Proof that all things can indeed happen in the GMAC!Did @Jer and I just vote the same in all matches??
GREATEST METAL ALBUM CUP - Winner: Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son!
- Thread starter LooseCannon
- Start date
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
Going to make a pitch for In Trance, this is probably the most agreed upon beginning of the Scorpions sound, it was their first truely cohesive record, it is dark and moody throughout, Roth sings actually quite well one one of the two tracks which he takes the lead on. The title track is easily the strongest track of the album but in actuality the entire album is a masterpiece, barring Sun In My Hand. Top of the Bill hold the heavy crunch sound of the 70s early metal legends, Robot Man is upbeat and in general just a fun track with some silly themes. Evening Wind is the proto type for what would become their monstrous ballads of Holiday and Still Loving You. It is in my opinion the on par with Blackout and only fully surpassed by Lovedrive in their entire catalog.
Whooten
Ancient Mariner
I want to thank everyone for giving Squalus a shot. This was possible the least known entry in the game (seriously check out some YouTube videos of their shows and how many listens they have), nonetheless they put up a good fight against a pretty huge act. For those asking, I think it does hold up pretty well. This came out 3+ years ago and it brings a smile to my face every time I hear it, and I actually think of this any time I see snippets of Jaws. I think Karljant highlighted "Eating Machine In the Pond," but I will also add "City Hands," "Flesh, Bone and Rubber," and "Swim, Charlie Swim" as some highlights, not to mention the recreation of the famous USS Indianapolis speech in the song of that same name. My least favorite is actually the first song. Finally, I will say once the novelty of the album wears off, it gets even better. So heavy!
karljant
Ancient Mariner
Alice In Hell is another of those really great thrash albums that are somehow lost amidst the overpraise of the so called genre's "big 4". Let's face it: Jeff Waters is one hell of a guitar player and while his style is not revolutionary by any means it still bears a lot of uniqueness. As for sonic landscape that serves as a background for the album itself I can say it somewhat sounds like if Overkill and King Diamond had a baby and Jeff Waters presented this newborn with his personal guitar licks and traits. After an excellent intro it's easy to recognize there's a lot of Andy LaRoque going on in the absolute classic that is Alison Hell (btw what amazing song!). And make no mistake... Alice in Hell is far from being merely a mash up deal and that's part of what makes it so great. Of course at times things get a bit tend a tad bit too much to Overkill's shores (like in WTYD and Burns Like A Buzzsaw Blade) but there's also the beauty of this record: one can spot influences while being an attempt to be like a copycat... precisely the opposite: Alice In Hell builds upon a couple of traits borrowed and uses them to shuffle the whole thing while adding many new cards from Mr. Waters' own deck. You can easily spot this particularly on the aforementioned Alison Hell, Schizos (Are Never Alone) and Ligeia. And Human Insecticide surely is the icing on the cake: the most vicious and infectious speedster from the lot to close the album on a real high note. So There you go: great record. Nevertheless so is L'Enfant Sauvage. And although I think both records are perfect examples of excellent metal while having really strong blueprints I'm of the opinion that the Frenchmen's one is still a bit more original. Plus making quality and original metal is also a bit harder in the 2010's (it's logical since the mixing and combinations left are way less than back in the late 80's) and Gojira passes with distinction on all those requirements.
On the other hand Threshold sounds like 1000 other bands. Well played, some cool passages but everything here sounds overdone and somewhat plastic. Joe Satriani on the other hand broke lots of barriers with Alien back in the day.
Apart from the debut I'm not much of a Scorpions fan but must admit the majority of their 70's proto-metal/ hard rock stuff with the great Uli Jon Roth (man does this guy can play!) is really good material. Dark Lady is purely electrifying and opens the record in a great note. Then the title track kinda pulls things a bit back into a wanna be Purple song and that doesn't work for me (even with Roth's amazing solo). Life's Like a River is a bit in the same wave but with more personality, better construction and way less derivative (with Uli once again absolutely slaying it). Top Of The Bill on the other hand is way more exciting and a great hard rocker (apart from that "ah-ah" during the chorus). And yes: Uli is still destroying everything (I'll stop mentioning this since it's permanent throughout the record). Then another absolutely average so called power ballad begins and by now this template begins to saturate this album so much that no amazing soloing can do nothing for these tracks. Robot Man has really great ideas and pace but the production hurts a lot (nevertheless props for trying to pull something outside the box). Evening Wind recovers the power ballad template this time in a more "Zeppelinesque" fashion and (while once again being a bit derivative and adding yet another somewhat similar song to the pack) builds some really great ambiance culminating in yet another great solo as it fades away. As for what's left Sun In My Hand is your typical hard blues track, Longing For Fire is the epitome of filler and the album closes with another blues like song, this time an instrumental upon which Roth reassures us of how great of a guitar player he is. I think In Trance shows the band still trying to find its way once again for a third time. Yes it features some great moments but some really dull ones. Virgin Killer would mature this new heavier Scorpions sound and it's a pity Roth left afterwards since IMO the band started losing steam progressively as the 80's neared without his talents until it turned out into what we know today. And while being an enjoyable record overall, I think Blind Guardian's is much more solid and sure of the way it wants to go.
I've never heard Chinese Democracy before. Perhaps a song or two on the background but never aware of it. The only thing I knew is that Buckethead was in it as well as half of the personel Trent Reznor recruits on a regular basis for Nine Inch Nails and that most people hated it. And yeah... I'm far from being a Guns fan. I mean they have a handful of cool songs but I always REALLLLLY disliked Axl's screeching high pitch voice. So what we've got? Enters the title track with a kind of "Rock You Like An Hurricane" riff rip off and then curiously I like the remainder of the thing: strong, pounding straight to your face with Axl's irritating high pitch rarely appearing... hey, so far seems ok to me! Then the second track comes and oooOOOH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? Seems like a bastard child of Mudvayne and Gravity Kills with a squeeling Axl singing what could be a Linkin Park chorus. God this is the true definition of horror... kill it! Kill it with fire! As I skip fast to Better still trying to recover from the shock, I fear for the worse as it begins with some electronics but then it quickly turns into some weird but somehow acceptabl mix of more traditional Guns N' Roses and power pop featuring some really ridiculous screaming vocals, squeeling, out of place electronics and some cool soloing. Street Of Dreams is Axl trying to make his own Live And Let Die (and quite not achieving it). If The World kinda reminds me the chill out nuances of FNM's Evidence but not on the same level. Still a good effort. There Was A Time is ok (even while cringing everytime Axl hits higher notes): cool orchestration, cool solos... yeah I dig it. Catcher In The Rye sounds like a calmer off take from early 90's Guns records so... meh! Not for me. The next song is the same but this time with heavier sounding classical Guns (and what the hell are those screams in the beginning?). Riad N' The Bedouins is simply strange: a groovy hard-rock funk tune with a fusion infleccion on the bridge. And it could really work out for me if it wasn't for Axl high pitch torturing my eardrums. Sorry is 6 plus minutes of retro ambiance building to get to nowhere (the title is really fitting) and IRS is once again more in the vein of "normal" Guns. Madagascar is another long path to nowhere and This I Love is your typical orchestra calm song upon which Mr. Rose massacrates my earing a bit more with his nails in chalk like timbre (fact: unlike Sorry this song's title absolutely out of place). Prostitute closes the album with more orchestrations in another really meh long tune (well at least this time the high pitch is way more contained). So did I liked it? In general quite not. Now is it as horrible as people pictured it? Hello no! Sure it has some really dull moments and a couple of abominating bad tracks but also features a couple of cool songs I can picture myself listening to. And keep in mind Guns always start in disadvantage since I abominate Axl's high pitch (in case you didn't notice eheheheh). That being said, yeah obviously Faith No More.
On the other hand Threshold sounds like 1000 other bands. Well played, some cool passages but everything here sounds overdone and somewhat plastic. Joe Satriani on the other hand broke lots of barriers with Alien back in the day.
Apart from the debut I'm not much of a Scorpions fan but must admit the majority of their 70's proto-metal/ hard rock stuff with the great Uli Jon Roth (man does this guy can play!) is really good material. Dark Lady is purely electrifying and opens the record in a great note. Then the title track kinda pulls things a bit back into a wanna be Purple song and that doesn't work for me (even with Roth's amazing solo). Life's Like a River is a bit in the same wave but with more personality, better construction and way less derivative (with Uli once again absolutely slaying it). Top Of The Bill on the other hand is way more exciting and a great hard rocker (apart from that "ah-ah" during the chorus). And yes: Uli is still destroying everything (I'll stop mentioning this since it's permanent throughout the record). Then another absolutely average so called power ballad begins and by now this template begins to saturate this album so much that no amazing soloing can do nothing for these tracks. Robot Man has really great ideas and pace but the production hurts a lot (nevertheless props for trying to pull something outside the box). Evening Wind recovers the power ballad template this time in a more "Zeppelinesque" fashion and (while once again being a bit derivative and adding yet another somewhat similar song to the pack) builds some really great ambiance culminating in yet another great solo as it fades away. As for what's left Sun In My Hand is your typical hard blues track, Longing For Fire is the epitome of filler and the album closes with another blues like song, this time an instrumental upon which Roth reassures us of how great of a guitar player he is. I think In Trance shows the band still trying to find its way once again for a third time. Yes it features some great moments but some really dull ones. Virgin Killer would mature this new heavier Scorpions sound and it's a pity Roth left afterwards since IMO the band started losing steam progressively as the 80's neared without his talents until it turned out into what we know today. And while being an enjoyable record overall, I think Blind Guardian's is much more solid and sure of the way it wants to go.
I've never heard Chinese Democracy before. Perhaps a song or two on the background but never aware of it. The only thing I knew is that Buckethead was in it as well as half of the personel Trent Reznor recruits on a regular basis for Nine Inch Nails and that most people hated it. And yeah... I'm far from being a Guns fan. I mean they have a handful of cool songs but I always REALLLLLY disliked Axl's screeching high pitch voice. So what we've got? Enters the title track with a kind of "Rock You Like An Hurricane" riff rip off and then curiously I like the remainder of the thing: strong, pounding straight to your face with Axl's irritating high pitch rarely appearing... hey, so far seems ok to me! Then the second track comes and oooOOOH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? Seems like a bastard child of Mudvayne and Gravity Kills with a squeeling Axl singing what could be a Linkin Park chorus. God this is the true definition of horror... kill it! Kill it with fire! As I skip fast to Better still trying to recover from the shock, I fear for the worse as it begins with some electronics but then it quickly turns into some weird but somehow acceptabl mix of more traditional Guns N' Roses and power pop featuring some really ridiculous screaming vocals, squeeling, out of place electronics and some cool soloing. Street Of Dreams is Axl trying to make his own Live And Let Die (and quite not achieving it). If The World kinda reminds me the chill out nuances of FNM's Evidence but not on the same level. Still a good effort. There Was A Time is ok (even while cringing everytime Axl hits higher notes): cool orchestration, cool solos... yeah I dig it. Catcher In The Rye sounds like a calmer off take from early 90's Guns records so... meh! Not for me. The next song is the same but this time with heavier sounding classical Guns (and what the hell are those screams in the beginning?). Riad N' The Bedouins is simply strange: a groovy hard-rock funk tune with a fusion infleccion on the bridge. And it could really work out for me if it wasn't for Axl high pitch torturing my eardrums. Sorry is 6 plus minutes of retro ambiance building to get to nowhere (the title is really fitting) and IRS is once again more in the vein of "normal" Guns. Madagascar is another long path to nowhere and This I Love is your typical orchestra calm song upon which Mr. Rose massacrates my earing a bit more with his nails in chalk like timbre (fact: unlike Sorry this song's title absolutely out of place). Prostitute closes the album with more orchestrations in another really meh long tune (well at least this time the high pitch is way more contained). So did I liked it? In general quite not. Now is it as horrible as people pictured it? Hello no! Sure it has some really dull moments and a couple of abominating bad tracks but also features a couple of cool songs I can picture myself listening to. And keep in mind Guns always start in disadvantage since I abominate Axl's high pitch (in case you didn't notice eheheheh). That being said, yeah obviously Faith No More.
Last edited:
Jer strikes again.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Annihilator's music was much better than I expected. Don't like the singer, but it's thrash. Shrug. Please take your whales and go away, Gojira.
I actually really like Threshold, and this album is solid. I prefer their albums with Mac singing and even some of the Damian Wilson material is great (though is voice grates on my nerves). This album is quite good, even though Morgan is their weakest lead singer. Anyway, it unfortunately cannot stand up to Satch's groundbreaking work.
Oh, great. The battle of the annoying, teutonic singers. I generally prefer Klaus and the easily digestible songs by Scorpions, but this Blind Guardian album is musically better. I don't love this vote, but so be it.
NEVER FAITH NO MORE NOT EVEN IF THEY'RE BATTLING DYING CAT AXL ROSE ON A WEAK PAST-HIS-PRIME ALBUM
I actually really like Threshold, and this album is solid. I prefer their albums with Mac singing and even some of the Damian Wilson material is great (though is voice grates on my nerves). This album is quite good, even though Morgan is their weakest lead singer. Anyway, it unfortunately cannot stand up to Satch's groundbreaking work.
Oh, great. The battle of the annoying, teutonic singers. I generally prefer Klaus and the easily digestible songs by Scorpions, but this Blind Guardian album is musically better. I don't love this vote, but so be it.
NEVER FAITH NO MORE NOT EVEN IF THEY'RE BATTLING DYING CAT AXL ROSE ON A WEAK PAST-HIS-PRIME ALBUM
I'm torn on the last matchup. On one hand, No More Faith No More. On the other hand, Chinese Democracy is truly garbage and a monument to why diva-level musicians shouldn't be given this type of freedom.
I have foreknowledge, which I have rarely used in this game. The album coming next will probably beat The Real Thing. But I'm not sure how it matches up against Chinese Democracy.
I have foreknowledge, which I have rarely used in this game. The album coming next will probably beat The Real Thing. But I'm not sure how it matches up against Chinese Democracy.
Lamia020281
Educated Fool
I definitely didn't expect Chinese Democracy to get so many votes and positive opinions, I was expecting a bashfest when I saw it was in the game. I think it's a quality album and I like it a lot. I've liked GN'R since I was 15, and always really liked Axl's singing voice too. 
Oh hey there you areI definitely didn't expect Chinese Democracy to get so many votes and positive opinions, I was expecting a bashfest when I saw it was in the game. I think it's a quality album and I like it a lot. I've liked GN'R since I was 15, and always really liked Axl's singing voice too.
Annihilator was pretty awesome, and Canadian bias.
Threshold was more my speed, but I feel better voting for it knowing it won't win.
Guardian Guardian Guardian of the Blind!
I will pick GNR. It is time for No More Faith No More.
Threshold was more my speed, but I feel better voting for it knowing it won't win.
Guardian Guardian Guardian of the Blind!
I will pick GNR. It is time for No More Faith No More.
Annihilator destroys Gojira to move on. The Frenchmen are back in League 7.
Joe Satriani holds on against Threshold, who are eliminated from the GMAC. He'll be up against Enforcer next.
Blind Guardian goes deeper, defeating Scorpions who bring a decent challenge. They're also next up in League 7.
Guns 'n' Roses end Faith No More's run with this current album. FNM returns with a much higher ranked album in League 3.
Joe Satriani holds on against Threshold, who are eliminated from the GMAC. He'll be up against Enforcer next.
Blind Guardian goes deeper, defeating Scorpions who bring a decent challenge. They're also next up in League 7.
Guns 'n' Roses end Faith No More's run with this current album. FNM returns with a much higher ranked album in League 3.
Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
Annihilator - good old thrash, hooky and memorable. Gojira have better albums and this one is more samey than them, easy vote for Annihilator.
Threshold - pretty good, a bit atmospheric but it's like, right on the brink of being power metal. It wasn't terribly unique and a bit overproduced, and the lengthy boi didn't quite grab my attention, so I'm sticking with Joe.
Scorpions - I mean, this was pretty great and surprisingly heavy. Some of it though is just too plain, it didn't go anywhere (Dark Lady). Felt this way about some songs on Physical Graffiti as well. I liked the balladier stuff.
Now Blind Guardian, I think I was selling them short for how terrible the opening is. THE MORNING SUN THE MORNING SUN fuckin' cheese holy shit. But I'll admit it's a strong album and probably deserved to get so far...
GnR - I don't know if I like this or hate this. It reminds me of St Anger of all things. FNM
Threshold - pretty good, a bit atmospheric but it's like, right on the brink of being power metal. It wasn't terribly unique and a bit overproduced, and the lengthy boi didn't quite grab my attention, so I'm sticking with Joe.
Scorpions - I mean, this was pretty great and surprisingly heavy. Some of it though is just too plain, it didn't go anywhere (Dark Lady). Felt this way about some songs on Physical Graffiti as well. I liked the balladier stuff.
Now Blind Guardian, I think I was selling them short for how terrible the opening is. THE MORNING SUN THE MORNING SUN fuckin' cheese holy shit. But I'll admit it's a strong album and probably deserved to get so far...
GnR - I don't know if I like this or hate this. It reminds me of St Anger of all things. FNM
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Magnus
Pica Serdica
This one, Never, Neverland, the one you have, and the Bag of Tricks compilation are a must.
Murg - Varg & Björn (2015) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Perun | |
| League 8 - Match 25 | vs. |
Judas Priest - Nostradamus (2008) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Night Prowler Previous Rounds: League 12: Defeated Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti 16-10. League 11: Defeated Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies 14-8. League 10: Defeated Ulver - Bergtatt 14-13. League 9: Defeated Whitesnake - Whitesnake 16-10. |
Audioslave - Audioslave (2002) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Lampwick 43 | |
| League 8 - Match 26 | vs. |
Rainbow - Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow (1975) How it got here List entries: Metalstorm 49 Previous Rounds: League 15: Defeated Crimson Glory - Crimson Glory 12(ET)-11. League 14: Defeated Tony MacAlpine - Maximum Security 20-3. League 13: Defeated Powerwolf - Lupus Dei 21-8. League 12: Defeated Thin Lizzy - Bad Reputation 14-12. League 11: Defeated HammerFall - Crimson Thunder 20-2. League 10: Defeated Death - Leprosy 20-7. League 9: Defeated Krokus - Headhunter 21-6. |
Last edited:
Bathory - The Return (1985) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Dityn DJ James | |
| League 8 - Match 27 | vs. |
Iron Maiden - Virtual XI (1998) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Niall Kielt Previous Rounds: League 10: Defeated Borknagar - The Olden Domain 16-11. League 9: Defeated Ensiferum - One Man Army 19-8. |
Deep Purple - Burn (1974) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @matic22 | |
| League 8 - Match 28 | vs. |
Mekong Delta - Wanderer on the Edge of Time (2010) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Jer Previous Rounds: League 10: Defeated W.A.S.P - The Headless Children 15-11. League 9: Defeated Porcupine Tree - Deadwing 13-12. |
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Whoops, forgot my nominee was up again so soon. Here are my previous comments on the Mekong Delta album.
This sample track was the single, I guess, and it’s more digestible than some of the other proggier tracks while still carrying an odd rhythm. It also has a full music video, and the solo guitar under the credits is from the first track on the album.
I haven’t listened to its competitor yet, but based on my other experience with Deep Purple I’m not expecting to turn against my own nominee here.
This sample track was the single, I guess, and it’s more digestible than some of the other proggier tracks while still carrying an odd rhythm. It also has a full music video, and the solo guitar under the credits is from the first track on the album.
I haven’t listened to its competitor yet, but based on my other experience with Deep Purple I’m not expecting to turn against my own nominee here.
Magnus
Pica Serdica
^What are you laughing at, @KidInTheDark666 ?
What we've got here is a bunch of Swedish* kids changing the history of music vs. a bunch of lazy old farts featuring a sadly incompetent hired hand nearly ending their own.
*Ah, that must be it.
What we've got here is a bunch of Swedish* kids changing the history of music vs. a bunch of lazy old farts featuring a sadly incompetent hired hand nearly ending their own.
*Ah, that must be it.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
It's not exactly that, Swedes make (occasionally) great metal.