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

[srfc]

KISS - Black Diamond vs. Uriah Heep - July Morning
Right the end of Black Diamond is shit, it works in a live end of gig setting but they should never have stuck it on the record, but otherwise it's great. Never heard July Morning before, it's pretty good too Black Diamond

Skid Row - 18 and Life vs. Twisted Sister - You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll vs. Dokken - Alone Again
I have the Skid Row and Twisted Sister albums and am familiar enough with Alone Again to know I will be picking up a Dokken hits compilation the next time I see one, I like all 3 tracks here but one is clearly on a level above the other 2, mostly down to a powerhouse vocal performance from one of Metal's all time great voices (shame about everything else about him) 18 and Life

Dream Theater - The Count of Tuscany vs. Myrath - Believer
When I saw the runtime for DT I decided to give this one short shrift (I was on a tea break and 19 mins would take up most of it), we've heard what they do a million times, they seem to be in every tie, so I wasn't going to suddenly be caught off guard by a great track, and a couple of minutes was enough to see that this song isn't anything radically different from the sort of music they usually do, which hasn't interested me thus far. I liked Myrath, has a vibe of somewhere between Ghost and The Final Countdown. Believer

Therapy? - Nowhere vs. Queens of the Stone Age - A Song for the Dead
Troublegum is a great album that holds up still, there's about 4 or 5 great singles on there, and I was a fan at the time, I think I'd have gone for Die Laughing but Nowhere is still great. Gave QOTSA a minute, not for me, the big single off that album might have given me a choice to make. Nowhere

Bring Me the Horizon - Can You Feel My Heart vs. A Perfect Circle - Judith
BMTH, pretty bad, overproduced with an awkward rhythm, the music doesn't "accompany" the vocal in anyway. A Perfect Circle was in that Alter Bridge dad rock/sanitised Grunge vein that I'm not hugely interested in but this track was miles ahead of BMTH Judith

Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK vs. Type O Negative - Love You to Death
Anarchy in the UK is ok when other bands cover it but the Pistols themselves are fairly shit, bar Pretty Vacant. Not even going to listen to Type O after the shambles of them getting through in the last round. Anarchy in the UK

 

[MindRuler]

Troublegum is a great album that holds up still, there's about 4 or 5 great singles on there, and I was a fan at the time, I think I'd have gone for Die Laughing but Nowhere is still great.

Simply nominated Nowhere because it was the first Therapy? song I heard. I still remember where and when: during a Paris school trip in 1994 on the hotel tv. Troublegum is a classic!

 

[Jer]

[I'm] familiar enough with Alone Again to know I will be picking up a Dokken hits compilation the next time I see one

Be careful with these, as there's at least one where the songs were re-recorded with a post-Lynch line-up (I think it's called Greatest Hits or The Anthems depending on which release it was). Your best bet for a compilation is probably The Very Best Of Dokken from 1999, which should be all original recordings and have all of their singles through 1989, plus "Mr. Scary", one Don Dokken solo track, and the first single from their reunion album Dysfunctional.

(EDIT: The Japanese release The Best Of Dokken from 1994 also has a very good track list that overlaps heavily with this one, minus the Don Dokken solo track and "Too High To Fly" -- though it's probably pricey.)

If you want to go with any full albums, Tooth And Nail and Back For The Attack are the best places to start. Under Lock And Key isn't quite as consistent, but it's also worth your time if you like those first two.

 

[srfc]

Be careful with these, as there's at least one where the songs were re-recorded with a post-Lynch line-up (I think it's called Greatest Hits or The Anthems depending on which release it was). Your best bet for a compilation is probably The Very Best Of Dokken from 1995, which should be all original recordings and have all of their singles through 1989, plus "Mr. Scary", one Don Dokken solo track, and the first single from their reunion album Dysfunctional.

If you want to go with any full albums, Tooth And Nail and Back For The Attack are the best places to start. Under Lock And Key isn't quite as consistent, but it's also worth your time if you like those first two.

Good stuff, sounds like those two classic albums are probably a better bet

 

[Jer]

Good stuff, sounds like those two classic albums are probably a better bet

You can't go wrong with either of them. The compilations will get you the 2 best songs from Breaking The Chains and the 3 singles from Under Lock And Key in addition to the big tracks from those other albums, though, so there's an argument to be made for going that way, too.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Fuck yeah, Giles.

Black Diamond is a shockingly decent tune, considering the Kiss of it. Good riffs, catchy, not ridiculously sophomoric. The surprising musical changes that begin around the halfway point are quite cool. Still, I prefer Uriah Heep’s proggy jams and melodic vocals. The classical riff that comes after the ridiculous “La La La” part is awesome. It’s not a landslide, but I’m going with July Morning.

18 and Life wins the hair metal trio, this one easily by a landslide.

Believer is another cool Myrath song, reminding me I really need to check these guys out. This song sounds like an Eastern version of Seventh Wonder to me. The chorus is a bit twee, but catchy, and that main melodic riff is a really good hook. I do wish there was more prog here. And more metal. The Count of Tuscany features some of the absolute worst lyrics and Portnoy vocals in the entire Dream Theater discography, but also some of the most gorgeous melodies John Petrucci has even written. That final section beginning with the acoustic part is easily a top five musical moment for the band, even if this song as a whole wouldn’t even crack my top 25.

Nowhere’s main riff is infuriating. I play a lot of pop/punk songs, many that I dislike, and this is worse than all of those songs. QOTSA are a good band with a few great albums, and this is one of them. Sure, the riff is repetitive, but it’s all about the shifting Grohl drums underneath. This song sounds like a feverish zombie wandering through the desert. Song For the Dead isn’t my favorite track of theirs by a longshot (not a big fan of their old bassist’s lead vocals here), but it’s miles ahead of the competition.

Bring Me The Horizon suck and this song is no exception. I’m not a big Maynard fan, but Judith is undeniably a catchy tune. The lyrics are incredibly powerful and I’m still shocked this was a single with such content. The way the chorus ends with that big, open (re: rejoiceful) refrain is a genius level songwriting move. A Perfect Circle knock this one out of the park.

Anarchy in the UK stinks. I still don’t really get whatever Type O Negative brings to the table, besides sounding like a blend of new wave and Halloween music, but it’s an easy vote for them here.

 

[srfc]

The generation gap on Youtube is hilarious. Looking at the view counts, A Perfect Circle, I never heard of them, 60 million views, BMTH I couldn't tell you the names of any of their songs, 188 million views. Therapy? 491k, Troublegum was a huge album at the time, they were second on the bill behind Metallica at Donington 95

 

[Night Prowler]

(not a big fan of their old bassist’s lead vocals here), but it’s miles ahead of the competition.

That's Mark Lanegan on vocals on that song, not Nick Oliveri (ex-bass player).

I think he's the weakest part of the song as well. Josh is a much better vocalist IMO.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

That's Mark Lanegan on vocals on that song, not Nick Oliveri (ex-bass player).

I think he's the weakest part of the song as well. Josh is a much better vocalist IMO.

Man, I completely forgot they had a random third vocalist as a member of the band.

 

[Detective Beauregard]

The generation gap on Youtube is hilarious. Looking at the view counts, A Perfect Circle, I never heard of them, 60 million views, BMTH I couldn't tell you the names of any of their songs, 188 million views. Therapy? 491k, Troublegum was a huge album at the time, they were second on the bill behind Metallica at Donington 95

I had never heard of BMTH or Therapy? before this round.

 

[KidInTheDark666]

Hasn't Bring Me the Horizon been one of the biggest bands out there for a decade at least? I don't listen to them myself either. They have almost twice as many spotify listeners as Maiden though.

 

[Confeos]

"Black Diamond" is a great song. Kiss really took me by surprise there, definitely their best song in the game so far. Uriah Heep is usually more up my alley, and "July Morning" is more than good as well, but I feel I gotta reward Kiss for defying my expectations.

In the three-way-battle, Skid Row turns up with a solid offering in "18 and Life", but "You Can't Stop Rock and Roll" has better riffs, and that's enough to win it for me. I found nothing memorable about "Alone Again", so it wasn't really up for consideration here. Twisted Sister.

Myrath may have largely abandoned their proggy roots in favour of shorter, catchier songs, but even so, "Believer" is an absolutely fantastic tune. One of the two that initally got me hooked on them (the other being "Dance"), I love the riff, the chorus, the amazing solo. I started losing interest in Dream Theater around Black Clouds & Silver Linings, and it might be the last album of theirs I've actually listened to in full. There are a lot of decent parts in "The Count of Tuscany", but it's overblown, too long, and the lyrics... well, I've never thought of any of the guys in Dream Theater as good lyricists anyway, but it might take the cake as one of their worst offerings in the words departement. So, Myrath.

"Nowhere" kinda reminds me of the Ramones, only heavier. Not something I would actively listen to, but not bad. Meanwhile, I've never cared one bit for QOTSA. Monotone riffing and bad vocals in "A Song for the Dead" doesn't win me over. Going for Therapy?. (Yes).

Fuck, "Can You Feel My Heart" is terrible. Really horrible. Definitely a contender for the worst song in the cup so far. A Perfect Circle wins by default.

I have never been a fan of "Anarchy in the UK". Megadave's cover isn't quite a success either, but somehow it's still better than the original. I have no idea what's going on "Love You to Death", but I'm a bit intrigued. It's so weird I kinda wanna see it progress. Yeah, I'm voting for Type O Negative.

 

[Shmoolikipod]

The Count of Tuscany having such dramatic music to support lyrics about Petrucci visiting a winery is so hilarious to me. Especially the ending. Jesus

 

[Jer]

"Black Diamond" has a surprisingly gentle intro, then breaks into a serviceable dad rock riff. I don't like the "woo woo" backing vocals at all. The solo's pretty good, and I guess the vocal lines are alright. The outro's totally overblown, but it was OK until the super-extended slowdown bit which just drives the car off the cliff. This is a pretty mediocre song in the end, barely memorable at all. I guess I lack the necessary gene to appreciate Kiss outside of a very small handful of songs. "July Morning" starts with a solid organ groove, eventually giving way to a gentle verse with a strong vocal melody. The heavier "la la la la" bit isn't as compelling, but it's fine. Good organ solo. The high "la" bits afterward are a bit cringey. Not sure the second half of the song was necessary, but the extended jam is pleasant enough, and the computery bits near the end are interesting. Bloated, but pretty good overall. Not much of a contest here. Winner: Uriah Heep - "July Morning"

Not gonna lie, "18 And Life" is a pretty great song. Great vocal lines, great performance from Seb Bach, some nice color work on the guitar, and a good solo. It feels like it treads water a little bit in a few places, but there isn't all that much to criticize here. Twisted Sister has two good songs, and "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" isn't one of them. The main riff is solid, but the vocal lines are forgettable and there isn't much songwriting to speak of here. It really says something when I'm checking the clock only 2 minutes in. The solo's fine, but nothing special. Yeah, no thanks. "Alone Again" is my nomination, and I think it's in contention for the best metal ballad, period. The pervasive melancholy of the song, a great performance from Don, great atmospheric guitar work from Lynch, and a soaring melodic solo that threads back into the song and keeps coming back in a great call and response with the vocals. There's a lot of care in the songwriting here, and not an ounce of fat; and I think that's more than enough to put it over the top, even without considering own-nominee bias. Winner: Dokken - "Alone Again"

As I said in the Crusade Of Epics, “The Count Of Tuscany” has pretty consistently great instrumental sections, but where it falls down a bit is with the vocal parts. Some of them are good, but the hard-panned panicked parts (e.g. “Let me introduce...”) are downright cringe-inducing. "Believer" is punchy and very synth-forward, but still maintains a strong middle eastern feel. The vocal lines are pretty good, the interlude is great, and the solo is epic. I like the piano outro, too. I'm sure a lot of the crowd here is going to automatically sleep-vote for Dream Theater, so I'm going to throw the presumed underdog a bone because it doesn't have as many weaknesses as its competitor. Sorry, @JudasMyGuide, but I'm going for @Black Bart's nominee here. Winner: Myrath - "Believer"

"Nowhere" is appealing, peppy pop-punk with an overly repetitive chorus. It's fine, but it's also kind of in one ear and out the other. "A Song For The Dead" starts with an annoyingly repetitive and simplistic riff, and I'm not sure what they were thinking with the guitar sound here. The moany part sounds like Primus with a dash of Hendrix and shoulder-shrugging vocals. The solo is sort of interesting and sort of not. I kind of feel like this song should have just ended at the 3 minute mark, but it went on nearly twice as long. Not a fan of either track, and while I guess the Queens track had more musical meat on it, it was also more annoying and felt like it started to waste my time, so sorry @Night Prowler, but I have to go with @MindRuler's nominee here. Winner: Therapy? - "Nowhere"

"Can You Feel My Heart" is like whinier, more annoying Linkin Park without the rapping. It feels like there's a hook in there somewhere, but it's being actively drowned by all the other bullshit. "Judith" is definitely more thoughtfully constructed, though I'm not in love with the vocal melodies or the screamy bits. But it's way less annoying, so congratulations @Diesel 11, that's more than enough to win this match. Winner: A Perfect Circle - "Judith"

"Anarchy In The U.K." was important and all, but it's actively annoying to listen to, and I generally prefer hearing its covers instead. "Love You To Death" has a lot more nuance and atmosphere, and strong vocal melodies. It probably runs on longer than it needs to, but there's still no contest over which song I'd rather listen to. Winner: Type O Negative - "Love You To Death"

 

[Mosh]

Hasn't Bring Me the Horizon been one of the biggest bands out there for a decade at least? I don't listen to them myself either. They have almost twice as many spotify listeners as Maiden though.

Well, they are a pop band. They have more in common with Taylor Swift than Maiden in terms of demographics.

 

[Diesel 11]

"Black Diamond" was a really good Kiss song. The ending was too long but I did like its doomy qualities. "July Morning" is a great Heep epic, although I think it drags on a bit longer than it needs to. David Byrne's wailings in the middle there are a bit too much but otherwise he's got a great performance (although the "la-la-la" chorus has always felt a bit daft). I'm okay with either song progressing, but I'll vote Kiss as it's currently losing.

1. Twisted Sister are overrated as fuck and have only a handful of good songs. "Burn in Hell" is great and the two famous ones - you know them - are fine, but honestly overhyped and overplayed. The only good part of this song was that switch in the solo section that felt somewhat akin to Iron Maiden. Everything else can immediately go in the dump bin.
2. I used to be big into Dokken when I was younger and listened to Hair Nation. I still like a lot of their songs, including "Alone Again", but I'll honest, age has not helped them. Don Dokken's thin voice is a lot more noticeable to me now and just can't go where better singers can. Lynch's guitar playing is great, but it only elevates the song somewhat. The vocal melodies just don't fly off the page and the chorus doesn't hit the heights it needs to. If I'm being overly critical, it's just that this song feels so much more disappointing when held up next to the other metal ballad it's competing against.
3. Age has not withered "18 and Life" whatsoever. The emotional core of this song is so powerful, and the production hits fucking hard. Bach's voice is shiny yet coarse as he tells a heart-wrenching story that is made even more intense by that music video. Man that video killed me when I was younger. Even now the song still brings on full chills when I hear it. No competition, whatsoever. Skid Row by a mile.

Gotta say, this game has made me appreciate the good Dream Theater songs more than I expected. "The Count of Tuscany" is amazing in a lot of ways. For a 19 minute song it really never drags. LaBrie sounds mostly good (I'm finding him way more bearable in his lower range than when he scales for the super-highs). The intro is awesome, the chorus is strong, the interludium is super cool, and the ending is killer. My one problem is that I could not follow the story and it sounds dumb as fuck, but I feel like that's the general fan-consensus? If someone wants to break the tale down for me I'm all ears. There are a few members here where I'm actively looking forward to hearing their contributions, and Judas is definitely one of them. I liked Myrath a lot too, and I'd vote for them over other songs, but not this one.

Therapy? wasn't necessarily the greatest thing ever, but it was concise and I dug the chorus. Queens of the Stone Age were interesting but just went on and on.

Shocked to find out I'd heard this Bring Me the Horizon song before, and my partner told me it's because of the chad memes. Wow. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit and would've voted for it over other songs, but not "Judith". No way. No fucking way dude. This song KICKS. This song FUCKS. This song COOKS. Awesome from beginning to end and leaves both you the listener and Maynard breathless by the time it's over. Also shoutout to Josh Freese for the incredible drumming. A Perfect Circle with A Perfect Song.

"Anarchy in the U.K." is great punk rock and super fun. Completely rough around the edges but that's the point. Again, would vote for it over other songs, but "Love You to Death" is spell-binding and magical in the most sinful ways. Type O Negative for sure.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

My one problem is that I could not follow the story and it sounds dumb as fuck, but I feel like that's the general fan-consensus? If someone wants to break the tale down for me I'm all ears.

A timid John Petrucci visits a winery in Tuscany run by two brothers who are kinda weird (or maybe just Italian). The end.

 

[Shmoolikipod]

Dream Theather, il progressive del Chianti Classico e il Sangiovese in Purezza #vinitaly 2011

Storia progressive di un vino particolare,il Villa Calcinaia Vigna Bastignano da IGT a Chianti Classico Riserva cru aziendale con esposizione unica e particolare e capace di dare lustr

www.vinodaburde.com

The count's side. Yes, it really isn't as exciting as DT would have you think.

 

[Detective Beauregard]

Well, they are a pop band. They have more in common with Taylor Swift than Maiden in terms of demographics.

That explains why I’ve never heard of them. I have to live in a bubble because shitty music damages my immune system.

Genres that compromise my health:

- rap
- emo
- punk
- nu-metal
- easy listening
- overly-autotuned pop
- country-pop (unless it’s Shania Twain because she’s still got it)

A timid John Petrucci visits a winery in Tuscany run by two brothers who are kinda weird (or maybe just Italian). The end.

I thought the winery was in a dungeon in a castle?

 

[Detective Beauregard]

Dream Theather, il progressive del Chianti Classico e il Sangiovese in Purezza #vinitaly 2011

Storia progressive di un vino particolare,il Villa Calcinaia Vigna Bastignano da IGT a Chianti Classico Riserva cru aziendale con esposizione unica e particolare e capace di dare lustr

www.vinodaburde.com

The count's side. Yes, it really isn't as exciting as DT would have you think.

Good god, I thought this happened to Petrucci when he was a kid. That pic looks like it was taken around the Six Degrees/Train of Thought era. So they were in their 30s. I’m speechless.