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!

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  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
Just a quick one for me this time:

Alice Cooper - love how creepy it is.

Nazareth - not even the best song on the album, yet still awesome.

Deep Purple - one of my favourite Blackmore riffs.

Thorns - just for being more interesting than its opponent.

Asphyx - something about Rudra really rubbed me the wrong way.

Cage the Gods - toughest one this, but alright, "Eruption" isn't really a song.
 
Voted without listening, but I know most of these already and found myself voting against things quite a bit. Hair of the Dog is a truly awful song and I can’t believe I’m one of only two voters who went against it. Absolute dreck.
 
Match 355 - Krokus
I don't know why, but Alice doesn't sound like Alice in this song, more so, this doesn't even sound like his song. Even more so, it reminds me of Tattooed Millionaire and I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. Krokus is such a stupid name, nothing ever should be named Krokus. Maybe kids cereals. Krokus - A common cure for breakfast. It could work. Even with that daft name, they made a better sounding song.

Match 356 - Nazareth
Speaking of stupid names for bands, here's another - Humble Pie. I know it's a term, but it's still stupid. I wish they were against Krokus, because I like it more than "Screaming in the Night". But it's against Nazareth's "Son of a Bitch". Eons ago, when making CD compilations were still a thing, this one ended on my "70s rock" although I only heard it a couple of times. I don't know what it is I like about it, the riff or the distressed guy (or is he angry, or in regret about heartbreaker/soulshaker). But it's probably the cowbell.

Match 357 - Uriah Heep
Of course Uriah Heep is losing to Deep Purple on a board where somebody already said that "Uriah Heep is just a poor man's Deep Purple". The same board that voted Senjutsu at No 6. and put "Somewhere in Time" above 7th Son, Powerslave and BNW. I remembered this clip where a guy was asked what was the best advice he was given. The guy in clip responded that, in one part of his life due to personal tragedy, when he was at his lowest, he went to see psychiatrist. "I don't think I can hold it together" confessed the guy in the clip "I think I'm going to go crazy." The response wasn't what he expected to hear. "That's OK, you can go crazy" psychiatrist said "Just remember to come back."
I think that same advice can be said to this board. We've done silly things here, but now it time to come back. Now it's time to pull ourselves up, become better people. Recycle. Wear a condom. Vote for Uriah Heep.

Match 358 - Thorns
Hardest match in this round. When I saw first three matches, I thought they were going to be short. I mean, they didn't had internet in the 70s, what's there to sing about and make it longer than 5 minutes?! So I was happy when Emperor came and I was like "Yeah, 4 minutes, you got my vote!" Especially when I saw Vortex is longer than 6 minutes. But Vortey does pay of after 3 minutes of nothing. But then again it goes into nothing. But I didn't like much of Emperor. Voted for Thorns because I believe there'll be another Emperor song. Never heard about Thorns.

Match 359 - Rudra
Hindu heavy metal?! Holy sucking fhit, why I didn't knew about this?! Blast beats, that's why probably. I mean, they get a pretty good grove later on (and amazing start while we're at it) but I must confess I expected much more. Or I thought this combination will sound different. But there's potential. Bookmarked.

Match 360 - Cage the Gods
"Eruption" just doesn't hit the same without "You Really Got Me" and while we're at this "song" I must say that I never bought the story that this is recorded accidentally, no matter how much the almighty EVH told it. It just oozes with that Johnny Cash's school of storytelling "Never let the truth get in a way of good story."
 
Alice Cooper - Wind Up Toy vs. Krokus - Screaming in the Night
I was unfamiliar with both of these tracks, and they were enjoyable enough, but I don't think either will be troubling the final stages of this tournament. Krokus was more to my tastes. Screaming in the Night

Nazareth - Hair of the Dog vs. Humble Pie - I Don't Need No Doctor

Hair of the Dog is a classic, great riff, great hook. I'd probably have voted for W.A.S.P.'s version of I Don't Need No Doctor, but the irony of Frampton losing to a talk box solo is too delicious. Hair of the Dog

Uriah Heep - Bird of Prey vs Deep Purple - Knocking at Your Back Door

I never heard Bird of Prey before, it was alright, vocal was iffy. Knocking at Your Back Door contains filthy Gillan pun's that Bruce has been trying and failing to imitate ever since, plus a decent enough riff Knocking at Your Back Door

Emperor - Thus Spake the Nightspirit vs. Thorns - Vortex

Emperor seemed like it might have some interesting chord progressions if I was able to hear them. Much easier to hear what Vortex where doing, there was a decent riff in there, but it's hard to judge an atmospheric track like this out of context, you can't tell whether it's a justified contrast to the rest of the tracks, or more of the same Vortex

Rudra - Avidya Nivrtti vs. Asphyx - Vermin

Rudra was pretty decent, bar the vocal and OTT drumming as usual, but it was produced real well, you could hear everything but the rawness wasn't diminished. Not a million miles away from Slayer in parts. Asphyx was similar as well in not being a million miles away from Slayer either, the extremity being provided by the guitar tone (and probably tuning) and vocal rather than the riffs being radically different from what more mainstream bands were doing. Avidya Nivrtti

Cage the Gods - Favourite Sin vs. Van Halen - Eruption

Never heard of Cage the Gods before, decent enough track, sort of in between 80's Hard Rock and and edgier Alter Bridge, not sure the build up before the chorus worked, and the second final round in a row that had a track with a Shoot to Thrill style breakdown. I would usually not think a guitar solo should feature, but this is the exception. I can only imagine what this would have sounded like to people hearing it for the first time in 1978 Eruption
 
What's that screaming in the night? It's Alice Cooper's wind up toy. According to Nazareth, you don't need no doctor, you just need hair of the dog. Deep Purple is knocking on a bird of prey's back door, which seems unadvisable, but hey, what do I know. Emperor is being consumed in Thorns's vortex. Rudra crushes Asphyx like they're vermin. And Cage the Gods seems to be our favourite sin.





Part I, Round 61, Matches 361-366


Play In Round
Match 361
Live After Death Division​
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
vs.
Free - All Right Now​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 362
The Red and the Black Division​
Rammstein - Sonne
vs.
Rammstein - Links 2 3 4​
@Poto
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 363
The Red and the Black Division​
Judas Priest - Sinner
vs.
Grave Digger - Haunted Palace​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 364
The Red and the Black Division​
Black Sabbath - The Sign of the Southern Cross
vs.
Iced Earth - Birth of the Wicked​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 365
Only the Good Die Young Division​
Extreme - Play With Me
vs.
Ratt - Lack of Communication​
@Stardust
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 366
Only the Good Die Young Division​
Judas Priest - Dissident Aggressor
vs.
Black Sabbath - Megalomania​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links
 
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Aqualung has that riff. It’s a good song. There’s virtually nothing metallic about it other than the tonality of that main riff. All Right Now is certainly a bop, but it’s just another classic rock tune.

Rammstein gonna Rammstein. Links 2 3 4 is fine, but sounds fairly typical of Rammstein. Sonne is the more interesting pick here.

Sinner is a killer classic Priest song with an absolutely awesome chorus. I would love to hear this song with modern production, cause gosh, it just rips, but the production is so heavily dated. The classical lead section at the start of the bridge is such a unique thing for Priest and it works really well. I think it’s a touch too long, but a great song nonetheless. Haunted Palace has competent, solid music, but the vocals are atrocious and the chorus redefines lameness.

Birth of the Wicked is a good upbeat Iced Earth song, it has a stellar chorus, and it’s part of one of their best “suites” of songs. I would vote for it against many other songs, but Sign of The Southern Cross is definitely not one of them. It’s a top tier Sabbath track with everyone (especially Dio) in full force. Absolute classic.

The guitar wanking on Play With Me is fantastic, but the song absolutely stinks. So annoying. Lack of Communication isn’t good, and also has a really annoying chorus, but it’s less aggressively infuriating than Extreme. The singing sounds like Weird Al, though.

Dissident Aggressor has always been a little overrated in my opinion, but it’s definitely got some zest. Early double bass? Halford wailing? All solid. The chorus is a bit lame with the call-and-response. Overall, it’s fine. It’s got spirit, kid. Megalomania, despite Ozzy yelling “suck me”, is just simply a superior song. It’s got a ton of catchy parts and it really builds all the way through. Great tune that I had forgotten about.
 
This is a bedroom musician, isn’t it?
A bunch of kids from a small place in North Rhine-Westphalia recording their debut album in 1992, well ahead of their time.
Best and most original metal band from Germany in my opinion, although I know I'm in a minority here.
 
Much Pop off this time, eh.
Free.
Sonne.
Kalata's nomination over a list, no matter what.
Iced Earth having no Dio.
Member vs list.
Venom's cover of Megalomania is more fun than Slayer's cover of Dissident Aggressor so there you go for all the wrong reasons. And yes, it's the covers I heard first back in the day, sue me.
 
"Aqualung" has an appealing-enough guitar lead, and the vocal lines are pretty good. The acoustic section with the distant vocal is particularly nice. The peppier part that follows isn't quite as good, but it's fine. The extended solo is pretty good for dad rock. I'm not sure it needed to go back through the whole verse bit again at the end, but whatever. Pretty good overall. "All Right Now" has an easy-going groove, strong vocal lines, and a memorable chorus. Nice melodic interlude, too. Well, Tull was certainly artsier, but Free was more viscerally enjoyable, so I'll have to go with the latter. Winner: Free - "All Right Now"

"Sonne" teaches you to count in German, then you get some sinister spoken-word industrial verses before a surprisingly melodic chorus. The sampled female vocal in the background is interesting. Not bad. "Links 2 3 4" just sounds like a mash-up of Ministry's "Just One Fix" and "Hero" with a bunch of German blathering on top and a little neoclassical bit near the end. Sorry, @Spambot, but this is an easy call for @Poto's nominee. Winner: Rammstein - "Sonne"

"Sinner" has a simple but neat little harmonized riff and strong vocal lines. The ascending part of the chorus is particularly interesting. I like the first interlude and how the spoken word stuff develops into a neat ascending bridge. The solos are a bit unusual, but the music around them works well, and the second vocal bridge is also pretty interesting. Love the double ascending chorus at the end with the little melodic drop-off. Cool track. "Haunted Palace" has a very in-your-face riff. Not a fan of the singer. The chorus goes surprisingly power metally, though it's got phrasing problems. The solos are pretty good. Not bad overall, but sorry @Kalata, this one doesn't hold a candle to the list nominee. Winner: Judas Priest - "Sinner"

"The Sign Of The Southern Cross" has a nice acoustic opening and an expectedly strong vocal from Dio. The chorus isn't the best, and I'm not really enthralled by the music around the vocal in general, though the atmospheric interlude is nice and the solo is good. It's OK overall, I guess. "Birth Of The Wicked" has some nice busy guitar work at the beginning, and Barlow sounds pretty decent through the verse. I don't know how I feel about the faint little guitar harmonies constantly going on in the background. The chorus is merely OK. Very good solo, though. Hmm, this song didn't really feel like it went much of anywhere, but it was otherwise a surprisingly coherent track for Iseditionist Earth with an entirely acceptable performance from Barlow. Not really a fan of either song here, but I guess I'll grade on a curve and throw this one to Bear Spray Boy in honor of Trump winning Iowa or something. Winner: Iseditionist Earth - "Birth Of The Wicked"

"Play With Me" does a cool take on Mozart's "Turkish March" at the beginning, but the verses of this song are absolute tripe, though the chorus is pretty decent. The childrens' singing is super annoying here. The neoclassical solo is fun, though. Yeah, that's a very mixed bag. "Lack Of Communication" has a simple but appealing main riff and good-to-great vocal lines throughout. The solo sadly feels aborted, but what little is there is good stuff. Sorry @Stardust, but I have to say I prefer the list nominee here. Winner: Ratt - "Lack Of Communication"

"Dissident Aggressor" takes a bit to get going, but once it kicks in it has an appealing riff. The verse vocal line is kind of a mess, but the call-and-response chorus is pretty cool. The solo is a little out of control, but kind of interesting. Not my favorite Priest track, but it has its appeal. "Megalomania" has an interesting atmospheric opening and Ozzy has pretty good vocal lines throughout. The piano-and-guitar interlude is an interesting choice, and chalk up an extra point for gratuitous cowbell. The heavier groove that follows is pretty good, as is the spacey dual guitar solo. The song is waaaay longer than it needs to be, but on the whole I think it still works a bit better than its competitor. Winner: Black Sabbath - "Megalomania"
 
Jethro Tull is not metal (Metallica agrees), but this is a fun proggy composition. Free have a song I’ve actually heard before! It’s a good classic rock tune, but it doesn’t have the depth of Aqualung. Tull.

I’m not a Rammstein fan, but they’ve never really annoyed me, either. Links 2 3 4 has a cool driving riff and groovy bass line, with a (dare I say) Maiden-ish lead near the end. Sonne feels like I’m playing a ‘90s shooter like Quake; that riff is razor-sharp and tight. I also like the melodic choral… chorus. Going with Sonne, but they’re both solid.

The drumming is the best part of Sinner, and is it just me or did I hear a bass part that had more than three notes? Lots of cool ideas crammed into this song, but really bad production. Haunted Palace is decent riffy metal with solid music and average vocals. Cool energetic interlude, too. Like the previous match, both of these are good. I’ll roll with Priest.

Once again we have the two best songs in the round facing off against each other, ensuring one will be eliminated while cock rock like Ratt has a chance to advance. Both of these tunes are great, but while Sign of the Southern Cross is absolutely in the upper echelon of Dio Sabbath songs, I can’t say the same regarding Birth of the Wicked and Iced Earth. Dio it is.

Ugh… at least it’s not nu-metal, I tell myself as I press onward. Ratt have a three-chord mid-tempo boring pedal riff fest here, and while I like nothing in the Extreme song after the intro until the solo, the musicality wins it for me. Extreme. But damn does that solo not fit the song. At all.

Like Sinner, this particular Priest track sounds pretty thin… but this was obviously insanely heavy and aggressive for 1977. As crazy as it sounds, I can even hear how this band influenced the kings of metal, Symphony X. Ozzy Sabbath have a pretty good tune here, but of course it also features Ozzy. He’s just so annoying, made even worse by god knows how many simultaneous echoey tracks of his shitty voice. But around 3:50, dare I say it… he actually sounds… decent. This is a cool proggy adventure. Pretty hard not to go with Ozzy Sabbath here, as those Iommi riffs crush.
 
Jethro Tull is not metal (Metallica agrees), but this is a fun proggy composition. Free have a song I’ve actually heard before! It’s a good classic rock tune, but it doesn’t have the depth of Aqualung. Tull.

I’m not a Rammstein fan, but they’ve never really annoyed me, either. Links 2 3 4 has a cool driving riff and groovy bass line, with a (dare I say) Maiden-ish lead near the end. Sonne feels like I’m playing a ‘90s shooter like Quake; that riff is razor-sharp and tight. I also like the melodic choral… chorus. Going with Sonne, but they’re both solid.

The drumming is the best part of Sinner, and is it just me or did I hear a bass part that had more than three notes? Lots of cool ideas crammed into this song, but really bad production. Haunted Palace is decent riffy metal with solid music and average vocals. Cool energetic interlude, too. Like the previous match, both of these are good. I’ll roll with Priest.

Once again we have the two best songs in the round facing off against each other, ensuring one will be eliminated while cock rock like Ratt has a chance to advance. Both of these tunes are great, but while Sign of the Southern Cross is absolutely in the upper echelon of Dio Sabbath songs, I can’t say the same regarding Birth of the Wicked and Iced Earth. Dio it is.

Ugh… at least it’s not nu-metal, I tell myself as I press onward. Ratt have a three-chord mid-tempo boring pedal riff fest here, and while I like nothing in the Extreme song after the intro until the solo, the musicality wins it for me. Extreme. But damn does that solo not fit the song. At all.

Like Sinner, this particular Priest track sounds pretty thin… but this was obviously insanely heavy and aggressive for 1977. As crazy as it sounds, I can even hear how this band influenced the kings of metal, Symphony X. Ozzy Sabbath have a pretty good tune here, but of course it also features Ozzy. He’s just so annoying, made even worse by god knows how many simultaneous echoey tracks of his shitty voice. But around 3:50, dare I say it… he actually sounds… decent. This is a cool proggy adventure. Pretty hard not to go with Ozzy Sabbath here, as those Iommi riffs crush.

6/6 compatibility!

I knew you weren't lost yet! There's still hope for the Beauregard!
 
Jethro Tull - Aqualung vs. Free - All Right Now
Both these are classics, Aqualung the good bit better of the two Aqualung

Rammstein - Sonne vs. Rammstein - Links 2 3 4

Video won't play for the first one, so clicked a different link and not sure if I'm listening to the real version, it sounds like a remix but then again so does all their stuff. I recognise the riff, so I presume this is a big hit, chorus has a nice chord progression and melody. I think I recognise the riff in the second track too, but all their riffs sound like that too. I'm not opposed to Rammstein, I can see the crossover appeal but the music, of what I've heard, never had me asking for more Sonne

Judas Priest - Sinner vs. Grave Digger - Haunted Palace

C'mon, after the last round where some no name band smashed probably the most important guitar song of all time, it would be a travesty if a real Priest classic loses to something completely derivative of Judas Priest. I'm not having a go at @Kalata it's a fine track in it's own right, but Grave Digger are operating several divisions below current Priest never mind one of their most influential songs from their heyday. Sinner

Black Sabbath - The Sign of the Southern Cross vs. Iced Earth - Birth of the Wicked

And if Iced Earth beat Sign of the Southern Cross I'm storming the offices of Maidenfans and demanding this rigged poll is overturned and I'll probably hang whichever mod is second in command.* The Sign of the Southern Cross

Extreme - Play With Me vs. Ratt - Lack of Communication

I don't know if this actually sounds like Aerosmith or maybe there's a hint of a Boston accent that's playing tricks on me. It's decent enough but the rhythm section is very rudimentary, not conducive to head nodding. Lack of Communication doesn't have Nuno overplaying but is a better song Lack of Communication

Judas Priest - Dissident Aggressor vs. Black Sabbath - Megalomania

Dissident Aggressor is great, but being before my time I've always wondered if it always had the reputation or did Slayer's cover boost it? Megalomania is the best track on the best Ozzy era album. Megalomania

*I suspect someone may have already made this hackneyed joke already, but if it ain't broke...
 
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