Sorry for the delay.
If you didn't see the original post, have a quick read of my instructions before voting:
http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=44481.0They're all fairly decent. Maybe even some of the best I've heard over the last 2 years. I'll just give some brief comments for each piece. Obviously it's all going to be my personal opinion. I know I've disagreed with other comments before.
Was really hard to choose three... so I chose five
Sorry! I don't even know who I'll vote for. In the case of a tie, I'll pick the winner.
Escape From Manhattan: Undead or Alive (KeepItSimple)
https://soundcloud.com/simplykept/escape-from-manhattan-undead-or-aliveThe first segment is fairly dull but does create a dark atmosphere and I can imagine it being effective for specific scenes where the music doesn't need to add much (dialog etc). The second part is quite the opposite in every way. It's anything but dull... I think you've deliberately tried to make the two sections highly contrasting but in my honest opinion, you've probably gone too far. Once the second section enters, it almost becomes comical. Would have been good to stick to your "name" in this case. haha
The Last City Explodes (Kyle Preston)
https://app.box.com/s/rbw5c4heeepmaf5kaqyhThis is actually really nice. It's quite a beautiful piece with just enough dissonance to create the sense of tension. There are a few moments that leave you hanging (the moment around 1:46 is fantastic), the dissonance retreats before the "title" which was a clever way of increasing the impact of the "title" and then finally the """title""" section comes in without any big bangs but is extremely intense. Well done!
Night Cop (pgil)
https://soundcloud.com/pgil-1/night-copSounds great! Pretty cheesy but I'm guessing that's the point. It's definitely got a mildly sinister, night shift, downtown city cop kinda sound to it. The guitar was nice and added to the 80s/90s sound (would have been good to hear some whammy action with tons of delay for ultimate cheese). It's actually pretty catchy. The transition is nothing clever (just a sudden bang) but it works well. Transition is maybe a tad over the top?
The Haunted Campus (PythonBlue)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/w38g8jtgviqdfft/TIGSource%20-%20The%20Haunted%20Campus.mp3Haven't got much to say about this one. It's quite good and ticks all the boxes. A real sense of uneasiness all the way through, stepping it up with the key changes and even more at the end. Quite a big and intense sound. Transition is pretty "scary"! haha
Murder on 47th St (abrasounds)
https://app.box.com/s/2ww1hgft9v8b192ws6noThis is really nice. It's epic but subtle at the same time... Can't explain it any other way. The slight build in tension and layers is nice. I get different imagery rather than what you described. Although it does have an ending that can only mean one thing (knife!). Great job!
Demonicon (rofklaw)
https://soundcloud.com/robert-clark-jewett/demoniconTo me this sounds a bit like background music that might be used in a dungeon or something during gameplay. Maybe a bit too uneventful for an opening scene? Not sold on your description but that's beside the point. The ending is quite evil, I'll give you that!
Duke Dies Tonight (Pete301)
https://soundcloud.com/pete301/duke-dies-tonightAgain, another great submission. Others may interpret this differently but when I listen, I'm hearing an emotional/sad scene rather than a build up to a murder. The dissonance is nicely placed in the piano parts and background notes. The transition/title part is quite good. A real sudden intense build up and then an eerie fade out.
Negative Zone (Matt Beckett)
https://soundcloud.com/mattimeatball/negative-zoneThis is great but I'm not sure it fits description well enough although the build up is pretty nice. It has a triumphant ending sound that I think would work great for a closing credits scene. My only suggestion is production one and just personal preference... It's quite an epic tune but some of the synth sounds lack volume (space-wise). I would use a touch of stereo delay, wide reverb or something on a few instruments to spread the sounds out so they don't sound so close and compact. Pretty vague description but you might understand what I mean. It's really good.