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

[Detective Beauregard]

Beyond the Realms of Death is a solid classic Priest track, wheras I don’t care much for Megadeth’s debut in general. Skull Beneath the Skin has some sweet aggressive riffs, but it’s just not as cohesive as Priest’s tune. I do love that bass fill in the middle, though.

Blackened is a top-shelf Metallica track from my favorite album of theirs. Yes, I’m a bassist, so it’s definitely strange that I treasure Justice as much as I do, but that’s just probably chaos theory or something. If this song is considered thrash – and I’m not sure that it is – it’s light years beyond the primitive fast palm-muted nothing but open Es of the band’s meh debut album. Oh, and that mind-tempo middle section is a delight. This is a top 10 Metallica song. Ayreon, on the other hand, have a fine proggy tune here – but it can’t compare. Metallica wins this battle in my book.

Blackwater Park is my favorite Opeth piece from one of their strongest observations, and I consider it to be the Tyrannosaurus rex of progressive death metal (I see @MrKnickerbocker and I are on similar wavelengths here). The song is just so massive and vicious! Absolute juggernaut. Deep Purple’s effort is a joke in comparison, although I do like that riff as it is very unusual for them.

I haven’t heard the original version of Am I Evil? in quite a while, being introduced to the song via Metallica. While this version doesn’t stack up to theirs, it’s cool to hear the actual beginnings. That riff is sick no matter which band plays it. Death Certificate is fine musically, but the vast majority of non-Akerfeldtian growls are not my thing, and this is no exception. The too-brief section at 2:45 is excellent, though. Diamond Head.

I usually find myself voting for Priest because their competition is often quite weak (I’m far from the biggest Priest fan), but UFO have the better song here. That solo section is great, and I love the very active bass. Priest’s song is fine, but it lacks special sauce. The verses are the best part.

This is a solid Savatage tune – one of the better ones I’ve heard from them, actually – but I definitely prefer The Mirror. Awake is in the middle tier of my Dream Theater album rankings, but this song has an eerie, menacing feel to it that I adore. I actually prefer it to the song that follows, Lie.

Best song of the round: Blackwater Park

 

[Shmoolikipod]

The Skull Beneath the Skin is very cool and technical, which I like, but Beyond the Realms of Death is the more memorable and better written song here, even if it isn't my first choice from Stained Class.

Oof, my heart tells me to vote Blackened actually, it's in my Metallica top 5 if not top 3. That riff is so cool, and the unique intro and -ation bridge, this song is so tight. However, I didn't nominate The Fifth Extinction for no reason, it's plodding but in a pretty way and I adore the instrumental parts. Sticking with it.

Al-fucking-right, The Battle Rages On is super good and catchy, the problem with it is that it isn't Blackwater Park. It's a problem we all have to live with, being humans instead of a 12-minute song where every riff is a GOAT of the genre, with earth shattering vocals and perfect production. No seriously, this is my favourite song still in the cup (R.I.P This Godless Endeavor).

Am I Evil is an absolute banger with a killer riff. Yes, Metallica did it better, but the original is still a masterpiece. Only the tapping section is a little out of place. Death Certificate being here makes less than Trapped Under Ice.

Metal this, metal that, both of these are Rock songs. As a complete song, I like Priest's better, probably due to familiarity. UFO's solo is fantastic however.

Wow, a Savatage song that doesn't make me want to Van Gogh my ear. I actually love the juxtaposition between the heavy music and the singer goofing over it, it's so stupid it's hilarious. EH! EH! EH! EH! Is there a better example of why playing with the pulse is awesome than The Mirror? So good. The outro is nothing to scoff at either. Tough draw for Savatage.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

Unpopular opinion - and I don't really want to offend anyone or be controversial just for the sake of it - I like Beyond the Realms of Death, much like pretty much the entire 70s Priest discography (my favourite era, definitely), but I never understood the downright insane adoration it gets, on this forum or elsewhere. It always kinda felt to me like their own attempt at redoing We'll Burn the Sky (which came out the year prior), which I love more.
It always felt rather tame to me (with only the guitar section standing out) and even when I saw it live... I liked it fine, welcomed it, actually, because it was one of the few oldies in the setlist, but it felt completely out of place in the setlist and didn't really translate all that well live for me.

I like the jazzy verses, though, it has a certain Thin Lizzy-ish feel.

 

[Yax]

Unpopular opinion - and I don't really want to offend anyone or be controversial just for the sake of it - I like Beyond the Realms of Death, much like pretty much the entire 70s Priest discography (my favourite era, definitely), but I never understood the downright insane adoration it gets, on this forum or elsewhere.

I think it gets insane adoration because it's an insanely awesome song, though one that obviously don't click with you. Glenn's solo is my favorite guitar solo of all time, but the song would be stellar even without it.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

Yep, no denying there, the solo's utterly brilliant.

 

[srfc]

Won't get a chance to do a write up before the poll closes

Beyond the Realms of Death
Blackened
The Battle Rages On
Am I Evil?
Rock Hard Ride Free
Hall of the Mountain King

 

[srfc]

UFO have the better song here. That solo section is great, and I love the very active bass.

Obviously, I voted for my own nomination, and I still would have if it wasn't mine, but it was a tough choice here, agreed re: the bass and you can see how big it influenced a certain S. Harris. Also, the main riff is one of the very best there has ever been.

 

[DJMayes]

Unpopular opinion - and I don't really want to offend anyone or be controversial just for the sake of it - I like Beyond the Realms of Death, much like pretty much the entire 70s Priest discography (my favourite era, definitely), but I never understood the downright insane adoration it gets, on this forum or elsewhere. It always kinda felt to me like their own attempt at redoing We'll Burn the Sky (which came out the year prior), which I love more.

I come at this from practically the opposite perspective - I'm not really a massive fan of 70s Priest, but BTROD is by far my favourite song of theirs, hence the nomination. I love a good power ballad, and this is up there with the best of them, including an incredible solo and a standout set of lyrics (that I still find it hard to believe came from the same band which penned the likes of Eat Me Alive).

 

[Diesel 11]

Unpopular opinion - and I don't really want to offend anyone or be controversial just for the sake of it - I like Beyond the Realms of Death, much like pretty much the entire 70s Priest discography (my favourite era, definitely), but I never understood the downright insane adoration it gets, on this forum or elsewhere.

I like the song a lot but also agree that it’s slightly overrated. That said, Glenn’s solo is amazing and I kinda wish they swapped it around with KK’s so that it closes the song.

 

[DJ James]

Add me to the club that believes Beyond the Realms of Death is overrated. Good song though.

 

[LooseCannon]

Well, if you're seeing the skull beneath the skin, you're definitely somewhere in the realms of death. Judas Priest wins this one in a romp. Ayreon gets their first extinction against Metallica. The battle may rage on, but not against Opeth in Blackwater Park. Is Diamond Head evil? Carcass would say yes. Judas Priest has rocked hard, all the way to the bottom. Savatage has broken a mirror deep inside the hall of their mountain king.

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Part II, Round 1, Matches 121-126​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 121​	Rock in Rio Division​
Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons	vs.​	In Flames - Moonshield​
Popoff 500 @The Dissident, @Stardust, @____no5	Nominators​	@MindRuler​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 122​	Best of the Beast Division​
Accept - Metal Heart	vs.​	Annihilator - The Fun Palace​
Popoff 500, Best Music Art 100 @Kalata, @____no5	Nominators​	@MindRuler​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 123​	Death of the Celts Division​
Motörhead - Ace of Spades	vs.​	Deep Purple - Knocking at Your Back Door​
Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Radio EHS 100, Rate Your Music 100, VH1 40, Best Music Art 100 @DJMayes	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 124​	Live After Death Division​
Accept - Fast as a Shark	vs.​	Cage the Gods - Favourite Sin​
Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100, Best Music Art 100	Nominators​	@The Sentient​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 125​	The Red and the Black Division​
Fates Warning - Guardian	vs.​	Judas Priest - Sinner​
DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100 @The Dissident	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

Group Stage - Round 1	Match 126​	Only the Good Die Young Division​
Angel Witch - Angel Witch	vs.​	Judas Priest - Dissident Aggressor​
Popoff 500 @Mosh, @Perun	Nominators​	Popoff 500​
0-0-0, 0 pts, +0	Record​	0-0-0, 0 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon	Links​	Youtube | Spotify | Amazon​

 

[Kalata]

Metal Heart is such a heavy metal classic. The riff, the style of the verses, the simple but really effective chorus that screams metal and then that solo(!). That's why I nominated it. Not contest for me.
Knocking At Your Back Door is one of my favorite Purple songs. This classic rock never gets old.
Few songs have the brutal sound of Fast As A Shark. Tough opponent and one of the best speed metal songs for me. Riff, chorus, harmonies, tempo - everything is timeless!
I like the opponent, but Sinner has such a captivating atmosphere, vocals, chorus and solo.
Angel Witch is solid NWOBHM, but Dissident Aggressor is just brutal. Intro, riff and that chorus wins it for me.

 

[DJ James]

Excellent round of classic heavy metal!

 

[JudasMyGuide]

Remember when I said this?

If this was "the greatest song opening cup", my vote would go to Van Halen, because the beginning of Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love is among the finest song beginnings I know (I actually had that riff as a ringtone, a long time ago)

Well, the same goes for A Change of Seasons, including the ringtone bit. No, really, that is the beginning of the song, especially the moment when the acoustic intro gives in to the descending riff and then the Myung-Portnoy rhythm section give it the awesome groove... I mean if that doesn't thrill you at least a bit, you are just wired in a wrong way, sorry.

Now, the entire track has some issues - to me it always felt like the idea to make a 20-minute song came first and everything else came later, it has this certain "inorganic" feel and incoherency (but honestly, that's not that rare among prog and especially prog-metal bands - see Seventh Wonder's Great Escape for a band that does these Frankensteins even with short song completely losing it and doing half-an-hour of utter musical schizophrenia), but the singular parts are quite often awesome or even cathartic and even the sum of the parts is quite impressive.

The following is still true

I probably never had my In Flames phase.

Not a fan of In Flames, but Moonshield was probably more to my liking.

but I actually like Moonshield quite a lot. But not enough for it to outdo the feelings I get from A Change of Seasons, even just the opening alone.

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Metal Heart is literally the first metal song I've ever heard. I must have been around 2 or 3 and my father had the album and I remember it as one of the earliest musical memories from my childhood. The entire album is really great, honestly - sometimes people complain how they got too poppy on this album and whatever, but I can't help it, it has been ingrained in me from the very beginning and I love pretty much every note, from the slick poppiness of Midnight Mover to the jazzy weirdness of Teach Us to Survive to the almost unbearable pathos of Bound to Fail (fun fact - here in Czechia it's been often played at sports matches to this very day).

As for the title track, I kinda wish they didn't quote Für Elise of all things (too plebeian ), but I certainly appreciate the inclusion of Tchaikovsky's Slavonic March. The solo is great as well. The chorus is a bit too simplistic and isn't as catchy, but it's energetic and combined with the killer driving rhythm it just completely pulls me within. Also, I realise that Dirkschneider must be an acquired taste, but he was such a beast back in the day.

I have to go with nostalgia here, even though I really like Annihilator's second album, again, the emotional reaction isn't as powerful as with Accept, sorry (though I love the song!)

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I'm not insane and I won't be voting against Ace of Spades, even though I much prefer Deep Purple as a band. I mean, has there ever been a more iconic song for any metal band? Like, the quintessentially representative and yet still good on its own merits, so brutal and yet so catchy, with such a great flow... it isn't even overplayed, it can't be. I first heard it in the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 demo, where it was the only song and I played that demo a lot before I came across the full version of the game. So I've heard the song many, many times. And it's still a thrill. From the very beginning (which sounds like an old engine that has trouble starting up) it just ... obliterates you. No, really, I can't overstate how primitively ingenious this song is.

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Ein Kessel Buntes? No, the funny German joviality gives way to what is arguably one of the first speed metal tracks by means of a vicious shriek.

(also - go and listen to the beginning of this live version, Dirkschneider really was absolutely insane, it's fun!)

Fast as a Shark is fast, relentless and despite all that... extremely catchy.

I don't have anything against Cage the Gods apart from the overtuned modern production and maybe the title, the song is quite nice, but I'll once again go with the band that needs more love (on this forum).

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Judas priest, what a band, these Judas Priest! No, seriously, I said many times already that 70s Priest is my favourite era of the band and Sin After Sin has been (probably) my overall favourite album of theirs. The semi-titular track is a rather good pars pro toto - again, energetic, driving, the rather untrivial Halford vocals and the weirldy catchy chorus, it makes for an instantly memorable classic, definitely makes me vote for it even over Arch-era Fates Warning. Sinner.
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But I'll dial it back in the next match, despite coming off my favourite album, Aggressor is overrated and the vocals are a bit silly. Not as silly as those on Painkiller, but silly anyway.



I still like the track, but I'll go with the nomination of two of the members here and vote Angel Witch, that song indeed "slaps", as the youths probably say nowadays.

 

[LooseCannon]

The man, the myth, the legend, @Forostar voting in my game?!

 

[Detective Beauregard]

Is Judas Priest's entire discography in this game?

 

[____no5]

All the choices were the first song of the two.

 

[srfc]

Won't get a chance to do this properly

Moonshield
The Fun Palace
Ace of Spades
Fast as a Shark
Sinner
Dissident Aggressor

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Moonshield is a fine enough song, I suppose, but A Change of Seasons is one of the great progressive metal epics to ever exist. Dream Theater.

Metal Heart has some decent, moody rocking instrumentals but the vocals are a joke. Sorry, Accept. Annihilator aren’t going to win any awards in the vocal department either, but their riffs are harder and I just far prefer listening to The Fun Palace. Really awesome guitar and bass work.

Knocking At Your Back Door is a fine enough, overlong blues rock song. But one does not just vote against the Ace of Spades.

Ah, another Accept song. Sorry, folks, these vocals are so silly. It’s like the studded leather/trad/thrash equivalent of King Diamond - sounds like a cartoon character trying to be tough. I can’t take Fast As A Shark seriously. Favourite Sin is modern, classic-flavored butt rock but it’s still an easy vote.

Oh goodness, it’s just a really awful vocal round for Mr. K here…let’s explore Fates Warning with their first singer, the truly obnoxious John Arch! Look, the music here is great. I’ve long been a supporter of Jim Matheos and Fates Warning...with Ray Alder. John Arch sounds like Geoff Tate if he had zero vocal training. Sinner is a great classic track that was way ahead of its time in the metal realm (as is most of Sin After Sin). A very, very easy vote for Judas Priest.

Angel Witch is a surprise for sure, a really enjoyable slab of melodic early metal. Good playing, good singing, nice melodic lead guitar - very good stuff, if a bit raw. But damn, Dissident Aggressor is so ahead of its time in terms of aggression. It’s absolutely pummeling, despite the limited 70s production. What a powerhouse tune! Gotta go with Priest again.

 

[Jer]

“A Change Of Seasons” is one of those rare epics where every part works well on its own and everything comes together as a song, too. The vocal parts and the instrumental parts are equally memorable, and every instrument has a chance to shine. There’s a really nice jazzy undercurrent to the whole thing which I appreciate. Great stuff. "Moonshield" was the first extreme metal track that I was ever able to tolerate. This really came down to the copious musicality of the song, and the burying of the Cookie Monster stuff deep in the mix so it functioned more as background percussion with the guitars driving the song instead of the vocals. Would it be better without the growls? Yes, of course. But I can still appreciate it in its current form. Unfortunately, @MindRuler, that's not enough to defeat The ____no55idust's nominee here. Winner: Dream Theater - "A Change Of Seasons"

"Metal Heart" has an interesting bombastic sitar opening, then slips into a straightforward but appealing riff. The clean accents sound out of time with the other guitars, and Udo sounds pretty bad, as usual. Wow, that chorus is terrible! The eastern solo is pretty cool, but the sort-of-"Für-Elise" one that follows is weird and very uneven. No sir, don't like it. "The Fun Palace" has dope riffs and leads for miles, and the vocals are much better than I expected based on limited past experience with the band. I like the acoustic sections with the distorted breaks, and the solos are great. Aside from the vocal lines not always being the best, this is a pretty killer track. Sorry, Kalatno5, but @MindRuler's nominee wins the day here. Winner: Annihilator - "The Fun Palace"

"Ace Of Spades" has good energy, though it's pretty simplistic. Lemmy's vocals are iffy as usual. Solo's pretty good. Overrated for sure, but it's still pretty good overall. "Knocking At Your Back Door" has a pretty good ominous synth-and-bass opening, eventually breaking into an appealing guitar-and-organ groove. The vocal lines are good and the solos are pretty good. The song didn't need to be quite so long, but otherwise there isn't much to complain about. I don't know, these songs both have their appeal, but I guess @DJMayes's nominee is a bit more metal, so I'll throw it his direction this time. Winner: Motörhead - "Ace Of Spades"

"Fast As A Shark" has an odd folky opening, then breaks into a fast but straightforward riff. Udo sounds a little less bad than usual, though there isn't much of a vocal line until the chorus. I can see how this influenced early power metal bands like Helloween, but that doesn't mean that it still holds up on its own. The guitar interlude is alright, and the solo is pretty cool once it goes neoclassical, but the rest of the song is pretty meh. "Favourite Sin" has an uneasy opening, then breaks into a really appealing effervescent lead. I like the bluesy/funky undercurrents here. The singer is good and the vocal lines are strong. Great solo. The atmospheric spoken word bridge works well too. I like the rhythmic change-up at the end. Really good overall. An easy call for @The Sentient's nominee. Winner: Cage The Gods - "Favourite Sin"

"Guardian" has a beautiful 12-string opening that breaks into some odd-rhythm heaviness before returning to the acoustic feel. The singer isn't the best, but the vocal lines are alright. The heavier odd-rhythm chorus doesn't really work for me. Nice solo, though. An uneven track with some cool parts. "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. Sorry, @The Dissident, but I prefer the list nominee here. Winner: Judas Priest - "Sinner"

"Angel Witch" has a nice busy opening that breaks into a cool melodic lead. The singer and the vocal lines are OK until the overly Queeny chorus, which doesn't really work for me. The bridge is nice, though, and the solo is solid. Kinda hard to tell if this is parody or not, but whatevs. "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. This one's pretty close, but I'll go with Mershun's nominee this time. Winner: Angel Witch - "Angel Witch"