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

I'll help too... Finally a black metal album that wasn't mixed on my toaster. It has a futuristic/alien sound to it, I dare say it's the best album in this round, more than The Real Thing which was one of my favourite discoveries this game and more than Dead Heart in a Dead World. Nevermore was my band to get into this period, and although Dead Heart isn't my favourite it's still darn good. (Actually I believe This Godless Endeavor is coming like next round. And you guys better not vote it out!)
 
Shmoolikipod said:
I'll help too... Finally a black metal album that wasn't mixed on my toaster.
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Lol... regarding some BM productions I think you're underestimating your toaster. Check the Thorns Vs Emperor Split. Even more futuristic, daring and with one hell of a production.
As for This Godless Endeavor it depends on what it will face. I still regard the two last Nevermore albums as their least good ones by some margin. On the other hand if it was Enemies Of Reality my vote was almost certainly assured. That album is a beast.
 
I should mention that as well as generally preferring Diabolical Masquerade's music to Virgin Steele's, we are talking about one half of Katatonia here.
 
Thorns barely squeaks by Kyuss, which must have scratched the latter band something fierce. Kyuss is eliminated, so we'll next see how Thorns does against Gojira.
Virgin Steele continues past Diabolical Masquerade, who are eliminated. Virgin Steele's next challenge is Blaze Bayley.
Kamelot's GMAC runs ends at the hand of Blind Guardian. It wasn't close. Kamelot returns in League 4.
Nevermore loses to Faith No More. We'll see Nevermore again...next.
 
karljant said:
Lol... regarding some BM productions I think you're underestimating your toaster. Check the Thorns Vs Emperor Split. Even more futuristic, daring and with one hell of a production.
As for This Godless Endeavor it depends on what it will face. I still regard the two last Nevermore albums as their least good ones by some margin. On the other hand if it was Enemies Of Reality my vote was almost certainly assured. That album is a beast.
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Wow, really. I've only heard the stretch from Dreaming Neon Black to This Godless Endeavor but I can say for sure it's the opposite for me. TGE is by far the best in my opinion...

Every track there is A tier at least, well maybe besides Sell My Heart For Stones. That one can get a little repetitive (but I still like it). And don't get me started on the highlights... Sentient 6, The Psalm of Lydia, Bittersweet Feast, all high quality and groovy songs, and the literal gemstone of the title track. Way to finish on a high note, so intense and soulful. The "children sitting in the trees..." part is one of my favourites bridges of all time. It's their Master of Puppets.

Enemies of Reality's strength over TGE is probably the lyrics, but musically it doesn't pack the same punch. The strongest songs aren't anywhere close to the best of TGE, they're more on the level of stuff like Final Product, (and anyways, besides Noumenon/Seed Awakening, none of them are "epics" like Sentient 6 or TGE. So it's hard to compare.) and the rest are just not as memorable to me. They feel a lot more like filler, I'm talking about Never Purify and Tomorrow Turned into Yesterday specifically.

But to each his own :)

Adding: I do think though that Enemies is more of a unit. The songs relate to each other more thematically. There are some albums that feel like best-ofs, and I don't think TGE is one of them. The songs aren't all the same and the order makes sense. But Enemies has more of a concept album feel...
 
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Shmoolikipod said:
I've only heard the stretch from Dreaming Neon Black to This Godless Endeavor
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That means you never heard their debut????? OMG :eek:! Stop what you're doing right now and go listen to it (and if you liked it listen to Sanctuary's The Year The Sun Died). As for TGE I don't know... everything sounds a rerun of what they've already done on a slightly more pompous yet less spontaneous way. I simply find it a bit boring and overdone. But hey.... it's as you said to each his own.
 
Magnus said:
Fine, but where do you find a similarity between Thorns and Emperor?
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I find some regarding especially Prometheus (and even some songs from IX Equilibrium) where Ihsahn and Samoth started including dissonant notes and thirds in a considerable volume expanding Emperors guitar soundscape. If you strip the whole sampling layers on the less ambiental/ paused tracks there's some of that going on. Don't get me wrong when I say "a bit too Emperor like". By no means I said Thorns is a Emperor copycat but since I only knew them from their split I was expecting something more on that note (it sounds way more unique and daring to me). Nevertheless it's a really cool album.
 
Night Prowler said:
Dissection isn't symphonic black metal. They have no symphonic parts in their music at all.
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It depends in what you call "symphonic". If it's the inclusion of keyboards and orchestras then you're right. Now if it's the guitar arrangements... Dissection is surely a symphonic metal band. Ok: one could also say they're "melodic" Black Metal but I'm not too comfortable with that label since it's a really aggressive sound to be included on what I picture to be that genre. But that's surely acceptable since they brought a lot of their country's amazing melodic DM to their sound. Hey... it's a question of labeling and we all know how it goes. My point is the amount of bands that take both Emperor and Dissection solely as pillars to lean their sound upon is considerable. If I had a coin for each time I listen to a new BM band that sounds like those two I would be rich (once again that's not the case of Thorns).
 
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Nevermore - This Godless Endeavor (2005)

How it got here
List entries: Metalstorm 19
Maidenfans Nominators: n/a
League 14 - Match 25vs.
Led_Zeppelin_-_Physical_Graffiti.jpg

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)

How it got here
List entries: Metalstorm 50
League 15: Defeated Royal Hunt - Paradox 13-9.
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Tony_MacAlpine_-_1987_-_Maximum_Security.jpg

Tony MacAlpine - Maximum Security (1997)

How it got here
List entries: Metalstorm 48
Maidenfans Nominators: n/a
League 14 - Match 26vs.
220px-Rainbow_-_Ritchie_Blackmore%27s_Rainbow_%281975%29_front_cover.jpg

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.
 
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Vektor-Terminal_Redux.jpg

Vektor - Terminal Redux (2016)

How it got here
List entries: Metal Kingdom 9
Maidenfans Nominators: n/a
League 14 - Match 27vs.
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Edguy - Mandrake (2001)

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List entries: Metal Kingdom 88
Previous Rounds:
League 17: Defeated Heavens Gate - Livin’ in Hysteria 12-9.
League 16: Defeated Napalm Death - From Enslavement to Obliteration 9-5.
League 15: Defeated Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales 12-8.
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Warlord - And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun... (1984)

How it got here
List entries: Metalstorm 9
Maidenfans Nominators: n/a
League 15 - Match 28vs.
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W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children (1989)

How it got here
List entries: Metalstorm 42
Previous Rounds:
League 15: Defeated Savatage - Edge of Thorns 12-10.
 
GMAC support ticket: the Tony MacAlpine YouTube link is still bringing up Diabolical Masquerade.
 
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