

Final opinion: Stylistically, these songs are incredibly straightforward - pretty middle of the road hard-rock really, maybe with some metal leanings here and there and nice poppy influences. It doesn’t feel like the sort of thing that will ever excite me enough to reach particularly high ratings. But there are two things this has that make it super enjoyable - strong hooks (helped by those poppy influences) and really fun energy. The riffs aren’t anything to write home about, and in general the instrumentation isn’t as interesting as Saiseiga, but there’s enough going on and played with a nice enthusiasm such that they service the songs which are built around some super catchy choruses. Your scores are creeping up each round - I wonder how long you can keep this up!

Score: 8.2

Nice... Your mention of "poppy influences" alleviates a bit of my nervousness over my Rd5 selection lol...


Their energy however is undeniable, and is so magnified on stage... Delight live from San Francisco https://youtu.be/GmCbC43704Q

[HOF]

Awesome! A little traction maybe. Although I’ll warn you I’m about to send something old again. Just don’t have much knowledge of/fandom for modern metal/heavy stuff. But after that I’ll try to get back to this millennium. 

Dim Gray are a wonderful up and coming act. I noted in my message that this is just their second album, and the first one is nowhere near the level of production value as the second. Definitely check out the whole album as it was neck and neck with one other for my album of the year last year. It can lag a bit in parts of the second half, but they nailed the ending. I think singer/keyboardist/writer Oskar Holldorff is going to be a name in the prog world soon enough.

[ariich]

Awesome! A little traction maybe. Although I’ll warn you I’m about to send something old again. Just don’t have much knowledge of/fandom for modern metal/heavy stuff. But after that I’ll try to get back to this millennium. 

Well, it's up to you but as I've said before, it doesn't need to be outright heavy in absolute terms - indeed the first round included hip hop and minimalist indie folk.

[HOF]

Awesome! A little traction maybe. Although I’ll warn you I’m about to send something old again. Just don’t have much knowledge of/fandom for modern metal/heavy stuff. But after that I’ll try to get back to this millennium. 

Well, it's up to you but as I've said before, it doesn't need to be outright heavy in absolute terms - indeed the first round included hip hop and minimalist indie folk.

I’m actually excited to send this, as it recently got added to Spotify and I’ve never been able to send it until now.

[Buddyhunter1]

Keepin' things consistent! World Eater and Animated Violence Mild are both great albums, definitely worth checking out.

I know what band I'm sending for this round, just need to nail down which songs to go with.

[Luoto]

Luoto – Cain's Offering
1. The Best of Times
2. Antemortem
3. Oceans of Regret

First impression: Sounds pretty much exactly like I would have expected based on the people involved - not sure whether that familiarity is comforting or bordering on generic.

Final opinion: This is a weird one for me. In terms of my first impression, I’ve definitely come down on the side of generic. Like, if I took the various power and symphonic metal bands the members also play or played in and mixed them together a bit, this is exactly what I would expect the end result to sound like. If there’s anything that surprises me at all, it’s how the main riff in Antemortem is completely ripped off from Nightwish who don’t even have a direct connection (although I guess there’s definitely a bit of their sound in some of Wintersun’s stuff). It’s just about tolerable that Nightwish themselves have re-used it two or three times - it’s their own riff after all - but here it’s just really distracting. And yet. And yet… I can’t help but really like these songs anyway. They may be generic, but the choruses are really strong and catchy, enough to kind of make it all ok. Even in Antemortem, I can get over the riff because the chorus is just great.

Score: 8.0

In the context of power metal, these songs aren't that generic when you dig into them a little. Nodding towards another band that clearly out of left field is actually a great example of that in a crooked way Anyway, glad you liked the songs and good I still stayed out of the 7's.

[faizoff]

faizoff – Van She
1. Kelly
2. Jamaica
3. Idea Of Happiness
4. Sarah

First impression: Mmm warm vibes and synthy goodness - not mind-blowing maybe but a really nice listen right from the off.

Final opinion: This is some really nice electropop. It’s a weird one where I like it a lot but don’t feel like I have very much to say. The indie feel is cool and I think adds to what is already a warm sound. The synths are great - right up front in the mix and with a nice variety of sounds always well matched to the vibe of what’s going on musically. And of course the songs are all really catchy, which is pretty essential for something this poppy. Nothing here blows me away, but I love all of it. I think this is the shortest write-up of the roulette so far.

Score: 8.3

Looks like the light and poppy side of things are easier to submit for me. I will dig around for the heavy stuff and send probably tonight.

[HOF]

Sent!

[ariich]

Be prepare for more power metal adventuring cheese next round as I don't really listen to much heavy stuff!

Your round 1 was pretty heavy! But again, "heavy" only needs to be relative, not absolute.

The most melodic thing I've ever sent?!  Wow, glad you liked them though.

I think so, yeah. Just super accessible melodies all over, despite the heaviness and harsh vocals.

Nice... Your mention of "poppy influences" alleviates a bit of my nervousness over my Rd5 selection lol...

Shouldn't exactly come as a surprise, I like poppy hooks and catchy melodies!

Awesome! A little traction maybe. Although I’ll warn you I’m about to send something old again. Just don’t have much knowledge of/fandom for modern metal/heavy stuff. But after that I’ll try to get back to this millennium. 

Well, it's up to you but as I've said before, it doesn't need to be outright heavy in absolute terms - indeed the first round included hip hop and minimalist indie folk.

I’m actually excited to send this, as it recently got added to Spotify and I’ve never been able to send it until now.

Ok great, sounds intriguing!

In the context of power metal, these songs aren't that generic when you dig into them a little. Nodding towards another band that clearly out of left field is actually a great example of that in a crooked way Anyway, glad you liked the songs and good I still stayed out of the 7's.

Hmm well, ok maybe generic isn't quite the right word as regards the genre as a whole. It's more that other than the Nightwish-style riff, the sound and style is exactly what I would expect based on the bands represented.

[lonestar]

Nice... Your mention of "poppy influences" alleviates a bit of my nervousness over my Rd5 selection lol...

Shouldn't exactly come as a surprise, I like poppy hooks and catchy melodies!

Excellent... Rd5 should score very  well then...


Also, Rd5 being TIK Tok stars, will feature a very strong gif game as well lol

[senecadawg2]

I can't argue too much with your take on ERR. While I enjoy the second two songs of the batch and the rest of the album a lot, Blooms of Oblivion and Return are the highlights for me as well. If you're at all inclined to check out her other albums, I'd definitely recommend Some Heavy Ocean and Marked for Death. They might give you more of the variety you're looking for.

I'll have to think about round 4 a little bit... Maybe it's time to go proper heavy rather than just really depressing