The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 4, Matches 82-87
- Thread starter LooseCannon
- Start date
-
- Tags
- gmsc
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Yngwie's On The Run Again is classic 80's old school metal, so it's an easy win. Great riff, solo (ofc), verses and especially chorus.
Ozzy's song is nice (guitar playing is top), but against Hell Bent For Leather, no chance. One of Priest's best short songs. Everything is great.
Sole Survivor is a typical very good song from the Pumpkins (especially the chorus and the heavy riff). Into The Storm has great melodies and chorus (I like them a lot), but I don't like the verses, so for that alone I will vote for Helloween.
Two of my favorite Nightwish songs against each other. Yeah, I can say that. I love the heavy riff, the (DOD-esque) melodies, the calm verses, the pre-chorus and the chorus of I Want My Tears Back. While The Kinslayer has one of the band's best intros and riff, plus dramatic vocals. But the former wins it for me with its melodies and the singing on it.
Ozzy's song is nice (guitar playing is top), but against Hell Bent For Leather, no chance. One of Priest's best short songs. Everything is great.
Sole Survivor is a typical very good song from the Pumpkins (especially the chorus and the heavy riff). Into The Storm has great melodies and chorus (I like them a lot), but I don't like the verses, so for that alone I will vote for Helloween.
Two of my favorite Nightwish songs against each other. Yeah, I can say that. I love the heavy riff, the (DOD-esque) melodies, the calm verses, the pre-chorus and the chorus of I Want My Tears Back. While The Kinslayer has one of the band's best intros and riff, plus dramatic vocals. But the former wins it for me with its melodies and the singing on it.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Hell yeah! Let me know if you’d like more from where that came from.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
Necropolis is truly a great song. Imagine if it had a vocalist of Bruce or Dio's caliber. We would have a 10/10 track right there.
Just a program note - I have plans this weekend, so any update is not likely to occur until Sunday.
DJ James
A coma stole my name.
Sorry, have to disagree here, Mark The Shark Shelton (Rest in Peace) is near perfect on Crystal Logic, can’t imagine any other voice singing on that classic Manilla Road stuff.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Everything about Yngwie’s song is serviceable (aka an excuse to get to the solo). Necropolis is a much better song, but I agree with those who think the vocals are super weak. But it’s catchy. Sounds like what I think Ghost would have sounded like in the early 80s.
Hell Bent For Leather is a simple, classic Priest rocker with an awesome mid-chorus riff. Ozzy is Ozzy and I don’t care.
The harsh vocals in Hail of Bullets is my least favorite and sounds like the singer is on his way to throat surgery. Death’s vocals aren’t much better, but at least Chuck got riffs.
Planets Collide kinda sounds like Pantera playing a doom metal song or less-good Clutch. It’s alright. Evoken is also alright, but it’s far too drawn out and the first half has some pretty bad transitions. There are some decent, sorrowful musical passages but I’m not sure that they work as well as the band seems to think they do. I’m gonna go with Crowbar here, but if Evoken wins, that’s cool, too.
I really love the instrumental in Sole Survivor, but the vocals are incredibly grating. Music is good, though! Hansi’s voice is its own kind of grating. Kind of charming, but spooky. Anyway, Into The Storm is an absolute beast of a song. That chorus is incredibly epic, the guitar solos are masterful, it’s just a treasure of a tune. Easy win for Blind Guardian here.
Ah, it’s a battle of Nightwish! Both songs are overrated, IMO, but the former is only overrated due to the lyrics being stupid. Musically, it’s a powerhouse jig that tugs at every single strand of joy inside of my soul. I hate the lyrical refrain. I hate it. BUT the music is so good it doesn’t really matter. The Kinslayer is much more old school both in composition and tone. It’s an angry, orch-hit and riff driven tune that breezes by. These. Types. Of. Vocals. Are. Nev. Er. My favorite. I love the heaviness of the track (something that new Nightwish is sorely lacking) but the overuse of sound effects kill this one for me. They played a version of this on the Decades tour where Marko sang/yelled those spoken word parts and it was better. Anyway, I Want My Tears Back is the superior song.
Hell Bent For Leather is a simple, classic Priest rocker with an awesome mid-chorus riff. Ozzy is Ozzy and I don’t care.
The harsh vocals in Hail of Bullets is my least favorite and sounds like the singer is on his way to throat surgery. Death’s vocals aren’t much better, but at least Chuck got riffs.
Planets Collide kinda sounds like Pantera playing a doom metal song or less-good Clutch. It’s alright. Evoken is also alright, but it’s far too drawn out and the first half has some pretty bad transitions. There are some decent, sorrowful musical passages but I’m not sure that they work as well as the band seems to think they do. I’m gonna go with Crowbar here, but if Evoken wins, that’s cool, too.
I really love the instrumental in Sole Survivor, but the vocals are incredibly grating. Music is good, though! Hansi’s voice is its own kind of grating. Kind of charming, but spooky. Anyway, Into The Storm is an absolute beast of a song. That chorus is incredibly epic, the guitar solos are masterful, it’s just a treasure of a tune. Easy win for Blind Guardian here.
Ah, it’s a battle of Nightwish! Both songs are overrated, IMO, but the former is only overrated due to the lyrics being stupid. Musically, it’s a powerhouse jig that tugs at every single strand of joy inside of my soul. I hate the lyrical refrain. I hate it. BUT the music is so good it doesn’t really matter. The Kinslayer is much more old school both in composition and tone. It’s an angry, orch-hit and riff driven tune that breezes by. These. Types. Of. Vocals. Are. Nev. Er. My favorite. I love the heaviness of the track (something that new Nightwish is sorely lacking) but the overuse of sound effects kill this one for me. They played a version of this on the Decades tour where Marko sang/yelled those spoken word parts and it was better. Anyway, I Want My Tears Back is the superior song.
Confeos
Game time started.
Following a very weak round, this one sure is breath of fresh air; lots of very good stuff here.
I really enjoyed both Yngwie and Manilla Road's songs in the first match. I don't think the guitar sound on "On the Run Again" is particularly good, but on the other hand, the singer from Manilla Road has got nothing on Jeff Scott Soto, so it's close. It's almost a coinflip, really, but I might give a slight edge to "Necropolis" for being just a bit more interesting than "On the Run Again", so voting for Manilla Road.
"Hell Bent for Leather" is a good piece of classic Priest, but still nowhere near their best song in my opinion. "Fool Like You" comes from a very underrated Ozzy album, even if I would rate a couple of tracks on it higher. Jake E. Lee's guitarwork is absolutely stellar, and more than enough to tip the scales in Ozzy's favour.
I had never heard of Hail of Bullets before this, but I'm almost certain I've heard the main melody in "To Bear the Unbearable" before. It feels like it could have been a bit longer, and I don't care much for the weird spoken word ending, but the rest of it is quite good. However, once again Death just has that special something that elevates them above the rest - I still prefer their later albums, but "Choke on It" is packed full of great riffs and one of the best tracks on Leprosy. Death.
"Planets Collide" is nothing short of amazing. I'm completely unfamiliar with Crowbar, but what a track - doomy and gloomy yet very melodic, and somehow the vocals fit perfectly. Definitely a band I'm gonna check out some more! Musically, "Antithesis of Light" is equally as good - very cinematic in the way it evokes scenes of despair and emptiness. Perfect for the season! But sorry, low, growled vocals just don't work for me in doom. I don't mind them in other genres, but I really think this song would've benefitted greatly from a powerful, cleaner voice, or even one like the guy in Crowbar. I'm voting for Crowbar, but if Evoken wins, I can absolutely live with it.
I'm not as big on Helloween these days as I used to be, and I can see why some people don't like Andi Deris' voice, but it's undeniable he played an important part in Helloween bouncing back quickly after Kiske's departure. "Soul Survivor" is a really good, energetic song with a great chorus, and I think it's cool that they managed to put out something like this, fresh off the heels of a couple of sub-par Kiske albums. Compared to "Into the Storm", I think both songs are quite close in quality, but the chorus in "Into the Storm" just slays - and even if I don't have a problem with Deris, I still much prefer Hansi's voice. So it's a close one (again), but my vote goes to Blind Guardian.
And so we end with the battle of the Nightwish...es. I'm firmly on Team Tarja in general, but I'm kinda meh on "The Kinslayer". The vocal lines (or lack thereof) doesn't sit well with me, and the "conversation" with Tarja and the guest vocalist (or speaker, rather) isn't amazing either. The music is good, and the lyrics sadly still relevant. "I Want My Tears Back" is such a fun tune; the chorus is catchy and the folky melodies are right up my alley. Plus, I think Imaginaerum is the best album they did with Anette, and better than anything they've done since - sorry, Floor. I Want My Tears Back.
I really enjoyed both Yngwie and Manilla Road's songs in the first match. I don't think the guitar sound on "On the Run Again" is particularly good, but on the other hand, the singer from Manilla Road has got nothing on Jeff Scott Soto, so it's close. It's almost a coinflip, really, but I might give a slight edge to "Necropolis" for being just a bit more interesting than "On the Run Again", so voting for Manilla Road.
"Hell Bent for Leather" is a good piece of classic Priest, but still nowhere near their best song in my opinion. "Fool Like You" comes from a very underrated Ozzy album, even if I would rate a couple of tracks on it higher. Jake E. Lee's guitarwork is absolutely stellar, and more than enough to tip the scales in Ozzy's favour.
I had never heard of Hail of Bullets before this, but I'm almost certain I've heard the main melody in "To Bear the Unbearable" before. It feels like it could have been a bit longer, and I don't care much for the weird spoken word ending, but the rest of it is quite good. However, once again Death just has that special something that elevates them above the rest - I still prefer their later albums, but "Choke on It" is packed full of great riffs and one of the best tracks on Leprosy. Death.
"Planets Collide" is nothing short of amazing. I'm completely unfamiliar with Crowbar, but what a track - doomy and gloomy yet very melodic, and somehow the vocals fit perfectly. Definitely a band I'm gonna check out some more! Musically, "Antithesis of Light" is equally as good - very cinematic in the way it evokes scenes of despair and emptiness. Perfect for the season! But sorry, low, growled vocals just don't work for me in doom. I don't mind them in other genres, but I really think this song would've benefitted greatly from a powerful, cleaner voice, or even one like the guy in Crowbar. I'm voting for Crowbar, but if Evoken wins, I can absolutely live with it.
I'm not as big on Helloween these days as I used to be, and I can see why some people don't like Andi Deris' voice, but it's undeniable he played an important part in Helloween bouncing back quickly after Kiske's departure. "Soul Survivor" is a really good, energetic song with a great chorus, and I think it's cool that they managed to put out something like this, fresh off the heels of a couple of sub-par Kiske albums. Compared to "Into the Storm", I think both songs are quite close in quality, but the chorus in "Into the Storm" just slays - and even if I don't have a problem with Deris, I still much prefer Hansi's voice. So it's a close one (again), but my vote goes to Blind Guardian.
And so we end with the battle of the Nightwish...es. I'm firmly on Team Tarja in general, but I'm kinda meh on "The Kinslayer". The vocal lines (or lack thereof) doesn't sit well with me, and the "conversation" with Tarja and the guest vocalist (or speaker, rather) isn't amazing either. The music is good, and the lyrics sadly still relevant. "I Want My Tears Back" is such a fun tune; the chorus is catchy and the folky melodies are right up my alley. Plus, I think Imaginaerum is the best album they did with Anette, and better than anything they've done since - sorry, Floor. I Want My Tears Back.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
I really don't know which way to vote in the first round. Both of these songs are fine, not much more. "Necropolis" is more fiery; "On the Run Again" has better vocals. Hot take: I'd rather listen to Janick than Yngwie, that solo went absolutely nowhere. I guess I'm going with Manilla Road?
From a lackluster matchup to a more interesting one, we've got Ozzy and Priest with a couple decent tracks that may not rank among their best work but are certainly strong in their own rights. "Hell Bent for Leather" is kinda just decent until you get to the chorus, which is fucking awesome as shit, and you can tell they've tried to recreate it several times since, with "Breaking the Law" on the next album getting even catchier, and even the newly released "Panic Attack" treads the same waters. "Fool Like You" sees Ozzy's voice in excellent form and Jake E. Lee's guitarwork is killer. I think Ozzy gets overhated around here; there's nothing really wrong about his voice except the actual sound of it, which either clicks with you or doesn't. In tracks like these it 100% does. If Priest's song was stronger beyond just the chorus (although the bridge is strong too), I'd go with them, but I think my vote will be going to Ozzy this round.
Hail of Bullets was interesting but the song went nowhere. "Choke on It" is classic early death metal at its finest, so I'll Vote on It.
Crowbar was actually really good! IDK if it should be on the Rolling Stone list per se but it has a wonderful sense of melody in the heavier, doomier sound. But Evoken are getting my vote handily. They're set on the path to become my favorite funeral doom band bar Ahab. Like Ahab, they've got a lot more speed behind them than a lot of funeral doom artists do, but then when they slow to a crawl they've got this looming atmosphere hovering over you that bathes you in nocturnal ecstasy. I might be weird but I don't usually find funeral doom mournful, just engulfing and, in this case, rapturous. If I was nominating today, I might have actually gone with "Where Ghosts Fall Silent" from Quietus, which may be an even better album than Antithesis of Light, but no matter, this titanic 12-minute affair is filled with great, haunting melodies, almost heavenly as they surround the extreme vocals that plunge us deeper into the night. There's more emphasis on the "but steady" side of things than the "slow", and it's a fantastic composition and one of my favorite funeral doom tracks I've heard yet. Glad a lot of you are digging it!
I enjoyed both of the power metal tracks here, from arguably the two greatest power metal bands of all time. Blind Guardian's is their usual style of all-over-the-place-but-also-totally-reined-in, and from the bridge to the end it got really fucking good. But Helloween really felt like they had something to prove with this track. Great vocals, lots of energy, and it felt like the band was having fun too. Surprisingly going to give them the vote!
Nightwish versus Nightwish and it's so hard to decide. I love these two songs a lot. "I Want My Tears Back" has a killer opening, I love the pipe and guitar working together, Anette and Marko kill it, the keys in the verses are so cool, and the instrumental section is a fucking joy, all before Marko pulls it together and delivers one more awesome chorus. Yeah, the lyrics are dumb. But they're fun! The whole song is fun! This is the kinda song that makes you wanna dance and prance and sing! "The Kinslayer", meanwhile, oozes with evil underneath its surface. I love Emppu's riff in this song, it's killer. It's bombastic, but not overly. The verses sound militaristic, which plays into the theme (written in response to the Columbine massacre). The bridge is a bit silly but it doesn't detract from the song. In four minutes they take you on a whirlwind of emotions and I love it. Also sad to note that this song is still just as accurate today as it was in 2000. I think "I Want My Tears Back" is slightly stronger overall, but these are killer Nightwish cuts and I'm fine with either of them winning.
From a lackluster matchup to a more interesting one, we've got Ozzy and Priest with a couple decent tracks that may not rank among their best work but are certainly strong in their own rights. "Hell Bent for Leather" is kinda just decent until you get to the chorus, which is fucking awesome as shit, and you can tell they've tried to recreate it several times since, with "Breaking the Law" on the next album getting even catchier, and even the newly released "Panic Attack" treads the same waters. "Fool Like You" sees Ozzy's voice in excellent form and Jake E. Lee's guitarwork is killer. I think Ozzy gets overhated around here; there's nothing really wrong about his voice except the actual sound of it, which either clicks with you or doesn't. In tracks like these it 100% does. If Priest's song was stronger beyond just the chorus (although the bridge is strong too), I'd go with them, but I think my vote will be going to Ozzy this round.
Hail of Bullets was interesting but the song went nowhere. "Choke on It" is classic early death metal at its finest, so I'll Vote on It.
Crowbar was actually really good! IDK if it should be on the Rolling Stone list per se but it has a wonderful sense of melody in the heavier, doomier sound. But Evoken are getting my vote handily. They're set on the path to become my favorite funeral doom band bar Ahab. Like Ahab, they've got a lot more speed behind them than a lot of funeral doom artists do, but then when they slow to a crawl they've got this looming atmosphere hovering over you that bathes you in nocturnal ecstasy. I might be weird but I don't usually find funeral doom mournful, just engulfing and, in this case, rapturous. If I was nominating today, I might have actually gone with "Where Ghosts Fall Silent" from Quietus, which may be an even better album than Antithesis of Light, but no matter, this titanic 12-minute affair is filled with great, haunting melodies, almost heavenly as they surround the extreme vocals that plunge us deeper into the night. There's more emphasis on the "but steady" side of things than the "slow", and it's a fantastic composition and one of my favorite funeral doom tracks I've heard yet. Glad a lot of you are digging it!
I enjoyed both of the power metal tracks here, from arguably the two greatest power metal bands of all time. Blind Guardian's is their usual style of all-over-the-place-but-also-totally-reined-in, and from the bridge to the end it got really fucking good. But Helloween really felt like they had something to prove with this track. Great vocals, lots of energy, and it felt like the band was having fun too. Surprisingly going to give them the vote!
Nightwish versus Nightwish and it's so hard to decide. I love these two songs a lot. "I Want My Tears Back" has a killer opening, I love the pipe and guitar working together, Anette and Marko kill it, the keys in the verses are so cool, and the instrumental section is a fucking joy, all before Marko pulls it together and delivers one more awesome chorus. Yeah, the lyrics are dumb. But they're fun! The whole song is fun! This is the kinda song that makes you wanna dance and prance and sing! "The Kinslayer", meanwhile, oozes with evil underneath its surface. I love Emppu's riff in this song, it's killer. It's bombastic, but not overly. The verses sound militaristic, which plays into the theme (written in response to the Columbine massacre). The bridge is a bit silly but it doesn't detract from the song. In four minutes they take you on a whirlwind of emotions and I love it. Also sad to note that this song is still just as accurate today as it was in 2000. I think "I Want My Tears Back" is slightly stronger overall, but these are killer Nightwish cuts and I'm fine with either of them winning.
Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
Agree, that solo was just mindless scale exercises. His songs so far were so pedestrian, I'm still waiting for the guitar hero to save them and he doesn't arrive.
Necropolis
Ozzy - seems like his solo stuff is really really good.
Hail of Bullets - I loved it, it was such a shame that it just fades away. I like the variations on the riff, it could have been so great with a little more.
Evoken - really fucking good, Crowbar had a great song as well but Evoken is more for me.
I usually prefer Blind Guardian to Helloween, except Into the Storm is my least favourite song on Nightfall and Sole Survivor does it all right.
This later Nightwish stuff wins me over easily, I can't deny the catchiness. The Kinslayer takes some time but it ends up being much more interesting. In fact, it popped into my head multiple times and I've heard it only once some years ago. Mark of a great song imo. Plus, Wheel of Time, even though it's clearly not about our favourite madman.
JudasMyGuide
Ancient Mariner
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
I’m going to assemble my army from Evoken voters.
Jer
'Til Tomorrow
Marching Out is a great album (one that I liked enough to nominate for the GMAC back in the day), probably the only Yngwie record that actually sounds like a band effort. I could have picked any number of tracks from it for the GMSC, including "Soldier Without Faith" or "Caught In The Middle"; but I chose "On The Run Again" for that big sparse riff under the verse with the sweet harmonics at the end, the smooth synths and great vocal lines, the incredibly wanky but still intentional solo, and the great atmospheric bridge that explodes back into the chorus. Love it. "Necropolis" has a nice driving groove, but the singer sounds like what you'd get if you kept all of the least appealing aspects of Bruce's voice and dropped the rest. The chorus is repetitive and never really takes off, but the bridge is pretty good and the solo is great. Good song overall, but sorry @Perun, that's not enough to get me to vote against my own nominee. Winner: Yngwie Malmsteen - "On The Run Again"
"Hell Bent For Leather" has a bright, driving groove and some nice guitar melodies. The song is only half-sung, and the chorus isn't the best, but the bridges and the first solo are great, and the second solo is still pretty good. "Fool Like You" has a cool harmonic-filled intro and good riffs under a pretty great verse and a solid chorus that maybe feels more like a pre-chorus. I like the guitars under the bridge, but the vocal line there could be better. Cool solos. I like both songs, but wasn't blown away by either, so I'll lean toward the slightly tastier musical meat of @DJ James's nominee. Winner: Ozzy Osbourne - "Fool Like You"
The first 40 seconds or so of "To Bear The Unbearable" were actually pretty good, but then Joe Throaty joined the party and life began to imitate art with that apropos song title. In fairness, there are a couple of good musical ideas in the instrumental parts, but not enough to buttress the entire song, and the vocals are a huge problem. "Choke On It" has a number of dope riffs and manages to use cut-time drumming in a way that usually isn't super-annoying. The vocals stink, of course, but not as badly as the competitor's offering. The song feels like a patchwork of ideas, though, and the solo starts off pretty shakily before finding itself about halfway through. The fast-tempo parts also feel self-consciously rushed at times, rather than flowing organically. I did ultimately check the clock on this one, but only about 30 seconds before the end, which wasn't too bad. Not really a fan of either track, but sorry @Night Prowler, I think @DJ James's nominee had several more enjoyable spare parts in the mix. Winner: Death - "Choke On It"
"Planets Collide" has interesting staggered harmonies in the opening riff and some sweet harmonic interaction between the guitars under the verse, too. The vocals are pretty rough, but at least they're melodic, and the vocal lines are alright. Nothing too special outside of the rhythm guitar work, but not bad. "Antithesis Of Light" is Evoken some soft and doomy vibes for sure. I could do without the Cookie Monster vocals, but at least they're low in the mix and not actively shoveling the contents of the guy's stomach onto my ear drums. Lots of repetition here, probably only one new musical idea per minute on average, if I'm being generous. They're generally good ideas, and pleasantly melodic aside from the vocals; but I'd prefer to either hear more of them, or hear the same number over a significantly shorter period of time. To that end, I relistened to the song at 2x speed and it suddenly became the best @Night Prowler submission to date! Anyway, there must have been an error in Crowbar's calculations, because @Diesel 11's nominee has a little more going for it overall. Winner: Evoken - "Antithesis Of Light"
"Sole Survivor" was the first Deris-sung Helloween song I ever heard, and I really didn't care for his voice at the time. That opinion hasn't changed. The riffage here is pretty good in general, but something is off rhythmically, and Deris is consistently singing behind the beat, which just sounds sloppy and awkward. Some of the vocal melodies are good, but there's a lot of weird shit going on in here too, with the reverby background vocals being really buried in the mix, and the songwriting barely holding together. Never was much of a fan of Weikath's writing, and this song is a good example of why. It's not terrible or anything, but it's definitely not good. "Into The Storm" gets right into the video gamey guitar tones and some pretty catchy vocals. It's all very shrill and frenetic like most Blind Guardian, which is cool for a while until it starts to give me a headache. Something about the production, maybe. Blind Guardian doesn't write the most cohesive songs out there, but this one mostly stays on the rails with a few diversions -- and sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but there's a lot more to like about @Spambot's nominee from a musical perspective. Winner: Blind Guardian - "Into The Storm"
"I Want My Tears Back" has a nice opening riff and a cool folk metal vibe. Anette's voice is once again way too weak for the music it's trying to ride, but the verse and pre-chorus melodies and harmonies are nice. The male vocals are OK. The phrasing and vocal lines on the chorus are pretty bad. I really like the extended folk metal interlude toward the end, though. Good song overall. "The Kinslayer" is fromOceanborn 1.5 Wishmaster, which is a pretty solid album, if not very unique sonically. The synth and guitar leads are cool, but I don't really like the staccato verse vocals, and the dinner theater conversation between Tarja's singing and the dude's talking doesn't work for me at all. The song isn't constructed very well, either. So, I'm really sorry @KiDDo, but I have to go with @The Dissident's nominee here. Winner: Nightwish - "I Want My Tears Back"
"Hell Bent For Leather" has a bright, driving groove and some nice guitar melodies. The song is only half-sung, and the chorus isn't the best, but the bridges and the first solo are great, and the second solo is still pretty good. "Fool Like You" has a cool harmonic-filled intro and good riffs under a pretty great verse and a solid chorus that maybe feels more like a pre-chorus. I like the guitars under the bridge, but the vocal line there could be better. Cool solos. I like both songs, but wasn't blown away by either, so I'll lean toward the slightly tastier musical meat of @DJ James's nominee. Winner: Ozzy Osbourne - "Fool Like You"
The first 40 seconds or so of "To Bear The Unbearable" were actually pretty good, but then Joe Throaty joined the party and life began to imitate art with that apropos song title. In fairness, there are a couple of good musical ideas in the instrumental parts, but not enough to buttress the entire song, and the vocals are a huge problem. "Choke On It" has a number of dope riffs and manages to use cut-time drumming in a way that usually isn't super-annoying. The vocals stink, of course, but not as badly as the competitor's offering. The song feels like a patchwork of ideas, though, and the solo starts off pretty shakily before finding itself about halfway through. The fast-tempo parts also feel self-consciously rushed at times, rather than flowing organically. I did ultimately check the clock on this one, but only about 30 seconds before the end, which wasn't too bad. Not really a fan of either track, but sorry @Night Prowler, I think @DJ James's nominee had several more enjoyable spare parts in the mix. Winner: Death - "Choke On It"
"Planets Collide" has interesting staggered harmonies in the opening riff and some sweet harmonic interaction between the guitars under the verse, too. The vocals are pretty rough, but at least they're melodic, and the vocal lines are alright. Nothing too special outside of the rhythm guitar work, but not bad. "Antithesis Of Light" is Evoken some soft and doomy vibes for sure. I could do without the Cookie Monster vocals, but at least they're low in the mix and not actively shoveling the contents of the guy's stomach onto my ear drums. Lots of repetition here, probably only one new musical idea per minute on average, if I'm being generous. They're generally good ideas, and pleasantly melodic aside from the vocals; but I'd prefer to either hear more of them, or hear the same number over a significantly shorter period of time. To that end, I relistened to the song at 2x speed and it suddenly became the best @Night Prowler submission to date! Anyway, there must have been an error in Crowbar's calculations, because @Diesel 11's nominee has a little more going for it overall. Winner: Evoken - "Antithesis Of Light"
"Sole Survivor" was the first Deris-sung Helloween song I ever heard, and I really didn't care for his voice at the time. That opinion hasn't changed. The riffage here is pretty good in general, but something is off rhythmically, and Deris is consistently singing behind the beat, which just sounds sloppy and awkward. Some of the vocal melodies are good, but there's a lot of weird shit going on in here too, with the reverby background vocals being really buried in the mix, and the songwriting barely holding together. Never was much of a fan of Weikath's writing, and this song is a good example of why. It's not terrible or anything, but it's definitely not good. "Into The Storm" gets right into the video gamey guitar tones and some pretty catchy vocals. It's all very shrill and frenetic like most Blind Guardian, which is cool for a while until it starts to give me a headache. Something about the production, maybe. Blind Guardian doesn't write the most cohesive songs out there, but this one mostly stays on the rails with a few diversions -- and sorry, @KidInTheDark666, but there's a lot more to like about @Spambot's nominee from a musical perspective. Winner: Blind Guardian - "Into The Storm"
"I Want My Tears Back" has a nice opening riff and a cool folk metal vibe. Anette's voice is once again way too weak for the music it's trying to ride, but the verse and pre-chorus melodies and harmonies are nice. The male vocals are OK. The phrasing and vocal lines on the chorus are pretty bad. I really like the extended folk metal interlude toward the end, though. Good song overall. "The Kinslayer" is from
JudasMyGuide
Ancient Mariner
Spoiler: I will also vote for Evoken, but I refuse to be in any army led by someone who voted against Kinslayer, especially since it's now losing.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Damn, a classic case of friendly fire.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
In the battle of a fine song with excellent vocals and an excellent song with fine vocals I'm voting for the latter. Manilla Road.
Fool Like You is one of the lesser songs on The Ultimate Sin. This is an easy vote for the classic track, Priest's Hell Bent For Leather.
This is a low-tier Death song, but I'll give them the vote since they are generally a really good band.
Evoken has exactly the kind of vocals that I like the least. There are some really good bits in the song, especially the first minute and the solos and faster bits during the second half. Overall just not my type of metal, unfortunately. Crowbar was pretty pedestrian but with far better vocals, it's close but I would rather listen to their track again.
Up next we have two classic album openers of two of my favorite bands. Into the Storm is fantastic, there's literally nothing wrong with it at all. That HOW I NEED IT scream is one of my favorite Blind Guardian moments. Sole Survivor is however just the next level of awesomeness and the beginning of my favorite era of the band. Helloween shows this is exactly how you introduce a new drummer and a new frontman to a band. Come on, just listen to that intro!
I Want My Tears Back was the song that got me into Nightwish initially, and I still rate it very highly. Wishmaster is one of the lesser Nightwish albums, and this song is pretty middle of the road for the band. Still definitely a good addition to the game, as any Nightwish is.
Fool Like You is one of the lesser songs on The Ultimate Sin. This is an easy vote for the classic track, Priest's Hell Bent For Leather.
This is a low-tier Death song, but I'll give them the vote since they are generally a really good band.
Evoken has exactly the kind of vocals that I like the least. There are some really good bits in the song, especially the first minute and the solos and faster bits during the second half. Overall just not my type of metal, unfortunately. Crowbar was pretty pedestrian but with far better vocals, it's close but I would rather listen to their track again.
Up next we have two classic album openers of two of my favorite bands. Into the Storm is fantastic, there's literally nothing wrong with it at all. That HOW I NEED IT scream is one of my favorite Blind Guardian moments. Sole Survivor is however just the next level of awesomeness and the beginning of my favorite era of the band. Helloween shows this is exactly how you introduce a new drummer and a new frontman to a band. Come on, just listen to that intro!
I Want My Tears Back was the song that got me into Nightwish initially, and I still rate it very highly. Wishmaster is one of the lesser Nightwish albums, and this song is pretty middle of the road for the band. Still definitely a good addition to the game, as any Nightwish is.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
Sorry, I'll go back into my corner.