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

I am not surprised to see Metallica beating Rush, but I am a little surprised that it is not close. The trope on this board has long been that Rush is probably the next most popular band after Maiden.

I went with Rush, primarily because it’s a more consistent album. There is one weak track. But these are definitely Titans.
 
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Monster of a round. Peace Sells, Powerslave, Ace of Spades, Moving Pictures.

Ace of Spades is my all time favorite album, and has been for about 3 years now. Just an unrelenting slab of early speed metal. Great mix of elements from crust punk, rockabilly and bluesy rock n roll. All that with the fresh energy of early NWOBHM. Just an album for the ages. My least favorite song is probably Bite the Bullet, but even then when that leads into the intro riff on The Chase is Better Than the Catch, oh my goodness, I'm in rock n roll heaven. I can't listen to this album and not have a good time. For an album 41 years old, it seriously thrashes. And thrashes hard it does.
 
Peace Sells is a great album that just barely missed my own top 25. “Wake Up Dead” is a little repetitive in parts, and “I Ain’t Superstitious” is a little silly, but this album is mostly excellent from start to finish. While Countdown To Extinction has prettier production, it’s also more simplified and less consistent. It’s also hilarious to me that @MrKnickerbocker dislikes So Far, So Good...So What! so much, and yet he nominated an album that starts off by completely stealing the opening vocal melody from “Liar” on SFSGSW, as evidenced by the sample song this round. Anyhoo, sorry MrYickerbaxer, but Whoosrfmatic7.333’s choice takes this one. Winner: Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who’s Buying?

Powerslave has four stone cold classic songs on it, plus the excellent “Flash Of The Blade” and “The Duellists”, and the awesome-except-for-the-chorus “Back In The Village”. “Losfer Words” is the weakest thing on here, and it’s still good. No wonder this is Iron Maiden’s second best album, and no wonder I nominated it. This Deep Purple album is much more uneven and never approaches the heights of its competitor. Sorry, Yaxmotosrfic86, but Diesyr Dissijer JolliFTBashfeddie’s Moosematicannonaelsrfman’s nominee’s hands threaten your doom. Winner: Iron Maiden

This Motörhead album has a great title track and a pretty strong first half, but it seems to taper off in quality during the second half, and it’s a little simplistic and one-note overall. Can’t hold a candle to a consistently great Bruce / Adrian / Roy Z. affair. Sorry, @Dityn DJ James, but Dr Moshieana’s KalidInTheDarkannon’s choice sucks your soul into its might. Winner: Bruce Dickinson

Oof, this last match is rough. Metallica’s very best album against Rush’s just-barely-second-best album. Both of these are all-time classic records for great reasons (no wonder I nominated both of them!). Master Of Puppets fuses complex thrash riffing with a surprising amount of melody and harmony in its interludes, consistently great soloing, and fantastic songwriting. The unexpected dynamics of the songs, swinging from brutal to tender and back again with such finesse, really take this album to another level. Hetfield sounds great, offering up a melodic thrash yell that doesn’t miss notes the way he sometimes did on Ride The Lightning. Jeez, listening to this album in full again drives home just how awesome it is. What a landmark. Looking at Moving Pictures, you’ve also got a run of stunning tracks with “Tom Sawyer”, “Red Barchetta”, “YYZ”, “Limelight”, and “The Camera Eye”, but then I think the album slips slightly in quality with the final two tracks, and in the end I think that’s the deciding factor here. Congratusorrylations, Fjerollidnightindog, but I have to go with Phantootenis The MidsterDixjerFTBornflashed Hickie’s Potorianasrfmaticman’s nominee here. Winner: Metallica
 
Dave on Dave violence is all tied up, two Premiership albums showing dominance, and a strong lead for Bruce. Things going as expected in League 1 so far!
 
Jer said:
It’s also hilarious to me that @MrKnickerbocker dislikes So Far, So Good...So What! so much, and yet he nominated an album that starts off by completely stealing the opening vocal melody from “Liar” on SFSGSW, as evidenced by the sample song this round.
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Oh, it’s virtually identical. Dave even does the same rolled “r” on the word “wreck”. No way this wasn’t intentional. The difference is that Skin of My Teeth is a good song.

My biggest issue with SFSGSW is that it’s beating far superior albums and is nowhere near the top of the Megadeth discography in terms of quality. The only Megadeth albums worse than it IMO are Thirteen and KIMB (which also went way too far here).
 
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MrKnickerbocker said:
My biggest issue with SFSGSW is that it’s beating far superior albums
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Karmic payback for the path of unwarranted destruction cut by the Rainbow debut, I suppose...? I guess there are as many “always Megadave, always” people as there are “always Dio, always” people.

But seriously, SFSGSW kicks ass. It’s United Abominations that had no business lasting as long as it did...
 
Jer said:
Karmic payback for the path of unwarranted destruction cut by the Rainbow debut, I suppose...? I guess there are as many “always Megadave, always” people as there are “always Dio, always” people.

But seriously, SFSGSW kicks ass. It’s United Abominations that had no business lasting as long as it did...
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For sure. Same with the “always Maiden, always” crowd.

Disagree hard on SFSGSW, but 100% agreed about UA.
 
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Peace Sells. I'm just more familiar with it and I like it quite a bit.

Maiden

Bruce, I like all the songs here, only Welcome to the Pit is a little awkward. Taking the Queen into Darkside of Aquarius is just great, and Omega is one of my favourite Bruce solo songs too.

Puppets I think is a bit overrated, it's not "the perfect album" and I didn't even nominate it, Battery and Damage Inc. bring it down for me. Moving Pictures has this same problem with the last 3 songs. Still, Puppets is one of my first and most listened to albums, it's a blowout.
 
Two of these matches were insanely tough, while the other two were easier than anything yet.

Megadeth was a rough one. I know that Countdown was their first “commercial” album, but I think it’s slightly stronger than Peace Sells. The few really bad filler tracks in the middle of the latter make Psychotron sound good by comparison, and the latter also doesn’t have Ashes In Your Mouth.

Poor Derp Purple.

Bruce, easily. Motörhead has never done anything for me.

The last match was almost as tough as the first. Metallica and Rush are equally as influential on their respective genres of metal and prog, and these are typically their two most highly revered albums. But in the end, I have to be in a specific mood to listen to Rush. If I’m doing something and Battery comes on, I’m gonna listen to the whole thing, guaranteed. There’s just so much power on Puppets.
 
Powerslave's shutout attempt broken as Deep Purple has garnered a vote. Still no shutouts in the GMAC.
 
Two great Megadeth albums that curiously enough are one next to another in my rank. With Countdown Megadeth managed what many other bands didn't: go softer without losing focus and edge. Still have some fillers in Psychotron and High Speed Dirt and I really can't stand Sweating Bullets. Other than that this record ranges from really cool stuff to some ingenious tracks like Skin O' My Teeth, This Was My Life and Architecture Of Aggression culminating with the amazing Ashes In Your Mouth. Peace Sells on the other hand has some really jaw dropping sections. Nevertheless, when it comes to composition it varies a bit. Songs like the title track, My Last Words, The Conjuring and Good Morning Black Friday are great examples of the absolute classic metal songs this record has to offer. Then we have a somewhat unnecessary cover and 3 songs that have some amazing passages but as a whole sometimes seem to get a bit boring. Nevertheless the highlights are so good this is indeed my #4 all time 'Deth album while Countdown is my #5 so I'll go with Peace Sells.... But Who's Buying?

Machine Head is an all time classic album for the ages. But let me describe Powerslave in few topics: a) it features 3 of my top 10 Maiden songs b) two of those are simply TOP 1 in exequo (Aces high and ROTAM). c) other than that it features a really addictive hit single and 4 great tracks that most people don't understand the reason why they sound like "fillers" is because those 3 tracks are so amazing it makes everything pale in its vicinity (yes... even 2MTM). Overall a near perfect record and a metal masterpiece. Iron Maiden.

Must admit I prefer Accident Of Birth in this matchup. But since Chemical Wedding is still out there (despite the great quality of AOB I think CW is a way better record) I'll give this one to one of Motorhead's best albums to help preventing that this damn game a few rounds ahead is nothing but Maiden and Dickinson.

Easily Metallica here. Master is my second favorite album by these dudes. With the exception of Disposable Heroes and Damage Inc. (merely good songs) all the remaining tracks are classics, simply top stuff, especially Orion and Battery.
 
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