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

Sanctuary: I didn't like this very much.
Temple of the Dog: I love their style, although I've never liked the example song much.

Ayreon: It wasn't bad, but there's something I don't like here.
Sabaton: Fast and fun, what can I say? :)

Evergrey: Not my cup of tea.
Nuclear Assault: Liked it better than Evergrey.

Anthrax: Pretty basic stuff.
Sabbat: Didn't really like this.
 
We start with an odd face up. Beforehand I must confess Into The Mirror Black, while being a great record, is my least favorite out of the band's 3 opus. Here Warrel Dane and company went to a more mid tempo, Thrashier approach as the opener reveals from the get go. Taste Revenge is kind of a filler song while the following Long Since Dark sounds really powerful, both still carrying that Thrash Metal flavor. But it's when Epitaph and Eden Lies Obscured that this thing really starts to tick and man these songs are dark as hell and one can already spot here and there the seeds of what Nevermore's debut would sound like after Sanctaury's future disbanding. The oppressive melodies of the title track reinforce that mood (damn this thing is masterfully composed). And the soon to be Nevermore tendency is even more stressed in the awesomely corrosive Seasons Of Destruction. One More Murder is perhaps the perfect mid point between Into The Mirror Black new orientation and its predecessor's Heavy/ Power metal traits and the album closes with another grinding heavy as hell mid tempo. This album is really something and although I believe it's not on Refuge Denied or The Year The Sun Died echelon it is still an immensely great record. So while Temple Of The Dog has its undeniable charm, my vote goes to Sanctuary.

Although I'm not a fan I like some of Ayeron projects and albums (I can recall The Human Equation being one of them). Nevertheless I started to listen to The Source and it tired me so much I had to stop. Too much over the top (the chosen track exemplifies it perfectly). But luckily it's going against Sabaton and almost everything sounds great after listening to that stuff. So although I hope I never have to listen to that record again... yeah: Ayeron.

Didn't know about these Evergrey dudes and it seems they bring us a concept album here. The record's opener is really catchy regarding its simple yet smartly well built array of hooks and strong chorus. It seems the band builds their sound upon a base made of Martin's era Sabbath with some goth metal arrangements bathed in later poppier In Flames (namely regarding the guitar sound). A New Dawn reinforces even more this last trait with some interesting chorus being tossed here and there. Then the album really goes south... man these next seven songs are really the epitome of generic and boring and that's a pity since the first two cuts really promised something. And to be fair the last two tracks are far from being exciting but at least they bear a somewhat well built simple yet strong proggy feel to it that accomplish their conceptual background in a fitting way. So there you go: 4 interesting songs and lots of yawning. If I can take anything positive from this album is King Of Errors and the fact I believe the band has the composing wit and potential to make a much more varied and interesting record. Game Over may not be a Thrash Metal top class album but it sure is the more exciting and daring from these two so I'll go with Nuclear Assault.

Finally we have Anthrax, a band that unlike some of the members on this board, I'm a huge fan of since the Among The Living days. These dudes are simply amazing: their notion of groove meets heaviness (much thanks to the drum genius that is Bennante and Scott's huge riffage) is uncanny. Plus Anthrax have a stretch of 5 near perfect top notch albums from Spreading The Disease to Sound Of White Noise. The Belladona comeback in Worship Music can also be featured on that level of excellence and damn I even enjoy the somewhat uncompromising yet punchy spirit of Stomp 442 and some tracks out of WCFYA. The only subpar records in their career are (IMO) the absolutely juvenile debut (Love Metal Thrashing Mad and Death Rider though) and arguably their worst record, the crappy Volume 8. And then there's the strange case of For All Kings. It starts with your typical Anthrax uptempo opener in You Gotta Believe: fast, groovy and addictive. Monster At The End follows, a somewhat predictable and forgettable song with little Thrash Metal in it. The title track features some really edgy verses when squeezed its quite meh. Breathing Lightning reveals the more commercial side of the band and is far from breaking 'Thrax's top 20 regarding that type of song. Suzerain finally brings us some fury but it's quickly diluted in another uninspired radio friendly chorus and by now I'm really getting bored with this whole thing. Fortunately Evil Twin kicks down the door and this is absolutely fucking classic top class Anthrax and by far the best song from the lot. It's a pity that after this adrenaline injection the album returns to a spree sluggish mid tempo devoid of excitement songs. Where did the absolutely addictive hooks, groove and pace shifts go? I know it is unfair to compare this record with the so called golden era of the band but where is the megaton mosh pit energy that its predecessor had in tracks like Earth On Hell, Fight 'Em Till You Can't, The Devil You Know or The Giant had? Nowhere to be found here with the exception of the opener, Evil Twin or to a certain point the merely enjoyable closer in Zero Tolerance. So summing it all up it really pains me to say this is a fairly uninspired and boring album from a band I've always held in high regard and therefore expect a lot from. Looks like I'll have to wait for For All King's follower and in the meantime obviously I'm giving my vote to Sabbat and the monster of an album that is Dreamweaver.
 
Last edited:
I think, as I get older, I have less and less patience for prog rock/metal. (And probably less patience generally for anything and everything.) Evergray sounds kinda like Symphony X to me. Ayreon sounds kinda like Dream Theater with better vocals. Neither was all that compelling.

Sanctuary was pretty fun, that record had flown under my radar (as did a lot of metal in the early 90s). I own the Temple of the Dog album but never listen to it anymore, so I'll give Sanctuary my vote.

Nuclear Assault is my favorite of this round.

You can really hear the difference in production value in comparing Sabbat v. Anthrax -- surprise, surprise, the 21st Century recording of a well-known group sounds more polished than the 1980s recording of an underground group. But I guess I'm in a mood for less polished, so I'll vote for Sabbat this time around.
 
And it's also possible that @Cornfed Hick has only ever heard Dream Theater with Charlie Dominici et cetera et cetera
Mosh said:
It’s also possible that LaBrie sounds better in Ayreon than in Dream Theater.
Click to expand...
Depends on the albums imo. His performance on The Human Equation is stellar, and he's probably better on The Source than he is on the latest DT albums, but early Dream Theater (up until Six Degrees) is unbeatable, especially Awake and ESPECIALLY Falling into Infinity.
 
Sanctuary was pretty good and I'd be interested to hear more, but Temple of the Dog is one of my favourite albums, so I have to go with it.

Even though Coat of Arms is not Sabaton's best, the title track and a couple of others make for a really enjoyable album. Ayreon is just not my thing.

This Evergrey track is great, I'm going to listen to the whole album. And I hope @Black Wizard will return.

Not fond of either band in the last pair, but I'll go with Anthrax.
 
You know, for what it is, Temple of the Dog isn't bad. It's pretty good music. But does it hold a candle to Sanctuary? Nah. This album proves that Sanctuary was one of the really good underheralded bands of its time. Much like Armored Saint, if they had put this album out in 1986, they'd have been huge. Interestingly enough, this round comes right after the first round with Iced Earth, and I saw both bands on the same night. Sadly, it was the first ever Sanctuary show without Warrell Dane, and the first with Joseph Michael (who, I will be honest, is pretty good).

So, I like some Ayreon, but the various offerings of Mr. Lucassen are hit-and-miss for me. Some of his work really draws me in and enthralls me, and some of it leaves me colder than empty space. And The Source is more of the latter than the former for me. Whereas Sabaton, while certainly not complex and certainly not supremely talented, is also extremely fun. Coat of Arms is a pretty good album for the band.

Normally, Evergrey would be more of my speed, and I enjoyed the album more than I thought I might. I need to get deeper into the band, I think. But man, isn't Game Over pretty good? I know I have enjoyed the album a lot. Nuclear Assault.

Thrash heavy round, this. And do you like it raw and rough, or do you like it processed and well produced? The production and sound of the Anthrax album is better, but the songwriting for Sabbat is significantly moreso. Someone said that Anthrax always has good musicians but never seems to have great songs, and that's what's missing here. They're catchy, sure, but Dreamweaver is full of better songs.
 
Don’t wanna bring up the argument again, but I’ll say I’m voting Temple of the Dog

Coat of Arms is not one of my favorite Sabaton albums and The Source rules. Ayreon

Evergrey are cool and I need to listen to them more.

I’ll take Sabbat over non-ATL BellaThrax
 
Evergrey vs Nuclear Assault is a tie!
Still 11 minutes to take one of these 2 (I'm hoping Evergrey) to the next round...
 
Sanctuary puts down Temple of the Dog, removing them from the tournament. It's Sanctuary vs. Rainbow in the next league.
Ayreon outlasts Sabaton. The Swedes return in League 5.
Extra time for Evergrey vs. Nuclear Assault, coming up at the end of the league!
Sabbat squeaks past Anthrax. The thrash mainstays are back in League 9.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top