The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 4, Matches 82-87

What is your favourite song in each match? Vote in all six matchups!

  • Black Sabbath - Hand of Doom

    Votes: 5 62.5%

  • Whitesnake - Walking in the Shadow of the Blues

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Dark Funeral - Atrum Regina

    Votes: 3 37.5%

  • While Heaven Wept - The Furthest Shore

    Votes: 5 62.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine

    Votes: 6 75.0%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

    Votes: 4 50.0%

  • Moonsorrow - Huuto

    Votes: 4 50.0%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Symphony X - Masquerade '98

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Queensryche - Revolution Calling

    Votes: 7 87.5%

  • ----------------------------

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Slayer - Dead Skin Mask

    Votes: 6 75.0%

  • Mountain - Mississippi Queen

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
Mosh said:
I wanna get back into this game soon - I’ve had a lot going on the last couple months, but I did need to pop in to say something. And I say this as probably the biggest Dream Theater fan on this forum.

How the fuck did The Spirit Carries On beat Diviniations in a metal song matchup? WTF
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There's a lot of non-metal songs in this cup, and most people seem to vote based on the quality of the song as opposed to its total metal content. I adore the Crack the Skye album, and Divinations is a cool tune, but I find The Spirit Carries On to be a stronger song overall.
 
Both songs in the first match are absolute beasts. Instrumentally, Myrath and Matheos are on fire throughout with catchy riffs, turnarounds, leads, and structure. The vocals must decide this one and they are, unfortunately, the weakest element in both. Myrath have nothing wrong in the vocal department, but the melodies are not very catchy and it makes the vocals feel a little inconsequential. Arch delivers a complex chorus and an astoundingly powerful final few seconds, but all of the verses in the rest of the song are overstuffed and meandering. As usual for Arch, he veers frequently into caterwauling territory. If this were based purely on the strength of the instrumentals it would be a coin flip, but I’m not a fan of Arch, so I have to give this one to Symphony X Visits The Middle East.

Bleed is a math equation with screaming. The quiet part is laughably pointless. Only interesting thing about it is the solo. Forward! is a math equation with screaming and beep boops. It’s mercifully shorter than Meshuggah’s song, but also I think worse? I like the spooky sampled bits, hate the gun clicks and lame cursing, and overall Anaal Nathrakh sound like little kids trying to swim in Meshuggah’s big boy pool.

Walk In The Shadows is, I guess, slightly less annoying than your average Queensryche song, but I’ll be honest: I just kinda tune out when Tate starts singing. I can’t stand him. How many times has Iced Earth ripped off the intro to The Heretic? Anyway, the song has downright bad transitions, but overall I find it far more interesting and, at the very least, I’m not subjected to Geoff Tate.

The best part about Defenders of the Crown is the intro. The vocal melodies are jumbled as hell, the lyrics are too much, and it’s just not very good. Sounds like Sabaton Lite. Warriors of the World United is so damned tedius, though. I was actually gonna vote for Human Fortress until the bridge kicked in for Manowar with a literal fucking harp. It’s so stupid, so incredibly awful that I must support it.

Both Mercyful Fate songs have great music, as always, and hilariously terrible vocals, as always. Curse of the Pharoahs rocks harder and King is mildly more listenable on it.

I shed the blood of the Saxon men! Everything I’ve ever heard by Saxon is just fine. It’s fine. There’s nothing terrible about it. It’s fine. Power and The Glory is fine. It’s got a pedal riff, fine vocals, a decent chorus, a boom bap bridge, and fine solos. Actually the bass has a pretty cool fill throughout. It’s way, way too long, for sure. Princess of the Night features the same pedal riff (but faster!) and feels a little bit weaker overall. Good dynamics, though. As before, as always, it’s fine! I think Power and The Glory is a bit better, though.
 
Very good round, even the nominations from the lists were great.
Merciful Fate numbers were extremely good (didn’t know them)
 
____no5 said:
Merciful Fate numbers were extremely good (didn’t know them)
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Never heard of them before? Go check out Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath immediately. Hugely influential on bands like Metallica and Slayer, and although it’s been a bit overhyped because of their Satanic lyrics, also an early influence on black metal. Hank Shermann and Michael Denner are one of the greatest guitar duos EVER, and King Diamond has had a monster solo career post-Fate as well. Definitely check out Abigail. Spooky and evil shit with a heaping dose of camp. Great stuff, one of the first metal artists that blew me away.
 
Diesel 11 said:
Never heard of them before? Go check out Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath immediately. Hugely influential on bands like Metallica and Slayer, and although it’s been a bit overhyped because of their Satanic lyrics, also an early influence on black metal. Hank Shermann and Michael Denner are one of the greatest guitar duos EVER, and King Diamond has had a monster solo career post-Fate as well. Definitely check out Abigail. Spooky and evil shit with a heaping dose of camp. Great stuff, one of the first metal artists that blew me away.
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I knew how great of a band & influential Merciful Fate was but never sat down to listen an album from start to finish. Thanks for the recommendations!

I know some early King Diamond album like Abigal, what a monster he is! Huge contribution to Metal.
 
LooseCannon said:
this is the oldest coolest thing that's ever been said on this forum.
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FTFY
Mosh said:
I wanna get back into this game soon - I’ve had a lot going on the last couple months, but I did need to pop in to say something. And I say this as probably the biggest Dream Theater fan on this forum.

How the fuck did The Spirit Carries On beat Diviniations in a metal song matchup? WTF
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tumblr_n4u3epCfSQ1qks1j2o5_r1_250.gifv
 
Match 187 - Myrath
It only took a minute for me to realize I'm voting for "Wide Shut". Actually, immediately after hearing whole GMSC playlist for the day I went back and replayed the song and then put the whole album (Tales of the Sand). Biggest discovery of the GMSC so far, thanks @Confeos !

Match 188 - Messhugah
Nothing wrong with Anal, but I think ObZen finally clicked with me.

Match 189 - Queensryche
Shorter, got my vote.

Match 190 - Human Fortress
If you're singing about religion or politics I'd like it to be as neutral as possible or as subtle as possible. This song is neither. I checked this one for an automatic loss but then heard it's against another Manowar song. And I even remember this one being aired on MTV and VIVA. Manowar, if you didn't impress me in those confusing teenage times, you're not going to do it now either.

Match 191 - Mercyful Fate
I can't really comment on King Diamond much until I know how serious he takes himself/his music/his performance. Out of these two, "Come to the Sabbath" had a part where a guy who tickles bass tried to do something interesting.

Match 192 - Saxon
I gotta admit, when I say Mercyful Fate-off and Saxon-off I knew 33.3% of this round just isn't for me. If it weren't for Myrath this would be the worst round of GMSC (voted for Princes of the Night tho).
 
Myrath - Wide Shut vs. Arch/Matheos - Vermillion Moons
Both of these tracks are in the DT bracket that doesn't really do anything for me, but there was a bit more to the Arch/Matheos track Vermillion Moons

Meshuggah - Bleed vs Anaal Nathrakh - Forward!
Both of these were pretty bad, Anaal Nathrakh had a bit more than just a rhythm and was shorter and therefore takes the win Forward!

Queensryche - Walk in the Shadows vs. WASP - The Heretic
Walk in the Shadows is a decent track off an album I'm not hugely fond of, while the Heretic is a great track off one of the best W.A.S.P. albums The Heretic

Human Fortress - Defenders of the Crown vs. Manowar - Warriors of the World United
This round is really plumbing the depths of metal cliche subject matter, Human Fortress was musically alright but never really having anything that made me take notice and the crusader/medieval king stuff was out of date 40 years ago. Manowar, sounded terrible, I can generally dig a fist pumping groove build up especially if there's a bit of rawness to it, but this is just a safe version of such a thing. Defenders of the Crown

Mercyful Fate - Come to the Sabbath vs. Mercyful Fate - Curse of the Pharaohs
I only have the two original Mercyful Fate albums, and Melissa is the superior of the two, and in keeping with that, Curse of the Pharaohs is the best of these two tracks, with more riffs than you can shake a stick at in the intro alone. Curse of the Pharaohs

Saxon - Power and the Glory vs. Saxon - Princess of the Night
Power and the Glory is a good track, but Princess of the Night is a great one, even Adrian Smith agrees, he robbed the riff for New Frontier Princess of the Night
 
I really enjoyed Myrath. Exactly the sort of thing that is my jam. To be fair, I enjoyed Arch/Matheos as well, but I found the latter drags in some places, and Arch does occasionally get on my nerves. I'm no Mr. Knickerbocker in it, just that overall the Myrath singer was more consistent. I've also made a note of it and I intend to check out the band more deeply too, so I will echo Spambot's thanks to @Confeos!

Bleed has never done it for me. Extreme metal is extremely hit or miss for me, I often find myself picking through it for stuff I like in opposition to what I don't like. That said, Forward! at least had my head bobbing along for awhile, so I'll pick Anaal Nathrak.

Kind of the more Queensrÿche I listen to, the more I realize I don't really love Geoff Tate's singing, and a comparison to W.A.S.P. is quite apt. I really dig the entire Crimson Idol album, a greater album from a lesser band, much as Mindcrime is from Queensrÿche.

I'm just a sucker for certain types of power metal, I guess. This is definitely one of Manowar's better outings, the kind you want to get drunk and sing with your best buds. I also really enjoyed Human Fortress, but their singer is rough, and not in the fun cheese metal way. A hesitant vote for Manowar at the end, but I still enjoyed the opponent.

Man, both of these Mercyful Fate songs are pretty good. I think Curse of the Pharaohs is better, but it's pretty close. Unfortunate that RNG should do this.

Then there's Saxon. Princess of the Night because I heard it live once.
 
Yay, this round is a great one!

Both songs in the first pair are very good. I love that Arch/Matheos album, but this song isn't quite the best on the album. Myrath was some great prog metal too, but I'll give it to Vermillion Moons, just barely.

Not a fan of either of the songs of match 2. I'm voting for Bleed since it's a classic.

Match 3 is a battle of two great classics. I'll vote for Walk In the Shadows since it was great to hear live, and Tate seems to be weirdly unpopular around here.

The 4th pair is another good one. After hearing the first track I thought Human Fortress would get my vote, but no, Warriors of the World United turned out to be one of Manowar's best.

Again both songs are good in match number 5. I guess Come to the Sabbath is a bit more fun.

These are two of Saxon's biggest classics. Honestly, both songs are awesome, but I'll mentally flip a coin and vote for Power and the Glory.
 
My feeling on Saxon is that they were a lesser NWOBHM band, not even the top three of the genre in the early 80s. But they grew to be more successful by doubling down on the NWOBHM sound even as the true standouts of the genre grew above it. Then they tossed that aside as soon as Def Leppard broke through to copy them. Biff Bifford is a fine enough singer and he has some level of charisma as a frontman, but they've never been better than an average band with average music. Good enough to get some die hard fans, never good enough to headline.
 
Saxon for me had a couple amazing albums in the 80’s (Wheels through Denim and Leather, and the underrated Innocence is No Excuse) and then had another awesome album in the 2000’s with Lionheart. I dog on Saxon a lot because their sound is so simple, and when I’m not actively listening to them I tend to forget exactly how good their best stuff is. But I then see a list of their albums and I think to myself, “oh yeah, there’s a great album, there’s a great album, there’s a great album, another one, another one, etc., etc.”. I’m quietly a big fan of them. They were a big part of some of the first heavy metal I ever got into, good band.
 
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