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

Heavenly are a big contradiction - the artwork suggests Death Metal but they're actually a ridiculous overly-cheerful Power Metal band. The vocalist in Rage isn't great but they seem to be more refined and have some attitude about them, so I'll vote for them. The Rage album surely can't continue in this tournament for much longer though.

This Riot song is OK, but the shrill vocals are offputting and would become very grating eventually. The Down song takes way too long to get going so I was already unhappy by the time Phil Anselmo's annoying vocals got underway. There are some cool riffs and a decent groove to Down, but this was really boring so I have to vote for Riot. Phil Anselmo is also a white supremacist.

Rhapsody/Rhapsody of Fire/whatever they're called on this album are completely ridiculous. Repetitive couplets and an over the top (hallelujah?) chorus. What a silly band. Virgin Steele have a groovy riff and are way more focused than Rhapsody (of whatever) with no frills or nonsense. I don't think they're anything special and don't expect them to progress much further, but they're better than Rhapsody at least.

I'm voting for this mediocre Helloween album over Paul Gilbert as I have little interest in instrumental music, but '7 Sinners' has no place in the game. What were the people at Metal Kingdom thinking?
 
So, as a note for the GMAC - I have been doing some work and I found the stupid fucking Rolling Stone list has included a goddamn compilation album for Motörhead.

At #7.

A compilation album is the 7th best metal album of all time.

I knew this list was fucked, but that's pretty fucked. I am disqualifying No Remorse and replacing it with Tony MacAlpine's Edge of Insanity, which I had missed when originally arranging the list. It would have been in the same Leagueish so no harm, no foul.
 
Actually good Heavenly album, and a little funny. These albums are about the same level here, but Rage wins because The Crawling Chaos.

Riot also came with a better album, I loved every second of it, except for the final track as I found it too lengthy. NOLA is good too but the second half outshines the first.

Judging by the example tracks (due to time):
1) Virgin Steele. Maybe you can say it's too long but damn do I want to give it full marks.
Black Wizard said:
I don't think they're anything special and don't expect them to progress much further, but they're better than Rhapsody at least
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I may just be uneducated on the matter but I haven't heard another album like this. It all works so well for me. The theme, the melodies, all the little interludes just come together so nicely. The mixing is so sharp, the vocals sound like they're in their own layer. No need for terrible extra noise to give it "depth".

Not overly simple, not overly complex, memorable and ambitious experience. It's like Operation Mindcrime but in power metal or whatever. So I really hope it can go far.

Oh right I'm supposed to talk about the album we haven't seen 3 times already. Cheese overload.

2) I enjoyed the Paul Gilbert track, and 7 Sinners is pretty meh so Gilbert.
 
That's it for Heavenly, as Rage quite easily does them in. Next up for the German band - Led Zeppelin II.
Riot ends Down's run. That was the only Down album in the game, and next Riot faces Black Sabbath.
In the cheese metal battle, Virgin Steele continues their run, beating Rhapsody. We'll see Rhapsody again shortly.
And finally, Paul Gilbert loses a close battle to Helloween. That's it for the virtuoso, and Helloween's next against Sepultura.
 
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Neurosis - Times of Grace (1999)

How it got here
List entries: Loudwire 42
League 15 - Match 17vs.
Pretty_Maids_Future_World.jpg

Pretty Maids - Future World (1987)

How it got here
List entries: Metalstorm 63
Previous Rounds:
League 16: Defeated Trivium - Ascendancy 12-11.
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Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I (2012)

How it got here
List entries: Metal Kingdom 39
League 15 - Match 18vs.
Rhapsody_symphony_of_the_enchanted_lands.jpg

Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands (1998)

How it got here
List entries: Metal Kingdom 87
Previous Rounds:
League 17: Defeated Ministry - Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs 15-5.
League 16: Defeated Life of Agony - River Runs Red 13-8.
 
Van_Halen_-_Women_and_Children_First.jpg

Van Halen - Women and Children First (1980)

How it got here
List entries: Rolling Stone 36
League 15 - Match 19vs.
Angra_-_Rebirth_%282001%29.jpg

Angra - Rebirth (2001)

How it got here
List entries: Metal Kingdom 79
Previous Rounds:
League 17: Defeated Twisted Sister - Under the Blade 12-9.
League 16: Defeated Gorgoroth - Pentagram 13-9.
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Savatage - Gutter Ballet (1989)

How it got here
List entries: Metalstorm 33
League 15 - Match 20vs.
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Buckethead - Pepper’s Ghost (2007)

How it got here
List entries: Metalstorm 93
Previous Rounds:
League 17: Defeated Heavenly - Dust to Dust 14-4.
League 16: Defeated Converge - Jane Doe 18-2.
 
Neurosis - got bored waiting for something to happen skipped forward to the vocal, not as bad as these sort of bands vocalists usually are but not great, turned it off

Pretty Maids - opinion given before, pretty decent but the same old usual criticism of there's not enough hours in the day to listen to this when Dio does it better

Pretty Maids with the win.

Ne Obliviscaris - same as neurosis, got bored skipped forward to the vocal, vocal was bad, saw the running time was 11 mins, fuck that

Rhapsody - greensleeves and uumpa uumpa melodies, absolutely preposterous

Ne Obliviscaris with the win

Van Halen - the second VH album from the Lee Roth era that while being listenable albums, they aren't the albums you'ld expect (first album, 1984) to be in such a list

Angra - was starting to enjoy the intro till the terrible keys came in, really just bargain bin Dream Theatre who I don't like much to begin with

Van Halen with the win

Savatage - the only album from Savatage I own, it's pretty good, great guitar playing and some Queen-esque influences (When the Crowds are Gone)

Buckethead - insert standard virtuoso guitar album criticism here, to be honest they probably shouldn't be included in the game as are they really metal? I'd be very surprised if anyone who doesn't play an instrument listens to any of these albums. I'd have turned a blind eye if it was only one album that sneaked in but we've had buckethead, 2 from Paul Gilbert, pretty sure there was someone else as well, and you know Vai and Satch are going to appear later. Saying that, I let the whole track play which is more than you can say for some of the other bands in the game :lol:

Savatage with the win
 
Comes the first match and we couldn't get 2 albums more dissimilar than these ones. Already spoke my part on Future World. As for Neurosis (of whom I'm a fan) I'll start by saying that I have a really difficult relationship with one of the most revered albums from their catalogue: the ultra heavy and sludgy Through Silver In Blood. I mean, the two prior records (when the band reformed their sound) while not being properly easy listening music, the ambiance was way more ... err ... let's say "breathable". But TSIB (despite its quality) is perhaps the most dense piece of music I've ever heard. Times Of Grace followed and it kept some of those traits (especially the heaviness) while adding a little more variety, climate building (Belief is a great example of this) and room to breathe. And yes: songs like Under The Surface, The Last You'll Know and The Road To Sovereignty are absolutely gorgeous (the later giving a hint what would be the tone of the following album, the absolutely gorgeous - and my favorite - A Sun That Never Sets, that would change somehow the approach of the band while retaining its peculiar sound) and you can check here and there how these guys influenced early Mastodon in a big way. But on the other hand there are still long stretches in this record where its ambiance becomes so sludgy and depressive that it really breaks my mood. I know Neurosis is NOT EASY TO LISTEN TO since I first got my hands on Souls At Zero when it came out. But during this stretch the boys were pushing it a bit too far when it comes to density regarding my standards. Nevertheless, regarding the best moments, they get my vote, obviously.

Second match and we have Ne Obliviscaris, regarded as many as the band that took Opeth's torch when they left Prog/ Symponic Death Metal to more retro stuff. And I really see where people establish the connection: interesting compositions, great musicianship and the structure and package surely has some traits that remind the creators of Still Life. The only thing lacking here is the absolutely ingenious approach of Mikael Akerfeldt to this genre (mostly due to the uniqueness of his musical background when he composed all those classics). So yeah... props to them, and although I think the recent recognition is deserved and there's a lot to be explored here by fans of the genre or those who feel betrayed by Opeth's change of direction, bear in mind this is no Blackwater Park. Ah! Almost forgot... there's also one more of those records about dragons spitting fire and stuff here.
 
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The following two matches will be fast... this is a Van Halen album I never paid attention to. Gave it a brief glimpse and... meh. Not bad but also nothing special. As I said before Rebirth features a couple of enjoyable Power/Prog Metal tracks (a style really hard for me to enjoy) so for that alone I'll go with Angra.

Finally once again we have Savatage, a classic Heavy Metal band that never moved me. Gave a spin to a handful of songs and once again the reaction (or lack there of) was the same. Nothing wrong with it but absolutely nothing exciting. As for Pepper's Ghost I've already shared my thoughts and my vote goes to Buckethead.
 
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