Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Perun's the god of thunder, LC is the god of war, Night Prowler is the god of "Lemme Start All These Games and Then Procrastinate", and I'm his biggest disciple.
The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 3, Matches 67-72
- Thread starter LooseCannon
- Start date
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- gmsc
Buddy you think NP procrastinates? We've been waiting on Perun to finish the Cheesevivor for 12 years...
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
I forgot I'm sorry.
____no5
Free Man
That Bod Ezrin completely transformed the song from a mediocre lightweight to an astonishingly heavy and bold statement!
Breakthrough sound for its time too.
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Yes. Kiss had several songs with heavy riffs in the 70's (ofc in the 80's and 90's too). Parasite, She, Strange Ways come to mind.
I think I like Paul's vocals on the original version better, but not the chorus with the awful backing vocals. It's not one of my favorite songs of the band.
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DJ James
A coma stole my name.
Obituary getting demolished right now is sad to me. Chopped in Half is a death metal standard. I like Cause of Death but in particular both Slowly We Rot and The End Complete have been the soundtracks to some of the best nights of my life. I like Obituary quite a bit
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MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I have zero patience for the early, traditional forms of death metal and black metal. I get no enjoyment out of it whatsoever. It’s unpolished, it’s jagged, it’s ugly, it’s (and yes, I realize, ok boomer) noisy. And I get that’s the point and that’s specifically why many people like it, but it’s simply not for me in an any way.
That said, Death, Deicide, and Obituary are all vastly superior to whatever the hell Hurricane On Saturn is trying to do.
That said, Death, Deicide, and Obituary are all vastly superior to whatever the hell Hurricane On Saturn is trying to do.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
It all boils down to personal preference. I can enjoy the early Morbid Angel, I like Cannibal Corpse pretty much all the way throughout, I actively enjoy Death, Suffocation, Cryptopsy, early Entombed... In fact, there's a lot of old school and new school death metal bands I like.
However Obituary for example never managed to enthrall or entice me. It's just OK, but if anything, I respect them for their influence, but that's about it. The sound doesn't captivate me. It doesn't stand out. Same goes for Necrophagia, who are probably even more groundbreaking.
Same - well, worse - goes for Deicide. It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that I have found out that the most "Saytaaaaaan" of the death metal bands is the most dispensable. Yeah, I know people really seem to like Legion, okay. I guess it indeed is their best effort, but definitely didn't sell me on the band.
With black metal, I am more interested in the bands that took the genre further somehow; I used to be a huge fan of the OG stuff, but recently, it doesn't click with me, even the actual good stuff. I like its leaning into atmospherics, but the variation isn't really there and I find it hard enough finishing even one full OSBM album.
And I'm a doom/death-doom fan. I don't know where's the discrepancy.
However Obituary for example never managed to enthrall or entice me. It's just OK, but if anything, I respect them for their influence, but that's about it. The sound doesn't captivate me. It doesn't stand out. Same goes for Necrophagia, who are probably even more groundbreaking.
Same - well, worse - goes for Deicide. It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that I have found out that the most "Saytaaaaaan" of the death metal bands is the most dispensable. Yeah, I know people really seem to like Legion, okay. I guess it indeed is their best effort, but definitely didn't sell me on the band.
With black metal, I am more interested in the bands that took the genre further somehow; I used to be a huge fan of the OG stuff, but recently, it doesn't click with me, even the actual good stuff. I like its leaning into atmospherics, but the variation isn't really there and I find it hard enough finishing even one full OSBM album.
And I'm a doom/death-doom fan. I don't know where's the discrepancy.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
KISS - God of Thunder vs. Aerosmith - Rats in the Cellar
God of Thunder is pretty good but the idea of a rock song about the god of thunder and rock and roll is better than it's execution I think, Rats in the Celler kicks ass and has all the things I loved about Toys in the Attic from a previous round Rats in the Cellar
Cinderella - Gypsy Road vs. Lita Ford - Kiss Me Deadly
Long Cold Winter is a good album and I think Cinderella are unfairly lumped in with hair metal bands that they are superior to, the name doesn't help them, and Gypsy Road is good single fodder. I never heard Kiss Me Deadly before, reminds me of Billy Idol but not quite as good Gypsy Road
Hurricane on Saturn - I Want vs. Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare
Dance music mixed with shouty bullshit, an absolute atrocity I turned it off after about 30 seconds, these should be hung by the bollix. Avenged Sevenfold is their usual stuff, parts that are good on their own but slapped together giving a mismatch feel to it and totally overproduced, but good enough to easily win this round without me being required to listen to too much of it. Nightmare
Death - Zombie Ritual vs. Deicide - Sacrificial Suicide
Zombie Ritual isn't a million miles away from what Slayer were doing on the Hell Awaits album so therefore not too far away from my comfort zone. Deicide was pretty rubbish, I remember a mate used to be big into that album back in the day, it's pretty dated now doesn't sound extreme at all, most of the extremity coming from the bad production Zombie Ritual
Ministry - Just One Fix vs. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
Pretty much the entire Industrial genre is this riff, it's not a bad riff but learn a second one please or a different beat. Black Hole Sun is not exactly anything I would listen to by choice, but it's decent enough in it's own way, and by a mile, the better track here. Black Hole Sun
Obituary - Chopped in Half vs. Swallow the Sun - Rooms and Shadows
Neither of these tracks did anything for me. Chopped in Half style songs have a lot to answer for in terms of the dumbing down of metal, basically just slap a load of riffs together in a half arsed manner and once they're heavy who gives a fuck if the song has any coherence or meaning. Rooms and Shadows wasn't much better, DT with a bit of growling thrown in, but some of the layered riffs were good enough to take the win Rooms and Shadows
God of Thunder is pretty good but the idea of a rock song about the god of thunder and rock and roll is better than it's execution I think, Rats in the Celler kicks ass and has all the things I loved about Toys in the Attic from a previous round Rats in the Cellar
Cinderella - Gypsy Road vs. Lita Ford - Kiss Me Deadly
Long Cold Winter is a good album and I think Cinderella are unfairly lumped in with hair metal bands that they are superior to, the name doesn't help them, and Gypsy Road is good single fodder. I never heard Kiss Me Deadly before, reminds me of Billy Idol but not quite as good Gypsy Road
Hurricane on Saturn - I Want vs. Avenged Sevenfold - Nightmare
Dance music mixed with shouty bullshit, an absolute atrocity I turned it off after about 30 seconds, these should be hung by the bollix. Avenged Sevenfold is their usual stuff, parts that are good on their own but slapped together giving a mismatch feel to it and totally overproduced, but good enough to easily win this round without me being required to listen to too much of it. Nightmare
Death - Zombie Ritual vs. Deicide - Sacrificial Suicide
Zombie Ritual isn't a million miles away from what Slayer were doing on the Hell Awaits album so therefore not too far away from my comfort zone. Deicide was pretty rubbish, I remember a mate used to be big into that album back in the day, it's pretty dated now doesn't sound extreme at all, most of the extremity coming from the bad production Zombie Ritual
Ministry - Just One Fix vs. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
Pretty much the entire Industrial genre is this riff, it's not a bad riff but learn a second one please or a different beat. Black Hole Sun is not exactly anything I would listen to by choice, but it's decent enough in it's own way, and by a mile, the better track here. Black Hole Sun
Obituary - Chopped in Half vs. Swallow the Sun - Rooms and Shadows
Neither of these tracks did anything for me. Chopped in Half style songs have a lot to answer for in terms of the dumbing down of metal, basically just slap a load of riffs together in a half arsed manner and once they're heavy who gives a fuck if the song has any coherence or meaning. Rooms and Shadows wasn't much better, DT with a bit of growling thrown in, but some of the layered riffs were good enough to take the win Rooms and Shadows
When I previewed the Youtube 50 list, I immediately went, "Huh, never heard of Hurricane on Saturn", and as I listened to it, a giant smile crossed my face thinking about how little everyone here would like it. So far, you've all lived up to my expectations.
Confeos
Game time started.
Forget what I said about the previous round - THIS is by far the weakest yet.
Aerosmith over Kiss - "Rats in the Cellar" is just so much more fun and enjoyable than "God of Thunder".
Cinderella over Lita Ford - "Gypsy Road" is quite underwhelming and mediocre, but "Kiss Me Deadly" is downright horrible.
Avenged Sevenfold over Hurricane on Saturn - "Nightmare" is completely unmemorable (and the chorus sucks), but it's still miles better than the abomination that is "I Want".
Death over Deicide - Death's early stuff is influential for sure, though not nearly as good as their later albums, bar a few songs. "Zombie Ritual" isn't one of these, yet there's a certain charm to it that I like it anyway. Certainly better than "Sacrificial Suicide".
Soundgarden over Ministry - "Black Hole Sun" is both overrated and overplayed, but I have a headache that only gets worse listening to "Just One Fix".
Swallow the Sun over Obituary - the final match is the most interesting. "Chopped in Half" starts off a bit sketchy, but the instrumental is quite good. However, the melodies and mood in "Rooms and Shadows" are just superior - growls doesn't really work for me when it comes to doom, but overall it's still a decent song.
Aerosmith over Kiss - "Rats in the Cellar" is just so much more fun and enjoyable than "God of Thunder".
Cinderella over Lita Ford - "Gypsy Road" is quite underwhelming and mediocre, but "Kiss Me Deadly" is downright horrible.
Avenged Sevenfold over Hurricane on Saturn - "Nightmare" is completely unmemorable (and the chorus sucks), but it's still miles better than the abomination that is "I Want".
Death over Deicide - Death's early stuff is influential for sure, though not nearly as good as their later albums, bar a few songs. "Zombie Ritual" isn't one of these, yet there's a certain charm to it that I like it anyway. Certainly better than "Sacrificial Suicide".
Soundgarden over Ministry - "Black Hole Sun" is both overrated and overplayed, but I have a headache that only gets worse listening to "Just One Fix".
Swallow the Sun over Obituary - the final match is the most interesting. "Chopped in Half" starts off a bit sketchy, but the instrumental is quite good. However, the melodies and mood in "Rooms and Shadows" are just superior - growls doesn't really work for me when it comes to doom, but overall it's still a decent song.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
"God Of Thunder" has an OK main riff and an OK vocal melody, but it's so repetitive and plodding. I think I actually prefer the faster Paul Stanley demo (minus the weird chorus), though this isn't actually a good song in either of its forms. "Rats In The Cellar" has a lot more pep, but it's also too repetitive and the vocal lines aren't very good. The first harmonica and guitar duet part is pretty good at least, but the second one that serves as an outro mostly just treads water. Not a fan of either song, but it's an easy call for the one that has more of a pulse. Winner: Aerosmith - "Rats In The Cellar"
"Gypsy Road" is not the highway that I run to, but it's apparently a B-list knockoff of Johnson-era AC/DC with some extra organ flavor. The chorus is pretty decent, and the bridge is actually quite good, but otherwise the song doesn't have much meat on its bones. "Kiss Me Deadly" has much better vocal lines throughout, though the poppy synths are a bit much. Actually, this is just a pop song playing dress-up in metal clothes with a passable solo at the end. And yet it's still a much better song than its competitor. Winner: Lita Ford - "Kiss Me Deadly"
"I Want" keeps ping-ponging between accented, clean-vocalled dance music and screamy, riffy metal before bringing the two together. The screamy stuff is annoying, but the mixture of styles is interesting; and while I didn't like the song, I can't say that I ever found it boring. "Nightmare" rolls from its lullaby opening into some harmonized parts, riffy bits, and an overly harmonized chorus. M. Shadows' whiny-ass vocal style is pretty much intolerable to me (he actually sounds much better on the yelly verses), and combining that with sickly sweet vocal harmonies makes me want to barf. There are some nice guitar bits here and there, but the songwriting isn't as clever as the band seems to think it is, and that "your fuckin' nightmare" line is so posing and cringe-inducing coming after the cotton candy chorus. Fuck Avenged Sevenfold, I don't understand how they ever got as popular as they apparently are. While there were certainly better musical bits hiding in their song, I think I would honestly rather listen to their competitor if I were forced to pick between them. Winner: Hurricane On Saturn - "I Want"
"Zombie Ritual" has some cool eastern guitar melodies, and the cut-time drumming actually kind of works here, surprisingly enough. The vocals are terrible, of course, but I've heard so much worse by now. And the vocal rhythm actually adds something worthwhile to the music in the pre-chorus, at least -- though the chorus kind of sucks. The overly frenetic solo feels a bit out of place, but it's not bad. "Sacrificial Suicide" has a few nice thrashy riffs, but the proto-Cookie-Monster vocals are awful, and the parts that are played too fast for the vocalist to stay on rhythm also suck. This just sounds like a bunch of angry teenagers trying to be fast, loud, and annoying, without much concern for anything else. Not a fan of either track, but this is an easy call for @Magnus's nominee. Winner: Death - "Zombie Ritual"
"Just One Fix" has a pretty good riff with a simple but sinister lead on top, which it then proceeds to beat thoroughly into the ground, through the earth's core, and out the other side. The vocals aren't great, but they're on brand, and they don't annoy me. The main problem is that there's only one musical idea in this song and it's stretched out over five minutes, which is waaaaaaaay longer than it deserves. "Black Hole Sun" is an overrated, overplayed grunge ballad, but it does have a great vocal performance and strong vocal melodies. Kim Thayil also gives Kerry King a run for his money as one of the worst guitar soloists in popular heavy music. But despite my criticisms, I do still like the song, and it's less repetitive than its competitor, which is enough for @The Sentient's nominee to win the day. Winner: Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun"
"Chopped In Half" has some passable grooves, but those vocals are just so awful. The guitar solos are pretty good, but the mindless cut-time shit just insults my intelligence -- brain-dead trilling and pot-banging, over and over again. No sir, don't like it. "Rooms And Shadows" already has more useful musical content in its first 30 seconds than the entirety of its competitor, with its complex atmospheric groove. The clean parts are nice, though the vocals are more accented than I'd like...and then Cookie Monster shows up. I just can't understand how anyone could think this sort of thing actually fits the music or sounds even remotely good. Yeah, juxtaposition, texture, yada yada -- it doesn't change the fact that the dude sounds like he's trying to shove his stomach out of his mouth with just the force of his diaphragm, and body horror doesn't fit melodious, melancholy music. In that sense, traditional death metal is actually more coherent -- it's much less melodic and more rhythmic, so the nonmelodic vocals actually fit the sonic landscape, even if it mostly sounds like garbage to my ears. But in this specific case the Obituary track is just so bad, and most of the Swallow The Sun track is quite good, so this is still an easy call for @JudasMyGuide's nominee. Winner: Swallow The Sun - "Rooms And Shadows"
"Gypsy Road" is not the highway that I run to, but it's apparently a B-list knockoff of Johnson-era AC/DC with some extra organ flavor. The chorus is pretty decent, and the bridge is actually quite good, but otherwise the song doesn't have much meat on its bones. "Kiss Me Deadly" has much better vocal lines throughout, though the poppy synths are a bit much. Actually, this is just a pop song playing dress-up in metal clothes with a passable solo at the end. And yet it's still a much better song than its competitor. Winner: Lita Ford - "Kiss Me Deadly"
"I Want" keeps ping-ponging between accented, clean-vocalled dance music and screamy, riffy metal before bringing the two together. The screamy stuff is annoying, but the mixture of styles is interesting; and while I didn't like the song, I can't say that I ever found it boring. "Nightmare" rolls from its lullaby opening into some harmonized parts, riffy bits, and an overly harmonized chorus. M. Shadows' whiny-ass vocal style is pretty much intolerable to me (he actually sounds much better on the yelly verses), and combining that with sickly sweet vocal harmonies makes me want to barf. There are some nice guitar bits here and there, but the songwriting isn't as clever as the band seems to think it is, and that "your fuckin' nightmare" line is so posing and cringe-inducing coming after the cotton candy chorus. Fuck Avenged Sevenfold, I don't understand how they ever got as popular as they apparently are. While there were certainly better musical bits hiding in their song, I think I would honestly rather listen to their competitor if I were forced to pick between them. Winner: Hurricane On Saturn - "I Want"
"Zombie Ritual" has some cool eastern guitar melodies, and the cut-time drumming actually kind of works here, surprisingly enough. The vocals are terrible, of course, but I've heard so much worse by now. And the vocal rhythm actually adds something worthwhile to the music in the pre-chorus, at least -- though the chorus kind of sucks. The overly frenetic solo feels a bit out of place, but it's not bad. "Sacrificial Suicide" has a few nice thrashy riffs, but the proto-Cookie-Monster vocals are awful, and the parts that are played too fast for the vocalist to stay on rhythm also suck. This just sounds like a bunch of angry teenagers trying to be fast, loud, and annoying, without much concern for anything else. Not a fan of either track, but this is an easy call for @Magnus's nominee. Winner: Death - "Zombie Ritual"
"Just One Fix" has a pretty good riff with a simple but sinister lead on top, which it then proceeds to beat thoroughly into the ground, through the earth's core, and out the other side. The vocals aren't great, but they're on brand, and they don't annoy me. The main problem is that there's only one musical idea in this song and it's stretched out over five minutes, which is waaaaaaaay longer than it deserves. "Black Hole Sun" is an overrated, overplayed grunge ballad, but it does have a great vocal performance and strong vocal melodies. Kim Thayil also gives Kerry King a run for his money as one of the worst guitar soloists in popular heavy music. But despite my criticisms, I do still like the song, and it's less repetitive than its competitor, which is enough for @The Sentient's nominee to win the day. Winner: Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun"
"Chopped In Half" has some passable grooves, but those vocals are just so awful. The guitar solos are pretty good, but the mindless cut-time shit just insults my intelligence -- brain-dead trilling and pot-banging, over and over again. No sir, don't like it. "Rooms And Shadows" already has more useful musical content in its first 30 seconds than the entirety of its competitor, with its complex atmospheric groove. The clean parts are nice, though the vocals are more accented than I'd like...and then Cookie Monster shows up. I just can't understand how anyone could think this sort of thing actually fits the music or sounds even remotely good. Yeah, juxtaposition, texture, yada yada -- it doesn't change the fact that the dude sounds like he's trying to shove his stomach out of his mouth with just the force of his diaphragm, and body horror doesn't fit melodious, melancholy music. In that sense, traditional death metal is actually more coherent -- it's much less melodic and more rhythmic, so the nonmelodic vocals actually fit the sonic landscape, even if it mostly sounds like garbage to my ears. But in this specific case the Obituary track is just so bad, and most of the Swallow The Sun track is quite good, so this is still an easy call for @JudasMyGuide's nominee. Winner: Swallow The Sun - "Rooms And Shadows"
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
I didn't expect to see an Avenged Sevenfold blowout victory in this game, the opposing song must really suck hard. Nightmare is one of the few overrated A7X songs imo but I still like it quite a bit.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
God of Thunder is not bad. On the contrary, I guess you might consider it a highlight of the Destroyer album (well, at least it's certainly better than Great Expectations). And yet - it is yet another song by Kiss - in the very next round to boot, which goes for the epic heaviness, booming voices and everything. And it's not a good fit.
Kiss, for better or worse, are actually a great power pop band. They sound best when they try to be Cheap Trick with makeup. Stuff like Goin' Blind - which sounds like a great forgotten Badfinger track - or Black Diamond, that's indeed something to look for, or even cherish. Not this.
On the opposing side there are Aerosmith with a song off their often forgotten, but even better brother of the Toys in the Attic album, Rocks. Indeed, Rocks is not only my personal favourite by the "Bad Boys from Boston"/"Toxic Twins"/whatever, but one of my favourite hard rock albums in general. Now, my favourites are The Last Child (which is a song I was listening to when my wife called me that she was pregnant with our eldest - funnily enough, he wasn't the last child at all), Back in the Saddle, the very Judas Priest-like Nobody's Fault or Lick and a Promise, but that's not what we have here. Rats in the Cellar is messier than its mirror song Toys in the Attic (I find the juxtaposition of the titles quite funny), but it feels heavier, the punkish attitude is well-balanced with the (quite typical) harmonic hooks made in Aerosmith, the guitars have a very good balance between relatively complex (for hard rock) and yet very groovy and altogether especially in the context of the album, the song is pretty great. And honestly, it sounds pretty great out of context as well.
Aerosmith, no contest here.
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The second match is pretty meh, there's a bland glam band vs something that sounds like Belinda Carlisle (but with guitars!). So, which car was better, Ford Prefect or Vauxhall Viva? I guess the Ford song is more memorable and I actually liked her duet with Ozzy, so I'll go with the Female Eddie Money here, but my heart's really not into it.
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I think I had the misfortune of coming across Hurricane on Saturn before, at least I think so. It's absolutely horrid and something I don't ever want to hear again. And it's not just because of the electronic element - one of my favourite bands is Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark! But this, it's just (quite fascinatingly in its paradoxality) both annoying and bland at the same time, it's not metal at all and it started to get on my nerves quite quickly. I would actually put forth a guess that pretty much no-one is going to vote for this horrid track. Well, at least I hope so.
Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare was actually the first track I've heard by them (mainly because it was the album that tore Dream Theater asunder. Well, kinda. Let's not go there.) However, apart from Portnoy on the kit, the song is very much a Metallica adoration. It's just as much a complete Tullica fellation, just like As I Am by the aforementioned Dream Theater was, down to the vocal inflections and such. It must have been intentional, you don't do a thing like this by accident. That said, it also has the decency to copy Tullica's talent for melodicity, hooks and overall listener's captivation as well, and it is a very well-produced, very well-written, catchy and honestly quite thrilling "modern metal track". I like it a lot, actually (despite the fact some of the typical Sevenfold's teenagerisms are still present here).
Avenged Sevenfold, duh.
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I've already express my feelings towards both Death and Deicide and I think it'll come as no surprise when I say I'll definitely vote for early Death.
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Ministry are a band I've never quite got and the reason for their endless popularity keeps eluding me. The riffing in this song is fine, but the vocals (and whatever is happening with them there, electronically) is not really something I'd enjoy, the song as a whole is ridiculously monotonous (again, even talking as a doom afficionado!) and it definitely reminds me of another song. But I can't quite remember which one.
Black Hole Sun is overplayed to the point of cliché nowadays and it isn't even the best song on the album, far from it (and the best Soundgarden album is Badmotorfinger anyway), but that's nitpicking. Sometimes the songs are overplayed for a reason. Especially since the melody and the catchiness/hook is rather subtle, so it takes much longer to be annoyed by it. It's just a pity Cornell's most famous song doesn't really show off his talents as much. Also, the video is hilariously creepy. Soundgarden.
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I admit the pick of Rooms and Shadows is more or less supposed to be representative - the entire triple album Songs from the North is not only most likely the best triple album ever (the third part of All Things Must Pass does not count!), but it is quite certainly the best album of 2015 and one of my (and wifey's) favourite albums overall.
However, picking a song off a behemoth of such consistence is hard. I knew I didn't want to pick anything from the second CD, beautiful as those tracks are, because they are not really metal at all; just as much I didn't want to pick anything off the third CD, because I was convinced that people here would probably mostly hate funeral doom (and I still think I was right) - that said, it was indeed the third CD "Despair" that introduced me into funeral doom as a genre and eventually led me to Ahab as well - @Diesel 11 might appreciate this fact.
So it was the first CD, the most "typical" for the band. Maybe I should have gone with the riff-fest of 10 Silver Bullets. Maybe the doominess of the opener. Maybe the undisputable catchiness of Memory of Light. People really seem to love Heartstrings Shattering, which admittedly feels like a centerpiece of the first CD of sorts, with its haunting atmospherics, but I admit I was never as big a fan as others were. Honestly, there I times when I feel like the most beautiful track is the only one fully-growled-through on the first CD, Silhouettes. The music is so sombre, so majestic...
it
Anyway, I picked Rooms and Shadows. In a way it does represent the emotional beauty and overall atmosphere of the album very well, and it is a "dark horse" of sorts - people usually don't mention it as their favourite and it took me a while to start noticing it more, but by now it's probably my favourite. The atmosphere is incredibly autumnal, it is ridiculously catchy and the emotions it gives off, the vibe... feels rather complex. There is sorrow and nostalgia, but also something else. I can't quite put my finger on it.
I've already talked about how Obituary are not really my cup of tea - not because they are death metal, but their sound in particular. I tried to be as objective as possible, but it really isn't very possible after all, when you're having one of your favourite bands in the match. So, sorry, but Swallow the Sun it is.
Kiss, for better or worse, are actually a great power pop band. They sound best when they try to be Cheap Trick with makeup. Stuff like Goin' Blind - which sounds like a great forgotten Badfinger track - or Black Diamond, that's indeed something to look for, or even cherish. Not this.
On the opposing side there are Aerosmith with a song off their often forgotten, but even better brother of the Toys in the Attic album, Rocks. Indeed, Rocks is not only my personal favourite by the "Bad Boys from Boston"/"Toxic Twins"/whatever, but one of my favourite hard rock albums in general. Now, my favourites are The Last Child (which is a song I was listening to when my wife called me that she was pregnant with our eldest - funnily enough, he wasn't the last child at all), Back in the Saddle, the very Judas Priest-like Nobody's Fault or Lick and a Promise, but that's not what we have here. Rats in the Cellar is messier than its mirror song Toys in the Attic (I find the juxtaposition of the titles quite funny), but it feels heavier, the punkish attitude is well-balanced with the (quite typical) harmonic hooks made in Aerosmith, the guitars have a very good balance between relatively complex (for hard rock) and yet very groovy and altogether especially in the context of the album, the song is pretty great. And honestly, it sounds pretty great out of context as well.
Aerosmith, no contest here.
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The second match is pretty meh, there's a bland glam band vs something that sounds like Belinda Carlisle (but with guitars!). So, which car was better, Ford Prefect or Vauxhall Viva? I guess the Ford song is more memorable and I actually liked her duet with Ozzy, so I'll go with the Female Eddie Money here, but my heart's really not into it.
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I think I had the misfortune of coming across Hurricane on Saturn before, at least I think so. It's absolutely horrid and something I don't ever want to hear again. And it's not just because of the electronic element - one of my favourite bands is Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark! But this, it's just (quite fascinatingly in its paradoxality) both annoying and bland at the same time, it's not metal at all and it started to get on my nerves quite quickly. I would actually put forth a guess that pretty much no-one is going to vote for this horrid track. Well, at least I hope so.
Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare was actually the first track I've heard by them (mainly because it was the album that tore Dream Theater asunder. Well, kinda. Let's not go there.) However, apart from Portnoy on the kit, the song is very much a Metallica adoration. It's just as much a complete Tullica fellation, just like As I Am by the aforementioned Dream Theater was, down to the vocal inflections and such. It must have been intentional, you don't do a thing like this by accident. That said, it also has the decency to copy Tullica's talent for melodicity, hooks and overall listener's captivation as well, and it is a very well-produced, very well-written, catchy and honestly quite thrilling "modern metal track". I like it a lot, actually (despite the fact some of the typical Sevenfold's teenagerisms are still present here).
Avenged Sevenfold, duh.
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I've already express my feelings towards both Death and Deicide and I think it'll come as no surprise when I say I'll definitely vote for early Death.
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Ministry are a band I've never quite got and the reason for their endless popularity keeps eluding me. The riffing in this song is fine, but the vocals (and whatever is happening with them there, electronically) is not really something I'd enjoy, the song as a whole is ridiculously monotonous (again, even talking as a doom afficionado!) and it definitely reminds me of another song. But I can't quite remember which one.
Black Hole Sun is overplayed to the point of cliché nowadays and it isn't even the best song on the album, far from it (and the best Soundgarden album is Badmotorfinger anyway), but that's nitpicking. Sometimes the songs are overplayed for a reason. Especially since the melody and the catchiness/hook is rather subtle, so it takes much longer to be annoyed by it. It's just a pity Cornell's most famous song doesn't really show off his talents as much. Also, the video is hilariously creepy. Soundgarden.
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I admit the pick of Rooms and Shadows is more or less supposed to be representative - the entire triple album Songs from the North is not only most likely the best triple album ever (the third part of All Things Must Pass does not count!), but it is quite certainly the best album of 2015 and one of my (and wifey's) favourite albums overall.
However, picking a song off a behemoth of such consistence is hard. I knew I didn't want to pick anything from the second CD, beautiful as those tracks are, because they are not really metal at all; just as much I didn't want to pick anything off the third CD, because I was convinced that people here would probably mostly hate funeral doom (and I still think I was right) - that said, it was indeed the third CD "Despair" that introduced me into funeral doom as a genre and eventually led me to Ahab as well - @Diesel 11 might appreciate this fact.
So it was the first CD, the most "typical" for the band. Maybe I should have gone with the riff-fest of 10 Silver Bullets. Maybe the doominess of the opener. Maybe the undisputable catchiness of Memory of Light. People really seem to love Heartstrings Shattering, which admittedly feels like a centerpiece of the first CD of sorts, with its haunting atmospherics, but I admit I was never as big a fan as others were. Honestly, there I times when I feel like the most beautiful track is the only one fully-growled-through on the first CD, Silhouettes. The music is so sombre, so majestic...
it
Anyway, I picked Rooms and Shadows. In a way it does represent the emotional beauty and overall atmosphere of the album very well, and it is a "dark horse" of sorts - people usually don't mention it as their favourite and it took me a while to start noticing it more, but by now it's probably my favourite. The atmosphere is incredibly autumnal, it is ridiculously catchy and the emotions it gives off, the vibe... feels rather complex. There is sorrow and nostalgia, but also something else. I can't quite put my finger on it.
I've already talked about how Obituary are not really my cup of tea - not because they are death metal, but their sound in particular. I tried to be as objective as possible, but it really isn't very possible after all, when you're having one of your favourite bands in the match. So, sorry, but Swallow the Sun it is.
What an interesting round so far. Two songs that are virtual ties and four absolute smashings.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
I do wish there was more funeral doom in this game; I submitted an Ahab song (“Old Thunder”) and an Evoken song (“Antithesis of Light”), but I wish I’d also thought of Funeral (“Taarene” perhaps), and if @Forostar had participated maybe we could’ve gotten some Thergothon out of him. Probably would not have / won’t do very well, but I like the variety and it’s a genre that could use more love.
That said, I recall liking the first disc of Songs from the North the best, so I’m excited to give “Rooms and Shadows” another listen tomorrow morning. I think you missed it but I posted my rambly thoughts on the whole triple record in the doom metal thread if you’d like to read.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Also Cinderella deserve more love. That band was one of my favorites when I was listening to SiriusXM’s Hair Nation as a tween. I kind of love their whole æsthetic, from the girly name to the totally shredded vocals as they play classic rock’n’roll songs injected with some epic hair spray and then can also bust out an absolutely awesome lighter-waving ballad. I dunno if they’ve got more songs in this game but “Gypsy Road” is so much fun — and this is a song I completely slept on back in the day. This really makes me wanna go back and dig into their classic records.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Did anyone submit Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper? Cause that’d be hilarious.
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
I have read that and am glad to see you had given it a consideration ... and that it wasn't a complete disappointment or a cause of any violent affliction.