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 .
Easy votes for Breaking The Law, Metal Gods and Blood Star's Going Home. I'm not a fan of their opponents.

Computer God vs Square Hammer is interesting. A much much more epic and impactful song with its riffs and vocals or melodic hard rock.

Crazy Train is the better song, but Heep's Easy Livin' is a special 70's song.
 
Breaking The Law : because it's Judas Priest, and I love Judas Priest as well as Maiden.

Octavarium : because I love Dream Theater and progressive metal. So, that's why I chose this one.

Computer God : because I love Ronnie James Dio and because he sings better than Tobias Forge. Ghost is not a band I like, so...

Metal Gods : because it's much more epic than "Epic" by Faith No More and because it has been written by Judas Priest.

Solitude : because I love Candlemass, I love solitude and because I don't know the other band, so...

Easy Livin' : because Ozzy Osbourne would have been easy to choose for me. And because the choice was difficult as I also love Uriah Heep.
 
When I was younger than I am now, I loved Octavarium. I thought it was the most epic thing ever, and I loved the “trapped inside this Octavarium!” part. I still kind of get chills thinking about it. But now my taste has devolved into (almost) strictly Motörhead and hair metal (I think this is actually a pretty enlightened way of listening to music), and I don’t really like this kind of music anymore. That is all to say: Octavarium is really good. Like really fucking good.
I think the second half of the song is very good (starting with the carnival keyboards and overall upbeat groove), but those first ten or so minutes lose me. The first four are just filler keyboard sounds, and the rest is just so morose. Myung’s bass is really the only standout in that first half for me.

But yeah, the climax with LaBrie yelling is beyond epic.
 
I really like all of Octavarium. I think it shows DT pushing their own limits as writers. I've thought about this a lot especially recently as they made two big epics with Mangini in the band (Illumination Theory and A View From the Top of the World). They're both pretty heavy and pretty straightforward in structure. In the case of Illumination Theory, it's basically two verse sections with an instrumental and that long orchestral part sandwiched in the middle. View is kinda similar, it's just a few distinct parts but just stretched out a bunch. Octavarium is unique in the way that it sets a vibe. The song isn't afraid to take its time, which I think is actually kinda unusual for them. They have a lot of long songs but they're often packed with stuff - big instrumental sections, guitar/key unisons, shreddy solos, technical riffs, etc.

In the case of Octavarium, I know people immediately see a 24 minute runtime and jump to terms like "self indulgent" and "wanky" but I think it showcases some of the band's most focused writing and, believe it or not, some restraint. Take Someone Like Him. It's primarily just vocals and guitar and the main focus is the lyrics. Instead of the classic DT method of fitting lyrics/vocal phrasing to melody no matter how awkward or difficult it is for LaBrie, the vocal melody is actually driven by the lyrics here. Similarly, on Medicate, there's a really slow dynamic build that works as a foundation for some of the best melodic work the band has done. The fact that it takes something like half the running time to get to the typical DT instrumental acrobatics is kind of remarkable, and it ends up being the most earned instrumental section in the entire catalog. Even the long keyboard intro, I can see why people don't care for it, but I think it's some of Rudess' most melodic playing and, as I've said before, it sets a vibe. There aren't a lot of Dream Theater songs that invite you to just zone out for a few minutes instead of constantly pummeling your brain with highly technical music. The more I think about it, the more Octavarium actually feels like an anomaly for them and probably the closest they've gotten to leaning more in the direction of Progressive Rock, as in the term used to describe the bands of the 70s like Yes, Genesis, etc. Which also raises the question of whether Octavarium is an appropriate pick for a Metal cup game, but I guess that's a different debate.
 
I think the second half of the song is very good (starting with the carnival keyboards and overall upbeat groove), but those first ten or so minutes lose me. The first four are just filler keyboard sounds, and the rest is just so morose. Myung’s bass is really the only standout in that first half for me.
QFT. Too bad it takes 10+ minutes to get there…
 
I think the second half of the song is very good (starting with the carnival keyboards and overall upbeat groove), but those first ten or so minutes lose me. The first four are just filler keyboard sounds, and the rest is just so morose. Myung’s bass is really the only standout in that first half for me.

But yeah, the climax with LaBrie yelling is beyond epic.
I think "Octavarium" is the last good DT song in my opinion (SDOIT being the last great album). They clearly went downhill after that, even when Mike Portnoy was still in the band. Let's hope the new album will tip the balance the good way.
 
Maybe this is better for the DT thread, but I kinda disagree with the general feeling that they had a linear decline. I can get on board with SDOIT being the last great album, they certainly haven't matched it since then, but they've had ups and downs since then. Train of Thought and Octavarium were both solid, with Train of Thought being very strong for what it is IMO. SC was a huge dip in quality, but BC&SL had some of their best material since Six Degrees (and maybe arguably some of their worst). ADTOE and DT12 were both a return to form, then I think the next three albums are among the weakest they've put out period, with View being a step in the right direction. Since JP and JR are still the main songwriters in the band, and View was a really "classic" sounding Dream Theater album, I expect the next album to kinda be similar in style but maybe with a bit more conceptual direction from Portnoy. At the end of the day I don't think the Mangini era was all that different from when Portnoy was in the band so I doubt the general sound is going to change at all, but maybe they'll be more inspired to put a little more effort in this time. I definitely miss how conceptual the albums were when MP was in the band.
 
I missed the voting for this one but they've mostly gone how I would have voted with the exception of Priest VS FNM.
 
I think "Octavarium" is the last good DT song in my opinion (SDOIT being the last great album). They clearly went downhill after that, even when Mike Portnoy was still in the band. Let's hope the new album will tip the balance the good way.
I have to disagree. Six Degrees (especially the first five songs) was excellent, but Train of Thought is a personal favorite of mine. Octavarium is in their bottom three for me, while SC and BC&SL were both average. Then came ADTOE and the S/T, which I love. Astonishing is horrible, and the last two were average. They’ve risen and dipped in quality for two decades to my ears.

They’ll never reach the quality of their Jordanless albums, though. Their sound changed too drastically since he joined, save for maybe Scenes.
 
I agreed with that Mosh post, just maybe
Instead of the classic DT method of fitting lyrics/vocal phrasing to melody no matter how awkward or difficult it is for LaBrie, the vocal melody is actually driven by the lyrics here.
with this I kinda disagree - it might be better than elsewhere, but I still find the phrasing somewhat awkward and struggling against the music (or maybe it's just the delivery?) I don't mind it, though.

Maybe this is better for the DT thread, but I kinda disagree with the general feeling that they had a linear decline. I can get on board with SDOIT being the last great album, they certainly haven't matched it since then, but they've had ups and downs since then. Train of Thought and Octavarium were both solid, with Train of Thought being very strong for what it is IMO. SC was a huge dip in quality, but BC&SL had some of their best material since Six Degrees (and maybe arguably some of their worst). ADTOE and DT12 were both a return to form, then I think the next three albums are among the weakest they've put out period, with View being a step in the right direction. Since JP and JR are still the main songwriters in the band, and View was a really "classic" sounding Dream Theater album, I expect the next album to kinda be similar in style but maybe with a bit more conceptual direction from Portnoy. At the end of the day I don't think the Mangini era was all that different from when Portnoy was in the band so I doubt the general sound is going to change at all, but maybe they'll be more inspired to put a little more effort in this time. I definitely miss how conceptual the albums were when MP was in the band.

I kinda both agree and disagree, I personally think the last truly great album (in a... say, musical reviewer meaning of that word) would be Octavarium, despite (or maybe even because of) its poppy inclinations, but despite me being the outlier in my love for SC, so I won't be pushing that point further, I'd say that both Black Clouds and especially ADTOE were amazing (ADTOE used to be in my top... 3? Maybe?).
It was only after when it went downhill, kinda, and not because of Mangini in particular - DT12 felt rushed and underbaked, The Astonishing was a questionable idea with an even more questionable execution, Velocity felt really insignificant, like a compilation of studio outtakes, nice, but forgettable and View was mostly good, but felt like jumping the shark for the Mangini era, with the musical/structural incohesiveness reaching an all time high and it all feeling like going through the motions by a somewhat spent band. I hope MP's return will rejuvenate them a bit, but I don't think they can return to the "freshness" of SDOIT or Octavarium or even just the compact punch of Black Clouds.


And yeah, hate me all you can, I know I'm alone in that, but I'd still take the bizarre wanderings of The Astonishing over the second half of Awake (cca after Silent Man) - which is still the most dreadful slog of a sequence DT have ever released. I don't get how Trucci could have something as excellent as Voices and something as dreadful as Scarred on the same album. But whatever, I know, 90s DT are the best, everybody tells me so.
 
I'd still take the bizarre wanderings of The Astonishing over the second half of Awake
I completely agreed until this, holy shit man. I think the second half of Awake is prime DT and one of their best sequences of songs.

Edit: It's the first half of the album that I have some issues with.
 
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When I was younger than I am now, I loved Octavarium. I thought it was the most epic thing ever, and I loved the “trapped inside this Octavarium!” part. I still kind of get chills thinking about it. But now my taste has devolved into (almost) strictly Motörhead and hair metal (I think this is actually a pretty enlightened way of listening to music), and I don’t really like this kind of music anymore. That is all to say: Octavarium is really good. Like really fucking good.
I haven’t felt like listening much to metal at all, lately. Just the occasional song or album. It’s normal for musical tastes to shift and move around, though.
In the case of Octavarium, I know people immediately see a 24 minute runtime and jump to terms like "self indulgent" and "wanky" but I think it showcases some of the band's most focused writing and, believe it or not, some restraint. Take Someone Like Him. It's primarily just vocals and guitar and the main focus is the lyrics. Instead of the classic DT method of fitting lyrics/vocal phrasing to melody no matter how awkward or difficult it is for LaBrie, the vocal melody is actually driven by the lyrics here. Similarly, on Medicate, there's a really slow dynamic build that works as a foundation for some of the best melodic work the band has done. The fact that it takes something like half the running time to get to the typical DT instrumental acrobatics is kind of remarkable, and it ends up being the most earned instrumental section in the entire catalog. Even the long keyboard intro, I can see why people don't care for it, but I think it's some of Rudess' most melodic playing and, as I've said before, it sets a vibe. There aren't a lot of Dream Theater songs that invite you to just zone out for a few minutes instead of constantly pummeling your brain with highly technical music. The more I think about it, the more Octavarium actually feels like an anomaly for them and probably the closest they've gotten to leaning more in the direction of Progressive Rock, as in the term used to describe the bands of the 70s like Yes, Genesis, etc. Which also raises the question of whether Octavarium is an appropriate pick for a Metal cup game, but I guess that's a different debate.
I totally agree.
 
I completely agreed until this, holy shit man. I think the second half of Awake is prime DT and one of their best sequences of songs.

Edit: It's the first half of the album that I have some issues with.
I loved on the DT12 tour when they played the entire second half of Awake. I was blown away, as I much prefer it to the first half.

As for Octavarium, I don’t dislike it because it’s pop. Yeah, I prefer their proggy metallic side, but they’ve had great pop songs in the past. But on Octavarium almost everything blatantly rips off another artist. There’s a U2 song, a Muse song (two, kind of), a Coldplay song, an edgy downtuned nu-metal song, a generic metal song… the album doesn’t start sounding like Dream Theater until Sacrificed Sons, and as the title track says so well, “by then it’s too late.”
 
Judas Priest breaks the law to needle Children of Bodom all day and week. The octavarium claims another victim for Dream Theater. A square hammer crushes a computer god, as shown by Ghost. What an epic win for Faith No More over Judas Priest. Blood Star is going home in solitude after losing to Candlemass. There's no easy livin' on Ozzy's crazy train.





Part II, Round 3, Matches 37-42


Group Stage - Round 3
Match 37
Death on the Road Division​
AC/DC - Shoot to Thrill
vs.
AC/DC - Back in Black​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, Radio EHS 100, VH1 40​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -11
Record
1-0-0, 2 pts, +7​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 38
Dance of Death Division​
Rainbow - Tarot Woman
vs.
Slayer - South of Heaven​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500, Rolling Stone 100, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Radio EHS 100, Rate Your Music 100​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +11
Record
1-0-0, 2 pts, +4​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 39
Sign of the Cross Division​
The Darkness - I Believe in a Thing Called Love
vs.
Blind Guardian - Mirror Mirror​
Radio EHS 100
Nominators
0-1-0, 0 pts, -19
Record
1-0-0, 2 pts, +16​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 40
Beast Over Hammersmith Division​
Stratovarius - My Eternal Dream
vs.
Black Sabbath - Sweet Leaf​
@KidInTheDark666
Nominators
Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -5
Record
0-0-1, 1 pts, +0​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 41
Afraid to Shoot Strangers Division​
Scorpions - In Trance
vs.
Exodus - Bonded by Blood​
@srfc
Nominators
Popoff 500, DigitalDreamDoor 100, Rate Your Music 100​
1-0-0, 2 pts, +7
Record
0-1-0, 0 pts, -4​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Group Stage - Round 3
Match 42
Edward the Great Division​
Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
vs.
Marilyn Manson - The Beautiful People​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500, VH1 40, Youtube 50​
0-1-0, 0 pts, -4
Record
0-1-0, 0 pts, -23​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links
 
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