The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 5, Matches 55-60

[Diesel 11]

YOUR FUCKING NIGHTMARE

ZOMBIE!! RITUAAAAAAL!!

CHOKE ON IT!! AS YOUR TONGUE GOES DOWN!!!

Hate to vote against Nightwish but "Antithesis of Light" is one of the greatest funeral doom tracks ever written. There are better Nightwish in here.

Sanctuary

Amon Amarth

 

[LooseCannon]

I have to admit I am really curious to see how the first matchup plays out. I am not sure myself how I will vote.

 

[Mosh]

I have to admit I am really curious to see how the first matchup plays out. I am not sure myself how I will vote.

As someone who loves both of these controversial bands, it’s a pretty clear choice for A7X imo. God of Thunder is iconic but works more as a showpiece for Gene’s demon character than as anything that holds up as an actually good song. Also the studio version isn’t good.

Nightmare on the other hand is one of their most well crafted songs. Great riff, nice adventurous instrumental section, Portnoy on drums doesn’t hurt. The “your fucking nightmare” thing is goofy, but the chorus as a whole is pretty catchy,

 

[Kalata]

I have to admit I am really curious to see how the first matchup plays out. I am not sure myself how I will vote.

God Of Thunder works and with Gene (I like Paul's vocals for it a lot, the faster version - not the backing vocals though), it's a heavy stomper but not melodic. Not a big fan of it. A7X's Nightmare has some melodic approach and is a typical alternative metal.

The best song this round is Kinslayer, it's very effective. Sanctuary's The Year The Sun Died and Warlord's Deliver Us From Evil are nice too. The vocal melodies and riff (for the latter) are cool.

 

[LooseCannon]

only 7 votes! come on all ye metalheads and give me some votes!

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

No time to listen today, so please allow me some very dumb and uninformed votes (I am American, after all).

1 Mike Portnoy > all KISS

Death for no reason other than I would feel bad voting against them twice in the same round.

Necropolis because I like Visigoth's cover of it.

Nightwish, obviously.

Warlord because @Perun bias.

Amon Amarth, obviously.

 

[LooseCannon]

What a nightmare for the god of thunder. Avenged Sevenfold wins. This ain't no zombie ritual, it's just a strong Death victory. But then Death chokes on it as they lose to Manilla Road. Nightwish kinslays to the victory, and Warlord has delivered us from the evil of the sun dying. And we continue to embrace the endless ocean with Amon Amarth.

---

Part II, Round 5, Matches 55-60
​

Group Stage - Round 5	Match 55​	Rod Smallwood Division​
Death - Overactive Imagination	vs.​	Riot - Outlaw​
@Shmoolikipod	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +8	Record​	0-2-0, 0 pts, -23​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 5	Match 56​	Futureal Division​
Deep Purple - Stormbringer	vs.​	Candlemass - Demon's Gate​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	@Confeos​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +2	Record​	1-1-0, 2 pts, -9​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 5	Match 57​	Dave Murray Division​
KISS - Shout It Out Loud	vs.​	Devin Townsend - Earth Day​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	@Mosh​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -6	Record​	0-2-0, 0 pts, -23​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 5	Match 58​	The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg Division​
Aerosmith - Back in the Saddle	vs.​	Ozzy Osbourne - Suicide Solution​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -3	Record​	1-1-0, 2 pts, -25​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 5	Match 59​	The Clansman Division​
Stratovarius - Father Time	vs.​	Sonata Arctica - White Pearl, Black Ocean​
@Stardust	Nominators​	@Spambot​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +11	Record​	1-1-0, 2 pts, -11​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 5	Match 60​	Different World Division​
Led Zeppelin - When the Levee Breaks	vs.​	Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -1	Record​	1-1-0, 2 pts, -13​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

 

[Spambot]

I believe there'll be a lot of "not metal" this round, and I'll be the first one: lot of these tracks or artist aren'nt "really metal" but I also have to say this: Stormbringer came on shuffle the other day and I have to say - that 50 year old riff still smokes out a lot of music that is considered "heavy". Same goes for Bonzo/Jones groove in When the Levee Breaks.

I can't say the same for my nominee. But you can vote for it, tho.
I'm sure you've voted for much worse stuff in your life.

 

[Mosh]

I don't mind considering Stormbringer metal, that song is definitely very heavy for its time and still holds up for sure. Against a weaker opponent (say Strato or Sonata Arctica), I would have voted for it.

 

[LooseCannon]

Yeah, I think Stormbringer counts as proto-metal for sure.

 

[Kalata]

Riot's Outlaw, easy choice for me. Classic melodic metal with cool riffs (that opening one) and solos (plus the melody!). The vocal ideas are nice enough.
Stormbringer is proto-metal Purple. The riff is memorable, the vocals ideas are strong and effective. Not to mention the solo. Another easy choice, vocals speaks again.
It seems this round is easy for me. Some cool licks, but Shout It Out Loud, despite its chorus and repetitions, is a classic Kiss, so I vote for it. It's so fun.
I'm not a fan of both Back In The Saddle and Ozzy's SS, but the latter has better riffs.
I actually think White Pearl, Black Oceans is a classy piece from Sonata Arctica (interesting power metal with symphonic vibe and melodic parts), but it's tough against the classic and anthemic power metal of Father Time. Stratovarius were at their peak back then. The metal riffing and that nostalgic chorus are just better.
The vibe and beat of When The Levee Breaks are captivating, but the mystical vibe of Perfect Strangers is even better. More anthemic, and that riff!

 

[srfc]

Death track is decent enough, but Riot is great

Demon's Gate is pretty good, Stormbringer is better

Don't like Devin Townsend, Shout It Out Loud is great

Back in the Saddle is pretty good, Suicide Solution is better

Stratovarius was pretty good, verging on the type of Euro power metal that I'd have time for, not keen on Sonata Arctica

Perfect Strangers is brilliant, When the Levee Breaks is better

 

[LooseCannon]

Most of these are really close, a couple votes could make the difference!