Now, when we have Suite Sister Mary in the game, I might talk about the similarities I've always perceived between
Operation: Mindcrime and Seventh Wonder's
Mercy Falls. So, both are prog metal concept albums with incredibly melodramatic storyline which is just as much a pro (it gives it cohesion and the "more than a sum of its part" feel) and a con (it is quite often cheesy to the level of cringiness).
Both start with not one, but
two introductory tracks before we get to the songs proper, both are somewhat uneven (with bland stuff like Revolution Calling or Breaking the Silence for O:M and Fall in Line and Destiny Calls for MF that are saved mostly by the cohesion of the whole and the strength of the other tracks), both have songs about
breaking the silence and both have their pinnacle in the longest track, at first seemingly meandering and subdued, and the tracks immediately next to it (The Mission and Suite Sister Mary for O:M and Break the Silence and Hide and Seek for
Mercy Falls).
I'd say the comparison between (Seventh Wonder's) Break the Silence and Suite Sister Mary is especially interesting - both are among the darkest tracks of their respective albums, both are rather subdued, building up to the incredibly poignant chorus, which is repeated only twice and which is at first the only part that is truly memorable on your first listen. Despite that, both are building up primarily atmosphere and both feel slightly musically clunky (Rÿche because they mostly play heavy metal and because they are trying a different musical structure to dabble in the prog genre they can't properly do, Seventh Wonder because much as I like them, they were doing these illogical, musical Frankensteins where you put everything into a pot without rhyme or reason long before
The Great Escape, you know it's true). And yet, the atmosphere is brilliant.
I would almost be tempted to
care about this overwrought dystopian concept full of 80s 'Murican hysteria with brainwashing, counterculture and pseudo-nuns... despite what I wrote in this cup before - crikey, a dystopian concept album, what a wonder to behold, much cleverity, so original.
This song is incredibly powerful, despite all its various misgivings and I won't be even wasting any breath (or, well, keyboard's maximum usage expectancy) talking about Bodies, for fuck's sake,
Queensrÿche!
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And another absolutely unfair battle. Say what you will about Metallica "selling out", like or not the Black Album (I'm still not crazy after all these years, but whatever), Enter Sandman is a monster of a track and despite the simplicity, despite the certain silliness, it murders the wankers in Slayer outright.
Tullica, duh.
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Since Rainbow are literally murdering their opponent (and I like the first album most anyway), I'll go with bros again and vote for
Nocte Obducta, as a courtesy to my friend
@Perun
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Mr. Crowley might be my least favourite track off Ozzy's debut, great album as it is, but it's still miles better than Stone Temple Pilots, which should be a surprise to no-one.
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And again, a great track by a great band vs. okay track by a mediocre band.
Sabbath, no contest.
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Let There Be Rock is still probably my favourite AC/DC album, after all these years, so I'll throw a vote to the
title track, despite me outgrowing the AC/DC phase a long time ago.