BEST BAND EVER: Results!

Rudess is no doubt a more technically skilled player than Pinnella, but I far more enjoy the latter’s approach to the instrument. He shows restraint all the time and accentuates phrasing over shredding. Incredibly easy vote for Pinnella here, whose piano material is just beautiful.

This is the same reason why I’d vote for someone like Satriani or hell, even John Mayer, over Yngwie Malmsteen.
 
Airey vs. Lord is poignant because Airey directly replaced him in Deep Purple, and also the song Above and Beyond is dedicated to Jon Lord. Obviously went with Lord, but great work from Airey on that song.

I don't like Rudess. He's super technical and can play anything and all that, but I can't bring myself to vote for him. Pinnella it is.
 
There's no doubt that Rudess could play circles around Pinnella, but I don't care about that. It's the same thing live - Rudess has his tilting keyboards and fancy tablets and wizard hats, but who cares? Outside of a few piano passages, the guy is a robot. He plays with almost zero feeling, worrying more about "thickening up the sound" on albums (which he doesn't need to do because the band also has Petrucci and Myung) than crafting memorable solos and passages. There's never a point when I'm listening to any song where I think "You know what? This song really needs nine separate keyboard parts right about now." The guy just overplays on everything he touches, and it gets exhausting.

Pinnella, on the other hand, is still a virtuoso without overdoing anything. The way he plays piano and synth lines in polymeter over whatever sweet riff that Romeo and Lepond are playing is very unique to me. I'm not going to sit here and say that many of his solos are memorable... hell, I don't think many of Romeo's solos are memorable! But Symphony X is a band that works best when each instrument brings technical playing into a bigger picture, and Pinnella is a huge part of that sound (particularly on the stronger, pre-Paradise Lost albums). Dream Theater writes great songs at times, but I've always found them more predictable in that the instrumental sections always sound like it's someone else's turn to wank.

Pinnella for me, and it's not even close.
 
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Eliminated after Round 149:
Don Airey
Jordan Rudess

Promoted after Round 149:
Jon Lord
Michael Pinnella

Geoff Downes (ASIA, YES)
vs.
Tony Banks (GENESIS)

Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, SONS OF APOLLO)
vs.
Jens Johansson (DIO, RAINBOW, STRATOVARIUS)
 
This might be the first Yes song that I've enjoyed listening to. Quite metallish, with tolerable vocals and not too much cheese. Still gonna vote for Banks as I don't wanna take a chance on listening to another Yes song next round :p

Jens is way more distinct than Sherinian, and way more influential IMO.
 
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Eliminated after Round 150:
Geoff Downes
Derek Sherinian

Promoted after Round 150:
Tony Banks
Jens Johansson

Keith Emerson (ELP)
vs.
Ray Manzarek (THE DOORS)

Kevin Moore (DREAM THEATER, O.S.I.)
vs.
Martin Brändström (DARK TRANQUILLITY)
 
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