GREATEST METAL ALBUM CUP - Winner: Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son!

Helloween, but it's really close.
Priest, even if this is their most overrated album.
Dream Theater. This is probably the best metal album not released by Iron Maiden.
Priest. Painkiller is the best heavy metal album not released by Maiden.
 
"Enter Sandman" alone would hand Metallica the win, but "The God That Failed", "The Unforgiven", "Of Wolf and Man" and "Nothing Else Matters" sweeten the deal.

Priest have a really good album in Screaming for Vengeance, but The Crimson Idol is really way better.

I'm shocked that The Dark Saga actually made it this far, I thought it had been voted out two times before already lol. Not Iced Earth's best, but way better than Dream Theater's breakthrough album.

I actually thought that I'd nominated Painkiller for the hell of it, but apparently not. Going Death here but I highly doubt that they'll pull off a win.
 
Initiation
I'm Alive
A Little Time
Twilight of the Gods
A Tale That Wasn't Right
Future World
Halloween
Follow the Sign

8 tracks, all that was needed for a highly influential, killer album.

Pure gold.
 
You probably. Popping veins isn't good. No album is worth rapturing your veins for, out of frustration.
 
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Perun said:
Probably easier to say who didn't nominate Painkiller.

*slowly raises hand awkwardly looking into the round*
Click to expand...
I didn’t either. I did nominate Screaming For Vengeance, though, despite not being listed among the nominators...
 
Priest x2, Helloween, Iced Earth

Shame I couldn't vote for Crimson Idol, I Am One is one of the GREATEST metal songs of all time! But.... When you're going up against Hellion/Electric Eye, Bloodstone, Riding On the Wind, Devil's Child, FEVER, TAKE THESE CHAINS.... I mean come on man, my hands are tied here
 
Metallica over Helloween, easily. I know some metal fans dislike Metallica's self-titled album, but there are some amazing songs on there (some of which, like @Diesel 11 said, are not the hits). Random Trivia: Can you believe that Bob Rock wanted Holier Than Thou to open the album, but Lars insisted that "Sandman was the song?" Rock said "I didn't hear it." Wow. I can't believe Bob actually admitted that.

Priest over WASP, although I really don't care about this match.

Haha, Dream Theater and it isn't even close. Images and Words is not only one of the greatest progressive metal albums of all time, but it's a legitimate entry in my Best Albums of All Time list. It also left a massive mark on the entire sub-genre. Nothing Iced Earth has ever released even comes close, even though I like most of their stuff. The Dark Saga, however, is probably the weakest Barlow-era album (not including that one in the late '2000s he came back for, which was bad all around).

Painkiller is my second favorite Priest album (behind Firepower), so this is beyond easy. Death has never grabbed me (although I know it will eventually, har har).
 
There are 11 other Helloween albums with different vocalists. ;)

Though I can't understand why anyone would dislike Kiske and like other high tenors.
 
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This first match is interesting. Two very popular but also seriously overrated albums — one with a lot of good raw materials and more interesting songs, but uneven execution, and one with fewer good raw materials and less interesting songs, but great execution. I think the best moments on the Helloween record, where you’ve got an interesting musical passage breaking into a big, glorious chorus, outshine anything on the Metallica record. But the Helloween record also has boring and rote sections, and poorly produced, cringe-inducing effects and backing vocals at times, while the Metallica record always sounds great, even when it’s giving “The Angel And The Gambler” a run for its money on repetition or when Kirk Hammett is mainlining his wah pedal for the two dozenth time. These are both albums with great parts that I would rather not listen to all the way through. I could probably flip a coin here, but I’m feeling shallow at the moment, so I’m going to go with dumb and pretty this time. Sorry, FordInTheDarkstar333, but @MrKnickerbocker ’s choice irritated me a little less than its competition. Winner: Metallica

Though I wasn’t listed in the post, I also co-nominated Screaming For Vengeance, and this is my personal favorite Judas Priest album. Just one killer track after another, with most of them having a biting urgency and great guitar work; but even the somewhat weaker tracks (“(Take These) Chains”, “Pain And Pleasure”) still have sweet riffs and memorable vocal lines. This is the sort of album that makes me want to hit play again as soon as it ends — and at the end of the day, isn’t that about the best praise you could give? The Crimson Idol is a surprisingly good album with a number of great tracks, but I don’t think it’s as consistently great as Screaming For Vengeance is. Sorry, The Srf’n Kieltident, but Dr Jornfed Mickalatie’s FTBoshman’s nominee takes this one. Winner: Judas Priest

Let’s see, a seminal album with excellent songwriting and performances vs. a middling album with weak songwriting and an uneven vocal performance. I could go into more detail, but I’ll save that for a closer match. Sorry, Nixt GooseCanyoner, but MrKissShmoochie’s The Flaxerdarkergollin’s choice is superior. Winner: Dream Theater

I’m not quite as keen on Painkiller as some folks are, but the title track is stunning, “Night Crawler” and “A Touch Of Evil” are great, and there’s excellent energy and guitar work throughout, even when the songwriting doesn’t quite follow through. While this Death album has strong musical chops, it’s ultimately not for me. Sorry, @karljant, but your roughly great great grandson KarljatoIllynTheDarkJ Loosie’s MidsterShmaasherFowlerPotaxidogman‘s nominee is enraged and full of anger, half man and half machine. Winner: Judas Priest
 
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