Finally finished working my way through all the round 1 artists. Was thinking I'd post updates in batches but I never got round to it so I guess I'll just post about all of them now.
In summary, quite a few keepers, some pleasant surprises, a couple of mild disappointments, but generally lots of great stuff.
Buddy: Obscure SphinxThis band is such pure Buddycore.
Nothing else seems quite as special as Presence of Goddess, but Void Mother as a whole is still pretty great. I've tried their other two albums but they're not quite doing it for me. The sound and style is still there, but while Void Mother builds this fantastic tension, the other two feel a little more plodding at times.
Crow: Birds in RowYep Gris Klein is exactly what I wanted it to be, fantastic album. Very much an extension of the songs you sent. Features I wouldn't normally go for just work here and it's such a cathartic and engaging listen. The previous album is pretty great too. Tried out the first album and one of their EPs too, some good stuff but a bit monotone for my tastes (especially when that one tone is "shouty").
Elite: PanzerballetI gave Tank Goodness a good couple of listens as it has my favourite (and the best sounding) of the songs you sent, and it's a pretty cool album. Their style definitely benefits from the slick, punchy sound on this one. Very enjoyable, but still ends up feeling a bit of a novelty that doesn't really draw me back in to listen again.
Evermind: AvatariumGreat stuff, their first two albums (which you sent songs from) are excellent and the third is also great, in some ways maybe even my favourite at this point. The most recent two are nice as well, but lacking a bit of punch and energy other than a couple of songs.
faizoff: Metal ChurchI gave The Dark a try as the most interesting sounding of what you sent me, and yeah it's pretty much what I expected. It's OK but not really my thing, and I'm glad thrash metal went in more melodic and generally interesting directions.
Glasser: The Omega ExperimentSubmissions that score in the low 8s can go in different directions when I check out full albums. Pleased to say this is on the very positive end. I liked what you sent but it couldn't have fully represented the album which is pretty expansive and really good fun prog metal. Definitely one where the sum is greater than the parts.
HOF: Caroline's SpineWent with Work It Out as, despite being apparently less popular (according to RYM anyway), the song you sent from it was most aligned to my tastes. Pretty much exactly what I expected but yeah it's some nice alt rock and I like the emotional angle present in a few of the songs. Doesn't blow me away but am enjoyable listen.
jingle: VandroyaNice stuff on the whole, more on the power metal end of things but with some nice prog metal influences thrown in. One has a couple of excellent songs on it) including the one you sent) but doesn't quite grab me overall, some of it I find a little melodically uninteresting. Beyond the Human Mind doesn't quite the same highs but I find it much more consistently enjoyable.
King: The Native HowlYeah definitely a bit of a novelty act this one. I gave a listen to Out of the Garden and Into the Darkness, which is a long album and it was a bit of a chore to get through. I can see them being a lot of fun live but in record it doesn't do much for me. If anything I find it most enjoyable when they just go straight up bluegrass rather than making it too "thrashy" sounding.
Litho: DraconianThe quality of the songs you sent is pretty consistently maintained throughout this band's discography, which I spent a good bit of time getting to know. The debut is a bit rough around the edges, and their 2006 album Burning Halo is a mish mash of different things and doesn't really work that well. But all their other albums get a solid 4 stars from me, very engaging and melancholic doom metal.
lonestar: SaiseigaYou'd have scored higher if you just stuck with their second album Nostalgia. It's great, lots of energy and memorable hooks. The first album is decent still - The talent was obviously there, the songs just aren't as enjoyable. You sent the right band, just not (all) the right songs.
luke: DeafheavenYeah I don't understand why Ordinary Corrupt Human Love is less popular among fans but I'm with you, it's clearly the best thing they've done. As I said earlier in the thread, I'd recently given Sunbather another shot and while it was better that I'd remembered, it didn't really work for me as the contrasting elements just didn't hold together well. I've also tried New Bermuda and feel the same way, while Infinite Granite is a nice idea in theory but ends up a little boring. OCHL is the only one that gets the balance right for me.
Luoto: Slow FallAnother one of those bands whose first album shows promise that is then realised in the follow-up. Beneath the Endless Rains is a pretty good album but you definitely sent me the two best songs on it, and some of the rest isn’t that interesting. Since this round they released the second album and it’s really top-notch MDM, once again continuing your trend of sending me great lesser-known stuff from the genre.
nick_z: Lacrimas ProfundereYeah this was a good shout. Bleeding the Stars is excellent, and the newest album is similarly great, just a really good blend of gothic metal and melodic death/doom metal. I did try the two albums before and there was some good stuff but they didn’t really grab me nearly as much. I also tried a couple of their older “classic” albums (Memorandum and Burning: A Wish) and felt the same way. Still, they’re on a good run now so I’m interested to see what they do next.
Puppies: Altar of PlaguesI gave Mammal a good go and ultimately feel exactly the same about the album as a whole as I did about the song you sent from it. It’s good, but never quite hits enough of my tastes and interests to really grab me or make me want to return to it.
Reaper: Moon ToothYou mostly sent songs from Chromaparagon and while I didn’t love them, the groove and general sound was interesting so that’s the album I tried out. And yeah it’s good stuff, actually a couple of the songs I maybe even like more than most of the ones you sent, but overall I feel pretty similar to your submission - nice groove and great playing but melodic hooks not really working for me.
romdrums: SermonI said above that low-8 scoring submissions can go in different ways when I check out full albums, and this is one that doesn’t hold up quite so well. Your selection definitely covers all the best songs from Of Golden Verse and it’s a good album, but there isn’t really much to excite me in it and I find myself getting a little bored by the end.
Sacul: Kendrick LamarDelighted to add a bit more hip-hop to my collection. He clearly has a lot of great ideas, although to be honest most of his albums meander around a lot. The one that really stands out to me as a good match for my tastes is Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers - genuinely love the variety of ideas and consistent quality. To Pimp a Butterfly and Good kid, m.A.A.d city both have some cracking tunes on as well, but also a lot of stuff that doesn’t interest me at all. I also gave a couple of listens to DAMN. but nothing on it really did anything for me.
seneca: Mount EerieI decided to give A Crow Looked at Me a proper go and, you know what, I liked it more than I thought I would. Not enough to rate it 4 stars - it’s still a bit monotone and largely lacking in melodic richness for my tastes - but the second half of the album does have a couple of more musically engaging moments and as a whole work the emotionality of it is a little more immersive. Not one I particularly plan to return to but I’m glad you sent it to me.
soupy: Seven SpiresYou know, I think this might have ended up my favourite artist of the first round. Both their latest two albums are on my regular rotation now and I’ve rated them 4.5 stars. There’s something about both albums that’s verging on being too ridiculous and over the top - both in the music and her vocals - but, by virtue of not quite going that far, ends up adding a level of excitement and immersion. So many great and incredibly enjoyable songs.
Stadler: Black SabbathCongratulations, you managed to find me a Black Sabbath album that I rate 4 stars! I started with Headless Cross as it has the best song from your submission, and to my surprise I really liked the whole album. Like I said with your submission, he’s probably the least distinctive singer Sabbath have had, and yet he’s probably my favourite, plus this album just has loads of good hooks and riffs and a great overall sound. I also tried the other two albums you sent a song from (Forbidden and Cross Purposes) which were enjoyable but much more aligned with everything else I’ve heard from Sabbath - the odd good song but not that exciting overall.
TAC: Circus of FoolsDigging this band. They have a really enjoyable, theatrical, gothic vibe, very dynamic and kind of fun. The last two full releases (REX and A Broadcast From GEN .0) are excellent. Contracult also has some great stuff on it, but some filler as well. Tried one of the earlier albums and it was much weaker, but still, they’re on a good run at the moment.
Vmadera: Once HumanI gave Scar Weaver a good few listens and it’s a solid album, but the ratio of intensity and melody doesn’t quite hit the right spot for me. Or rather, I enjoy the intensity and don’t need any less of it, but there’s not enough engaging melody to balance it out - much of it is quite harmonically dense and not very accessible. Cold Arrival is still a fantastic song but the rest I have little desire to return to.
wolfking: Keep of KalessinI’d already explored their stuff by the time the roulette had finished, but to reiterate: great band. All their albums from Armada (2006) onwards are excellent. Not a great deal of variety between them, but a subtle evolution over time, to the point where actually their latest album Katharsis is probably my favourite - has a bigger sense of melody and grandiosity that’s right up my alley. Tried a couple of the earliest releases and they were decent but not so much my cup of tea.
Topic: ariich's DARK TO LIGHT roulette (v8) - Post-roulette updates (ongoing) (Read 91889 times)