The Syndicate

1. The Spark of Destiny

Once lit, the urge to create cannot be smothered, only coaxed into a full flame. Show me a song that fills you with the desire to create, in ANY form. The inspiration behind that mafia game you made, the song or book you wrote, the trinket you forged. If there was ever a prompt to be creative with, this is it.

2. Singing In The Shower

Where better to practice than under the steamy stream? Not a very good place to bring a guitar, though. Give me your best A Capella song, be it a hymn, a shanty, or something more dynamic.

3. Can It Be That Simple?

Show me a starter song that anyone could pick up an instrument or computer and be a part of, even at the beginner stage. A song you consider simple, but good.

4. Just Getting Started

Wrangling together bandmates is hard. Wrangling together money and a producer is harder. Play me a song that was made by one person, or that had low production values, or that uses less instruments than one would expect from the genre.

5. Homage to the Greats

It doesn't always pay to be original. Sometimes you have to take the ball and roll with it. Give me a cover, parody, remix, or mashup that really shines.

6. Experimental Period

In order to grow as a creator, you need new experiences. Find me something from one of your less-listened-to genres. Good luck.

7. Playing The Crowd

The studio just can't capture energy and return it quite as well as a crowd can. Give me a live performance that easily outshines the album release.

8. Filler Track

Not every song can make it as a single. That doesn't mean they should be forgotten. Give me a song that sits on the same album as a mega-hit, but remains virtually unknown.

9. Flawed Masterpiece

Almost there. Show me a song that could have been perfect, among your favorites, but just has one crippling issue that keeps it from the spotlight.

10. Perfection

Finally, music in its true and perfect form. Every lesson learned has lead to this point, where no artist can progress further. True enlightenment. Give me some POWER METAL.


Rating: If I like it, I rate it high, scale of zero to ten. Theme matters. I have tons of SAW reviews if you want to look at my taste and pander to it, as well as my previous walrus subs for reference. I like humor or troll entries and will rate them high if I consider them clever (and good).

Guidelines: Feel free to be creative. Most of my categories are about the type of song, rather than the theme of it. A consequence of how I think. If you have a song with lyrics or a feeling that thematically fit the 'requirement' of a category (for example a song about a flaws in something almost perfect rather than a song you consider as such), run with it please.

Deadline... how about the 26th? I can extend it if people need more time.

Excellent theme. Well considered.

I did better than I thought I would with Epi’s themes, so why not.

Number fifteen, burger king foot lettuce


interesting twists on some of these, will make it fun to think outside the box

particularly the almost perfect one

10 has to be a power metal song or was that part a joke?

Turnip Head wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:01 pm 10 has to be a power metal song or was that part a joke?

Category 10 is power metal. The 'perfection' part is the joke accurate.

[mention]birdwithteeth11[/mention] You wanted in this time, right?

[mention]MacDougall[/mention] [mention]DharmaHelper[/mention] [mention]iaafr[/mention] [mention]nutella[/mention] the rest of the peeps from the walrus discord server.

Maybe.

[mention]Pawn Lelouch[/mention]

speedchuck wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:58 pm

Turnip Head wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:01 pm 10 has to be a power metal song or was that part a joke?

Category 10 is power metal. The 'perfection' part is the joke accurate.

Could you explain what differentiates power metal from other types of metal?

Turnip Head wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:43 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:58 pm

Turnip Head wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:01 pm 10 has to be a power metal song or was that part a joke?

Category 10 is power metal. The 'perfection' part is the joke accurate.

Could you explain what differentiates power metal from other types of metal?

Seriously though, "power metal" tends to have that "epic" feel, with a continuous, rolling momentum. There's often but not always a symphonic element. Typically there won't be harsher elements like you'd find in heavier metal instrumentation (thrash or sludge) or vocally (screaming or growling).

e.g. the band Nightwish

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 4:49 pm Seriously though, "power metal" tends to have that "epic" feel, with a continuous, rolling momentum. There's often but not always a symphonic element. Typically there won't be harsher elements like you'd find in heavier metal instrumentation (thrash or sludge) or vocally (screaming or growling).

e.g. the band Nightwish

Pretty much this. Power Quest, DragonForce, Ayreon, Sonata Arctica, and similar bands come to mind for me.

cool prompts!!

speedchuck wrote: ↑Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:18 pm @birdwithteeth11 You wanted in this time, right?

@MacDougall @DharmaHelper @iaafr @nutella the rest of the peeps from the walrus discord server.

[mention]birdwithteeth11[/mention]

Yep, I'm in! Starting to work on my list now.

Great choices btw!

I have 9/10 picked. Trying to decide between 2 songs for 1 of the categories...

A lot of these categories are wide open, it will be a challenge to curate.

I meant that in a good way

[mention]dunya[/mention] please

birdwithteeth11 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:47 am I have 9/10 picked. Trying to decide between 2 songs for 1 of the categories...

The problem that I run into is getting six or seven songs locked in right away but then, while taking time to sort out my remaining categories, thinking of other good options that hadn’t come to mind before for those locked-in tunes.

One recommendation before you submit:

As a host, it's a lot nicer if you use the url tag instead of the youtube tag or just leaving the link untagged.

Consider using the url tag for the links.

wait does 10 actually have to be POWER METAL or is that a metaphor

oh wait that was already asked and answered

ok well that makes it easy

Epignosis wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:12 pm One recommendation before you submit:

As a host, it's a lot nicer if you use the url tag instead of the youtube tag or just leaving the link untagged.

Consider using the url tag for the links.

It default tags YouTube links I think.

MacDougall wrote: ↑Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:59 am

Epignosis wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:12 pm One recommendation before you submit:

As a host, it's a lot nicer if you use the url tag instead of the youtube tag or just leaving the link untagged.

Consider using the url tag for the links.

It default tags YouTube links I think.

I'm only suggesting that submissions not be embedded videos.

Yeah what epi is saying is if you put url tags around it the video doesn't automatically embed (so no spoilers)

nutella wrote: ↑Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:27 am Yeah what epi is saying is if you put url tags around it the video doesn't automatically embed (so no spoilers)

Yeah, I wish I had remembered that one.

not too late to fix, send revised version, and tell speedchuck to disregard the one with suboptimal formatting

3 and 4 seem very overlapping

nutella wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 12:50 am 3 and 4 seem very overlapping

Simple song versus a song made by one person/contains less instruments than thought?

The fourth one is easy if you just submit a solo artist

nutella wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 12:50 am 3 and 4 seem very overlapping

Both are songs that are lacking in something. One is complexity, the other is... production value? I tried to keep it open. There can be overlap in these categories if you choose to make it so.
I would consider some things by Malcura to fit the fourth category because they're just two acoustic guitars and a percussionist, but they are certainly complex. (Though some might feel like Malcura has MORE musicians in the band than expected of the genre, YMMV.) Whereas something by Def Leppard would have high production values (at least for the time), a full band behind them, and yet they usually keep things incredibly simple.

Makes sense. I guess I can just think of a lot that fits both.

By far #9 is the hardest for me. I'm pretty much decided on all the others but am completely stumped on that one. Don't know how to approach it.

1 and 2 have proven considerably harder than the rest.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:15 pm 1 and 2 have proven considerably harder than the rest.

What- you don’t listen to Pentatonix?

I'm having considerable trouble with #5. Too many choices.

Sloonei wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:16 pm I'm having considerable trouble with #5. Too many choices.

I came up with a quick list of four or five for that category but chose none of them. Some of the best covers are very well known but also played out as a result.

G-Man wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:15 pm

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:15 pm 1 and 2 have proven considerably harder than the rest.

What- you don’t listen to Pentatonix?

G-Man wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:25 pm

Sloonei wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:16 pm I'm having considerable trouble with #5. Too many choices.

I came up with a quick list of four or five for that category but chose none of them. Some of the best covers are very well known but also played out as a result.

Yeah I’m trying to avoid covers that are overdone, but would also like to find something that could be recognized.

I decided to submit the greatest cover of all time

Turnip Head wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:45 pm I decided to submit the greatest cover of all time

Me too!

Epignosis wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:31 pm

G-Man wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:15 pm

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:15 pm 1 and 2 have proven considerably harder than the rest.

What- you don’t listen to Pentatonix?

Somehow I have never heard of "Pentatonix" in my life, and here I see that they have at least one YouTube video with half a billion views.

I love Pentatonix. There are other groups out there though. You just have to look. There was this really awesome A Capella lullaby album that my little sister listened to every night when she was a baby.

Submitted. Boy I hope somebody submitted my second choice for the final category.

That was a tough one. A few tracks immediately presented themselves, but boy two or three of them had me really reflecting.

This is my best playlist yet, I fully expect to be hosting Walrus IV

I'm pretty pleased with my playlist as well. I feel that it's more consistent than last time. There is at least one submission that I suspect will tank my overall score and that is fine by me.

I will not be winning.

Is it alright if I submit tomorrow? Today’s the deadline but i’m not locked in on all my picks and may be unavailable tonight.