The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 4, Matches 82-87

What is your favourite song in each match? Vote in all six matchups!

  • Black Sabbath - Hand of Doom

    Votes: 5 62.5%

  • Whitesnake - Walking in the Shadow of the Blues

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Dark Funeral - Atrum Regina

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • While Heaven Wept - The Furthest Shore

    Votes: 5 62.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine

    Votes: 6 75.0%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

    Votes: 4 50.0%

  • Moonsorrow - Huuto

    Votes: 4 50.0%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Symphony X - Masquerade '98

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Queensryche - Revolution Calling

    Votes: 7 87.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Slayer - Dead Skin Mask

    Votes: 6 75.0%

  • Mountain - Mississippi Queen

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
War Pigs
Schism
Accolade II - Thunder Kiss is actually quite nice too
Crystal Mountain - The Glass Prison is :notworthy:but I'm feeling Crystal Mountain more today.
Chop Suey. I don't think I should listen to this Scorpions album...
The Crown of Sympathy - the intro is the best thing ever.
 
That said
Detective Beauregard said:
I dislike 97% of SOAD’s stuff.
Click to expand...
sad jams. SOAD must be one of the most important bands in my musical development and I still think they're pretty great.

In fact, I'd expect both you and @MrKnickerbocker to appreciate them more, with the Zappaesque schizofrenic tendencies, the tempo and dynamics changes, the mixture of puerile and profound, the middle-Eeastern harmonies etc.
 
Sabbath
Symphony
FUCKING SYMPHONY X
MAHBRUTHA THEATER
SOAD
Bride


JudasMyGuide said:
In fact, I'd expect both you and @MrKnickerbocker to appreciate them more, with the Zappaesque schizofrenic tendencies, the tempo and dynamics changes, the mixture of puerile and profound, the middle-Eeastern harmonies etc.
Click to expand...
I actually quite love SOAD, despite Detective being a prude. I don’t love their debut (too nü-metal) and their last albums are too dominated by Daron’s shitty vocals, but Toxicity is an all time classic.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
Kind sir, what do you make of Taken by Force? (not only my favourite Scorpions album, but possibly my favourite 70's album in general)
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I generally prefer the "sellout" era of the band (82-90 to be precise, Crazy World being my #1 album), but Taken By Force has We'll Burn the Sky on it, and that’s a masterpiece right there. It was certainly the best Scorpions album at that point, but I'm not sure if I'd take it over Lovedrive as far as the 70s stuff goes. In any case, I think they had a damn fine run of 15 years or so.
 
MrKnickerbocker said:
I actually quite love SOAD, despite Detective being a prude. I don’t love their debut (too nü-metal) and their last albums are too dominated by Daron’s shitty vocals, but Toxicity is an all time classic.
Click to expand...

I can live with that. I'm not a huge fan of Daron's vocals either (though the contrast with Tankian's can work sometimes), but I like the colourfulness of Mezme/Hypnotize, like for example the Balkan sounding vocal polyphony in Dreaming (after 0:26)


feels very unique both in metal and in fact among the bands with mainstream appeal you'd actually hear on the radio.

I'm a sucker for such weirdness in metal, I remember falling in love with Pain of Salvation after hearing Fandango



KidInTheDark666 said:
I generally prefer the "sellout" era of the band (82-90 to be precise, Crazy World being my #1 album), but Taken By Force has We'll Burn the Sky on it, and that’s a masterpiece right there. It was certainly the best Scorpions album at that point, but I'm not sure if I'd take it over Lovedrive as far as the 70s stuff goes. In any case, I think they had a damn fine run of 15 years or so.
Click to expand...

After the Uli era, I like them enough, though less, up to Blackout at least, if I squint, then maybe include Love at First Sting. Being from a former Eastern bloc, I get a visceral reaction towards Winds of Change, Send Me an Angel, You and I and, to a degree, Hurricane, because I have it coded and infused as this cringy crap for housewives that is being called "now that's the proper big-beat!!!" by old geezers who feel Uriah Heep and Omega are the best stuff ever. But I realise that's just me, no offence meant.

Anyway, as for Taken, yes, it has Burn the Sky and Born to Touch Your Feelings, which are my favourite and second favourite ballad by them, respectively, it has the slapping guitarfest The Sails of Charon, I've Got to Be Free is among my favourite "generic rockers", with good performance by Klaus Meine that in general reminds me of Nazareth in their prime, somehow, Riot of Your Time has this urgent, yet wistful atmosphere that borders on apocalyptic (kinda reminds me of ... Maiden's Childhood's End, maybe?) and is among my hidden gems of the record; Your Light has this groovy, funky feel (which I'm in general a fan of), combined with this weird almost artsy approach (though yet distinctly Scorpions-like) and it's probably only He's a Woman that feels somewhat pedestrian... and again, it has a driving rhythm and Uli has a good tone, so there.

Also, I kinda appreciate how the catchiest, poppiest song Steamrock Fever is "balanced" with the incessant rumble of the pneumatic drill in the background, that's a kinda cool post-modern touch, reminds me of Flaming Lips or something, you know, cross the poppy with the abrasive, so as to make no-one think you're a sellout (although Einstürzende Neubauten this is not).
 
Quick response, won't get a chance on listening to the last match, so going with member bias plus speculating I would have voted for it either way

War Pigs
Symphony
Not really pushed with either, White Zombie getting a pity vote and probably closer to my tastes anyway
Crystal Mountain, again not pushed
Dynamite,
Crown of Sympathy
 
JudasMyGuide said:
I can live with that. I'm not a huge fan of Daron's vocals either (though the contrast with Tankian's can work sometimes), but I like the colourfulness of Mezme/Hypnotize, like for example the Balkan sounding vocal polyphony in Dreaming (after 0:26)
Click to expand...
Daron blends great with Serj as long as he’s sticking to a harmony. When he started to get delusions of being the lead singer I tuned out. His voice just has this insufferable, infuriating quality to it when removed from the background.
 
The war pigs of Black Sabbath have conducted successful counterinsurgent operations and silenced Rage Against the Machine's guerilla radio with a rare shutout. Tool was caught up in a symphony....of destruction by Megadeth. At least two accolades for Symphony X for their win over White Zombie. Death has come from behind after escaping the glass prison on crystal mountain. It's a tie between explosives and Chinese food for System of a Down and Scorpions. My Dying Bride smashes a crown into the faces of Corpsegrinder and friends. They ought to appreciate it.





Part II, Round 3, Matches 109-114
​

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 109​
Somewhere Back in Time Division​
Type O Negative - Everything Dies
vs.​
Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle​
Radio EHS 100
Nominators​
Popoff 500, Radio EHS 100, VH1 40​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -10
Record​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +5​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links​

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 110​
The Wicker Man Division​
Rob Zombie - Dragula
vs.​
Megadeth - Hangar 18​
Youtube 50
@KiDDo
Nominators​
Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100
@MindRuler, @Jer, @LooseCannon, @DJMayes​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -12
Record​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +19​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links​

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 111​
Martin Birch Division​
Dream Theater - The Count of Tuscany
vs.​
AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long​
@JudasMyGuide
Nominators​
Popoff 500, Radio EHS 100
@Jer​
0-0-1, 1 pts, +0
Record​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +13​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links​

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 112​
A Real Live One Division​
Type O Negative - Love You to Death
vs.​
Guns N' Roses - Paradise City​
Popoff 500
Nominators​
Popoff 500, Radio EHS 100, VH1 40​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -15
Record​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +7​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links​

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 113​
The Trooper Division​
Mötley Crüe - Wild Side
vs.​
Metallica - One​
Popoff 500, Best Music Art 100
Nominators​
Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Radio EHS 100, Rate Your Music 100, Youtube 50
@DJMayes, @KiDDo​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -15
Record​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +15​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links​

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 114​
Janick Gers Division​
Judas Priest - Freewheel Burning
vs.​
Venom - Black Metal​
Popoff 500
Nominators​
Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +15
Record​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -2​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
7Links​
 
Two years ago I never would have thought I'd be voting for GnR over Type O Negative, but here we go. I've been on a boomer binge (Cream, Derek and the Dominos, Led Zep, Rainbow etc.) and on a 90s binge (Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Deftones, I even played Linkin Park's Meteora recently), so it's hardly surprising (yeah, I know Appetite came out in '87, but GnR are definitely much more of a 90s band, spiritually and sonically).

Going with the pity vote for Rob Zombie, because I genuinely like the bloke, Dragula is a very funny track and Hangar has enough votes already anyway.

LOL, mates, you can't expect me to vote otherwise here, right? The fact that it's currently only 4-3 is completely farcical. Silly lyrics, a lot of soaring seagulls, but still a song I'd kill for. Ever since he was two, my eldest (who is a bit hyperactive) could actually sit down and listen to The Count of Tuscany on repeat (like, listening to it two or three times in a row), just sitting and listening, enthralled, fascinated, with an expression of pure bliss. I have it the same, doesn't matter how silly "LET ME INTRODUCE - - - MY BROTHER!!!" is.
(and me and wifey mostly just find it a bit funny, anyway)

BTW - Count is one of the reasons I love Rudess - his tendencies for electronic twitching notwithstanding, he is an amazing embellisher
and it's here and for example in Stream of Consciousness (with the baroque Lord-isms near the end) where it's possibly most prominent.

What? Another pairing of TON with GnR? Well, I guess I have to go with the slightly overrated Paradise City anyway. You gotta do what you gotta do, you feel me?

LOOOOOOOOL, Ulrich's dirty underwear wins over this one, One, seriously, I'm way past my Tullica phase, but if this song won the entire game, I'd shut up and embrace it.
(although I admit that the melodrama of that song is a tad cringy in retrospect, but as a whole, it just does everything right)

I think I'd take herpes over Venom, let alone a good, underappreciated 80's Priest song with magnificent guitarwork.
 
One is one of those songs I never get tired of talking about. I see the question posed occasionally online: Why is Metallica as big as they are? Well, thrash bands in the 80's just weren't writing songs like One. As much as I love the Kreators and Laaz Rockits of the world, One wasn't even in those guys wheelhouses or even wildest songwriting pipe dreams. One is a celebration of heavy metal songwriting, and firmly placed Metallica ahead of the thrash game. I mean this was like watching Usain Bolt in real time - these other guys just couldn't keep up.

I talk a lot about dynamics and how important they are in music. It's important too that it's not super obvious. Sometimes in modern metal songwriting, there will be a part in a song where the person singing will start whispering or go into softer tone and the music slows down and it (the music) gets all clean - and I just roll my eyes and sit back. I roll my eyes because I know in a few seconds the song is going to "explode" and there's gonna be all this yelling and banging - it just gets too obvious. This is why One is so genius, you kind of expect this back and forth, soft to loud, but the way the song progresses is masterful. I mean I must have heard this song about 300 times in the past 13 years alone, but that breakdown is still as fresh as it was when I first heard it.
 
I finally forget to vote in a round and it’s one with two of my own nominees in it. :facepalm: At least my votes wouldn’t have changed the outcome…
 
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