I guess if you like the original In Flames sound, you won't like their later stuff. And vice versa.
The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 3, Matches 1-6
- Thread starter LooseCannon
- Start date
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- gmsc
This was a great round with lots of participation! Thanks everyone!
Well, it's raining on Alice in Chains as they lose to Uriah Heep. Control Denied has been consumed by Liquid Tension Experiment's universal mind, it seems. Ozzy has no more tears as Judas Priest puts him between their hammer and their anvil. Breaker? No. Grinder. Also Judas Priest. The pinball map leads nowhere, and their heart is like a grave as they're squeaked out by Insomnium. It's true, it was a test that stumped them all, including Vanden Plas, as Dream Theater moves on.
Well, it's raining on Alice in Chains as they lose to Uriah Heep. Control Denied has been consumed by Liquid Tension Experiment's universal mind, it seems. Ozzy has no more tears as Judas Priest puts him between their hammer and their anvil. Breaker? No. Grinder. Also Judas Priest. The pinball map leads nowhere, and their heart is like a grave as they're squeaked out by Insomnium. It's true, it was a test that stumped them all, including Vanden Plas, as Dream Theater moves on.
Part I, Round 49, Matches 289-294
| Play In Round |
| The Final Frontier Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Testament - D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate) | vs. | Megadeth - Washington is Next! | |
| Popoff 500 | Nominators | ||
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| The Final Frontier Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dream Theater - In the Presence of Mine Enemies | vs. | Therion - Schwarzalbenheim | |
| @Shmoolikipod | Nominators | ||
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| The Final Frontier Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neurosis - Locust Star | vs. | John Zorn - Snakes and Ladders | |
| Rolling Stone 100 | Nominators | ||
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Steve Harris Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blind Guardian - Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns) | vs. | Medieval Steel - Medieval Steel | |
| @KidInTheDark666 | Nominators | ||
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Steve Harris Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratovarius - We Hold the Key | vs. | Manowar - The Gods Made Heavy Metal | |
| @JudasMyGuide | Nominators | Best Music Art 100 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Their sound changes must be really subtle, because those 15 songs were practically identical (especially when contrasted with Opeth’s eight masterpieces). Maybe I’m too prog for In Flames.
Interesting. I actually had a lot of trouble getting through Mastodon’s latest album as I thought the entire thing sounded melancholy and identical. My personal favorite is Crack the Skye, which is also where I think the band peaked.
But I agree with your third paragraph. Opeth is an excellent example; their new stuff isn’t bad whatsoever, but the transitions from ethereal clean vocals to brutal death metal is what defined Opeth for me and many others since they had a unique sound. Post-Watershed Opeth is far from bad, and I respect their will to experiment (their latest had a jazz number and a “Big Bottom”-esque bass-only song)… but they may as well have changed their name because to me it’s no longer real Opeth.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Going from O.G. Gothenburg melodeath to Linkin Park with an occasional growl is in no way subtle.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
I’m just gonna assume that they played mostly newer (read: non-melodeath) songs, because after your take on Death and now In Flames I’m starting to question your entire grasp on music.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
If he saw In Flames co-headlining with Opeth in the US in 2014, then the setlist would indeed be almost entirely their more alternative metal and metalcore-leaning stuff. The band was pretty much at their softest during the mid 2010s. Although, needless to say, it's still a lot heavier than what Opeth have done since then.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
That's the tour, yes. The songs were all 3-5 minutes of verse-chorus-verse-chorus, and were indistinguishable to me (especially compared to Opeth playing eight distinct-sounding tracks).
Siddharth
Long Distance Trooper
Testament vs Megadeth was tough! DNR has Testament at its full brutality but Washington Is Next is Megadeth's 'modern classic'. I absolutely like that song (it even has a nod to Wasted Years and Painkiller).
Dream Theater - In The Presence Of Enemies, easily for me. Both great songs Pt. 1 and 2 from a great album. Therion gives an exotic aspect to metal. Much welcome, awesome vocals but not enough to beat DT.
First time listening to John Zorn. At first I was like woah dude! But I found it's Jazz/fusion with a touch of Metal more interesting than Neurosis (with whom I'm not much familiar either). So Snakes And Ladders for me.
Blind Guardian's Noldor is really a good song. Pretty much a semi-ballad but picks it's pace in the second half during the solo. Medieval Steel also has a good mid-paced groove and I get why you think it can be among greatest metal song but the Guardian has a colossal epic against it!
Last time I was a bit tough on Manowar LOL but their song got a good vibe! Stratovarius, for some reason is taking a laid back approach rather than going full auto-pilot on double bass drumming and chugging riffs. Not to mention their song sounds more in the vein of Manowar. But only reason I go for We Hold The Key is having a more strong groove and Manowar's song having a bit weird mix in the production. Still a good song Manowar!
I Stand Alone is fun song but for me Linkin Park everyday (and twice on Sunday). Lying From You for the win. A good riff. Mike having his moments and great vocals by Chester.
Dream Theater - In The Presence Of Enemies, easily for me. Both great songs Pt. 1 and 2 from a great album. Therion gives an exotic aspect to metal. Much welcome, awesome vocals but not enough to beat DT.
First time listening to John Zorn. At first I was like woah dude! But I found it's Jazz/fusion with a touch of Metal more interesting than Neurosis (with whom I'm not much familiar either). So Snakes And Ladders for me.
Blind Guardian's Noldor is really a good song. Pretty much a semi-ballad but picks it's pace in the second half during the solo. Medieval Steel also has a good mid-paced groove and I get why you think it can be among greatest metal song but the Guardian has a colossal epic against it!
Last time I was a bit tough on Manowar LOL but their song got a good vibe! Stratovarius, for some reason is taking a laid back approach rather than going full auto-pilot on double bass drumming and chugging riffs. Not to mention their song sounds more in the vein of Manowar. But only reason I go for We Hold The Key is having a more strong groove and Manowar's song having a bit weird mix in the production. Still a good song Manowar!
I Stand Alone is fun song but for me Linkin Park everyday (and twice on Sunday). Lying From You for the win. A good riff. Mike having his moments and great vocals by Chester.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Megadeth over Testament any day and twice on Sundays. Washington Is Next (heh, the title - and lyrics - certainly hit different these days) is not only quite lively and invigorating, but it's also catchy, in the best Megadeth way. Testament are more tr00, but... well, I've written it here before, there's pretty much nothing this band has to offer to me that I wouldn't prefer in another band. It's... fine, I guess. But even back in my thrash era I wasn't a fan.
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Wow, In the Presence of Enemies is my favourite Dream Theater track (honestly rating higher than even Octavarium and The Count of Tuscany - and it's been there in my top spot probably already since 2015, if this forum's history is to be believed) and the only reason why I didn't nominate it was because I thought it wouldn't count as a single song, as it is divided in two tracks on the album.
Back then, I wrote this about it back in the 2016 Survivor thread
And I still mostly agree. The instrumental intro (and the way how the second part builds up from the rhythmic pulsations and wind through the Heretic part to the instrumental section and then the repetition of the intro, with the mini-buildup and the slowing-down descending unison) is among my favourite things in music. I really love the poppy overtones, I'm absolutely crazy about the build-up and the guitar embellishments in the Heretic part... I know people dislike DT, Systematic Chaos or even this song in particular, but to me, that's half an hour of perfection. Of pure bliss. I wanted to skip the track since I know it note by note, but I couldn't - I had to have it in the background in its entirety.
Therion are very good and an intriguing band throughout their whole discography... but this is personal, capisce?
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To be honest, Neurosis might be vibing with me more than Zorn lately, but I'll support a member's nomination (and especially Mosh's) than a list. And let's be honest, Neurosis have better tracks and Snakes and Ladders, although a bit too schizophrenic for my tastes, are certainly the more interesting song here.
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Oh, yeah, baby, some more Silmarillion-inspired, Nightfall-hewn gem that I actually had on my shortlist, until I decided at the very last moment to nominate Thorn.
I admit that this song may be even more well-wrought than my own nomination, as a ballad, melodically, you know, in general. Though once again, it only becomes the ultimate emotional cut that cripples and crushes you after reading the book it's based upon - the Doom of Mandos, the Kinslaying, the crossing of Helcaraxë, death of Turgon's wife... suddenly the chorus packs a much bigger punch. I also like how it's not balladic all the way through, but there are significantchanges of tempo and aggression throughout. My second favourite song off the album, definitely.
Medieval Steel are really nice, I admit, I can see how Maiden fans might gravitate towards it - the gallop and the guitars, also the melodic sensibility... I'm gonna check this band out, it's very enjoyable.
But I can't help it, ym heart tells me to ote for Noldor.
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What? MORE Manowar songs from Louder Than Hell? You're fucking kidding me, right? Who's picking these, for fuck's sakes?
Anyway, there is a similarity between Nightwish and Stratovarius in that regard that not only were among my most listened-to bands last year, but also the bands my mind naturally gravitated towards when I was doing the nominations. For both I had, like, 15 songs from each that I just couldn't pick from... and in the end I ended up with only one nomination for each band. In hindsight, I probably did a better choice with Strato than with Nightwish, but whatever.
So, I've always been quite open about the fact my favourite Strato album is still the first I heard, Fourth Dimension. To me it hits the sweet spot between the early, "weird" Strato and the classic era and in a way, it always felt to me like Timo was really trying to break into mainstream and maybe overdid it on the melodies - with all honesty, I don't think any other Strato album has so many immediately memorable songs (pretty much every song on 4th could be a hit, the weirdness of 030366 notwithstanding). I don't even mind that Jens hasn't arrived yet, nor that Timo Kotipelto hasn't yet blossomed into the best version of himself we would hear soon after (let's be honest, sometimes he does sound a tad strained/wonky on this album, most noticeably on Lord of the Wasteland).
Like I said, there's still a lot of the atmosphere of the original incarnation of the band, in short, it's halfway to Dreamspace. The synthy coldness, the nighttime somberness, the desperation, almost... but packed within incredily catchy melodies at that. It's the last album where this atmosphere still mostly remains, methinks (although the very last remnant would be on the next album - Eternity sounds like it would fit Dimension perfectly, maybe more than the album it is on).
Picking a song off Dimension was rather hard, though (I even thought about nominating the instrumental, seriously). In the end I've decided I should pick something with more of a substantial/"epic" feel and I've decided to risk it and use the first half off the best track sequence you'll get on a Strato album - and those of you who are more interested in my train of thought might play Twilight Symphony right after We Hold the Key
I think the song complement each other quite perfectly, forming not only a great ending to the album, but also probably my absolutely favourite song sequence ever.
Of this ultimate song sequence, We Hold the Key has a more usual structure, less individual parts and digressions and mostly keeps the same tempo, the same mood, builds it all on the riffs, the soaring chorus and the even more soaring middle-eight. I can't help it, I was flattened by the song when I first heard it (even though I usually prefer my power metal fast-fast-fast) and I still am.
Also, don't tell me Tuomas didn't take inspiration from the section after 4:40 for Come Cover Me.
Whatever, I'm rambling, Stratovarius, of course.
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Never would have thought I'd be even discussing Linkin PArk in a "greatest metal song cup", but I actually think I'm going to break my usual "anything but LP" habit - not that I don't think Meteora should have been left behind those 20 years ago (fuck, it's been really that long? Is there really a longer time between Meteora and now than between Appetite for Destruction and Meteora? What the fuck?) but I admit that Lying from You is probably the most successful instigator of nostalgia, in a way. The soaring chorus almost seems to go beyond the usual teen histrionics... and I really like the intro. Dunno, I hate myself, but I'm voting Linking Park here.
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Wow, In the Presence of Enemies is my favourite Dream Theater track (honestly rating higher than even Octavarium and The Count of Tuscany - and it's been there in my top spot probably already since 2015, if this forum's history is to be believed) and the only reason why I didn't nominate it was because I thought it wouldn't count as a single song, as it is divided in two tracks on the album.
Back then, I wrote this about it back in the 2016 Survivor thread
And I still mostly agree. The instrumental intro (and the way how the second part builds up from the rhythmic pulsations and wind through the Heretic part to the instrumental section and then the repetition of the intro, with the mini-buildup and the slowing-down descending unison) is among my favourite things in music. I really love the poppy overtones, I'm absolutely crazy about the build-up and the guitar embellishments in the Heretic part... I know people dislike DT, Systematic Chaos or even this song in particular, but to me, that's half an hour of perfection. Of pure bliss. I wanted to skip the track since I know it note by note, but I couldn't - I had to have it in the background in its entirety.
Therion are very good and an intriguing band throughout their whole discography... but this is personal, capisce?
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To be honest, Neurosis might be vibing with me more than Zorn lately, but I'll support a member's nomination (and especially Mosh's) than a list. And let's be honest, Neurosis have better tracks and Snakes and Ladders, although a bit too schizophrenic for my tastes, are certainly the more interesting song here.
-----
Oh, yeah, baby, some more Silmarillion-inspired, Nightfall-hewn gem that I actually had on my shortlist, until I decided at the very last moment to nominate Thorn.
I admit that this song may be even more well-wrought than my own nomination, as a ballad, melodically, you know, in general. Though once again, it only becomes the ultimate emotional cut that cripples and crushes you after reading the book it's based upon - the Doom of Mandos, the Kinslaying, the crossing of Helcaraxë, death of Turgon's wife... suddenly the chorus packs a much bigger punch. I also like how it's not balladic all the way through, but there are significantchanges of tempo and aggression throughout. My second favourite song off the album, definitely.
Medieval Steel are really nice, I admit, I can see how Maiden fans might gravitate towards it - the gallop and the guitars, also the melodic sensibility... I'm gonna check this band out, it's very enjoyable.
But I can't help it, ym heart tells me to ote for Noldor.
-----
What? MORE Manowar songs from Louder Than Hell? You're fucking kidding me, right? Who's picking these, for fuck's sakes?
Anyway, there is a similarity between Nightwish and Stratovarius in that regard that not only were among my most listened-to bands last year, but also the bands my mind naturally gravitated towards when I was doing the nominations. For both I had, like, 15 songs from each that I just couldn't pick from... and in the end I ended up with only one nomination for each band. In hindsight, I probably did a better choice with Strato than with Nightwish, but whatever.
So, I've always been quite open about the fact my favourite Strato album is still the first I heard, Fourth Dimension. To me it hits the sweet spot between the early, "weird" Strato and the classic era and in a way, it always felt to me like Timo was really trying to break into mainstream and maybe overdid it on the melodies - with all honesty, I don't think any other Strato album has so many immediately memorable songs (pretty much every song on 4th could be a hit, the weirdness of 030366 notwithstanding). I don't even mind that Jens hasn't arrived yet, nor that Timo Kotipelto hasn't yet blossomed into the best version of himself we would hear soon after (let's be honest, sometimes he does sound a tad strained/wonky on this album, most noticeably on Lord of the Wasteland).
Like I said, there's still a lot of the atmosphere of the original incarnation of the band, in short, it's halfway to Dreamspace. The synthy coldness, the nighttime somberness, the desperation, almost... but packed within incredily catchy melodies at that. It's the last album where this atmosphere still mostly remains, methinks (although the very last remnant would be on the next album - Eternity sounds like it would fit Dimension perfectly, maybe more than the album it is on).
Picking a song off Dimension was rather hard, though (I even thought about nominating the instrumental, seriously). In the end I've decided I should pick something with more of a substantial/"epic" feel and I've decided to risk it and use the first half off the best track sequence you'll get on a Strato album - and those of you who are more interested in my train of thought might play Twilight Symphony right after We Hold the Key
I think the song complement each other quite perfectly, forming not only a great ending to the album, but also probably my absolutely favourite song sequence ever.
Of this ultimate song sequence, We Hold the Key has a more usual structure, less individual parts and digressions and mostly keeps the same tempo, the same mood, builds it all on the riffs, the soaring chorus and the even more soaring middle-eight. I can't help it, I was flattened by the song when I first heard it (even though I usually prefer my power metal fast-fast-fast) and I still am.
Also, don't tell me Tuomas didn't take inspiration from the section after 4:40 for Come Cover Me.
Whatever, I'm rambling, Stratovarius, of course.
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Never would have thought I'd be even discussing Linkin PArk in a "greatest metal song cup", but I actually think I'm going to break my usual "anything but LP" habit - not that I don't think Meteora should have been left behind those 20 years ago (fuck, it's been really that long? Is there really a longer time between Meteora and now than between Appetite for Destruction and Meteora? What the fuck?) but I admit that Lying from You is probably the most successful instigator of nostalgia, in a way. The soaring chorus almost seems to go beyond the usual teen histrionics... and I really like the intro. Dunno, I hate myself, but I'm voting Linking Park here.
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Megadeth's Washington Is Next!, no contest. One of their best songs imo.
Dream Theater's song is too long, but it's much more interesting for me.
Medieval Steel is an old school metal song with nice melodies and vocals, but BG's Noldor is more lively - and with cool melodies and chorus. This is also one of the band's best albums, right?
Manowar's song is not that good or interesting, while We Hold The Key is a strong Stratovarius song. The classic albums of the band are all great. Riffs and vocals! Again, no contest.
Linkin Park, by default.
Dream Theater's song is too long, but it's much more interesting for me.
Medieval Steel is an old school metal song with nice melodies and vocals, but BG's Noldor is more lively - and with cool melodies and chorus. This is also one of the band's best albums, right?
Manowar's song is not that good or interesting, while We Hold The Key is a strong Stratovarius song. The classic albums of the band are all great. Riffs and vocals! Again, no contest.
Linkin Park, by default.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
Testament - D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate) vs. Megadeth - Washington is Next!
D.N.R. is pretty decent, Washington is Next! is one of the best tracks off the disappointing United Abominations album, to be honest it might be the best track but it's been so long since I listened to it. Lyrics some of the dumbest that's been in the game (at least of the ones I'm able to hear) Washington is Next!
Dream Theater - In the Presence of Mine Enemies vs. Therion - Schwarzalbenheim
I gave the DT song a fair 6 or 7 mins, 25 mins is too long for a band I don't have a lot of interest in. Therion is interesting enough to give it it's dues musically at least, but the choirs and lyrics in a language I don't understand is just too off the wall for me In the Presence of Mine Enemies
Neurosis - Locust Star vs. John Zorn - Snakes and Ladders
Neurosis isn't bad, not anything I'd want to listen to, but I can see the appeal. I don't see the appeal in the John Zorn track Locust Star
Blind Guardian - Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns) vs. Medieval Steel - Medieval Steel
Blind Guardian wasn't bad, but there wasn't anything that caught my interest with it. Medieval Steel has one of the worst names so far, nearly as bad as Kamelot. The song is ok enough Heavy Metal, with cliched lyrics, there's a change before and after the last chorus that's pretty awful. Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)
Stratovarius - We Hold the Key vs. Manowar - The Gods Made Heavy Metal
The intro of Stratovarius is basically the same vibe as Hail and Kill, then it kicks into a decent enough Queensryche style section, pretty decent song over all. Manowar songs that you like are somehow equally as propestourous and ridiculous as the ones you laugh at, there's no logic to it. The Gods Made Heavy Metal is one of those that I just like. The Gods Made Heavy Metal
Godsmack - I Stand Alone vs. Linkin Park - Lying From You
Godsmack is average enough can crushing brodude metal. This is just standard Linkin Park stuff, at least the nu-metal stuff is only short. I Stand Alone
D.N.R. is pretty decent, Washington is Next! is one of the best tracks off the disappointing United Abominations album, to be honest it might be the best track but it's been so long since I listened to it. Lyrics some of the dumbest that's been in the game (at least of the ones I'm able to hear) Washington is Next!
Dream Theater - In the Presence of Mine Enemies vs. Therion - Schwarzalbenheim
I gave the DT song a fair 6 or 7 mins, 25 mins is too long for a band I don't have a lot of interest in. Therion is interesting enough to give it it's dues musically at least, but the choirs and lyrics in a language I don't understand is just too off the wall for me In the Presence of Mine Enemies
Neurosis - Locust Star vs. John Zorn - Snakes and Ladders
Neurosis isn't bad, not anything I'd want to listen to, but I can see the appeal. I don't see the appeal in the John Zorn track Locust Star
Blind Guardian - Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns) vs. Medieval Steel - Medieval Steel
Blind Guardian wasn't bad, but there wasn't anything that caught my interest with it. Medieval Steel has one of the worst names so far, nearly as bad as Kamelot. The song is ok enough Heavy Metal, with cliched lyrics, there's a change before and after the last chorus that's pretty awful. Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)
Stratovarius - We Hold the Key vs. Manowar - The Gods Made Heavy Metal
The intro of Stratovarius is basically the same vibe as Hail and Kill, then it kicks into a decent enough Queensryche style section, pretty decent song over all. Manowar songs that you like are somehow equally as propestourous and ridiculous as the ones you laugh at, there's no logic to it. The Gods Made Heavy Metal is one of those that I just like. The Gods Made Heavy Metal
Godsmack - I Stand Alone vs. Linkin Park - Lying From You
Godsmack is average enough can crushing brodude metal. This is just standard Linkin Park stuff, at least the nu-metal stuff is only short. I Stand Alone
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
This is all 100% spot on. Even the cover art is a great addition to the atmosphere and vibe of the record. Really, I wish we got another album from this lineup. In hindsight it was a great time for Jens and Jörg to arrive right after this though.
Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
I asked to use Lines in the Sand if ITPOE counts as two songs. Thanks a lot for allowing it @LooseCannon !
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
DNR is far from my favorite Testament song, but it still rips from start to finish. I think it is one of the first albums where Chuck flirts with growls? They sound good. Also the chorus feels like the template for every single Godsmack hook ever (more on that later). Washington Is Next is fine musically, but the vocals suck and the lyrics suck even harder. They’re so poorly laid over the music…it feels like a demo. What a shit song. “It’s their fault! Attack the church dynamic!” Yeah, not the Megadeth I signed up for. Shut up, Dave. The riffs go nowhere. The solos are really bad, too. “The ancient mystery” talking bit at the end solidifies this as trash. Lomenzo is the only saving grace here and I’m honestly shocked with the praise this glaringly meh track is receiving here. Testament by a mile.
I have always quite enjoyed In The Presence of Enemies, despite finding Systematic Chaos to be a quite mediocre album. The overwrought prog is awesome, as is Petrucci’s beautiful melodic lead playing, and the more evil Part II is jolly good fun. Yeah, LaBrie trying to sound tough and evil is silly, but I really like the overall piece. Gotta love the Flight of the Bumblebee-esque moment with cheesy orch hits! Therion is an odd mix of stuff…we’ve got even cheesier synths, absurd post-Nightwishian operatics, and German chanting. It’s fine, but mostly feels like an intro to a song that never gets going.
Locust Star has a nice, ambient intro before the RAWR. After that it’s just sludge riffs and yelling with zero dynamics. Count me out. Snakes and Ladders is…literal noise…but, um, I guess it has more musicianship to it? IDK. I hate both of these. I’ll give a vote to John Zorn for having a couple actual melodic riffs.
Noldor has all the classic Blind Guardian schtick, plus a verse that’s far more interesting than a lot of their work. I like how Hansi’s working out his low range a bit more here, it makes his wild belting during the bridge so much better. This track is far from their catchiest, but it has amazing dynamics and is really powerful. The chorus eventually gets beaten into your head in a good way. Really awesome solo section, too. So damn cool. Medieval Steel has me yearning to sway a goblet of mead, but it’s so aggressively cheesy that it makes Blind Guardian sound hard as fuck. Catchy and fun and good performances all around, though. Impressive random tempo change and reversion back to the chorus with Halford-isms, too! I’m gonna go with Hansi, though.
We Hold the Key is suitably bombastic and ridiculous. The power of that first heavy section is awesome, buuuuuuuuuut I really dislike the vocals in the higher range. It’s just power metal caterwauling. I’ve heard far worse, but that doesn’t mean I like this timbre. Just too much yelp-belt shrieking. Regardless, I absolutely love the instrumental. The stomping riff with the drum double time around the 4:45 mark is just sublime. Also, at this point I’ll vote for someone screaming inside a potato over Manowar, so Stratovarius win this by a landslide.
I have always felt like Godsmack were probably the least offensive of the nü-metal brigade. Like everything they do, I Stand Alone has heavy and tight rhythms, vocals that aren’t terrible, and even some harmonies! Sure, it’s pretty bro-metal numbskull faux-tough guy stuff, but I’ll take this over Korn or Deftone’s whining, Limp Bizkit’s used car salesman white rap, or most other nü-metal shit (except SOAD, who were legitimately interesting). This is my first time hearing Lying From You and, welp, it’s a Linkin Park song. Looped sounds, mid-tempo rap verse, mid-tempo “anthemic” chorus with rap interspersed, rinse and repeat for 2.5 minutes. Neither of these songs represent the best the band has to offer, and that’s saying something since both bands basically sound the same all the time. In general, I fucks with Godsmack more.
I have always quite enjoyed In The Presence of Enemies, despite finding Systematic Chaos to be a quite mediocre album. The overwrought prog is awesome, as is Petrucci’s beautiful melodic lead playing, and the more evil Part II is jolly good fun. Yeah, LaBrie trying to sound tough and evil is silly, but I really like the overall piece. Gotta love the Flight of the Bumblebee-esque moment with cheesy orch hits! Therion is an odd mix of stuff…we’ve got even cheesier synths, absurd post-Nightwishian operatics, and German chanting. It’s fine, but mostly feels like an intro to a song that never gets going.
Locust Star has a nice, ambient intro before the RAWR. After that it’s just sludge riffs and yelling with zero dynamics. Count me out. Snakes and Ladders is…literal noise…but, um, I guess it has more musicianship to it? IDK. I hate both of these. I’ll give a vote to John Zorn for having a couple actual melodic riffs.
Noldor has all the classic Blind Guardian schtick, plus a verse that’s far more interesting than a lot of their work. I like how Hansi’s working out his low range a bit more here, it makes his wild belting during the bridge so much better. This track is far from their catchiest, but it has amazing dynamics and is really powerful. The chorus eventually gets beaten into your head in a good way. Really awesome solo section, too. So damn cool. Medieval Steel has me yearning to sway a goblet of mead, but it’s so aggressively cheesy that it makes Blind Guardian sound hard as fuck. Catchy and fun and good performances all around, though. Impressive random tempo change and reversion back to the chorus with Halford-isms, too! I’m gonna go with Hansi, though.
We Hold the Key is suitably bombastic and ridiculous. The power of that first heavy section is awesome, buuuuuuuuuut I really dislike the vocals in the higher range. It’s just power metal caterwauling. I’ve heard far worse, but that doesn’t mean I like this timbre. Just too much yelp-belt shrieking. Regardless, I absolutely love the instrumental. The stomping riff with the drum double time around the 4:45 mark is just sublime. Also, at this point I’ll vote for someone screaming inside a potato over Manowar, so Stratovarius win this by a landslide.
I have always felt like Godsmack were probably the least offensive of the nü-metal brigade. Like everything they do, I Stand Alone has heavy and tight rhythms, vocals that aren’t terrible, and even some harmonies! Sure, it’s pretty bro-metal numbskull faux-tough guy stuff, but I’ll take this over Korn or Deftone’s whining, Limp Bizkit’s used car salesman white rap, or most other nü-metal shit (except SOAD, who were legitimately interesting). This is my first time hearing Lying From You and, welp, it’s a Linkin Park song. Looped sounds, mid-tempo rap verse, mid-tempo “anthemic” chorus with rap interspersed, rinse and repeat for 2.5 minutes. Neither of these songs represent the best the band has to offer, and that’s saying something since both bands basically sound the same all the time. In general, I fucks with Godsmack more.
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Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
"D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)" has a slightly surprising middle eastern opening, then some pretty dope thrash riffage. I like the thick harmony bits in there. Chuck Billy isn't really to my taste, especially when he lapses into Cookie Monster territory, but he's acceptable on the melodic sections. I don't feel like this track made much impact on me as an overall song, but the individual parts were generally quite good and I was never bored. "Washington Is Next!" has some nice melodic lead work that borrows heavily from "Wasted Years". The verse riff is solid and the extended chorus is catchy. Mustaine's on-and-off-the-rhythm rambling is probably the weakest thing going on here, but that stream of consciousness approach also gives the song some unique character. The first and third solos are OK, but I love that really brief second solo that cuts against the grain, and I wish it had been longer. I dig the extended outro too. Both songs have their flaws, but I find @KidInTheDark666's nominee to be more appealing to my taste. Winner: Megadeth - "Washington Is Next!"
"In The Presence Of Enemies" does all of the Dream Theatery things for an extra-Dreamy length of time. As usual, they spend a lot of the song doing genuinely interesting things with nice melodies and interesting rhythms, but then they lapse into pure musical masturbation for a while before coming back to their senses. LaBrie is the weak link here again, as expected. He sounds good enough when he sings normally, but when he tries to put on the tough guy pants he sounds silly. I'm gonna be honest here, after the 12 minute mark I just started skipping ahead a few minutes, listening for a bit, and then skipping ahead some more, because listening to Dream Theater is pretty much like watching porn, where they do their thing in one position for a while, then switch it up, then switch it up again, and again, and eventually finish up. Once you get the idea of what they're doing in each section it all kind of blends together and you've already got the point. This reminds me of why I stopped listening to Dream Theater after the 1990s -- they sort of lost the songwriting thread, and everything became less than the sum of its parts. Those individual parts are often great, but it's so hard to care about the whole when it feels like they're just doing musical calisthenics. "Schwarzalbenheim" gets bonus points for opera singers and choirs, but loses a point for synth horns. I like the general vibe, and the blending of eastern melodies with western instruments and stylings is cool. Nice string outro. I'm not sure it really grabbed me as a song, but it's cool as a soundtrack piece. I'm sure Dream Theater is going to run away with this one because it's so long and has lots of shiny parts, but sorry @Shmoolikipod, I'm going to throw a pity vote to @Spambot's nominee here because I just find Dream Theater to be exhausting when they're operating in this mode. Winner: Therion - "Schwarzalbenheim"
"Locust Star" starts off with some promise with a creepy opening, but then Screamy McScreamerson shows up and my eyes start rolling. The music is unremarkable yet competent heavy alt-rock, and the non-melodic blathering doesn't do anything to help matters. No thanks. "Snakes And Ladders" has an interesting off-kilter feel with some epic, reverby elements and late 60s organs -- my brain wants to call it "gothic jazz", but I'm not sure what it would actually be called. It goes off the rails a bit around the 2/3 mark, but eventually pulls itself back on track, more or less. Not a fan of either song, but @Mosh's nominee was more interesting and less annoying for sure. Winner: John Zorn - "Snakes And Ladders"
"Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)" has a nice clean opener that gains some distorted accents. For some reason Blind Guardian always sounds better to me when they go softer, then I lose interest when they get more heavy and shrill. I'm not really sold on the vocal melodies here, though the chorus does better than the verses. There are also some queasy elements in this song that I'm not sure are intentional. The guitars sound a little less video gamey than usual here, and I like the melodic runs in the middle of the song. But yeah, Blind Guardian is just massively overrated as a band. "Medieval Steel" gets to the cheese right out of the gate, and it's an entire fucking wheel of it. Once we're past the D&D spoken word bit we get some C-level Priest worship with terrible lyrics. I was initially convinced the singer was a husky female, but I guess it's actually a guy in the Geddy Lee mold. The solo's pretty good for a garage band, like the guy's really reaching for it and mostly getting there. Y'know, I think these guys might have finally sold me on their schtick when they kicked it up higher for the later choruses. This stuff is derivative and cheesy as hell, but it's also catchy and aspirational, and I feel like rewarding their pluck. Sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but Blind Guardian is really starting to get on my nerves, so I'm going for @Perun's nominee here. Winner: Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel"
"We Hold The Key" has a suitably epic opening and a nice acoustic verse. I really like the way it blossoms into the heavy stuff. The chorus is solid, and it almost has an early Queensrÿche feel through this part. The singer's accent is noticeable, but not derailing. Some nice vocal melodies in the bridge and strong soloing. I like the extended return to the acoustic feel, though the bargain basement synths at the end of it aren't the best. Very good overall. Oh god, more Manowar. "The Gods Made Heavy Metal" is cheesy AF, and by this point I'm about ready to punch Eric Adams in his codpiece-wearing, half-singing face. There are some mildly catchy bits in here, and the solo is actually great, but come on. A very easy call for @JudasMyGuide's nominee. Winner: Stratovarius - "We Hold The Key"
"I Stand Alone" is kind of burned into my brain from playing too much Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within back in the day. It's got a pretty good nu-metal groove, and Sully Erna sounds good for a throaty 90s guy. The vocal melodies are hit and miss, and the chorus is a bit too repetitive, but the bridge is cool and the song is pretty solid overall. "Lying From You" is more Linkin Park, and it follows their usual template. The verses are a little queasier, but the melodic parts are hooky as usual. This isn't anything close to a standout song from them, but it's totally serviceable and enjoyable enough. I don't have very strong feelings about this match, but congratulations @KidInTheDark666, I guess mid-level Linkin Park is still a little better than high-end Godsmack. Winner: Linkin Park - "Lying From You"
"In The Presence Of Enemies" does all of the Dream Theatery things for an extra-Dreamy length of time. As usual, they spend a lot of the song doing genuinely interesting things with nice melodies and interesting rhythms, but then they lapse into pure musical masturbation for a while before coming back to their senses. LaBrie is the weak link here again, as expected. He sounds good enough when he sings normally, but when he tries to put on the tough guy pants he sounds silly. I'm gonna be honest here, after the 12 minute mark I just started skipping ahead a few minutes, listening for a bit, and then skipping ahead some more, because listening to Dream Theater is pretty much like watching porn, where they do their thing in one position for a while, then switch it up, then switch it up again, and again, and eventually finish up. Once you get the idea of what they're doing in each section it all kind of blends together and you've already got the point. This reminds me of why I stopped listening to Dream Theater after the 1990s -- they sort of lost the songwriting thread, and everything became less than the sum of its parts. Those individual parts are often great, but it's so hard to care about the whole when it feels like they're just doing musical calisthenics. "Schwarzalbenheim" gets bonus points for opera singers and choirs, but loses a point for synth horns. I like the general vibe, and the blending of eastern melodies with western instruments and stylings is cool. Nice string outro. I'm not sure it really grabbed me as a song, but it's cool as a soundtrack piece. I'm sure Dream Theater is going to run away with this one because it's so long and has lots of shiny parts, but sorry @Shmoolikipod, I'm going to throw a pity vote to @Spambot's nominee here because I just find Dream Theater to be exhausting when they're operating in this mode. Winner: Therion - "Schwarzalbenheim"
"Locust Star" starts off with some promise with a creepy opening, but then Screamy McScreamerson shows up and my eyes start rolling. The music is unremarkable yet competent heavy alt-rock, and the non-melodic blathering doesn't do anything to help matters. No thanks. "Snakes And Ladders" has an interesting off-kilter feel with some epic, reverby elements and late 60s organs -- my brain wants to call it "gothic jazz", but I'm not sure what it would actually be called. It goes off the rails a bit around the 2/3 mark, but eventually pulls itself back on track, more or less. Not a fan of either song, but @Mosh's nominee was more interesting and less annoying for sure. Winner: John Zorn - "Snakes And Ladders"
"Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)" has a nice clean opener that gains some distorted accents. For some reason Blind Guardian always sounds better to me when they go softer, then I lose interest when they get more heavy and shrill. I'm not really sold on the vocal melodies here, though the chorus does better than the verses. There are also some queasy elements in this song that I'm not sure are intentional. The guitars sound a little less video gamey than usual here, and I like the melodic runs in the middle of the song. But yeah, Blind Guardian is just massively overrated as a band. "Medieval Steel" gets to the cheese right out of the gate, and it's an entire fucking wheel of it. Once we're past the D&D spoken word bit we get some C-level Priest worship with terrible lyrics. I was initially convinced the singer was a husky female, but I guess it's actually a guy in the Geddy Lee mold. The solo's pretty good for a garage band, like the guy's really reaching for it and mostly getting there. Y'know, I think these guys might have finally sold me on their schtick when they kicked it up higher for the later choruses. This stuff is derivative and cheesy as hell, but it's also catchy and aspirational, and I feel like rewarding their pluck. Sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but Blind Guardian is really starting to get on my nerves, so I'm going for @Perun's nominee here. Winner: Medieval Steel - "Medieval Steel"
"We Hold The Key" has a suitably epic opening and a nice acoustic verse. I really like the way it blossoms into the heavy stuff. The chorus is solid, and it almost has an early Queensrÿche feel through this part. The singer's accent is noticeable, but not derailing. Some nice vocal melodies in the bridge and strong soloing. I like the extended return to the acoustic feel, though the bargain basement synths at the end of it aren't the best. Very good overall. Oh god, more Manowar. "The Gods Made Heavy Metal" is cheesy AF, and by this point I'm about ready to punch Eric Adams in his codpiece-wearing, half-singing face. There are some mildly catchy bits in here, and the solo is actually great, but come on. A very easy call for @JudasMyGuide's nominee. Winner: Stratovarius - "We Hold The Key"
"I Stand Alone" is kind of burned into my brain from playing too much Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within back in the day. It's got a pretty good nu-metal groove, and Sully Erna sounds good for a throaty 90s guy. The vocal melodies are hit and miss, and the chorus is a bit too repetitive, but the bridge is cool and the song is pretty solid overall. "Lying From You" is more Linkin Park, and it follows their usual template. The verses are a little queasier, but the melodic parts are hooky as usual. This isn't anything close to a standout song from them, but it's totally serviceable and enjoyable enough. I don't have very strong feelings about this match, but congratulations @KidInTheDark666, I guess mid-level Linkin Park is still a little better than high-end Godsmack. Winner: Linkin Park - "Lying From You"
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Went in totally expecting to vote Megadeth but Testament's song is cool as hell. So much crammed into three-and-a-half minutes while Megadeth steals the riff from "Wasted Years", has muddy production, Dave Mustaine rambling about conspiracy nonsense - I used to like this song a lot but damn is it sad going back to it. Fuck off, fascist.
DT's song had a lot of good elements but LaBrie is singing on it. Therion had a great guitar sound.
"Snakes and Ladders" goes on for too long even if Neurosis doesn't quite knock it out of the park.
Medieval Steel was terrible. Blind Guardian brought their best song in the competition yet, awesome from beginning to end.
Best Stratovarius song in the game yet, really good. Pity vote for Manowar since they're losing, and because "The Gods Made Heavy Metal" was one of the first metal songs I heard when I got into the genre. Fun chorus.
Linkin Park just aren't such a much beyond the big songs. Godsmack were great.
DT's song had a lot of good elements but LaBrie is singing on it. Therion had a great guitar sound.
"Snakes and Ladders" goes on for too long even if Neurosis doesn't quite knock it out of the park.
Medieval Steel was terrible. Blind Guardian brought their best song in the competition yet, awesome from beginning to end.
Best Stratovarius song in the game yet, really good. Pity vote for Manowar since they're losing, and because "The Gods Made Heavy Metal" was one of the first metal songs I heard when I got into the genre. Fun chorus.
Linkin Park just aren't such a much beyond the big songs. Godsmack were great.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
Testament are the most overrated thrash band and they were pretty badly stuck in a rut in the mid to late 90s. Washington Is Next! is my favorite song of all time, tied with Avenged Sevenfold's Afterlife.
Obviously voting for Dream Theater against someone who isn't them. ITPOE isn't one of my favorite songs by the band though.
I'm pretty indifferent towards this pair, John Zorn gets my vote.
Noldor is Blind Guardian's best song. The chorus is one of the greatest ever.
We Hold the Key predates my favorite eras and albums of Stratovarius but it certainly is a very good epic. I really love the production and the atmosphere of this track.
I listened to I Stand Alone all the time in high school, the music video starring The Rock is a classic. However Lying from You is arguably my favorite Linkin Park song. The other contenders are from their later eras that aren't metal so I had to nominate this one.
Obviously voting for Dream Theater against someone who isn't them. ITPOE isn't one of my favorite songs by the band though.
I'm pretty indifferent towards this pair, John Zorn gets my vote.
Noldor is Blind Guardian's best song. The chorus is one of the greatest ever.
We Hold the Key predates my favorite eras and albums of Stratovarius but it certainly is a very good epic. I really love the production and the atmosphere of this track.
I listened to I Stand Alone all the time in high school, the music video starring The Rock is a classic. However Lying from You is arguably my favorite Linkin Park song. The other contenders are from their later eras that aren't metal so I had to nominate this one.
Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
Testament's song is appealing but rather forgettable. Heavier than I'm used to from them. Washington is Next wins with great melodic playing. Sounds Maiden-ish.
The hero's journey, DT fashion. A lot less wank than usual, yes there's 10 minutes of instruments going ham shut up. The first 5 don't count because that intro is musical perfection. Handle the other 5. The remaining 16 minutes are straight metal with strong melodies and meaningful progression, plus a dramatic ending. Slaughter of the Damned (the part that begins with the chanting) is too first pumping to be Dream Theater. It's possible that there's something great about Therion. To the imaginary listening bucket list with you. I judge as my ears hear: ITPOE.
Oh man, Neurosis absolutely kill, but I live for this avantgarde stuff. This sucks but John Zorn.
Love Noldor, some of the band's best moments are in here. The bridge, the outro, the twangy guitar. Medieval Steel is the ideal Saxon-Priest imitation. Great performances honestly.
OMG, just stfu already Manowar. Did they makes these neverending outros just to spite us? Didn't notice anything particularly interesting in We Hold the Key.
Godsmack aren't perfect but I like this style. Decent LP tune.
The hero's journey, DT fashion. A lot less wank than usual, yes there's 10 minutes of instruments going ham shut up. The first 5 don't count because that intro is musical perfection. Handle the other 5. The remaining 16 minutes are straight metal with strong melodies and meaningful progression, plus a dramatic ending. Slaughter of the Damned (the part that begins with the chanting) is too first pumping to be Dream Theater. It's possible that there's something great about Therion. To the imaginary listening bucket list with you. I judge as my ears hear: ITPOE.
Oh man, Neurosis absolutely kill, but I live for this avantgarde stuff. This sucks but John Zorn.
Love Noldor, some of the band's best moments are in here. The bridge, the outro, the twangy guitar. Medieval Steel is the ideal Saxon-Priest imitation. Great performances honestly.
OMG, just stfu already Manowar. Did they makes these neverending outros just to spite us? Didn't notice anything particularly interesting in We Hold the Key.
Godsmack aren't perfect but I like this style. Decent LP tune.
