____no5
Free Man
Not only that, we already have some great long posts /analysis @Jer @JudasMyGuide @Stardust @srfc just to mention a few but there are more.
The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 4, Matches 82-87
- Thread starter LooseCannon
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Not only that, we already have some great long posts /analysis @Jer @JudasMyGuide @Stardust @srfc just to mention a few but there are more.
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Match #1 - both songs are great, tough decision. Dio's song has an amazing chorus and vibe, while Queensrÿche's song is a pure example of a classic song from the 80's. I will be happy with both songs to win. All The Fools Sailed Away.
Match #2 - both songs have similar vibes and Saxon's song isn't one of my favorites, but I will still vote for them. Dallas 1 PM.
Match #3 - I'm not a fan of either bands. In Flames because it has a vibe like Psycho Motel.
Match #4 - AC/DC is pure joy so... Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be.
Match #5 - Land Of The Free. I was never a fan of the vocals in the other band.
Match #6 - the Primal Fear song is one of my nominations (I wanted to have some variety and there are a few more choices like this one). I think it's one of the band's best songs and a perfect example of a chorus with backing vocals in metal, but a Kai Hansen epic is just something else. Rebellion In Dreamland.
Match #2 - both songs have similar vibes and Saxon's song isn't one of my favorites, but I will still vote for them. Dallas 1 PM.
Match #3 - I'm not a fan of either bands. In Flames because it has a vibe like Psycho Motel.
Match #4 - AC/DC is pure joy so... Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be.
Match #5 - Land Of The Free. I was never a fan of the vocals in the other band.
Match #6 - the Primal Fear song is one of my nominations (I wanted to have some variety and there are a few more choices like this one). I think it's one of the band's best songs and a perfect example of a chorus with backing vocals in metal, but a Kai Hansen epic is just something else. Rebellion In Dreamland.
DJMayes
Ancient Mariner
Match 1 - Dio - All The Fools Sailed Away
I mean, I did nominate it! This is my favourite Dio song, which is saying a lot given that he has a ton of really good ones. With that said, Take Hold of the Flame is really good. I hadn't heard it before (my Queensryche knowledge starts and ends with Operation Mindcrime and Empire) but I will definitely be listening to it again, and wouldn't be too upset to lose to it.
Match 2 - Legend - The Wizard's Vengeance
I'd never heard either of these songs before. The Saxon song was fine, but I didn't find it particularly memorable outside of an absolutely fantastic midsection. If the song was only that part, it would have won easily. By comparison, the Legend song doesn't have an individual moment as good but is otherwise consistently enjoyable and doesn't outstay its welcome.
Match 3 - In Flames - The Quiet Place
Amon Amarth aside, I generally don't like harsh vocals. I find them rarely intelligible, let alone enjoyable. This Arch Enemy song typifies why - the cookie monster warbling ruins an otherwise perfectly serviceable song. The In Flames song wins on that alone.
Match 4 - Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child
I've never heard this AC/DC song before, though it feels like I have. It's fine, but doesn't make me feel like I've missed anything by sticking to their greatest hits. I'm not a particular Hendrix fan, but Voodoo Child wins this easily.
Match 5 - Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side
I have a weird relationship with power metal - I'd describe myself as a fan, but I haven't listened to many of the biggest bands in the genre. This was a good opportunity to rectify that! I enjoyed both songs, and it was a tough decision. I prefer the vocals, the solos, and the chorus in the Blind Guardian song, but the Gamma Ray song felt a bit tighter and more cohesive to me. I've gone for the second song because it finishes really well with the Whoa section and the fantastic chorus, but on another day I might've picked Gamma Ray.
Match 6 - Gamma Ray - Rebellion in Dreamland
This is similar to above, though I'm (marginally) more familiar with Primal Fear. I really enjoyed the Primal Fear song - fantastic vocals and solos - but I am probably going to catch myself singing the chorus to the Gamma Ray song whilst cooking tea despite having never heard it before.
I mean, I did nominate it! This is my favourite Dio song, which is saying a lot given that he has a ton of really good ones. With that said, Take Hold of the Flame is really good. I hadn't heard it before (my Queensryche knowledge starts and ends with Operation Mindcrime and Empire) but I will definitely be listening to it again, and wouldn't be too upset to lose to it.
Match 2 - Legend - The Wizard's Vengeance
I'd never heard either of these songs before. The Saxon song was fine, but I didn't find it particularly memorable outside of an absolutely fantastic midsection. If the song was only that part, it would have won easily. By comparison, the Legend song doesn't have an individual moment as good but is otherwise consistently enjoyable and doesn't outstay its welcome.
Match 3 - In Flames - The Quiet Place
Amon Amarth aside, I generally don't like harsh vocals. I find them rarely intelligible, let alone enjoyable. This Arch Enemy song typifies why - the cookie monster warbling ruins an otherwise perfectly serviceable song. The In Flames song wins on that alone.
Match 4 - Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child
I've never heard this AC/DC song before, though it feels like I have. It's fine, but doesn't make me feel like I've missed anything by sticking to their greatest hits. I'm not a particular Hendrix fan, but Voodoo Child wins this easily.
Match 5 - Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side
I have a weird relationship with power metal - I'd describe myself as a fan, but I haven't listened to many of the biggest bands in the genre. This was a good opportunity to rectify that! I enjoyed both songs, and it was a tough decision. I prefer the vocals, the solos, and the chorus in the Blind Guardian song, but the Gamma Ray song felt a bit tighter and more cohesive to me. I've gone for the second song because it finishes really well with the Whoa section and the fantastic chorus, but on another day I might've picked Gamma Ray.
Match 6 - Gamma Ray - Rebellion in Dreamland
This is similar to above, though I'm (marginally) more familiar with Primal Fear. I really enjoyed the Primal Fear song - fantastic vocals and solos - but I am probably going to catch myself singing the chorus to the Gamma Ray song whilst cooking tea despite having never heard it before.
three ties! wow!
DJ James
A coma stole my name.
Matchup 1: Dio - All the Fools Sailed Away vs. Queensrÿche - Take Hold of the Flame
Pleasantly surprised by both these songs. I had never heard the Queensryche song, and it had been a long time since I heard that Dio song. Both songs ruled, but the keyboards and vocals on that Dio track really sold it to me. Winner: All the Fools Sailed Aways
Matchup 2: Saxon - Dallas 1 PM vs. Legend - The Wizard's Vengeance
I listened to this Legend album many many years ago and forgot about it until I saw it in this game. I didn't understand it then, and I don't really understand it now. It is raw, and I like that a lot. That Saxon song is off a classic album, but relistening to Dallas 1 PM is quite a boring experience. Giving this one to Legend as it's lesser known and deserves a shot to go far in this game.
Matchup 3: Arch Enemy - We Will Rise vs. In Flames - The Quiet Place
Only in the third matchup and I am once again reminded that my idea of good much-less great heavy metal is QUITE different than some people on here. No disrespect, this In Flames song is just not for me. I like this Arch Enemy song though (for some reason). Arch Enemy never really tried to beat around the fact that they're a pop rock band at the core with death metal stylings. Or, that's how I hear it anyways. They lean really heavy into the melodic stuff. While I prefer this Arch Enemy song, I needed a palette cleanser in the form of Gates to Hell by Obituary afterwards. Taking Arch Enemy here.
Matchup 4: Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) vs. AC/DC - Hell Aint a Bad Place to Be
I like hard rock, but Hendrix's music never really struck me. I'll take AC/DC here but really can go either way.
Matchup 5: Gamma Ray - Land of the Free vs. Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side
Wow, I don't know how I went 12 years of active heavy metal listening without hearing Imaginations from the Other Side. LOVED this song at first listen. Even though Land of the Free was one of the very first metal albums I ever listened to in full, I'm going Blind Guardian here. Awesome riffs on that one.
Matchup 6: Gamma Ray - Rebellion in Dreamland vs. Primal Fear - Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove
Simply put, I'm going Gamma Ray here. Power metal classic, one of their best ever songs. I will say, I can see why that Primal Fear song is someone's favorite heavy metal song. Great all around and very emotional vocals. Ralf Scheepers is the man, great underrated vocalist.
Pleasantly surprised by both these songs. I had never heard the Queensryche song, and it had been a long time since I heard that Dio song. Both songs ruled, but the keyboards and vocals on that Dio track really sold it to me. Winner: All the Fools Sailed Aways
Matchup 2: Saxon - Dallas 1 PM vs. Legend - The Wizard's Vengeance
I listened to this Legend album many many years ago and forgot about it until I saw it in this game. I didn't understand it then, and I don't really understand it now. It is raw, and I like that a lot. That Saxon song is off a classic album, but relistening to Dallas 1 PM is quite a boring experience. Giving this one to Legend as it's lesser known and deserves a shot to go far in this game.
Matchup 3: Arch Enemy - We Will Rise vs. In Flames - The Quiet Place
Only in the third matchup and I am once again reminded that my idea of good much-less great heavy metal is QUITE different than some people on here. No disrespect, this In Flames song is just not for me. I like this Arch Enemy song though (for some reason). Arch Enemy never really tried to beat around the fact that they're a pop rock band at the core with death metal stylings. Or, that's how I hear it anyways. They lean really heavy into the melodic stuff. While I prefer this Arch Enemy song, I needed a palette cleanser in the form of Gates to Hell by Obituary afterwards. Taking Arch Enemy here.
Matchup 4: Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) vs. AC/DC - Hell Aint a Bad Place to Be
I like hard rock, but Hendrix's music never really struck me. I'll take AC/DC here but really can go either way.
Matchup 5: Gamma Ray - Land of the Free vs. Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side
Wow, I don't know how I went 12 years of active heavy metal listening without hearing Imaginations from the Other Side. LOVED this song at first listen. Even though Land of the Free was one of the very first metal albums I ever listened to in full, I'm going Blind Guardian here. Awesome riffs on that one.
Matchup 6: Gamma Ray - Rebellion in Dreamland vs. Primal Fear - Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove
Simply put, I'm going Gamma Ray here. Power metal classic, one of their best ever songs. I will say, I can see why that Primal Fear song is someone's favorite heavy metal song. Great all around and very emotional vocals. Ralf Scheepers is the man, great underrated vocalist.
Remember, every song that wins a matchup in the first part will get 4 more matches at least as they do round robin play. So it's going to be a lot of exposure for some interesting tracks.
Man, this is why we do games like this! That's so cool.
The fifth round actually hurts as these are both worthy songs that could each take on pretty much every song in the previous rounds. Land of the Free is great, awesome riffing and energy. With that being said, I can't resist Imaginations From the Other Side. The chorus alone is epic, but the entire song is just immense. I love the big dynamic changes and the way this song keeps the energy level going through the entire track. A metal classic.
Gamma Ray gets another attempt in the final round, this time with one of their most iconic tracks. Rebellion in Dreamland is an all time metal classic, or at least it should be up there with the usual suspects in these sorts of games (Stargazer, Heaven and Hell, Beyond the Realms of Death etc). Like Imaginations From the Other Side, this song just keeps going and despite the 8 minute run time the energy level never dips. Great riffing, awesome chorus, overall a power metal masterclass. I hadn't heard Primal Fear before. Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove is a cool track, kinda has a mid 80s Queensryce sort of vibe to it. I can also see why this guy was in consideration for Judas Priest. The twin leads in the instrumental are great. I can't resist giving it to Gamma Ray, but I could see myself checking out more Primal Fear.
Gamma Ray gets another attempt in the final round, this time with one of their most iconic tracks. Rebellion in Dreamland is an all time metal classic, or at least it should be up there with the usual suspects in these sorts of games (Stargazer, Heaven and Hell, Beyond the Realms of Death etc). Like Imaginations From the Other Side, this song just keeps going and despite the 8 minute run time the energy level never dips. Great riffing, awesome chorus, overall a power metal masterclass. I hadn't heard Primal Fear before. Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove is a cool track, kinda has a mid 80s Queensryce sort of vibe to it. I can also see why this guy was in consideration for Judas Priest. The twin leads in the instrumental are great. I can't resist giving it to Gamma Ray, but I could see myself checking out more Primal Fear.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
It's an excellent album, I think I'm gonna spin my vinyl tomorrow.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Interestingly the first comparison my mind drew with "All the Fools Sailed Away" is Queensryche's "Anybody Listening?". It's not one of Dio's best but it's an enjoyable listen, nice simple chorus that gets hooked in your head, and the guitar work is great. I'm going for Queensrÿche though; "Take Hold of the Flame" isn't one of their best songs but the great moments eclipse Dio's. The high note in the bridge is fucking awesome.
"Dallas 1 PM" has a solid pace but it feels like wannabe AC/DC and doesn't really go anywhere. Legend meanwhile craft a really interesting song that's not necessarily my cup of tea but it's an enjoyable listen.
Okay I've been totally sleeping on "We Will Rise". It never wowed me in the past but coming back to it, goddamn is it a killer song. Love the melodeath riffing (of course the Carcass fan in me is always down for Michael Amott) and Angela Gossow is a MONSTER vocalist. Her voice is pure fucking fire. Listening to her and then going to the In Flames track is almost laughable. Anders Fridén sounds like an edgy teenager while she's a total dominatrix. Shocked that this one isn't sweeping the poll. I enjoyed the In Flames track more than I expected but it gets stale pretty fast. Easy, easy Arch Enemy win. Best song in this entire round and it may push me into diving deeper into their work.
Jimi Hendrix has never been my favorite guitarist but this is one of those songs where I understand the hype. It's a little boring in places but man his soulful guitar playing really saves it. AC/DC meanwhile... it's one of their plodders. Not one of my faves.
"Land of the Free" is solid, unassuming power metal. There are some interesting parts but it's not really my thing. Blind Guardian, however, bring a chorus that has stuck with me for years and I've only heard the damn song one time before today. I find their songs a little hard to follow (the production being so condensed doesn't help), but their good moments are great and this one wins just for that chorus.
The final match-up is honestly the toughest. "Rebellion in Dreamland" is good, but it's not blowing me away and I think I actually liked it more the first time I heard it. Not a big fan of Kai Hansen's vocals. Primal Fear isn't amazing, but the vocals are a little better than Gamma Ray's in spite of the fact that Ralf Scheepers (formerly of Gamma Ray, wow!) sounds like a knock-off Ripper Owens (who's already a knock-off metal singer). The song itself sounds like a cross between Iced Earth and... Winger. I got into it the further it progressed and I'm giving it a pity vote since "Dreamland" is almost definitely going to take it.
Best song of the round: Arch Enemy, "We Will Rise".
Worst song of the round: Saxon, "Dallas 1 PM".
"Dallas 1 PM" has a solid pace but it feels like wannabe AC/DC and doesn't really go anywhere. Legend meanwhile craft a really interesting song that's not necessarily my cup of tea but it's an enjoyable listen.
Okay I've been totally sleeping on "We Will Rise". It never wowed me in the past but coming back to it, goddamn is it a killer song. Love the melodeath riffing (of course the Carcass fan in me is always down for Michael Amott) and Angela Gossow is a MONSTER vocalist. Her voice is pure fucking fire. Listening to her and then going to the In Flames track is almost laughable. Anders Fridén sounds like an edgy teenager while she's a total dominatrix. Shocked that this one isn't sweeping the poll. I enjoyed the In Flames track more than I expected but it gets stale pretty fast. Easy, easy Arch Enemy win. Best song in this entire round and it may push me into diving deeper into their work.
Jimi Hendrix has never been my favorite guitarist but this is one of those songs where I understand the hype. It's a little boring in places but man his soulful guitar playing really saves it. AC/DC meanwhile... it's one of their plodders. Not one of my faves.
"Land of the Free" is solid, unassuming power metal. There are some interesting parts but it's not really my thing. Blind Guardian, however, bring a chorus that has stuck with me for years and I've only heard the damn song one time before today. I find their songs a little hard to follow (the production being so condensed doesn't help), but their good moments are great and this one wins just for that chorus.
The final match-up is honestly the toughest. "Rebellion in Dreamland" is good, but it's not blowing me away and I think I actually liked it more the first time I heard it. Not a big fan of Kai Hansen's vocals. Primal Fear isn't amazing, but the vocals are a little better than Gamma Ray's in spite of the fact that Ralf Scheepers (formerly of Gamma Ray, wow!) sounds like a knock-off Ripper Owens (who's already a knock-off metal singer). The song itself sounds like a cross between Iced Earth and... Winger. I got into it the further it progressed and I'm giving it a pity vote since "Dreamland" is almost definitely going to take it.
Best song of the round: Arch Enemy, "We Will Rise".
Worst song of the round: Saxon, "Dallas 1 PM".
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
The first pair is very very tough. All the Fools Sailed Away is one of my favorites from what is actually my favorite Dio album (Dream Evil). Take Hold Of the Flame is one of the big Queensryche fan favorites for a reason, and vocally Tate manages to edge out Dio by a decent margin here.
The second pair is also surprisingly even. Dallas 1 PM isn't really one of my favorite Saxon cuts, but it's still good for sure. The Wizard's Vengeance is one of the three songs from this round that I hadn't heard previously. It's a catchy song and musically good, but the awkward vocal melodies in its verses unfortunately cost a victory here.
I'm unsurprisingly voting for my own nomination The Quiet Place in the third matchup. I had a lot of options for the In Flames submission, Trigger, Clayman, Only for the Weak, Suburban Me, Evil in a Closet, etc. but I think at the end of the day this mid 00s single is my favorite track from the band that I met just last December. Arch Enemy on the other hand never did anything to me.
Voodoo Child vs Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be. I have very little interest in either of these artists or songs. It's a coin toss but I voted for AC/DC.
Land of the Free and Imaginations from the Other Side are two juggernauts and phenomenal title tracks from iconic albums. I had to vote for the latter, which also happens to be one of the best concert openers I've seen. I think this vote really comes down to the vocal abilities of each frontman, a scenario that leaves 99.9% of metal vocalists in the dust against the mighty Hansi Kursch.
The final pairing however doesn't come down to the vocalists. Ralf Scheepers is a top 10 metal vocalist for me, and this is without a doubt an effective Primal Fear song. Rebellion in Dreamland is, in short, one of the greatest songs of all time, and the only Primal Fear song I would vote for against it is the one I nominated myself.
The second pair is also surprisingly even. Dallas 1 PM isn't really one of my favorite Saxon cuts, but it's still good for sure. The Wizard's Vengeance is one of the three songs from this round that I hadn't heard previously. It's a catchy song and musically good, but the awkward vocal melodies in its verses unfortunately cost a victory here.
I'm unsurprisingly voting for my own nomination The Quiet Place in the third matchup. I had a lot of options for the In Flames submission, Trigger, Clayman, Only for the Weak, Suburban Me, Evil in a Closet, etc. but I think at the end of the day this mid 00s single is my favorite track from the band that I met just last December. Arch Enemy on the other hand never did anything to me.
Voodoo Child vs Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be. I have very little interest in either of these artists or songs. It's a coin toss but I voted for AC/DC.
Land of the Free and Imaginations from the Other Side are two juggernauts and phenomenal title tracks from iconic albums. I had to vote for the latter, which also happens to be one of the best concert openers I've seen. I think this vote really comes down to the vocal abilities of each frontman, a scenario that leaves 99.9% of metal vocalists in the dust against the mighty Hansi Kursch.
The final pairing however doesn't come down to the vocalists. Ralf Scheepers is a top 10 metal vocalist for me, and this is without a doubt an effective Primal Fear song. Rebellion in Dreamland is, in short, one of the greatest songs of all time, and the only Primal Fear song I would vote for against it is the one I nominated myself.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Alright, @Night Prowler , what part of my post warranted the anger? 
Choosing a random Primal Fear song over one of the best power metal songs of all time.Alright, @Night Prowler , what part of my post warranted the anger?
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Gamma Ray is already crushing it, my vote changes nothing. Both songs were solid, I went with the underdog because “Rebellion” will crush it anyway.
Match 1: All the Fools Sailed Away is a fairly standard Dio power ballad - which is to say, it rocks fucking hard, just because the whole point of the song is to put Dio's voice on display and let him pour emotion into you. There's some good riffage here, but it's mostly just Dio being Dio. With Take Hold of the Flame, we also get a fairly standard power ballad. But there can be no comparison here. Dio is a much better singer than Tate, especially when Tate spends the whole fucking song in his falsetto. The underlying music isn't anywhere near as good, with less interesting melodies and leads. Dio.
Match 2: Dallas 1PM, before even hearing a lyric, I am gonna guess JFK, yeah? It seems a fairly serious topic for a fairly standard Saxon sound. It's a happy lyric about a president getting shot. Otherwise, it's just a standard Saxon song, not one that particularly stands out to me. It's also way too long for a Saxon song. The Wizard's Vengeance, at 3:22, definitely won't stick around too long. Man, does this ever have a classic New Wave vibe. You can see how it never got big, but it's got a really cool place. The singer's not particularly talented, but he does try his best, and the low fi riffs just fit a mood. Legend.
Match 3: Frankly, I think this is an interesting matchup. Both of these songs have such incredible nu-metal vibes. Arch Enemy has always felt like a band I should be into, but I'm just not. Still, I mostly enjoyed We Will Rise, which at least has a catchy sound to bob along to. The instrumental section wasn't too bad, and while I'm not a big fan of Gossett's growls, I can find myself getting used to them. For The Quiet Place, the first thing that stands out is the terrible Korn-ass vocals. I'm guessing this is why so many people accuse In Flames of selling out, huh? This one's a bit more of a sonic assault, with quite a lot of disparate music going on. I just get a better feeling from Arch Enemy.
Match 4: Nobody has ever played guitar like Jimi Hendrix, and nobody ever will. This is definitely one of those "origins of metal" songs that influenced certain guitarists over time. Man, this guy could fuckin' wail on the strings. There's not much else here but does there need to be? On the other side we have Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be, which is AC/DC making the most AC/DC song ever. So do you like AC/DC, which is not particularly metal doing peak AC/DC nonsense, or do you like Jimi fuckin' Hendrix making his guitar sing? No contest. Voodoo Child (Slight Return).
Match 5: Gamma Ray is another one of those bands I always feel like I should like, but I don't. Land of the Free is not really convincing me to change that stance. It's a perfectly fine power metal song that I don't really connect with at all. Meanwhile, the other song is Imaginations from the Other Side, one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite bands. I love the intro to the first verse, sort of wandering in out of nowhere, I love how it grows to crescendo, and I love how it hits that great fucking chorus. Blind Guardian in a cakewalk.
Match 6: Time to give Gamma Ray another shot. Everyone seems to think Rebellion in Dreamland is one of their best songs, so let's see. It's definitely got that power metal feel of building, building, building. But the whole thing about power metal is that it has to hit the peak. We'll see if this does. Ahh, there's a time shift. Yeah, overall, this is pretty good, a little long, but pretty good. I still am not enamored with the overall sound, but it was a really good song. Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove doesn't feel quite as special, but I did like it. I wonder if it's the best representative from this album or band. Vocals are better than Gamma Ray though. Still, I think I agree with the majority in picking Gamma Ray - but it's closer than most people might think.
Match 2: Dallas 1PM, before even hearing a lyric, I am gonna guess JFK, yeah? It seems a fairly serious topic for a fairly standard Saxon sound. It's a happy lyric about a president getting shot. Otherwise, it's just a standard Saxon song, not one that particularly stands out to me. It's also way too long for a Saxon song. The Wizard's Vengeance, at 3:22, definitely won't stick around too long. Man, does this ever have a classic New Wave vibe. You can see how it never got big, but it's got a really cool place. The singer's not particularly talented, but he does try his best, and the low fi riffs just fit a mood. Legend.
Match 3: Frankly, I think this is an interesting matchup. Both of these songs have such incredible nu-metal vibes. Arch Enemy has always felt like a band I should be into, but I'm just not. Still, I mostly enjoyed We Will Rise, which at least has a catchy sound to bob along to. The instrumental section wasn't too bad, and while I'm not a big fan of Gossett's growls, I can find myself getting used to them. For The Quiet Place, the first thing that stands out is the terrible Korn-ass vocals. I'm guessing this is why so many people accuse In Flames of selling out, huh? This one's a bit more of a sonic assault, with quite a lot of disparate music going on. I just get a better feeling from Arch Enemy.
Match 4: Nobody has ever played guitar like Jimi Hendrix, and nobody ever will. This is definitely one of those "origins of metal" songs that influenced certain guitarists over time. Man, this guy could fuckin' wail on the strings. There's not much else here but does there need to be? On the other side we have Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be, which is AC/DC making the most AC/DC song ever. So do you like AC/DC, which is not particularly metal doing peak AC/DC nonsense, or do you like Jimi fuckin' Hendrix making his guitar sing? No contest. Voodoo Child (Slight Return).
Match 5: Gamma Ray is another one of those bands I always feel like I should like, but I don't. Land of the Free is not really convincing me to change that stance. It's a perfectly fine power metal song that I don't really connect with at all. Meanwhile, the other song is Imaginations from the Other Side, one of my favourite songs from one of my favourite bands. I love the intro to the first verse, sort of wandering in out of nowhere, I love how it grows to crescendo, and I love how it hits that great fucking chorus. Blind Guardian in a cakewalk.
Match 6: Time to give Gamma Ray another shot. Everyone seems to think Rebellion in Dreamland is one of their best songs, so let's see. It's definitely got that power metal feel of building, building, building. But the whole thing about power metal is that it has to hit the peak. We'll see if this does. Ahh, there's a time shift. Yeah, overall, this is pretty good, a little long, but pretty good. I still am not enamored with the overall sound, but it was a really good song. Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove doesn't feel quite as special, but I did like it. I wonder if it's the best representative from this album or band. Vocals are better than Gamma Ray though. Still, I think I agree with the majority in picking Gamma Ray - but it's closer than most people might think.
Round 1 is in the books. Dio handily defeats Queensrÿche to move on. Saxon falls to Legend, having lost an early lead. In Flames knocks Arch Enemy completely out of the GMSC. Jimi Hendrix squeaks past AC/DC. Blind Guardian has a strong win over Gamma Ray, but Gamma Ray comes back with an absolute squash of Primal Fear.
Part 1, Round 2, Matches 7-12
| Play In Round |
| Isle of Avalon Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thin Lizzy - Cowboy Song | vs. | Girlschool - Yeah Right | |
| Popoff 500 | Nominators | Rolling Stone 100 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Isle of Avalon Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker | vs. | Queen - Stone Cold Crazy | |
| Popoff 500 | Nominators | Popoff 500 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Isle of Avalon Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scorpions - Sails of Charon | vs. | Black Sabbath - Trashed | |
| Popoff 500 | Nominators | Popoff 500 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Terry Wapram Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angel Witch - Angel of Death | vs. | Diamond Head - Sucking My Love | |
| Popoff 500 | Nominators | ||
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
| Play In Round |
| Terry Wapram Division | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cattle Decapitation - Death Atlas | vs. | Celtic Frost - Circle of the Tyrants | |
| @Night Prowler | Nominators | Popoff 500 | |
| Youtube | Spotify | Amazon | Links |
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Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Glad to hear you like the PF song. The song is actually a bonus song (wow!) for their 2001 album, but it's liked a lot and is part of their early classics. It's close to the best from them and from Ralf. Tough draw though. Gamma Ray is one of my favorite bands.
Saapanael
Ancient Mariner
Absolutely agree with this. I don't know how people put up with Tate's vocals.