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

Stained Class is pretty overrated in my book. “Beyond The Realms Of Death” is great, and songs like “White Heat, Red Hot”, “Saints In Hell”, and “Fire Burns Below” are pretty good, but a lot of the stuff outside of that is just OK or unremarkable. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t impress. Compared to a Black Sabbath album that’s consistently strong with multiple great tracks on it, this isn’t a tough call. Congratusorrylations, Cannonfed Prick, but your co-product of sexual nepotism Corndog Mick’s nominee wins here. Winner: Black Sabbath

Musically, this Opeth album lives up to the hype — it’s a masterwork. And when Akerfeldt layers melody and harmony into his vocals on top of this complex stew of guitars and rhythm it’s just sublime. Unfortunately, half the time he’s doing much less productive things with his vocals, and that serves as a bit of a boat anchor on the whole affair. While this In Flames album is great, and I’m able to tolerate its extreme vocals in a way that I simply can’t with Opeth’s, the flawed brilliance on display in Blackwater Park is still enough to come out on top here. Sorry, Fatwa Bazar, but The FTBlosherknockershmaalipipanael‘s choice is superior. Winner: Opeth

OK, this Rainbow album is far better than the previous ones in the GMAC. Every song is at least good, “Stargazer” is excellent, and “Tarot Woman” and “A Light In The Black” are great. I still think this album is a bit overrated, but it’s consistently strong and worthy of respect. And in this case I think that’s enough to edge out its competitor. Sorry, De Hissianant, but your distant Diss-endant MrShmidnaxercockerfed Nickidentosrfckielt’s nominee takes this one. Winner: Rainbow

Holy shit, this Mercyful Fate album is great! The production could use some help, but the guitar work is consistently fantastic and so is the songwriting. King Diamond’s voice isn’t for everyone, but he uses it to great effect here. Definitely have to listen to this one some more. And yet, Sin After Sin is also great in its own way, and it’s more polished — but it does take a slight dip in quality in the middle, especially on “Raw Deal”, and in this case I think that’s enough to cost it the match. Sorry, Fraapackino, but @Diesel 11 ’s choice slaps a little too hard here. Winner: Mercyful Fate
 
Whooten said:
There's a very good chance that five Judas Priest albums will be in the Sweet 16. I also expect 5 Maiden albums, two Dio, Bruce, Megadeth, Metallica and Sabbath.
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I'd be inclined to agree, although Rising has a fair shot against Sin After Sin.

Predictions for the next set of match ups (what I expect to win in bold)
  1. Peace Sells V Powerslave
  2. Accident Of Birth V Master Of Puppets
  3. Defenders Of The Faith V Rust In Peace
  4. Master Of Reality V British Steel
  5. Stained Class V Blackwater Park
  6. Rising V Don’t Sin After Sin
  7. Holy Diver V Keeper Of the Seven Keys Part 2
  8. Sad Wings Of Destiny V Black Sabbath
  9. A Matter Of Life And Death V Operation Mindcrime*
  10. Ride The Lightning V Somewhere In Time
  11. Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I V Screaming For Vengeance
  12. Images And Words V Painkiller
  13. Metropolis Part 2 V The Chemical Wedding
  14. Heaven And Hell V The Number Of The Beast
  15. Reign In Blood V Seventh Son
  16. Seasons In The Abyss V Last in line


Mindcrime/AMOLAD is probably the one which I think would likely be the closest
 
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Jer said:
Stained Class is pretty overrated in my book. “Beyond The Realms Of Death” is great, and songs like “White Heat, Red Hot”, “Saints In Hell”, and “Fire Burns Below” are pretty good, but a lot of the stuff outside of that is just OK or unremarkable. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t impress. Compared to a Black Sabbath album that’s consistently strong with multiple great tracks on it, this isn’t a tough call. Congratusorrylations, Cannonfed Prick, but your co-product of sexual nepotism Corndog Mick’s nominee wins here. Winner: Black Sabbath

Musically, this Opeth album lives up to the hype — it’s a masterwork. And when Akerfeldt layers melody and harmony into his vocals on top of this complex stew of guitars and rhythm it’s just sublime. Unfortunately, half the time he’s doing much less productive things with his vocals, and that serves as a bit of a boat anchor on the whole affair. While this In Flames album is great, and I’m able to tolerate its extreme vocals in a way that I simply can’t with Opeth’s, the flawed brilliance on display in Blackwater Park is still enough to come out on top here. Sorry, Fatwa Bazar, but The FTBlosherknockershmaalipipanael‘s choice is superior. Winner: Opeth

OK, this Rainbow album is far better than the previous ones in the GMAC. Every song is at least good, “Stargazer” is excellent, and “Tarot Woman” and “A Light In The Black” are great. I still think this album is a bit overrated, but it’s consistently strong and worthy of respect. And in this case I think that’s enough to edge out its competitor. Sorry, De Hissianant, but your distant Diss-endant MrShmidnaxercockerfed Nickidentosrfckielt’s nominee takes this one. Winner: Rainbow

Holy shit, this Mercyful Fate album is great! The production could use some help, but the guitar work is consistently fantastic and so is the songwriting. King Diamond’s voice isn’t for everyone, but he uses it to great effect here. Definitely have to listen to this one some more. And yet, Sin After Sin is also great in its own way, and it’s more polished — but it does take a slight dip in quality in the middle, especially on “Raw Deal”, and in this case I think that’s enough to cost it the match. Sorry, Fraapackino, but @Diesel 11 ’s choice slaps a little too hard here. Winner: Mercyful Fate
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Fire Burns Below is a bonus track, it can be easily recognized that it is totally not of that era (recorded 10 years later, released 23(!) years later on a remaster release).
 
Forostar said:
Fire Burns Below is a bonus track, it can be easily recognized that it is totally not of that era (recorded 10 years later, released 23(!) years later on a remaster release).
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Thanks for the correction — I guess I like the original album even less.
 
Forostar said:
Do you like other music from the late seventies?
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Sure. Like I just said earlier, I like Sin After Sin a lot, just not Stained Class so much. I like Boston, late 70s Rush, late 70s Genesis. Generally less keen on stuff before 1975, though there are exceptions.
 
Diesel 11 said:
I don't think that Rising is quite the masterpiece a lot of people claim.
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3 out of 6 songs are classics.

''Stargazer'' is one of the best songs ever written (of any genre). ''A Light In The Black'' and ''Tarot Woman'' are masterpieces too.
''Starstruck'' is good too. Typical sounding song for the early days of Rainbow imo.
 
I prefer Priest to Sabbath, but I don't understand how Stained Class is winning. At all.

At the top tier, Beyond the Realms and Southern Cross are magnificent, all-time metal tracks, but Mob Rules also has Falling Off The Edge of the World.

On tier two, Priest gives us Exciter and Stained Class, while Sabbath replies with Turn Up the Night, Mob Rules and the criminally underrated groove of Voodoo.

Over and Over (such great singing!), Country Girl and Slipping Away are good, solid tracks, as are Better By You and White Heat.

Invader is a catchy lightweight, routine piece of music. Saints In Hell and Heroes End try, but miss the mark, and Savage is kinda cringey.

Apart from the actual songs, Mob Rules has so much more presence — huge and doomy, yet still insistent; you feel it. By comparison, Stained Class is dry and mostly remote and emotionless.

The invisible hand needs to slapped for this one. So disappointing.
 
mckindog said:
Apart from the actual songs, Mob Rules has so much more presence — huge and doomy, yet still insistent; you feel it. By comparison, Stained Class is dry and mostly remote and emotionless.
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Stained Class is the Judas Priest album I'd pick if someone was like "you can only have one Judas Priest album". It's one of my favourite albums of all time and I'm going to listen to it now to make it feel better since you were a big meanyhead to it.
 
I could have gone either way on Mob Rules vs. Stained Class. To me, the former is a bit over-rated and the latter is a bit under-rated. In the end it was Exciter that pushed me over the edge. Both, however, are miles better than either of the albums in the two middle pairs.
 
You know, the titans of metal have really felt like it so far.

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mckindog said:
I prefer Priest to Sabbath, but I don't understand how Stained Class is winning. At all.

At the top tier, Beyond the Realms and Southern Cross are magnificent, all-time metal tracks, but Mob Rules also has Falling Off The Edge of the World.

On tier two, Priest gives us Exciter and Stained Class, while Sabbath replies with Turn Up the Night, Mob Rules and the criminally underrated groove of Voodoo.

Over and Over (such great singing!), Country Girl and Slipping Away are good, solid tracks, as are Better By You and White Heat.

Invader is a catchy lightweight, routine piece of music. Saints In Hell and Heroes End try, but miss the mark, and Savage is kinda cringey.

Apart from the actual songs, Mob Rules has so much more presence — huge and doomy, yet still insistent; you feel it. By comparison, Stained Class is dry and mostly remote and emotionless.

The invisible hand needs to slapped for this one. So disappointing.
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I'd put Saints in Hell in the top 3 of this album, there are times I even like it better than Exciter.
Outright fantastic midpiece and the rest grooves as hell as well. \m/
 
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Dio is literally the only singer in this bunch that I like. What a guy.

Mob Rules
I listened to Sin After Sin by mistake for this round. Didnt listen to Stained Glass but I have heard it before and as Im sure I have already mentioned, Im not cock-a-hoop over Priest. Plus I love Mob Rules. Better than most of the Ozzy albums, if you ask me. I mean that in terms of a whole album experience, not sayin that Sabbath with Ozzy suck. Just that theres usually a stinker/strange one or two on the Ozzy era albums.

In Flames
Nopeth. Not for me-peth. Theres some crackin passages on Blackwater Park but I dont really dig the 8mins I have to wait for a bit I like. Never listened to much In Flames before. I quite enjoy their metally melodies, even if I could do without the vocals.

Rising
Love Rising, not bothered by Alter Bridge.

Mercyful Fate
Dont mind a bit of 70s Priest, Sin After Sin is quite good but there is some amazing metal on Oath. I cant help but feeling that some of this stuff would be genre defining material if it was in different hands (or maybe it is and I dont know shit). Some of these riffs are crackin but the songs dont always match up to the brilliance of some of the riffs therein. I have no examples as I wasnt followin the tracklistin as I listened.

Another unfathomable result, for me. No Priest album belongs in the Top 10 of this game but I'll bet 3 make it.
 
Niall Kielt said:
I cant help but feeling that some of this stuff would be genre defining material if it was in different hands (or maybe it is and I dont know shit).
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If you were taking about Mercyful Fate - well, it's one of the biggest albums of the 'first wave of black metal', which is a bullshit moniker but you get the idea. And there's a reason it's all the way up here in the final 16 to hit the game.
 
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