The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 2, Matches 70-75
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I've been waiting to drop this one for awhile. Fuck Ted Nugent, man, what a piece of crap.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
I admit that the Smooth Criminal cover still rather slaps, I voted for them the last time
but come on, you all know I could listen to Blind Guardian pretty much on repeat, Nightfall in Middle-earth is a brilliant album on its own and like I said many times over, ever since my relationship with Tolkien deepened and especially as I've been doing this insane project of mine (like, everything he wrote and everything significant wrote about him, so far I have, like, 140 titles and the entire 12-volume History of Middle-earth counts as only one title, btw) my appreciation for it has grown yet, so Rheingold it is.
(really, that was originally supposed to be the title of the track, before they came up with the concept and molded the song into it)
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As has been said many times in this cup already, the Masquerade '98 remake adds not much and is definitely a lesser thing in Symph X catalogue, that's more or less obvious.
However, just as has been said before
(fun fact, that was one of the few cases where I wrote I didn't listen to either track - and voted for the nominated one, however I had heard the Emperor track back in my BM years and I have heard the Vortex song since, because of Magnus. So that I don't look like a hypocrite)
and that's still true, Symph X.
(Of course I know I Am the Black Wizards, everybody knows that one, right?)
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Iron Fist at first sounds like a retread of Ace of Spades, but it isn't, really. I admit I like it almost more than the Joker, especially the extremely catchy chorus.
The Slayer song is fine
but not as much fun and I find Iron Fist to be definitely more iconic. Also, it was nominated by a member vs a journo list, so just Lemmy put my vote there.
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Sabbath are metal, Thin Lizzy are not, that much is certain, however ... legendary as Iron Man may be (and deservedly so, the riff is just unbelievably great), I will admit band bias and go with the "subtle rock" and singer-songwritery feel of classic Lizzy. Phil and his duelling guitar boys are among my "hearties" - a band I might not listen to as often as I used to, but that still makes me all emotional and that still means something to me. An incredibly dignified band, if you will, for such a band of lower-class louts who're able to write some of the most touching stuff you've ever heard and then write something like "oooh, poor Romeo // Sittin' all on his own-eo" or something.
Lizzy (with all due respect to the opposition)
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And again, voting against one of my favourite bands - in general Sabbath >>> Metallica for me, but Fade to Black is so atmospheric, so epic (in a way), so memorable, so... substantial, I guess. If only for the guitar harmonies, I see Maiden fans voting in droves and I'm no exception. Snowblind is great, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it stands a chance here.
Tullica (with all due respect to the opposition)
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You've Got Another Thing Coming is Priest at their most boring. Especially the chorus, the alpha chants of the title don't really do it for me and while the pre-chorus is actually catchy, in typical 80s Priest fashion, it's not really enough. It's funny, though, the entire album is really good, but the biggest hit single is such a drone. Don't get it.
Burning Times is not one of my favourite songs, but to me it's much more captivating (although it's also a bit of a drone) and I'm not in a good mood and I'm feeling like supporting the insurrection, so Iced Earth get my vote.
but come on, you all know I could listen to Blind Guardian pretty much on repeat, Nightfall in Middle-earth is a brilliant album on its own and like I said many times over, ever since my relationship with Tolkien deepened and especially as I've been doing this insane project of mine (like, everything he wrote and everything significant wrote about him, so far I have, like, 140 titles and the entire 12-volume History of Middle-earth counts as only one title, btw) my appreciation for it has grown yet, so Rheingold it is.
(really, that was originally supposed to be the title of the track, before they came up with the concept and molded the song into it)
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As has been said many times in this cup already, the Masquerade '98 remake adds not much and is definitely a lesser thing in Symph X catalogue, that's more or less obvious.
However, just as has been said before
(fun fact, that was one of the few cases where I wrote I didn't listen to either track - and voted for the nominated one, however I had heard the Emperor track back in my BM years and I have heard the Vortex song since, because of Magnus. So that I don't look like a hypocrite)
and that's still true, Symph X.
(Of course I know I Am the Black Wizards, everybody knows that one, right?)
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Iron Fist at first sounds like a retread of Ace of Spades, but it isn't, really. I admit I like it almost more than the Joker, especially the extremely catchy chorus.
The Slayer song is fine
but not as much fun and I find Iron Fist to be definitely more iconic. Also, it was nominated by a member vs a journo list, so just Lemmy put my vote there.
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Sabbath are metal, Thin Lizzy are not, that much is certain, however ... legendary as Iron Man may be (and deservedly so, the riff is just unbelievably great), I will admit band bias and go with the "subtle rock" and singer-songwritery feel of classic Lizzy. Phil and his duelling guitar boys are among my "hearties" - a band I might not listen to as often as I used to, but that still makes me all emotional and that still means something to me. An incredibly dignified band, if you will, for such a band of lower-class louts who're able to write some of the most touching stuff you've ever heard and then write something like "oooh, poor Romeo // Sittin' all on his own-eo" or something.
Lizzy (with all due respect to the opposition)
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And again, voting against one of my favourite bands - in general Sabbath >>> Metallica for me, but Fade to Black is so atmospheric, so epic (in a way), so memorable, so... substantial, I guess. If only for the guitar harmonies, I see Maiden fans voting in droves and I'm no exception. Snowblind is great, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it stands a chance here.
Tullica (with all due respect to the opposition)
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You've Got Another Thing Coming is Priest at their most boring. Especially the chorus, the alpha chants of the title don't really do it for me and while the pre-chorus is actually catchy, in typical 80s Priest fashion, it's not really enough. It's funny, though, the entire album is really good, but the biggest hit single is such a drone. Don't get it.
Burning Times is not one of my favourite songs, but to me it's much more captivating (although it's also a bit of a drone) and I'm not in a good mood and I'm feeling like supporting the insurrection, so Iced Earth get my vote.
DJMayes
Ancient Mariner
This won't be a popular opinion but I think it's far more interesting than Victim of Changes...
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Fwiw, I always had this feeling that it got so big in America, because it's the stereotypical song to wind down the windows on your car and blast it out to annoy the neighbours and pedestrians somewhere downtown in the 80s "coke-and-concrete jungle" metropolis.
Maybe that's why?
DJMayes
Ancient Mariner
I wish we had more people blasting it out the car windows here in England!Fwiw, I always had this feeling that it got so big in America, because it's the stereotypical song to wind down the windows on your car and blast it out to annoy the neighbours and pedestrians somewhere downtown in the 80s "coke-and-concrete jungle" metropolis.
Maybe that's why?
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Boring or not, in 2024, I wish we had more people blasting it out the car windows everywhere, instead of what usually is.
Nightfall is a juggernaut, a possibility for the top Blind Guardian song here and, well, something from BG should at least be in the top 20. I would say either this or Mirror Mirror, Nightfall would be my preference though. Just a great ballad with an amazing chorus. I won't lie, I loved Alien Ant Farm's Smooth Criminal when I was a teenager but it's pretty silly in retrospect (also isn't Metal).
On a more growl friendly community, Emperor would clean up this round. I Am the Black Wizards is such an epic slab of black Metal. Love that epic triplet groove and the big choir patches that come in about halfway through. This song sounds huge and packs a lot into a fairly concise frame. A total classic. I've already spoken my bewilderment at Masquerade '98 being in here. Basically, the equivalent of nominating Charlotte the Harlot '88 and voting for Masquerade would be equally ridiculous.
Slayer and Motorhead are both bands that I feel are sometimes unfairly maligned for similar reasons - "they all sound the same" "the songs are just noise" etc etc. Both bands have plenty of examples (usually deeper cuts) that show more range than they get credited for. Iron Fist isn't really one for Motorhead, it's pretty much just your standard punk/metal fare. But Dead Skin Mask (like most of this album) is one of Slayer's finest moments. That riff is just iconic. The slower groove feels more like Pantera than Slayer, but they wear it well.
Tossing a pity vote to Don't Believe a Word. I actually think Iron Man lives up to the hype despite being insanely overplayed. The riffing on the song is incredible and I also really like the soloing. My favorite part is coming out of the solo at 3:45, the return of the riff that kicks off the instrumental and with the thunderous drums underneath before going back into the main riff again. Just a relentlessly heavy section and a good example of using repetition effectively - the way it's played is always as important as the section itself, something that is lost in the computer era imo. Anyway, I'll always advocate for deep Thin Lizzy cuts as this band has an insanely deep catalog that they rarely get credit for. Great riffing and harmonies on this track. I actually think Johnny the Fox is the best entry level album for those wanting to get beyond the hits a bit. There are a bunch of fan favorites here and it's still in that classic Lizzy era. You also get Massacre, which Maiden covered years later.
Fade to Black vs Snowblind, ehh two songs I'm not in love with. Fade to Black has better riffing and is probably better written overall, although I rarely go out of my way for it. Snowblind is good as well but virtually any other song off Vol 4 (minus gospel tracks and instrumental interludes) is a better pick.
I concur that You've Got Another Thing Coming has always been a slog to listen to. This is the sort of song that always makes the lists, but do any actual Judas Priest fans love this song? I think there are better examples of the band marrying accessibility with great riffing and this ain't it. Burning Times is kinda Iced Earth's Aces High in the sense that it is the opening song to a classic live album and has a sort of built in reverance as a result.
On a more growl friendly community, Emperor would clean up this round. I Am the Black Wizards is such an epic slab of black Metal. Love that epic triplet groove and the big choir patches that come in about halfway through. This song sounds huge and packs a lot into a fairly concise frame. A total classic. I've already spoken my bewilderment at Masquerade '98 being in here. Basically, the equivalent of nominating Charlotte the Harlot '88 and voting for Masquerade would be equally ridiculous.
Slayer and Motorhead are both bands that I feel are sometimes unfairly maligned for similar reasons - "they all sound the same" "the songs are just noise" etc etc. Both bands have plenty of examples (usually deeper cuts) that show more range than they get credited for. Iron Fist isn't really one for Motorhead, it's pretty much just your standard punk/metal fare. But Dead Skin Mask (like most of this album) is one of Slayer's finest moments. That riff is just iconic. The slower groove feels more like Pantera than Slayer, but they wear it well.
Tossing a pity vote to Don't Believe a Word. I actually think Iron Man lives up to the hype despite being insanely overplayed. The riffing on the song is incredible and I also really like the soloing. My favorite part is coming out of the solo at 3:45, the return of the riff that kicks off the instrumental and with the thunderous drums underneath before going back into the main riff again. Just a relentlessly heavy section and a good example of using repetition effectively - the way it's played is always as important as the section itself, something that is lost in the computer era imo. Anyway, I'll always advocate for deep Thin Lizzy cuts as this band has an insanely deep catalog that they rarely get credit for. Great riffing and harmonies on this track. I actually think Johnny the Fox is the best entry level album for those wanting to get beyond the hits a bit. There are a bunch of fan favorites here and it's still in that classic Lizzy era. You also get Massacre, which Maiden covered years later.
Fade to Black vs Snowblind, ehh two songs I'm not in love with. Fade to Black has better riffing and is probably better written overall, although I rarely go out of my way for it. Snowblind is good as well but virtually any other song off Vol 4 (minus gospel tracks and instrumental interludes) is a better pick.
I concur that You've Got Another Thing Coming has always been a slog to listen to. This is the sort of song that always makes the lists, but do any actual Judas Priest fans love this song? I think there are better examples of the band marrying accessibility with great riffing and this ain't it. Burning Times is kinda Iced Earth's Aces High in the sense that it is the opening song to a classic live album and has a sort of built in reverance as a result.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Did not hear of (or think about) Slayer in this way, but I did with Motorhead - and it's actually part of the band's appeal to me. Motorhead, ZZ Top, Ramones, AC/DC, Belle and Sebastian (or Woody Allen, when we step outside the music)... all those bands that have a reputation for all their stuff "sounding the same" actually tend to incentivise me to go to check out their discography and see if it really does - or if, apart from maybe some shallow similarities and apparent analogies there actually is a significant, perceivable difference, a personality to each of the band's albums and I actually find it interesting to analyse or at least think about and pick apart these little, subtle distinctions, variations.
I'd personally go with Black Rose. Or even Jailbreak. Both had a somewhat bigger appeal to me on my first listen, back then, but maybe you're right.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Oh look, we have Hansi wailing again, presumably about elves or elvenish creatures. Maybe trolls? No matter. Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Smooth Criminal is solid, but it can’t match Blind Guardian’s layering. And there are a lot of layers.
Symphony X may be my favorite band in the whole wide world, but Masquerade ’98 has no place in this game. There’s dozens of better songs by the kings of progressive power that were not nominated, so I’m a bit perplexed how this landed here. It was originally released on a greatest “hits” compilation called Prelude to the Millennium, and later as a bonus track on certain editions of The Odyssey. The intro is neat, the verses driving, and the solo (and riff underneath) cool, but in terms of their neoclassical output it is one of their weaker offerings. However, up against black metal? Not a chance. Symphony X, proudly.
Dead Skin Mask is one of my favorite Slayer songs. That riff! I’ve also never cared for anything Motorhead has done. Easy vote for Slayer.
Iron Man very well may be the most overrated Sabbath song of all time. Ozzy: “I – will – sing – a – long, with – the – riff – be – cause – I – suck.” The Thin Lizzy song is alright, but definitely not my style. Regardless, I’m not voting for Iron Man. Lizzy.
A ‘tallica classic against yet another Ozzy Sabbath tune? Metallica, duh.
Ah, one of Priest’s hits! I’ve never cared much for this one, though, especially when compared to Breaking the Law, Breaking the Law! Burning Times isn’t one of my favorite tracks by Schaffer and his band of oft-replaced misfits, but it punches hard and is more memorable to me. Iced Earth.
Best song of the round: Fade to Black
Symphony X may be my favorite band in the whole wide world, but Masquerade ’98 has no place in this game. There’s dozens of better songs by the kings of progressive power that were not nominated, so I’m a bit perplexed how this landed here. It was originally released on a greatest “hits” compilation called Prelude to the Millennium, and later as a bonus track on certain editions of The Odyssey. The intro is neat, the verses driving, and the solo (and riff underneath) cool, but in terms of their neoclassical output it is one of their weaker offerings. However, up against black metal? Not a chance. Symphony X, proudly.
Dead Skin Mask is one of my favorite Slayer songs. That riff! I’ve also never cared for anything Motorhead has done. Easy vote for Slayer.
Iron Man very well may be the most overrated Sabbath song of all time. Ozzy: “I – will – sing – a – long, with – the – riff – be – cause – I – suck.” The Thin Lizzy song is alright, but definitely not my style. Regardless, I’m not voting for Iron Man. Lizzy.
A ‘tallica classic against yet another Ozzy Sabbath tune? Metallica, duh.
Ah, one of Priest’s hits! I’ve never cared much for this one, though, especially when compared to Breaking the Law, Breaking the Law! Burning Times isn’t one of my favorite tracks by Schaffer and his band of oft-replaced misfits, but it punches hard and is more memorable to me. Iced Earth.
Best song of the round: Fade to Black
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Exactly! Thank you for saying this, swear to god it's such a nothing song, and up against a titan of atmosphere, legit one of the greatest and most iconic songs of its genre, it's such an easy win for Emp-
MOTHERFU
Siddharth
Long Distance Trooper
The thing with Burning Times is that, even though it has a decent riff going on, vocals are also good but there's something about the drums that sounds off. The beat is so monotonous that it hardly carries the song than it actually should! You've Got Another Thing Comin' is an iconic number for all the good reasons. A driving rhythm, good solo and awesome vocal deliveries by Rob.
Blind Guardian vs. AAF is a bit harder than it looks. Nightfall, though being more of a semi-ballad actually has a very good sound and vocals are great. If I have to listen Smooth Criminal, I'll simply go for Michael Jackson though the band's take on the song is also interesting.
I'm not going for I'm The Black Wizards because of the wrong grammar. LOL! Just kidding. It may have a cool atmosphere and was one of the first Black metal songs I heard but Masquerade does it for me and the extended intro in the '98 version makes it more awesome. To those thinking it is nothing special, I'll say it has everything special about Symphony X.
Though many consider Seasons In The Abyss as a more balanced Slayer album but the song in question sounds more like it could have been from South Of Heaven. Cool main riff but Iron Fist is short, simple but clicks on all cylinders.
The Thin Lizzy song is from their heyday when they were at the top of their game but Iron Man is just iconic. The memorable main riff, the built-up during the mid section and awesome lyrics!
Snowblind is good-enough Sabbath song while Fade To Black is one of the best songs of all time. Pretty easy selection from my side here.
Blind Guardian vs. AAF is a bit harder than it looks. Nightfall, though being more of a semi-ballad actually has a very good sound and vocals are great. If I have to listen Smooth Criminal, I'll simply go for Michael Jackson though the band's take on the song is also interesting.
I'm not going for I'm The Black Wizards because of the wrong grammar. LOL! Just kidding. It may have a cool atmosphere and was one of the first Black metal songs I heard but Masquerade does it for me and the extended intro in the '98 version makes it more awesome. To those thinking it is nothing special, I'll say it has everything special about Symphony X.
Though many consider Seasons In The Abyss as a more balanced Slayer album but the song in question sounds more like it could have been from South Of Heaven. Cool main riff but Iron Fist is short, simple but clicks on all cylinders.
The Thin Lizzy song is from their heyday when they were at the top of their game but Iron Man is just iconic. The memorable main riff, the built-up during the mid section and awesome lyrics!
Snowblind is good-enough Sabbath song while Fade To Black is one of the best songs of all time. Pretty easy selection from my side here.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Technically not incorrect grammatical usage depending on the context.
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
The fairy tale vibe of Nightfall is cooler for me.
Symphony X's Masquerade is much more interesting. Neoclassical metal is always cool.
The riff and solo on this Thin Lizzy song are great, but I'll go with Iron Man because of the vibe.
Fade To Black for me. One of the metal songs with my favorite melodies, verses and riff with vocals in the middle. The BS song is good.
Both songs have a similar and great groove. You've Got Another Thing Comin' is not one of my favorite Priest classics, Burning Times has a standard approach, but the riff and solo won me over.
Symphony X's Masquerade is much more interesting. Neoclassical metal is always cool.
The riff and solo on this Thin Lizzy song are great, but I'll go with Iron Man because of the vibe.
Fade To Black for me. One of the metal songs with my favorite melodies, verses and riff with vocals in the middle. The BS song is good.
Both songs have a similar and great groove. You've Got Another Thing Comin' is not one of my favorite Priest classics, Burning Times has a standard approach, but the riff and solo won me over.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
Thunder and Lightning would be my recommendation for this forum.
DJ James
A coma stole my name.
Despite Ride the Lightning being my favorite Metallica album (and also in my top 10 all time), I find Fade to Black to be overrated. I get why it's as popular as it as, and it is a shining example of why they became the biggest thrash metal band from the 1980's. Snowblind has one of my favorite Iommi riffs, so I'm voting for it.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
"Nightfall" has a nice folky opening -- this is where Blind Guardian sounds best, IMO. But soon we're getting video gamey guitars, overly shrill vocals, questionable songwriting choices, and the usual bevy of Blind Guardianness. I will say that the chorus is very appealing here, as are a couple of the bridges, and there are parts of the solo that are quite nice. The outro is also well done. Uneven, but still a good song overall. "Smooth Criminal" adapts pretty well to a metal format. I don't like the changes to the vocal melody in the pre-chorus, but I appreciate the commitment to the "oww"s and the high-pitched backing vocals in the chorus. Still, this is ultimately just a solid cover of someone else's song, and I feel like originality needs to win the day here, especially when this is one of Blind Guardian's stronger songs in the tournament. Winner: Blind Guardian - "Nightfall"
"I Am The Black Wizards" gets its suck on right out of the gate. Distant, droney, cackly, synth choral hits, the whole shebang. At least the drumming exceeds expectations for the genre, and the melodic shape of the trilling isn't bad. Some of the atmospherics are decent too, and the slower interlude was a nice curve ball. To be fair, by the end of this I think it was one of the stronger black metal tracks I've heard in the GMSC so far, but I'm not going to say that I liked it. "Masquerade '98" has low-rent synths, but the opening is pure neoclassical comfort food. The rest of the song has good grooves and strong, if a bit over-the-top, vocals. The backing vocals are Queenier and more amateurish than I would prefer, but you've gotta love the harpsichord bit and the extended solos. Cool queasy outro, too. An easy call for Romeo & Co. Winner: Symphony X - "Masquerade '98"
"Iron Fist" has an appealing simplistic groove that sounds like pretty much every other Motörhead song I've ever heard. Lemmy sounds constipated as usual. The pre-chorus melody is alright, but little else stands out about the vocals. The melodic solo section is solid. This is the perfect example of a song I would never seek out on my own, but wouldn't turn off if it was already playing. In one ear and out the other. "Dead Skin Mask" has some nice trade-off melodic leads, and Tom Araya is much less annoying when he's speaking than when he's screaming. The main riff is OK, but not great. Bonus point for Araya actually singing melodically here (though not always in key). The solos mostly suck, as expected, and there are unfortunately quite a few of them. I'm also not on board with the kid talking all over the back end of the song, though I like the long piercing note at the very end. Not a fan of either track here, but sorry @DJ James, the Slayer song was a lot more interesting. Winner: Slayer - "Dead Skin Mask"
"Iron Man" is simplistic, especially with the verse vocal following the guitar directly, but its atmosphere is strong. The changes for the chorus(?) elevate the song a bit, and the solo with the prominent bass lead underneath is nice. The outro is a nice change too, despite some sloppy dual guitar bits. This isn't a great song, but it is a good one. "Don't Believe A Word" has a good groove with some nice harmonized accents. The verse melody is good, but the chorus less so. Great solo, though. Another good song, and I think this one's a bit more consistent than its competitor. Winner: Thin Lizzy - "Don't Believe A Word"
"Fade To Black" is a seminal classic. That haunting clean opening and soaring but melancholy lead work on top, leading into a beautiful acoustic verse with Hetfield singing clean, then crushing heaviness coming in to bookend the verses. The heavier and higher bridge with those thick harmonized guitars is fantastic, and the solo/interlude that follows with the harmonized leads is also brilliant. Geez, where did this Kirk Hammett go? Amazing song. "Snowblind" is fine and all, but let's get real, folks. Winner: Metallica - "Fade To Black"
"You've Got Another Thing Coming" is simpler than a lot of other Priest songs, but its groove is infectious, the pre-chorus sucks you in, the bridge is great, and Halford's performance grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Great solo, too. "Burning Times" has good riffage, but Barlow sounds terrible as usual, and the vocal melodies (during the parts that even have melody) aren't very memorable. The weird subdued backing guitars in the middle don't work at all, but the solo is strong. The songwriting is more coherent than the typical Iseditionist Earth track, but it's also pretty straightforward and doesn't go much of anywhere. Sorry, @Diesel 11, but this is an easy call for the list nominee. Winner: Judas Priest - "You've Got Another Thing Coming"
"I Am The Black Wizards" gets its suck on right out of the gate. Distant, droney, cackly, synth choral hits, the whole shebang. At least the drumming exceeds expectations for the genre, and the melodic shape of the trilling isn't bad. Some of the atmospherics are decent too, and the slower interlude was a nice curve ball. To be fair, by the end of this I think it was one of the stronger black metal tracks I've heard in the GMSC so far, but I'm not going to say that I liked it. "Masquerade '98" has low-rent synths, but the opening is pure neoclassical comfort food. The rest of the song has good grooves and strong, if a bit over-the-top, vocals. The backing vocals are Queenier and more amateurish than I would prefer, but you've gotta love the harpsichord bit and the extended solos. Cool queasy outro, too. An easy call for Romeo & Co. Winner: Symphony X - "Masquerade '98"
"Iron Fist" has an appealing simplistic groove that sounds like pretty much every other Motörhead song I've ever heard. Lemmy sounds constipated as usual. The pre-chorus melody is alright, but little else stands out about the vocals. The melodic solo section is solid. This is the perfect example of a song I would never seek out on my own, but wouldn't turn off if it was already playing. In one ear and out the other. "Dead Skin Mask" has some nice trade-off melodic leads, and Tom Araya is much less annoying when he's speaking than when he's screaming. The main riff is OK, but not great. Bonus point for Araya actually singing melodically here (though not always in key). The solos mostly suck, as expected, and there are unfortunately quite a few of them. I'm also not on board with the kid talking all over the back end of the song, though I like the long piercing note at the very end. Not a fan of either track here, but sorry @DJ James, the Slayer song was a lot more interesting. Winner: Slayer - "Dead Skin Mask"
"Iron Man" is simplistic, especially with the verse vocal following the guitar directly, but its atmosphere is strong. The changes for the chorus(?) elevate the song a bit, and the solo with the prominent bass lead underneath is nice. The outro is a nice change too, despite some sloppy dual guitar bits. This isn't a great song, but it is a good one. "Don't Believe A Word" has a good groove with some nice harmonized accents. The verse melody is good, but the chorus less so. Great solo, though. Another good song, and I think this one's a bit more consistent than its competitor. Winner: Thin Lizzy - "Don't Believe A Word"
"Fade To Black" is a seminal classic. That haunting clean opening and soaring but melancholy lead work on top, leading into a beautiful acoustic verse with Hetfield singing clean, then crushing heaviness coming in to bookend the verses. The heavier and higher bridge with those thick harmonized guitars is fantastic, and the solo/interlude that follows with the harmonized leads is also brilliant. Geez, where did this Kirk Hammett go? Amazing song. "Snowblind" is fine and all, but let's get real, folks. Winner: Metallica - "Fade To Black"
"You've Got Another Thing Coming" is simpler than a lot of other Priest songs, but its groove is infectious, the pre-chorus sucks you in, the bridge is great, and Halford's performance grabs your attention and doesn't let go. Great solo, too. "Burning Times" has good riffage, but Barlow sounds terrible as usual, and the vocal melodies (during the parts that even have melody) aren't very memorable. The weird subdued backing guitars in the middle don't work at all, but the solo is strong. The songwriting is more coherent than the typical Iseditionist Earth track, but it's also pretty straightforward and doesn't go much of anywhere. Sorry, @Diesel 11, but this is an easy call for the list nominee. Winner: Judas Priest - "You've Got Another Thing Coming"
Siddharth
Long Distance Trooper
Why angry at me bro @Night Prowler? 