HOW MY RATING SYSTEM WORKS :


DEMOS :

1 : One song or less of any enjoyment. If you sound like the same wall of noise, and no songs are identifiable after the second listen, you will likely get this. If the production makes you sound like a Duck in a blender, and you are a Synthpop band, you will get this.

2-3 : Poor production, with one song of real promise. If that song is perfect, and the other 9 are shit, you'll score a 2 or 3.

4-5 : Roughly 50% of the demo will be considered for repeat plays, with the rest considered skippable. Production can be hit or miss.

6-7 : Promising, and potenially signable if certain issues are fixed. Usually musically good with 2 or 3 glaring weaknesses.

8-9 : Exceptionally good, and in dire need of being signed. A demo scoring this will be expected to sign to a label.

10 : A demo will get this if it is A) Flawless in sound quality and songwriting, or B) the demo tracks are significantly of a different style/calibre to the project's earlier/later work, and successful. The demo must also have at least 90% of the tracks flagged for repeated listening. My review of the de_tot_coR demo got a 10 for this reason.


REVIEWS :

1 ) If your album is over 50 minutes long, and 6 minutes in I find myself shaving the Cat, and looking up ways to nuke the planet, you will score a 1. This means that each track is effectively a monotonous drone, with nothing to suggest a new track starting/ending.

2-3 ) If your project is either 90% filler material, or significantly disappointing then you will score this.
If your aesthetic does NOT match the genre (I:e - Flowers and Bunnies for a Harsh EBM album), then you will score this. Example : The Gothic Guy album got a 2 because of the infamous gimmick. The music was quite good, and this would have scored a 5 or 6 had it not have been for the name/image/themes.

4-5) Occasionally, I take on an album by a Genre I despise (I listen to Harsh EBM, Future/Synthpop, Dark Ambient, and related). If I have no experience in a genre, I cannot give it a high score if I don't know how it compares to similar projects. I will always attempt to do some research, but if I dislike the genre, I have to go by un-initiated impressions. I will highlight this.

6-7) This usually goes to a project that's either starting out and finding its own sound, or an album that is of a style I don't usually listen to, but actually impresses me. 75% of an album being enjoyable will get you this score.

8-9 ) This score suggests to me that everyone reading it will find SOME enjoyment in this release, regardless of interests, background, and knowledge of the scene. Obviously, fans of Pop music may not agree.

10) A 10 suggests that your album either :
- Re-invents the genre and does something absolutely unique
- Makes you love every second of every track from start to finish, with little room for error (each album is usually allowed one weaker track)
- Breaks a genre taboo successfully (AktiveHate's new album got this score by doing this with the Guitar work)
- Creates a brand new aesthetic, while making the sound surpass other bands in the Genre. (Detroit Diesel did this with the War-time concept on "Terre Humaine".