MarsKid
Mitch Worden
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Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
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Build-an-Album II, R11(P3): Bring Out Yer Dead

Oh man, what hijinks await us now?!
1Forest Stream
Tears of Mortal Solitude


It’s time to d-d-d-ddddo the thing where we review our last time together on the madness that is Build-an-Album! The genre was DOOM METAL, the theme was MAXIMUM EPICNESS, and each submitted album needed to reach the hour-long mark with seven songs. An additional requirement stated that any album’s longest track had to be placed in the middle as a centerpiece. The “dumb rule” for the round forced contestants to get worldly; at least four different countries had to be represented by a song. How close was the competition? Were any critical errors made? Who pulled off the elusive W? All this and more discovered below…
2Fvneral Fvkk
Carnal Confessions


Tyman's album: Songs individually here were impressive! The only potential knock was that cohesion wasn't 100%, but it's a minor gripe; the plethora of of epic riffs and their variety made this highly addictive. Things got harsher as the record progressed, adding further layers to the large scale the tracks exhibited, with a given exploring considerable ground and being (in doom terms) quite active and dynamic, such as the second half transitions in track 1 and track 5. Good vocal performances, especially early on, were the icing on the cake. Excellent work!
3Ereb Altor
By Honour


Sint's album: The approach here was unique: songs supplied an intimidating level of heaviness, creating a weighty feel that was complemented well by how *ugly* tracks could become. The riffs were not as 'epic' as hoped, but their dirtiness helped to compensate, as well as the suffocating dissonance and liberal slow tempo abuse. Little touches like track 1's almost folksy vibe were nice, and track 3 was just plain massive. If it had a big more oopmh and epicness, it would have scored a bit higher, but things are cutthroat now unfortunately. A good attempt nevertheless.
4My Dying Bride
The Angel and the Dark River


Phero's album: This album was a miscalculation. Though it started off strong and featured an ideal flow—the way it could merge the atmosphere of track 1 with track 2’s unbridled fuzziness and track 3’s pure heaviness was awesome—far too much reliance was placed upon the titanic centerpiece. All that came before led to it, and all that came after needed to adequately follow it. The problem was, the gamble didn’t pay off; the movements of track 4 were agonizingly minimal, repeated into oblivion, and seemed entirely aimless, never appearing to have much reasoning to their direction. The flow fell apart with track 5’s vastly different tone, and it was a steady downhill trek from there. Even the ‘epic’ scale seemed to decrease, demonstrating how, while not necessarily *awful*, this submission entirely lost the plot. An unfortunate result.
5Candlemass
Epicus Doomicus Metallicus


Steak's album: Lot of nice old school vibes here with great vocal performances, although I felt the epic riffs were lacking at points and it was more about the overall vibe/scope. That was quite similar to Sint, and yes, it is a nitpick, but that's what the competition has come too! The consistency and flow were all on point without once leading to a jarring transition, which is always a plus, but the general quality wasn't up to par in my estimation. There needed to be like the opener to really push this forward, making it seem a bit less desirable compared to peer submissions. Not bad, but not enough to wow me.
6Procession (CL)
To Reap Heavens Apart


Sloth's album: Now this was epic. From the varied vocal performances to the variety of riffs, this was a delicious package of doom that could throw down and also embark upon engaging journeys. Much of the singing here was a highlight; having so many talented clean vocalists was a massive boon for this record’s success, and they were able to match the dynamic shifting of tunes, such as track 2’s beastly second half. However, when called for, the album could delve into static-laden, heavy-as-fuck thrills, such as the jam-session-esque proceedings of the centerpiece tune. A very complete effort, and it’s the perfect encapsulation of what the round called for. Excellent flow and consistency on top of that!
7The Gathering
Nighttime Birds


Johnny's album: I appreciated unique flow to this since it was literally made into a full album experience. It made the transitions and the progression of the record as a whole very engaging, rising and falling as the tracks themselves rose and fell in tension. I felt like the epic riffs were again lacking in favor of overall spectacle, but the album was able to provide in that regard, especially with regards to the vast array of vocal performances and the inclusion of some underground picks that took risks. This was likely the most atmospheric of the submissions this round, so it had its own special aura to it when stacked against others, and its centerpiece was certainly an engrossing tune to travel through. However, that x factor of BIG RIFF wasn't quite there to where it could move further. That being said, I enjoyed the methodology practiced here and the experience was pretty awesome.
8Forest Stream
Tears of Mortal Solitude


We’ve officially moved on from doom metal! Surely that means things get a bit happier from here on out, right? Or not, I don’t know. There’s still a few rounds of suffering left, but the finale approaches! Let’s wrap up Survivor-Lite one last time. But first: placements!
FIRST PLACE: Sloth
SECOND PLACE: Tyman
THIRD PLACE: Johnny
And there it is: the last placements for this round of gimmicks. Take it in. Take it aaaaallll in. The journey is over. Now we see the ultimate result!
9Black Peaks
All That Divides


It had some rough edges to it, but the team aspect of these past few rounds was very entertaining! I expected perhaps a bit more backstabbing in the spirit of Survivor, but hey, you can’t always get what you want. Anyways, it’s time

for a dramatic

DRUMROLL

AND SUSPENSE

The victors are ERECT BUSINESS once more! It has been a dominant near sweep of the FIASCO SHAMPIONS, who are on the elimination block again.
10Black Peaks
All That Divides


With the team only having two members left, elimination can't be handled normally as it would be an automatic stalemate. As such, overall scores needed to be considered, and the usual process was turned into number's game: whoever had the lowest score on the squad was out by default.

As such, our final scores look like:

Sloth: 4.3
Ty: 4.2
Johnny: 4
Sint: 3.9
Steak: 3.8
Phero: 3.3

This means PHERO has been escorted out of the building. Tough luck, but it had to come down to the wire in some regard, and key mistakes sunk the ship. Thus, Survivor is totally, fully, forever finished!
11Such Gold
The New Sidewalk


We have officially reached the FINAL FIVE. That means that only three rounds remain before this is completely, 100% finished with our last three placings, which will be in the prize pool. These next few rounds are going to demand your highest effort and best album-construction abilities; there can be no big mistakes, or else your score may decrease greatly. That’s PHASE III, baby. It’s supremely cutthroat, even moreso than it already has been.

Since this has gone on long enough to reach the holiday season, I’m feeling generous. As such, here’s what’s on the line for those still with us:

1ST: $50 cash prize OR mech equivalent

2ND: $30 cash prize OR merch equivalent

3RD: $15 cash price OR merch equivalent

That’s right; the prizes have gone UP. Even more reasons to bring your top-shelf effort.
12Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man


After having to deal with a myriad of gimmicks, I’m sure you’re wondering what exactly Phase III has in store for you poor mortals. And that answer is… nothing. Well *mostly* nothing. After having so many outside factors in past rounds, I figured the finale would work best if it went back to good old-fashioned Build-an-Album where sheer grit and album quality prevail above all else. So I guess the gimmick is NO GIMMICKS.

However, there is one change: how tracks are dibbed and how albums are locked will look different going forward. There will be a dibbing order, with order determined by how well each contestant has placed in the past! The more top finishes, the better. Each user is able to claim/dib up to 15 tracks on their turn. Once they have completed their claims, the turn passes to whoever is next, and so on and so on. These phases occur on the first day of a new round and potentially the second if timezones conflict. Stalling on a turn for too long equals a forfeit of a dibbin
13Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man


Placements were weighed as 5pts for first, 3pts for second, and 1pt for third. Upon reviewing placement history, here is our determined order:

1. Johnny
2. Steak
3. Tyman
4. Sloth
5. Sinternet

We start at 1 and work our way down. As aforementioned, DON’T MISS YOUR SLOT. Otherwise it is forfeited, faded, gone into the nether. You must be vigilant!

Of additional consideration is one last “point of no return” rule. It pertains to ‘locking’ in an album. Once you submit a playlist, it is considered LOCKED. So if you post a draft and then need to tinker with it—oops, you’re locked in. When a record is submitted, it must be ready to go; no exceptions!

Sound good? Then let’s move along to our next genre…
14Jon Brion
Synecdoche, New York OST


Well, this corner of the wheel looks really dusty. Must be a very old genre… woah. Does that say CLASSICAL? Huh. I didn’t even remember putting that there. How about that! I guess we need to brush off any music theory degrees and really dive into the intricacies of classical shenanigans. Not really a category I expected to pop up, but that’s just the beauty of chucking a bunch of labels into a pot. Dance like it’s the 1800s or something.
15Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man


The theme for this round will be CINEMATIC SCOPE. Classical arrangements are often the accompaniment for movie scenes, stage performances, and so on. Your mission this go-around is to style you LP around *something*; it could be a TV show or a film or a play, but it must be used as a soundtrack for moments you’d watch or read. That means each song should have a story or otherwise fulfill a purpose for a narrative. These can be things you make up or you can lean on existing IPs; the creative freedom is up to you!

To reflect that freedom, the track limit is set to 15, with a duration ceiling of 1 hour. You can choose to get as close to that limit (track-wise and length-wise) as possible or make something brief; entirely up to you! There is no particular recipe for success in terms of length here, as a lot depends on song quality in general and adherence to a concept.
16Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man


Classical is usually understood to be instrumental, but it can occasionally feature a vocal element from choirs or soloists and such. Dismiss those before it’s too late! This “dumb rule” is another throwback to the last iteration of Build-an-Album; voices are OFF. You cannot include any song that has a vocal component of any kind. That includes samples and even humming or whistling. If it has someone using their vocal chords in some way, it is capital ‘B’ banned. And I mean that in a “you score 0” way. That is a very strict and clear punishment, so make sure to avoid it!
17Jon Brion
Synecdoche, New York OST


SUMMARY:
Genre = Classical
Theme = Cinematic Scope
Requirement = 15 track limit; album duration ceiling of 1hour
“dumb rule” = voices off/instrumental tracks only
“point of no return” = no repeat songs; can only use an artist once for your album; submitted albums are permanently locked in
18Modest Mouse
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank


THE FINAL FIVE:

Steak | Johnny | Sint | Sloth | Tyman
19The Classic Crime
The Silver Cord


tyman's album:

1. The Chamber Orchestra of London - The Secret History
2. Helen Jane Long - Perspective
3. Karl Jenkins - Palladio: 1. Allegretto
4. Luca D'Alberto - Yellow Moon
5. Antonin Dvorak - Symphony No. 6 in D Major, Op. 60, B. 112: III. Scherzo (Furiant)
6. Dmitri Shostakovich - Symphony for Strings Op. 118A (orch. Bashai): 2. Allegretto furioso
7. Abel Korzeniowski - Table For Two
8. Arthur Rey - En attendant ton retour

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7fCQUrYe0Kzs13nAMDbv7F?si=91ea9f47873748f0
20The Classic Crime
Albatross


Steak's album:

1. Yoko Shimomura - Main Theme of Xenoblade Chronicles
2. Koji Kondo - Outset Island
3. Koichi Sugiyama - Bustling Town
4. Hitoshi Sakimoto - Auditory Hallucination
5. Rei Kondoh - Assault
6. Masashi Hamauzu - Saber's Edge
7. Junichi Masuda - N's Farewell
8. Shunsuke Kida - Armor Spider
9. Kow Otani - Revived Power
10. Jeremy Soule - Journey's End
11. Motoi Sakuraba - Gwyn, Lord of Cinder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erKkWGfEW9U&list=PLBR7mFa_8WB17VJQYaSJuUgz9hyCs5Lst&index=1
21The Classic Crime
How to Be Human


Johnny's album:

1. Holst - Mars
2. Vivaldi - Summer (III)
3. Tchaikovsky - Six Pieces (VI)
4. Bartok - Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 56 (III)
5. Mussorgsky - Night on Bald Mountain
6. Satie - Gymnopedie I
7. Messiaen - Louange a l'Eternite de Jesus
8. Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Sheltering Sky
9. Aphex Twin - Avril 14th
10. Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto 2 (I)
11. Beethoven - Appassionata (III)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5tqEqpFyQTthtlvq5SE2Mb?si=6b14f19d5409412a
22The Classic Crime
Patterns in the Static


Sinternet's album:

1. Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Perpetuum Mobile
2. Jean-Michel Blais - passepieds
3. Okkyung Lee - Another Old Story
4. Caroline Shaw/Attacca Quartet - Valencia
5. BASTARDA - Requiem aeternam
6. Rachel's - Esperanza
7. Ben Johnston/Kepler Quartet - String Quartet No. 7: Scurrying, Forceful, Intense
8. Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld - The Rest of Us
9. Park Jiha - Thunder Shower
10. Joe Hisaishi - Princess Mononoke Theme Song

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3sJO9GW55e2ckRfZY5158G?si=78f9a21a818246e8
23The Classic Crime
Phoenix


Sloth's album:

1. Twentieth Century-Fox Studio Orchestra- Suisie’s Dream House/ Store Montage
2. Vivaldi Recomposed by Max Ritcher- Spring 1 – 2012
3. Tchaikovsky- Waltz of the Flowers
4. Andre Rieu (Originally Martin Luther)- Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her
5. Gioachino Rossini- The Thieving Magpie
6. John Williams- The Attack on the House
7. Harrison Britwistle- Gawain, Act 1: The Green Night Rides in the Court
8. Bernard Herrmann- Prelude
9. Carl Zittrer and Paul Zaza – Jingle Bells
10. Igor Stravinsky- Glorification of the Chose One
11. Franz Liszt- Totentaz S.126 Paraphrase on Dies irae,
12. Johann Bach- Cello Suite No.1 in G Major BMV 1007:Prelude
13. Sergei Prokofiev – Lieutenant Kije (Troika)
14. Felix Mendelssohn- A Christmas Festival

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5i4k2WBBB98cPinJRuzUCb?si=c49808d7544a4779
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