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

[King Postwhore]

We really want a recipe for Breakfast popcorn. 

[Buddyhunter1]

[ariich]

Soon...

[lonestar]

[Elite]

 

[TAC]

 

You’re the last guy to be posting popcorn!

[lonestar]

Seriously 


In fact, instead of posting popcorn how about sending round 2 bro.

[ariich]

Seriously 


In fact, instead of posting popcorn how about sending round 2 bro.

No rush to send round 2 before round 1 is finished.

[King Postwhore]

RJ morphing into Tim.  Rich, I'm sorry. 

[ariich]

ROUND 1 RESULTS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
faizoff – Metal Church
1. Metal Church
2. It's a Secret
3. Watch The Children Pray

First impression: Like most bands at the emergence of this genre, the focus on mood and aggression feels at the expense of melody, but the slightly later songs sound more interesting.

Final opinion: To be honest, my opinion hasn't really changed from my first impression. I enjoy a bit of thrash metal for sure, but there's something about that very early stuff that - while I appreciate the fact that bands were trying something new - I find a bit lacking. That's not to say I don't like it; anything 7/10 (3.5 stars) is something I consider good. Indeed, there are aspects of this that sound a little more accomplished than the very earliest stuff from the likes of Metallica and Megadeth. There's a slightly doomier vibe which creates a bit of atmosphere, and some of the riffing is pretty cool, engaging enough for me to enjoy it while I'm listening at least. Ultimately though, there's not enough in the way of an interesting sound or melodic hooks to make me want to return to it.

Score: 7.2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
King – The Native Howl
1. Thunderhead
2. Into the Darkness
3. Harvester of Constant Sorrow
4. Pappy

First impression: Entertaining for sure, but very much the novelty submission of the round.

Final opinion: OK first up, I can definitely see how this band would be a blast live. Bluegrass and thrash metal are not natural bedfellows and it's a fusion that's full of energy and very entertaining, although really the instrumentation is fully bluegrass, just written and performed in a thrash style. But that's kind of it really. I feel like maybe a bit more of a proper fusion of genres might have made it at least feel more unique. The original songs are good, although they do clearly borrow themes and motfis heavily from classic thrash. The semi-cover of Harvester of Sorrow just doesn't really work for me at all unfortunately. As a fun novelty, this is pretty great and I'm sure I'd enjoy it live, but I can't really see myself wanting to listen to this again.

Score: 7.3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOF – Caroline's Spine
1. Open Fire
2. Sullivan
3. Monsoon
4. The Light Inside
5. July

First impression: This was perhaps a little middle-of-the-road, but enjoyable enough and one song seemed like a strong example of the genre.

Final opinion: This is pretty much the epitome of a mid-7s submission for me. It's all very solid, competent alt-rock, with nothing to dislike but, on the other hand, little to excite. To my tastes, the genre works best when it has either some punchy riffs and hooks (which I tend to find in the more modern stuff), or a strong emotional angle which is often where the 90s and early 00s stuff has interested me more. This does ok on both counts, but excels on neither. The one standout for sure is The Light Inside - a well crafted song with a fun riff and a real uplifting anthemic warmth to it, which hits the emotional angle. Sullivan is also a rather nice song with a very catchy chorus. The rest are fine, just a bit unmemorable.

Score: 7.5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reaper – Moon Tooth
1. Igneous
2. Vesuvius I
3. Vesuvius II
4. The I That Never Dies

First impression: Digging the guitar work and slick overall sound, but not sure if there'll be enough in the way of interesting melodic hooks.

Final opinion: There's a lot that I like about this. The overall sound is really groovy and generally pretty great. The music is intelligent and the performances are slick. The intricate guitar work especially is very enjoyable to listen to. Even just the fact that it doesn’t sound like anything else submitted this round and not much that I’ve heard elsewhere either makes it pretty interesting. The only thing that stops it scoring higher is that, melodically speaking, I find it a bit cold and hard to get into. The I That Never Dies has quite a nice chorus, and Igneous has such a strong groove that it's very good regardless and the hooks come from the riffs instead. But overall I come away from each listen feeling like it was all a bit, for want of a better word, esoteric.

Score: 7.6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
seneca – Mount Eerie
1. Real Death
2. Seaweed
3. Forest Fire
4. Swims
5. My Chasm
6. When I Take out the Garbage at Night

First impression: Conceptually weighty… not yet decided on how well the music matches up.

Final opinion: I have very mixed feelings about this. Like, full-on ambivalence. On one hand, I find the music and delivery incredibly bland. Were it not for the context and lyrical content, this might have been the only sub-7 score of the round. I’m definitely not a fan of the dreary mumbling vocals, and it all just sounds so lifeless. On the other hand, that’s sort of the point I guess. What he went through was something I wouldn’t wish on anyone and I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to make this album. The opening lyrics address this very directly - “And it's not for singing about; it's not for making into art. When real death enters the house, all poetry is dumb”. The interesting thing is that lyrically I find these first 6 songs incredibly powerful. I had a read through them without the music on, and the blunt, direct and honest articulation of what he went through was very moving and upsetting. If the music had been effective at supporting this, it could have scored in the mid-8s or higher. But back to that first hand again. I have no issue with the minimalist instrumentation, and I appreciate that the general vibe is conceptually appropriate, but ultimately, I find it too lacking in melodic or harmonic richness or emotion, and everything that I feel when reading the lyrics I do not feel when listening.

Score: 7.6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elite – Panzerballett
1. Smoke On The Water
2. Mind Your Head
3. Some Skunk Funk
4. Birdland

First impression: Ok so I love the fusion of styles here and some of it is filthy, but it’s also pretty dense and I kind of wish some of the guitars had a bit more punch to compensate.

Final opinion: Now we’re getting to the stuff that I like quite a bit, if not quite at the 8/10 level. As you well know from my previous roulette in particular, I enjoy jazz and fusion but can be a little picky - jazz harmonies don’t typically lend themselves easily to accessible melodic hooks, and unless the artist works some of those in effectively (which some absolutely do, to great effect) then it’s anyone’s guess what might attract me about the mood or style. The general jazz-metal style here is fantastic, really great fun and generally executed well. Some Skunk Funk in particular is dirty fusion in the best way, helped as well by being the strongest in terms of production which I think this style needs. The rest are all good tunes still, and the score did creep up from where I thought it might land, but other than leads/solos, a lot of the guitar sounds a bit thin and/or low in the mix which - without some strong melodies to hook onto - weakens the effect quite a bit.

Score: 7.8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
lonestar – Saiseiga
1. Ride On
2. Inside
3. Jumble
4. Sports

First impression: Engaging and impressive vocals, but perhaps not fully supported by particularly engaging or impressive vocal lines.

Final opinion: I dig the general style a lot here. It’s definitely in that “modern j-metal” oeuvre, with a lot of groove, great playing and a really impressive vocalist. The range of styles she uses is highly enjoyable and she executes them all very convincingly. The band’s talent and potential is undeniable. Compositionally, though, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The first two songs are fun enough to listen to and maybe have the most interesting instrumental work (some very cool guitar moments, for example), but are sorely lacking in melodic hooks. The next two grew on me quite a lot though, and definitely ended up pushing the overall score upwards. The overall style is broadly the same if maybe slightly more straightforward, but they make up for that with enjoyable choruses that provide a focal point for the songs. Jumble in particular is damn catchy. Seems as though the album those two songs come from might be more my thing.

Score: 7.8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stadler – Black Sabbath
1. Psychophobia
2. Rusty Angels
3. When Death Calls

First impression: This submission starts pretty rocking I guess but it’s the last song that sells it, could be one of the best things I’ve heard from this artist.

Final opinion: As you know from my RYM, I’ve heard a bunch of Ozzy-era and Dio-era Sabbath albums, and I’ve liked them all to varying degrees but not loved any of them. So it’s been very interesting to be introduced to some Martin-era songs. The first two here are enjoyable enough but nothing to write home about. I definitely like Martin’s vocals and, based on these three songs, he’d probably be my favourite even if his voice is the least distinctive. So that helps give the songs a convincing delivery, even if they are a little middle-of-the-road for my tastes, musically speaking. But When Death Calls is another story. Great mood, great chorus, nice development from the gloomy opening to the more rocking riffing later on and epic final chorus - an all-round great song that I had stuck in my head after only one listen. I suspect Sabbath will remain one of those bands for whom I love a handful of songs but never really get into any whole albums, but I’ll give these ones a go for sure.

Score: 7.9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Puppies – Altar of Plagues
1. Neptune is Dead

First impression: The moody music is good but the production feels like it could be a little flat.

Final opinion: As you know from previous roulettes and your “black metal album of the week” thread, I can be pretty picky when it comes to black metal. The stuff that’s very melodic, and/or atmospheric with good production, can often go down well - the stuff that’s neither rarely does. This does quite well in both regards, but I don’t think it’s quite enough at either to make me love it. The music is generally fairly melodic, but not richly so. There’s a moodiness to it and the production is adequate, but a little flat and lo-fi for my tastes. I think if either dimension had been taken further I could have really got into it. With a more engaging melodic approach, the production would have mattered less. Or with a bigger sound, some of the hypnotic repeating sections in particular could have been really immersive. As it is, it feels on the cusp of being great but not managing to get there. Interestingly enough, this may not feel like a great score, but you never do that well in my first rounds and this is actually the best you’ve ever done in round 1. Hopefully this means exciting things in future rounds!

Score: 7.9

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vmadera – Once Human
1. Only in Death
2. Cold Arrival
3. Devil Can Have You
4. Erasure

First impression: Solid stuff and a very impressive and versatile vocalist, I just wonder if it’ll be enough to stand out among other strong submissions.

Final opinion: Here we are at 8/10, meaning all the submissions from this point on are varying degrees of great as far as I’m concerned. This is one of a strong set of quite similar entries - metal with gothic vibes and a mix of clean and harsh vocals (most of which are female-dominated, interestingly enough - clearly there’s a lot of this stuff that I’m behind on). It hasn’t really moved very much from my first impression. The music and performances are all solid, with some great moments. The mix is punchy, if straightforward. The riffing is tight. The vocalist is great at everything she does, from soaring cleans to black metal style rasps and deep growls, which is one of the big selling points. There are some good hooks in places too - Cold Arrival is a particularly great song. This selection does enough to reach the 8/10 mark, though no more.

Score: 8.0

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
romdrums – Sermon
1. The Great Marsh
2. Royal
3. Light the Witch

First impression: I can see the stylistic comparisons to the other artist you mentioned, but this may lack the rich emotionality I find so engaging about them.

Final opinion: You compared this band to Soen, and from a stylistic perspective I can definitely see that, but this goes to what I said earlier in the thread about my tastes being driven more by melodic (or tonal) approach than genre or overall style. I’ve become far more interested in Soen’s music in the past few albums as they’ve taken a more emotive and melancholic approach. These songs don’t do that really. That’s not a problem though and I think my first impression was probably overly focused on this and didn’t paint the full picture, which is that I still like this very much, just for different reasons and not to the same extent. It has a really grand sound and style, kind of dark and intense but never that heavy. The production may not be anything special from a technical standpoint, but it’s absolutely right for the music and creates just the right atmosphere for it. Combine this with some good hooks and it’s pretty great stuff overall.

Score: 8.0

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glasser – The Omega Experiment
1. Terminus
2. Stimulus

First impression: There’s a lot to unpack here, but the quirkiness and rich instrumentation remind me of an artist I like.

Final opinion: So yes, the obvious comparator here is Devin Townsend. The similarities in style are almost uncanny at times, bordering on distracting and at risk of losing its own identity but - in these two songs at least - never quite reaching that point. I think the vocals mostly being quite different in approach to Devy helps with that. I’m perhaps not wholly sold on these songs in terms of composition - like a lot of prog metal, at times they feel a little unfocused. I’ve nothing against music that explores a lot of different ideas, but I don’t feel they’re held together in a way that’s particularly coherent or engaging. But while that might hold it back from really high scores, it doesn’t stop it from still being great stuff - the strength of the music and the creativity of the ideas is there regardless. I’m definitely enjoying the rich instrumentation that I mentioned in my first impression, especially in Stimulus which has some wonderfully grandiose stuff in it. All in all, a strong first submission for your first ever roulette.

Score: 8.1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ariich]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
jingle – Vandroya
1. Why Should We Say Goodbye?
2. Beyond the Human Mind

First impression: While this sounded pretty straightforward stylistically, it had a warm sound and some great tunes.

Final opinion: So yeah there isn't really anything particularly unique or unusual about these songs, which are fairly straightforward prog/power metal. There’s not even a hint of them being a Brazilian band, they just sound like most European bands in the genre. Performances are competent but, other than the vocals, nothing special. But despite all that, it's a very good illustration of the fact that it's not necessary to do anything unusual to write great songs. The first one is fairly short and simple but it’s incredibly catchy, with a great chorus and really top-notch vocals. The second song is proggier and more intricate - some of the early sections aren't as melodically engaging, but they work well to build towards and support some great melodies in the later parts of the song.

Score: 8.2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
nick_z – Lacrimas Profundere
1. The Kingdom Solicitude
2. Father of Fate
3. Like Screams in Empty Halls
4. After All Those Infinities
5. A Sip of Multiverse

First impression: Moody, punchy, good hooks - sounds like a safe but solid start.

Final opinion: This is another of those submissions that didn't really change much from my initial impression. Punchy melancholic metal with good vocal melodies is always likely to go down fairly well with me, so it was a fairly safe bet, although I'm not sure it does much to really excite me beyond that. But regardless, every song here is strong, and there are some great touches - one thing in particular I'm really liking is the way that many of the heavy sections have acoustic/clean guitar or piano accompanying the distorted riffs. It's a simple idea but they use it to great effect and it really adds to the gothic vibe. Very nice stuff.

Score: 8.2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAC – Circus of Fools
1. Eris (To The Fairest One)
2. Relentless Abnormality
3. From Dusk Till Dawn

First impression: Well, it’s punchy and epic and the gothic style is vibing well - let’s see how well the melodic hooks settle in with subsequent listens.

Final opinion: This is another of those submissions with metal that mixes harsh and clean vocals, although this time with a male/female split between the two. The overall sound is terrific - heavy and melodic and with some great use of real strings to give it a big gothic vibe. The melodic hooks have settled in well on the whole - not all of them are that interesting but there's enough that are, and in the right places, to make it all work. For example, Eris doesn’t really do much for me in the melody department, but there are still some good hooks in the riffs which have a great groove to them. Meanwhile, the next song delivers some great vocal lines with a really cool, dark gothic style. And then the last song brings in some great synth work. Seems like each song has slightly different strengths, so I look forward to exploring their stuff.

Score: 8.2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
luke – Deafheaven
1. You Without End
2. Honeycomb

First impression: Lush and immersive, I can totally see why you sent me this.

Final opinion: I told you this already but, for the wider group, I originally heard Sunbather years ago and didn't get on with it at all. But as part of my recent exploration of things I previously rated low, I gave it another go and found myself liking it quite a bit. I didn't love it though - I enjoy contrasts in music, but something still felt clashing between the harsh moments and the gentle ones. That seems much less so in these songs. I gather that some fans liked that facet of their music, and therefore disliked this as a change in direction, but it's much more up my alley. Not wholly in love with some of the moments with black metal screams over pretty post-rock, but others work well - especially when the music builds up to a bigger sound. Overall, this is really lush and rich and there are quite a few absolutely gorgeous moments spread throughout the two songs.

Score: 8.2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacul – Kendrick Lamar
1. For Free? - Interlude
2. Alright
3. The Blacker The Berry
4. Mother I Sober

First impression: First track was an… interesting choice, but after that it improved immensely and I'm glad my first listen was with earphones.

Final opinion: Alright so let’s address that first song first of all. I get that it’s metaphorical and maybe even pretty profound in that. It’s just… really quite annoying to listen to. Partly the lyrics, but also his weird scat-jazz delivery. Not awful, but not my thing. The rest of these songs, though, are excellent. Like, really great. You said it was outside of my comfort zone and I understand why, considering rap-based genres (hip hop, grime, etc) aren’t a major feature of my collection. But I’m not sure that’s really right, and I’m already a fan of some stuff like Stormzy. It’s more that there’s not been much where I’ve rated whole albums that highly. This guy definitely has potential though, based on these songs, if the quality is usually this high. His vocal style took a little getting used to initially - sounded more like punk rap stuff I’ve heard (like The King Blues) than what I’m used to from hip hop, but quite quickly I found myself thinking it works really well for the style. And crucially, the music itself has a lot of groove and charisma with a range of influences brought in, to good effect. Both musically and lyrically, these songs are thoughtful and engaging, and Mother I Sober especially is very emotionally affecting and really justifies this being part of the heavy theme.

Score: 8.3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luoto – Slow Fall
1. Melancholy and Witchcraft
2. Across the Cold
3. Everything Left with Nothing

First impression: The overall sound is among the least surprising submissions of the round, but there are some nice touches that help it stand out.

Final opinion: Oh look, Luoto sent high quality melodic death metal from Finland that I’ve never even heard of. And oh look, it turned out to be a real grower. You’re some kind of wizard when it comes to that, as I’ve told you before. The core sound here is very unsurprising, but that’s not a criticism, as they execute it very well - MDM with a nice full sound, tight playing and a lovely melancholic approach which you know I tend to be a fan of. What really helps it stand out a bit, though, is the use of clean vocals which they do in quite a varied way, tailored to the style of each song. The chorus in Melancholy and Witchcraft is gorgeous and perfectly fitting to the title (and it’s definitely my favourite here), Across the Cold has a gravelly and epic chorus, and the female vocals in the last track - while not technically anything special - offer a more accessible symphonic metal feel that works well.

Score: 8.3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Litho – Draconian
1. A Phantom Dissonance
2. Dishearten
3. Sleepwalkers

First impression: This immediately ticks a lot of boxes for me - grand, rich and melancholy.

Final opinion: Not sure if me playing in your roulette has helped, but you’ve definitely hit the ground running. The melancholy death/doom metal sound that’s dominant here is something that appeals to me when done well, and this is done well. The sound is big, the melodies are sorrowful, the instrumentation is intricate without going over the top. It all comes together best in Dishearten, which is my favourite of the three - great, emotive vocals, beautiful melodies and a really great use of piano and sustained guitar notes in places - the climax at the end is especially fantastic. The first song is also excellent, while the last is the weakest of the three - it’s still very good and has a gorgeous atmosphere that permeates throughout, but melodically it’s a little less engaging.

Score: 8.3

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Evermind – Avatarium
1. Moonhorse
2. Girl with the Raven Mask
3. Lady in the Lamp

First impression: A lot of the vocal style is something I’m more used to hearing in other genres, and the effect is kind of captivating.

Final opinion: As I said earlier in the thread, on first listen I got quite an indie/pop/soul vibe from a lot of the vocals in this, especially in the first song and, to some extent, the last one as well. While that feels less the case now, I do still think that the effect is there. And what hasn’t changed at all is that the combination of those soulful vocals, the core doom metal sound and the folk influence is incredibly captivating. I like that there’s some variety, and each of the songs brings something a little different while being tonally coherent. It really is the vocals though that carry this along with the generally very strong songwriting. Instrumentally, these songs are nothing special really, and indeed the guitar solo in Lady in the Lamp is kind of weak to the point of being distracting. And yet the richness of the main motifs and vocal melodies - and the gorgeous delivery of the vocals - mean that it doesn’t really matter too much because the overall effect is so great.

Score: 8.4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buddy – Obscure Sphinx
1. Void
2. The Presence Of Goddess

First impression: This has a really big sound that’s very immersive and right up my alley.

Final opinion: The way this two-parter builds is just fantastic. It’s definitely the slowest starting submission, taking a good 7 minutes to really kick in. Melodically, some moments aren’t super engaging in themselves, but the way the songs develop creates such a gloomy rising tension. And when it gets there and the choirs come in, it’s some of the most epic music I’ve heard. It has the qualities I would expect of good post-metal/atmospheric sludge metal (not that I fully understand the difference between the two) - particularly in the way it builds atmosphere and has quite hypnotic aspect to it - but also expands on it with very grand musicality and rich instrumentation, not dissimilar to the gothic style of some of the other submissions this round. I was pretty sure from the start this would score well, yet still I’ve liked it a little more with every listen.

Score: 8.4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
soupy – Seven Spires
1. Gods of Debauchery
2. Fearless
3. Gods Amongst Men
4. Lightbringer

First impression: Wasn’t immediately convinced, but this quickly won me over with good hooks and a cool mix of styles.

Final opinion: This turned out to be a real sleeper hit, almost a scaled up version of my first impression really. Clearly I liked it at first - I enjoyed the range of influences, the absolutely epic vibe and some strong hooks particularly in the riffing. But I wasn’t immediately totally sold on the combination of power metal music with black/death metal vocals, which I thought might lean a little too cheesy and put a limit on how much I enjoy it. Not so, as it turned out. Similar to a couple of the other submissions this round (Saiseiga and Once Human), the vocalist is amazing and her power and charisma with both clean and harsh vocals is incredibly engaging. Of the three though, this is the one where I find the music most thrilling. If anything, that power metal style - once I got used to the contrast - makes it very melodically enjoyable and provides a great counterbalance to some of the harsher sections. And of course, going all-out pop metal in Lightbringer is great fun and again indicates a band that brings different styles into their music.

Score: 8.4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
wolfking – Keep of Kalessin
1. Warmonger
2. Kolossus
3. Ascendant

First impression: Punchier and more riff-driven than I might have expected, intense but not overbearing, and hella epic.

Final opinion:  This was another sleeper hit, even more so than Seven Spires. As is evident from my first impression, I liked it immediately, but I didn’t expect it to be right near the top of the scores until maybe my third listen. Possibly it’s helped by being slightly different to a lot of the metal submissions this round, which have favoured a more gothic and/or doomy vibe. But the punchy, thrash-influenced riff-driven style is super enjoyable, and there’s a subtlety to the melodic approach in the choruses that makes it less immediate but ultimately that bit more exciting when it settles in. When I first thought about ratings and rankings, this and Crow’s submissions were the ones that excited me the most. All three songs are cracking and have such a huge sound, but if I had to choose a favourite it would be Kolossus. That song is just such a beast, with its intense verses, atmospheric middle section and epic choruses (well the whole thing is pretty ludicrously epic really). Can’t wait to give the album a listen.

Score: 8.6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crow – Birds in Row
1. Noah
2. Cathedrals
3. Trompe L’oeil
4. Rodin

First impression: You’ve gone with a different approach to most, and it starts a little slowly, but once it got going it really hooked me in.

Final opinion: This round had some great sleeper hits, but this one I can’t even really get my head around. I liked it early on but I definitely wasn’t thinking “round winner right there”. These songs make use of features that wouldn’t normally be my preference. For example, on the loose spectrum of hardcore to post-hardcore, I tend to gravitate towards the latter where you’d typically find more melodic vocals in addition to the harsher stylings. Similarly, I’m not generally keen when music lingers so long on each chord. And yet, these songs are an amazing example of how my preferences are rarely dealbreakers. The whole sound is just great and there’s an almost hypnotic approach such that when the chord does change, it feels that bit more impactful. It helps that the backing music is very melodic and immersive, and there’s a wonderful contrast between that and the desperation of the vocals. It’s also perfectly paced. Just as one style or idea feels like it might be on the verge of wearing thin, the next song or section does something different. You pretty much always have a good first round in my roulettes, and yet you’ve somehow surpassed all the previous ones with this.

Score: 8.8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


Scores after Round 1:
 1. Crow     = 8.8
 2. wolfking = 8.6
 3. Buddy    = 8.4
 3. Evermind = 8.4
 3. soupy    = 8.4
 6. Litho    = 8.3
 6. Sacul    = 8.3
 6. Luoto    = 8.3
 9. luke     = 8.2
 9. TAC      = 8.2
 9. nick_z   = 8.2
 9. jingle   = 8.2
13. Glasser  = 8.1
14. Vmadera  = 8.0
14. romdrums = 8.0
16. Stadler  = 7.9
16. Puppies  = 7.9
18. lonestar = 7.8
18. Elite    = 7.8
20. Reaper   = 7.6
20. seneca   = 7.6
22. HOF      = 7.5
23. king     = 7.3
24. faizoff  = 7.2

[lonestar]

Seriously 


In fact, instead of posting popcorn how about sending round 2 bro.

No rush to send round 2 before round 1 is finished.

Just trying to avoid the inevitable. 

RJ morphing into Tim.  Rich, I'm sorry. 

Hey now...no need to be insulting...

[ariich]

RJ morphing into Tim.  Rich, I'm sorry. 

It's that TACitis again, it's spreading.

Anyway congrats guys, there are now so many of you that my results can't all fit in one post anymore.

[King Postwhore]

 

Rich, do you get music fatigue from listening to so much music or does it invigorate you to check on the bands that really peaked your interest?

[lonestar]

Interesting take...oddly enough the latter two songs are from their '23 release, and the others are from their first album, so I guess that's growth as a band. Unlike a lot of the Japanese bands, Saiseiga is completely independent and don't have outside writers or production teams, so their growth is a lot more organic and transparent.


You got my Rd2 already.

[ariich]

Rich, do you get music fatigue from listening to so much music or does it invigorate you to check on the bands that really peaked your interest?

I listen to this pretty much this amount of music either way, so definitely no fatigue. I love checking out new stuff.

[Lonk]

Not a bad start, i'll take it 

[Buddyhunter1]

Tied with Evermind again? This feels familiar...

Speaking of tied, looks like Elder got the exact same score in the roulette where I sent them instead of this, so I would have gotten the prisoner's dilemma either way!

Anyways, glad you enjoyed, definitely check out the rest of that album, it's awesome. Still thinking about what to send for the next round...

[Luoto]

The Finnish MDM well that you don't already know is kinda running dry, admittedly They have a new album coming out in a few weeks.

Might be looking forward to my round 2 submission more though, I'll assemble and send it now.

[jingle.boy]

Middle of the pack - with this crew I'll take it!

I'm just thrilled that Daisa Munhoz > j-metal.     (at RJ).

[Evermind]

Tied with Evermind again? This feels familiar...

Speaking of tied, looks like Elder got the exact same score in the roulette where I sent them instead of this, so I would have gotten the prisoner's dilemma either way!

I'm glad I'm still on my streak of scoring above 8 points. Also holy shit that was some quick turnaround for this amount of music.

Regarding Avatarium, I only have the first two albums and they both are fairly strong. Although there are some less exciting songs, I could've doubled my entry in length without losing quality I think. I think I checked out their latest and don't remember much about it, but perhaps I'll revisit it soon.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Final opinion: Not sure if me playing in your roulette has helped, but you’ve definitely hit the ground running. The melancholy death/doom metal sound that’s dominant here is something that appeals to me when done well, and this is done well. The sound is big, the melodies are sorrowful, the instrumentation is intricate without going over the top. It all comes together best in Dishearten, which is my favourite of the three - great, emotive vocals, beautiful melodies and a really great use of piano and sustained guitar notes in places - the climax at the end is especially fantastic. The first song is also excellent, while the last is the weakest of the three - it’s still very good and has a gorgeous atmosphere that permeates throughout, but melodically it’s a little less engaging.

Dunno, it's probably factored in a little, but I might have made the same choices regardless, so far anyway.  I don't really have a great mental profile of your taste despite skimming bits of some older roulettes, so I'm sort of treating you like an alternate universe version of me who has somewhat similar tastes but somehow hasn't heard any of the same artists.  I'll probably keep somewhat going with that for a bit until/unless I can figure out an even better strategy. 

I also wonder about factoring the style of each host in how they listen to submissions (possibly just more overthinking though), and wonder if some songs fare better than others depending up how much time is devoted to them, possibly avoiding songs with hooks that are more subtle and could take longer to sink in.  That's all so subjective though it's hard to make a science of it.  "Sleepwalkers" took slightly longer to grow on me, but I wanted something from the latest album with the more reverb-laden sound.  Do at least check out "The Wretched Tide" from Sovran, the same album "Dishearten" is on, I really wanted to include it as well but didn't want to kick anything else out. 

[Elite]

Sent round 2!

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Sent by e-mail.

[Crow]

let's GOOOO 
that entire birds in row album is really good tho imo i did kinda send all the best songs off it 
...which is like, almost half the album by runtime, so

anyways time to also win round 2? maybe? 

[Lonk]

Sent round 2!

[romdrums]

I'll take an 8.0.  Hope you get a chance to check out the whole album. 

Round 2 Sent.

[Crow]

round 2 has been delivered by parcel, please check your mailbox at the nearest convenience

[soupytwist]

Happy with that start!

[soupytwist]

And sent for round 2.

[senecadawg2]

I had a feeling I might be in for that kind of score and response. Although I think the music suits the lyrics/theme well, I can understand why you might find it lacking. As you said, it's not inappropriate for the context, but that doesn't mean it's good. I think what it boils down to—maybe—is that I place more weight on the lyrics, which as you say are terribly affecting.

I'll send round 2 shortly 

[Evermind]

I'll send my round 2 in 24 hours.

[TAC]

Ok, decent enough start. You have my Round 2.

[faizoff]

Starting at the bottom in not one but TWO roulettes! I do wonder at times how some of the older stuff from early to mid 80s sound now. As a teenager that made quite an impression but not sure in the scheme of things how old school stuff relates to many.

Will be sending some light stuff soon.

[TAC]

Starting at the bottom in not one but TWO roulettes! I do wonder at times how some of the older stuff from early to mid 80s sound now. As a teenager that made quite an impression but not sure in the scheme of things how old school stuff relates to many.

It doesn't really, unless it is asked for by theme. I rarely use anything from the 80's in roulettes.