MarsKid
Mitch Worden
Emeritus

Reviews 172
Approval 98%

Soundoffs 200
News Articles 34
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Album Edits 1,058

Album Ratings 5902
Objectivity 86%

Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
Joined 01-01-70

Review Comments 21,030

 Lists
09.20.23 MarsBro's Court of 2023 ♦08.30.23 MarsBro's NFL Ranking: '23-'24 Preseaso ♦
06.23.23 Mars 23/5: All the Goodies ♦02.24.23 straight edge friendos
01.28.23 Mars Ranks: Avantasia01.11.23 MarsBro's NFL Ranking: '22-'23 Season F ♦
01.09.23 The Weekly Dive: Doom and Melodic Death01.06.23 MarsBro's NFL Ranking: Week 18
01.02.23 The Weekly Dive: Hip-Hop12.28.22 Build-an-Album II, GAME OVER: Adios, Am
12.27.22 MarsBro's NFL Ranking: Week 1712.26.22 Mars Ranks: Blue October
12.20.22 MarsBro's NFL Ranking: Week 1612.13.22 MarsBro's NFL Ranking: Week 15
12.12.22 Build-an-Album II, R13(P3): The Final C12.08.22 MarsBro's Court of 2022
12.07.22 MarsBro's NFL Ranking: Week 1412.04.22 Build-an-Album II, R12(P3): Just One of
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Build-an-Album R9: To Salt a Wound

What, this is a game?
1Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

First of all, I'll explain what's been happening, although I fully understand that it is a shoddy excuse at this point. Suffice to say, I dropped the ball a fair bit on my end and for that I am deeply sorry. I mean that in all honesty. The biggest setback has been depression/motivation/etc., which I have been coping with for the past few months in the extreme. Recently, medication was prescribed to me, which has greatly improved my mood overall. In consequence, the gradual dosage thus far--to slowly introduce the drug--has resulted in emotional swings, ups and downs, the occasional manic episode, and so on. Essentially, some days I am myself, and other days I am far from it.
2Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

Aforementioned bouts with depression put me at odds with my actual life--school--and the past few weeks have resulted in my cramming three separate research projects that I put off to the very last moment. Once again, this is on me, and it placed me in a crunch-time scenario that made me neglect this contest and also really lose track of keeping up with new music and contributor duties. Once school calms down, this will hopefully no longer be an issue and I can return to listening and writing as per usual. The key is being able to keep up my desire to seek out music and remember the love I have for it above all else.
3Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

I was preparing to release this last week, but then a strain of the flu gave me a big uppercut and put me out of commission. It made it difficult to eat, so I survived mostly on a slice or two of toast, making me very weak and tired all the time. This also caused me to forget to take my meds, so the lack of motivation came back and hit like a truck alongside lower mood swings. It was a wonderful cocktail of disaster! But you all have waited long enough and as I said, this is all a long-winded attempt to try to get you guys to understand my personal dilemmas. Such does not absolve me of blame, and I deserve to have all of it. It's on me. We're moving forward now though, for better or for worse. Let's do this!
4Sweet Trip
Velocity : Design : Comfort

The genre was ELECTRONIC, the theme was CONTROLLER FREAK, and users were forced to cooperate in duos to craft soundtracks to an imagined video game concept amount to an hour's length or more. The dumb rule was the one that forced said teamwork, because there isn't an 'i' in 'team,' but there is a 'do this or you die' in there! Now, how did the three groups here fare in the end?
5Mogwai
Young Team

TEAM 1: Sinternet + bg
Conceptually, this game was very entertaining to visualize throughout the album. The core idea of the title--duality in both the main character and even their partner--complimented the music very well. A very misty noir-like atmosphere populated the runtime, juggling between moments of intensity and more scaled-back, ambient portions that preyed on the player's paranoia and mounting desperation. Certain cuts hit very hard while others took a lighter approach, highlighting the swings between a hardworking detective and a struggling addict. It flowed perfectly from one entry to the other in a thematic sense, outlining the progression that would be made through the game, eventually culminating in the outright assault of the boss battle tune. Wonderfully crafted and made me want to find this game for real! VERDICT: 4.5
6Mogwai
Young Team

TEAM 2: Neek + Steak
Compared to the product offered by Sint and bg, the concept here wasn't nearly as compelling. The issue isn't the idea itself--I quite enjoyed the idea of a modern, 'dark' take on a classic--but there was simply less meat on the bones regarding WHAT exactly the game was, except that one was dark and the other not. Regardless, the musical composition supplied portrayed the two discs in an effective contrast, the 1998 edition tongue-in-cheek nicely opposing the stronger edge to the new model. There was no shortage of intensity here and all of the tracks listed built off of each other's energy well, the entries fitting together underneath the established theme. Nothing stood out as poor or lackluster; the product was finely-tuned and wonderful to listen to. The drawback was, as aforementioned, the lack of development to the concept, which made the game harder to visualize. In terms of the music, though, this was pure entertainment. VERDICT: 4.2
7Mogwai
Young Team

TEAM 3: Zombie + Papa
Unfortunately, there's no real suspense here. I feel upset with myself for dragging this out as long as I had since the conclusion here is very plain and simple: this was not good. From the get-go, this album was already in last place because it never had a concept to begin with, which was a huge portion of this round, if not the MOST important portion. Many tracks conflicted with each other, and without explanations for what they embodied, this felt less like an intentional decision and more like just trying to tie random tunes together. Sure, many of the cuts off this banged harder than a buck on adrenaline, but there was nothing to imagine, nothing to consider. It sadly left nothing to be remembered by whatsoever, which unavoidably put in the basement immediately, practically dead on arrival. VERDICT: 2.0
8Sweet Trip
Velocity : Design : Comfort

So, after all that, here is where the judgement results stand!
FIRST PLACE: Sint + bg (4.5)
SECOND PLACE: Neek + Steak (4.2)
THIRD PLACE: Zombie + Papa (2.0)
This means that our team residing in third place will be eliminated together as a duo per the round's requirements. As such, bid farewell to Zombie and Papa (2.0/basement-level) who are ELIMINATED. Thank you for sticking around and many apologies for the delays. You fought hard and it was a joy to have you on board.
9Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

And then there were only four! At least, I hope so, unless I chased you off because my lazy ass was stuck inside of itself. This was pretty cruel of me, undeniably... but what if I could make it worse? You see, I haven't been completely honest with the genre-choosing technique I've employed, since two secret genres were in place all along: Player's Choice and Host Choice. Those were the last rungs in the 70-something ladder of categories (metaphors!). And, appropriately, guess which one it landed on? I can make some misery out of this...
10Noise Trail Immersion
Symbology of Shelter

So yes, the genre is HOST CHOICE, which means, like it or not, we're gonna do METALCORE. This means that we are firmly in the territory of the MarsBro. I mean, I've known genres that have been used in this comp beforehand, but this here is one I'd like to think I know intimately well. Therefore, my scrutiny will be upped to a level of hardass never before seen. And if you pick Attila you probably lose automatically. Probably.
11Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

The theme for this round, to compensate for my ensuing violations of the Geneva convention, is: W, PALW?, which equals "What, People Actually Listen to the Words?" Such is my entertaining (read: contrived and unfunny) way of saying that, contrary to genre preconceptions, a primary focus here will be lyrical content. When building your album, keep in mind what the lyricist is penning! Now, I haven't said that this must be a striking or depressing line; whatever you include can work so long as it's of good quality in my ears. This makes comedic delivery a possibility right beside more philosophical approaches. Do what you think will work best.
12Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

For this go-around, things are gonna be much tighter in terms of restraints. The album you build this round has to be greater than 30 minutes but no longer than 40 minutes, featuring at least six songs. Find yourself in that interval and you are all set! Go outside it on either end and I'll find you, slap you upside the head and eliminate you. Minus the slapping (unless requested). Oh, and "point of no return" rules are a thing as usual.
13Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

The "dumb rule" is indeed a dumb one. I figure my judging will be difficult enough, so here's just something simple: off the album you make, at least three songs must be included from separate decades. Thus, the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s should all have a representative in there somewhere. Consider yourself a 'decade connoisseur' and grab up them tracks!
14Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

SUMMARY:
Genre = Metalcore
Theme = W, PALW?
Requirement = Between 30-40 minutes; at least 6 tracks
"point of no return" = no repeat songs; can only use an artist in your album once
"Dumb Rule" = represent three different decades
15Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

Contestants:
Sinternet | bgellesp | SteakByrnes | neekafat
16Silent Planet
Everything Was Sound

bg:
1. Silent Planet- Inherit the Earth
2. Oceana- The Family Disease
3. Architects- Doomsday
4. The Devil Wears Prada- Submersion
5. SikTh- Tokyo Lights
6. Every Time I Die- Map Change
7. The Dillinger Escape Plan- The Running Board
8. The Chariot- Cheek.
17Botch
American Nervoso

Steak:
1. Botch - Dead For A Minute
2. Underoath - Moving for the Sake of Motion
3. Misery Signals - Coma
4. Coalesce - What Happens on the Road Always Comes Home
5. Northlane - Dispossession
6. Novelists - Echoes
7. The Afterimage - Reach
8. Invent Animate - Luna
18Converge
The Dusk in Us

neek:
1. Converge - “Reptilian”
2. Avenged Sevenfold - “Chapter Four”
3. Rolo Tomassi - “Contretemps”
4. The Armed - “Fortune’s Daughter”
5. The Dillinger Escape Plan - “43% Burnt”
6. Greyhaven - “Echo and Dust Pt. II”
19Converge
Petitioning the Empty Sky

Sint:
1. Converge - A Farewell Note to this City
2. The Killing Tree - Switchblade Architect
3. Every Time I Die - Wanderlust
4. Disembodied - Dislocation
5. Poison the Well - Zombies Are Good for Your Health
6. Johnny Truant - I Love You Even Though You're a Zombie Now
7. Phinehas - David and the Gate
8. Oh, Sleeper - Hush Yael
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