ICED EARTH SURVIVOR 2014: Results -> Travel In Stygian wins AGAIN!
- Thread starter Night Prowler
- Start date
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
All four songs are in my top 10, but 'Dante's Inferno' gets my vote.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Dante isn't even in my top ten. It's a good song, no doubt about it, but I find that a lot of people are just mesmerized by long songs. Just because it's long does not mean it's the most complex, best song ever. I listen to way too much Symphony X, Seven Wonder, and Dream Theater to be amazed by Dante's "complexity."
I feel the exact same way about Rime, though I find Rime vastly better and more enjoyable.
I feel the exact same way about Rime, though I find Rime vastly better and more enjoyable.
Unknown One
I see the ghost of navigators.
Dante's Question.
Do you seriously have to ask why people vote for certain songs every single time? It is a matter of personal taste after all.
Do you seriously have to ask why people vote for certain songs every single time? It is a matter of personal taste after all.
Damien's Inferno
Why does music have to be complex to be good? Dante isn't very complex at all anyway. It's just a bunch of thrash riffs strung together, is that suddenly impressive because it's long?
I love Dante, btw. It's awesome. I didn't even vote for it, in fact I'd like it to win. But come on, the complexity arguments are lame.
I love Dante, btw. It's awesome. I didn't even vote for it, in fact I'd like it to win. But come on, the complexity arguments are lame.
Guys, I think Foro wasn't entirely serious in his post.
Not that I disagree - I think Dante is a textbook example of a band trying too hard. Trying too hard to have their own Rime in this case. It's not complex, it's not special, it's not even overly original or inspired. It's just a long metal song about a piece of classical literature, and that says everything about what it's trying to be. And that makes it even more painful, because it's on what is otherwise their best and most inspired album.
Not that I disagree - I think Dante is a textbook example of a band trying too hard. Trying too hard to have their own Rime in this case. It's not complex, it's not special, it's not even overly original or inspired. It's just a long metal song about a piece of classical literature, and that says everything about what it's trying to be. And that makes it even more painful, because it's on what is otherwise their best and most inspired album.
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
I was about to get really pissed off because I read that as "a bunch of trash riffs".
Anyway, 'Dante's Inferno' is awesome, it's just not quite as good as the other three songs.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I am afraid I was more serious than some people like out here. I know, of course it's all opinion (we've had a couple of medal awarded discussions about this already) but I'll spend another post on this.
As with Rime, I do not think that Dante is not just "a long song" that consists out of stitched parts. Thank God it has many parts that are connected. It really works. As with Rime, I find Dante the highlight of both the studio album it's on and the 1st live album that followed. Both songs have also something in common when you relate these songs to the rest of the catalogue. They are two of the greatest examples of long and entertaining songs. Full of darkness, atmosphere and sudden changes. Both songs have superb riffing passages. Both keep you at the edge of your seat. There's so many other long songs that don't have these qualities. They lack adventure, they lack unpredictable changes. They drag, are repetitive, dull, monotone, unoriginal or predictable.
Both songs are not easy songs to play, and both bands have been careful about not playing them too often for other reasons. Crown jewels are only put out in special occasions, every once in a while, to keep it special. In Dante's case, there were also technical reasons why it wasn't played for so long.
Look, I know some people don't like it (that can happen of forums; people not liking posts by others), but I'll say that I find it ridiculous that slow, dragging, melancholic and repetitive stuff like Question of Heaven is more popular than Dante, on a Maiden fan forum.
Instead of staying amazed about this, in the end it's better to accept it and I do that by reasoning. My reasoning is that I have the idea that most people who vote in this topic favour songs with build-ups like Question (and other ingredients they like in this song: do explain! What on earth makes this song worthy of a top 3 position?) over the more adventurous and less predictable music that makes me happy.
As with Rime, I do not think that Dante is not just "a long song" that consists out of stitched parts. Thank God it has many parts that are connected. It really works. As with Rime, I find Dante the highlight of both the studio album it's on and the 1st live album that followed. Both songs have also something in common when you relate these songs to the rest of the catalogue. They are two of the greatest examples of long and entertaining songs. Full of darkness, atmosphere and sudden changes. Both songs have superb riffing passages. Both keep you at the edge of your seat. There's so many other long songs that don't have these qualities. They lack adventure, they lack unpredictable changes. They drag, are repetitive, dull, monotone, unoriginal or predictable.
Both songs are not easy songs to play, and both bands have been careful about not playing them too often for other reasons. Crown jewels are only put out in special occasions, every once in a while, to keep it special. In Dante's case, there were also technical reasons why it wasn't played for so long.
Look, I know some people don't like it (that can happen of forums; people not liking posts by others), but I'll say that I find it ridiculous that slow, dragging, melancholic and repetitive stuff like Question of Heaven is more popular than Dante, on a Maiden fan forum.
Instead of staying amazed about this, in the end it's better to accept it and I do that by reasoning. My reasoning is that I have the idea that most people who vote in this topic favour songs with build-ups like Question (and other ingredients they like in this song: do explain! What on earth makes this song worthy of a top 3 position?) over the more adventurous and less predictable music that makes me happy.
For start, I really like Iced Earth's ballads. Barlow's voice is perfect for slower, more emotional songs. Questions is the crowning jewel of their ballads. It has slow melancholic parts and some heavy parts too, and is far from repetitive. Female vocals fit perfectly, and Barlow's vocals at the end are absolutely sensational. One of the best endings to a song EVER. I like the story/concept of the album, so of course I like the lyrics of the song too, but that's already a matter of taste.
Dante is a great song, but it's one of those long songs that everyone overrates. I rate it at the same level as Rime. Both of those songs aren't that varied; they both have lots of repeating parts, and of course Rime has the plodding middle section
I also feel that the song doesn't represent Iced Earth at its best. Barlow's vocals were much, much better and more developed on The Dark Saga. I really like both of these songs, they just aren't at the top of my ratings.And for the record, I heard all 3 of these songs live, and all 3 were awesome. However, Question was on a whole other level, mainly because of the fucking amazing ending.
Long songs with awesome buildup/ending: Blackwater Park & Bleak by Opeth.
Question is one of my favourite Iced Earth songs, Dark Saga my favourite album. I like that mix of soft and powerful. Strength and defiance showing through a melancholic mood. But then I am used to listening to Katatonia, who are considerably more miserable than Iced Earth!
For the record, Rime isn't in my Maiden Top 10 at all, that's true, but I prefer it to Dante considerably. I can appreciate songs that are long/have lots of changes in them (I like Yes, after all), but I don't feel a nice flow throughout Dante the way I do through something like Rime. Plus, individual sections of Dante just don't appeal to me as much.
For the record, Rime isn't in my Maiden Top 10 at all, that's true, but I prefer it to Dante considerably. I can appreciate songs that are long/have lots of changes in them (I like Yes, after all), but I don't feel a nice flow throughout Dante the way I do through something like Rime. Plus, individual sections of Dante just don't appeal to me as much.
Don't look at me, I like Question of Heaven because it makes me tear up every time. But I've always loved Spawn.
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
The reason I tend to prefer long songs is that there's the chance to build up to a climax like in 'A Question of Heaven' or 'Hallowed be thy Name'. Short songs can be great too of course but a four minute song doesn't have the same scope as a seven minute song.
Top 10
01.
02.
03.
04. Dante's Inferno
05. Pure Evil
06. Burnt Offerings
07. The Hunter
08. When The Night Falls
09. Birth Of The Wicked
10. Burning Times
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
Wow. Very tough. Very, very tough. I have to vote for 'Travel in Stygian' as the other two are my two favourite Iced Earth songs. I do love 'Travel in Stygian', just not as much as 'A Question of Heaven' or 'Damien' though.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I had to do the same thing, for the exact same reasons.
Unknown One
I see the ghost of navigators.
Question. And just like last time in an IE survivor, this is the easiest decision I've ever had to make in a top 3 for ANY survivor.