GREATEST METAL ALBUM CUP - Winner: Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son!
- Thread starter LooseCannon
- Start date
Cat Milk Supreme
Ancient Mariner
I regret nothing.Unless it’s Virtual XI. I mean, c’mon, @Niall Kielt...
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I liked Stone Sour's s/t back in my Nü Metal days. It's shitty now, but Bother holds up. Still better than Power Trip, which has vastly overstayed its welcome.
The only good Avenged Sevenfold album is Waking the Fallen, this stuff is terrible. Mostly the fault of the vocalist, but oh well. I need to actually give Atlantean Kodex a full listen one of these days.
Is KIMB ever going to go up against a good album? Another vote for Megadeth, even though I don't want to.
I'm generally an average Tool fan, but this is a very good album. Vicarious, Right in Two, the title track, all awesome. The Pot is the single best Tool song ever. Easy vote for Tool.
The only good Avenged Sevenfold album is Waking the Fallen, this stuff is terrible. Mostly the fault of the vocalist, but oh well. I need to actually give Atlantean Kodex a full listen one of these days.
Is KIMB ever going to go up against a good album? Another vote for Megadeth, even though I don't want to.
I'm generally an average Tool fan, but this is a very good album. Vicarious, Right in Two, the title track, all awesome. The Pot is the single best Tool song ever. Easy vote for Tool.
karljant
Ancient Mariner
Ah.. Stone Sour! Like if Slipknot wasn't enough to spread acoustic agony Corey Taylor just found a way to double the dose. Excuse me... by doubling I mean making it three times worst. Because Stone Sour simply irritates me the double Slipknot does (and that's not an easy achievement). Why? Because the kinda Emo melodic parts sound even more cringe, the heavy parts even more plastic and speaking of that, where Slipknot has that kinda chaotic extreme vibe (although really artificial) and some good passages (especially dragged by the drumming) Stone Sour sounds like what Nickleback would do if they were asked to make a Slipknot like song. So yeah... utter crap and Power Trip wins this almost by default.
And here we go again this time with Avenged Sevenfold. Although not being as irritating as Stone Sour these dudes also have that pop chewing gum metal feel to it all over and, although some passages are really interesting, the result is so dull and predictable and overdone it hurts. And once again what hurts even more is that I'm pretty sure these guys are capable of way more crafty compositions than what these overheard and utterly vulgar tracks bring to the table. Once gain Atlanten Kodex almost by default.
As I've already discussed with @Magnus , I never was a fan of Sentenced with the exception of Amok (that was kind of a transition between Mellow Death/ Black to something I'll call Gothic Metal - and we all know that when a band not named Paradise Lost or Type O Negative goes Gothic Metal it's half way to certain disaster). And while delivering some cool songs and ideas North From Here never managed to win me. Props to the intricate tense and caustic guitar melodies on this thing that keeps us on our heels the entire time (it reminds me of a mid term between 90's Death and At The Gates - Magnus already showed is disapproval on this comparisons but well... to each their own). If I had to pick some highlights I would go with Fields Of Blood that has a somehow Nocturnus proggy feel to it in some parts and the really all over the place puzzle that is Capture Of Fire. But then again i don't know why... North From Here didn't capture me back in the 90's and still doesn't manage to do it now. Megadeth's debut did that in the 80's and, although to a way lesser degree, stil does today.
10000 Days is (IMO) Tool's least exciting record since they upped their game from a cool 90's Alternative Metal band (in Opiate and Undertow) to something way bigger. In Aenima, Lateralus and Fear Inoculum there's an almost immaculate no filler feeling. Yeah... the band always squeezes those weird interludes in (and on that category 10000 Days offers us Lipan Conjuring) but when they go for actual songs it is guaranteed quality. That's not the case here since there are songs like the somewhat half baked Alternative Rocker in The Pot (that would look way less out context if it was released during the band's early years) or the lack of that strong chord that holds your listening in Jambi with its botched and lack of consistence, like if it's trying to grasp various genres at the same time without managing to firmly clutch one of them. But then there's cool stuff: while also suffering from Jambi's dispersion to a way lesser degree, Rosetta Stoned has one hell of a build up and some really strong passages. Intention is a great psychedelic 70's rock soothing mantra that only has the flaw of being a tad bit too long. Then we have an upper echelon of really impressive songs: Vicarious is your typical Tool single and although it's overall a delightful simple composition for the band's standards (and while I think it fails as a record opener) the way this thing blasts into a breath taking explosion near its end is worth the entire song easily. Lost Keys is another mind bending psychedelic soundscape and man this thing is as brief as beautiful.
But let's forget all that because we now have the songs I believe really pull 10000 Days to another level. Right In Two... what can I say about this damned thing? Perhaps a nearby perfect dramatic anthem both lyric and composition wise would be suitable. These are the type of songs that made Tool a thing of its own in the Rock landscape. But I saved my last lines for 2 tracks that actually are 3... and that actually are just one. Confusing? Sure but I'll explain. The two parts of Wings (Wings For Marie and 10000 Days) are mind blowing stuff in every way possible. First we have the ultra serious, personal and solemn lyrical concept (Maynards mother passing away after 10000 Days of suffering). As for the songs themselves both work as a lengthy build of slow yet somehow anxious melodies until everything erupts into a transcendent angelical zenith by the end of the second part that is simply one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. Some may say the build up is absurdly long and, although I like it as it is, some time after the record came out an information leaked on why it was so: a mind blowing easter egg was hidden in the damned album. And to decode it we must recur to the track I haven't spoken of yet. Fact is Viginti Tres is 5.02 minutes of experimental noises. The first part of Wings is 6.11 minutes long. If we add up 5.02 mins to 6.11 mins we have a total of 11.13 minutes... WHICH HAPPENS TO BE WINGS PART TWO DURATION. So what's the meaning of all that? Take your mixing software and mashup Viginti Tres followed by Wings for Marie on one channel over 10000 Days on the other channel and you get a new song!!! Of course you can easily find the mashup on youtube (although some of them are really badly mixed). And man does this sound even stranger and more immersive. Defenitely the high point of this album.
So yeah... 10000 Days is a really uneven album stuck between two masterpieces (Lateralus and Fear Innoculum - if you consider a 13 years gap tight enough for the word "stuck") but its best moments are absolutley breath taking. And although I always use the skip track button on a couple of songs when listening to this record I have to admit it's still superior to the equally unique Devin and its comical relieve in Ziltoid. So my vote goes somewhat easily to Tool.
And here we go again this time with Avenged Sevenfold. Although not being as irritating as Stone Sour these dudes also have that pop chewing gum metal feel to it all over and, although some passages are really interesting, the result is so dull and predictable and overdone it hurts. And once again what hurts even more is that I'm pretty sure these guys are capable of way more crafty compositions than what these overheard and utterly vulgar tracks bring to the table. Once gain Atlanten Kodex almost by default.
As I've already discussed with @Magnus , I never was a fan of Sentenced with the exception of Amok (that was kind of a transition between Mellow Death/ Black to something I'll call Gothic Metal - and we all know that when a band not named Paradise Lost or Type O Negative goes Gothic Metal it's half way to certain disaster). And while delivering some cool songs and ideas North From Here never managed to win me. Props to the intricate tense and caustic guitar melodies on this thing that keeps us on our heels the entire time (it reminds me of a mid term between 90's Death and At The Gates - Magnus already showed is disapproval on this comparisons but well... to each their own). If I had to pick some highlights I would go with Fields Of Blood that has a somehow Nocturnus proggy feel to it in some parts and the really all over the place puzzle that is Capture Of Fire. But then again i don't know why... North From Here didn't capture me back in the 90's and still doesn't manage to do it now. Megadeth's debut did that in the 80's and, although to a way lesser degree, stil does today.
10000 Days is (IMO) Tool's least exciting record since they upped their game from a cool 90's Alternative Metal band (in Opiate and Undertow) to something way bigger. In Aenima, Lateralus and Fear Inoculum there's an almost immaculate no filler feeling. Yeah... the band always squeezes those weird interludes in (and on that category 10000 Days offers us Lipan Conjuring) but when they go for actual songs it is guaranteed quality. That's not the case here since there are songs like the somewhat half baked Alternative Rocker in The Pot (that would look way less out context if it was released during the band's early years) or the lack of that strong chord that holds your listening in Jambi with its botched and lack of consistence, like if it's trying to grasp various genres at the same time without managing to firmly clutch one of them. But then there's cool stuff: while also suffering from Jambi's dispersion to a way lesser degree, Rosetta Stoned has one hell of a build up and some really strong passages. Intention is a great psychedelic 70's rock soothing mantra that only has the flaw of being a tad bit too long. Then we have an upper echelon of really impressive songs: Vicarious is your typical Tool single and although it's overall a delightful simple composition for the band's standards (and while I think it fails as a record opener) the way this thing blasts into a breath taking explosion near its end is worth the entire song easily. Lost Keys is another mind bending psychedelic soundscape and man this thing is as brief as beautiful.
But let's forget all that because we now have the songs I believe really pull 10000 Days to another level. Right In Two... what can I say about this damned thing? Perhaps a nearby perfect dramatic anthem both lyric and composition wise would be suitable. These are the type of songs that made Tool a thing of its own in the Rock landscape. But I saved my last lines for 2 tracks that actually are 3... and that actually are just one. Confusing? Sure but I'll explain. The two parts of Wings (Wings For Marie and 10000 Days) are mind blowing stuff in every way possible. First we have the ultra serious, personal and solemn lyrical concept (Maynards mother passing away after 10000 Days of suffering). As for the songs themselves both work as a lengthy build of slow yet somehow anxious melodies until everything erupts into a transcendent angelical zenith by the end of the second part that is simply one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. Some may say the build up is absurdly long and, although I like it as it is, some time after the record came out an information leaked on why it was so: a mind blowing easter egg was hidden in the damned album. And to decode it we must recur to the track I haven't spoken of yet. Fact is Viginti Tres is 5.02 minutes of experimental noises. The first part of Wings is 6.11 minutes long. If we add up 5.02 mins to 6.11 mins we have a total of 11.13 minutes... WHICH HAPPENS TO BE WINGS PART TWO DURATION. So what's the meaning of all that? Take your mixing software and mashup Viginti Tres followed by Wings for Marie on one channel over 10000 Days on the other channel and you get a new song!!! Of course you can easily find the mashup on youtube (although some of them are really badly mixed). And man does this sound even stranger and more immersive. Defenitely the high point of this album.
So yeah... 10000 Days is a really uneven album stuck between two masterpieces (Lateralus and Fear Innoculum - if you consider a 13 years gap tight enough for the word "stuck") but its best moments are absolutley breath taking. And although I always use the skip track button on a couple of songs when listening to this record I have to admit it's still superior to the equally unique Devin and its comical relieve in Ziltoid. So my vote goes somewhat easily to Tool.
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Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
So yeah, I did in fact end up voting for Stone Sour. I used to listen to them back in the day and honestly some of their stuff still holds up. Much better than Slipknot, at least. Power Trip is nice, but the novelty has worn off now.
This was my first time listening to this particular A7X album, and it's actually not bad. I would have voted for it over a lot of other competitors, but I've grown quite fond of Atlantean Kodex.
Sentenced isn't my thing. Megadeth is. Even with an album that has long overstayed its welcome.
And this isn't even a question. 10,000 Days is my 3rd favorite Tool album, but it's got some absolutely stellar songs. The Pot, Vicarious, Wings are all great, and Jambi is currently my favorite Tool song of all time. Tool. Hands down.
This was my first time listening to this particular A7X album, and it's actually not bad. I would have voted for it over a lot of other competitors, but I've grown quite fond of Atlantean Kodex.
Sentenced isn't my thing. Megadeth is. Even with an album that has long overstayed its welcome.
And this isn't even a question. 10,000 Days is my 3rd favorite Tool album, but it's got some absolutely stellar songs. The Pot, Vicarious, Wings are all great, and Jambi is currently my favorite Tool song of all time. Tool. Hands down.
Nightmare Logic rolls forward, crushing Stone Sour to sour dust. My Dying Bride is next.
Atlantean Kodex shoves Avenged Sevenfold off the stage, but they'll be back in League 7.
Megadave drives yet deeper, overwhelming Sentenced and eliminating them. Anthrax takes on Megadave in a thrashoff next League.
Tool puts paid to Devin Townsend's current offering. He's back in League 7.
Atlantean Kodex shoves Avenged Sevenfold off the stage, but they'll be back in League 7.
Megadave drives yet deeper, overwhelming Sentenced and eliminating them. Anthrax takes on Megadave in a thrashoff next League.
Tool puts paid to Devin Townsend's current offering. He's back in League 7.
Unleash the Archers - Apex (2017) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @LooseCannon | |
| League 8 - Match 5 | vs. |
Black Sabbath - Headless Cross (1989) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Forostar Previous Rounds: League 11: Defeated Skyclad - The Answer Machine? 11-10. League 10: Defeated As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us 22-2. League 9: Defeated Overkill - Feel the Fire 13-10. |
Dream Theater - Octavarium (2005) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Black Wizard | |
| League 8 - Match 6 | vs. |
Motörhead - 1916 (1991) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Magnus Previous Rounds: League 9: Defeated Opeth - Orchid 13-10. |
Alestorm - Sunset on the Golden Age (2014) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Lampwick 43 | |
| League 8 - Match 7 | vs. |
Iced Earth - Incorruptible (2017) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @LooseCannon Previous Rounds: League 11: Defeated Nirvana - In Utero 11-9. League 10: Defeated Blaze Bayley - Infinite Entanglement 13-9. League 9: Defeated Hell Fire - Mania 13-10. |
Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche (1983) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @The Dissident | |
| League 8 - Match 4 | vs. |
Symphony X - The Divine Winds of Tragedy (1997) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Lampwick 43 Previous Rounds: League 12: Defeated Accept - Blind Rage 17-5. League 11: Defeated Haken - Affinity 14-5. League 10: Defeated Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa 16-7. League 9: Defeated Primordial - To the Nameless Dead 15-9. |
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I'll be voting for Motörhead & Symphony X, plus my own two nominations.
Apex is my favourite album of the last 10 years (at least) and I can't recommend it enough. It's truly a classic. I wrote in extent about it here, and I recommend you take a peak. But what I said last stands: if you're an Iron Maiden fan, you should be listening to this band. There's influences here without being derivative and it's clearly the band's own music and direction.
Apex is my favourite album of the last 10 years (at least) and I can't recommend it enough. It's truly a classic. I wrote in extent about it here, and I recommend you take a peak. But what I said last stands: if you're an Iron Maiden fan, you should be listening to this band. There's influences here without being derivative and it's clearly the band's own music and direction.
Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
Tough draw for Alestorm 
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
I mean the EP, I've actually never heard this album by them. But I've heard it was good.--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alestorm - Sunset on the Golden Age (2014)
How it got here
List entries: n/a
Maidenfans Nominators: @Lampwick 43League 8 - Match 7 vs.
Iced Earth - Incorruptible (2017)
How it got here
List entries: n/a
Maidenfans Nominators: @LooseCannon
Previous Rounds:
League 11: Defeated Nirvana - In Utero 11-9.
League 10: Defeated Blaze Bayley - Infinite Entanglement 13-9.
League 9: Defeated Hell Fire - Mania 13-10.
Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche (2013)
How it got here
List entries: n/a
Maidenfans Nominators: @The DissidentLeague 8 - Match 4 vs.
Symphony X - The Divine Winds of Tragedy (1997)
How it got here
List entries: n/a
Maidenfans Nominators: @Lampwick 43
Previous Rounds:
League 12: Defeated Accept - Blind Rage 17-5.
League 11: Defeated Haken - Affinity 14-5.
League 10: Defeated Moonsorrow - Varjoina Kuljemme Kuolleiden Maassa 16-7.
League 9: Defeated Primordial - To the Nameless Dead 15-9.
Not sure what you're talking about.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Looks like you figured it out that he nominated Queensrÿche (1983), not Queensrÿche (2013). (The latter would have been a pretty weird choice, but you never know...)
Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
Wait, does Queensryche really have two different albums with the exact same name? 
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
Yea an EP in 1983 shortly before their debut album. And the Todd La Torre fronted 2013 album. I believe they called it as such as a way to have a better claim towards the band's name.Wait, does Queensryche really have two different albums with the exact same name?
I always had the 1983 EP, I would never make such a silly mistake!
You're welcome, I truly love the band, especially Apex.
Midnight
The Ever-Present "It"
I'll be voting for them!Tough draw for Alestorm
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Point of order, should we consider “Prophecy” part of the EP for the purposes of the GMAC...?