MarsKid
Mitch Worden
Emeritus

Reviews 172
Approval 98%

Soundoffs 200
News Articles 34
Band Edits + Tags 478
Album Edits 1,057

Album Ratings 6245
Objectivity 85%

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

Review Comments 21,035

 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
More »

Build-an-Album II, R7 (P2): Valhalla Beckons

Round and round and round we gooooooo agaaaaaaain!
1Lupe Fiasco
Tetsuo and Youth

In our prior album-creating hijinks, the genre was HIP-HOP, the theme was WORDSMITHING, and competitors were tasked with creating 13-track, 50-minute plus albums. The “dumb rule” in effect necessitated that all included songs were devoid of features. Meanwhile, the second “point of no return” rule was added to the fray, inserting an extra layer of difficulty/inconvenience to make life just a little bit harder. With the new Survivor-Lite phase, things are going to be playing out differently. How so? Well, first thing’s first, it’s time to check scores!
2Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
E 1999 Eternal

David's album: This was a solid mix of some old-school kind of stuff. The competition ended up becoming pretty close, so flow and consistency became a big factor in sorting out records, and I found that this didn’t quite hit those marks stylistically and in terms of quality. And in some case, like track 8, lyrical strengths are trumped by… whatever the hell Danny Brown is doing with his voice. Still a lot of hits, but it needed to be more cohesive to rise above. 4.0 (20pt crate added)
3Big K.R.I.T.
4eva Is a Mighty Long Time

bg's album: Bg is the king of getting points no matter the genre, and the streak continues here; the man brought plenty of diverse beats and lyrical themes to the table. It only lagged slightly in choice moments, such as the repetitive nature of track 9, but the momentum as maintained overall, ranging from pure stuntin’ on doubters to the incredibly clever verses of track 10.Plenty of gems to find here and they’re backed by engaging instrumental work. 4.2
4clipping.
Visions of Bodies Being Burned

Johnny's album: In terms of flow and consistency, this was the cream of the crop and went from one track to the next seamlessly. Some transitions were so smooth you’d swear the songs were always meant to be together. There was a treasure trove of lyrics that delved into horror movie aesthetics, pure diss track bliss, and some unexpected experimentation. It took risks at times, which was appreciated, and it lead to the top of the pack pretty comfortably. 4.5 (10pt crate added)
5Massive Attack
Blue Lines

Shemson's album: A great effort that lacks in flow on some occasions and also lags in energy when most needed. In a round that became as close as this one, points were made to be hard to come by, and while this excelled at certain points (tracks 8 and 4, for example), it also relied more on fierce delivery than actually strong lyrics. That level of conviction can carry some weight (except the hilariously monotone track 6), but it ultimately hurt given the theme of the round. 3.8
6Jurassic 5
Power in Numbers

Sloth's album: So, I had to think about whether “Dance With the Devil” was, in fact, a breach of the rules. On one hand, Diabolic is not featured on the song. On the other hand, the song *as used in the playlist* included the hidden track that typically follows “Dance,” on which Diabolic is featured. Yes, it is indeed a hidden track, but when knowing the rules and when considering the vast library of hip hop, anything else could have been used to avoid potential issues.
Bottom line? I see it as a violation. I gave out enough warnings, sorry, and this strayed too close to the sun. That’s how the cookie crumbles. DISQUALIFIED
7A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders

Steak's album: Excellent overall, as is to be expected by the Steakman himself. It was a mix of some older cuts while featuring more modern ones. Lyrically, there were some potent commentaries and also relatable personal reflections, all of which managed to flow into each other perfectly and complement instrumental motifs. There really weren’t many holes to be found here, if any, with the only deciding factor that it was played *too* safe. Still, superb stuff here. 4.4
8Billy Woods
Aethiopes

Tyman's album: Compared to the crowd, Tyman’s record leaned heavily on a more contemplative aesthetic. The beats employed here and their accompanying delivery weren’t always explosive and instead relied upon an atmosphere to carry the weight. This approach, while not normally my taste, reaped many rewards, and had one of the stronger flows of the round. Lyrics had plenty of knockout blows that led to a very compelling experience! 4.15
9Little Simz
Sometimes I Might Be Introvert

Sint's album: I particularly enjoyed this for its adherence to a certain aesthetic, however loose it may be: Sint focused on bringing U.K. artists only to the forefront. This actually helped the flow considerably, as the emcees tended to occupy sonic spaces that gelled well together. Plenty of incredible lyric to stock the runtime, which made this very immersive and thrilling to listen to all the way through. Impressive, as always. 4.25
10Cannibal Ox
The Cold Vein

Mort.'s album: Some solid vibes, some solid lyrics, but also some duds that held this back from a higher potential. Like David’s record, the flow just wasn’t there, and that was a deciding factor in hashing out tiebreakers. Also, track 5 straight up had awful lyrics, and I don’t think many songs in this comp struck me so negatively. Some of the vibin’ just didn’t work either and felt too sleepy for their own good. Overall good, but not good enough. 3.7
11Killer Mike
R.A.P. Music

Phero's album: This was good, even great at times! And, as has already been mentioned, the good and the great were sorted out by flow, which I felt this didn't have strongly enough. It definitely hit some great points, but I wasn't overall considering this as a contender by the end of the duration; it did enough, but not the extra bit required to push over the top. Quality songs came courtesy of K.R.I.T. and Mr. Fiasco, among others, but too few gave me the same 'wow' factor. 3.75 (IMMUNITY IDOL)
12Lupe Fiasco
Tetsuo and Youth

Wave goodbye to hip-hop! That was an ideal palette-cleanser considering the past handful of rounds. Can’t say salvation is at hand since this game has no room for optimism. Anyways, placements! Here they are:
FIRST PLACE: Johnny (4.5)
SECOND PLACE: Steak (4.4)
THIRD PLACE: Sinternet (4.25)
Now, let's tally the results...
13Black Peaks
All That Divides

You may notice scores aren't posted yet. That's due to the secret nature of the game... who knows who got *what* right now? All is revealed only AFTER teams discuss among themselves. Whatever anyone discloses is up to their discretion.

The points are known only to me... and they tell me that the round winner is:

ERECT BUSINESS. Steak and the gang walk away with the first SurvivorLite W!

That also means that FIASCO SHAMPIONS are on the clock and must choose one member to shuffle off this mortal coil (not really). Debate amongst yourselves and decide! No matter what, somebody from the team walks... While you do so, let us proceed forward to the details of our upcoming round.
14Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

Okay! That was our inaugural run through this new gimmick-infused brand of chaos. Looks like it went about as well as expected. What would really cement things as entirely too inconvenient is if the chosen genre happened to be the worst possible outcome. Not for me, mind you, but for everybody else involved in the game. It’s the most dastardly, the most devilish, the most unfair, and I just don’t care because I already suffered from deathcore and djent.
15Amia Venera Landscape
The Long Procession

Oh, that’s right baby, it’s HOST CHOICE. That means that I am allowed to choose any genre from the pool that hasn’t already been picked. I know what you’re thinking: of COURSE MarsKid, the MarsBro, the man of the –core, is clearly going to pick metalcore. But that would be too easy, and metalcore is relatively beloved ‘round these here parts. The difficulty must be higher! MAKE SURE TO READ ALL OF THIS BEFORE YOU MAKE A GRAVE MISTAKE:
16Blind Guardian
The God Machine

Say hello to POWER METAL. That’s right, baby: all cheese, all bombast, total excessive energy, endless shreddin’ until every sense goes numb—the whole package. If that makes you cringe, then I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry. It’s time to don some fantasy armor, brush up on Lord of the Rings lore, and forget about anything else. Only the riff is real. That, and very overdramatic vocals.
17Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

The theme will be pretty appropriate given the genre: RADIANT REFRAINS. Power metal has a knack for delivering outlandishly large and imposing choruses that basically dismantle speaker systems with their ceaseless vocal layering. Your aim here is to locate some of the best refrains that the genre has to offer, be it for their pure catchiness or grand power. This inevitably means also trying to find vocalists that can pull off such memorable climaxes, so you’ve got some serious work to do. Don’t delay!

For this round, you’ll need to compile albums that are 8 tracks long. That is the number 8. Do you see it? Good! Now don’t forget it, because it’s important. Whatever album emerges from that will have to clock in below the 50 minute mark. That should be pretty easy to accomplish, so you’ll look pretty silly if you fuck it up.
18Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

The “dumb rule” is a particularly dumb one, which is why it is a dumb rule. I mean, it’s in the name, y’all; this is kinda the expectation. I’ve observed lately that people have a great deal of pain when not just listening to power metal, but simply mentioning it as well. I feel like such people are far too insecure and probably have a fit just putting their socks on in the mornin’, but this is an inclusive atmosphere here in Build-an-Album. Thus, YOU CANNOT USE THE WORD POWER. It can’t appear in an album track (titles are fine) and you cannot type it. You face severe consequences if you do. This is partially because I like making dumb rules, and also a test of if y’all read all of this before plunging.

Both “point of no return” rules remain active!
19Macho Man Randy Savage
Be A Man

SUMMARY:

Genre = Host Choice/Power Metal
Theme = Radiant Refrains
Requirement = 8 tracks; less than 50 min. long
“dumb rule” = the word ‘power’ is banned
“point of no return” = no repeat songs; can only use an artist once for your album

DEADLINE: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
20Black Peaks
All That Divides

After being put up for elimination, Phero activated his IMMUNITY IDOL.

MORT is therefore ELIMINATED. The first exit from the island has been decided.
21Europe
The Final Countdown

REMAINING PLAYERS:
Steak | Johnny | bg | Sint | David | Sloth | Phero | Shemson | Tyman
22Big Bear
Doin Thangs

ERECT BUSINESS

Steak
Sinternet
Tyman
David
Sloth
23Ada Rook
UGLY DEATH NO REDEMPTION ANGEL CURSE I LOVE YOU

WALL-TO-WALL FIASCO SHAMPIONS

Johnny
bg
Phero
Shemson
24Genghis Tron
Board Up the House

LEADERBOARD:
1. {TIE} Johnny >>> 24
1. {TIE} David >>> 24
3. Steak >>> 12
4. Sint >>> 10
5. bg >>> 8
6. Tyman >>> 6
7. Shemson >>> 3
8. Phero >>> 2
9.Mort >>> [ELIMINATED]
10. Sloth >>> 0
25Three Days Grace
One-X

ITEM 1 [CLAIMED]

Clue 1: Juliet would swoon if she heard.

Clue 2: No talk of a slipper.

Clue 3: Burton could probably make it happen.
26Secret Band
Secret Band

ITEM 2

Clue 1: Thankfully it wasn't sacrificed to a volcano or some shit.

Clue 2: Standing by itself.

Clue 3: Sweat likely included.
27Three Days Grace
One-X

ITEM 3 [CLAIMED]

Clue 1: There's no way they can do what they want to do.

Clue 2: Comes not in threes, at least not yet.

Clue 3: Like your worst enemy.
28Questions
Fight For What You Believe

GUESSES AVAILABLE (SEPT. 17)
*closed*
29Tad Morose
Modus Vivendi

Phero's album:
1. Tad Morose - Anubis
2. Avantasia - Twisted Mind
3. Nevermore - Born
4. Children of Bodom - In The Shadows
5. Wintersun - Sleeping Stars
6. Iced Earth - Burnt Offerings
7. Symphony X - Lady of the Snow
8. Dragonforce - Through the Fire and the Flames

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7duTDPDrM7xm7dADRsW2KL?si=8ceac3f8112242ed
30Imperial Circus Dead Decadence
MOGARI - Shi E Fukeru Omoi Wa Rikujoku Sura Kurai

Sloth's album:
1. Imperial Dead Circus Decadence - 謳
2. Lör - Upon a Withered Heart
3. Sonata Arctica - Wolf & Raven
4. Blind Guardian - Thorn
5. Unlucky Morpheus - Angreifer
6. Unleash the Archers - Abyss
7. Avantasia - Book of Shallows
8. Rhapsody of Fire - Dawn of Victory

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4K21fu04osgJnWCZzqOmPg?si=9784f743f2a94a88
31Nocturnal Rites
New World Messiah

tyman's album:
Nocturnal Rites - Awakening
Wisdom - Raven's Night
Rhapsody of Fire - Rain of Fury
Kamelot - Center of the Universe
Vision Divine - Angel of Revenge
Pyramaze - Back for More
Dark Moor - Swan Lake
Wintersun - Death and the Healing

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FedyPvTXcdzuV8LCMR26c?si=826e1a22d88744c3
32Nightwish
Once

Sint's album:
1. nightwish - dark chest of wonders
2. luca turilli - i'm alive
3. helloween - victim of fate
4. stone dagger - the siege of jerusalem
5. versailles - aristocrat's symphony
6. epica - wings of freedom
7. sonata arctica - fullmoon
8. lovebites - addicted

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/42ymaD4omea0bSFag0PuAg?si=6436907883ef46f5
33Adramelch
Broken History

bg's album:
1. Adramelch- Different Times, Different Places
2. Angra- Carry On
3. Fellowship- Atlas
4. Blind Guardian- Mirror, Mirror
5. Cain's Offering- Constellation of Tears
6. Avantasia- The Promised Land
7. Kamelot- Karma
8. Symphony X- The Sacrifice

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1YUILAdratcsbz2XaVljzW?si=2GbIjn1JQACDsgHsA-bZGw
34Twilight Force
Tales of Ancient Prophecies

Steak's album:
1. Twilight Force - Enchanted Dragon of Wisdom
2. Sonata Arctica - Black Sheep
3. Gamma Ray - Man on a Mission
4. Rhapsody of Fire - Emerald Sword
5. Timeless Miracle - Return of the Werewolf
6. Blind Guardian - Journey Through the Dark
7. Dire Peril - Yautja (Hunter Culture)
8. Avantasia - Master of the Pendulum

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/52ZDus8FyOlLhe17ZjyHfT
35Children of Bodom
Hatebreeder

Johnny's album:
1. Children of Bodom - Hatebreeder
2. Nightwish - Gethsemane
3. Alhambra - Labyrinth
4. Symphony X - Through the Looking Glass
5. Blind Guardian - Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)
6. X Japan - X
7. Oomori Seiko - 7:77
8. Avantasia - Heart

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4RBVrMSk0yoFDBeaHicUgo?si=6b255a5a46bc42a1
36Blind Guardian
At the Edge of Time

Shemson's album:
Blind Guardian - Sacred Worlds
Iced Earth - Ten Thousand Strong
Symphony X - Domination
Virgin Steele - Invictus
Emperor - Curse You All Men
Children of Bodom - Silent Night, Bodom Night
Dragonforce - Fury Of The Storm
Nevermore - This Godless Endeavour

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7eEYjVluNTHHBWZArG252M?si=mSGkBVT8Q_6zFWNqbd3cpw
37Galneryus
Advance To The Fall

David's album:
1. Galneryus - Silent Revelation
2. Lost Horizon - Pure
3. Kamelot - Wings of Despair
4. Onward - The Seven Tides of Labyrinthe
5. Helloween - Mr. Torture
6. Angra - The Temple of Hate
7. Labyrinth - Moonlight
8. Gamma Ray - Armageddon

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdbV0-YdRPrVm2gbNk6zWND0gpVexqF1x
Show/Add Comments (168)

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS // CONTACT US

Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Site Copyright 2005-2023 Sputnikmusic.com
All Album Reviews Displayed With Permission of Authors | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy