8Lethean: Vanden Plas-Three GhostsThis song would’ve been better if the singer took the clothespin off his nose.I’ve seen Vanden Plas referred to as progressive, but I’ve never really felt that way based on what I’ve heard from them. BUT, this song reminds me so much of Dream Theater. The intro is like a mash of Outcry and The Bigger Picture. Musically, this really is quite a ride. It’s easily the longest song of the round, but it never feels draggy. Vocally, yeah, this guy is my main problem with Vanden Plas, but this song and its music are so strong, it helps to offset him. This song rocks the whole way through.
Glasser: Sacred Oath-Twelve BellsOld school band I wasn’t familiar with, and the vocals were cleaner than I expected.I remember Sacred Oath from back in the day, but I never had a chance to listen to them. Seems they’ve had a resurgence as this is a 2017 release. This has a real old school considering when it was released. Sounds like it was recorded 30 years earlier. I expected the vocals to sound…rougher. I really love the musical parts. Sounds like across between Flotsam and Fates Warning. This song definitely appeals to an 18 y/o TAC.
Crow: All That Remains-SixOne of the first bands I tried with harsh vocals…always liked their music.About 15 years ago, I worked with some kids that knew I liked metal, but I didn’t care for harsh vocals. I asked them to make me a couple of CD’s of bands I should check out, and All That Remains was one of them. I remember really liking the music, but I couldn’t hang with the vocals. Listening now, musically, this is excellent, though these really aren’t the kind of harsh vocals I like, but in this short three minute song, the vocals to music ratio is more than reasonable. I love the shift at 1:37. This is an amazing part. Really lifts the song. Not sure I could take a whole album of these vocals, even today, but this totally works here.
Faizoff: Volbeat-Caroline #1I really like the pounding driving rhythm of this.Well, you managed to find another Volbeat song that I really liked. I think I listened to this album after you sent Rebel Monster, but a whole album’s worth of Volbeat really didn’t sustain me. But in a small dose like this, it works great,. Either that or you have a knack of picking the right songs. The dude has a cool voice, king of a weird vibe to it, but cool. This song rocks and I bobbed my head on every listen.
Lonestar: Day Six-7th SignThis has kind of a haunting vibe. Reminds me in parts of modern era Uriah Heep.I think if one song grew the most from First Listen to Final Listen, it was probably this one. Though to be fair, most of the songs faded as the round went on. But this one stood strong as a number of tracks fell around it. The singer reminds me a bit of Uriah Heep’s Bernie Shaw, with a little of the dude from Constantine thrown in. This song has a marauding nature that keeps building and never really takes a step back. I really like it when it gets going a little after the 4 minute mark. Love the drumming in the next part, and modern day Uriah Heeps pops up at the 5 minute mark. This song is a nice ride.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9Litho: Scariot-Strange To NumbersThis is riffy…and chunky…and tasty metal.This song makes a grand entrance with a wicked Slayer style riff. The vocalist is fairly nasally, but he’s not the dude from Vanden Plas, so that’s good. I like the changeup led by the bass at 2:08. This is a cool chugging riff. Even the mellower part a bit later is really nice. I see this album came out in 2009, but it feels way more old school than that. Definitely a cool discovery.
Tomislav: The Sword-Tres BrujasThis is groovy as shit. I dig it. This is the song that simply wouldn’t go away. I thought it was pretty middle of the pack on first listen. But every time it came on, I was like..what song is this? The lyrics are baked..literally, but the music has a cool groovy vibe. The transition at 2:00 is great and leads into one of my favorite moments of the entire round.
Wolfking: Immortal-One By OneWell, this is fucking heavy lolThis song kicks you in the teeth right from the jump. The vocals are fine. There’s some great drumming and some cool changes. That riff at 1:01 is riffdiculous. 2:45 begins the best minute of the entire round. Killer tune.
10Jingle.Boy: Exlibris-Rule #1Wow, that’s a smoking intro. This whole song hits a sweet spot.This opening blew me away. The orchestration and smoking guitar, such a grand entrance. But even with the keyboards and orchestration, it never feels wimpy. The chorus is strong, musically. The guitar solo is ripping and the breakdown into the slower part is all class. That part right at 3:30 is so nice. Heck, even the Derek/Jordan solo is fine. This was the strongest song of the round from the jump.
Extra Credit and Final Math Grades later today!
Topic: The TAC Back To School Roulette V.7 Schools Out!!! (Read 52353 times)
