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

We should do another GMAC in 2024, and continue on with a World Cup / Olympic time frame and do them every 4 years from now until the end of time.
Yeah, it's already tentatively planned for 2024.

I'm not sure that a full year of tantric foreplay just to watch Seventh Son win every 4 years is necessarily worth it, but it is good to do this every once in a while.
The next time there won't be any Iron Maiden or Maiden-related bands.
 
Yeah, it's already tentatively planned for 2024.


The next time there won't be any Iron Maiden or Maiden-related bands.

Just an idea but it would also be possible to do a smaller scale GMAC by doing it for a specific year or a decade. Could also do a GMAC for a specific genre of metal or (GASP, even other genres) but I'm sure this would lead to a lot of discussion about genre-overlaps etc :bigsmile:
 
Just an idea but it would also be possible to do a smaller scale GMAC by doing it for a specific year or a decade. Could also do a GMAC for a specific genre of metal or (GASP, even other genres) but I'm sure this would lead to a lot of discussion about genre-overlaps etc :bigsmile:
You could definitely do a GEMAC (Greatest Extreme Metal Album Cup) or a GNWOBHMAC if you wanted to. I, however, have no interest in doing other tournaments of that nature, at least not until the Greatest Metal Song Cup, which is tentatively scheduled for 2022.
 
aah didn't get the context of that list :)
I think no Maiden/related will make it much more interesting.
 
Bruce Dickinson defeats latter-day Iron Maiden, while Iron Maiden very easily finishes off Slayer.

Quarter-Final Matchup Set:

Bruce Dickinson - The Chemical Wedding vs. Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
 
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Iron Maiden - Powerslave (1984)

How it got here

List entries: Rolling Stone 38, Loudwire 35, Metal Rules 6, Metalstorm 4, DigitalDreamDoor 11, Metal Kingdom 12
Maidenfans Nominators: @Collin, @Cornfed Hick, @Diesel 11, @Dityn DJ James, @Dr Eddie’s Wingman, @FTB, @Jer, @LooseCannon, @matic22, @Midnight, @Saapanael, @srfc, @The Dissident, @The Flash
Previous Rounds:
League 1: Defeated Deep Purple - Machine Head 35-1.
Round of 32: Defeated Megadeth - Peace Sells.. But Who’s Buying 31-3.
Round of 16: Defeated Metallica - Master of Puppets 26-11.
Quarter-Finals - Match 1vs.
Megadeth-RustInPeace.jpg

Megadeth - Rust in Peace (1990)

How it got here

List entries: Rolling Stone 19, Loudwire 33, Metal Rules 16, DigitalDreamDoor 8, Metal Kingdom 2
Maidenfans Nominators: @Ariana, @Black Wizard, @Collin, @Diesel 11, @Dr Eddie’s Wingman, @FTB, @karljant, @Midnight, @Mosh, @Saapanael, @The Flash, @Whooten, @Yax
Previous Rounds:
League 1: Defeated Pantera - Cowboys From Hell 35-6.
Round of 32: Defeated Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith 25-11.
Round of 16: Defeated Judas Priest - British Steel 28-9.
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Rainbow - Rising (1976)

How it got here

List entries: Rolling Stone 48, Loudwire 20, Metalstorm 6, DigitalDreamDoor 17
Maidenfans Nominators: @Cornfed Hick, @Midnight, @MrKnickerbocker, @Niall Kielt, @Poto, @Shmoolikipod, @srfc, @The Dissident, @Yax
Previous Rounds:
League 1: Defeated Alter Bridge - Blackbird 31-3.
Round of 32: Defeated Judas Priest - Sin After Sin 22-11.
Round of 16: Defeated Judas Priest - Stained Class 20-11.
Quarter-Finals - Match 2vs.
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Judas Priest - Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)

How it got here

List entries: Loudwire 18, Metal Rules 38, Metalstorm 41, DigitalDreamDoor 9
Maidenfans Nominators: @srfc, @The Flash
Previous Rounds:
League 1: Defeated Guns ‘n Roses - Appetite For Destruction 19-18.
Round of 32: Defeated Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath 21-10.
Round of 16: Defeated Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. II 19-12.
 
I won't be sad if Rust in Peace takes the match, but I'm voting Powerslave because if I don't want to see Seventh Son win, I've gotta back some albums I feel have the possibility to beat it, right? Powerslave is one of those albums and genuinely the only Maiden album that deserves to win this, in my opinion.

Second match up is easy. Just look at the two epics on the album. A fun rock 'n' roll number with a pretty powerful second half, or the granddaddy of all metal epics, complete with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra backing a tale of wizardry and despair? Also with one of the greatest drum intros AND guitar solos ever put to record? "Stargazer" on its merits alone wins this. Rising.
 
First match is another rough one, with Iron Maiden’s second best album pitted against what’s probably Megadeth’s second best album. Both records have some stellar songs on them along with some weaknesses. I had to go through Rust In Peace again song by song to figure out exactly how I felt about it, and in the end 3 out of the 9 tracks on that album are merely OK to good, while the other 6 are great to superb. Compare that to Powerslave, where only 1 song out of 8 is anything less than great, and the rest of the record can go blow for blow with the best that the Megadeth album has to offer. In the end I landed at about an 8.3/10 for Rust In Peace vs. Powerslave’s 8.8/10, so my decision is clear. Sorry, Doctoriana CollaapanieselFlashTBlaxie’s Mooshtenightjantman, but Doctornfed Micknightmaticollin Diesyn DJ Jerloosaapanashidentie’s srFTBlingman’s nominee just tweeted videos of your bass player discharging his payload a mile high. Winner: Iron Maiden

The second match is a bit easier. While I’m not particularly in love with either of these albums, they both have some really strong songs on them as well as some filler. In reviewing them both, I have to say that Sad Wings Of Destiny has a little more filler than Rising, and the overall quality of songwriting is a little higher on the Rainbow album. Sorry, Srfl Heath, but I have to go with MrsrfKorniallerHickielter The Dismissipoolikiyax’s choice here. Winner: Rainbow
 
Tough first match, I'll go with Powerslave because it doesn't have Dawn Patrol. Second match I'm choosing Rainbow, it's a much more perfect album (no Epitaph), and the 3 big songs can definitely compete with Victim of Changes and Dreamer Deceiver.
 
Powerslave v Rust in Peace - Powerslave is going to smash a lot of albums as not many albums have 4 all timers of the standards of Aces High, 2 Minutes to Midnight, Powerslave and Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Rust in Peace has 3 tracks on that level so it gives a good go of it. The bulk of both albums are excellent too.

Powerslave with the win

Sad Wings of Destiny v Rising - This is a tough choice, I nominated both. Rising sounds better, which is not surprising as Ritchie was a star at the time whereas Priest were nobodies. Sad Wings goes toe to toe against Stargazer and A Light in the Black with Victim of Changes and Dreamer Deceiver / Deceiver, with the points decision going to Sad Wings. Tyrant, Genocide and Ripper are also better than Side A of Rising, but again that's a points decision not a knock out. But Rising doesn't have anything as bad as Epitaph and that ultimately secures the win, along with having the better, Martin Birch production.

Rising with the win, I have a feeling I'm going to regret this one.
 
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