Tournament of INSTRUMENTALS (Phase 2): Battle Group V

[Forostar]

If you are new to this game, please READ this (click) before you vote!

Quick links to:
Playlist: a list of all the tracks created by Night Prowler
individual links to each track

Game progress: these matches are still open:

New:

Battle Group V: 1 vs 2
1:

Spoiler

2:

Spoiler

Battle Group V: 3 vs 4
3:

Spoiler

4:

Spoiler

 

[Mosh]

First pairing is a joke. Some acoustic filler piece vs the great Mr. Scary. Why did that Morbid Angel thing even win its last pairing?

Second pairing is much better. Agalloch was a very simple but enjoyable piece. Except for that lead guitar thing. Holy shit that was awful tone. Totally unnecessary too; that melody could've been played on acoustic guitar and not only would it have blended better, but it would've been more effective. This sounds whiny and irritating. Like when you're at the cinema and a baby starts crying. Even a clean guitar would've worked, if they wanted to mess with instrumentation a little. Or even a decent distortion sound. That's my only (albeit) major gripe, and it doesn't last long enough to ruin the whole song at least.

The Hellion is legendary but I have to stick by my ruling from earlier, since half the fun of the Hellion is the fact that it has Electric Eye attached to it. But of course for this we're not supposed to consider Electric Eye, so it loses quite a bit of points. It's anticlimatic and it builds up for nothing. So I'm gonna go Agalloch.

 

[Forostar]

First pairing is a joke. Some acoustic filler piece vs the great Mr. Scary. Why did that Morbid Angel thing even win its last pairing?

One or two people have not noticed it, but there are non-metal songs that have done well in the first round.

About Desolate Ways:
I hear a profound melody that is very memorable. I don't find the song dull because there are a few changes and it's not too long. The playing is subtle and the echoing chords in the pauses are well thought of (as if a someone takes a break with doubt in his mind before he continues with their life or travel). There is a strong haunting mood which I find impossible to deny. In the end there's a twist that leaves you with an uncomfortable and mysterious feeling, which IMO portrays an atmosphere that reflects the title. Short, calm, but at the same time powerful.

Lynch's speedy guitar tricks in the Dokken track are nice on the surface, but imo it misses everything that the other track possesses. Also, I do not find the main melody that memorable. The solo that comes on later, is pretty cool though.

 

[RTC]

Desolate Ways self-regurgitates a lot, and considering it's a 2 minute song, that's not a good sign. The Dokken song gives me an Anthrax/80's Thrash vibe, and it's a much more fun listen.

People might get pissed off at me for this, but I think Hellion is better than the Agalloch song in terms of context. I'm not counting Electric Eye when I say this, but it serves as a wonderful atmosphere setting piece, prompting the listener of Screaming For Vengeance to continue on their listen. Technically, it's simple, but that's all it needs to be to set up the next song, making it extremely effective in its use.

The Agalloch piece is just a generic sombre track. It's alright, but that's about all the praise I can give it.

 

[Forostar]

it serves as a wonderful atmosphere setting piece, prompting the listener of Screaming For Vengeance to continue on their listen. Technically, it's simple, but that's all it needs to be to set up the next song, making it extremely effective in its use.

I can understand this. We do need not need to hear (or even know*) the next song to judge what this piece alone can do. An intro can have the power to build up a climax to something that follows. Building-up of excitement is a feat on its own, worth acknowledging, but of course there's the music itself as well.

*When I played SFV for the first time, I did not know the song that followed The Hellion. During The Hellion, I was fixed at what was coming out of my speakers! If e.g. the title track or Riding On the Wind would have followed instead of Electric Eye, it wouldn't have made a difference.

 

[The Flash]

The Hellion is the only one I liked from this round and it's an intro. Pretty weak round.

2&4

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

I'm voting the same as @Mosh, for the exact same reasons.

 

[Brigantium]

2 and 4. I rather liked Desolate Ways, it's a very nice instrumental, but doesn't stand up to the power of Mr Scary. I'm not at all fond of The Isle of Summer, it's that sort of very mellow thing that I find slightly depressing. The Hellion may be an intro, but it's quite possibly the king of intros.

 

[Cornfed Hick]

The Hellion is the only one I liked from this round and it's an intro. Pretty weak round.

2&4

This.