Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE POST BEFORE VOTING!

(It's a little different this time around.)​

You are rating one of three riffs in Round 3 of the February 2010 Riff-Off. Each of the other riffs can be heard and rated in the Tips and Clips room. More information about the Riff-Off can be found here.

Contrary to previous Riff-Off tournaments, this month's Riff-Off has no bracket; each riff will be rated on an individual basis according to a seven-point scale. Once all of the polls have closed, the scores for each riff will be averaged, and the two contestants with the highest average scores will advance to the Championship Round.

I encourage you to score each of the three riffs in this round. You may wish to listen to each riff before voting in order to establish a baseline. Of course, you are free to score riffs however you like, in whatever order you like. You could even give each riff the same score, if your impressions dictate so. It's all in your hands!

Because not all contestants have access to the same quality of recording equipment, your voting decision should be based first on the actual composition, second on the player's execution of the riff. Try to look past recording quality. Some questions you may want to ask yourself while considering which way to vote: What is the emotional impact of the riff? How original is the riff? Does the riff inspire me? Would I want to hear a whole song built off this riff?

Note that each contestant has chosen a battle name for the Riff-Off; their identities have been hidden from all other contestants and the voting public, and will be revealed at the end of the Riff-Off, when a champion is crowned.

Lastly, while comments are strongly encouraged, please realize that each contestant put personal time and creative energy into his or her submission. If you have any critique to provide in this thread, give the contestants the courtesy of making it constructive. This competition is built on the premises of fun and musical growth.

Here is a link to this contestant's Round 3 riff: Gerry Troll

If you run into any technical issues or have other questions regarding the Riff-Off, PM or email me (kgmessier at gmail dot com).

Have fun!

- Keith

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

I like this a lot. It's got that NWOBHM feel, I love that it has a melody and is singable and memorable. It would make a great chorus riff to me!

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

wow! I like the Judas Priest feel, without a feeling of being a copy or derivation. I like the early 80's kind of tone, the big hall effect and the bite.
Nice thing!

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

First of all, the riff was epic. It evokes a tension and power that a lot of 80's metal artists were looking for but never found. It had a bit of a George Lynch feel to it.

But secondly, the execution was phenomenal. The controlled feedback was musical and topical, in that it really added to the feel of the riff. A 6 for you, sir, and it's the first I've given.

 

[JollyRoger523]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

Great riff. It is very well executed and the tone is perfect for this riff.

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

I always feel like I'm missing something, with all the raves people hand out. I feel like this person is being strategic and playing to what the voters here like: old school hard rock riffs that sound familiar. It's interesting to me that Gerry seems to have shifted gears and now fills the hole left by SymbolGirl. It's good stuff, but it doesn't get me going like it does for everyone else. But then again all of the players I found interesting have been eliminated already.

 

[Gamera]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

Very well done! I like this one a lot for many reasons. It contains the quick, crunchy, heaviness that's so easily associated with riffs. It rises above being too simple and offers some nice variety that borders on melody without going overboard. Plus it mixes it up with the tempo change which is huge in my book especially within presented in the context of such a small piece. I don't know if it was painstakingly thought out note for note, or if it was just an off-the-cuff spontaneous offering. Either way it's memorable and played confidently and cleanly. Tonally it borders on being almost too "huge" sounding which may come from doubling the tracks? Whatever it is it's not distracting and presented well.

It's difficult to pinpoint precisely why one likes a piece of music but there's something about this one that puts it in my all-time top 5 or so of all riff-off entries I've heard to date. Well done.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

Could be a bit less cluttered at the end IMO - think of cymbal/kick hits on those parts. But that's just me.

Judging it based on the execution and cohesiveness alone, I can see it being hummable.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

I always feel like I'm missing something, with all the raves people hand out. I feel like this person is being strategic and playing to what the voters here like: old school hard rock riffs that sound familiar. It's interesting to me that Gerry seems to have shifted gears and now fills the hole left by SymbolGirl. It's good stuff, but it doesn't get me going like it does for everyone else. But then again all of the players I found interesting have been eliminated already.

I'll be honest, I tried to win the January Riff-Off. I didn't play anything that I wouldn't normally play, but it was all chosen based in what I thought people would like. Then again, I think the point of music is to connect with other people on an emotional level. If I win the competition, I have sucessfully done that. I judge based in technique, note choice, etc. but ultimately it comes down to the X factor. Trying to construct a riff using weird time signatures and odd scales forced together usually doesn't work for me. In the end I need to ask myself would I want to listen to a song based on the riff? In this case my overwhelming feeling is "Yes".

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

I hear a Robin Trower influence I like.

It's a familiar thing, but I'm over the whole "let's only ever do something progressive and forward thinking" mentality about what makes a riff good or not.

Who gives a sh!t if it's been done already, if it touches that place in your emotions with the same profundity?

Sly Stone said it best about music having been done before (old fashioned)

"...you must dig that it is not a fashion in the first place; it is a feeling, and if it was good in the past, it's still good."

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

I'll be honest, I tried to win the February Riff-Off. I didn't play anything that I wouldn't normally play, but it was all chosen based in what I thought people would like. Then again, I think the point of music is to connect with other people on an emotional level. If I win the competition, I have sucessfully done that. I judge based in technique, note choice, etc. but ultimately it comes down to the X factor. Trying to construct a riff using weird time signatures and odd scales forced together usually doesn't work for me. In the end I need to ask myself would I want to listen to a song based on the riff? In this case my overwhelming feeling is "Yes".

Are you saying you're Gerry Troll? What's with everyone coming out today? We already know who "Symbols" was and now The Apprentice has come out as well.

Anyway, my point is that the first two Gerry riffs were nothing like this one.

Symbols was running away with the competition with the unreleased Thin Lizzy basement tapes, so it was just surprising to hear Gerry come out with an early Judas Priest number.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

No, I am not.

OOPS!!! I meant the January Riff-Off, as Stockholm Syndrome, sorry!

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

and now The Apprentice has come out as well.
.

Where, who is it?

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

Where, who is it?

I asked The Apprentice to remove the post.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

this is good PUH. I would realy like the unveiling part of the riff-offs. It will be a shame if people just destroy this cool event!

 

[elscorcho]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

love how the riff, tone choice, and execution all compliment each other, it really works!

 

[Blue Calx]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

That tone is just dripping! It was the syncopated part that hooked me though.

 

[Gamera]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

That tone is just dripping! It was the syncopated part that hooked me though.

You sir are a scholar and a gentleman. Or at least have a better grasp of English than I do. Syncopated rhythm. Yes! That's what I was trying to communicate. Well done, riffer!

 

[JordanM82]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

Pure awesomeness... their should be a cover charge for listening to this riff... Best of this Riff Off thus far....

 

[B2D]

Re: Riff-Off 3.3: Gerry Troll

Totally digging the Jake E Lee thing going on here. This could've been a song off of Bark At The Moon if I hadn't known better. I dig the spaciousness of the riff, lends a cool old school metal vibe to the sound. This is my favorite of this round.

i just wish the riff hadn't cut off so abruptly... I would've loved to hear a fade out or even the last note trailing off here. I know production value isn't supposed to influence our decision, and I try hard to make sure it doesn't but it's these little things that make submissions more enjoyable.