Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
"The Glass Prison" is among the worst Dream Theater offerings we've had so far. Seven minutes went by before something really caught my attention. This basically sounds like if Slipknot tried to be prog. The production isn't helping either. It's far too stone age for a band like Dream Theater, who need a little gloss so each instrument can shine. On the flipside, we have Opeth with a much stronger offering. I wasn't big on "Harlequin Forest" when I listened to Ghost Reveries in full, but coming back to it it's really good. I think the clean/harsh balance works well here, since Mikael starts off right at the start with his cleans and the harsh ones that come later add so much scenery and depth to the affair. Easy vote for Opeth, really no contest here.
"Stranglehold" is awesome, the best classic Ted Nugent song. The guitarwork is awesome and I love the bridge (which is the only part that Ted himself sings). Witchfinder General weren't bad, very derivative of Sabbath but the chorus was alright. No contest though.
Could go either way with the next matchup, both are pretty strong. Jer's "Muppet vocals" commentary is among the dumbest jokes he's been beating into us long past the death of that horse, but the Enslaved dude really sounds like Fozzie Bear or Sam the Eagle without any oxygen flowing through their voice. I'm somewhere between low-key loving it and also high-key questioning his technique. Borknagar get my vote, though; they started off rough but quickly became more of my thing and are losing badly so what the hey.
"Dynamite" isn't one of the best Scorpions songs, but it's good and has a classic Scorps chorus. "Metal on Metal" is... fine.
I guess Rainbow eek out a win here? "Breadfan" is alright but nothing to write home about. Rainbow had a cool intro and some other cool parts but never really got off the ground fully.
"Atomic Punk" is great early VH with a cool-ass riff. "Dazed and Confused" is great early Zep (even if it was stolen) and better overall. Plant's vocals are great and that riff - with Jimmy Page famously using a violin bow on his guitar - is SO good. Tough but I gotta give it to LZ69.
"Stranglehold" is awesome, the best classic Ted Nugent song. The guitarwork is awesome and I love the bridge (which is the only part that Ted himself sings). Witchfinder General weren't bad, very derivative of Sabbath but the chorus was alright. No contest though.
Could go either way with the next matchup, both are pretty strong. Jer's "Muppet vocals" commentary is among the dumbest jokes he's been beating into us long past the death of that horse, but the Enslaved dude really sounds like Fozzie Bear or Sam the Eagle without any oxygen flowing through their voice. I'm somewhere between low-key loving it and also high-key questioning his technique. Borknagar get my vote, though; they started off rough but quickly became more of my thing and are losing badly so what the hey.
"Dynamite" isn't one of the best Scorpions songs, but it's good and has a classic Scorps chorus. "Metal on Metal" is... fine.
I guess Rainbow eek out a win here? "Breadfan" is alright but nothing to write home about. Rainbow had a cool intro and some other cool parts but never really got off the ground fully.
"Atomic Punk" is great early VH with a cool-ass riff. "Dazed and Confused" is great early Zep (even if it was stolen) and better overall. Plant's vocals are great and that riff - with Jimmy Page famously using a violin bow on his guitar - is SO good. Tough but I gotta give it to LZ69.
(Still have no idea what Diesel’s on about.)
