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

How interesting, I only needed to listen to three videos above for this round. :) The reason being that I had gotten excellent tips from MindRuler about which albums I should start with Rush, and I had already in the past few days listened several of them.

I didn't want to listen to this Rammstein, but I had actually heard the whole album several times. This was one of the albums my ex used to listen, back when this album was brand new. The songs were oppressive and devoid of all human warmth. I don't like it at all. Dance of Death I do like, so the point goes in that direction.

Primordial 1 was quite gloomy. Counterparts I listened entirely today as I was working, and I came to the conclusion that this is a good album. Maybe the easiest Rush album to digest I've listened to so far.

Amorphis was pretty good, there was something about the melody I liked, and the story sounded interesting. Would have taken a closer look at the lyrics, had I had the energy. Primordial 2 sounded very dark and hopeless. Almost made Amorphis seem more cheerful of the two, perhaps it is possible to make as gloomy music in other countries as it is in Finland!

Hemispheres seems like a good album, but I've only listened to it once, and I think it needs lots more listens to get into. Probably only gets better with more listens, at least that's how it's been with Maiden. Permanent Waves sounded alright too, again, needs more listens, maybe I liked Hemispheres better on this first listen.
 
I voted for the first option in every matchup.

Rammstein's selection of dark bops beats Maiden.

While Animate is one of my 10/10 songs (mostly due to the lyrics), the rest of the album isn't that good, so Primordial it is.

Amorphis had the catchier song.

Long Rush beats radio Rush.

Now I'm worried about Babymetal's chances: it's facing off against Counterparts.
 
The Rammstein album is pretty good, but it's not Maiden.

The Primordial album is pretty good, but it's not Rush.

Both album are pretty good, but the Amorphis one is a little bit more to my liking.

And then we have two of Rush's best albums. This one could go either way, but I'll give the edge to Hemispheres.
 
Reise Reise is a curious case. As I said before I think Rammstein started losing their mojo and distinctive blend of genres after Sehnsucht but they were still able to pull some good tracks in the following album with their kinda new sound (namely the opener, Links 1-2-3, Adios and the title track). As for the following album let me tell you I bought it when it came out and it opened with a bang. No, the title track that opens Reise Reise does not feature that Clawfinger like tuning guitar or early electro synth banks but damn! The song sounds epic, huge! And that was something I really missed in these guys. Comes Mein Teil and if I was excited with the opener now I'm really on "these guys are back for real" mode. This is a heavy as hell and disturbing bastard like if Till joined Samael to compose something in the likes of Tier. Dalai Lama sneaks in quietly but when the whole thing goes full nitro it reveals to itself to be a new incarnation of the wicked Spiel Mit Mir, slowling grinding its way with gigantic stomps and huge melodies. By now I'm all smiles. And then Keine Lust kicks in with its almost Nu Metal riff and flacid breaks followed by the pointless Los. And although Amerika is radio friendly as the band can get it's a cool tongue in cheek diatribe like song to listen to. But after that and up to the last note of Reise Reise all we're left with are half baked, boring as hell fillers. Really... the second half of this record is the true definition of mediocrity and snoozefest. And it's a pity, since it has such a strong kick off. That being said and as much as I love those three songs, Dance Of Death is a much more complete record with way less filler (still it has Age Of Innocence and New Frontier) so this one has to go to Iron Maiden.

I'm not a Rush Fan but as I've already stated here there's a handful of records I really like (mainly older 70's stuff). Their more recent material does little more to me than admiting these guys are amazing preformers and surely deserve my respect for their legacy and how it inspered so many other acts. But Counterparts doesn't click with me. So what do we have going against Rush? Ah! Another album by Primordial and once again courtesy of Mr. @Magnus. By now I'm left wondering how many more Primordial albums have you elected :p. I've already noticed To The Nameless Fallen is entering the game in the near future and something tells me it does so thanks to you. If it doesn't it should because it's my favorite album by the band (man that thing is absolutely gorgeous and didn't make it to my list by a thread)... rest assured I'll vote for it against approximately 99,999999% of other records that may come. But let's focus on the band's most recent work and once again it's a win hands down. Nail Their Tongues' first acoustic notes are deceitfully harmonious as the whole thing reveals to be a a syncopated dark theme with a sense of despair all around. To Hell Or The Hangman retains that same desperate feeling in a more uptempo beat. Where Lies The Gods find the band doing perhaps one of their most Sabbath like approaches and we're thrown into the title track... and let me tell you this thing is amazing! The folky clean elements entangle themselves with the heavy rhythm guitar dirge while Nemtheanga keeps the entire thing tied with a superb and woe filled performance. Upon Our Spiritual Deathbed brings that more Black Metal sound the band shaped so masterfully, flowing into a rumbling great chorus. And what can be said about the desolate (yet spine chilling beautiful) guitar drone soundscapes Stolen Years offers us? Sunken Lungs follows and the band took a note or two from Skyclad's first albums here and gave it their own twist (those minimalistic guitar leads are really on point) as the 10 plus minutes Last Call works as a rerun of almost everything that the previous tracks delighted us with. With an album of this immense quality these guys surely continue to rank among my continuously shrinking rank of bands that only released -at least- great records. And to say Exile Among The Ruins is merely great is almost an insult. Easy vote for Primordial.

Next we have another late catalogue Amorphis album. And by then the band already was on the same path of the already commented Under The Red Cloud... I mean Folk Metal is still their game but the flavor is completely different and it sounds weird to me (and to a certain point artificial). Sometimes there's a brief reminder of the Elegy and Tales charisma in some tracks like the opener Sampo but in really small portions. And I'm aware many people prefer this more accessible version of the band but it isn't my kind of thing. On the other hand I've already praised how great Spirit Of The Earth Aflame is so yeah... Primordial.

Finally Rush on Rush action (this sounded bad). And, curiously enough these are contiguous album. And if Permanent Waves is IMO a quite uneven album with two great tracks in Natural Sciences and Jacob's Ladder, Hemispheres is more daring prog rock and a more even record, opening with the excellent Cygnus X-1, followed by the short yet strong as hell Circumstances (the bass on this thing...). And while Trees is a bit meh it ends passing with the prog stravaganza of La Villa Strangiato... not quite my cup of tea but if you don't know this song and want to lose your enthusiasm as a prog guitar, bass or drum player be my guest! Hemispheres gets my vote.
 
Iron Maiden dances away with this one. Rammstein returns in League 6.
Rush defeats Primordial, and Amorphis also beats Primordial. They're back one more time next league.
Rush beats Rush. But in all seriousness, Hemispheres comes back and squeaks out a win, what drama! We've had some come-from-behinds this league for sure!

Tiebreakers now.
 
As far as Reise, Reise goes, “Moskau” is actually my favorite Rammstein song because it’s really fun and I love the way they throw in Russian to help sell it. Fantastic song.
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
Finland takes this round.
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:lol: :lol: :lol: :funnypost:

Facts:
- I forgot what the Amorphis song sounded 5 minutes later. Jotun, Food for the Gods, Gyroscope... Stuck in my head for a long time after just one listen.

- the riffs on Heir Apparent ALONE >>>> anything on the Nightwish album!

- the Swedes have a cooler flag. Sorry!

- vote Ziltoid over Buckethead. Vote Ziltoid over Buckethead. Ooo, subliminal messages ooo... Should hopefully come into effect after the extra time... :D
 
The results of the last round ain't surprising, though they're disconcerting nonetheless. Considering the general Rush bias everywhere, I suspect there's a strong possibility that if a Maiden album won't win the cup, a Rush album will.

And honestly, there are at least 2 or 3 really good Shakira albums and at least one great Carrie Underwood album that I'd rather see crowned as a greatest metal album than any given Rush album. But we'll see, maybe I'm not being fair to y'all.

Anyway, voting for Amorphis and Opeth, of course. Absolutely stellar albums, both of them. Let's hope that at least Watershed won't get eliminated by friggin' Nightwish.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
Considering the general Rush bias everywhere, I suspect there's a strong possibility that if a Maiden album won't win the cup, a Rush album will.
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As fun as the various "biases" are to joke about, and it is fun to joke about, when a band is so "biased towards" that they can win tournaments, that's really just popularity.
 
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