The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 3, Matches 43-48

[Mosh]

I almost went for Shoot To Thrill but if I really think about it, it is not quite as strong a track as Back in Black, even if it feels slightly more refreshing to listen to. Hard to deny Back in Black's riffing and maybe Angus' best guitar solo.

Tarot Woman vs South of Heaven is brutal. Tarot Woman is not the best Rainbow song, not even the best song on the album, but it's still a Metal cornerstone. Then again, so is South of Heaven and that might actually be the best Slayer song. Still, my allegiance is to Dio. Very close call and won't be upset if Slayer takes this.

Not being European, I feel that there is something that got lost in translation for me with The Darkness because I really don't get it. Easy vote for Mirror Mirror. Another institution of its subgenre.

Sweet Leaf and it isn't close.

Surprised at the result on Scorpions vs Exodus. I don't even like Exodus that much, but it was an easy call for Bonded By Blood. In Trance is interesting but much like a lot of pre-Lovedrive Scorpions, they aren't quite there yet.

You could make the case that The Beautiful People is more important for Metal as a whole, for better or worse, than Toys in the Attic. Marilyn Manson did a good job sort of bridging the gap between the shock rock of Kiss/Alice Cooper with actual Metal, but just like those artists I think it is really up for debate whether there is any actual Metal there. So with that in mind, I just went with the song I like more.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

I like Shoot to Thrill, but it always felt overrated a bit... on the other hand, Back in Black is just perfect, the riff, the ... pizzazz, it's just an example of a perfect hard rock song to me. This is a song I'd like to have my potential comeback to. It's just... cool.

South of Heaven is the only Slayer album I like in its entirety and the title track is pretty much the best the band was ever capable of... but I guess the band bias comes into play here, 'cause the first three Rainbow albums have been with me since I was 14 or so and I still haven't quite got sick of them. I'm Blackmore's whore, that's it.

Not being European, I feel that there is something that got lost in translation for me with The Darkness

I am European and something is definitely lost for me as well, in fact I'd guess the band felt so quintessentialy American I wasn't even aware... anyway, one of my Top 5 bands doing a killer track off their (possibly) best album? GO, TURGON, GO! GO AND BUILD GONDOLIN!
(no, really, Mirror Mirror is just wonderful, the various melodic lines in the verses, Hansi's histrionics in the chorus, it's just ... magnificent)

I wouldn't really pick My Eternal Dream from Strato and I just as well wouldn't really pick Sweet Leaf from Sabbath, though both are solid songs from albums I generally like very much. Anyway, I feel the need to support my power metal half over my stoner metal half, so although it pains me to vote against Geezer Butler, I'll go with Stratovarius.

Even back in my thrash metal afficionado days, I was never a fan of Exodus, though I liked them more than the similarly overrated Testament. Even Bonded by Blood, their inarguably best album, is mostly "ok" by me. So, as it often is, Uli-Roth-era-Scorps are the answer.

Aerosmith, duh. Really, are you kidding me?

 

[Diesel 11]

"Back in Black" is the better song in all honesty but I'm kind of feeling for the underdog here with "Shoot to Thrill". I remember first hearing it on the radio years ago, it felt so villainous to me.

"South of Heaven" by a long shot.

Fuck The Darkness, MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL.

No offense to Stratovarius but my partner would kill me if I didn't vote for *weed cough* *riff* ALL RIGHT NOW

BONDED BY BLOOD

Marilyn Manson. Shout out to 2018 Diesel!

 

[LooseCannon]

so although it pains me to vote against Geezer Butler

Something tells me you'll have more chances to vote Geezer in the future!

 

[Jer]

"Shoot To Thrill" vs. "Back In Black": What a brutal first match, possibly the most difficult match-up of the game to date. These are both stellar, utterly classic hard rock songs. "Shoot To Thrill" sinks its hooks in early and takes off like a goddamned rocket when it hits the chorus, and the laid back bridge that crescendos back to the title lyric without actually giving in to a return to the chorus is just great. "Back In Black" has swagger for miles and a completely searing performance from Brian Johnson, as well as a great solo. Both songs are totally worthy, but in the end I'm going to tip it to the first option because it's just a little bit less repetitive and has a tiny bit more oomph. Winner: AC/DC - "Shoot To Thrill"

"Tarot Woman" vs. "South Of Heaven": I'm not a fan of either of these songs, but the Rainbow track has good performances and 2/3 of a good solo, which is enough to beat a Slayer track that's got cool riffs and little else. Winner: Rainbow - "Tarot Woman"

"I Believe In A Thing Called Love" vs. "Mirror Mirror": Again, not a fan of either song, but I'd rather take overly shrill, video gamey power metal mediocrity over a failed attempt at hair metal parody. Congratulations, BlonfartiDDo. Winner: Blind Guardian - "Mirror Mirror"

"My Eternal Dream" vs. "Sweet Leaf": Not thrilled with either track, but the Sabbath song is consistently pretty good while the Stratovarius song is more uneven. Sorry, @KidInTheDark666. Winner: Black Sabbath - "Sweet Leaf"

"In Trance" vs. "Bonded By Blood": A somewhat boring, underwhelming Scorpions track vs. a flawed and uneven Exodus track with higher highs but bad vocals? Sorry, @srfc, but I'm finding a little more to like in the list nominee here. Winner: Exodus - "Bonded By Blood"

"Toys In The Attic" vs. "The Beautiful People": Another shit show of a match-up, but I guess a peppy groove, a good solo, and very little else is still enough to beat out the creatively bankrupt offerings of a Mr. Brian H. Warner. Winner: Aerosmith - "Toys In The Attic"

 

[Kalata]

I like Shoot To Thrill a lot more than Back In Black.
Tarot Woman, easy for me. Classic melodic metal over anything.
Mirror Mirror is one of the best BG songs. I can enjoy it.
My Eternal Dream. Anthemic power metal over early BS. And I really like Stratovarius.
Scorpion's In Trance. One of their notable 70's songs. Classic chorus.
Toys In The Attic. Early Aerosmith has some nice rock stuff.

 

[srfc]

AC/DC - Shoot to Thrill vs. AC/DC - Back in Black
Best breakdown ever versus best count in ever? Back in Black also has one of the best ever riffs too. I agree with everyone else who said this is a tough one, two of the bands very best Back in Black

Rainbow - Tarot Woman vs. Slayer - South of Heaven
Can't choose between these, will go with Slayer to balance out the bias on this forum, and the fact I've been listening to it far longer than Tarot Woman, but genuinely not pushed which of these classics takes the win South of Heaven

The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love vs. Blind Guardian - Mirror Mirror
I disagree with @Jer 's assertion that this is a parody of hair metal, more a sincere homage to the ridiculousness of the genre, laughing with rather than at. Power Metal on the other hand, as an entire genre, is an unwitting self parody of all the cliches and worst aspects of Heavy Metal. This particular Blind Guardian track isn't as bad as it gets, but the unconnected melodies that kept intruding on the various vocal sections made me want to break the guitarists finger. I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Stratovarius - My Eternal Dream vs. Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf
The Stratovarius track wasn't as good as Blind Guardian's one, so no way it's getting anywhere near Sweet Leaf, the stoned cough wins on it's own. Sweet Leaf

Scorpions - In Trance vs. Exodus - Bonded by Blood
Bonded by Blood is a great album, but not sure the title track should be here, in fact I nominated Deliver Us to Evil myself, and probably could have picked another 3 or 4 before you'ld get to the title track. In Trance the clear winner. In Trance

Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic vs. Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People
The riff to Beautiful People is good and it's catchy, but also shit. Toys in the Attic is great. Toys in the Attic

 

[LooseCannon]

In the alternating/direct current battle, Back in Black gets to shoot to thrill. Rainbow's tarot woman foretold how Slayer would end up somewhere south of heaven. Blind Guardian invokes the mirror on the wall to get the power to beat The Darkness (but it wasn't really needed). Black Sabbath smokes up a nice win over Stratovarius. Exodus isn't bound in blood to Scorpions, instead they were in a trance. And yeah do we really want to know what toys Marilyn Manson has in his attic? I thought not. Aerosmith.

---

Part II, Round 3, Matches 43-48​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 43​	Tony Parsons Division​
Judas Priest - Battle Cry	vs.​	Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder Gods​
@DJ James	Nominators​	@Mosh, @MrKnickerbocker, @LooseCannon, @DJMayes​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -5	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +8​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 44​	Hallowed Be Thy Name Division​
Alice in Chains - Them Bones	vs.​	Pantera - Cemetery Gates​
Best Music Art 100	Nominators​	Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100 @Spambot, @Black Bart​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +7	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +10​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 45​	Killers Division​
Angra - Carolina IV	vs.​	Living Colour - Cult of Personality​
@Black Bart	Nominators​	Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100 @MrKnickerbocker​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -1	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +12​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 46​	El Dorado Division​
Anthrax - Armed and Dangerous	vs.​	System of a Down - BYOB​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	Youtube 50 @KidInTheDark666, @Stardust​
0-0-1, 1 pts, +0	Record​	0-1-0, 0 pts, -2​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 47​	Flight of Icarus Division​
Scorpions - No One Like You	vs.​	Metallica - Master of Puppets​
Popoff 500 @Jer	Nominators​	Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Radio EHS 100, Rate Your Music 100, VH1 40, Best Music Art 100 @MrKnickerbocker, @The Sentient, @Poto, @KiDDo​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +12	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +18​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 3	Match 48​	Doug Sampson Division​
Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare	vs.​	Dream Theater - Pull Me Under​
Popoff 500	Nominators​	Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100 @MindRuler​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -2	Record​	1-0-0, 2 pts, +12​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

 

[JudasMyGuide]

Wow, lot of tough choices here. I'll have to sleep on it.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Quickest I’ve ever voted!

Battle Cry is solid, Twilight is a beast.

Them Bones is great, Cemetery is greater.

Carolina is fine, Cult of Personality is truly a one of a kind masterpiece.

Armed and Dangerous is amateurish in the wrong ways, BYOB is artfully insane.

No One Like You is fine, Puppetz is a contender for the game.

Nightmare is fine, Pull Me Under is the only prog metal song by a band not named Tool to break through as a hit.

 

[MindRuler]

I might be wrong but thought Them Bones was in my list of 25 songs.

Edit:
Note to myself: Don´t vote when you just woke up. Scorpions song is amazing but nowhere near the greatness of Puppets but I´m sure Tallica will go through and this can be seen as a pity vote instead of a stupid own goal.

 

[Kalata]

No One Like You vs Master Of Puppets is a tough classic vs classic. The latter is lifted by the slow and melodic instrumental section (plus the riff ofc). The former is a perfect example of melodic and catchy hard rock/metal. It's not easy to say which is a favorite. Metallica is more impressive.

Armed And Dangerous is best Anthrax imo.

Priest's Battle Cry is a modern standout song for the band.

 

[Stardust]

The second one in each matchup. Hey, this one was fairly easy.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

Eh, I slept on it and no, I still don't like latter-era Priest - Battle Cry is not the worst and I recall being somewhat disappointed they didn't play it live on the album tour (although the setlist was probably demonstration enough that they themselves didn't think the album was one of their best), but although I'm far from my Amon Amarth mood currently, Twilight of the Thunder Gods is a well-deserved classic.

In the next match, I'm torn because I'm not sure if I prefer a somewhat lesser song by a beloved band or a really good song (for their standard) by a band I like less. And no, I'm not talking about band bias, these are kinda on a similar level for me. Cemetery Gates is a great song and I think Pantera deserve more love on this forum and in this game in general, but I decided in the end I'll go with the currently losing underdog and vote for one of my favourite 90s bands - Alice in Chains. I was obsessed with the Dirt album, back in secondary school, much more than I ever was with anything Pantera ever put out.

We already had this discussion, right?

Cult of Personality is such a ridiculous epitome of 90s I can't help but find it unintentionally hilarious. The sound is just an aural representation of an old poster with birds in bikinis inviting you to a 93 rave in a blocky, graffiti font, that has been forgotten in a remote corner of a beach and has been bleached by the sun to a degree where it's almost half purely white.

Type O Negative is one of the bands I really like and if @Diesel 11 picked a song that wouldn't be this pettily blasphemous, it would probably get my vote in 99 % cases (and it did the last time around). What makes me happy is that since Steele converted back in the final years of his life, he probably had second thoughts about this. Well, at least I like to think so, because of him, mostly.

Anyway, I have huge nostalgia towards GTA: San Andreas and Living Colour are exactly that, a perfect representation of the atmosphere, of the Zeitgeist, just like Cutting Crew, Mr. Mister or Jan Hammer were for GTA: Vice City.

Funny ‘cuz it came out in ‘88 lol.

Appetite for Destruction was released in '87, Ultramega OK in '88 and Bleach in '89.

It is what it is, you know.

Yeah, I still stand behind that, it's definitely 90s nostalgia for me, but although I voted for the song before, no friggin' way am I voting against Angra, especially against a song from Holy Land, are you mad?


Ah, another match where I'm put between a rather good song by a somewhat lesser band (though I quite like Anthrax) and one of the lesser songs by a band I love dearly (SOAD, yes, you must already know by now). Though this time it's maybe just because BYOB is so overplayed. Now Dreaming on the other hand... that one I would vote for until the bitter end.

That said, BYOB is still better, the combination of the whimsical idiocy and oh-so-serious-commentary, the almost Zappaesque musical mess, the Eastern influences, Tankians idiosyncracies... Yes, it's overplayed, but kinda for a reason. SOAD it is.


I like Scorpions, even the post-Uli ones, but Master of Puppets is Master of Puppets. Yep, that song is overplayed too. I like others more (gimme Battery or Ride the Lightning or Blackened or...) But still. Man, seeing this live, Lars or no Lars, it was an incredible thrill.


And because third time's the charm, I once again am confronted with an artist I genuinely like-slash-love who has a great moment vs. one of my favourite bands of all time with their overplayed and frankly, somewhat boring first (and only) single. Yeah, Pull Me Under is incredibly overrated, overplayed etc. And yet. I'm voting for it. Because there was a time when it was fresher than it seems now and because despite the terrible sound (which is present on the entire album, OMG, the drums) and despite it not being quite to my liking, as far as my love for DT is concerned, it's still Dream Theater.

 

[KidInTheDark666]

Priest obviously.

Pantera because it's not AIC.

CM Punk bias, I also don't love Carolina even if it has some great moments. Angra have some way better songs in this game.

SOAD for sure, Armed and Dangerous is just a filler on a top tier Anthrax album.

Blackout started my favorite Scorpions era. Puppets is probably the better track here but it's close so I'll vote for the underdog.

The opening track from the third best album of all time, duh. And no I'm not talking about Alice Cooper.

 

[____no5]

What a round!

Judas Priest - Battle Cry vs Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder Gods. Wow. Amon Amarth kicks asses! Battle Cry is great too.
Alice in Chains - Them Bones vs Pantera - Cemetery Gates. Them Bones is fucking great, but Cemetery Gates is a top5 90s anthem. I thought it was from Vulgar Display of Power or later. Oh well.
Angra - Carolina IV vs Living Colour - Cult of Personality. Angra was meh. Cult of Personality much better.
Anthrax - Armed and Dangerous vs System of a Down - BYOB. Armed & Dangerous is perfect, but against BYOB there's no contest.
Scorpions - No One Like You vs Metallica - Master of Puppets. No comments.
Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare vs Dream Theater - Pull Me Under. Ditto.

Here we are, same as @MrKnickerbocker & @Stardust I voted each round the second song.

 

[Jer]

"Battle Cry" vs. "Twilight Of The Thunder God": A very good Priest track against Cookie Monster nonsense? Sorry, DJLickerboosher, but @DJ James's nominee takes this one easily. Winner: Judas Priest - "Battle Cry"

"Them Bones" vs. "Cemetery Gates": A great AIC track vs. a Pantera track with a decent verse and little else? Sorry, Sparkback, but the list nominee clobbered your feeble submission here. Winner: Alice In Chains - "Them Bones"

"Carolina IV" vs. "Cult Of Personality": Both of these songs are pretty great. The Angra track is grander and has that gorgeous piano and cello bit in the middle, but it's more uneven and has wimpy vocals and synths in a lot of places. The Living Colour track is more consistent and has great hooks with off-kilter rhythms, and its only real weakness is its noisy solo. Sorry, @Black Bart, but in the end I think @MrKnickerbocker's nominee has the edge here. Winner: Living Colour - "Cult Of Personality"

"Armed And Dangerous" vs. "B.Y.O.B.": Not a fan of either track, but sorry KidInTheStarkdust333, I found the list nominee to be a little less annoying here. Winner: Anthrax - "Armed And Dangerous"

"No One Like You" vs. "Master Of Puppets": Another brutal match pitting two excellent songs against each other. The Scorpions track is an example of them at their most focused and hooky, alternately delivering gentle melody and punchy guitars, while the Metallica track delivers the goods on an epic scale, with a gorgeous interlude in the middle and a classic bridge. I could honestly go either way on this one, but sorry The MrPiDDotosockient, I'm going to stick with own-nominee bias here. Winner: Scorpions - "No One Like You"

"Welcome To My Nightmare" vs. "Pull Me Under": Not a fan of the Alice Cooper track, while the Dream Theater track is one of my favorites of theirs, due to its surprising level of coherence. An easy call for @MindRuler's nominee. Winner: Dream Theater - "Pull Me Under"

 

[DJ James]

You can put me in the camp of people that never “got” Cemetery Gates. I’ve tried a couple times to get into it but just never got the song. It’s ok I guess, but I see it compared to other metal epics like Hallowed or Heaven and Hell a lot. It’s nowhere near that level frankly. I’m not the biggest Pantera guy ever but I do like some of their hits.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

You can put me in the camp of people that never “got” Cemetery Gates. I’ve tried a couple times to get into it but just never got the song. It’s ok I guess, but I see it compared to other metal epics like Hallowed or Heaven and Hell a lot. It’s nowhere near that level frankly. I’m not the biggest Pantera guy ever but I do like some of their hits.

I love Cemetery Gates and think it is the best thing Pantera ever wrote. That said, it is in no way on the same level as Hallowed or H&H.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

I for one absolutely get the appeal of Cemetery Gates (though it only barely edges out the Smiths' song, I guess) and the progress the song has, from the dreamy strumming to the main riff (which is just glorious) certainly gives it an epic vibe that's often lacking in Pantera's output. Though I'd personally could do without Anselmo's squeaky histrionics in the pre-chorus; I can't help but feel it drags the song down somewhat. The instrumental section feels a bit cut-and-pastey, but so does the "lighters-out" section of Master of Puppets, now doesn't it?