The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 3, Matches 73-78
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Game time started.
Even if "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is one of my favourite pieces of music, I don't think "Prelude to Madness" really works. It barely qualifies as a song, if I'm honest. Just a quick cover stitching together that and "Mars, Bringer of War". No chance against a classic Rainbow tune.
The second match is the toughest; I really, really enjoy both songs. Skyclad never fail to entertain, and I love the mood and atmosphere of "The Coffin Ships". My gut ultimately tells me to vote for Skyclad, but I'm good with either song winning.
And from two amazing tunes to a couple of lesser ones - both "Hollow" and "The Skull Beneath the Skin" are quite mediocre. When considering the overall qualities of the two bands, I greatly prefer Megadeth to Pantera, so they win this one, even if they have done much, much better songs.
In the battle of the Kisses, I think "Deuce" has some good riffs and a decent groove, while "Lick It Up" has better production, and that's about it - the song itself is so uninteresting. Easy vote for Deuce.
"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is a catchy and well-crafted track, though a bit too AOR for my general taste. Still, it's miles ahead of "Boogie for George", which is just a terrible mess of a song. Y&T.
I think "The Baying of the Hounds" is a good example of why I haven't fully gotten into Opeth yet. For all its different parts, it never feels like it actually goes anywhere, and I think that applies to more than a few of their songs. On the other hand, they've also done some amazing tracks, and most of their other material in the cup have won their matches deservedly. But "The Baying of the Hounds" isn't one of them, I'm afraid. I like Ayreon a lot more; "The Fifth Extinction" is weirdly interesting, and I'd rather have that song show up again in the next stage.
The second match is the toughest; I really, really enjoy both songs. Skyclad never fail to entertain, and I love the mood and atmosphere of "The Coffin Ships". My gut ultimately tells me to vote for Skyclad, but I'm good with either song winning.
And from two amazing tunes to a couple of lesser ones - both "Hollow" and "The Skull Beneath the Skin" are quite mediocre. When considering the overall qualities of the two bands, I greatly prefer Megadeth to Pantera, so they win this one, even if they have done much, much better songs.
In the battle of the Kisses, I think "Deuce" has some good riffs and a decent groove, while "Lick It Up" has better production, and that's about it - the song itself is so uninteresting. Easy vote for Deuce.
"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is a catchy and well-crafted track, though a bit too AOR for my general taste. Still, it's miles ahead of "Boogie for George", which is just a terrible mess of a song. Y&T.
I think "The Baying of the Hounds" is a good example of why I haven't fully gotten into Opeth yet. For all its different parts, it never feels like it actually goes anywhere, and I think that applies to more than a few of their songs. On the other hand, they've also done some amazing tracks, and most of their other material in the cup have won their matches deservedly. But "The Baying of the Hounds" isn't one of them, I'm afraid. I like Ayreon a lot more; "The Fifth Extinction" is weirdly interesting, and I'd rather have that song show up again in the next stage.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Classic Rainbow is nearly untouchable for me. Dio is at the absolute peak of his strength, proving his power with every single note. This an average song, but the performances lift it so much higher. Prelude to Madness is a really cool intro and I dig the Mars reference, but alas, it is an intro.
Polkagiest! is stupidly good fun. I enjoyed every second of it. Can’t say it’s metal, or an objectively great song, but it sure is a jolly time. The Coffin Ships is repetitive and a bit tuneless in the vocals, but it’s also really moody and powerful. Gotta go with Primordial here.
Hollow features one of Phil Anselmo’s best vocal performances, with some shockingly great cleans in the first half. The second half sounds like most other Pantera songs, but it’s still a really good tune. Skull Beneath The Skin, however, is an underrated early Megadeth gem. The intro is just amazing and the tempo skip in the final third of the song is so cool. Pantera are not far off with this one, but MegaDave takes it for pure ferocity.
Ah, joy of joys. More KISS! And this time we’ve got two treats: a song about shit and a song about swallowing the white stuff. The shit song is a mediocre blues rock track. The cum song is a mediocre attempt at glam metal. I’ll go with the shit one, I guess, but I wish both could lose.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is fine enough. I found the whole song kinda passed by without me noticing much other than the chorus. Serviceable enough poppy metal. Honestly, it’s not too different from Lick It Up, just better. Boogie also does absolutely nothing special. It’s just another bluesy hard rock song. Voting for Y&T simply because the lyrics are not about “rocking out”.
I used to have a lesser opinion of Baying of the Hounds, but it has grown on me. The “everything you believe is a lie” part is incredibly catchy, the “drown in the mire” part hypnotic, and that sick pull off riff with the drum pattern changes is face-contortingly nasty as hell (in a good way). The Fifth Extinction also has a lot to like, but it feels incredibly repetitive and plodding for Ayreon. Good performances within an average-at-best tune. Opeth here.
Polkagiest! is stupidly good fun. I enjoyed every second of it. Can’t say it’s metal, or an objectively great song, but it sure is a jolly time. The Coffin Ships is repetitive and a bit tuneless in the vocals, but it’s also really moody and powerful. Gotta go with Primordial here.
Hollow features one of Phil Anselmo’s best vocal performances, with some shockingly great cleans in the first half. The second half sounds like most other Pantera songs, but it’s still a really good tune. Skull Beneath The Skin, however, is an underrated early Megadeth gem. The intro is just amazing and the tempo skip in the final third of the song is so cool. Pantera are not far off with this one, but MegaDave takes it for pure ferocity.
Ah, joy of joys. More KISS! And this time we’ve got two treats: a song about shit and a song about swallowing the white stuff. The shit song is a mediocre blues rock track. The cum song is a mediocre attempt at glam metal. I’ll go with the shit one, I guess, but I wish both could lose.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is fine enough. I found the whole song kinda passed by without me noticing much other than the chorus. Serviceable enough poppy metal. Honestly, it’s not too different from Lick It Up, just better. Boogie also does absolutely nothing special. It’s just another bluesy hard rock song. Voting for Y&T simply because the lyrics are not about “rocking out”.
I used to have a lesser opinion of Baying of the Hounds, but it has grown on me. The “everything you believe is a lie” part is incredibly catchy, the “drown in the mire” part hypnotic, and that sick pull off riff with the drum pattern changes is face-contortingly nasty as hell (in a good way). The Fifth Extinction also has a lot to like, but it feels incredibly repetitive and plodding for Ayreon. Good performances within an average-at-best tune. Opeth here.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
"Long Live Rock 'n' Roll" is great until the endless final chorus repetitions. It's also better than the Savatage instrumental. Rainbow.
Skyclad were... fine. Primordial was way better. A lot of emotion in that song. The intro alone beats anything on the Skyclad song.
"Hollow" is not a good Pantera song ("Cemetery Gates" 2 + bro-out) but I'm tired of their better songs getting slaughtered in this game. "Skull" has a cool intro and is otherwise one of the Megadeth songs in the game.
"Deuce" is a great early Kiss cut - great riff, super fun. Lyrics are dumb but manageable. "Lick It Up" has great production (love the guitar sound), but the chorus is just awful. There is no reason on earth why anyone should vote for it over "Deuce".
Y&T really brought out the '80s histrionics for this one and I'm low-key loving it. "Boogie" was awful.
Two titans clashing in the final battle, with a good Opeth song and a genuinely great Ayreon song. If Kermit the Frog would stop singing clean vocals on Opeth's songs maybe they would have won this match, but alas.
Skyclad were... fine. Primordial was way better. A lot of emotion in that song. The intro alone beats anything on the Skyclad song.
"Hollow" is not a good Pantera song ("Cemetery Gates" 2 + bro-out) but I'm tired of their better songs getting slaughtered in this game. "Skull" has a cool intro and is otherwise one of the Megadeth songs in the game.
"Deuce" is a great early Kiss cut - great riff, super fun. Lyrics are dumb but manageable. "Lick It Up" has great production (love the guitar sound), but the chorus is just awful. There is no reason on earth why anyone should vote for it over "Deuce".
Y&T really brought out the '80s histrionics for this one and I'm low-key loving it. "Boogie" was awful.
Two titans clashing in the final battle, with a good Opeth song and a genuinely great Ayreon song. If Kermit the Frog would stop singing clean vocals on Opeth's songs maybe they would have won this match, but alas.
IMO the album Long Live Rock and Roll is where Rainbow forever lost the plot. I'm not sure what influenced their creative directions, but they went from being on their way to being the first great prog metal band with Rising to a pretty generic pub rock band and never looked back. It's like they regressed, I often forget that this album came after Rising. I don't hate the song Long Live Rock and Roll, it's got a fine riff and hook, nice enough instrumental section, but it also gets repetitive and just not really that interesting in the end. Besides Dio's vocal performance, there is nothing that distinguishes this from a generic Deep Purple knockoff (ironic).
Who do you guys think are the first Metal band to ripoff Mars Bringer Of War? I guess technically Black Sabbath, but I'm not sure if it was a direct influence beyond the use of the tritone. Savatage sounds like a Metal band playing with a Super Nintendo orchestra, but this is really just a glorified intro track. Once again, I find myself wondering if the person who made this list actually listened to the song, Just nominate Hall of the Mountain King. Long Live Rock and Roll almost by default.
It took a long time for the Skyclad track to win me over. Wasn't really a fan of the thin guitar tone or the out of tune vocal melodies in the verses, but the chorus is fun enough and once it gets going it's an enjoyable listen. Really enjoyed the keys and guitar harmonies before the bridge followed by the female vocals in the bridge, that almost made the whole thing worth it. Like I said, rough start but the song won me over by the end. With that being said, Primordial has become a bit of a juggernaut in this game for me and the first three minutes of The Coffin Ships are enough to make me choose this song over Polkageist. So much atmosphere, so much tension. I love a song that takes its time and the vocal parts feel so earned by the time they finally come in. So far in this game, Primordial has been the closest to carrying the Maiden torch just in terms of how melody oriented their songs are. They are too Maiden as Opeth is too Sabbath, just taking that songwriting approach to new heights. Great vocal performance here as well, one of my favorite Primordial vocal performances that I've heard so far (they have been hit or miss before). Great pick!
Was not expecting the Pantera vs Megadeth round to be close, but I quite liked both tracks. Usually not a fan of Pantera ballads, but I thought the buildup and riffing worked particularly well here. Once the song gets going the aggression feels earned and there's some great interplay between guitar and drums (Anselmo's vocal performance isn't too bad either. The Megadeth song starts out pretty rough but is enjoyable when it gets going. The guitars leave a lot to be desired though, leading to a slight preference for Hollow.
I understand that the people who like Kiss know this already and the people who dislike Kiss don't care, but I still have to point out that for the Kiss-off, the live versions once again are the best way to enjoy these songs - especially Deuce. I mentioned that the debut album suffers from production although Black Diamond came out OK, but Deuce really gets hampered by the production. The Alive! version is the classic, but this song has been played so many times that there are plenty of good live versions to choose from (including the Winterland show I posted Black Diamond from earlier). The biggest problem is that the guitar solos get really buried and it totally kneecaps the song's energy.
Anyway, here's the first known filmed performance of Kiss live at their version of Cart & Horses, the Coventry in NYC:
I have to note again how tight the performance is. Vocal harmonies and guitar harmonies are there, all of Ace's leads are identical to what he recorded on the album. More evidence imo that this band still had a lot to offer musically than they get credit for.
Studio version of Lick It Up is fine (drums are a little too 80s, but it fits the song). I like both but Deuce gets it for the leads and lack of hairspray.
I know Y&T has been heralded as one of those "better than the average hair metal band" kind of band, and I can see why based on this track. It's very well written and is not doused in hair spray to the point of being unlistenable. The guitar arrangement kinda reminds me of early Def Leppard with having more interesting ideas than just strumming power chords (although there's plenty of that as well). For something released in 1990, it isn't nearly as dated as a lot of similar material. Pleasant surprise there.
Here's the thing: I like UFO but I'm not a huge fan of the long drawn out jams. So I would rather give it to a pretty good pick by a Maidenfans member than sit through 12 minutes of this UFO track nominated by a faceless publication that has put up questionable choices in this game already. Congratulations Don't Be Afraid of the Dark!
I'm a big Baying of the Hounds fan. It's like Opeth's take on Deep Purple, with the triplet feel and organ stabs. Amazing riffing and some awesome groovy moments. I also think the clean vocal sections here are extremely effective. When it slows down to that vibraphone groove... awesome stuff. So haunting. It's the second track on Ghost Reveries and acts as a nice complement to the opening Ghost of Perdition, showing the legs the album has and, as far as I'm concerned, another 10/10 track. I can see the criticism that it feels a little slow in the second half, but honestly in context of the album it is a nice reprieve. I can see it being a bit dull out of context, but I really enjoy it nonetheless. The Fifth Extinction is in an unfortunate situation where an unknown song is pretty much uncertain to win me over, although I have been trying to get into Ayreon recently and listen with an open mind. The vocal harmonies at the beginning are great and it sets a nice tone for the song. This feels like one of those situations where the song does a lot to add to the overall album, but out of context it is kinda hard to listen to. So much of the lyrics if plot exposition and it feels pretty awkward without hearing the rest of the album. When the vocal parts get out of the way, there's some really cool instrumental passages. Derek Sherinian plays a really killer synth solo and the proggy riffing that follows is nice. Really dig the orchestral stuff as well. I would even say the instrumental section redeems the entire song, but the parts its sandwiched between are a bit tough to listen to. I was impressed overall though and might have to check out this album next.
I was actually going to throw Fifth Extinction a pity vote because I expected it to get clobbered, but somehow it's in the lead! So Baying of the Hounds it is, no pity vote necessary.
Who do you guys think are the first Metal band to ripoff Mars Bringer Of War? I guess technically Black Sabbath, but I'm not sure if it was a direct influence beyond the use of the tritone. Savatage sounds like a Metal band playing with a Super Nintendo orchestra, but this is really just a glorified intro track. Once again, I find myself wondering if the person who made this list actually listened to the song, Just nominate Hall of the Mountain King. Long Live Rock and Roll almost by default.
It took a long time for the Skyclad track to win me over. Wasn't really a fan of the thin guitar tone or the out of tune vocal melodies in the verses, but the chorus is fun enough and once it gets going it's an enjoyable listen. Really enjoyed the keys and guitar harmonies before the bridge followed by the female vocals in the bridge, that almost made the whole thing worth it. Like I said, rough start but the song won me over by the end. With that being said, Primordial has become a bit of a juggernaut in this game for me and the first three minutes of The Coffin Ships are enough to make me choose this song over Polkageist. So much atmosphere, so much tension. I love a song that takes its time and the vocal parts feel so earned by the time they finally come in. So far in this game, Primordial has been the closest to carrying the Maiden torch just in terms of how melody oriented their songs are. They are too Maiden as Opeth is too Sabbath, just taking that songwriting approach to new heights. Great vocal performance here as well, one of my favorite Primordial vocal performances that I've heard so far (they have been hit or miss before). Great pick!
Was not expecting the Pantera vs Megadeth round to be close, but I quite liked both tracks. Usually not a fan of Pantera ballads, but I thought the buildup and riffing worked particularly well here. Once the song gets going the aggression feels earned and there's some great interplay between guitar and drums (Anselmo's vocal performance isn't too bad either. The Megadeth song starts out pretty rough but is enjoyable when it gets going. The guitars leave a lot to be desired though, leading to a slight preference for Hollow.
I understand that the people who like Kiss know this already and the people who dislike Kiss don't care, but I still have to point out that for the Kiss-off, the live versions once again are the best way to enjoy these songs - especially Deuce. I mentioned that the debut album suffers from production although Black Diamond came out OK, but Deuce really gets hampered by the production. The Alive! version is the classic, but this song has been played so many times that there are plenty of good live versions to choose from (including the Winterland show I posted Black Diamond from earlier). The biggest problem is that the guitar solos get really buried and it totally kneecaps the song's energy.
Anyway, here's the first known filmed performance of Kiss live at their version of Cart & Horses, the Coventry in NYC:
I have to note again how tight the performance is. Vocal harmonies and guitar harmonies are there, all of Ace's leads are identical to what he recorded on the album. More evidence imo that this band still had a lot to offer musically than they get credit for.
Studio version of Lick It Up is fine (drums are a little too 80s, but it fits the song). I like both but Deuce gets it for the leads and lack of hairspray.
I know Y&T has been heralded as one of those "better than the average hair metal band" kind of band, and I can see why based on this track. It's very well written and is not doused in hair spray to the point of being unlistenable. The guitar arrangement kinda reminds me of early Def Leppard with having more interesting ideas than just strumming power chords (although there's plenty of that as well). For something released in 1990, it isn't nearly as dated as a lot of similar material. Pleasant surprise there.
Here's the thing: I like UFO but I'm not a huge fan of the long drawn out jams. So I would rather give it to a pretty good pick by a Maidenfans member than sit through 12 minutes of this UFO track nominated by a faceless publication that has put up questionable choices in this game already. Congratulations Don't Be Afraid of the Dark!
I'm a big Baying of the Hounds fan. It's like Opeth's take on Deep Purple, with the triplet feel and organ stabs. Amazing riffing and some awesome groovy moments. I also think the clean vocal sections here are extremely effective. When it slows down to that vibraphone groove... awesome stuff. So haunting. It's the second track on Ghost Reveries and acts as a nice complement to the opening Ghost of Perdition, showing the legs the album has and, as far as I'm concerned, another 10/10 track. I can see the criticism that it feels a little slow in the second half, but honestly in context of the album it is a nice reprieve. I can see it being a bit dull out of context, but I really enjoy it nonetheless. The Fifth Extinction is in an unfortunate situation where an unknown song is pretty much uncertain to win me over, although I have been trying to get into Ayreon recently and listen with an open mind. The vocal harmonies at the beginning are great and it sets a nice tone for the song. This feels like one of those situations where the song does a lot to add to the overall album, but out of context it is kinda hard to listen to. So much of the lyrics if plot exposition and it feels pretty awkward without hearing the rest of the album. When the vocal parts get out of the way, there's some really cool instrumental passages. Derek Sherinian plays a really killer synth solo and the proggy riffing that follows is nice. Really dig the orchestral stuff as well. I would even say the instrumental section redeems the entire song, but the parts its sandwiched between are a bit tough to listen to. I was impressed overall though and might have to check out this album next.
I was actually going to throw Fifth Extinction a pity vote because I expected it to get clobbered, but somehow it's in the lead! So Baying of the Hounds it is, no pity vote necessary.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
"Kill the King" is awesome though and should be here.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
Long Live has a clunker or two on it but all in all it's a classic album for sure. Gates of Babylon should be here, and if there will ever be a game of ballads, Rainbow Eyes would definitely be a great shout as well.
Kill the King is in Division 2 - Blood Brothers.
Gates of Babylon is in Division 57 - Dave Murray.
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Gates and King are far from that. I think it's because of their vocalists after Dio, but imo this album is not that different from their debut album.
This.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
Rainbow - Long Live Rock 'N' Roll vs. Savatage - Prelude to Madness
Prelude to Madness is not great, and also not an original piece. Long Live Rock N Roll is great Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
Skyclad - Polkageist! vs. Primordial - The Coffin Ships
Polkageist! was enjoyable enough but The Coffin Ships carries much more emotional impact. The Coffin Ships
Pantera - Hollow vs. Megadeth - The Skull Beneath the Skin
I never got a copy of KIMB until I had been listening to Megadeth for years plus they don't seem to have played it's tracks live too often, so I don't have any nostalgia for it, and generally don't think it's up to scratch in comparison to their next few albums, saying that Skull Beneath the Skin is good. Not as good as Hollow, one of Pantera's best tracks. Hollow
KISS - Deuce vs. KISS - Lick It Up
Both of these are better live, but Deuce is by far the better of the two, a great opener to a great live album. Deuce
Y&T - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark vs. UFO - Boogie For George
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was a pretty decent 80's hit single style track, Boogie for George illustrated how much Schenker brought to the band. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Opeth - The Baying of the Hounds vs. Ayreon - The Fifth Extinction
Not hugely enamoured by either track, vocal main problem with Opeth, but it was also meandering, opening section was great though and that's what picks up the win, as being the only great part across the two tracks. The Baying of the Hounds
Prelude to Madness is not great, and also not an original piece. Long Live Rock N Roll is great Long Live Rock 'N' Roll
Skyclad - Polkageist! vs. Primordial - The Coffin Ships
Polkageist! was enjoyable enough but The Coffin Ships carries much more emotional impact. The Coffin Ships
Pantera - Hollow vs. Megadeth - The Skull Beneath the Skin
I never got a copy of KIMB until I had been listening to Megadeth for years plus they don't seem to have played it's tracks live too often, so I don't have any nostalgia for it, and generally don't think it's up to scratch in comparison to their next few albums, saying that Skull Beneath the Skin is good. Not as good as Hollow, one of Pantera's best tracks. Hollow
KISS - Deuce vs. KISS - Lick It Up
Both of these are better live, but Deuce is by far the better of the two, a great opener to a great live album. Deuce
Y&T - Don't Be Afraid of the Dark vs. UFO - Boogie For George
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark was a pretty decent 80's hit single style track, Boogie for George illustrated how much Schenker brought to the band. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Opeth - The Baying of the Hounds vs. Ayreon - The Fifth Extinction
Not hugely enamoured by either track, vocal main problem with Opeth, but it was also meandering, opening section was great though and that's what picks up the win, as being the only great part across the two tracks. The Baying of the Hounds
Gonna need a tiebreaker, Opeth vs Ayreon. Who will break the tie?
AYREON
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Hounds
Alright, it's Ayreon then!
Rainbow's rock and roll will live long, Savatage is just mad. The coffin ships will not carry a polkageist on as Primordial wins. Megadave's skull isn't hollow. Uh, Deuce wins. Can't come up with something that isn't gross. Well, George is afraid of the dark, and since he didn't take Y&T's advice, the winner is clear. And finally, the hounds are baying due to their extinction by Ayreon. Did they have to do it five times? No, but nobody ever accused Lucassen of being normal.
Part I, Round 57, Matches 337-342
| Play In Round |
| 2 Minutes to Midnight Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Treatment - Emergency | vs. | KISS - Creatures of the Night | |
| @The Sentient | Nominators | Popoff 500 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Blaze Bayley Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere But Not Here | vs. | Yes - Heart of the Sunrise | |
| @The Dissident | Nominators | ||
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Blaze Bayley Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Purple - The Battle Rages On | vs. | Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators - 30 Years to Life | |
| @Wogmidget | Nominators | ||
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Blaze Bayley Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Between the Buried and Me - Disease, Injury and Madness | vs. | Fates Warning - Without a Trace | |
| @Mosh | Nominators | ||
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Wrathchild Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Sabbath - The Mob Rules | vs. | W.A.S.P. - Wild Child | |
| Popoff 500 | Nominators | Popoff 500 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
"Emergency" is like the bastard child of AC/DC and pop-era Def Leppard, with a hint of Queen. There are reasonable hooks here, and the solo is solid, but there's not much originality to be found. The intro of "Creatures Of The Night" is kind of a mess, but the verse and chorus are alright and the interlude and solo are OK. Nothing to get excited about, but it's generally fine. Not thrilled with either track, but sorry @The Sentient, I'm going to have to reward the band that at least has their own sound and isn't just aping others. Winner: Kiss - "Creatures Of The Night"
"Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" shows a lot of finesse and craftsmanship, with strong songwriting and vocals, and an interesting musical journey. When you run the gamut from warm 70s-vibed acoustic sing-alongs to crunchy prog metal and make it all work, that's impressive. "Heart Of The Sunrise" is certainly busier out of the gate, then settles into some bass noodling before going through some more masturbatory permutations. I'm already checking the clock around the 2.5 minute mark. When the gentle verse finally shows up, it's nice...and then it wears out its welcome pretty quickly. Yeah, the songwriting is just a patchwork here, alternating between plodding and fappy, and not missing any chance to take an enjoyable section and beat it into the ground. Sorry, @Stardust, but this is an easy call for @The Dissident's nominee. Winner: Porcupine Tree - "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here"
"The Battle Rages On" has a surprisingly dark and driving main riff. Not thrilled with the vocals here, and the melodies aren't the best, though the chorus is OK. Great solo and interlude. Ew, minus one point for the synth horns toward the end. Yeah, this is some great guitar work in search of a better song. "30 Years To Life" has a nice driving rhythm and a few cool guitar flourishes (albeit fewer than I would have expected). I'm not a fan of Myles Kennedy's voice, but there are some good melodies here. Bonus point for gratuitous cowbell. While I probably wouldn't elect to listen to this song again because Kennedy's voice really rubs me the wrong way, I can certainly acknowledge that it's the better-written song here, even if the guitar work isn't as interesting as its competitor's. Sorry, @Wogmidget, but I have to go with @The Sentient's nominee this time. Winner: Slash Featuring Myles Kenedy And The Conspirators - "30 Years To Life"
"Disease, Injury, Madness" lost me right out of the gate with the Cookie Monster nonsense and potbanging, but beyond that this is just incoherent quasi-musical chaos for the first couple of minutes. The completely different song that starts immediately after that opening is much more enjoyable, with actual musicality, atmosphere, and listenable vocals. Then around the 5 minute mark we're suddenly in yet another completely different song that starts off like Pantera and dissolves into something even less coherent. OK, now we have an organ groove and a neighing horse for no particular reason, and a pretty good pair of solos. Back to the more subdued stuff and a nice bass solo, and then we're suddenly in swinging rock 'n roll land, because why not. A little aping of Devin Townsend, then some rhythmic masturbation, and more Cookie Monster bullshit before we arbitrarily call the track over. Yeah, that was a complete fucking disaster, even if it did have a few nice parts buried between the bullshit and me. "Without A Trace" kicks off with a nice driving riff. The singer and the vocal lines aren't very good, and those group shouts are pretty awful, but the guitar work is consistently good, and at least the song is coherent. I didn't really like this track, but congratulations @DJ James, it was still miles better than @Mosh's nominee. Winner: Fates Warning - "Without A Trace"
"The Mob Rules" has an infectious riff and rhythm through the verse. Dio sounds really good, as expected. The verse vocal melody is strong, but the pre-chorus and especially the chorus don't work as well. Very good solos, though. A mixed bag, but pretty good overall. "Wild Child" has a nice combination of clean and distorted guitar, leading into a pretty good atmospheric verse and a strong pre-chorus and chorus. Blackie's vocals are overwrought as expected, but not quite as much as in some other W.A.S.P. songs. The bridge is solid, and the solos are short but effective. Not many weaknesses, so this is a pretty easy call. Winner: W.A.S.P. - "Wild Child"
"Death Certificate" is pretty dope complex thrash with expectedly bad non-melodic vocals. The solo section is also refreshingly melodic without losing its edge. Great music with bad vocals, but still not as bad as most extreme metal in that department. "Holographic Universe" pummels like a machine gun, but with a frankly shocking amount of synth poking its head in -- and then Cookie Monster shows up. The limited clean vocal sections obviously come across much better, but most of this is a growlfest. The first part of the first solo is masturbatory and doesn't fit, but the other solos are actually quite good. Some of the synth parts also feel a bit low-rent, and the song drags on for about 3 minutes longer than it needed to. Interesting at times, but overall a very mixed bag, and the Muppet Show totally sinks it in the end -- so sorry, @Night Prowler, but the list nominee is more deserving here. Winner: Carcass - "Death Certificate"
"Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" shows a lot of finesse and craftsmanship, with strong songwriting and vocals, and an interesting musical journey. When you run the gamut from warm 70s-vibed acoustic sing-alongs to crunchy prog metal and make it all work, that's impressive. "Heart Of The Sunrise" is certainly busier out of the gate, then settles into some bass noodling before going through some more masturbatory permutations. I'm already checking the clock around the 2.5 minute mark. When the gentle verse finally shows up, it's nice...and then it wears out its welcome pretty quickly. Yeah, the songwriting is just a patchwork here, alternating between plodding and fappy, and not missing any chance to take an enjoyable section and beat it into the ground. Sorry, @Stardust, but this is an easy call for @The Dissident's nominee. Winner: Porcupine Tree - "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here"
"The Battle Rages On" has a surprisingly dark and driving main riff. Not thrilled with the vocals here, and the melodies aren't the best, though the chorus is OK. Great solo and interlude. Ew, minus one point for the synth horns toward the end. Yeah, this is some great guitar work in search of a better song. "30 Years To Life" has a nice driving rhythm and a few cool guitar flourishes (albeit fewer than I would have expected). I'm not a fan of Myles Kennedy's voice, but there are some good melodies here. Bonus point for gratuitous cowbell. While I probably wouldn't elect to listen to this song again because Kennedy's voice really rubs me the wrong way, I can certainly acknowledge that it's the better-written song here, even if the guitar work isn't as interesting as its competitor's. Sorry, @Wogmidget, but I have to go with @The Sentient's nominee this time. Winner: Slash Featuring Myles Kenedy And The Conspirators - "30 Years To Life"
"Disease, Injury, Madness" lost me right out of the gate with the Cookie Monster nonsense and potbanging, but beyond that this is just incoherent quasi-musical chaos for the first couple of minutes. The completely different song that starts immediately after that opening is much more enjoyable, with actual musicality, atmosphere, and listenable vocals. Then around the 5 minute mark we're suddenly in yet another completely different song that starts off like Pantera and dissolves into something even less coherent. OK, now we have an organ groove and a neighing horse for no particular reason, and a pretty good pair of solos. Back to the more subdued stuff and a nice bass solo, and then we're suddenly in swinging rock 'n roll land, because why not. A little aping of Devin Townsend, then some rhythmic masturbation, and more Cookie Monster bullshit before we arbitrarily call the track over. Yeah, that was a complete fucking disaster, even if it did have a few nice parts buried between the bullshit and me. "Without A Trace" kicks off with a nice driving riff. The singer and the vocal lines aren't very good, and those group shouts are pretty awful, but the guitar work is consistently good, and at least the song is coherent. I didn't really like this track, but congratulations @DJ James, it was still miles better than @Mosh's nominee. Winner: Fates Warning - "Without A Trace"
"The Mob Rules" has an infectious riff and rhythm through the verse. Dio sounds really good, as expected. The verse vocal melody is strong, but the pre-chorus and especially the chorus don't work as well. Very good solos, though. A mixed bag, but pretty good overall. "Wild Child" has a nice combination of clean and distorted guitar, leading into a pretty good atmospheric verse and a strong pre-chorus and chorus. Blackie's vocals are overwrought as expected, but not quite as much as in some other W.A.S.P. songs. The bridge is solid, and the solos are short but effective. Not many weaknesses, so this is a pretty easy call. Winner: W.A.S.P. - "Wild Child"
"Death Certificate" is pretty dope complex thrash with expectedly bad non-melodic vocals. The solo section is also refreshingly melodic without losing its edge. Great music with bad vocals, but still not as bad as most extreme metal in that department. "Holographic Universe" pummels like a machine gun, but with a frankly shocking amount of synth poking its head in -- and then Cookie Monster shows up. The limited clean vocal sections obviously come across much better, but most of this is a growlfest. The first part of the first solo is masturbatory and doesn't fit, but the other solos are actually quite good. Some of the synth parts also feel a bit low-rent, and the song drags on for about 3 minutes longer than it needed to. Interesting at times, but overall a very mixed bag, and the Muppet Show totally sinks it in the end -- so sorry, @Night Prowler, but the list nominee is more deserving here. Winner: Carcass - "Death Certificate"
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
BTW, @LooseCannon, the YouTube link for "Wild Child" goes to Spotify instead.
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
The glam metal of The Treatment is not bad, but Kiss' Creatures Of The Night has more character. The heavy riff, the chorus and the breakdown riff are great. The version (actually versions) on the 1993's Alive III is also great (the solo!).
The Battle Rages On is one of Purple's best 90's songs. That riff!
This Fates Warning song is so good. Killer riff, nice chorus and good solos. Maiden vibe. No contest here.
The Mob Rules and Wild Child are classics. I love the riffs and the verses in the former, but Wild Child is my favorite WASP song and has a better chorus.
The Battle Rages On is one of Purple's best 90's songs. That riff!
This Fates Warning song is so good. Killer riff, nice chorus and good solos. Maiden vibe. No contest here.
The Mob Rules and Wild Child are classics. I love the riffs and the verses in the former, but Wild Child is my favorite WASP song and has a better chorus.
DJ James
A coma stole my name.
Creatures of the Night is a great KISS track. I use to like that album a lot, but it is a little janky in how it is put together. There’s a strange NWOBHM character to the album that just doesn’t mesh well with KISS. There’s a surprising amount of nuance to KISS’s output in the 80’s. It would have been very easy for the band to simply pump out Pop Rock albums as that was selling best at the time, but they surprisingly stayed very close to heavy metal in their sound.
They struggled a bit at first to capture a good heavy metal sound in the 80’s but they really nailed it with Asylum. I think Asylum might be the most criminally underrated heavy metal album of all time. Non-KISS fans pass by it because it’s KISS, and newer to intermediate fans gloss over it because it was their unmasked era.
All that is to say Creatures was early on in the 80’s and they hadn’t quite found their sound yet (or again). I read on the insert of this CD that this album was quite popular in South America. Good song though, quite a classic.
They struggled a bit at first to capture a good heavy metal sound in the 80’s but they really nailed it with Asylum. I think Asylum might be the most criminally underrated heavy metal album of all time. Non-KISS fans pass by it because it’s KISS, and newer to intermediate fans gloss over it because it was their unmasked era.
All that is to say Creatures was early on in the 80’s and they hadn’t quite found their sound yet (or again). I read on the insert of this CD that this album was quite popular in South America. Good song though, quite a classic.