JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Scottie doesn't know!
The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 2, Matches 118-123
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Scottie doesn't know!
DJ James
A coma stole my name.
I enjoyed reading the Motorhead discussion (I understand I need an umlaut, you'll have to forgive me in the name of time, Lem). To really sit there and listen to Motorhead's early work is very interesting. In September of 1975 was when a good bit of the intended debut album On Parole was recorded, and it plays like a typical mid 70s blue rock album mostly. Lemmy carried over just a tad of the prog weirdness from Hawkwind (which Hawkwind in the early 70's also had a punk character to their sound and image. I mostly attribute this to just how out there they were.) And 2/3 of Motorhead in 1975 was actually just the Pink Fairies (contemporaries to Hawkwind as well). By the actual debut Motorhead in 1977 and then Overkill in 79, that blues rock proggy weirdness meets punk was infused with an atomic rock and roll sound. And obviously through all this, a distinct heavy metal sound was founded.
I interchangeably call Motorhead rock and roll and metal. They truly did both, and yes there is a rich punk sound to a lot of their stuff too. I've never seen any other band so deeply entrenched in all three genres like Motorhead was. If you saw them on a bill with ZZ Top one weekend, and then the next weekend a bill with Slayer, and the week after Cro-Mags or Crumbsuckers, you really wouldn't bat an eye. Even though discussion of their sound has been going on for almost 50 years at this point, I am still so fascinated with them and their sound. As someone mentioned above they did inevitably crossover into (and I could also say pioneered) speed metal. I also hear maybe what is a slight thrash edge in pieces of albums like Orgasmatron or Sacrifice, but to call them thrash is indeed a bit out there. I think in the late 80's going into the 90's they were in a similar situation to Judas Priest with Painkiller. The slight thrash edge I hear is probably a response to the overall state of the scene, not so much trying to go with trends but to have a response to them.
I interchangeably call Motorhead rock and roll and metal. They truly did both, and yes there is a rich punk sound to a lot of their stuff too. I've never seen any other band so deeply entrenched in all three genres like Motorhead was. If you saw them on a bill with ZZ Top one weekend, and then the next weekend a bill with Slayer, and the week after Cro-Mags or Crumbsuckers, you really wouldn't bat an eye. Even though discussion of their sound has been going on for almost 50 years at this point, I am still so fascinated with them and their sound. As someone mentioned above they did inevitably crossover into (and I could also say pioneered) speed metal. I also hear maybe what is a slight thrash edge in pieces of albums like Orgasmatron or Sacrifice, but to call them thrash is indeed a bit out there. I think in the late 80's going into the 90's they were in a similar situation to Judas Priest with Painkiller. The slight thrash edge I hear is probably a response to the overall state of the scene, not so much trying to go with trends but to have a response to them.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Madhouse is one of the catchier, better Anthrax songs off of the only "classic" album where Joey Belladonna actually sounds good. Angra, as usual, as great music that doesn't always entirely hold together and very questionable vocals.
Stairway to Heaven is probably the most iconic classic rock of all time. Sorry, I'm gonna continue to be that guy. It's not a heavy metal track. Stand Up and Shout wins this one easily for me, and it's not just my supreme case of Dio bias.
Sad But True is when Metallica cemented themselves as kings of the mid-tempo stomp. It is still an absolute titan of swagger and angst, regardless of the fact that I've heard it 17 million times and the song itself gets a little redundant. Medusa is one of the lesser tracks on Spreading the Disease, especially that terrible gang chant ("Gorgon!") in the chorus. You could tell even the band thought it was lame as they recorded it.
Nothing Else Matters is very nice, it's very well composed, it's very pretty, and it's very cool that Hetfield plays a guitar solo...but I've just never really felt it the way that some fans do. The Well of Souls is a Candlemass classic from one of their best albums. Absolute beast of doom metal here.
A Rainbow battle with one non-Dio track and one of the best Dio tracks ever is not a battle at all. Rainbow pulls the spotlight kid offstage to shine A Light In The Black.
Thunderstruck is iconic because of the intro. Bring The Noise is iconic because it merges two genres (that many say were better off staying separate). I think is the very rare occasion where I will actually swing AC/DC a vote because their song is more powerful.
Stairway to Heaven is probably the most iconic classic rock of all time. Sorry, I'm gonna continue to be that guy. It's not a heavy metal track. Stand Up and Shout wins this one easily for me, and it's not just my supreme case of Dio bias.
Sad But True is when Metallica cemented themselves as kings of the mid-tempo stomp. It is still an absolute titan of swagger and angst, regardless of the fact that I've heard it 17 million times and the song itself gets a little redundant. Medusa is one of the lesser tracks on Spreading the Disease, especially that terrible gang chant ("Gorgon!") in the chorus. You could tell even the band thought it was lame as they recorded it.
Nothing Else Matters is very nice, it's very well composed, it's very pretty, and it's very cool that Hetfield plays a guitar solo...but I've just never really felt it the way that some fans do. The Well of Souls is a Candlemass classic from one of their best albums. Absolute beast of doom metal here.
A Rainbow battle with one non-Dio track and one of the best Dio tracks ever is not a battle at all. Rainbow pulls the spotlight kid offstage to shine A Light In The Black.
Thunderstruck is iconic because of the intro. Bring The Noise is iconic because it merges two genres (that many say were better off staying separate). I think is the very rare occasion where I will actually swing AC/DC a vote because their song is more powerful.
Confeos
Game time started.
God, I hate "Nothing Else Matters". Alright, hate is a very strong word, but I really, really, REALLY dislike the song. It's boring, it's cringey and it just takes forever to end. I don't care that Hetfield plays the solo (and does a decent job), it still sucks so hard. The Black Album would be much better without it, and I would rather listen to almost any tune off of Load, Reload or even St. Anger. /rant over.
As for Candlemass; I had such a difficult time trying to those between "The Well of Souls" and "Demons Gate" that I had to nominate both in the end, and I'm pleased to still have them both in the game at this point. Doom metal at its very finest. Easy win for Candlemass, if anyone should be in doubt.
On the other hand, "Sad But True" is fucking awesome. Heavy, sinister and catchy in the best possible way. This is one I think deserves to go very far in the game, and it basically wipes the floor with "Medusa", which has some decent riffing, but the chorus isn't doing it any favours. Again, easy win, but this time for Metallica.
I don't have time for much more, so the rest of my votes goes like this:
Anthrax/Madhouse
Zeppelin/Stairway
Rainbow/A Light in the Black
AC/DC/Thunderstruck
As for Candlemass; I had such a difficult time trying to those between "The Well of Souls" and "Demons Gate" that I had to nominate both in the end, and I'm pleased to still have them both in the game at this point. Doom metal at its very finest. Easy win for Candlemass, if anyone should be in doubt.
On the other hand, "Sad But True" is fucking awesome. Heavy, sinister and catchy in the best possible way. This is one I think deserves to go very far in the game, and it basically wipes the floor with "Medusa", which has some decent riffing, but the chorus isn't doing it any favours. Again, easy win, but this time for Metallica.
I don't have time for much more, so the rest of my votes goes like this:
Anthrax/Madhouse
Zeppelin/Stairway
Rainbow/A Light in the Black
AC/DC/Thunderstruck
My phöne put it in automatically.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
"Madhouse" has good riffs and solid verses. The first pre-chorus is decent, but the second one is worse, and the chorus stinks. Strong solo, though. A very mixed bag, but still pretty good overall. "Carry On" starts off a bit too frenetic for its own good, but I do like the busy guitar leads and the bass leads. Andre Matos has a wimpy character to his voice, and the synths are more twee than I would like, but there are some pretty good melodies here. The backing vocals aren't very good, coming off as kind of sickly, but the solos are nice. Ugh, synth horns must die, though I like the other musical choices during that interlude. Another very mixed bag with a number of good components. I could probably go either way on this one, but pro-MaidenFan and anti-Anthrax bias leads me to go with @Black Bart's nominee here. Winner: Angra - "Carry On"
"Stairway To Heaven" is an all-timer for good reason. The acoustic guitar and flute work is beautiful, Plant sounds outstanding and delivers great melodies throughout, and when the song finally takes off it shoots up into the stratosphere. "Stand Up And Shout" has a strong riff (albeit one that gets beaten into the ground) and pretty good vocal melodies. The verse and pre-chorus are good, but the chorus is pretty lame. The solos are also good, if a bit try-hard. Dio sounds good-to-great, as expected. Pretty good overall, but come on, people, this is no contest. Winner: Led Zeppelin - "Stairway To Heaven"
"Sad But True" has nice crunch, and the twisty vocal harmonies are cool, but I was never really a fan of the too-slow stomp, the gratuitous pauses, and the annoying repetitiveness of this song. It wears out its welcome pretty quickly, and on the rare occasions when I listen to the black album it's a coin flip whether I'll skip this song or not. I'll acknowledge that it's "good", but that's about it. "Medusa" has a simple but catchy riff, and Belladonna actually sounds quite good on the verse. The pre-choruses with their terrible backing vocals and non-melodic sections kinda suck, and the chorus isn't much better. The solo is pretty good, but harmonized strangely in places. A very mixed bag where the song mostly hangs its hat on the strong verses -- but sorry, @The Dissident, that's still not enough to defeat even a relatively weak nominee from @The Sentient. Winner: Metallica - "Sad But True"
"Nothing Else Matters" is actually a really high-quality ballad, aside from the annoying "tuning my guitar" opening. The melodies are strong and memorable, Hetfield's vocal performance is excellent, and the heavy section completely rips. And hey, Elton John said it was one of the best songs ever written, and he made Hetfield cry like a baby as a result, so there's that. "The Well Of Souls" starts off with good vocals but bad phrasing. Solid guitar lead, but I don't like the vocals following the lead so directly. Strong solo. OK, I'm starting to get annoyed by that extreme tremolo in the singer's voice. Checking the clock at the five and a half minute mark. The choral outro works pretty well. Yeah, sorry @Confeos, but this one isn't much of a contest either. Winner: Metallica - "Nothing Else Matters"
"A Light In The Black" has an OK riff. The verse vocal melodies are OK, but the chorus is meh. Dio generally sounds good, but there just isn't anything special going on through the vocal sections at all. The opening synth solo is a bit of an eye roll for me, though the one that follows is a lot better. The guitar solo is OK, but feels like weak improv. Checking the clock around 6:45. Yeah, this isn't my jam. "Spotlight Kid" has a pleasantly busy opening riff that gets smoothed out a bit for the rest of the song without losing any drive. The main vocal melodies and performance are good, though I'm not thrilled with the backing vocals. Pretty cool guitar solo, and I really like the neoclassical parts that follow, but that synth solo sounds like early 70s Vangelis on a drunk bender. Good stuff with some great parts. Sorry, Kardata, but I prefer @Black Bart's nominee here. Winner: Rainbow - "Spotlight Kid"
"Thunderstruck" has an iconic intro and big, ballsy chords that sum up AC/DC's sound nicely. Brian Johnson's voice was already shot by this point, but he made it work for him anyway, and the melodies are pretty strong. The solo's pretty good and the bridge is solid too. Good stuff, almost great. "Bring Tha Noize" is an interesting experiment, though I'm not sure the guitars add much to the track, and the group vocals certainly aren't a plus. I feel like the Aerosmith/Run-DMC collab on "Walk This Way" had more of an impact, frankly. No contest here. Winner: AC/DC - "Thunderstruck"
"Stairway To Heaven" is an all-timer for good reason. The acoustic guitar and flute work is beautiful, Plant sounds outstanding and delivers great melodies throughout, and when the song finally takes off it shoots up into the stratosphere. "Stand Up And Shout" has a strong riff (albeit one that gets beaten into the ground) and pretty good vocal melodies. The verse and pre-chorus are good, but the chorus is pretty lame. The solos are also good, if a bit try-hard. Dio sounds good-to-great, as expected. Pretty good overall, but come on, people, this is no contest. Winner: Led Zeppelin - "Stairway To Heaven"
"Sad But True" has nice crunch, and the twisty vocal harmonies are cool, but I was never really a fan of the too-slow stomp, the gratuitous pauses, and the annoying repetitiveness of this song. It wears out its welcome pretty quickly, and on the rare occasions when I listen to the black album it's a coin flip whether I'll skip this song or not. I'll acknowledge that it's "good", but that's about it. "Medusa" has a simple but catchy riff, and Belladonna actually sounds quite good on the verse. The pre-choruses with their terrible backing vocals and non-melodic sections kinda suck, and the chorus isn't much better. The solo is pretty good, but harmonized strangely in places. A very mixed bag where the song mostly hangs its hat on the strong verses -- but sorry, @The Dissident, that's still not enough to defeat even a relatively weak nominee from @The Sentient. Winner: Metallica - "Sad But True"
"Nothing Else Matters" is actually a really high-quality ballad, aside from the annoying "tuning my guitar" opening. The melodies are strong and memorable, Hetfield's vocal performance is excellent, and the heavy section completely rips. And hey, Elton John said it was one of the best songs ever written, and he made Hetfield cry like a baby as a result, so there's that. "The Well Of Souls" starts off with good vocals but bad phrasing. Solid guitar lead, but I don't like the vocals following the lead so directly. Strong solo. OK, I'm starting to get annoyed by that extreme tremolo in the singer's voice. Checking the clock at the five and a half minute mark. The choral outro works pretty well. Yeah, sorry @Confeos, but this one isn't much of a contest either. Winner: Metallica - "Nothing Else Matters"
"A Light In The Black" has an OK riff. The verse vocal melodies are OK, but the chorus is meh. Dio generally sounds good, but there just isn't anything special going on through the vocal sections at all. The opening synth solo is a bit of an eye roll for me, though the one that follows is a lot better. The guitar solo is OK, but feels like weak improv. Checking the clock around 6:45. Yeah, this isn't my jam. "Spotlight Kid" has a pleasantly busy opening riff that gets smoothed out a bit for the rest of the song without losing any drive. The main vocal melodies and performance are good, though I'm not thrilled with the backing vocals. Pretty cool guitar solo, and I really like the neoclassical parts that follow, but that synth solo sounds like early 70s Vangelis on a drunk bender. Good stuff with some great parts. Sorry, Kardata, but I prefer @Black Bart's nominee here. Winner: Rainbow - "Spotlight Kid"
"Thunderstruck" has an iconic intro and big, ballsy chords that sum up AC/DC's sound nicely. Brian Johnson's voice was already shot by this point, but he made it work for him anyway, and the melodies are pretty strong. The solo's pretty good and the bridge is solid too. Good stuff, almost great. "Bring Tha Noize" is an interesting experiment, though I'm not sure the guitars add much to the track, and the group vocals certainly aren't a plus. I feel like the Aerosmith/Run-DMC collab on "Walk This Way" had more of an impact, frankly. No contest here. Winner: AC/DC - "Thunderstruck"
Anthrax is just gonna have to carry on in the madhouse after dealing with Angra. You can take a stairway all the way to heaven, just don't forget to stand up and shout for Dio once you're there. It's sad but true that Metallica beat Anthrax. Well, not sad. You have to feel like Candlemass agrees that nothing else (except for GMSC supremacy) matters. The spotlight is just A Light in the Black. And Anthrax goes 0 for 3 as they're thunderstruck by AC/DC.
Part II, Round 2, Matches 82-87
| Group Stage - Round 2 |
| Nights of the Dead Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song | vs. | Unleash the Archers - Soulbound | |
| Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, Radio EHS 100 | Nominators | ||
| 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | Record | 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Group Stage - Round 2 |
| Remember Tomorrow Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tool - Forty Six & 2 | vs. | Tarot - Stigmata (I Feel For You) | |
| Rolling Stone 100 @Diesel 11 | Nominators | ||
| 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | Record | 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Group Stage - Round 2 |
| Stranger in a Strange Land Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type O Negative - Black No. 1 | vs. | Evanescence - Going Under | |
| Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100 | Nominators | Youtube 50 | |
| 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | Record | 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Group Stage - Round 2 |
| To Tame a Land Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Possessed - The Exorcist | vs. | Aerosmith - Dream On | |
| DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100 | Nominators | Popoff 500 | |
| 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | Record | 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Group Stage - Round 2 |
| From Fear to Eternity Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sepultura - Arise | vs. | Opeth - Ghost of Perdition | |
| Popoff 500 @KiDDo | Nominators | ||
| 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | Record | 0-0-0, 0 pts, +0 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Dammit, man!
What? Just pick the one you like best. It's not elimination!
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Dammit, man!
srfc
Ancient Mariner
Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song vs. Unleash the Archers - Soulbound
Unleash the Archers track was alright, I've said it a few times, there isn't anything bad about them but there is just something that refuses to click with me. Immigrant Song, a behemoth Immigrant Song
Tool - Forty Six & 2 vs. Tarot - Stigmata (I Feel For You)
Neither song do a hell of a lot for me. Most of the Tool tracks that have popped up in the games seem of the same ilk as this, built around a droning riff in a weird time signature, with light and shade parts, no hooks, I can imagine why this appeals to some but it's not for me. Tarot a bit too DioSabbath really Stigmata (I Feel For You)
Type O Negative - Black No. 1 vs. Evanescence - Going Under
Didn't listen to either as after a Type O list track knocked out my nominee Unto Others on a tie break(!) they won't be getting any votes from me. *
Going Under
Possessed - The Exorcist vs. Aerosmith - Dream On
Possessed not my scene. some bad parts, some interesting parts. Dream On great. Dream On
Sepultura - Arise vs. Opeth - Ghost of Perdition
Opeth, some good riffs, doesn't click with me due to vocals and poncing about with all the different sections for the sake of it. Arise wouldn't be the track I'd nominate from that album (Dead Embryonic Cells would be) but it is the Sepultura album I go back to more, which is funny, as when I was in my teenage Sepultura phase it was the one I listened to least. Arise
Morbid Angel - Chapel of Ghouls vs. Count Raven - Baltic Storm
Chapel of Ghouls quite bad, Count Raven a bit too OzzySabbth really Baltic Storm
*unless up against something like Korn.
Unleash the Archers track was alright, I've said it a few times, there isn't anything bad about them but there is just something that refuses to click with me. Immigrant Song, a behemoth Immigrant Song
Tool - Forty Six & 2 vs. Tarot - Stigmata (I Feel For You)
Neither song do a hell of a lot for me. Most of the Tool tracks that have popped up in the games seem of the same ilk as this, built around a droning riff in a weird time signature, with light and shade parts, no hooks, I can imagine why this appeals to some but it's not for me. Tarot a bit too DioSabbath really Stigmata (I Feel For You)
Type O Negative - Black No. 1 vs. Evanescence - Going Under
Didn't listen to either as after a Type O list track knocked out my nominee Unto Others on a tie break(!) they won't be getting any votes from me. *
Going Under
Possessed - The Exorcist vs. Aerosmith - Dream On
Possessed not my scene. some bad parts, some interesting parts. Dream On great. Dream On
Sepultura - Arise vs. Opeth - Ghost of Perdition
Opeth, some good riffs, doesn't click with me due to vocals and poncing about with all the different sections for the sake of it. Arise wouldn't be the track I'd nominate from that album (Dead Embryonic Cells would be) but it is the Sepultura album I go back to more, which is funny, as when I was in my teenage Sepultura phase it was the one I listened to least. Arise
Morbid Angel - Chapel of Ghouls vs. Count Raven - Baltic Storm
Chapel of Ghouls quite bad, Count Raven a bit too OzzySabbth really Baltic Storm
*unless up against something like Korn.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
"Immigrant Song" kicks you in the teeth right out of the gate with that iconic staccato riff and Robert Plant's screams. The vocal melodies are good, but not quite great. The ending is pleasantly hypnotic, though, and the song doesn't overstay its welcome. Very good overall, bordering on great. The growls in "Soulbound" can suck my ass, but the vocal melodies are pretty good and there are some interesting harmonies too. Good energy throughout, and a cool solo. Maybe a little more synth-forward than I'd prefer, but otherwise pretty strong. Unfortunately, @Wogmidget, the Muppet tax and the long-term staying power of the list nominee conspired to take down your choice here. Winner: Led Zeppelin - "Immigrant Song"
"Forty Six & 2" has a dope bass and guitar groove that goes through some nice convolutions. The verse melody is strong, and while the chorus melody doesn't land as hard, the extra punch in the music picks up the slack. The interludes and variations leading up through the ending are also really strong. Great stuff overall. "Stigmata (I Feel For You)" has a cool opening groove and some nice bass-forward action under the verse. The singer didn't quite sell me on the verses, but he sounds pretty good on the rest. Pretty good solo. Solid enough overall, though I did start to check the clock around the 7 minute mark. Congratusorrylations, @Diesel 11, but this is a pretty easy call for Tool. Winner: Tool - "Forty Six & 2"
"Black No. 1" certainly hits the full dynamic range from soft, low, gothy verses to loud, high screams. The verse melodies are pretty good, but chorus 1 isn't great. Chorus 2 is significantly better, though. The jammy instrumental parts are fine, but nothing particularly special, and the song really didn't need to be anywhere near this long. Still pretty good overall. "Going Under" has great melodies, great songwriting, and great performances. I love that dark piano bit that makes the verse feel off-kilter, and Amy Lee manages to soar here without sounding overwrought for a change. No contest here. Winner: Evanescence - "Going Under"
"The Exorcist" starts with the movie theme, then quickly devolves into overly busy noise with bad non-melodic vocals. Some of the licks and solos are nice, but that's about it. No sir, don't like it. "Dream On" has an excellent melancholy opening and verse that builds beautifully through the pre-chorus into a brighter but still bittersweet chorus 1. The instrumentals are tasteful, and the buildup through chorus 2 is pretty epic. Tyler pushes way past his limits there, but the performance fits the material. Excellent song. The easiest of calls for Aerosmith here. Winner: Aerosmith - "Dream On"
"Arise" delivers ambient noise for a while, then some pretty good riffage on top of brain dead drumming with crappy non-melodic vocals. The solo feels rushed, but has some neat elements. So, pretty good guitars, but everything else sucks. Sounds like Sepultura to me. "Ghost Of Perdition" starts off with a great haunting first 7 seconds, and then Åkerfeldt makes it completely unlistenable with his particularly coarse Cookie Monster nonsense. The music and songwriting are otherwise great, as expected, and Åkerfeldt also sounds great when he stays clean, but my eyes roll a full 360 degrees when he starts growling again. And yet despite these deficits, I have to say sorry @KiDDo, but @MrKnickerbocker's nominee still pulls this one out against a weak competitor. Winner: Opeth - "Ghost Of Perdition"
"Chapel Of Ghouls" is a bunch of mostly mindless riffage with bad non-melodic vocals on top. The soloing is directionless and doesn't go with the riffs it's played on top of. The interlude in the middle with the spacey choral synths finally pulls together a coherent groove for a bit, then it's back and forth with the noisy potbanging nonsense. The final quarter of the song pulls together a second coherent groove for a while before giving up again. Yeah, this song sucks. "Baltic Storm" has an appealing main riff. The singer sounds somewhere between Ozzy and one of the Mastodon dudes. The vocal melodies are solid, but nothing too special. OK, this is starting to plod -- checking the clock at the 4 minute mark and it's less than half done. The guitar and synth interlude is pretty great, at least, and the outro is pretty good. This one overstayed its welcome, but it had a number of cool parts -- and congratulations, @Confeos, that's more than enough to beat a weak competitor. Winner: Count Raven - "Baltic Storm"
"Forty Six & 2" has a dope bass and guitar groove that goes through some nice convolutions. The verse melody is strong, and while the chorus melody doesn't land as hard, the extra punch in the music picks up the slack. The interludes and variations leading up through the ending are also really strong. Great stuff overall. "Stigmata (I Feel For You)" has a cool opening groove and some nice bass-forward action under the verse. The singer didn't quite sell me on the verses, but he sounds pretty good on the rest. Pretty good solo. Solid enough overall, though I did start to check the clock around the 7 minute mark. Congratusorrylations, @Diesel 11, but this is a pretty easy call for Tool. Winner: Tool - "Forty Six & 2"
"Black No. 1" certainly hits the full dynamic range from soft, low, gothy verses to loud, high screams. The verse melodies are pretty good, but chorus 1 isn't great. Chorus 2 is significantly better, though. The jammy instrumental parts are fine, but nothing particularly special, and the song really didn't need to be anywhere near this long. Still pretty good overall. "Going Under" has great melodies, great songwriting, and great performances. I love that dark piano bit that makes the verse feel off-kilter, and Amy Lee manages to soar here without sounding overwrought for a change. No contest here. Winner: Evanescence - "Going Under"
"The Exorcist" starts with the movie theme, then quickly devolves into overly busy noise with bad non-melodic vocals. Some of the licks and solos are nice, but that's about it. No sir, don't like it. "Dream On" has an excellent melancholy opening and verse that builds beautifully through the pre-chorus into a brighter but still bittersweet chorus 1. The instrumentals are tasteful, and the buildup through chorus 2 is pretty epic. Tyler pushes way past his limits there, but the performance fits the material. Excellent song. The easiest of calls for Aerosmith here. Winner: Aerosmith - "Dream On"
"Arise" delivers ambient noise for a while, then some pretty good riffage on top of brain dead drumming with crappy non-melodic vocals. The solo feels rushed, but has some neat elements. So, pretty good guitars, but everything else sucks. Sounds like Sepultura to me. "Ghost Of Perdition" starts off with a great haunting first 7 seconds, and then Åkerfeldt makes it completely unlistenable with his particularly coarse Cookie Monster nonsense. The music and songwriting are otherwise great, as expected, and Åkerfeldt also sounds great when he stays clean, but my eyes roll a full 360 degrees when he starts growling again. And yet despite these deficits, I have to say sorry @KiDDo, but @MrKnickerbocker's nominee still pulls this one out against a weak competitor. Winner: Opeth - "Ghost Of Perdition"
"Chapel Of Ghouls" is a bunch of mostly mindless riffage with bad non-melodic vocals on top. The soloing is directionless and doesn't go with the riffs it's played on top of. The interlude in the middle with the spacey choral synths finally pulls together a coherent groove for a bit, then it's back and forth with the noisy potbanging nonsense. The final quarter of the song pulls together a second coherent groove for a while before giving up again. Yeah, this song sucks. "Baltic Storm" has an appealing main riff. The singer sounds somewhere between Ozzy and one of the Mastodon dudes. The vocal melodies are solid, but nothing too special. OK, this is starting to plod -- checking the clock at the 4 minute mark and it's less than half done. The guitar and synth interlude is pretty great, at least, and the outro is pretty good. This one overstayed its welcome, but it had a number of cool parts -- and congratulations, @Confeos, that's more than enough to beat a weak competitor. Winner: Count Raven - "Baltic Storm"
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Immigrant Song is one of those rare Zeppelin tunes that I would consider metal and damn those bass runs are incredible! That said, as usual, I find Plant's stream of consciousness melodies to be boring and annoying. And the song doesn't really go anywhere. Yes, I'm an Unleash The Archers fanboy, and yes, Soulbound is better in every regard.
Forty Six & 2 follows the typical Tool "short" song format: trippy atmosphere, find a riff, drill it into your brain with varying degrees of angst and rhythmic shifting. It's a cool song, as are most of Tool's "hits", and has great drumming and dynamics. I can't say it really grabs me in any way, but it's good. Stigmata also has a ton of atmosphere, but as with the majority of Tarot's material it lacks any real hooks. I love Marko's voice, but nothing he does here is very memorable. I really want to vote for my boy Marko, but I just can't justify it being a better song over 48.
Ah, speaking of atmosphere, let's listen to some baritone vampire ASMR...regardless of my general "meh" attitude towards Type O Negative, this song is way more fun, silly, and spooky than another melodramatic Evanescence tune. Black No. 1
Other than the wonderfully spooky intro, Possessed are...just not for me in literally any way. Dream On is a classic rock classic that rocks. Best Aerosmith song ever (and honestly the only one I like).
To say Arise is a mess would be to give it too much credit. The drums, in particular, are worse than St. Anger. Ghost of Perdition is not only the single greatest Opeth song, but one of the greatest metal songs of all time.
Before even pressing play, I have to be honest that the title Chapel of Ghouls really had my allegiance. That's just a genius title right there. The song, however, is severely less than genius. Baltic Storm is boring Sabbath worship, but it still wins this one easily.
Forty Six & 2 follows the typical Tool "short" song format: trippy atmosphere, find a riff, drill it into your brain with varying degrees of angst and rhythmic shifting. It's a cool song, as are most of Tool's "hits", and has great drumming and dynamics. I can't say it really grabs me in any way, but it's good. Stigmata also has a ton of atmosphere, but as with the majority of Tarot's material it lacks any real hooks. I love Marko's voice, but nothing he does here is very memorable. I really want to vote for my boy Marko, but I just can't justify it being a better song over 48.
Ah, speaking of atmosphere, let's listen to some baritone vampire ASMR...regardless of my general "meh" attitude towards Type O Negative, this song is way more fun, silly, and spooky than another melodramatic Evanescence tune. Black No. 1
Other than the wonderfully spooky intro, Possessed are...just not for me in literally any way. Dream On is a classic rock classic that rocks. Best Aerosmith song ever (and honestly the only one I like).
To say Arise is a mess would be to give it too much credit. The drums, in particular, are worse than St. Anger. Ghost of Perdition is not only the single greatest Opeth song, but one of the greatest metal songs of all time.
Before even pressing play, I have to be honest that the title Chapel of Ghouls really had my allegiance. That's just a genius title right there. The song, however, is severely less than genius. Baltic Storm is boring Sabbath worship, but it still wins this one easily.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Just wanted to say - I've been having some eye issues (for quite some time, actually, since January already), among some other things, and I'm doing my best to improve my lifestyle, which means limiting my screentime as much as possible (while all of my work and most of my hobbies are somehow digitally-inclined, so it's already kinda strained), so I might be visiting the forum less now, which I've already been doing in the past weeks - just giving a heads up, especially to @LooseCannon , since I really appreciate his work here and I want him to know it. I'll try to drop by and vote as often as possible, but in case I don't - anyone who votes for my nominations, my favourites (like Opeth and such) and power metal in my absence is a friend of mine and I will pray for him. You know I love you lot, don't you?
Sorry to hear about your eye issues, hopefully a break from screens will help improve it. And hoping you can still get lots of votes in, even if the writeups aren't around so much. Thanks for participating!
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Well, whatever, since I'm already here, I'll do just a brief write-up, voted for
Archers - I don't like their production and probably never will, but still, power metal is power metal, the band is really cool otherwise and I've overplayed Zeppelin in the past
Tarot, because again - power metal over Tool's self-indulgence
Black no. 1 is kinda hilarious and very catchy and "loving you was like loving the dead" (did you know Peter Steele actually returned to Catholicism in his final years/months? I'm really so happy for him, hope I'll meet him in Heaven or at least Purgatory - he was really a cool character)
Aerosmith over Possessed as my boomer nature prevails here
Opeth, because I love them and Ghost of Perdition is such a stellar track (from possibly still their best album) that it made Jer vote for it, and that must mean something
Count Raven, because I'll take Sabbath worship over Morbid Angel any day of the week and I really like Count Raven, as I've already said in this thread before
Archers - I don't like their production and probably never will, but still, power metal is power metal, the band is really cool otherwise and I've overplayed Zeppelin in the past
Tarot, because again - power metal over Tool's self-indulgence
Black no. 1 is kinda hilarious and very catchy and "loving you was like loving the dead" (did you know Peter Steele actually returned to Catholicism in his final years/months? I'm really so happy for him, hope I'll meet him in Heaven or at least Purgatory - he was really a cool character)
Aerosmith over Possessed as my boomer nature prevails here
Opeth, because I love them and Ghost of Perdition is such a stellar track (from possibly still their best album) that it made Jer vote for it, and that must mean something
Count Raven, because I'll take Sabbath worship over Morbid Angel any day of the week and I really like Count Raven, as I've already said in this thread before