The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 2, Matches 94-99

[srfc]

Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss vs. Y&T - Mean Streak
Seasons is great, brilliant build up, kick ass riff and even a catchy chorus. Mean Streak was a solid enough track, but not exactly reinventing the wheel Seasons in the Abyss

Van Halen - Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love vs. Liquid Tension Experiment - Universal Mind
Universal Mind started off pretty good but soon descended into self indulgence. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love is one of the all time recognisable riffs, plus emphasising what separates Eddie from the also-rans, he knows when to take a backseat in service of the song, the riff saying more than an extended solo in the middle could ever have. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love

Metallica - Seek and Destroy vs. Insomnium - Heart Like a Grave
Looking back, I voted for Insomnium in their first round tie, but no chance in this one. What a riff, stone cold metal classic Seek and Destroy

Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name vs. Dream Theater - In the Presence of Enemies
I have no intention of listening to 25 mins of DT so I was hoping to copy and paste what I said from the last time, but I didn't listen to it then either. Can't imagine there would be any circumstances where I would vote for them over Rage anyway, not least this classic, as @Mosh said the "fuck you I won't do what you tell me" build up is their finest moment, but that whole first album is great, and I'm sure I must have nominated something from it, not only is it like a pissed off Led Zeppelin, but it's probably the all time best produced album. Killing in the Name

Dio - The Last in Line vs. Stratovarius - We Hold the Key
Stratovarious was not what I was expecting at all, very Queensryche, I even had to check my phone that I hadn't played the wrong link at one stage, this is a pretty decent track, but The Last in Line is one of the very best Dio songs. The Last in Line

Queensrÿche - Queen of the Reich vs. Bad Company - Bad Company
Bad Company is great, unique sound, but Queen of the Reich has maybe the best scream in metal Queen of the Reich

 

[Diesel 11]

Even the solos aren’t absolute horseshit! Only like 75% horseshit!

I’m gonna fight you on this! Both Hanneman and King delivered phenomenal solos on this one specific song and they’re honestly among my favorites in general. I know that (at least King) took extra guitar lessons before they made the album and it really shows. Depending on the song, a chaotic Slayer solo fits the music, I wouldn’t want to hear “Angel of Death” or “Raining Blood” with a less shitty solo because it’s an integral part of the whole package. That said, “Seasons in the Abyss”, where they actually put in the effort to make something good, is absolutely magical guitar playing.

Frankly the only thing this song is missing is a more furious Araya vocal performance. Everything else is perfect. Shoutout to Lombardo’s killer drumming as well.

 

[Jer]

Anyway, this song is as annoying as most TateRyche.

Does this suggest that your views on ToddsRÿche are different...?

 

[LooseCannon]

Seasons in the Abyss is an all time classic, and Mean Streak happened, I've already forgotten it.

I'll go with Universal Mind, even though I'm not anti-Van Halen by any stretch.

You expect me to vote against Seek and Destroy, on this, the week that Sting retired? Hell no. It's Stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!

Killing in the Name is the prototypical rap metal song. It's true that Rage Against the Machine just did the same thing over and over, but this is the song they were copying, and it's that good. Meanwhile, Dream Theater's wankery wanks.

The Last in Line. Clearly.

Fine, Queen of the Reich.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

I’m gonna fight you on this! Both Hanneman and King delivered phenomenal solos on this one specific song and they’re honestly among my favorites in general. I know that (at least King) took extra guitar lessons before they made the album and it really shows. Depending on the song, a chaotic Slayer solo fits the music, I wouldn’t want to hear “Angel of Death” or “Raining Blood” with a less shitty solo because it’s an integral part of the whole package. That said, “Seasons in the Abyss”, where they actually put in the effort to make something good, is absolutely magical guitar playing.

I will always debate this. You can play a chaotic solo without the solo sounding like shit. Plenty of other thrash bands do it. Mustaine is the king of it. I do agree that this is probably the best that Slayer’s guitarists could do, though, so good for them!

Does this suggest that your views on ToddsRÿche are different...?

No, though I assume he doesn’t sound as annoying? I’ve never been motivated to listen to any Queensryche based on my disdain for Tate’s voice and a lack of songwriting that interests me.

 

[Mosh]

No, though I assume he doesn’t sound as annoying? I’ve never been motivated to listen to any Queensryche based on my disdain for Tate’s voice and a lack of songwriting that interests me.

Well they hired a Tate clone and by the time Todd came in their two main songwriters were gone, so I would say unless you're already a fan there's not much point to it.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

Even on Seasons (and South of Heaven), Slayer are far from being my favourite metal band, or even my favourite thrash metal band, but they certainly have the more personality in that particular match. I am not voting for them particularly proudly, but I'm voting for them nonetheless.

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If this was "the greatest song opening cup", my vote would go to Van Halen, because the beginning of Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love is among the finest song beginnings I know (I actually had that riff as a ringtone, a long time ago)... however the rest of the song devolves into your typical Van Halen blandness. The chorus and the melodies are underwhelming and I just can't seem to enjoy it.

I get that LTE aren't for everyone, but they're definitely for me. My springs are reacting to that one much more.

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I have never been a huge fan of Metallica's first album and Insomnium sounds like discount Moonsorrow, so I'm not really crazy about either song in the next match, but Seek and Destroy I've overplayed (and I definitely don't need to hear the prolonged live version), whereas I haven't done so with Insomnium.

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Rage Against the Machine are a band I don't get I just don't vibe with them and the 90s tough-bloke posturing is something I don't really need from them just as I don't need it from the nu metal bands. The appeal absolutely eludes me. In the Presence of Enemies I've already praised in this thread, would have nominated it if I knew I could (as a single song, I mean, it's split on the album) one of my favourite DT songs and epics in general.

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The Last in Line is fine... but it gives me nothing I couldn't get from Rainbath already whereas We Hold the Key is still (along with its album sequence - Twilight Symphony) one of the most poignant endings to a power metal album for me. It's not the riff, it's not the chorus, it's the wintery, end-of-times atmosphere of the track.

-----

I'm not a huge fan of Tate and I don't like Ryche much apart from O:M, but I definitely vibe with them more than with Bad Company. And it's not like I would be against the boomer choice in general - it's just that Bad Company in particular are really bland, to be honest.

 

[LooseCannon]

There's simply no mean streak that'll let you survive seasons in the abyss. Slayer. Van Halen ain't talkin' 'bout beatin' LTE. Metallica has sought and destroyed Insomnium. Tom Morello and friends, were in the presence of enemies when they took on Dream Theater. Stratovarius may hold the key, but they're still last in Dio's line. The queen of the reich may be bad company, but Queensrÿche wins nonetheless.

---

Part II, Round 1, Matches 103-108​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 103​	Bob Sawyer Division​
Black Sabbath - War Pigs	vs.​	Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze​
Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Radio EHS 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100 @Confeos	Nominators​	Popoff 500, Radio EHS 100​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 104​	Piece of Mind Division​
Megadeth - Symphony of Destruction	vs.​	Symphony X - Smoke and Mirrors​
Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100	Nominators​	@Mosh​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 105​	Coming Home Division​
White Zombie - Thunder KISS '65	vs.​	Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion​
Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, VH1 40	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 106​	Brighter Than a Thousand Suns Division​
Death - Crystal Mountain	vs.​	Ted Nugent - Stranglehold​
DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100 @Confeos, @Diesel 11, @KiDDo	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 107​	Live Chapter Division​
System of a Down - Chop Suey	vs.​	Rainbow - Eyes of the World​
Rolling Stone 100, Radio EHS 100, Youtube 50, Best Music Art 100 @KiDDo	Nominators​	@Poto​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 108​	Infinite Dreams Division​
Cannibal Corpse - Hammer Smashed Face	vs.​	Judas Priest - The Green Manalishi (With a Two Pronged Crown)​
Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

 

[LooseCannon]

If this was "the greatest song opening cup",

I have at least a few more ideas for games before we get that desperate!!

 

[Mosh]

War Pigs is such a force. Some of my favorite Iommi leads and I love that loose rhythm section throughout. Purple Haze is of course a classic but I genuinely enjoy War Pigs more and also think it is more appropriate here.

I was never a big Symphony of Destruction fan. It's OK but it felt like Megadeth was taking all of the excitement out of their music. Slower, less intricate, Dave Mustaine trying to sing more melodically but it just comes out awkward. Smoke and Mirrors all the way.

Don't care much for either song, but I actually dig the groove in Thunder Kiss '65. Sweet Emotion is one of those songs I could be OK to never hear again.

Crystal Mountain is a juggernaut this round. Have no problem voting against that asshole Ted Nugent anyway, but Crystal Mountain is a great song with classic Death leads and a very Maidenish gallop. Excellent song.

Chop Suey is a really impressive piece, with a lot of SOAD's classic manic energy but all packaged in a pretty concise and accessible song. Lots of great riffing and an infectious hook.

Green Manalishi is a lot of fun, but Hammer Smashed Face is genre defining. Love that main riff and the tempo changes that happen throughout.
Anyway, I'll just leave this here:

 

[LooseCannon]

War Pigs is a classic for a reason, and there's a lot to like here. It doesn't develop some of the ideas as deeply as I might like, and Ozzy is caterwauling all over. Purple Haze is an excellent track, but it's tough to argue against Black Sabbath here.

When I was a baby metal fan (not a Babymetal fan, that is different), Symphony of Destruction was one of the more accessible songs I enjoyed at the time. I've since come to look at it as a bit of a bland track. Smoke and Mirrors is full of all the things I like about progressive metal. Easy call for Symphony X.

White Zombie really does a great job with a nice groove here. Not a track I love, but one I can listen to anyday. Sweet Emotion is far too saccharine for me to support over Zombie. Aerosmith doesn't really belong here.

The standout track of this round is clearly Death's Crystal Mountain. Not a song I was familiar with until recently, but a true titan, it is easy to see how Death spun off a full genre of metal around this. Simultaneously brutal and progressive. Do I wish the vocals were a little less yelly, either more of a smooth growl or a clean vocal, yes, but cannot deny the greatness of this track. Meanwhile Ted Nugent has buttrock, which makes sense, because the product of his butt is how he avoids the draft.

Chop Suey is one of the few SOAD songs I really like. It's got this lovely manic energy and Tankian's weird timbre works well with the off-kilter instrumentals. It's a definitive nu-metal song and it's a pinnacle the genre really never approached again. Eyes of the World is a really interesting track and while I don't think it breaks any new ground, it is enjoyable. I really do enjoy Ritchie Blackmore's guitar work and the whole Rainbow direction, and I need to check out more post-Dio Rainbow. Still, I think I'll go with System of a Down here, with a vote that is at least a little tinged by nostalgia.

I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Cannibal Corpse, I really do think they're responsible for some of brutal death metal's worst excesses, and they generally sound closer to noise than music for me. This is probably their best regarded song, and well, it's not exactly...for me. There's some neat riff work here, the song does sound like a descent into some sort of hell. The Green Manalishi is an old favourite, and it's not particularly special, but sometimes one just needs to survive a matchup, so I'll go with Judas Priest while accepting that Cannibal Corpse should probably win.

 

[Magnus]

Sabbath, Symphony M.
Match 105 is ridiculous but Zombie cause of Eddie.
Death of course, and Armenian Chinese food.
Last one is tough. Gut telling me I should vote Cannibal Corpse (which is hardly surprising, with CC so into guts, feelings reciprocated); Green Manalishi being a cover seems to further support a CC vote - and yet, celebrating our truant Black Wizard (With a Three Pronged Dong), Fleetwood Priest it is.

 

[Magnus]

Black Wizard (With a Three Pronged Dong)

^ Poster of the 100000th reply in the 100k thread, Pleb Hunter, doctor, fifth most famous Scot after Cried, Sean Connery, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, I raise my glass to you.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

War Pigs is both better and more metal.

Smoke and Mirrors because I could hear it 1,000x and never get bored. I have heard Symphony of Destruction 1000x and I am immensely bored.

Thunder Kiss is more interesting, but I still don’t love it. Sweet Emotion could disappear from existence and I would never notice.

Crystal Mountain has some of the absolute best music in this entire game - and this is literally my first time hearing it. Exceptional riffing and playing all the way through. Chuck’s harsh vocals, though, are still absolutely godawful. Stranglehold is easily Ted Nugent’s best song and I do actually enjoy it, but it doesn’t take much to get me to vote against Ted Nugent.

Chop Suey is immensely more interesting and visceral than non-Dio Rainbow. Eyes of the World is still a song I find myself enjoying more than expected, but it would sound better with Dio and Blackmore’s guitar solo completely breaks the vibe of the song.

Green Manalishi, because of even though it’s pretty mid and also a cover, it’s still better than an unenjoyable band that spawned a million other even worse bands.

 

[Kalata]

War Pigs, no contest. The riff, the type of vocals, the drumming, the melodic riffs... birth of metal.
I really like Smoke And Mirrors, this type of metal is always enjoying and cool with its speed, fast solos and melodies and high choruses, but Symphony Of Destruction has a bit more character. And this riff pure heavy metal!
Eyes Of A World is one of Rainbow's most mesmerizing songs. That intro and solos!
Not a big fan of Green Manalishi, but ofc it is much much more enjoyable. The riff and melodies are classic.

 

[Confeos]

Black Sabbath. "War Pigs" is my favourite Sabbath song bar none, so it's no contest, even if "Purple Haze" is a great classic too.
Megadeth. Tempted to vote for a very good Symphony X tune, but have to go with my gut and "Symphony of Destruction" here.
White Zombie. I suppose the tiebreaker is that it IS the more metal song in this match, but I honestly don't care much for either.
Death. Again, no contest. Chuck's riffing has enough power to blow Ted Nugent to bits, and on top of that "Crystal Mountain" has some of the best drumming I've ever heard on a metal track.
Rainbow. Because of Blackmore bias, and because I'm still not big on SOAD.
Judas Priest. "The Green Manalishi" is just much more memorable than "Hammer Smashed Face", which, while not bad, doesn't have much that makes it stand out from other similar death metal tunes.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

War Pigs and Purple Haze are both beloved classics which I don't seem to love as much as the general public does - sure, Pigs are a riff-fest, but it also feels kinda slow and plodding, not a good way to start an album, IMHO, especially with the homophonous rhyme at the very beginning, whereas Haze has a cool rhythmic drive, an awesome acid 60s sound, but the entirety of the first Experience album is just much more fun, as far as guitar and chorus hooks are concerned. Still, I'll go with my Ozzybath band preference and vote for War Pigs here, despite being tempted to vote for the underdog.

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I love the main riff of Symphony of Destruction and the gliding chorus is subtly catchy in a weird way, but I can't really help myself, I have to go with band bias here as well, since Symphony X are much more my overall style (and Smoke and Mirrors slaps)

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I have a soft spot for Rob Zombie and especially the La Sexorcisto album, the groove metal style combined with that general aesthetics just feels weirdly irresistible. I supposed I should go with Aerosmith, since I've been praising their first albums almost as much as I've been praising the early Sabbath album and I really like their guitarists and their rhythm section and the funky-tinged Sweet Emotion is just so... slick, but White Zombie are losing and I'm going to make it a tie at least.

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Crystal Mountain is not my personal favourite off Symbolic ... but Symbolic is my personal favourite by Death and the first death metal album I felt like I was really diggin', you know, mate? Ted Nugent is... Ted Nugent, I suppose as the best fucking movie ever puts it



(nobody nominated him, just Popoff, so I'm on the safe side here, I suppose)

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Like I said with BYOB

BYOB is kinda overplayed and it's not one of SOAD's best songs (I like those with more of the middle-Eastern vibes within, like Dreaming, for example) but it was my first SOAD song and I genuinely feel the band is criminally underrated. Unfairly thrown into the "nu metal" bag, their weird mixture of almost Zappaesque craziness and contrasts, with tempo and loudness switching on a whim, much like the sardonic mixes with cheesily sentimental and wackily humorous in their work, with punkish shouts and Oriental tinge, yet it always feels structured and immensely catchy. They have been very influential in my own personal music taste and I will never forget that. And I absolutely love Tankian - a powerful, immediately recognisable voice that is just as fitting as the muezzin calling out for salat from the mosque as a jovial wacky weirdo that's probably molesting five-year olds... or at least pretends to in order to troll you.

That means, SOAD for me, definitely. Even a worse song of theirs would get my vote.

That more or less still counts, even for the even more overplayed and even less musically interesting (than BYO Chop Suey.

As I said, I relally like Rainbow, even post-Dio Rainbow, it's just I like SOAD even more. They were quite important to me on my musical journey.

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Even nowadays when I only rarely listen to death metal, I usually give Cannibal Corpse a spin from time to time. They are fun, consistent, I can certainly appreciate their sense of grotesque and transgression with their titles, lyrics, album art (more than some others, honestly, because this feel almost vaudeville in its grotesqueness) and I usually find something interesting on every new album of theirs (A Skeletal Domain was one of my best albums of 2014, and I'm saying that as someone who often feels like he's completely outgrown any death metal fandom in him). Ever since I first came across them in old teen magazines from the early 90s, I just saw the cover to Eaten Back to Life and I just knew I would have it on my T-shirt one day (and I do! I still have the T-Shirt somewhere!).

I don't really know why Hammer Smashed Face got this popular (was it because it was in Ace Ventura?), because I don't find it significantly better or more memorable or more iconic than the rest of their oeuvre, but it that is to be the representant, so be it.

For what it's worth, I really love the 70s Priest as well and I think the Fleetwood Mac cover is a great song, but I'll go with the more "out there" choice here.

 

[LooseCannon]

musically interesting (than BYO

never heard BYO Sunglasses, is it any good?

 

[JudasMyGuide]

never heard BYO Sunglasses, is it any good?

I wouldn't expect you to know them - you probably wouldn't like them, it's a very niche genre.

 

[srfc]

When you wake up in the morning
And the light is hurt your head
The first thing you do
When you get up out of bed
Is hit that streets a-running
And try to beat the masses
And don't forget to BYO sunglasses