The 2018 Arsies: January 31, 2018

January 31, 2018

Emotion	●●●	●●○
Memorability	●●○	●●○
Replayability	●●●	●●●
Innovation	●●○	●●○
Pace	●●●	●●○
Shredding	●●●	●●○
Vocals	●●○	●●○
Production	●●●	●●●
	✓

The comparison between today's contenders reminds me of the legacy of the VW Bug. Northlane's modern rendition has an undeniable sheen of not-quite-rightness about it, but if you give it a chance, it'll unerringly show you how sleek, streamlined, and infectious it is. Conversely, The Haunted's classic sound takes a little while to warm up, but when it's at full speed, it is an irrepressible juggernaut that will really fuck you up when it runs you over. I really, really wanted Northlane to win today, but listening to both albums back-to-back today, I had to admit that The Haunted's Strength In Numbers is more deserving of a spot in the Quarterfinals next week. More's the pity.
Tomorrow, the Round of 16 comes to a close, with a battle between Set And Setting and Bison.