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

I'll have to change onto a different browser and see if that helps. I can see less of the screen than I can on a phone
 
Oranssi Pazuzu's psychedelic & experimental black metal over Gojira. Tallica' over one-man guitar clinic. Phil Lynott over Hansi and while Faith No More are still a few years away from making their best album (Angel Dust) they are still WAY better than Lamb....
 
While both are far from my favorite album by either artist, Surfing... is a stronger record than Death Magnetic. While it's surely an unpopular opinion, I actually prefer most of the songs from Beyond Magnetic to most from the album proper.
 
I love the music and atmosphere on this Orianthi Sununu album. The vocals are shit, of course; but they’re not always present, and they’re often lower in the mix, and they’re on the less annoying end of the black metal vocal spectrum. While I think Oriole Panini would be better with melodic vocals, this is pretty great for what it is. Meanwhile, Gojira fucking sucks and needs to get the hell out of this contest. Sorry, @phantomoftheicarus, but @Whooten ’s nominee has yours completely outclassed here. Winner: Orangina Pizzazz

This second match-up is the toughest of the round. The Satriani album features lots of great lead guitar work, though many of the songs follow a straightforward formula and often have repetitive, uninspired rhythm playing. But then you have amazing stuff like “Circles” and “Midnight” on here too, and none of the songs are weak. Meanwhile, Death Magnetic has more viscerally enjoyable rhythm playing and generally more interesting song structures, but it also feels a little forced, and the mastering is way too hot, and “My Apocalypse” sucks. My gut leans toward Metallica, but my brain leans toward Satriani. Sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but in the end my brain won out and @MrKnickerbocker ’s nominee takes this one. Winner: Joe Satriani

I never really got into Thin Lizzy. The guitar playing is often really strong, but I don’t like the singer’s voice and the songwriting is really flaccid. I tried listening to this album again and it did nothing to change my opinion — these guys just aren’t for me. Sorry, @mckindog, but @Night Prowler ’s nominee is much more up my alley. Winner: Blind Guardian

Lamb Of God has interesting riffage, but their songs sound too much alike, and they have a shitty bro-yeller of a vocalist who ruins everything. Sorry, @FTB, but this one’s no contest. Winner: Faith No More
 
Midnight said:
Do I have to say it again, or do you remember what I said about this album the last time?
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The CD I own is the original version of the album and the one I listen to. The mastering on that CD is too hot. The fact that they released a less cooked version to iTunes later on doesn’t change what everyone else got stuck with.
 
Jer said:
The CD I own is the original version of the album and the one I listen to. The mastering on that CD is too hot. The fact that they released a less cooked version to iTunes later on doesn’t change what everyone else got stuck with.
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Agreed.

It's similar to albums with bonus tracks etc. as far as I'm concerned, there might be great versions of some tracks on the end of Unleashed in the East, but they weren't on the album that people were listening to for 20 odd years, the version that earned the albums reputation. Is "When a Blind Man Cries" great? Yes. Was it on Machine Head. No. Was Total Eclipse on the Number of the Beast? Only if you are Japanese.
 
I go back and forth on that, myself. Yep, I also consider that one mastering to be "final" and detrimental to the album, because that's what people bought back then (though when I personally want to hear the album, of course I play the new masters or the bootleg masters before that - I care about my ears, okay?).

And I don't consider bonus tracks to be a part of the album. Usually.

But especially these live albums with bonus tracks that expand the setlist and give you the more complete experience, I'm all for that. Particularly notable in that regard would be the Allmen at the Fillmore (yep, I even have the 6 CD complete version) and The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads, which was expanded into an even greater album, although it's not from a single performence.

But I admit sometimes I don't even respect my own rules - e.g. with Eat a Peach when I think about that album, I mainly think about that deluxe edition with second CD taken from the Fillmore gigs (now made a bit redundant with the aforementioned complete Fillmore collection), especially because the original album already contains some of the live Fillmore tracks. So I kinda tend to count it as the whole package, with more of the live stuff still with Duane (the original album already was kind of messy, because it was new studio tracks without Duane, old studio stuff still with him and older "outtake" live stuff that couldn't fit the then version of Fillmore, so it all kind of fits).
On the other hand, I don't consider the deluxe edition of Brothers and Sisters to be the "proper" one, despite it having a complete concert by the new lineup - I like the stuff, but it's not part of the album for me.

As for Death Magnetic in particular, I like it, I liked it even with the terrible mastering (before the bootlegs were made available), but I won't hold it against anyone voting against it because the original version was released and sold in an almost unlistenable version.

But it feels kinda strained in general and it's not among their best stuff (and I'm not the "old guard", I love ReLoad). In fact, I think I agree with Beau here
Detective Beauregard said:
While both are far from my favorite album by either artist, Surfing... is a stronger record than Death Magnetic. While it's surely an unpopular opinion, I actually prefer most of the songs from Beyond Magnetic to most from the album proper.
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Both artists have better albums (though I really love Crushing Day), but a C-tier Satriani album is better than a C-tier Metallica one. And yes, I like Beyond Magnetic much more.
 
This round starts with one hell of a match. Oranssi Pazuzu is arguably one of the most original and exciting Avantgarde Black Metal acts out there and Värähtelijä is probably their best effort and let me tell you: if you're about to listen to this record you're in for a treat. Saturaatio opens the whole thing in an almost 12 minute long intense marathon mixing extreme metal and retro psychedelic rock in a masterful way. Lahja is all about ambient as rumbling toms and repetitive keyboard and guitar patterns hypnotize you towards the deceiving softness of the title track and its tense ambiance. Hypnotisoitu Viharukous is another roller coaster of acid driven experimental Black Metal madness giving way to the strong mid pace Godflesh like bass that initiates Vasemman Kaden Hierarkia, a 17 minute plus song that sums up every single aspect its predecessors individually set in a multitude of textures (I dare you to listen to the spiral like effect after the brief ambiental passage on this one... what a trip!). Havuluu's crescendo takes the listener to another level when it comes to dissonance and vertigo effect and to wrap things up we have the unapologetic early Pink Floyd influenced Valveavaruus (if you like tracks like Careful With That Axe Eugene this is for you). Värähtelijä is nothing short of great. Sure it is not for the more sensible listener and can be overwhelming at times but no doubt it is an undeniable quality record such is the musical richness this dark Kaleidoscope projects. Nevertheless, while being a bit more conventional in form, L'Enfant Sauvage's vest is also a unique one and its quality is off the charts so I'll stick with Gojira.

If there's a classic guitar virtuoso record that really makes the genre shine look no further: just listen to Surfing With The Alien. Besides being a six string magician I always considered Old Satch to be one hell of a composer and his sophomore confirms it. The title track makes its way in at full speed: an uptempo hard rocker upon which the Joe man loses no time to show you what you're in for when it comes to make those frets burn. Ice 9 is a bit more into the likes of the previous album and therefore kinda uninteresting in content but it gives way to the iconic Crushing Day and here is where one can marvel (no pun intended) with this man's writing skills: this damned thing could as well be devoid of any of its blistering solos and still be a considerably simple dual guitar masterful song oriented composition (and simplicity is the key word to explain how catchy is the base uppon which Joe builds his songs). Always With Me Always With You is a soft chill out tune upon which Joe pulls some enjoyable soloing and the rightfully named Satch Boogie comes in bouncing and delivering a ton of energy and groove. Hill Of The Skull is an hugely epic and beautiful interlude and Circles' mood swings on both cleans and hard rocking parts are nothing short of great. Lords Of Karma is yet another excellent song oriented track that Joe embellishes with some more virtuoso soloing. Midnight is a tapping based interlude that while using echo results in a gorgeous effect, serving as a preamble to the more introspective and contained but still really interesting Echo. Make no mistakes: either you like it or not Alien is a rock classic and will always be. Furthermore it was the record where the majority of people (me included) came to know Joe and taking in account it's going against a merely Ok album in Death Magnetic there's no hesitating while giving this one to Satch AKA Joe Satriani.

Third one is a quite unfair one. I'm not a Thin Lizzy fan but know how influential and huge Jailbreak is. Songs like The Boys Are Back In Town and Emerald became absolute pearls in Irish rock and I'm pretty sure this record will get the majority of the votes. Nevertheless Blind Guardian's my favorite here so there you go.

For the last duel let me begin by making you a question: what do you get by mixing 10% of Slayer, 90% of Pantera and a Chuck Billy Daemonic era like roaring voice crossed with Anselmo's screaming? If you answered Lamb Of God you're probably right. And by no means Ashes Of The Wake is a weak album. Hourglass is a strong stomper and the Blood Of The Scribe/ One Gun are also interesting. To be fair the whole thing is really well played and solid metal. My beef with it is how derivative it is and how blatant of a Dimebag copy the guitars try to pull. And don't get me wrong: these guys can really write some really great riffs and are skill performers but the crushing majority points to one single direction: Pantera (and all the other ones to Slayer). So yeah... I can understand how many people loves LOG and I probably would too if Pantera never existed. But if the similitudes don't bother you Ashes Of The Wake surely does deliver some crushing metal bursts. On the other hand we have the classic, ultra original and revolutionary The Real Thing so no doubs here: Faith No More.
 
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Ah, I'm only having a laugh, Brian Robertson is British, as are, from later albums, Snowy White, Darren Wharton and John Sykes.
 
Three easy and pleasant choices, and one less so, the first pair that is. Oranssi Panzuzu sounded creepy, and so was the video, almost turned it off but got so curious I did listen to the whole song. Slightly monotonous, shaman-like sound which probably was what made it creepy. Gojira was pretty harsh too, but a little bit better.

Joe Satriani was a pleasant surprise. I had not heard any of his songs, I think, but this one was really nice! I put this album on my listening list. -Some time ago, I listened to all newer Metallica albums, as I was only familiar with the ones before Black Album. I listened to the songs, read Diesel's reviews on the forum, and compared my opinion on what he wrote. It was a lot of fun (thanks Diesel for the reviews! :) ) but unfortunately I found out that I don't like any of the newer Metallica albums.

I've come to the conclusion that Thin Lizzy is not my kind of music. Blind Guardian, however, is, I've really liked the songs I've heard so far on this Cup, and it's also on my listening list.

Lamb of God was too rough going for me, but I love Faith No More. The rapping sounds a bit stupid, but despite that, this is on my list too.
 
The first two minutes of Oranssi was vastly more interesting than any of Gojira’s same songs.

Surfing is one of Satch’s best records and the one that put instrumental guitar music on the map for the 80s. This would be a tough call if it were up against one of Metallica’s best, but Death Magnetic is far from one of their best.

Jailbreak is a solid album and doesn’t feature Hansi singing. Thin Lizzy

Anything that isn’t Faith No More.
 
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