Magnus
Pica Serdica
Blasting Burzum, Mayhem and Slayer here pales in comparison indeed.Nothing better than making your Valentine's Day brutal by blasting some metal ballads
The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 2, Matches 76-81
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MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Every note of Deliverance is expertly placed. From the heavy to the clean and back again, all culminating in the single greatest outro in the history of metal. I particularly love how the guitar solo bridges the gap into the ending. Just masterful stuff. There’s something incredibly serpentine about the track, it continually pushes and pulls. It’s a perfect song. Bolt Thrower cannot compete with Opeth here, regardlsss of how many mothers they fork.
Breaking Buttrock stink, but they’re not Nazis (as far as I know).
The Sentinel is another absolute masterpiece, from the moody intro to the rocking verse and epic chorus. Halford is on his A+ game and the song just comes together so well. Every piece is in its rightful place. For once the dramatic technique of bringing the song to a screeching halt for a spoken word bit actually works incredibly well and makes the final chorus all the better. A true barnburner. Endorama is fine enough for Kreator, but Priest are simply on another level here.
Smoke On The Water is easily in the top five classic rock songs of all time. But metal? I don’t think so. It’s a big stretch. That said, Heavy Metal Music keeps telling us it’s heavy metal, but I would argue it’s not much heavier than Deep Purple (also I hate songs about being metal). Smoke is easily the better and more iconic song, and although it’s certainly not very metal I can’t really vote against Purple here.
Angel of Death is absolutely awesome in the entire middle section. That riff is so damn amazing. The trashier bits are solid, but the solos are absolute trash. Pure garbage. Bleed is just soulless math, though. It’s entirely too long and does nothing for me. Slayer.
Freezing Moon is fine whenever there isn’t potbanging. Not good enough to make me wanna kill, eat, and photograph the corpse of my bandmates while being a Nazi cunt, though. Curse of the Pharaoh has awesome music and terrible vocals, but it’s good enough to beat Mayhem. Though, if I’m being honest, I’m voting for the Metallica version.
Breaking Buttrock stink, but they’re not Nazis (as far as I know).
The Sentinel is another absolute masterpiece, from the moody intro to the rocking verse and epic chorus. Halford is on his A+ game and the song just comes together so well. Every piece is in its rightful place. For once the dramatic technique of bringing the song to a screeching halt for a spoken word bit actually works incredibly well and makes the final chorus all the better. A true barnburner. Endorama is fine enough for Kreator, but Priest are simply on another level here.
Smoke On The Water is easily in the top five classic rock songs of all time. But metal? I don’t think so. It’s a big stretch. That said, Heavy Metal Music keeps telling us it’s heavy metal, but I would argue it’s not much heavier than Deep Purple (also I hate songs about being metal). Smoke is easily the better and more iconic song, and although it’s certainly not very metal I can’t really vote against Purple here.
Angel of Death is absolutely awesome in the entire middle section. That riff is so damn amazing. The trashier bits are solid, but the solos are absolute trash. Pure garbage. Bleed is just soulless math, though. It’s entirely too long and does nothing for me. Slayer.
Freezing Moon is fine whenever there isn’t potbanging. Not good enough to make me wanna kill, eat, and photograph the corpse of my bandmates while being a Nazi cunt, though. Curse of the Pharaoh has awesome music and terrible vocals, but it’s good enough to beat Mayhem. Though, if I’m being honest, I’m voting for the Metallica version.
this is an urban myth. the other parts? very real.
I would say this game has increased my appreciation for a lot of artists for the most part. But I think I'll leave this going from being mostly indifferent to Meshuggah to midlly disliking them. I've developed a reaction to their music that is akin to tasting an offputting flavor in an otherwise great meal.
Magnus
Pica Serdica
Photos of Dead were taken by Euronymous who was more on the commie side.
And more on the being killed side, for that matter.
If you guys insist on going for that old sensational aspect yet again, at least keep it straight.
DJ James
A coma stole my name.
2 years ago I saw a guy in a Burzum shirt at a Primus show. I told him to stop watching porn and got a very deadpan reaction. I don’t think he knew what I was talking about. Every time you order a Burzum shirt online, the merchant should make you watch that video of Varg telling you to stop watching porn.
It's tough to keep straight all of Mayhem's mayhem.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Well, metal bands strive to be perceived as edgy, Mayhem actually succeeded.
As for Varg, I find it funny that people sometimes seem to be more offended by the fact he's a Nazi than the fact he's a convicted murderer. Priorities.
As for Varg, I find it funny that people sometimes seem to be more offended by the fact he's a Nazi than the fact he's a convicted murderer. Priorities.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Did Nazi that coming
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srfc
Ancient Mariner
Opeth - Deliverance vs. Bolt Thrower - Through the Eyes of Terror
Not mad about either track here, was leaning towards Bolt Thrower in the first couple of mins, but it kind of fell apart after that Deliverance
Burzum - Jesu Død vs. Breaking Benjamin - The Diary of Jane
Not keen on either here, @Magnus picks up the win rather than anything the track did. I'm guessing the title means Jesus Dead or something along those lines? If so, surely that's the entire point of Christianity? Jesu Død
Judas Priest - The Sentinel vs. Kreator - Endorama
I like Endorama, it reminds me of Rude Awkening by Prong, and I'd like a genre that explored this sort of heavy pop song direction, but The Sentinel c'mon The Sentinel
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water vs. Holocaust - Heavy Metal Mania
The riff of Smoke on the Water has been talked about a lot, but the lyrics are brilliant as well, and the chorus only having 3 lines instead of the 4th measure we all were expecting, genius. Holocaust is not in this league. Smoke on the Water
Slayer - Angel of Death vs. Meshuggah - Bleed
Meshuggah is basically rhythm practice, while Angel of Death is pure evil Angel of Death
Mayhem - Freezing Moon vs. Mercyful Fate - Curse of the Pharaohs
I should have wrote these synopses yesterday when I listened to the tracks, as I can't remember Freezing Moon now, but I remember it was better than I expected. Not a chance it was getting anywhere near Curse of the Pharoahs, which has more great riffs in the first 30 or so seconds than entire genres have managed Curse of the Pharaohs
Not mad about either track here, was leaning towards Bolt Thrower in the first couple of mins, but it kind of fell apart after that Deliverance
Burzum - Jesu Død vs. Breaking Benjamin - The Diary of Jane
Not keen on either here, @Magnus picks up the win rather than anything the track did. I'm guessing the title means Jesus Dead or something along those lines? If so, surely that's the entire point of Christianity? Jesu Død
Judas Priest - The Sentinel vs. Kreator - Endorama
I like Endorama, it reminds me of Rude Awkening by Prong, and I'd like a genre that explored this sort of heavy pop song direction, but The Sentinel c'mon The Sentinel
Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water vs. Holocaust - Heavy Metal Mania
The riff of Smoke on the Water has been talked about a lot, but the lyrics are brilliant as well, and the chorus only having 3 lines instead of the 4th measure we all were expecting, genius. Holocaust is not in this league. Smoke on the Water
Slayer - Angel of Death vs. Meshuggah - Bleed
Meshuggah is basically rhythm practice, while Angel of Death is pure evil Angel of Death
Mayhem - Freezing Moon vs. Mercyful Fate - Curse of the Pharaohs
I should have wrote these synopses yesterday when I listened to the tracks, as I can't remember Freezing Moon now, but I remember it was better than I expected. Not a chance it was getting anywhere near Curse of the Pharoahs, which has more great riffs in the first 30 or so seconds than entire genres have managed Curse of the Pharaohs
the point is that he came back. And the point of Mormonism is he came back then went to North America.
____no5
Free Man
Varg? Who's that guy a Mayhem member? Singer?
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
He was Mayhem's base guitarist (before he stabbed the guitarist to death) and Burzum's... kinda everything, vocals included. He did some dark ambient stuff while in prison as well.
As for Mayhem, IIRC, you may hear him only on the LP debut De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, which Freezing Moon is from. I believe the blokes in the band were switching between "it was edgy and poetic for the murderer to play along the victim on the record" and "we didn't have the money to re-record the base".
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Confeos
Game time started.
"Deliverance" is apparently seen as one of Opeth's best songs, but I kinda fail to see why. I mean, it's not bad, but it never truly takes off, and the ending just goes on for way too long. I think they've done a lot better. "Through the Eyes of Terror" wastes little time in getting to the point and is generally enjoyable enough, even if I've heard better from them as well. Neither song does it for me, but I'm going with the presumed underdog here in Bolt Thrower.
The question of separating the artist and the art is always an interesting one. I'll try to tread carefully here; I am of the opinion that one certainly can enjoy the music of a musician like Varg Vikernes without necessarily supporting or celebrating him as a person. Jon Schaffer is clearly a fuckin' idiot, but Iced Earth is still one of my favourite bands. Jon Nödtveidt was obviously a despicable being, but Dissection has still produced some of the finest black metal albums I've heard. I don't agree in any way with any of their actions, nor the reasoning behind them, but I don't have any issues listening to their music as long as it's good. Let's just leave it at that. Anyway, "Jesu Død" obviously sounds like it was recorded in a tin can surrounded by angry bees, but somewhere inside there are some decent musical ideas. I don't know if it's because of the production, but the vocals sound almost half-whispered. Can't say I like it, but it's interesting. And since I truly hate the kind of alternative rock/metal that Breaking Benjamin plays (plus their name sucks), I'm tossing my vote for Burzum.
"Endorama" is actually quite good, I like it a lot. Nice riffs, good chorus and great solos. It's just too bad for Kreator that "The Sentinel" is better. Simple as that. Easy vote for Judas Priest.
Is "Smoke on the Water" Deep Purple's best song? Well, no. Nowhere close, actually. But that riff is so iconic, and any song that has Blackmore is already one step ahead of its opponent. But it's not really a contest here anyway, as "Heavy Metal Mania" is incredibly mediocre. Deep Purple.
I've said before that "Bleed" is the only Meshuggah song I like, and I still think it's a solid tune. But here the opponent just proves too much to handle - "Angel of Death" is a fuckin' juggernaut. Truly one of Slayer's best and an all-time classic.
Mayhem is obviously mayhem - the production is pretty good from a black metal POV, but there isn't much musical meat on this track. Normally, it doesn't take much for me to vote against King Diamond and his shitty voice, but he sounds mostly tolerable on "Curse of the Pharaohs", and the track is musically miles ahead of Mayhem. Vote goes to Mercyful Fate.
The question of separating the artist and the art is always an interesting one. I'll try to tread carefully here; I am of the opinion that one certainly can enjoy the music of a musician like Varg Vikernes without necessarily supporting or celebrating him as a person. Jon Schaffer is clearly a fuckin' idiot, but Iced Earth is still one of my favourite bands. Jon Nödtveidt was obviously a despicable being, but Dissection has still produced some of the finest black metal albums I've heard. I don't agree in any way with any of their actions, nor the reasoning behind them, but I don't have any issues listening to their music as long as it's good. Let's just leave it at that. Anyway, "Jesu Død" obviously sounds like it was recorded in a tin can surrounded by angry bees, but somewhere inside there are some decent musical ideas. I don't know if it's because of the production, but the vocals sound almost half-whispered. Can't say I like it, but it's interesting. And since I truly hate the kind of alternative rock/metal that Breaking Benjamin plays (plus their name sucks), I'm tossing my vote for Burzum.
"Endorama" is actually quite good, I like it a lot. Nice riffs, good chorus and great solos. It's just too bad for Kreator that "The Sentinel" is better. Simple as that. Easy vote for Judas Priest.
Is "Smoke on the Water" Deep Purple's best song? Well, no. Nowhere close, actually. But that riff is so iconic, and any song that has Blackmore is already one step ahead of its opponent. But it's not really a contest here anyway, as "Heavy Metal Mania" is incredibly mediocre. Deep Purple.
I've said before that "Bleed" is the only Meshuggah song I like, and I still think it's a solid tune. But here the opponent just proves too much to handle - "Angel of Death" is a fuckin' juggernaut. Truly one of Slayer's best and an all-time classic.
Mayhem is obviously mayhem - the production is pretty good from a black metal POV, but there isn't much musical meat on this track. Normally, it doesn't take much for me to vote against King Diamond and his shitty voice, but he sounds mostly tolerable on "Curse of the Pharaohs", and the track is musically miles ahead of Mayhem. Vote goes to Mercyful Fate.
Magnus
Pica Serdica
Thank you @srfc , I really appreciate it. There are several posts here when I've been serious and this is one of them.
It means Jesus' Death (is this correct? Death of Jesus in case it isn't).
Nice Freudian slip, for bass is the base of it all indeed. Six strings wankers refuse to admit it but they do know it somewhere deep inside.
"Couldn't be arsed", more like. Øystein wasn't too popular even among bandmates apparently.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
"Deliverance" follows the Opeth pattern of having fantastic instrumentalism paired with some of the most caustic, unlistenable extreme vocals out there. The clean vocal sections show how amazing this band could be if they didn't involve the Muppet Show in most of their work, but this is apparently not the one reality out of 14 million where that actually happened. Still a great song despite the Cookie Monster posturing. "Through The Eye Of Terror" certainly sounds like Motherfucking Bolt Thrower. Some very nice downtuned grooves, and the Cookie Monster vocals are more breathy here, which makes them less annoying to me. Not a fan of the potbanging section that pops up a couple of times, and the overall songwriting obviously can't compete with Opeth's here. Can't say I'm a fan of either track overall, but sorry @DJ James, the musicianship of MrJuderGocker's nominee is on a completely different level. Winner: Opeth - "Deliverance"
"Jesu Død" has a nice creepy black metal intro, then settles into a groove that is shockingly appealing compared to most black metal rhythms. The nonmelodic staticky vocals are less annoying than the usual Gollum fare, and actually play pretty well into the whole lo-fi aesthetic. The song doesn't go very many places and starts to feel pretty repetitive by the halfway mark, but I like those occasional cymbal hits that get thrown in there to break things up. Yeah, this song should have been half as long, but what's here is still surprisingly decent. The melancholy opening of "The Diary Of Jane" is pretty good, but the rest is a weird melange of Linkin Park, pop-punk, and hints of alt-rock. The vocal lines are good, but feel focus-grouped, and the occasional growls come off as completely disingenuous. Honestly, the Breaking Benjamin track is a better written song, and I would probably rather listen to it if forced to choose; but the Burzum track is much more unique and really exceeded my expectations, so I'm going to throw @Magnus a bone here. Winner: Burzum - "Jesu Død"
"The Sentinel" has an ominous intro that quickly picks up the pace with a strong verse, a great pre-chorus, and a strong chorus. I like the interesting harmony bits on the guitars throughout, and the interludes and solos are quite good. The bridge is cool too. Halford really lets loose toward the end of the song. I'm not as in love with this song as many people seem to be, but it's still very good. "Endorama" has a nice tense opening, but the barely melodic chorus vocals sound ridiculous. I like the melodic lead in the middle, but where the hell are the riffs? Yeah, sorry @Perun, but The MisserRenterbocker's nominee takes this one easily. Winner: Judas Priest - "The Sentinel"
"Smoke On The Water" has a simple but classic riff that settles into a nice groove. The vocal lines are pretty good. (Bruce should cover this song and replace the "some stupid with a flare gun" lyric with "some Greek cunt..."!) Very tasteful solo. The song doesn't excite me in any way, but it's consistently enjoyable. "Heavy Metal Mania" has pretty good melodies, though the weirdly phrased and half-sung delivery isn't the best. The anemic singing and slower pace also doesn't really line up with the lyrics. Sorry again, @Perun, but this isn't much of a contest. Winner: Deep Purple - "Smoke On The Water"
"Angel Of Death" is certainly fast and loud. That initial scream is surprisingly effeminate! I like the riffage and the little melodic guitar fills, and Araya's non-melodic delivery actually works pretty well during the verses, though the chorus feels flat. Complete garbage solos, as expected. Well, I've certainly heard worse Slayer songs than that one. "Bleed" is an apropos description of the effect this song had on my eardrums. I can appreciate the technicality of the playing, but the endless non-melodic screaming is extremely grating, and the repetitive mechanical aspects of the rhythm work also take their toll over time. I've never had a migraine headache before, but it seems like this song would be a pretty accurate musical depiction of one. The soft atmospheric interlude was very welcome, and the extended melodic lead afterward was also nice, though the persistent rhythmic throbbing underneath continued to annoy. I just don't understand how someone could look forward to sitting down to listen to this. An easy call for MagiDDos's nominee. Winner: Slayer - "Angel Of Death"
"Freezing Moon" has an appealing intro with its ringing descending notes, but it runs on too long. It finally settles into a pretty solid groove, then abandons it for silly potbanging, and then Mumbly Gollum shows up to drag everything down even further. The slow interlude at the halfway mark is kind of nice until the vocalist shows up again. The solo's surprisingly good, but the vocals that follow are even cringier than the ones we've already heard. Despite a few bright spots, this one's pretty shit overall. "Curse Of The Pharaohs" has cool riffs and sweet fills, but King Diamond is probably the weak link here. Some of the vocal lines are strong, but others drift off or are only half sung. In my mind I can't help but compare it to Metallica's cover in their "Mercyful Fate" medley on Garage, Inc., which shows the potential of the song with better vocals. Still, the original version of the song is more than strong enough to demolish a weak competitor. Another easy call for @Diesel 11's nominee. Winner: Mercyful Fate - "Curse Of The Pharaohs"
"Jesu Død" has a nice creepy black metal intro, then settles into a groove that is shockingly appealing compared to most black metal rhythms. The nonmelodic staticky vocals are less annoying than the usual Gollum fare, and actually play pretty well into the whole lo-fi aesthetic. The song doesn't go very many places and starts to feel pretty repetitive by the halfway mark, but I like those occasional cymbal hits that get thrown in there to break things up. Yeah, this song should have been half as long, but what's here is still surprisingly decent. The melancholy opening of "The Diary Of Jane" is pretty good, but the rest is a weird melange of Linkin Park, pop-punk, and hints of alt-rock. The vocal lines are good, but feel focus-grouped, and the occasional growls come off as completely disingenuous. Honestly, the Breaking Benjamin track is a better written song, and I would probably rather listen to it if forced to choose; but the Burzum track is much more unique and really exceeded my expectations, so I'm going to throw @Magnus a bone here. Winner: Burzum - "Jesu Død"
"The Sentinel" has an ominous intro that quickly picks up the pace with a strong verse, a great pre-chorus, and a strong chorus. I like the interesting harmony bits on the guitars throughout, and the interludes and solos are quite good. The bridge is cool too. Halford really lets loose toward the end of the song. I'm not as in love with this song as many people seem to be, but it's still very good. "Endorama" has a nice tense opening, but the barely melodic chorus vocals sound ridiculous. I like the melodic lead in the middle, but where the hell are the riffs? Yeah, sorry @Perun, but The MisserRenterbocker's nominee takes this one easily. Winner: Judas Priest - "The Sentinel"
"Smoke On The Water" has a simple but classic riff that settles into a nice groove. The vocal lines are pretty good. (Bruce should cover this song and replace the "some stupid with a flare gun" lyric with "some Greek cunt..."!) Very tasteful solo. The song doesn't excite me in any way, but it's consistently enjoyable. "Heavy Metal Mania" has pretty good melodies, though the weirdly phrased and half-sung delivery isn't the best. The anemic singing and slower pace also doesn't really line up with the lyrics. Sorry again, @Perun, but this isn't much of a contest. Winner: Deep Purple - "Smoke On The Water"
"Angel Of Death" is certainly fast and loud. That initial scream is surprisingly effeminate! I like the riffage and the little melodic guitar fills, and Araya's non-melodic delivery actually works pretty well during the verses, though the chorus feels flat. Complete garbage solos, as expected. Well, I've certainly heard worse Slayer songs than that one. "Bleed" is an apropos description of the effect this song had on my eardrums. I can appreciate the technicality of the playing, but the endless non-melodic screaming is extremely grating, and the repetitive mechanical aspects of the rhythm work also take their toll over time. I've never had a migraine headache before, but it seems like this song would be a pretty accurate musical depiction of one. The soft atmospheric interlude was very welcome, and the extended melodic lead afterward was also nice, though the persistent rhythmic throbbing underneath continued to annoy. I just don't understand how someone could look forward to sitting down to listen to this. An easy call for MagiDDos's nominee. Winner: Slayer - "Angel Of Death"
"Freezing Moon" has an appealing intro with its ringing descending notes, but it runs on too long. It finally settles into a pretty solid groove, then abandons it for silly potbanging, and then Mumbly Gollum shows up to drag everything down even further. The slow interlude at the halfway mark is kind of nice until the vocalist shows up again. The solo's surprisingly good, but the vocals that follow are even cringier than the ones we've already heard. Despite a few bright spots, this one's pretty shit overall. "Curse Of The Pharaohs" has cool riffs and sweet fills, but King Diamond is probably the weak link here. Some of the vocal lines are strong, but others drift off or are only half sung. In my mind I can't help but compare it to Metallica's cover in their "Mercyful Fate" medley on Garage, Inc., which shows the potential of the song with better vocals. Still, the original version of the song is more than strong enough to demolish a weak competitor. Another easy call for @Diesel 11's nominee. Winner: Mercyful Fate - "Curse Of The Pharaohs"
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Yeah, I like how JP is winning with 100% while still having a vote for Kreator logged...LOL.