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Metal Machine - 9. (Gave it a point for the guessing game with references) The main riff is really cool. And the vocals are good, although I don't quite like his style. But it gets a bit boring towards the end, and the solo is kind of bland. If the song had ended before the solo, it might have been a 9 or 10.
「デレステ」こいかぜ (Game ver.) 高垣楓 SSR - 5. This sounds better in terms of vocals than what was in the clip contest. But the melody itself doesn't quite appeal to me; it feels like it's afraid to hit a note higher or lower where it would be appropriate.
Headphone Actor - Jin ft. LiSA - 4. Sorry, to me, this sounds like a failed attempt to imitate punkabilly/pop-punk with a female vocalist. Even the soloist seems to be trying to imitate the "quirky" vocal style of Creepshow or Kitty Kasket, but it's not very successful. Maybe if I didn't love these kinds of bands so much, the rating would be higher.
Here's what, in my opinion, is "normal" music:
Herr Mannelig- Haggard Cover- By Ranthiel - 6. Yes, I used to love Haggard. Yes, I probably still love Herr Mannelig (although my favorite version remains the one by In Extremo). But damn, this is a cover, and the vocals in it clearly sound worse than the original. Maybe the mixing is to blame, but here the operatic voice is too mournful and "forced" compared to the more "airy" one in the original version.
Nagasaki - 7. Yes, this sounds like a parody and is too "cabaret-like" for me to add to my playlist. But it's a professional parody, and it clearly stands out against the previous tracks.
Yunomi - ジェリーフィッシュ (feat. ローラーガール) - 4. Is this supposed to be an imitation of Billie Eilish? Or has the trend of whispering instead of singing finally reached Japan? But the music is sometimes funny.
Oonagh - Avalon - 7. Is this the girl who was with Celtic Woman at one of the previous festivals? Well, it's kind of fun and well-made, but not really my thing.
Illusion & Dream - 9. Excellent track. I'll probably add it to my playlist. I once tried to listen to Poets, but they seemed kind of generic to me (maybe I just wasn't in the mood). The vocals are really delicious (it seems like they're slightly auto-tuned? but that doesn't put me off).
The Moth & The Flame - Young & Unafraid - 7. Interesting music, but not quite my thing. The vocals are good and fit it well.
Enderal Bard Songs - The Wayward Wanderer - 8. A bard song for a normal person. Definitely better than the song about gooseberries and lilac that I'm tired of.
ImeldA May - Big Bad Handsome Man - 9. Big! Bad! I'm so glad! It immediately played in my head as soon as I saw the title. I don't know who sent this, but I want to write "username, that's not fair." I don't quite like the sound of the trumpet, and Imelda has even better songs, and I've listened to this one a million times – that's probably why it's not a 10.
In short, I was disappointed in the first half and was already thinking of writing that this was one of the worst song contests, but then I was really impressed. Respect.
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Oh when you go, de-de-deep
...
Keep me full with your fuel
like you do with your Caddy
For a long time, Imelda May was the undisputed standard for female rockabilly vocals for me. Until I heard Marla Marvel. It's a shame that they've changed their style and vocal style a bit now, and I don't like their later recordings as much anymore, although they're still good. But this track and a couple more are just great.
To sell my soul