MindRuler
Ancient Mariner
Running Wild has indeed some pretty damn good albums.
GREATEST METAL ALBUM CUP - Winner: Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son!
- Thread starter LooseCannon
- Start date
Two of these are tight! Will there be extra voters? Are we going to see the tide sway again in Symphony X versus Queensrÿche, which if I am right, has swapped back and forth three times now?
Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
Impressive turnout this round. 27 voters so far, and everyone has voted in every match.
karljant
Ancient Mariner
Telegram mode once again:
Unleash The Archers while sounding a bit generic have some interesting passages and show a more accute composition wit when compared with other bands that sail similar waters. Nevertheless the voice sounds a little bland, lacking emotion and some cliches here and there really pull the whole thing some notches down. Nevertheless The Headless Cross is another kind of breed so I'll go with Black Sabbath.
Octavarium is perhaps the only album I dislike from their Six Degrees to Systematic Chaos spree. Panic Attack is quite good but other than that I find little to no interest in this record. Motorhead takes this one easily.
As someone said before in this forum: what Alestorm try to pull here, Running Wild was doing decades prior while making real metal. Couldn't agree more. Iced Earth's Incorruptible is also far from being the zenith of innovation and excitment but sounds way more solid than this masquerade.
Heavy metal era Queensryche is far from being my favorite (both this EP and even The Warning) but fact is these first steps were pivotal in the band's progressive maturation process that would later pay off when they released the enormous record that is Rage For Order (as well as all the following great stuff). Plus it has the benefit of not being Symphony X.
Unleash The Archers while sounding a bit generic have some interesting passages and show a more accute composition wit when compared with other bands that sail similar waters. Nevertheless the voice sounds a little bland, lacking emotion and some cliches here and there really pull the whole thing some notches down. Nevertheless The Headless Cross is another kind of breed so I'll go with Black Sabbath.
Octavarium is perhaps the only album I dislike from their Six Degrees to Systematic Chaos spree. Panic Attack is quite good but other than that I find little to no interest in this record. Motorhead takes this one easily.
As someone said before in this forum: what Alestorm try to pull here, Running Wild was doing decades prior while making real metal. Couldn't agree more. Iced Earth's Incorruptible is also far from being the zenith of innovation and excitment but sounds way more solid than this masquerade.
Heavy metal era Queensryche is far from being my favorite (both this EP and even The Warning) but fact is these first steps were pivotal in the band's progressive maturation process that would later pay off when they released the enormous record that is Rage For Order (as well as all the following great stuff). Plus it has the benefit of not being Symphony X.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Hey now. You've got another (RW)thing coming.
UTA have really gone up in my estimation this year. As Ariana said, there's something reminiscent of Maiden about them. Really nice songwriting, great sound, and a vocalist with a unique style who has done nothing but improve. I read recently that she's naturally a mezzo soprano, but adopts an alto register, which gives that real impression of power to the vocals and is reminiscent of male power metal singer style, although she clearly has a female voice. I used to think her vocal style was too reliant on studio production, but having watched that live stream, it's clearly not the case, she can convincingly carry off full live performances of all songs without the layers and harmonies.
As for the male vocalists (there are two of them) I do think it adds something to their music. As well as adding an edge to the music that's reminiscent of melodeath, distancing this band from the overdone power metal genre, the harsh vocals - and in at least one song I can think of, clean male vocals too - are used for the voices of different characters. Apex and Abyss have a plot to them. Oddly enough you get used to Britney as the voice of the male protagonist for , while the Matriarch is often represented by a growl.
Only one downside - Abyss isn't nearly as good an album as Apex.
As for the male vocalists (there are two of them) I do think it adds something to their music. As well as adding an edge to the music that's reminiscent of melodeath, distancing this band from the overdone power metal genre, the harsh vocals - and in at least one song I can think of, clean male vocals too - are used for the voices of different characters. Apex and Abyss have a plot to them. Oddly enough you get used to Britney as the voice of the male protagonist for , while the Matriarch is often represented by a growl.
Only one downside - Abyss isn't nearly as good an album as Apex.
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
One of the biggest surprises of this entire game is that Alestorm can afford to hire good models.
Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
Somewhere among the shadows, a Wizard lurks...
and due to his magic spell, Dream Theater has now pulled into a tie with Motorhead.
and due to his magic spell, Dream Theater has now pulled into a tie with Motorhead.
Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
Well, thank you all for writing that's a woman singing for UTA before I embarrassed myself lol. The song was good, I can hear the similarities to Maiden, but it's definitely more power metal than Maiden. My only real gripe is how loud it was, at least on Spotify. Kinda blocked me from actually hearing anything 
Gets the vote over a meh Sabbath album.
I liked 1916 but it would be hypocritical to vote Dance of Death for Paschendale and not vote Octavarium for the title track. And it's a bit of a shame that everything on the album is so overshadowed by the epic but I mean, it's one of the best songs ever period. Really, The Root of All Evil is incredible. I adore its intro. Panic Attack is a very interesting heavy brick. The only turd here is overly long Sacrificed Sons, gosh what a snoozefest. It's like an outcast from Six Degrees.
Alestorm wins for the stupidest chorus here so far
And you know, the songs were very nice to be honest.
Finally: I think it's just the hour, and I'm sure I'd love it on another day but Queensryche is "eh". Just doesn't really do to me anything. Except for Tate because I know what a beast of a voice he has. Just didn't pay attention I guess.
What I did pay attention to, however, if how The Divine Wings of Tragedy is fucking great. That's the spark of finding something that is just on another level, like when I heard Still Life (the Opeth one) or...Octavarium for the first time. The songs here are fun throughout (well, at least the ones which aim to be fun). The Accolade is beautifully crafted. The only songs I don't get are the last two, but one is a lengthy epic and the other follows, it so understandably those take time...
If I picked a favourite right now, I'm choosing Out of the Ashes, I love the pre-chorus and the transition to the actual chorus. I give this album a solid 6.5/10.
Gets the vote over a meh Sabbath album.I liked 1916 but it would be hypocritical to vote Dance of Death for Paschendale and not vote Octavarium for the title track. And it's a bit of a shame that everything on the album is so overshadowed by the epic but I mean, it's one of the best songs ever period. Really, The Root of All Evil is incredible. I adore its intro. Panic Attack is a very interesting heavy brick. The only turd here is overly long Sacrificed Sons, gosh what a snoozefest. It's like an outcast from Six Degrees.
Alestorm wins for the stupidest chorus here so far
And you know, the songs were very nice to be honest.Finally: I think it's just the hour, and I'm sure I'd love it on another day but Queensryche is "eh". Just doesn't really do to me anything. Except for Tate because I know what a beast of a voice he has. Just didn't pay attention I guess.
What I did pay attention to, however, if how The Divine Wings of Tragedy is fucking great. That's the spark of finding something that is just on another level, like when I heard Still Life (the Opeth one) or...Octavarium for the first time. The songs here are fun throughout (well, at least the ones which aim to be fun). The Accolade is beautifully crafted. The only songs I don't get are the last two, but one is a lengthy epic and the other follows, it so understandably those take time...
If I picked a favourite right now, I'm choosing Out of the Ashes, I love the pre-chorus and the transition to the actual chorus. I give this album a solid 6.5/10.
Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
That seems like a ... surprisingly low score for such a "fucking great" album..
Glad you like it though.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Oh no, come on, DT can't lose to a Motorhead album! It's more than enough that Symph X is winning over friggin' Queensryche by such small a margin! #plebalert!
Unleash the Archers defeats Black Sabbath in a tight matchup. That's it for Martin-era Sabbath, and while we still have 8 Sabbath albums outstanding, we won't see them again until League 3.
Dream Theater and Motörhead fight to a draw - we'll see who wins the tiebreaker at the end!
Iced Earth pours grog on Alestorm's hopes, eliminating them. Next up is Wintersun.
In a back and forth battle, Symphony X holds on against the Queensrÿche self-titled EP and clearly not the self-titled late career albums.
Dream Theater and Motörhead fight to a draw - we'll see who wins the tiebreaker at the end!
Iced Earth pours grog on Alestorm's hopes, eliminating them. Next up is Wintersun.
In a back and forth battle, Symphony X holds on against the Queensrÿche self-titled EP and clearly not the self-titled late career albums.
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