SAXON SURVIVOR 2012 RESULTS: Lionheart triumphant
- Thread starter mckindog
- Start date
- 2 songs per album get promoted to the playoffs.
- 10 songs that survive until the end of the album rounds also get promoted to the playoffs.
- Until we get to the final 10 songs you can vote for as many songs as you want.
- Once we reach the top 10, votes get limited to 3 votes. Top 5 means 2 votes only and Top 3 means just the 1 vote. If you vote for more songs at these stages, I just won't count your votes.
- I'll eliminate as many songs as I deem necessary to keep the game fair and moving quickly.
- Rounds will be two days long
- 10 songs that survive until the end of the album rounds also get promoted to the playoffs.
- Until we get to the final 10 songs you can vote for as many songs as you want.
- Once we reach the top 10, votes get limited to 3 votes. Top 5 means 2 votes only and Top 3 means just the 1 vote. If you vote for more songs at these stages, I just won't count your votes.
- I'll eliminate as many songs as I deem necessary to keep the game fair and moving quickly.
- Rounds will be two days long
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Noticed it in the previous round already, in case you're interested!
Also, this time you didn't say which were eliminated but I forgive you for that.
- Burning Wheels
- Demolition Alley
- 2 songs per album get promoted to the playoffs.
- 10 songs that survive until the end of the album rounds also get promoted to the playoffs.
- Until we get to the final 10 songs you can vote for as many songs as you want.
- Once we reach the top 10, votes get limited to 3 votes. Top 5 means 2 votes only and Top 3 means just the 1 vote. If you vote for more songs at these stages, I just won't count your votes.
- I'll eliminate as many songs as I deem necessary to keep the game fair and moving quickly.
- Rounds will be two days long
Eliminated: Nighthunter, Demolition Alley
Promoted to the playoffs: Forever Free, Hole in the Sky
- 10 songs that survive until the end of the album rounds also get promoted to the playoffs.
- Until we get to the final 10 songs you can vote for as many songs as you want.
- Once we reach the top 10, votes get limited to 3 votes. Top 5 means 2 votes only and Top 3 means just the 1 vote. If you vote for more songs at these stages, I just won't count your votes.
- I'll eliminate as many songs as I deem necessary to keep the game fair and moving quickly.
- Rounds will be two days long
Eliminated: Nighthunter, Demolition Alley
Promoted to the playoffs: Forever Free, Hole in the Sky
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
- Terminal Velocity
- All Hell Breaking Loose
- Burning Wheels
- Power and the Glory
Unleash the Beast is the best metal album I have heard since 2006 (Maiden albums excluded). And deservedly so. From Circle of Light til Absent Friends we get the longest ride of consecutive Saxon awesomeness ever laid down on record. I even got to appreciate Absent Friends (when first hearing it, 5 months ago, this was not the case). It has a very nice melodic interlude.
Cut out the Disease may get my prize of best Saxon solo ever. Man, what a moment. The thing is, the song has very resentful lyrics (obviously directed at fired ex-bandmate Graham Oliver), but the solo drips from other -less bitter- emotions, such as sadness. Love those higher screaming notes. Janick has that quality in Maiden, piercing you straight through the heart with some of his solos.
Bold statements. Can't make a pure comparison to the first, but I am reasonably confident saying Beast is the best non-Maiden/Bruce album released post-Painkiller/pre-Brave New World. And from
Thanks for making me take another look at that solo on Disease. It is very good. And Absent Friends sounds real, while similar songs they've done in the past sound shallow, or contrived.
Unfortunately, using the Vap(TM) system of ranking, both those songs are sevens, and being a good song on an album full of songs that are excellent or better means you're not going survive in Survivor. Disease has a lacklustre chorus and doesn't create quite enough tension to pull off what it is attempting. And I can only rank a song like Friends so high. Every other song on the board is an eight or better.
And that is the issue we're now facing: which of the excellent-or-better songs are going to have to go before we move forward? It's not TV for me, not yet. And it's not Power & the Glory or Burning Wheels either. Thin Red Line, Dogs of War, Unleash the Beast, Great White Buffalo and the Eagle Has Landed are off limits as well. The others? Love them all, but I can be persuaded.
And yeah, I've pretty much decided what my top two are from each of the albums that are left, but there are other songs up there that deserve to be in the playoffs. I'm just not sure which ones.
I'm really curious to hear more about where Vap falls in this too, because he loves this album and Dogs as well.
And it would be nice if Night Prowler and Cosmic Eddie came back. They are missing the best albums.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
I decided this for the Power and the Glory but not yet 100% for the other two.
Let's see. 3 albums in the game. 20 (10, 6, 4) songs in the game. At least 2 per album will survive. Before Metalhead enters, at least 10 songs need to go (but some of them are the ones that are promoted to the finals).
So we need to eliminate a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 songs (this depends on the album the particular song is from). Looks like we all need to find out which 5-8 we find the least good. Looking at the votes and depending on how many songs mckindog will eliminate, at least 1 of these 5-8 will go. Now which are the others?
Yes it will be interesting. All I can imagine is to play all this stuff (or just the songs we're doubting about) in a row.
I don't think I'd agree with that because there are so many metal albums released in that decade (not just pure heavy metal, also other subgenres). But surely, I can't think of a metal album, released in the last six years, reaching such quality. I need to add that I didn't follow the metal scene that much in the last years.
I can understand what you say about Disease's chorus. To be honest, as soon as the song starts I'm looking forward to the solo already. And it's not a long sit, because that Maidenish riff is quite hypnotic.
Here some words about the 6 nicest songs from Unleashed (in my view):
Unleash the Beast. I'll say it's not a contender for a top 2 position for me. It was not intended, but because of the connection of the title track to track 1 -the intro- (these are separated songs on both CD and live concerts!), it might be harder to eliminate it (and therefore it can have an advantage). Even though I confess it's more epic now and more difficult to overlook, I can't help feeling that the melodies of some other songs are more irresistable.
The Maidenish and dark, heavy and modern Saxon song is Circle of Light. This is a great track and surely a contender for the top 2, Even though I do not like the lyrics and intro and end segment that much -for reasons which have to do with recent events in my life-, the music and vocals come out very strong.
The Thin Line has an insanely good chorus. This is a strong song from start to finish.
Ministry of Fools. Very catchy song with very enjoyable chorus and a solo, which only finds its major in Disease's!
Bloodletter. Great chorus again with cool guitar melody underneath with it's Halfordish screams. The song reminds me of a Halford song combined with eighties Priest.
Cut out the Disease (already mentioned the solo and the quality riff).
They sure are.
Certain two songs from Dogs of War already have legendary status before this survivor began and that's why I would like to give another some credit: Give it all away. I can't find anything wrong with it. It has a chorus that stays long in your head and the solo is really short but its melody as bright as a gem. The end solo is perfect as well.
Also Yesterday's Gone is pretty good. Apart from the vocals it reminds me a bit of Skunkworks, but then metalized. These two songs make for a very strong album ending.
It's heavy, epic, changes gears a few times, rips off a nice solo(s?), has a memorable chorus with an awesome unique drum part underneath. All the elements of a great metal song are there, Make sure you give it a few more listens before you press the button.
Agreed, even if the opening guitar is too close to Accept's Midnight Mover. This one captures the tension I think is missing from Disease.
Yes
Yes
Yes.
And since it's the only one you missed, The Preacher isn't bad either. I like the way it seems to be guarded, holding back something. The restraint is a nice counterpoint in the context of the album. It's not as good as the others though. Terminal Velocity is. Lyrically, it's about skydiving and the music matches perfectly — just an adrenaline-packed free-fall powered by a dramatic riff.
This. Absolutely. It doesn't fit the mold, it's just so gorgeous, so hooky, without ever pandering. Glad someone else feels the same way because I thought it was a bit of a throwaway for most people. Hold On is the same type of song, with more energy, but not as heartfelt.
That riff just punches you right in the gut.
I voted for it and the Preacher though. After Absent Friends and Cut Out the Disease they seem to be the next in line.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Today I found out via a live clip on YouTube that both guitarists do a solo right after each other. First Quinn, then Scarratt. On the studio version I had no clue and thought it was one dude!
Also I saw Cut out the Disease live and Scarratt does the whole solo!
- 2 songs per album get promoted to the playoffs.
- 10 songs that survive until the end of the album rounds also get promoted to the playoffs.
- Until we get to the final 10 songs you can vote for as many songs as you want.
- Once we reach the top 10, votes get limited to 3 votes. Top 5 means 2 votes only and Top 3 means just the 1 vote. If you vote for more songs at these stages, I just won't count your votes.
- I'll eliminate as many songs as I deem necessary to keep the game fair and moving quickly.
- Rounds will be two days long
Eliminated: Absent Friends, All Hell’s Breaking Loose
- 10 songs that survive until the end of the album rounds also get promoted to the playoffs.
- Until we get to the final 10 songs you can vote for as many songs as you want.
- Once we reach the top 10, votes get limited to 3 votes. Top 5 means 2 votes only and Top 3 means just the 1 vote. If you vote for more songs at these stages, I just won't count your votes.
- I'll eliminate as many songs as I deem necessary to keep the game fair and moving quickly.
- Rounds will be two days long
Eliminated: Absent Friends, All Hell’s Breaking Loose