THE CRUSADE OF EPICS: Results -> A Change Of Seasons wins!

Went with Sons of Apollo in the battle of unremarkable prog metal bands of the 2010s, and with Mastodon, who fell victim to vocal bias, a MaidenFans specialty.
 
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Results of Round 66:
Haken - 1985
Mastodon - The Czar
Sons Of Apollo - God Of The Sun
Arch/Matheos - Kindred Spirits

Ayreon - Day Twelve - Trauma (Nominated by @Night Prowler)
vs.
Symphony X - The Odyssey (Nominated by @Diesel 11, @MrKnickerbocker, @LooseCannon)

Bathory - Twilight Of The Gods (Nominated by @Dityn DJ James)
vs.
Metallica - ...And Justice For All (Nominated by @Midnight)
 
“Day Twelve - Trauma” is more focused on theatricality than musical coherence, and the side dish of growls doesn’t help matters. Plus it’s up against “The Odyssey”, which is a literal juggernaut, the epitome of what this game is about, and a clear contender to win it all (despite its low-rent synth sounds). Sorry, @Night Prowler, but MrDeusselCocker 3.666’s nominee just took yours out back and put it down like Old Yeller. Winner: Symphony X

“Twilight Of The Gods” is a relatively cool lo-fi epic, but at the end of the day it’s pretty much just a dude singing the beginning of “Electric Eye” for 11 minutes. “…And Justice For All” is longer than it needs to be, and repeats some parts a few too many times, but is otherwise epic and memorable with cool lyrics, great harmonized guitars, a wonderfully layered interlude, and even some neat drumming (which is saying a lot for Lars). Sorry, @Dityn DJ James, but I have to go with @Midnight‘s nominee here. Winner: Metallica
 
Voting for Trauma. The Odyssey has many great moments but @Jer ruined the production quality for me earlier in this game and I also just prefer Trauma. It's produced better plus The Human Equation is a better story than The Odyssey, don't @ me. Also the part with growls might be the best one in Ayreon's discography.

Second match was a much easier battle. Bathory's song is quite good but it's too simple instrumentally and vocally. As I already mentioned before, Ereb Altor's cover is much better. AJFA is a classic.
 
I appreciate everyone giving that Bathory song a listen atleast. It is up against a very tough opponent. My only problem with And Justice For All (the title track) is that lyrics are very cringe-y. It doesn't help that James's voice is crystal clear so I can hear everything he says perfectly.
 
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Results of Round 67:
Ayreon - Day Twelve - Trauma
Bathory - Twilight Of The Gods
Symphony X - The Odyssey
Metallica - ...And Justice For All

Jethro Tull - Budapest (Nominated by @Forostar)
vs.
Stratovarius - Visions (Southern Cross) (Nominated by @KidInTheDark666)

Ice Age - Perpetual Child (Nominated by @MindRuler)
vs.
Nightwish - The Poet & The Pendulum (Nominated by @KidInTheDark666)
 
“Budapest” is not my jam. This sort of thing doesn’t do much for me, though I do recognize that it’s put together pretty well for what it is, and the interludes are nice. “Visions (Southern Cross)” is an uneven slab of old school power metal that leans a little too heavily into Helloween worship, and has some really cringey voiceovers — but it has its moments too, especially in its softer sections. Not thrilled with either choice here, but sorry, @Forostar, I’m going to give the nod to @KidInTheDark666’s nominee this time. Winner: Stratovarius

“Perpetual Child” is solid, high quality hard prog rock with some low-rent synths and production. Meanwhile, “The Poet And The Pendulum” is an overblown train wreck, with excessive bombast overpowering the thin lead vocals, the chorus meandering and never quite getting there, and the song feeling like a patchwork of mostly unrelated parts rather than a cohesive whole, despite a few nice passages. Sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but this is an easy vote for @MindRuler’s nominee. Winner: Ice Age
 
Budapest does nothing at all to justify its length, but is overall pleasant enough and I have no actual issues to nitpick. The vocals in Stratovarius, and much of the composition, just feels so cringeworthy and awful that I cannot enjoy it at all.

Once again, I really enjoy this Ice Age song and I've now listened to the whole album (which is really good if you look past the pretty poor production quality). It cannot, however, compete with one of Nightwish's greatest songs in Poet and the Pendulum.
 
In the first match we have a Frankenstein’s monster of mostly cool metal parts with mostly bad singing and production haphazardly sewn together into an incoherent shape, versus an entirely pleasant but not particularly memorable track that goes on too long and has occasional bouts of dog barking. Not a fan of either song, and I could honestly flip a coin here, so that’s exactly what I’ll do. Oh hey, look, it’s heads — so, sorry Bolligs, but I need to break out the bear spray and consult with my lawyer about a plea deal, because I’m going with @LooseCannon’s nominee here! Winner: Iseditionist Earth

In the second match we have some pretty good jammy 70s prog rock with uneven vocals vs. one of Metallica’s least interesting epics with questionable songwriting choices. The music in the Camel track is clearly superior, especially in the funky jam sections; but the Metallica track has its own charisma too, and its vocals are obviously better. This one feels closer than it probably ought to be, but in the end I’ll have to say sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but I have to go with @The Flash‘s nominee here. Winner: Camel
 
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