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

Really toughest round so far, I genuinely don't have a gut instinct for this one, and probably might regret my choice afterwards.

Black Sabbath v Bruce Dickinson - The gist of what @Cornfed Hick says is correct, one is a niche album and the other isn't. I'm quite happy for either one to win here, but realistically one album breaking into the top 32 of a list is a real good showing, whereas the other not being in the top 10 of a list would be a shocker. Plus War Pigs.

Black Sabbath with the win

Black Sabbath v Iron Maiden - This one is maybe not as much of a challenge for me to pick a winner. Again, I'd be happy for either to advance. Heaven and Hell is a more consistent album and doesn't have the weaker underbelly of Mercenary through Nomad. However, I like the other 6 Maiden tracks a good bit more than Heaven and Hell. And that's enough to put Maiden in the hat for the next round.

Iron Maiden with the win
 
I agree with with what Cornfed said too. I am still voting Bruce because of the personal connection with that album. It is not any sort of overhype, frankly, both these records I've worn out so much I rarely ever listen to them in whole, only a particular song or a song part. CW is a formative album for me, as a metalhead and as a musician.

About Brave New World, well, 40% of that vote comes from the fact that I've started liking it more and more throughout last few years, 60% comes from the fact that you guys have been ejecting Maiden albums without any remorse. No risks taken any more, I'm going for straight Maiden bias.
 
Paranoid and Brave New World.

Paranoid sort of crept up on me in recent months. I never realized it was my favorite Sabbath album, but I can't argue with Hand of Doom, Electric Funeral, Planet Caravan, Fairies Wear Boots or the title track. SO insanely far ahead of its time.
 
A pretty good Black Sabbath album with a few great songs can’t stand up to the all killer, no filler juggernaut that is The Chemical Wedding. Sorry, Dr Maxfed Hickie’s Midman, but Doctoriana Colliesel’s MrKalatarljantFlashTBockjer MoosheCaxoton’s choice takes this in a walk. Winner: Bruce Dickinson

The second match is more interesting. Heaven And Hell is a pretty solid and consistent album with a great title track and some other highlights, while Brave New World has 4 great to excellent tracks, with the other 6 just being OK to good. I don’t love either album, and part of me wants to reward the consistency of the Sabbath album over the peaks and troughs of the Maiden album; but once again if I’m honest with myself I’d rather listen to the Maiden album, warts and all. Sorry, Dr FTBoshie’s MrCannonfedPrickerbocker Mckindissimaxicman, but Kalornsrfed Dieaxmaticannon MidsterKidlickarusFTBollocker’s nominee edges yours out here. Winner: Iron Maiden
 
Paranoid is a classic from Black Sabbath, but I like The Chemical Wedding more as a whole album. Classic from Bruce.

I'm really sorry for Heaven And Hell (top 3 album of the band), but Brave New World is my favorite Maiden album (and my favorite album ever).
 
Chemical Wedding and Heaven&Hell : Yes, Paranoid is more "important" and I love it (I listened to it again two days ago) but I just prefer Bruce's album. On the other hand, Iron Maiden is my favourite band but I think Heaven & Hell has "higher highs" and has much fewer fillers (aside from the first four of BNW, I haven't really developed a sustained fondness for the rest). BNW has a better cover though, but I think it must remain about the music first and foremost. Had The Number of the Beast defeated BNW, I would have voted for it against Heaven and Hell though.
 
Last edited:
Poll doesn't ask me which albums are more important, it asks for my favourites.
No disrepect to the competition, but Chemical Wedding and Heaven and Hell, easily.

For the "but metal!" crowd, I'd argue both my picks out-metal their opponent, particularly the tank rolling downhill that is Chemical Wedding.
 
Paranoid. No contest - Bruce, your magnum opus would easily beat both "Heaven and Hell" and "Brave New World", but it doesn't hold a candle to an album that contains "War Pigs" (a candidate for one of the best metal tracks of all time), "Paranoid", "Iron Man", "Electric Funeral", "Planet Caravan", "Hand of Doom", "Fairies Wear Boots" and "Rat Salad". Did I just mention every single track on it? Well, yes, because it's THAT good.

Brave New World. I do think I prefer "The Mob Rules" when it comes to Dio-era Sabbath, but "Heaven and Hell" truly deserves coming this far. However, "Brave New World" was and is such a triumph in my book - it's an album that helped metal and Maiden really explode into the new millenium. And, most importantly, it's simply the album I enjoy more of the two.
 
All four albums are great. I can't really separate them on musical quality, or which I enjoy most. I enjoy them all a lot. Thus I go with the gut feeling which is to vote Sabbath x 2.

Why?

I save my Maiden bias for two-three albums in the run-in of the tournament. Brave New World is close behind those, it is in my top five. Regarding my gut feeling in the first match-up I guess it comes from the fact that Paranoid perhaps played a bigger role in my discovery of heavy music outside Maiden. I came late to the party and there is no really solid rationale behind the order in which I discovered bands and albums, but I was quite focused on Maiden and 80s Priest and Metallica at first. Getting into some of the great albums from the 70s was a next step and Paranoid is one of those that stand out.
 
These are somewhat close but with a lower vote total. Are there any more voters out there? Are they for the better albums?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top