Midnight
The Ever-Present "It"
...
I was planning to break the tie by voting for Pearl Jam, but I missed the poll because I had to finish my homework.
GREATEST METAL ALBUM CUP - Winner: Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son!
- Thread starter LooseCannon
- Start date
I was planning to break the tie by voting for Pearl Jam, but I missed the poll because I had to finish my homework.
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter (1999) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Dityn DJ James, @Saapanael, @Whooten | |
| League 6 - Match 25 | vs. |
Entombed - Left Hand Path (1990) How it got here List entries: Rolling Stone 82, DigitalDreamDoor 93 Previous Rounds: League 7: Defeated Judas Priest - Nostradamus 15(ET)-15. |
Gamma Ray - Land of the Free (1995) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Forostar, @Jer | |
| League 6 - 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. League 8: Defeated Audioslave - Audioslave 15-10. League 7: Defeated Razor - Violent Restitution 22-8. |
Judas Priest - Firepower (2018) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Collin, @Kalata | |
| League 6 - Match 27 | vs. |
Alice in Chains - Facelift (1990) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @phantomoftheicarus, @Travis The Dragon Previous Rounds: League 7: Defeated Iron Maiden - Virtual XI 15(ET)-15. |
Dream Theater - Black Clouds and Silver Linings (2009) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @Midnight, @Saapanael, @The Dissident | |
| League 6 - Match 28 | vs. |
Deep Purple - Burn (1974) How it got here List entries: n/a Maidenfans Nominators: @matic22 Previous Rounds: League 8: Defeated Mekong Delta - Wanderer on the Edge of Time 16-9. League 7: Defeated Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory 17-14. |
JudasMyGuide
Ancient Mariner
The first and the last pairings are really hard. Have to think on it a little.
This is a tricky one only in the sense that a lot of these albums are pretty mediocre. Left Hand Path is the only one I feel is strongly invested in moving forward. Unfortunately, this is also the only truly competitive match in the round. Immortal is a juggernaut. Either deserves to win and it's unfortunate that two classic Extreme Metal albums have to be pitted against each other.
Land of the Free isn't my favorite, but I can get behind it as a landmark Power Metal album. Rebellion in Dreamland is also a worthy epic.
The first Rainbow album is fun but it's largely pretty forgettable 70s Metal. It lays the groundwork for Rising, but it doesn't come close to those heights.
Firepower has big time recency bias. I'm not a big AiC fan but come on this is a no brainer. Landmark, game changing Metal album vs some has-beens trying to revisit the 80s.
The last match pits two mediocre offerings from two great bands against each other. I'm going with the Dream Theater bias here, but I also genuinely really enjoy the first and last songs on that album (which make up about half the runtime).
Land of the Free isn't my favorite, but I can get behind it as a landmark Power Metal album. Rebellion in Dreamland is also a worthy epic.
The first Rainbow album is fun but it's largely pretty forgettable 70s Metal. It lays the groundwork for Rising, but it doesn't come close to those heights.
Firepower has big time recency bias. I'm not a big AiC fan but come on this is a no brainer. Landmark, game changing Metal album vs some has-beens trying to revisit the 80s.
The last match pits two mediocre offerings from two great bands against each other. I'm going with the Dream Theater bias here, but I also genuinely really enjoy the first and last songs on that album (which make up about half the runtime).
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
First pairing is tough as hell. I’ll have to think on that one. And even though I love AIC, Facelift is inconsistent and not as good as Dirt. Firepower is a truly phenomenal album that I think deserves more credit than it gets. One of my favorite balls-out metal records and the best that JP has ever been.
My plan was to vote for the guy you liked in this pair.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Whoops, a nominee snuck up on me again.
Land Of The Free is the album that got me into power metal. I was scoping around for new metal music in the U.S. in 1995 during the nascent days of the web, and most of the stuff I heard didn’t resonate with me, but this one did. It was clearly influenced by Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, Queensryche, and Queen. It’s that last influence that was the biggest barrier for me, but once I was able to accept the major key, show-tuney elements it all clicked into place. This album also doesn’t fully suffer from power metal double kick drum disease — this is mostly relatable hard rock drumming with some meaningful finesse that the band lost during the lineup change after this record.
This is Kai Hansen’s best vocal performance, and you can tell he was really trying. He’s not a great singer, but he sounds like a warmer Dave Mustaine on the low end and can give a pretty convincing shriek on the high end, and I think his voice suits the material really well. The Michael Kiske guest appearances here are OK, but a little intrusive — I would have preferred it if Kai handled all the vocals.
Hard to complain about any of the songwriting here. From big epics like “Rebellion In Dreamland” and the informal trilogy of the title track, “The Saviour”, and “Abyss Of The Void” to shorter tracks like “All Of The Damned” (with its mini-solo referencing “Hotel California”), “Salvation’s Calling”, and “Afterlife”, everything on here is great, with sweet guitar work and super-catchy vocal lines. Tracks often segue into each other, and the album as a whole feels like it has a consistent musical arc.
I loved this album then, and I love it just as much today. If this mediocre Rainbow album takes out yet another great metal album it would truly be a shame.
Land Of The Free is the album that got me into power metal. I was scoping around for new metal music in the U.S. in 1995 during the nascent days of the web, and most of the stuff I heard didn’t resonate with me, but this one did. It was clearly influenced by Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Megadeth, Queensryche, and Queen. It’s that last influence that was the biggest barrier for me, but once I was able to accept the major key, show-tuney elements it all clicked into place. This album also doesn’t fully suffer from power metal double kick drum disease — this is mostly relatable hard rock drumming with some meaningful finesse that the band lost during the lineup change after this record.
This is Kai Hansen’s best vocal performance, and you can tell he was really trying. He’s not a great singer, but he sounds like a warmer Dave Mustaine on the low end and can give a pretty convincing shriek on the high end, and I think his voice suits the material really well. The Michael Kiske guest appearances here are OK, but a little intrusive — I would have preferred it if Kai handled all the vocals.
Hard to complain about any of the songwriting here. From big epics like “Rebellion In Dreamland” and the informal trilogy of the title track, “The Saviour”, and “Abyss Of The Void” to shorter tracks like “All Of The Damned” (with its mini-solo referencing “Hotel California”), “Salvation’s Calling”, and “Afterlife”, everything on here is great, with sweet guitar work and super-catchy vocal lines. Tracks often segue into each other, and the album as a whole feels like it has a consistent musical arc.
I loved this album then, and I love it just as much today. If this mediocre Rainbow album takes out yet another great metal album it would truly be a shame.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
Immortal + Entombed - neither are for me so I'll save you the bother of reading my synopsis on them and me the bother of having to write one.
I'll give Immortal the win, rather vote for posters nominations than lists, and I slightly preferred their music although I did like Entombed's lack of blast beats.
Gamma Ray - Video wouldn't play so I picked the title track, Maiden obviously have heard this since The Fallen Angel has a similar intro, camp vocal melody does nothing for me.
Rainbow - opinion given before
Rainbow with the win
Judas Priest - Pretty good record from Priest, about as strong an album as could be expected from a band at this stage of their career. Listened to it a lot when it was released, but haven't gone back to it since so a bit rusty on what's good and bad on it.
Alice in Chains - opinion given before
Judas Priest with the win
Dream Theatre - I gave it about 5 mins, parts of it are pretty good, but I can't abide that singer or the keys
Deep Purple - opinion given before
Deep Purple with the win
I'll give Immortal the win, rather vote for posters nominations than lists, and I slightly preferred their music although I did like Entombed's lack of blast beats.
Gamma Ray - Video wouldn't play so I picked the title track, Maiden obviously have heard this since The Fallen Angel has a similar intro, camp vocal melody does nothing for me.
Rainbow - opinion given before
Rainbow with the win
Judas Priest - Pretty good record from Priest, about as strong an album as could be expected from a band at this stage of their career. Listened to it a lot when it was released, but haven't gone back to it since so a bit rusty on what's good and bad on it.
Alice in Chains - opinion given before
Judas Priest with the win
Dream Theatre - I gave it about 5 mins, parts of it are pretty good, but I can't abide that singer or the keys
Deep Purple - opinion given before
Deep Purple with the win
srfc
Ancient Mariner
Think youse are looking at that wrong, one of them will advance rather than both being knocked out.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Rainbow
Priest
Dream Theater
Priest
Dream Theater
Magnus
Pica Serdica
I appreciate it, but better follow your own judgement. Or toss a coin if you dislike both. Objectively, Left Hand Path deserves more to advance, being a first, groundbreaking and so on. Immortal's is probably more fun on the other hand.
JudasMyGuide
Ancient Mariner
That was probably the selling point for me. I mean, with death metal, I still am going to look for more proggy stuff etc. and although Entombed are really, really great and even enjoyable (which is not a given with these "influential" albums), I can seem myself returning more to Immortal's shtick.
Also, less of the edgy "Stanism".
karljant
Ancient Mariner
You do know Left Hand path HAS blast beats, right?
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Unavailable for me.
I put on Rebellion in Dreamland, which is what the URL sent me, but the video did not work so I picked a different one.
karljant
Ancient Mariner
fine here