Riggatoni
Trooper
I haven't listened to a single Chicago album, tbh, but maybe if I do, my opinions will change.
The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 4, Matches 46-51
- Thread starter LooseCannon
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KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
Sorry, nothing made in the 60s ever appealed to me, even my parents are a bit hit or miss...
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
I don't think the rest of the discography will be of much appeal to classic rock and metal-oriented bloke (maybe except for a song here or there like 25 or 6 to 4), but the first album is definitely worth giving a spin, IMHO. A lot of guitar, groove and a surprising amount of edge for a band that plays with a brass section. Maybe won't be your style, but I think it's worth knowing.
Riggatoni
Trooper
Alright, I'll check out their first album! Thanks for the suggestion.
I think I have an open enough mind to even listen to their later albums
DJ James
A coma stole my name.
That Alice In Chains song was pretty good, ultimately voting for Gypsy however as Uriah Heep is a band I’ve been meaning to get more into. That main groove underneath the verse in Gypsy kills, and I love the keys in it.
I seem to remember a single edit of Gypsy I enjoyed more of this song, but for now I’ll vote for all 6 minutes of it.
I seem to remember a single edit of Gypsy I enjoyed more of this song, but for now I’ll vote for all 6 minutes of it.
DJ James
A coma stole my name.
I knew No More Tears was a fantastic song, but on relisten it’s certainly better than I remember. Ozzy benefited from having enough money and fame to always associate him with the best musicians for his solo band. His first couple albums are an awesome showcase of some of the best musicians in metal in the 1980’s and 90’s.
Riggatoni
Trooper
Diary of a Madman... Such a perfect album! R.I.P Randy Rhoads
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Uriah Heep, by default.
I rarely vote for instrumentals against songs with lyrics, but Universal Mind is really cool. The other song has some nice parts.
No More Tears is one of Ozzy's classics (great riff and verses), but the classic metal of Between The Hammer & The Anvil is more for me. Both songs solos are great and the simplistic choruses work.
I like Priest's Grinder (great groove), but my nominee, Accept's Breaker - is one of the best classic metal songs and anthems imo. Every part is top-notch! The live version from 1985 is the definitive version. Early speed metal!
In Flames, by default. The vocals are a bit more ''listenable''.
Vanden Plas song is very nice with some musical bits (like solos) and those verses and chorus. I like it better. A surprise.
I rarely vote for instrumentals against songs with lyrics, but Universal Mind is really cool. The other song has some nice parts.
No More Tears is one of Ozzy's classics (great riff and verses), but the classic metal of Between The Hammer & The Anvil is more for me. Both songs solos are great and the simplistic choruses work.
I like Priest's Grinder (great groove), but my nominee, Accept's Breaker - is one of the best classic metal songs and anthems imo. Every part is top-notch! The live version from 1985 is the definitive version. Early speed metal!
In Flames, by default. The vocals are a bit more ''listenable''.
Vanden Plas song is very nice with some musical bits (like solos) and those verses and chorus. I like it better. A surprise.
TheMercenary
Ancient Mariner
My choices this time :
URIAH HEEP - Gypsy
LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT - Universal Mind
JUDAS PRIEST - Between The Hammer And The Anvil
JUDAS PRIEST - Grinder
IN FLAMES - Pinball Map
DREAM THEATER - The Test That Stumped Them All
URIAH HEEP - Gypsy
LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT - Universal Mind
JUDAS PRIEST - Between The Hammer And The Anvil
JUDAS PRIEST - Grinder
IN FLAMES - Pinball Map
DREAM THEATER - The Test That Stumped Them All
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Rain When I Die has a really nice, dark and twisted groove. As usual, killer minor harmonies throughout. It goes on a bit too long, but I dig it. Gypsy just never really gets going for me. It kind of just sounds like jamming. Going with Alice in Chains here.
Consumed has some incredible parts, as is usual for Chuck Schuldiner, but, also as usual, I’m really failing to hear the song. The combination of Chuck, DiGiorgio, and Richard Christy is nothing to scoff at, but I’m not sold on the singer. Now, I realize, that a vote for Liquid Tension Experiment after saying what I said about Control Denied might feel hypocritical, but yet…even at their wankiest, most ridiculous, and most masturbatory, I still feel like Petrucci et al are simply better at stringing together their ideas. The playing is, of course, exceptional, but also quite groovy and emotional. Even the random soft piano break mid-song doesn’t feel as abrupt as any of Chuck’s changes in Consumed. Universal Mind all the way here. It’s just an aggressively fun track - that stupid ending! Love it.
I will slander Ozzy frequently. It’s easy for me. And I think it’s accurate. I will not, however, slander No More Tears. It’s just a fantastic, powerful, hypnotic song. That bass line (credit to Inez or Daisley or both - who cares) is just so simple and perfect, the hook is great, the epic synth bridge rules in a dumb Meatloafian way, and Zakk literally makes a name for himself within a single song (it’s still probably his best solo to date). Between the Hammer and the Anvil is a decent song off of an amazing record, but it cannot compete with No More Tears. I really like it, don’t get me wrong, but in this single rare case I’ll be voting for Ozzy instead of the band I actually like.
Grinder wins the Battle of the Ers, thanks to Halford’s superior vocal melodies.
Heart Like a Grave is dark, melodic and emotional. What a powerhouse. I wish the vocals were mixed louder, but it still beats In Flames in every aspect.
Instrumentally, Rainmaker is really cool despite having lower rent synths than Symphony X. The vocals are so ridiculously nasally, though, that I can’t get behind it. The Test That Stumped Them All is absurd, just like the rest of the title track, but it’s also insanely memorable. One of DT’s silliest, but more interesting moments. Great syncopation all around.
Consumed has some incredible parts, as is usual for Chuck Schuldiner, but, also as usual, I’m really failing to hear the song. The combination of Chuck, DiGiorgio, and Richard Christy is nothing to scoff at, but I’m not sold on the singer. Now, I realize, that a vote for Liquid Tension Experiment after saying what I said about Control Denied might feel hypocritical, but yet…even at their wankiest, most ridiculous, and most masturbatory, I still feel like Petrucci et al are simply better at stringing together their ideas. The playing is, of course, exceptional, but also quite groovy and emotional. Even the random soft piano break mid-song doesn’t feel as abrupt as any of Chuck’s changes in Consumed. Universal Mind all the way here. It’s just an aggressively fun track - that stupid ending! Love it.
I will slander Ozzy frequently. It’s easy for me. And I think it’s accurate. I will not, however, slander No More Tears. It’s just a fantastic, powerful, hypnotic song. That bass line (credit to Inez or Daisley or both - who cares) is just so simple and perfect, the hook is great, the epic synth bridge rules in a dumb Meatloafian way, and Zakk literally makes a name for himself within a single song (it’s still probably his best solo to date). Between the Hammer and the Anvil is a decent song off of an amazing record, but it cannot compete with No More Tears. I really like it, don’t get me wrong, but in this single rare case I’ll be voting for Ozzy instead of the band I actually like.
Grinder wins the Battle of the Ers, thanks to Halford’s superior vocal melodies.
Heart Like a Grave is dark, melodic and emotional. What a powerhouse. I wish the vocals were mixed louder, but it still beats In Flames in every aspect.
Instrumentally, Rainmaker is really cool despite having lower rent synths than Symphony X. The vocals are so ridiculously nasally, though, that I can’t get behind it. The Test That Stumped Them All is absurd, just like the rest of the title track, but it’s also insanely memorable. One of DT’s silliest, but more interesting moments. Great syncopation all around.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
Alice in Chains - Rain When I Die vs. Uriah Heep - Gypsy
Alice in Chains was decent enough, and you can see it was hugely influential on a lot of Dad Rock etc. that has come since then. Gypsy is great, bar the odd cringey lyric, still sounds heavy today so can only imagine what it was like in 1970. Gypsy
Control Denied - Consumed vs. Liquid Tension Experiment - Universal Mind
Control Denied was ok, could have done with a hook in there somewhere. Liquid Tension Experiment had some really good melodies and chord progressions, enough to get it the win, but of course everything was totally over played, and I realised I wasn't paying attention come the final section. However, like I said, you could take some of those melodies and chord progressions and make an actual song out of them. Universal Mind
Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears vs. Judas Priest - Between the Hammer and the Anvil
I like both tracks about the same but I reckon No More Tears is a bigger track for Ozzy than Between the Hammer and the Anvil is for Priest so I'm going with that No More Tears
Accept - Breaker vs. Judas Priest - Grinder
Never heard Breaker before and it's pretty good but Grinder is pretty great even if the "looking for meat" line is a bit shit Grinder
Insomnium - Heart Like a Grave vs. In Flames - Pinball Map
Heart Like a Grave is pretty good, nice dynamics, even the vocals are towards the less intrusive end of the spectrum. In Flames, some of the melodic riffs are decent but otherwise not great. Heart Like a Grave
Vanden Plas - Rainmaker vs. Dream Theater - The Test That Stumped Them All
Never heard of Vanden Plas before, pretty good Queensryche-esque stuff, maybe a bit more prog influenced, but unlike their opposition some hooks involved. DT wasn't great, the keyboard sounds and the lack of groove the main culprits. The instrumental outro section was pretty decent. Rainmaker
Alice in Chains was decent enough, and you can see it was hugely influential on a lot of Dad Rock etc. that has come since then. Gypsy is great, bar the odd cringey lyric, still sounds heavy today so can only imagine what it was like in 1970. Gypsy
Control Denied - Consumed vs. Liquid Tension Experiment - Universal Mind
Control Denied was ok, could have done with a hook in there somewhere. Liquid Tension Experiment had some really good melodies and chord progressions, enough to get it the win, but of course everything was totally over played, and I realised I wasn't paying attention come the final section. However, like I said, you could take some of those melodies and chord progressions and make an actual song out of them. Universal Mind
Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears vs. Judas Priest - Between the Hammer and the Anvil
I like both tracks about the same but I reckon No More Tears is a bigger track for Ozzy than Between the Hammer and the Anvil is for Priest so I'm going with that No More Tears
Accept - Breaker vs. Judas Priest - Grinder
Never heard Breaker before and it's pretty good but Grinder is pretty great even if the "looking for meat" line is a bit shit Grinder
Insomnium - Heart Like a Grave vs. In Flames - Pinball Map
Heart Like a Grave is pretty good, nice dynamics, even the vocals are towards the less intrusive end of the spectrum. In Flames, some of the melodic riffs are decent but otherwise not great. Heart Like a Grave
Vanden Plas - Rainmaker vs. Dream Theater - The Test That Stumped Them All
Never heard of Vanden Plas before, pretty good Queensryche-esque stuff, maybe a bit more prog influenced, but unlike their opposition some hooks involved. DT wasn't great, the keyboard sounds and the lack of groove the main culprits. The instrumental outro section was pretty decent. Rainmaker
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
A bit of an odd ''decision breaker''. I personally don't care much if one song is bigger for the band or not for such games.
Wow! Have you listened to Accept before?
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
To be fair, I also got into the early albums quite late, even though I've been listening to (and loving thoroughly) Restless, Balls and Metal Heart ever since I was, like, two (courtesy of my father, of course).
Indeed, I've been saving this for when the title track comes up in the cup, but Metal Heart is literally my first metal album ever. I knew how to put it in the player and play it since I was 3. This one, Aerosmith's Get a Grip and Bon Jovi's Cross Road are the first three albums of my life. I still know them by heart, every single noise, the track sequencing, how the booklets looked like...
Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
Sorry Kid, it was very late and I fell asleep midway through Consumed. Woke up at 6:00 wondering why I have an earbud in my ear and where the other one is. LTE wins by default.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
I thought you once said you liked the Control Denied album?
Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
Apparently less than I like sleep.
Nah, just found it funny, I'm no stranger to listening when too tired, but I never just lost myself without putting the phone and earbuds away. I'm probably going with Consumed after giving them both a proper listen (though Universal Mind is top 3 LTE songs)... And I'm also going to take a nap because apparently that's how my body reacts to this song now... zzz
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Apparently less than I like sleep.
Nah, just found it funny, I'm no stranger to listening when too tired, but I never just lost myself without putting the phone and earbuds away. I'm probably going with Consumed after giving them both a proper listen (though Universal Mind is top 3 LTE songs)... And I'm also going to take a nap because apparently that's how my body reacts to this song now... zzz
"Go son, go down to the water
And see the women sleeping there
Then go up into the mountains
The men, they are sleeping too"
"Father, why are all the women sleeping?"
"They are sleeping 'cause their men"
"Then why are all the men there sleeping?"
"They are sleeping back at them!"
This is a sleeping song
A song in which to sleep
While all the men and women weep
This is a sleeping song
But I won't be sleeping long
"Father, why are all the children sleeping?"
"They are merely slumbering, son"
"Oh, are they merely slumbering, father?"
"Yes, true sleeping is yet to come"
This is a sleeping song
A song in which to sleep
While all the men and women weep
This is a sleeping song
But I won't be sleeping long
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
"Rain When I Die" has a wonderfully queasy vibe to it, juxtaposed with an unexpectedly bright chorus. The vocal harmonies on the verse are interesting and the bridge and outro are great. I wouldn't personally put it among the very best tracks on Dirt, but it's still great. "Gypsy" has some interesting rhythmic stuff going on at first, but gets a lot more simplistic during the verses. The vocal melodies are pretty good, but the organ solo is directionless and that plodding verse rhythm underneath gets really old really fast. The hard stop and long return at the 2/3 mark is completely unnecessary, and there are some rough transitions in a few places. Yeah, that was a bit of a mess. An easy call for @Diesel 11's nominee here. Winner: Alice In Chains - "Rain When I Die"
"Consumed" has some cool interactions going on between the two guitar parts and the bass in the intro. The main riff is also pretty cool. The singer is pretty good, though he does chew up the scenery a bit. The drop into the doomy section is pretty dope, with a nice solo. The chorus has nice guitar work, but the vocal lines there are a complete dud. Getting some Todd LaTorre vibes in there sometimes. Nice outro. Well, that was a bit uneven, but there were lots of really strong parts to it. "Universal Mind" is bright and gratuitously masturbatory, but there are lots of great leads and memorable sections (love the piano / guitar / synth tradeoff solos) and only a few weaknesses (some discount synth tones and the cheesy carnival outro), and ultimately everything works well together. Great stuff. Sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but I have to go with @Stardust's nominee here. Winner: Liquid Tension Experiment - "Universal Mind"
"No More Tears" is a really well-constructed song with a strong groove, nice atmosphere and leads, and memorable vocal lines that play to Ozzy's strengths. I really like the vocal and guitar tradeoffs during the verse, the solo is great, and even the low-rent synth orchestration works well enough. Great song. "Between The Hammer And The Anvil" has a bit of an odd start with the swaying harmonized intro, but it's got a peppy riff with strong vocal lines during the verse. The chorus lacks meat and memorability (until the final variant where Rob is wailing), but the industrial bridge is nice and the solos that follow are strong. A very good song overall, but sorry @KidInTheDark666, it's not as consistently great as the list nominee here. Winner: Ozzy Osbourne - "No More Tears"
"Breaker" has a peppy (if a bit sloppily performed) riff. The vocal melodies are OK, and Udo sounds a little better than usual here. Some of the guitar fills aren't the best, and neither are the lyrics, but this is still a pretty OK-to-good song overall. "Grinder" has a stock riff and groove, and the vocal melodies are again just OK. Some of the lyrics are pretty cringey, but the guitar leads are consistently strong, and the bridge is solid. Nothing special here, but again, still pretty OK-to-good overall. Not thrilled with either track, but sorry @Kalata, I think the list nominee was a little less underwhelming overall. Winner: Judas Priest - "Grinder"
"Heart Like A Grave" has a pretty acoustic intro that flows into a nice epic melodic lead...and then Cookie Monster shows up. I just don't get the appeal of that at all. The harmonized clean vocals are decent, but the extreme stuff sticks out like a sore thumb and just gets in the way of the music. Literally everything else about this song is great, but the Muppet vocals turn it into a clown show. Just imagine how much better it could have been if it were sung instead. Oh well. "Pinball Map" has dope riffs. The verse and pre-chorus vocals are bad non-melodic thrash fare, but in a pleasant surprise they go melodic on the chorus to great effect. I wish that harmonized guitar lead after the second chorus had lasted longer, but what's there is good. I really like the thick harmonized stuff that follows it both times. Well, on a purely musical level both tracks are pretty great, though I think the Insomnium track is a little stronger in that respect -- but when we factor in the vocals, there's much more to like and much less to dislike about the In Flames track. And sorry, @Night Prowler, but that's enough to tip the balance in @KiDDo's favor here. Winner: In Flames - "Pinball Map"
"Rainmaker" has a pleasantly busy intro that keeps up the pace as it rolls through some very Dream Theater-esque instrumentals. The singer's voice is a little thin and has a bit of an accent, but he gets the job done. The vocal lines are solid but not great. The guitar and bass work are consistently strong, though, and that extended solo section toward the end is great, as is the outro soloing. I like how the song was busy without feeling masturbatory. "The Test That Stumped Them All", on the other hand, does feel masturbatory, and LaBrie isn't really selling me on the verses. And WTF is with this half-spoken carnival shit? At least the guitar and synth solos are good. I'm kind of exhausted by the 4 minute mark, but hey, why not have the outro go on for another minute anyway. Yeah, this is an easy call for @MindRuler's nominee. Winner: Vanden Plas - "Rainmaker"
"Consumed" has some cool interactions going on between the two guitar parts and the bass in the intro. The main riff is also pretty cool. The singer is pretty good, though he does chew up the scenery a bit. The drop into the doomy section is pretty dope, with a nice solo. The chorus has nice guitar work, but the vocal lines there are a complete dud. Getting some Todd LaTorre vibes in there sometimes. Nice outro. Well, that was a bit uneven, but there were lots of really strong parts to it. "Universal Mind" is bright and gratuitously masturbatory, but there are lots of great leads and memorable sections (love the piano / guitar / synth tradeoff solos) and only a few weaknesses (some discount synth tones and the cheesy carnival outro), and ultimately everything works well together. Great stuff. Sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but I have to go with @Stardust's nominee here. Winner: Liquid Tension Experiment - "Universal Mind"
"No More Tears" is a really well-constructed song with a strong groove, nice atmosphere and leads, and memorable vocal lines that play to Ozzy's strengths. I really like the vocal and guitar tradeoffs during the verse, the solo is great, and even the low-rent synth orchestration works well enough. Great song. "Between The Hammer And The Anvil" has a bit of an odd start with the swaying harmonized intro, but it's got a peppy riff with strong vocal lines during the verse. The chorus lacks meat and memorability (until the final variant where Rob is wailing), but the industrial bridge is nice and the solos that follow are strong. A very good song overall, but sorry @KidInTheDark666, it's not as consistently great as the list nominee here. Winner: Ozzy Osbourne - "No More Tears"
"Breaker" has a peppy (if a bit sloppily performed) riff. The vocal melodies are OK, and Udo sounds a little better than usual here. Some of the guitar fills aren't the best, and neither are the lyrics, but this is still a pretty OK-to-good song overall. "Grinder" has a stock riff and groove, and the vocal melodies are again just OK. Some of the lyrics are pretty cringey, but the guitar leads are consistently strong, and the bridge is solid. Nothing special here, but again, still pretty OK-to-good overall. Not thrilled with either track, but sorry @Kalata, I think the list nominee was a little less underwhelming overall. Winner: Judas Priest - "Grinder"
"Heart Like A Grave" has a pretty acoustic intro that flows into a nice epic melodic lead...and then Cookie Monster shows up. I just don't get the appeal of that at all. The harmonized clean vocals are decent, but the extreme stuff sticks out like a sore thumb and just gets in the way of the music. Literally everything else about this song is great, but the Muppet vocals turn it into a clown show. Just imagine how much better it could have been if it were sung instead. Oh well. "Pinball Map" has dope riffs. The verse and pre-chorus vocals are bad non-melodic thrash fare, but in a pleasant surprise they go melodic on the chorus to great effect. I wish that harmonized guitar lead after the second chorus had lasted longer, but what's there is good. I really like the thick harmonized stuff that follows it both times. Well, on a purely musical level both tracks are pretty great, though I think the Insomnium track is a little stronger in that respect -- but when we factor in the vocals, there's much more to like and much less to dislike about the In Flames track. And sorry, @Night Prowler, but that's enough to tip the balance in @KiDDo's favor here. Winner: In Flames - "Pinball Map"
"Rainmaker" has a pleasantly busy intro that keeps up the pace as it rolls through some very Dream Theater-esque instrumentals. The singer's voice is a little thin and has a bit of an accent, but he gets the job done. The vocal lines are solid but not great. The guitar and bass work are consistently strong, though, and that extended solo section toward the end is great, as is the outro soloing. I like how the song was busy without feeling masturbatory. "The Test That Stumped Them All", on the other hand, does feel masturbatory, and LaBrie isn't really selling me on the verses. And WTF is with this half-spoken carnival shit? At least the guitar and synth solos are good. I'm kind of exhausted by the 4 minute mark, but hey, why not have the outro go on for another minute anyway. Yeah, this is an easy call for @MindRuler's nominee. Winner: Vanden Plas - "Rainmaker"
