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

I find the opposite to be true. They've gone away from the melodrama and gaudy emotion of Broadway. Going the direction of a dramatic film score, sure, but we're talking about the band that literally used to cover Broadway showtunes.
They did. And it still didn't sound quite as generic, or come across as trying too hard to be oh-so-meaningful, as their more recent efforts.
 
wow. as SteinmanFan11 i am deeply offended by this disgustion. “I’d Do Anything for Grandiose Metal Operas”.

And as HolopainenStan11, I find this dishonorable slander upon the blessed halls of bombast quite disenchanting. I shall bleed forever, MaidenFans.
 
They did. And it still didn't sound quite as generic, or come across as trying too hard to be oh-so-meaningful, as their more recent efforts.
Hmm. I would argue that they used to sound more generic (and that was often more catchy) and definitely agree that they (re: Tuomas) are (re: is) trying too hard to be "oh-so-meaningful". I think I honestly prefer that faux-intellectual hippie tree-lover vibe a little more than the sadsack, cry-for-me faux-poetic crying in an attic vibe.

And as HolopainenStan11, I find this dishonorable slander upon the blessed halls of bombast quite disenchanting. I shall bleed forever, MaidenFans.
And so, in the year of our Lord 2021,
The eleventh Stan bled forever
Alone in an attic on a snowy evening
Pain and pleasure fell in a blanket around him
And when he finally came his tears mixed with the flow
He became as the dead boy
Alone in a field full of beautiful words
As the trees fell in quiet succession
And if you heard it from the right vantage
Their thunder struck an Em chord
 
Guys, it could be always worse. Have you seen any episodes of Cop Rock?

Emperor is crushed by Iron Maiden, being eliminated from the GMAC. Next up is Iron Maiden vs. Iron Maiden in a battle of the 80s vs the 2000s.
Judas Priest ends this Queensrÿche run. They're back in the Premiership. I bet you can guess which album that is!
Iron Maiden swats away Def Leppard's challenge. That's it for the other NWOBHM band, and Maiden will face...interesting...Iron Maiden, in a battle of the 2010s and the very early 1980s.
Iced Earth firmly beats Twisted Sister. We'll see how they do against...how really interesting........a little-known British band called Iron Maiden.
 
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Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss (1994)

How it got here

List entries: DigitalDreamDoor 48, Metal Kingdom 77
Maidenfans Nominators: @Magnus
League 3 - Match 21vs.
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Annihilator - Alice in Hell (1989)

How it got here

List entries: n/a
Maidenfans Nominators: @Perun
Previous Rounds:
League 8: Defeated Gojira - L’Enfant Sauvage 15-8.
League 7: Defeated Sodom - M-16 - Ensiferum 17-4.
League 6: Defeated Alter Bridge - Fortress 17-10.
League 5: Defeated AC/DC - Let There Be Rock 17-7.
League 4: Defeated Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk 20-9.
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Skid Row - Slave to the Grind (1991)

How it got here

List entries: Metal Rules 48, Metalstorm 78
Maidenfans Nominators: @Yax
League 3 - Match 22vs.
The_New_Order.jpg

Testament - The New Order (1988)

How it got here

List entries: n/a
Maidenfans Nominators: @phantomoftheicarus, @Whooten
Previous Rounds:
League 6: Defeated Joe Satriani - Surfing With the Alien 17-9.
League 5: Defeated Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Part II 17-7.
League 4: Defeated Kamelot - The Black Halo 17-13.
 
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Overkill - The Years of Decay (1989)

How it got here

List entries: Metal Rules 77, DigitalDreamDoor 88
Maidenfans Nominators: @Dityn DJ James
League 3 - Match 23vs.
TheDarkSaga.jpg

Iced Earth - The Dark Saga (1996)

How it got here

List entries: Metalstorm 85
Maidenfans Nominators: @LooseCannon, @Night Prowler, @Yax
Previous Rounds:
League 4: Defeated Blind Guardian - Tales From the Twilight World 17-12.
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Death - Individual Thought Patterns (1993)

How it got here

List entries: Metal Rules 100, DigitalDreamDoor 80
Maidenfans Nominators: @karljant
League 3 - Match 24vs.
PearlJam-Ten2.jpg

Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

How it got here

List entries: n/a
Maidenfans Nominators: @Ariana, @Lampwick 43
Previous Rounds:
League 7: Defeated Guns ‘n Roses - Chinese Democracy 16-5.
League 6: Defeated Blaze Bayley - Tenth Dimension 13(ET)-13.
League 5: Defeated Avantasia - The Metal Opera 17-9.
League 4: Defeated Manowar - Kings of Metal 16-14.
 
I'd love to give Burzum a vote - not Varg, but Burzum, because one's a racist and the other is actually quite nice atmospheric black metal, shame that they're one and the same - but Annihilator have him beat. I'm not as big on Alice in Hell as I once was, but those riffs are excellent, and the title track and "Human Insecticide" are really great.

Testament are fine. Skid Row are much more interesting. Sebastian Bach has some pipes, man.

Iced Earth, no question. The Dark Saga is near the bottom of the classic IE records (don't know if I prefer it or Stormrider, and obviously the debut is at the bottom), but it's still got some pumping classics. It's more commercial, but "A Question of Heaven" alone is enough to beat most metal albums.

Ten has had a nice long run in the game, but I think it's about time a great metal record took its place. Death are just the band to do it IMO, but we'll see what happens.
 
I'm really sorry @Magnus my man. I know how much you love Burzum but I really can't stand it. And it's not even because of Varg and his attitude and deeds (ok... that doesn't help the slightest TBH.... quite much the opposite). It's really the sound itself. Now don't be a sad elephant and take solace in the fact I'm voting for an album that I know you like in Alice In Hell. Annihilator.

Ah now this is a quality matchup. I never liked Skid Row's debut and when some friends of mine back in the day told me "Hey you have to listen to Skid Row's new album! That shit is powerful Hard N' Heavy!". My reaction was "Skid Row? Powerful Hard N' Heavy? Yeah, right..." . Some months passed and I simply didn't care for it. Until one day I went to a friend of mine's house and he was listening to this fast paced, stomping, heavy as fuck vicious metal tune. "Hey man... what's this ?" And when answered it was the new Skid Row album my jaw just fell to the floor (BTW it was the title track). So yeah... this is a really diverse album that spans from hard rock to borderline thrash. Of course there are still songs reminiscent of their Motley Crue/ Guns N' Roses sound I don't appreciate much like Psycho Love, Creepshow, Living In A Chain Gang and the soft ballads like Wasted Time and In A Darkened Room. But then there's the good stuff. And by good I mean REALLY GOOD! Even retaining a lot of those Hard Rock / Hair Metal vibes on tracks like the opener Monkey Business and Get The Fuck Out they mix that sound with some Killing Machine/ British Steel era Priest and the result is a blast of incredibly groovy, pounding Heavy Rock on steroids. And still on the Hard Rock vibe Quick sand Jesus is another ballad but this time melodic and intense as nothing I've heard in the Hard Rock genre (yeah! Me liking a Hard Rock Ballad, that's right!). Then of course there's the really heavy stuff: Riot Act is borderline punk rock, Mudkicker's dragging stomp is vicious and what to say about the savage combo Of The Threat and Slave To The Grind. So while having a handful of songs I skip Skid Row's sophomore is overall one hell of a record. But it's going against an album that is almost devoid of fillers, being one of my two favorite albums by a Thrash powerhouse. So, although I'd love to see STG advance a bit further, I have to give this one to Testament.

After three albums of more punk uncompromising attitude, Bobby and Verni geared one of the oldest and well oiled Thrash metal machines towards more complex and darker venues. The result was simply stunning. To this very day The Years Of Decay is still my favorite record by these guys and it's easy to understand why. Time To Kill kicks the album with pomp and dives into a dire thrashing feast with delicious riffs and rhythmic details. Elimination and I Hate are much more in the vein of previous albums but nonetheless still extremely exciting and well written (especially I Hate). Nothing To Die For shows how much these dudes evolved skill wise without losing their grit (although that initial riff is somewhat... errr... blackened). After a cacophonic intro, this megaton doomster properly named Skullcrusher comes to grind every single one of your bones and Birth Of Tension's breakneck speed fury blows what's left of our jaw. Who Tends The Fire is the definitive proof that this album is a huge upgrade on the band's sound: the number of gorgeous nuances and how tight they connect with each other is mind blowing. Speaking of mind blowing, if this record wasn't already utterly superb it saves the best for last. The desolate calm ambiance of the title track and its variations (man... that coda!!!!) and once again the new attention to detail on the heavy, intricate and dark E.V.I.L. Never Dies closes what I consider to be one of 80's Thrash masterpieces. That being said it's easy to understand what will be my vote since the only thing where the Dark Saga beats The Years Of Decay in my book is on the cover art (one is done by Mc Farlane while the other seems it was done by a 10 year old metal fan). Everything else doesn't even comes close and goes without the slightest doubt to Overkill.

Well... as much as I like every Death album, Individual Thought Patterns is just something stunning. First the performance is ridiculous. (unlike in Human) DiGiorgio's bass is much more in front of the mix and man... this guy is bringing lines penned by the devil itself! What is this nonsense??? This is an almost perfect (and original) display of bass playing. And this could be the real standout besides the songs themselves. But noooooo. And there's where Individual really fucks with you. Because if you like technical Thrash / Death you don't know which way to turn. And why? Because although young Reinart and Masvidal were already huge musicians (but still evolving) who does Chuck brings to fill the places left beyond the kit and second six strings? Hoglan and Laroque. Fucking Hoglan and Laroque, man!!! And what these two dudes do in this album is also inhumanely off the charts. And what's "left"? Ah... just Chuck and his immensely talented playing and sublime song writting. Honestly... The first time I listened to this I stood in absolute awe. And then listened to it a million times again. And am still listening to it to this very day. Fillers??? Nope. Zero. As for standouts Overactive Imagination is simply my favorite track by the band while In Human Form, Trapped In A Corner, Nothing Is Everything, Mentally Blind, Destiny orThe Philosopher are also absurdly good. Hell, what am I saying? All the album is a standout... there you go! Just one detail: run away from the remastered version of it. It's horrible. Whoever did it putt everything at the red and almost destroyed a masterpiece. So with that in mind it does not matter how good of a rock album Ten is. This one goes to Death.
 
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DiGiorgio's bass is much more in front of the mix and man... this guy is bringing lines penned by the devil itself! What is this nonsense??? This is an almost perfect (and original) display of bass playing.
As cool as the bass line are, I hate that tone he’s got. Sounds like a bathroom excursion after a late night snack from Taco Bell. It’s actually the weakest link on the album for me, but the rest more than makes up for it.
 
Lots of thrash in this round. Definitely not my thing. Hilariously, the linked song from the Iced Earth record is probably the thrashiest on the album, too.

First round is black metal versus thrash, and neither genre is my cup of tea. Still, it's an easy vote for Annihilator because I can actually understand what's happening. If black metal actually had decent recording quality, I'd be able to listen to it.

Testament is a solid thrash band, and I've never been a huge Skid Row fan. However, I've never heard Testament do something I haven't heard other bands do better, and as obnoxious as Sebastian Bach is, he's a great singer. So it's Skid Row.

Iced Earth, without a doubt. This isn't even one of my favorite albums of theirs, but I don't see the appeal of Overkill. I saw them on a co-headlining tour with Symphony X and I was bored two songs in.

Easy vote for Death, since they're not Pearl Jam.
 
Burzum is Nazi black metal and Annihilator is one of the GOAT thrash metal albums, so no contest there.

Not a Testament fan at all, so Skid Row kind of wins by default, but the Slave to the Grind album is actually pretty solid. Definitely better than the terrible debut.

Just say no to Jon Schaffer. Not a big Dark Saga fan to begin with though. Easily the weakest of their classic period.

Pearl Jam Ten is a good album, but Death is immense. No contest, glad to see them dominating the early vote.
 
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