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 .
"Spit" is just a pile of muddy noise with terrible vocals. I guess it's sort of interesting to hear the vocalist go back and forth between her girly normal voice and those curdled screams, but you can't carry an entire song on the back of that, even one that's only two and a half minutes long. Meteora mostly retread the formula of Hybrid Theory, down to having similar songs in similar positions in the track list -- and "Numb" was pretty much "In The End" Mk. II, but it turned out really well and was almost as good as the original, and that's probably enough for it to step out of its predecessor's shadow. And it's way more than enough to win this match-up. Winner: Linkin Park - "Numb"

Yikes, these are both top-tier Rush tracks in this next match-up. "Xanadu" is a killer prog epic that takes a little while to get going, but really soars once it takes off. Such drumming, very wow. Excellent song. "Subdivisions" is much more direct, with a great synth hook and an interesting blend of hopefulness and melancholy to the music. Love the vocal lines and the synth solos, and all the subtle variations Peart introduces to the rhythms throughout. Both tracks are worthy, but sorry @Stardust, I've gotta give the edge to @LooseCannon's nominee here. Winner: Rush - "Subdivisions"

"Computer God" has cool riffs, and the verse melody is solid, but the pre-chorus and chorus are a bit of a mess, and the lyrics are pretty bad. I like the subdued bridge a lot, though, and the first solo is very good, even if it feels a bit disconnected from the rest of the song. "Restless And Wild" has a straightforward appealing groove, but man, I really can't get on board with Udo's voice, and some of the melodic choices are questionable. The solo is almost good, but kind of falls apart as it goes on, and the song almost feels like it's held together with duct tape at times. Neither song is particularly strong, but this is still an easy call for @KidInTheDark666's nominee. Winner: Black Sabbath - "Computer God"

"King Of Rock And Roll" has a nice groove and great vocal lines, and the extended solo is pretty cool. The fake crowd noise is a bit weird, but whatever. A straightforward but great rocker. "God Of Wrath" has an appealing subdued verse, and the main riff is kind of interesting, but the screechy bit that I guess serves as a chorus isn't the best. Love the extra-long solo, though. I think the Metal Church song had more interesting ideas, but the Dio song was more consistent and executed better, so I'll give it the nod. Winner: Dio - "King Of Rock And Roll"

"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity" gets a little weird with the Wizard Of Oz opening, and it's overly repetitive like most of ...And Justice For All; but the riffs are good, most of the vocal lines are memorable, and the multi-part guitar interlude is really good with a great solo. "Mouth For War" has solid riffs, but Phil Anselmo needs to go suck on a tail pipe. His screamy frat-bro try-hard schtick is just so...exhausting, and there really isn't anything special about this track at all. Pantera has got to be one of the most overrated bands in metal history. No contest here, an easy call for @Shmoolikipod's nominee. Winner: Metallica - "The Frayed Ends Of Sanity"

"Metal Gods" has a solid groove and OK vocal melodies, but man, that chorus sucks. The solo's decent, and the silverware pounding is fine; but if I'm being charitable, this song is OK at best. "Anthem To The Estranged" has another nice subdued verse and some interesting heavy harmonization, but the screamy parts don't work as well, and I'm starting to wonder if these guys have any concept of what a chorus should sound like. The solo section is pretty great, at least. In the end the song is overlong and definitely shows its seams, but it's still a hell of a lot more interesting than its competitor. Winner: Metal Church - "Anthem To The Estranged"
 
First of all,
Thanks mate, my family and I have been safe for now. Crazy times.
my support and prayers go to you and your country.

And in other news.

That Kittie song is rather wretched, but I can't imagine myself voting for Linkin Park (which also sounds like old-era MySpace and I can't quite separate the song from the misbegotten hybrid done with Jay-Z) and Kittie's song is definitely the more transgressive one, so Bintboss it is.

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A Rush-off (which will surely make the Rush haters happy)

It doesn't, because I actually like both of these songs somewhat and in the meantime there have been bands that evoked my ire much more effectively. A Farewell to Kings is probably my favourite Rush album, at least on par with Clockwork Angels and Xanadu is probably closer to my overal preference so I'll go with the Olivia Newton-John's song.

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A latter-day era Rainbath over Accept at their finest? That feels like no contest at all. The Young and the Restless, of course.

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However amiable may we find Dio and however handsome we may justly consider his voice, it does not mean that he shall be automatically preferred over other artists, even those that possess an altogether worse vocalist. The Metal Church song is much more interesting.

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I have previously stated my general enjoyment of Pantera and I have a soft spot for Mouth for War in particular ever since I acquainted myself with it while playing the original Doom all those decades ago. However, its opposition is Metallica and an offering from their very best album. Therefore nary a glede of doubt burns in my heart as I join the Affray.

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And once again, the Metal Church song aims higher than the Metal Gods do. I shall raise my oriflamme and hasten to support the losing side.
 
Kittie was really interesting, nothing really more than that. Linkin Park, easy vote. I actually heard this song last night already because my partner and I went to see a play at our local theater about suicide (super good!). The pre-show playlist featured songs performed by people who had committed suicide, including Nirvana, The Judds, Soundgarden, and Linkin Park. It's such a touching song, Chester's voice is tear-jerking here. The only thing I could use is a little more worldbuilding after the second chorus but otherwise it's really strong. No wonder it's one of the biggest songs on YouTube.

I choose to believe that people who dislike Rush just hate music. This band is awesome. Both "Xanadu" and "Subdivisions" are great for different reasons. In the past I've been a little critical about the structure of "Xanadu" even though literally every moment is awesome in and of themselves. But honestly today I kinda realized that it really is super well structured. And it's definitely up there with my favorite songs by the group. From front to back, it's euphoric. The guitars, the bass, the synths, and Peart's drumming. Oh my god. The man exuded rhythm from every pore. "Subdivisions" meanwhile has more reined-in drumming but it's still super creative. The synths take the center stage but Lifeson still gets some great work in there, especially in the chorus and solo. And Geddy Lee's voice has gone from DnD player to wayward scholar. Love it. Ultimately I'll go with the more metal song (Xanadu), but this is an awesome double-whammy of Rush greatness.

Not to get Knick in a tizzy but this is the closest I've ever heard Dio sound like Ripper Owens. I was really starting to wonder if Ripper was doing a stint with Sabbath at some point. Dio is still a little better here but I won't lie and say it's my favorite performance of his. Overall the song goes nowhere. "Restless and Wild" is super fun and a metal classic, so you'll just have to Accept that I'm going with the German wrecking crew for this match.

Does "King of Rock 'n' Roll" have audience noise in the studio version or did I accidentally listen to a live track? Regardless this was a hell of a lot of fun and Dio is killing it on this song. Metal Church were okay but plodded a bit too much, also the singer has some weak high notes. Dio.

I love Metallica but man they are one of the clunkiest bands in metal history. Sometimes it works, sometimes you overlook it, sometimes it really sticks out. My views on AJFA have improved over time but it really is the clunkiest Metallica album from the classic period. "The Frayed Ends of Sanity" is a decent song but there's just so much clunk that could've been shaved off for a more rounded song. When Metallica get lost in their own riffs it's like you've warped into the backrooms with no escape. "Mouth for War" is 10x better, love the groovy, wavy riffage of Dimebad and honestly I enjoy Phil's voice too. I'm starting to learn in this game that I like Pantera a lot more than I thought I did.

"Metal Gods" is a classic, one of the best songs on British Steel. Love the pace, the power, the rhythm. Meanwhile Metal Church is back and this song just goes on and on and on. The vocalist is better than the previous one but the song as a whole is a lot more boring. Hey JP, JP, would you fight for me? 'Sanna hey, 'sanna ho-sanna.
 
Numb, no contest.
Xanadu is a really interesting long piece, that's enough for me to vote for it.
Computer God is one of the best BS songs with Dio, but the galloping rhythm of Restless And Wild barely wins it for me.
King Of Rock And Roll is one of my favorite solo songs of Dio. Those riff, verses and drumming!
This is not a Metallica song I like, but against another thrash metal band, always them!
Metal Gods, that groove is timeless. The other song is not bad.
 
Voting for Linkin Park’s poppy screams over Kittie’s absolutely painful, bad screams.

70s prog epic Rush vs 80s synth pop Rush is almost like comparing two different bands. Xanadu is a beautiful journey, but I think Subdivisions is the better song.

Dio Sabbath ten million times over Accept’s caterwauling.

Dio.

It’s an easy vote for Metallica in the battle of guitars that sound like chainsaws.

I love Priest, but Metal Gods is far from one of my favorites. Never heard Anthem before, but I’m giving this to Metal Church.
 
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It’s weird, I agree with Jer that Pantera is probably the most overrated band in metal history, but they also have quite a few songs I’ve come around on. I didn’t like them until about 4/5 years ago. Mouth For War is a song I actually like from them.
 
Well, poor Kittie just got struck numb by Linkin Park. In the battle to subdivide Rush's support, Subdivisions wins. There's no accepting Accept's wild and restless ways as Black Sabbath calculates a victory. Gods are lesser than kings as Dio trumps Metal Church; Pantera's gotta close that mouth when Metallica goes crazy. Metal Church falls to gods and kings today as Judas Priest moves on.






Part 1, Round 17, Matches 97-102


Play In Round
Match 97
Paul Di'Anno Division​
Yngwie Malmsteen - I'll See the Light Tonight
vs.
Warlock - True as Steel​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 98
Paul Di'Anno Division​
Bloodbound - Nosferatu
vs.
Primal Fear - Unbreakable (Part 2)​
@Kalata
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 99
Michael Kenney Division​
Blood Star - Going Home
vs.
Judas Priest - Hellrider​
@Wogmidget
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 100
Michael Kenney Division​
Rush - La Villa Strangiato
vs.
Rush - Tom Sawyer​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 101
Michael Kenney Division​
Hypocrisy - Roswell 47
vs.
Carcass - Corporal Jigsore Quandary​
@Diesel 11
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon

Play In Round
Match 102
Dave Lights Division​
Demon - Night of the Demon
vs.
Cloven Hoof - Laying Down the Law​
@Perun
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links
 
I'll See The Light Tonight is one of my favorite YM songs.
Unbreakable is a great PF song (that chorus and melodies!), I hate to vote against it, but my nominee song is one of my favorites with its Maiden style. Galloping rhythm, classic metal melodies, brutally good chorus! Bloodbound's debut album is great.
Blood Star's song is nice, but against my second nominee for this round, no chance. Hellrider is a top-notch Priest song. Riffs, speed, chorus, solos, melodies - everything is superb.
I prefer the old school metal of Cloven Hoof, although the song's chorus could have been stronger.
 
I'll See The Light Tonight is one of my favorite YM songs.
Unbreakable is a great PF song (that chorus and melodies!), I hate to vote against it, but my nominee song is one of my favorites with its Maiden style. Galloping rhythm, classic metal melodies, brutally good chorus! Bloodbound's debut album is great.
Blood Star's song is nice, but against my second nominee for this round, no chance. Hellrider is a top-notch Priest song. Riffs, speed, chorus, solos, melodies - everything is superb.
I prefer the old school metal of Cloven Hoof, although the song's chorus could have been stronger.
Heartbroken that you skipped Hypocrisy and Carcass like you do all extreme metal.
:(
 
"I'll See The Light Tonight" is a great song from a great album (I actually nominated a different song from this record for the GMSC). This is arguably the only Yngwie solo album where it sounds like he's playing as part of a band. Jeff Scott Soto still sounds a bit raw here, but you can hear his potential. Strong vocal lines, a cool riff, great soloing, and some unexpected key changes make for a winning combination.
When the music video was shot for this song, Soto had already been replaced by Mark Boals (the singer on Trilogy, and some later Yngwie albums), so Boals appears in the video lip-syncing over Soto's performance:


Amazingly, this bizarre situation repeated itself years later when Soto recorded a cover of "Carry On My Wayward Son" for Yngwie's Inspiration album, but Boals was part of Yngwie's touring band for the album, and once again appeared in the video lip-syncing over Soto's performance!


Crazy.
"True As Steel" has a pretty good riff and a pretty good chorus, and Doro sounds great here. The random synth notes don't really work, though, and the solo ends really abruptly, and the lyrics aren't very good; but this is still a pretty good song overall. Unfortunately, that's not enough to stand up to a much stronger competitor. Sorry, @Wogmidget. Winner: Yngwie Malmsteen - "I'll See The Light Tonight"

"Nosferatu" has nice atmosphere, but the music sounds like it's just aping reunion-era Maiden, warts and all, with a little extra power metal flavor added. It's executed pretty well, and the singer's good; but just like recent Maiden it repeats itself a bit too much, doesn't fully develop the vocal lines, and defaults into typical guitar harmony ruts. At least it doesn't fall into the trap of repeating the soft intro at the end! "Unbreakable (Part 2)" has a punchy riff with a nice rising progression in the middle, but the vocal melodies are merely OK, and I don't like Ralf Scheepers' voice as much as Urban Breed's. The harmonized guitar interlude is nice, but not great, and the solo is decent. Not bad, but sorry @KidInTheDark666, as much as I dislike voting for a song with such an unoriginal sound, @Kalata's nominee is the superior track. Winner: Bloodbound - "Nosferatu"

"Going Home" has a nice atmospheric intro and an interesting riff. I like the deep, gritty female vocals too. The vocal lines are pretty good and the solo is great. A very good song overall. "Hellrider" has a great intro and a pretty good pre-chorus, but the verses, chorus, and bridges are all weak. At least the solo section is pretty good, and the following interlude is great, but that's not enough to salvage the song. Sorry, @Kalata, but this is an easy call for @Wogmidget's nominee. Winner: Blood Star - "Going Home"

In another Rush-off, we have "La Villa Strangiato", which is an excellent instrumental that comes back to the "Powerhouse" theme a little too often, vs. "Tom Sawyer", which is a stone cold rock classic that's pretty much perfect from start to finish. Two awesome songs, but one clear victor. Winner: Rush - "Tom Sawyer"

"Roswell 47" lays down a pretty thick groove that's occasionally dissonant in an offputting way. The vocalist sucks, of course, like he sort of wants to sing black metal, but can't fully commit to the Gollum role. There are occasionally interesting things going on with the guitars in the background, but this more or less boils down to a head-bobbing groove with some mildly annoying stuff going on around it. "Corporal Jigsore Quandary" has some interesting progressions and rhythms going on. The vocals suck in a pretty typical thrash/death way, with only occasional dips into full Cookie-Monster-ism. The song feels like a bit of a patchwork rather than something cohesive, and the first solo is pretty meh, but the second one is a little better. I don't know, I just shrug my shoulders at both of these nominees, but congratusorrylations @Diesel 11, I guess the Carcass track has more interesting ideas in it, even if it's not very successful as a song. Winner: Carcass - "Corporal Jigsore Quandary"

"Night Of The Demon" has a solid main riff and strong vocals. There's kind of a weird 70s theatrical feel bubbling underneath the surface that never fully breaks out. It didn't knock my socks off, but it's a simple, straightforward, and effective song. "Laying Down The Law" also has a solid main riff, but with less appealing vocals and a chorus that doesn't quite get there. The production is also weak, verging on black metal territory; but the extended solo is excellent. Hmm, the Cloven Hoof song has higher highs but lower lows, and it's definitely more uneven than the Demon song. I could probably go either way here, but congratusorrylations @Perun, I'm going to lean toward consistency this time. Winner: Demon - "Night Of The Demon"
 
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Yngwie Malmsteen - I'll See the Light Tonight vs. Warlock - True as Steel
Both songs are on a similar sort of level, Yngwie's singer is maybe a bit too Foreigner-esque for my tastes, but it's a better track over all I'll See the Light Tonight

Bloodbound - Nosferatu vs. Primal Fear - Unbreakable (Part 2)

Bloodbound was enjoyable enough, but it's not very original, the music is total Maiden and the lyrics are essentially The Number of the Beast. Primal Fear was about the same standard but more original and I liked the instrumental section Unbreakable (Part 2)

Blood Star - Going Home vs. Judas Priest - Hellrider

Really enjoyed this Blood Star track and will definitely check out more stuff. They are in the ballpark of quite a lot of unfamiliar to me stuff that's been in this competition, but they have a few things that make them stand out from the pack, the female vocals, not having an over produced modern sound, nice arpeggios enhancing the chord progression. There's a touch of W.A.S.P. to the arrangement if not the lyrical content or delivery. Great stuff. Hellrider is an average enough Priest track, just a paint-by-numbers effort at best. Going Home

Rush - La Villa Strangiato vs. Rush - Tom Sawyer

La Villa Strangiato is enjoyable enough, but c'mon Tom Sawyer

Hypocrisy - Roswell 47 vs. Carcass - Corporal Jigsore Quandary

Both tracks are not what I would usually listen to, but I think they are closer to my understanding of metal than a lot of other stuff that's popped up from outside my comfort zone.. The production is clear and sounds like human beings playing. The arrangements flow, it's not a case of slapping a load of mismatched sections together. The vocals are not my cup of tea, but work in context, particularly for Carcass, when signing about what they sing about it makes sense for your vocals to sound like a deranged madman. I think the Hypocrisy track has more going on musically. Roswell 47

Demon - Night of the Demon vs. Cloven Hoof - Laying Down the Law

I only know of Demon from seeing the album in second hand record stores for years, plus with the advent of Spotify it randomly started playing this track for me. Obviously there's some truth to their algorithm as this track is right up my alley and I have been meaning to pick up the album. Not aware of Cloven Hoof other than thinking it was a fairly shit name for years. This track is solid enough NWOBHM and an enjoyable listen but the weaker track of this pair Night of the Demon
 
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