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!

  • Black Sabbath - Hand of Doom

    Votes: 5 62.5%

  • Whitesnake - Walking in the Shadow of the Blues

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Dark Funeral - Atrum Regina

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • While Heaven Wept - The Furthest Shore

    Votes: 5 62.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine

    Votes: 6 75.0%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

    Votes: 4 50.0%

  • Moonsorrow - Huuto

    Votes: 4 50.0%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Symphony X - Masquerade '98

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Queensryche - Revolution Calling

    Votes: 7 87.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Slayer - Dead Skin Mask

    Votes: 6 75.0%

  • Mountain - Mississippi Queen

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
I can see why people are going to pick Twisted Sister, it is the apex of a certain type of metal music in a lot of ways. But I am someone who prefers complexity over simplicity in my music and lyrics, so it is an easy pick for Symphony X.

Davidian is one of Machine Head's best song, Eyes of a Stranger is Queensrÿche's best song, and I prefer the latter band to the former.

Every now and then I like a big bucket of cheese, but Rock You Like a Hurricane is an early metal standard for a reason. Gotta pick Scorpions.

Savatage, of course, but I am a Savatage truther.

Probably the toughest matchup of this round for me. Countdown to Extinction is a song I really enjoyed when I first got into metal, that whole album was one of the first handful I got my hands on and really enjoyed. It's not up there for me anymore, but Battery is a song that never quite did it for me. It's great, but...I'll give it to Megadave.

Possibly the biggest mismatch yet. Judas Priest.
 
Almost in complete alignment with @LooseCannon on this one. I particularly concur on Symphony X, particularly with the understanding that We're Not Gonna Take It does what it does best. But then again, so does Through the Looking Glass, so it comes down to preferring the progressive and more exploratory nature of what SX has to offer. I won't be mad if Twisted Sister wins, but I don't see it happening on this forum.

I differ on Megadeth and Metallica, although I agree it is one of the tougher matchups in a round with quite a few mismatches. Otherwise, kind of an opposite experience here. I love that lineup of Megadeth, but I feel their talents are largely wasted on that album, which starts to move more into a slower Black Album-esque radio friendly sound that I'm just not into. On the other hand, Battery might be my favorite Metallica song. There has probably not been a more perfect intersection of relentless thrash, memorable riffing, and catchy accessibility than on this song (and Master of Puppets). Well, except for on Rust in Peace.
 
It's gonna take more than this to make me vote against Through the Looking Glass, but it's close.

Davidian is good enough for a pity vote. Eyes of a Stranger is great but not my favourite from O:M.

Templars of Steel is catchy enough, but I don't care for it much. Rock You Like a Hurricane takes this.

Ugh, do I really have to listen to this again? I'll return in 6 minutes.

...
You know what, this was good. I honestly liked it more than Valley of the Kings. But this was a fluke and I'm not in denial. Gamma Ray

Liars' anagram is iLars, the new drummer's companion app by Apple. Sign up now with the code CountdownToExtinctionIsCool.GreatMelodiesAndBass.TheChorusLeadStillMakesMeThinkOfTheEdgeOfDarkness.BatteryIsAnAllTimeGreat and receive three St. Anger snare samples as a gift.

At 00:20 Draiman says "oh, shit" in reference to finding out he's in the same group as Painkiller. It's a good song, other than the bridge. Child abuse isn't funny, but this is! Painkiller - maybe the most badass metal song that isn't Blackwater Park
 
Symphony X because bias and, oh yeah, it’s a million times better.

Machine Head because anti-Tate bias and they won’t win anyway.

Scorps because it’s jolly good fun and somehow less lame than HammerFall.

Savatage because I like my cheese melted, not cold and evenly formed.

Megadeth because even though Battery is one of Metallica’s greatest songs ever, there’s simply nothing else that sounds like Countdown to Extinction.

Priest because they deserve to be beating Disturbed as bad as Disturbed’s mommy beat them.
 
Maybe it's not the ''better'' song (as always, great riffs, melodies and interesting chorus with Symphony X), but We're Not Gonna Take It is very catchy. I'm a big fan of this.
Eyes Of A Stranger, easy. One of the band's best songs. Very effective chorus. Kudos.
I love both Templars Of Steel and Rock You Like A Hurricane, both very melodic and catchy, classic metal vs classic rock... I'd go with the metal and I just love the chorus, that's why I nominated it.
Gutter Ballet is quality and interesting Savatage/metal (that riff), but Valley Of The Kings is peak power metal and a great Gamma Ray classic. Top 10 song for me.
Countdown To Extinction has a great melodic riff, but the energy of Battery is irresistible.
Painkiller, duh. Finalist in the game.
 
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Symphony X, naturally. No contest at all.

O:M-era Rÿche over anything by Machine Head. Maybe if it was something off The Blackening or Unto the Locust, but definitely not Davidian.

As for Scorpions, I wrote this
JudasMyGuide said:
This is really no contest. I even love Scorpions in their 70s era, up to Animal Magnetism at least (but especially with Uli), but the 80s were a sign of decline, you know, the Winds of Changes and Still Loving Yous up to the absolute nadir of the 90s Yous and Is. And Rock You Like a Hurricane is already a part of that decline. It's not a bad song, by any means, but it shows the shift to the "housewife radio rock that's gonna be popular in post-Commie countries". This is already a song that could have been written and performed by anyone, and only Klaus Meine's specific timbre does make the song recognisable as one by Scorpions, honestly.
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JudasMyGuide said:
(but then again, Rock You Like a Hurricane won, so I suppose "radio rock for housewives" isn't a completely hopeless category here).
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and I still stand by that, so cheesy or not, Templars of Steel wins, especially since it was one of the first songs that truly got me into power metal, back in the day.

Gamma Ray over Savatage, neither is my favourite pick by any of the respective bands, so I go with band bias.

Countdown to Exctinction is a wonderful song (and I actually had it as my ringtone back in 2014), but Battery is among the most slapping songs ever. It's ridiculously catchy, melodically, very breakneck, that "fat" moshing part is just so... primordial. Might be one of my most replayed metal songs ever, actually.

Painkiller is kinda divided for me between the magnificent guitars and the ridiculous vocals, but no amount of Halford trying to out-Smurf King Diamond of all people could make it lose to Disturbed, duh.
 
"Through The Looking Glass" vs. "We're Not Gonna Take It": Much like its last match-up, you've got a Symphony X song that's gratuitously proggy and certainly wins on the musical complexity front, while also having a number of really nice musical passages and solos; though half the time it feels a bit performative and soulless -- and it's up against a much simpler, more visceral hard rock song that doesn't really have any other weaknesses. The Symphony X song may be more worthy of academic musical respect, but the Twisted Sister track is the better song here. Sorry, @Shmoolikipod. Winner: Twisted Sister - "We're Not Gonna Take It"

"Davidian" vs. "Eyes Of A Stranger": The Machine Head track sucks, while the Queensrÿche track rips. The easiest of calls for DJerckMartRindMooser's nominee here. Winner: Queensrÿche - "Eyes Of A Stranger"

"Templars Of Steel" vs. "Rock You Like A Hurricane": The Hammerfall track is mid at best, while the Scorpions track is one of their best. Sorry, @Kalata, but this is an easy call for @The Sentient's nominee. Winner: Scorpions - "Rock You Like A Hurricane"

"Valley Of The Kings" vs. "Gutter Ballet": The Gamma Ray track is very good, if a bit rough and cheesy in places, while the Savatage track is extremely uneven and way too Broadway for me. Sorry, PineMuler, but @Black Bart's nominee takes this one. Winner: Gamma Ray - "Valley Of The Kings"

"Countdown To Extinction" vs. "Battery": The Megadeth track is an overrated song from an overrated album, where Megadave tried to chase that sweet, sweet black album money in his own way. The Metallica track spans the full range from sweet acoustic melody to epic harmonized distorted guitars, and from relentless thrash rhythms to thoughtful melodic leads. In the end the Metallica song is a much richer experience. Winner: Metallica - "Battery"

"Down With The Sickness" vs. "Painkiller": The Disturbed track has its ups and downs, but it's stumbling drunk out onto the freeway in front of Judas Priest's 18-wheeler here. Congratusorrylations, @KiDDo, but SpjerooseBlaKiDDon Stogno5get's nominee takes this one in a walk. Winner: Judas Priest - "Painkiller"
 
EH! EH! EH! EH!
EH! EH! EH! EH!
EH! EH! EH! EH!
EH! EH! EH! EH!
EH! EH! EH! EH!
EH! EH! EH! EH!
EH! EH! EH! EH!
Eh! AH! AH! AH!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAA!

Listen, they're on the lower end of the cheese spectrum, but if you show this to Joe from the burekas stand there's a chance he'll twist his mouth.
 
Dinosaurs
Kwizatz Haderach
Marching on, marching on
You're the rider so mysterious
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Is the face in the sand future memory of our tragedy?
Please tell me now what life is, please tell me now what love is, well tell me now what war is

To name a few.

Shmoolikipod said:
Listen, they're on the lower end of the cheese spectrum, but if you show this to Joe from the burekas stand there's a chance he'll twist his mouth.
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Don't know if they are on the lower, medium or higher end of spectrum but if Savatage qualifies, Iron Maiden matches and tops them.
 
Jer said:
You seem fixated on the lyrics, while the real cheese is in the community theater showtune approach to the music and overall presentation. On this front Savatage is mega-cheesy, while Maiden is only barely cheesy.
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First a song is a combination lyrics -music, and I stated some lyrics in order the reader to bring in mind the whole lyrics -music cheesy segment.

while the real cheese is in the community theater showtune approach to the music and overall presentation.
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A safest definition would be "pompous" where Maiden smokes Savatage. And let's not forget longevity: Maiden has contributed to cheese for 41 years (1980 -2021) and counting, while Savatage less than half at 18 (1983 -2001).

Furthermore, I'd say it's ok to be cheese in your 20s or even early 40s, (especially if you were made in 80s) but if you are cheese in your mid 60s you're a Cheese Hall of Famer and beyond salvation! :D

Darkest Hour, Senjutsu, Stratego, Parchment, Death of the Celts, Time Machine, are Maiden's latest contributions to the Cheese.
 
Seriously, this damage can't be undone. I have't considered Maiden or Savatage to be cheese up to this point. Until yesterday cheese =Manowar and above. Happy days :(
 
If Savatage is cheese it´s bloody good damn cheese.
But like @____no5 said: In no way the cheeseness of bands like ManoWar or Lost Horizon come close to the ankles of Oliva. Gutter Ballet and especially Streets (and hell why not Magellan) are masterpieces in the genre.
 
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Metal isn't a very grounded genre, lots of screams and growls and shrikes at high tempos about nerdy or dudebro stuff, so most of it can be considered cheese. But it's all relative, I don't feel any cheese-induced discomfort when listening to Maiden or Savatage or even Blind Guardian for that matter.
 
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