Black Bart
Ancient Mariner
Ditto.
The Greatest Metal Song Cup - Part II, Round 4, Matches 82-87
- Thread starter LooseCannon
- Start date
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- gmsc
____no5
Free Man
Noooo I missed the best round yet
EDIT: I agree for Prophesy, Hail & Kill, Candlemass.
I'd like Nikola Vranjkovic & Medusa to win.
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
Boston. I just like it better.
Evanescance. I just like it a bit better.
Queensryche's Before The Storm has a nice chorus, but Rainbow's Spotlight Kid is a classic rock song. Riff, chorus and fun instrumental section.
The glam metal of Winter Rose is more for me. Really nice song.
That Grand Magus song is solid and has an old school metal vibe, but Mean Man is classic W.A.S.P.
Evanescance. I just like it a bit better.
Queensryche's Before The Storm has a nice chorus, but Rainbow's Spotlight Kid is a classic rock song. Riff, chorus and fun instrumental section.
The glam metal of Winter Rose is more for me. Really nice song.
That Grand Magus song is solid and has an old school metal vibe, but Mean Man is classic W.A.S.P.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
good round, of the ones I didn't nominate there's a few that are some of my faves from other bands that I might have nominated myself, More Than A Feeling, Caffeine and Mean Man.
Freaked out about the luck of the draw in getting More Than a Feeling though. Will get around to listening and voting.
Freaked out about the luck of the draw in getting More Than a Feeling though. Will get around to listening and voting.
srfc
Ancient Mariner
The Devil's Blood - Christ or Cocaine vs. Boston - More Than A Feeling
The Devil's Blood are an Occult influenced band that released a couple of albums around about the same time as the first Ghost album came out, and there was a few other similar bands at the time, so much so that The Guardian did an article on the scene which was how I discovered them. They put out 2 proper albums and a third which was only at the demo stages when the main man commit suicide. This track was probably a bit more commercial than other tracks that I could have picked to expose people to the band, they dip their toes in some psychedelic stuff but also some Maiden melodies as well. What can be said about More Than a Feeling, it's clearly the much better track but I'm voting for my nominee as the point of nominating band was to expose them to other members, and it defeats the purpose if it falls at the first hurdle. Christ or Cocaine
Evanescence - Lithium vs. Faith No More - Caffeine
Evanescence is not my thing. Caffeine is a classic off probably the most off the wall album I have in my collection, literally the last two tracks on it are pretty much death metal followed by a cover of the theme song to Midnight Cowboy. Caffeine is obviously one of the more straightforward metal tracks from the album, with great Jim Martin riffage and tone. Caffeine
Rainbow - Spotlight Kid vs. Queensryche - Before the Storm
I'm not familiar with non-Dio Rainbow, as the idea of getting rid of Dio to go commercial is sacrilege. This track is pretty good, but has a fatal flaw in that musically it's really just Kill the King again. The Warning is the second best Queensryche album out of the ones I have, so Before the Storm is winning this. Before the Storm
Queen - The March of the Black Queen vs. Winter Rose - Asylum City
Queen track was the sort of stuff I don't dig from them, the hit singles is really all I like. Winter Rose was not the most original stuff in the world but was good fun and enjoyable. I see from the adjacent links it's the guy from DT's first band, he needs to quit DT and go back to this stuff asap. Asylum City
Devin Townsend - The Greys vs. Haken - In Memoriam
Devin Townsend reminded me of The Smashing Pumpkins, Haken not my thing at all. The Greys
Grand Magus - Fear is the Key vs. WASP - Mean Man
Fear is the Key is the standout track from the first Grand Magus album I heard, Iron Will, the key being the strong vocal, probably the best metal voice this millennium, certainly of stuff I dig. Mean Man is a great ridiculous O.T.T. W.A.S.P. classic written about Chris Holmes, would definitely have voted for it if not up against my own track. Fear is the Key
The Devil's Blood are an Occult influenced band that released a couple of albums around about the same time as the first Ghost album came out, and there was a few other similar bands at the time, so much so that The Guardian did an article on the scene which was how I discovered them. They put out 2 proper albums and a third which was only at the demo stages when the main man commit suicide. This track was probably a bit more commercial than other tracks that I could have picked to expose people to the band, they dip their toes in some psychedelic stuff but also some Maiden melodies as well. What can be said about More Than a Feeling, it's clearly the much better track but I'm voting for my nominee as the point of nominating band was to expose them to other members, and it defeats the purpose if it falls at the first hurdle. Christ or Cocaine
Evanescence - Lithium vs. Faith No More - Caffeine
Evanescence is not my thing. Caffeine is a classic off probably the most off the wall album I have in my collection, literally the last two tracks on it are pretty much death metal followed by a cover of the theme song to Midnight Cowboy. Caffeine is obviously one of the more straightforward metal tracks from the album, with great Jim Martin riffage and tone. Caffeine
Rainbow - Spotlight Kid vs. Queensryche - Before the Storm
I'm not familiar with non-Dio Rainbow, as the idea of getting rid of Dio to go commercial is sacrilege. This track is pretty good, but has a fatal flaw in that musically it's really just Kill the King again. The Warning is the second best Queensryche album out of the ones I have, so Before the Storm is winning this. Before the Storm
Queen - The March of the Black Queen vs. Winter Rose - Asylum City
Queen track was the sort of stuff I don't dig from them, the hit singles is really all I like. Winter Rose was not the most original stuff in the world but was good fun and enjoyable. I see from the adjacent links it's the guy from DT's first band, he needs to quit DT and go back to this stuff asap. Asylum City
Devin Townsend - The Greys vs. Haken - In Memoriam
Devin Townsend reminded me of The Smashing Pumpkins, Haken not my thing at all. The Greys
Grand Magus - Fear is the Key vs. WASP - Mean Man
Fear is the Key is the standout track from the first Grand Magus album I heard, Iron Will, the key being the strong vocal, probably the best metal voice this millennium, certainly of stuff I dig. Mean Man is a great ridiculous O.T.T. W.A.S.P. classic written about Chris Holmes, would definitely have voted for it if not up against my own track. Fear is the Key
srfc
Ancient Mariner
@LooseCannon
I've never heard that version of Christ or Cocaine before, sounds like it's a demo,
Here's the album version
I've never heard that version of Christ or Cocaine before, sounds like it's a demo,
Here's the album version
Jer
'Til Tomorrow
"Christ Or Cocaine" has a pretty good harmonized main riff. The vocals are OK with a decent melody, but buried pretty deep in the mix. The harmonized guitar interludes are pretty solid, but some parts could be performed a little tighter, and the extended outro runs a bit too long. The song has pretty good bones, but it sounds like a demo (and the YouTube link indicates that it is), and I can't say that it's anything particularly special, though it's enjoyable enough. I was always more of a "Peace Of Mind" guy myself, but "More Than A Feeling" is still a classic for good reason. The vocal lines are great, the gentle acoustic verses shift nicely into a heavier but still warm and inviting chorus, and the melodic guitar lead in the middle is reasonably epic and memorable. Brad Delp hits some amazing high notes here too. Not their very best, but still a great song. Sorry @srfc, but this is an easy call for the list nominee. Winner: Boston - "More Than A Feeling" EDIT: I listened to the album version of The Devil's Blood song that was posted later and it's noticeably better than the demo, but it wouldn't have changed my vote.
"Lithium" has pretty good vocal lines in Amy Lee's somewhat overwrought style. Without Ben Moody on board the guitar work is just rhythmically uninteresting window dressing (a big reason why I lost interest in the band after their debut), but the song is generally fine, albeit forgettable. "Caffeine" is a little impenetrable like most of Angel Dust, without many obvious hooks; but the atmospherics, dynamics, and rhythmic play of the song worm their way into your brain with repeated listens, and in the end the track winds up sounding like a funhouse mirror version of something off of The Real Thing. It wouldn't be my first (or second, or third) choice from that album, but I would much rather listen to it than its competitor. Winner: Faith No More - "Caffeine"
"Spotlight Kid" has a pleasantly busy opening riff that gets smoothed out a bit for the rest of the song without losing any drive. The main vocal melodies and performance are good, though I'm not thrilled with the backing vocals. Pretty cool guitar solo, and I really like the neoclassical parts that follow, but that synth solo sounds like early 70s Vangelis on a drunk bender. Good stuff with some great parts. "Before The Storm" has an interesting off-rhythm opening, but the verse feels discombobulated. The pre-chorus is pretty solid, but the chorus is kind of lame. It works better toward the end when the chorus is buried in the mix underneath the pre-chorus instead. The guitar solo starts off with promise, but loses its way in the second half. Yeah, this one's a very mixed bag, and that makes it an easy call for @Black Bart's nominee. Winner: Rainbow - "Spotlight Kid"
"The March Of The Black Queen" has strong vocal melodies and dynamics. I can't really stand the style of Queen's backing vocals, though. The guitar leads are generally good, though the dual lead parts don't always work here. The song structure is a little too complex for its own good. Checking the clock a little past the three and a half minute mark. The song gets significantly better when the rhythm becomes more driving, but overall this is definitely not my kind of jam. "Asylum City" has a nice head-bopping groove. WTF, is that James LaBrie singing? Yeah, it's gotta be. The vocal lines are pretty good and the solos are strong. The song is 100% derivative, but it's consistently enjoyable (LaBrie-isms aside) -- and sorry, @LooseCannon, but that's enough for me to vote for @KidInTheDark666's nominee here. Winner: Winter Rose - "Asylum City"
"The Greys" builds nicely through the intro, then shifts into an unexpected odd-rhythm groove with brighter vocals over the darker guitars. I could do without the occasional screams, but the vocal melodies are pretty good otherwise. I kind of like the noisy reverb soup thing he's got going on here. In the end this feels more like a musical vignette than a fully-formed song, but what's here is pretty good. "In Memoriam" has a nice odd-rhythm piano opener, and I'm digging that heavy riff with the twangy synths. I like the dual clean and distorted parts going on in the first verse. The chorus is less appealing but still solid. The bass and synth interlude and the queasy vocal bridge afterward are a bit strange, but the staccato guitar thing that follows is cool. Yeah, every time I hear Haken I make a mental note to go back and listen to some full albums, but I haven't followed through on that yet. I totally should, though. Sorry, @Shmoolikipod, but this is an easy call for @Mosh's nominee. Winner: Haken - "In Memoriam"
"Fear Is The Key" is already way better than the Maiden track in the first few seconds. Nice driving groove with a sweet lead to kick things off. The singer sounds good here and the vocal melodies are strong. The slower-feel bridge is cool. Great solo. Damn, that was some good shit -- definitely the best Grand Magus song I've heard to date. "Mean Man" has a solid main riff. Blackie generally sounds alright in his typically overwrought style, but the chorus blows and has laughably bad lyrics. The first solo is merely OK, but the later ones are better. Pretty mediocre overall. So yeah, no contest here -- @srfc's nominee takes it in a walk. Winner: Grand Magus - "Fear Is The Key"
"Lithium" has pretty good vocal lines in Amy Lee's somewhat overwrought style. Without Ben Moody on board the guitar work is just rhythmically uninteresting window dressing (a big reason why I lost interest in the band after their debut), but the song is generally fine, albeit forgettable. "Caffeine" is a little impenetrable like most of Angel Dust, without many obvious hooks; but the atmospherics, dynamics, and rhythmic play of the song worm their way into your brain with repeated listens, and in the end the track winds up sounding like a funhouse mirror version of something off of The Real Thing. It wouldn't be my first (or second, or third) choice from that album, but I would much rather listen to it than its competitor. Winner: Faith No More - "Caffeine"
"Spotlight Kid" has a pleasantly busy opening riff that gets smoothed out a bit for the rest of the song without losing any drive. The main vocal melodies and performance are good, though I'm not thrilled with the backing vocals. Pretty cool guitar solo, and I really like the neoclassical parts that follow, but that synth solo sounds like early 70s Vangelis on a drunk bender. Good stuff with some great parts. "Before The Storm" has an interesting off-rhythm opening, but the verse feels discombobulated. The pre-chorus is pretty solid, but the chorus is kind of lame. It works better toward the end when the chorus is buried in the mix underneath the pre-chorus instead. The guitar solo starts off with promise, but loses its way in the second half. Yeah, this one's a very mixed bag, and that makes it an easy call for @Black Bart's nominee. Winner: Rainbow - "Spotlight Kid"
"The March Of The Black Queen" has strong vocal melodies and dynamics. I can't really stand the style of Queen's backing vocals, though. The guitar leads are generally good, though the dual lead parts don't always work here. The song structure is a little too complex for its own good. Checking the clock a little past the three and a half minute mark. The song gets significantly better when the rhythm becomes more driving, but overall this is definitely not my kind of jam. "Asylum City" has a nice head-bopping groove. WTF, is that James LaBrie singing? Yeah, it's gotta be. The vocal lines are pretty good and the solos are strong. The song is 100% derivative, but it's consistently enjoyable (LaBrie-isms aside) -- and sorry, @LooseCannon, but that's enough for me to vote for @KidInTheDark666's nominee here. Winner: Winter Rose - "Asylum City"
"The Greys" builds nicely through the intro, then shifts into an unexpected odd-rhythm groove with brighter vocals over the darker guitars. I could do without the occasional screams, but the vocal melodies are pretty good otherwise. I kind of like the noisy reverb soup thing he's got going on here. In the end this feels more like a musical vignette than a fully-formed song, but what's here is pretty good. "In Memoriam" has a nice odd-rhythm piano opener, and I'm digging that heavy riff with the twangy synths. I like the dual clean and distorted parts going on in the first verse. The chorus is less appealing but still solid. The bass and synth interlude and the queasy vocal bridge afterward are a bit strange, but the staccato guitar thing that follows is cool. Yeah, every time I hear Haken I make a mental note to go back and listen to some full albums, but I haven't followed through on that yet. I totally should, though. Sorry, @Shmoolikipod, but this is an easy call for @Mosh's nominee. Winner: Haken - "In Memoriam"
"Fear Is The Key" is already way better than the Maiden track in the first few seconds. Nice driving groove with a sweet lead to kick things off. The singer sounds good here and the vocal melodies are strong. The slower-feel bridge is cool. Great solo. Damn, that was some good shit -- definitely the best Grand Magus song I've heard to date. "Mean Man" has a solid main riff. Blackie generally sounds alright in his typically overwrought style, but the chorus blows and has laughably bad lyrics. The first solo is merely OK, but the later ones are better. Pretty mediocre overall. So yeah, no contest here -- @srfc's nominee takes it in a walk. Winner: Grand Magus - "Fear Is The Key"
Confeos
Game time started.
When "Christ or Cocaine" started, I immediately knew I had heard this band before, but I can't figure out where or when. Strange. Anyway, the music was good, but the vocals didn't come off quite as well. "More than a Feeling" is a stone cold classic, with those amazing guitar and vocal harmonies, even if I think there are even better songs on Boston's debut album.
Ugh, more Amy Lee. That's a hard no. Faith No More isn't my style either, but they win by default here.
Both "Spotlight Kid" and "Before the Storm" are decent songs, but one has Ritchie Blackmore and Don Airey putting in awesome performance, while the other has Geoff Tate putting in a slightly less awesome, more annoying performance. Easy choice. Rainbow.
I hear bits and pieces in "March of the Black Queen" that shows promise, but ultimately, I don't think the songwriting is as strong as some of their later work. It's big, pompous and borderline silly, but I guess that's just Queen for you. I'm not the biggest fan of their style, admittedly, but they would definitely churn out som good songs on the following albums. Is it James LaBrie singing on "Asylum City"? I wasn't really aware that he had been in other bands before Dream Theater. It's a cool little tune that's more straightforward than Queen, but also a bit stronger. Going with Winter Rose.
I've yet to hear something from Devin that truly blows me away. There was a big epic some rounds back that was just way too weird and over the top, but "The Greys" is quite the opposite, and very underwhelming. I liked the progressiveness of Haken much more - there were some very good bits in "In Memoriam" for sure.
And finally, I'm going with Grand Magus (they're always good fun), as there have been way too many W.A.S.P. songs in this game, and I'm just sick of Blackie's voice.
Ugh, more Amy Lee. That's a hard no. Faith No More isn't my style either, but they win by default here.
Both "Spotlight Kid" and "Before the Storm" are decent songs, but one has Ritchie Blackmore and Don Airey putting in awesome performance, while the other has Geoff Tate putting in a slightly less awesome, more annoying performance. Easy choice. Rainbow.
I hear bits and pieces in "March of the Black Queen" that shows promise, but ultimately, I don't think the songwriting is as strong as some of their later work. It's big, pompous and borderline silly, but I guess that's just Queen for you. I'm not the biggest fan of their style, admittedly, but they would definitely churn out som good songs on the following albums. Is it James LaBrie singing on "Asylum City"? I wasn't really aware that he had been in other bands before Dream Theater. It's a cool little tune that's more straightforward than Queen, but also a bit stronger. Going with Winter Rose.
I've yet to hear something from Devin that truly blows me away. There was a big epic some rounds back that was just way too weird and over the top, but "The Greys" is quite the opposite, and very underwhelming. I liked the progressiveness of Haken much more - there were some very good bits in "In Memoriam" for sure.
And finally, I'm going with Grand Magus (they're always good fun), as there have been way too many W.A.S.P. songs in this game, and I'm just sick of Blackie's voice.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
It sure is. I'm very glad that I gave Winter Rose a shot, as LaBrie's vocals on the album are fantastic.
Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
Christ or Cocaine is good enough. The vocals are kind of buried but the crunch is nice. It really loses itself with the instrumental, it's far too long. More Than a Feeling is clearer, catchier and got me moving. This is like comparing FotD and SiT.
Boring ballad by Evanescence. Takes a long time to get going and sounds like a worse version of their other songs that appeared here. Caffeine is great. Never lets off the gas, even in the subdued sections. Good mix and fast 3/4 is underrated in metal. Patton also doesn't do his annoying nasals he uses in something like Epic. Another no contest round.
Liked both of these, but Queensryche was kinda annoying sometimes. Spotlight Kid
The March of the Black Queen is ambitious and would definitely grow on me with more listens. For now though I'm picking Asylum City, LaBrie sounds fire on this and the song is super fun.
So I had my two nominations from Deconstruction locked in, so I wanted to balance them with something more normal. The Greys felt right, it's simple and can absorb me into its melancholic ocean of reverb easily. It's kind of the two in a one-two punch with Color Your World, and the closer of a concept album to boot, but it works well enough on its own, in my opinion. I liked In Memoriam, great chorus and some cool riffs. Didn't like the djent breakdown with that tone. Haken were on my to-listen list forever...
Grand Magus has very good guitar and drums. I loved the trill in the intro, the riffs were varied. Okay, that's enough W.A.S.P. They had better songs and I have vendetta against this album anyways for eliminating The Great Southern Trendkill in the GMAC. Grand Magus
Boring ballad by Evanescence. Takes a long time to get going and sounds like a worse version of their other songs that appeared here. Caffeine is great. Never lets off the gas, even in the subdued sections. Good mix and fast 3/4 is underrated in metal. Patton also doesn't do his annoying nasals he uses in something like Epic. Another no contest round.
Liked both of these, but Queensryche was kinda annoying sometimes. Spotlight Kid
The March of the Black Queen is ambitious and would definitely grow on me with more listens. For now though I'm picking Asylum City, LaBrie sounds fire on this and the song is super fun.
So I had my two nominations from Deconstruction locked in, so I wanted to balance them with something more normal. The Greys felt right, it's simple and can absorb me into its melancholic ocean of reverb easily. It's kind of the two in a one-two punch with Color Your World, and the closer of a concept album to boot, but it works well enough on its own, in my opinion. I liked In Memoriam, great chorus and some cool riffs. Didn't like the djent breakdown with that tone. Haken were on my to-listen list forever...
Grand Magus has very good guitar and drums. I loved the trill in the intro, the riffs were varied. Okay, that's enough W.A.S.P. They had better songs and I have vendetta against this album anyways for eliminating The Great Southern Trendkill in the GMAC. Grand Magus
JudasMyGuide
Ancient Mariner
So, More Than a Feeling is the most overplayed song off that Boston debut and quite unfairly, methinks - I'd personally much rather vote for Smokin', Something About You or especially Peace of Mind - but that doesn't mean it's not some of the best stuff the so called "arena rock" gave to the world. I have said it before (and I know it's controversial) - but despite 'Arry always mentioning the main influences on Maiden, he won't ever convince me he wasn't (at least subconsciously) inspired by Boston's sound as well, especially for Maiden's style from NOTB onwards. The slick production, the immediately catchy guitar harmonies, the high-register belting showman in the front ... Like I said, I know it's controversial, because it's Boston and 'Arry's influences are much more high-brow, see? But still, I'd expect this band to win on a Maiden fan forum quite easily.
Oh, and besides that, the song - much like the rest of the album - is just sublime, it's so perfectly written. Multipart, kinda, with great range and listen to the rhythm section as well - they also help to make this as interesting as it is.
Also, not being from the US, I don't feel the "overplayed" factor as much, so my vote definitely goes to Boston.
The Devil's Blood ("occult rock", meh) aren't half bad, I like the sound that tries to be in the OG-hard-stoner-psychedelic whatever 70s vein, but it would take more than that for me to vote for a song called "Christ or Cocaine", so I'll pass, thanks.
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So, this Evanescence song is in a way closer to metal than the previous one (and it didn't have the annoying second life thereof) but in a way it's even more bloodless and boring. Also, what I wrote before
still stands.
Finally some Faith No More that I like! Caffeine is IMHO the hidden gem off Angel Dust - I like the riffing, Patton's histrionics are funny (see, @MrKnickerbocker , the difference is that Patton - despite his constant pretetions of being a veeeeeddy seeeeeddious l'artiste - isn't intended to be taken seriously, but tongue in cheek at best, whereas Allen works in the complete opposite way. Allen (whom I generally like) going all annoyingly theatrical and mannered in the Egypt chorus annoys me, Patton who actively tries to annoy me doesn't) and the 90s style melodic vocal hook in the pre/chorus is really cool. And nostalgic, in a way.
Fun fact, I actually had Caffeine as a ringtone for a while, sometime around 2013 or so.
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Difficult to Cure is already Rainbow in their decadent years - off the whole album, I believe maybe only I Surrender is good, if overplayed (and it hardly sounds like Rainbow at all, to start). I didn't remember this song before I played it and I still don't remember it now. The instrumental section is quite okay, at least until it gets to the absolutely horrid synth in the second half. Pity, because what Airey is doing here (which is mostly aping Lord) is actually very nice.
And then I played the Rÿche song and no, this time I'm not voting for this band. No fucking way. Sounds like as if 80s Slade decided to go prog, but thought that "prog" means Trans-Siberian Orchestra? Don't know, I'm good with the similes, however it takes a Page to bow a guitar, it takes a Glover to bow a base and it takes Mr Arrogant Git himself to bow rain, I guess and the latter easily gets my vote.
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March of the Black Queen is an extremely cool song, it used to by my No 1 Queen song ever (and I had it on repeat for a while) and it still is a culmination of possibly the strongest LP-side ever released by the band. The most proggy (along with A Prophet's Song) the most interesting, creative. Has all the strengths of the band and pretty much none of their weaknesses. Also would make me like the band again.
Needs more love, definitely.
@LooseCannon cheers, this was an excellent pick.
The Winter Rose song is okay, but sounds pedestrian compared to the competition. It's nice, but sounds more like "just another glam track". Honestly, I think LaBrie himself would vote for Queen here.
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Devin vs Haken is one of the utterly unfair fights of two artists I like very much, who are in a way somewhat similar and yet completely incomparable. I'm really sorry, Mosh, I go with Heavy Devy here, because of Ziltoid (the concept of which was first funny, then annoying, then detestable and finally went full circle for me to being funny again) and because it's an example of Devy's unabashed sentimentality.
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Grand Magus are probably better than WASP, but don't ask me why, I'm not sure myself.
Oh, and besides that, the song - much like the rest of the album - is just sublime, it's so perfectly written. Multipart, kinda, with great range and listen to the rhythm section as well - they also help to make this as interesting as it is.
Also, not being from the US, I don't feel the "overplayed" factor as much, so my vote definitely goes to Boston.
The Devil's Blood ("occult rock", meh) aren't half bad, I like the sound that tries to be in the OG-hard-stoner-psychedelic whatever 70s vein, but it would take more than that for me to vote for a song called "Christ or Cocaine", so I'll pass, thanks.
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So, this Evanescence song is in a way closer to metal than the previous one (and it didn't have the annoying second life thereof) but in a way it's even more bloodless and boring. Also, what I wrote before
still stands.
Finally some Faith No More that I like! Caffeine is IMHO the hidden gem off Angel Dust - I like the riffing, Patton's histrionics are funny (see, @MrKnickerbocker , the difference is that Patton - despite his constant pretetions of being a veeeeeddy seeeeeddious l'artiste - isn't intended to be taken seriously, but tongue in cheek at best, whereas Allen works in the complete opposite way. Allen (whom I generally like) going all annoyingly theatrical and mannered in the Egypt chorus annoys me, Patton who actively tries to annoy me doesn't) and the 90s style melodic vocal hook in the pre/chorus is really cool. And nostalgic, in a way.
Fun fact, I actually had Caffeine as a ringtone for a while, sometime around 2013 or so.
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Difficult to Cure is already Rainbow in their decadent years - off the whole album, I believe maybe only I Surrender is good, if overplayed (and it hardly sounds like Rainbow at all, to start). I didn't remember this song before I played it and I still don't remember it now. The instrumental section is quite okay, at least until it gets to the absolutely horrid synth in the second half. Pity, because what Airey is doing here (which is mostly aping Lord) is actually very nice.
And then I played the Rÿche song and no, this time I'm not voting for this band. No fucking way. Sounds like as if 80s Slade decided to go prog, but thought that "prog" means Trans-Siberian Orchestra? Don't know, I'm good with the similes, however it takes a Page to bow a guitar, it takes a Glover to bow a base and it takes Mr Arrogant Git himself to bow rain, I guess and the latter easily gets my vote.
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March of the Black Queen is an extremely cool song, it used to by my No 1 Queen song ever (and I had it on repeat for a while) and it still is a culmination of possibly the strongest LP-side ever released by the band. The most proggy (along with A Prophet's Song) the most interesting, creative. Has all the strengths of the band and pretty much none of their weaknesses. Also would make me like the band again.
Needs more love, definitely.
@LooseCannon cheers, this was an excellent pick.
The Winter Rose song is okay, but sounds pedestrian compared to the competition. It's nice, but sounds more like "just another glam track". Honestly, I think LaBrie himself would vote for Queen here.
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Devin vs Haken is one of the utterly unfair fights of two artists I like very much, who are in a way somewhat similar and yet completely incomparable. I'm really sorry, Mosh, I go with Heavy Devy here, because of Ziltoid (the concept of which was first funny, then annoying, then detestable and finally went full circle for me to being funny again) and because it's an example of Devy's unabashed sentimentality.
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Grand Magus are probably better than WASP, but don't ask me why, I'm not sure myself.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
You can dress up that opinion however you want so that it fits your clearly nostalgic narrative better, but it's still hypocritical.
It's two singers doing the same thing within the same genre. It's pretty lofty to assume that you know each singer's intentions with their vocal recordings.
JudasMyGuide
Ancient Mariner
I've been listening to Symphony X longer than to Faith No More, so... uhm... no?
If you consider Symphony X and Faith No More to be "the same genre" (inasmuch as to be compared 1:1 and not saying something uselessly vague like "it's both metal"), I admit I don't know what to answer, except for... well, I don't think the problem lies with me.
This is on the level of "Devin Townsend is quite obviously trying to be the next Geoff Tate", sorry.
My presumption was that Symph X and Allen are not in general trying to be funny, not being a band of post-modern, post-pubescent knobheads, but if they are, kudos to them.
(and yes, there are ways to talk about art and artists probable intentions, but whatever)
Man, you flippantly consider singers good or bad according to completely arbitrary criteria, (though I admit - the best singers are 'fcourse the "belting with grit" ones, I know, I know, duly noted.
)Hope you won't get too offended, I'm somewhat taking the piss here. 
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I don't think saying "they're both metal" is uselessly vague. They are both metal. It's two singers, in metal, using shifting vocal styles to deliver their lyrics. I'm not sure why subgenre would drastically change the game here. Why is singing with different intonations within a single song allowed to be taken seriously within prog/funk/alt-metal (whatever FNM is) but not within prog/power/symphonic metal (or whatever SX is)?
I'm not sure why you're under the impression that Mike Patton is trying to be funny here? The song and the lyrics (and what I can find regarding the lyrical composition) seem to be a pretty straightforward depiction of caffeine addiction and sleep deprivation. If anything, I'd argue that such subject matter is far more serious than a B-movie plot about Atlantis, Egyptian gods, and astrology.
Look, some things are just facts. I'm glad you have noted down which singers are best, though, as it should help your votes in the future!Man, you flippantly consider singers good or bad according to completely arbitrary criteria, (though I admit - the best singers are 'fcourse the "belting with grit" ones, I know, I know, duly noted.
JudasMyGuide
Ancient Mariner
I'll do you one better - how come that with Jethro Tull (who are definitely closer to SymphX), Ian Anderson can get away with that?
A double standard? A wanton cherry-picking of what is acceptable? Or is it possible there is another criterion, that's only partially connected to the (sub-)genre?
(Mind you, the horrors and social consequences of homelesness are also a rather bleak and heady stuff, so that's not the answer)
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
This is night-and-day compared to the track I listened to on my playlist. I don't know what I prefer. This one has way more polish but that rough sound, when I went in expecting it to be an intentional production choice and not just a demo, was pretty interesting. I think it's a decent track in both versions, but I'm sorry to say that Boston is running away with my vote. "More Than a Feeling" is probably the perfect distillation of the album's balance between softer moments and stratospheric hard rock. Tom Scholz is one of the most underrated guitarists in classic rock; that guitar tone is more metal than 90% of actual metal bands. And Brad Delp's soaring vocals are insane. Another absolutely underrated legend. RIP. This whole album is absolutely one of the greatest releases in rock history and certainly up there with my all time favorites. How many records do you know where every single song still rides the airwaves of classic rock radio? The only thing that I think I'd have done if I was in charge of the sequencing is make "Foreplay/Long Time" the opener, but that's small potatoes. On that note...
The fact that you name-dropped "Something About You", the weakest track on the album, instead of the prog-tinged monster that is "Foreplay/Long Time", or the incredibly folksy "Hitch a Ride" that flows into an all-time top 5 guitar solo, probably says it all! This album is just one great track after another and I could probably write much more about how much I love it. In the interests of focusing on the task at hand, though, all I can say is that as soon as "More Than a Feeling" was over it took every fiber in my body to stick to my playlist instead of just playing the rest of the album.
Tough second match. This game got me to spin Evanescence's debut and it was fantastic. And I like this song a lot too. But this is the first Faith No More track that had zero weaknesses beyond simply being Faith No More - aka, no whiney Patton = better songs = Diesel votes.
Boring Rainbow track vs fine but underwhelming Tate band (too lazy to grab the umlaut but too stubborn to type the name without it).
Super tough round because both Queen and Winter Rose bring good elements to their songs while not being perfect. I've stated before that I'm not a fan of Freddie Mercury even though I respect what he brought to the table of rock. I actually like his soft vocals in the quiet part, one of the best I've heard from him. There's a lot going on in this song and I can't say it's entirely to my taste but it's not bad. Winter Rose has the unfortunate misfortune of having James LaBrie singing on it, but the music is really good. I could probably go either way here, and currently the match is tied at 8-8, but LooseCannon voted for Ahab and KidInTheDark did not, so my hands are tied here.
Haken was pretty weird all-around with some solid moments sprinkled in. I liked the Buckethead part (I see you, Mosh) and the almost classical piece towards the end, although parts of this felt like Tally Hall writing prog metal and IDK if I'm sold on that. Of course Mosh voted against Ahab and Schmoolikipod didn't, so maybe I'm already biased here, but "The Greys" was FANTASTIC and I wish it was as long as the masturbator song we had to suffer through earlier in this game. Methodical pacing with luscious vocals in the back of the mix, kinda feels like if Bruce was dropping acid while working on Skunkworks, for a MaidenFans analogy. Easy vote for Devin, best song I've heard from him yet.
And finally another round where it could go either way. Grand Magus was solid heavy metal with a tablespoon of sludge; W.A.S.P. is W.A.S.P., this time singing a silly wannabe hit that's pretty good but should not be on a list of the 500 best metal songs ever. I'd like to know what Popoff's reasoning for his entries is. Also realized that Blackie Lawless is basically just Meat Loaf if he swallowed a bunch of razor blades. Anyway, I've already voted against one srfc nomination this round so I'll give it to Grand Magus, even if he did vote against Ahab. I can forgive. A little, maybe just this round.
But I will never forget.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
The Devil's Blood track sounds like it was recorded with a potato, and while I've heard More Than a Feeling more than enough times, it's definitely the better song (while not being metal at all). I prefer Peace of Mind by Boston, though.
They're called Evanescence, but I get the impression that the musicians themselves are little more than Amy Lee's backing band. I've yet to hear anything by them that grabs my attention from an instrumental perspective (read: no solos); unlike other female-fronted metal bands, the focus seems to be on the singer 100% of the time. That being said, her voice works for this song, which is quite catchy. Sadly, Faith No More has always just been too weird for me, and this is no exception. Going with Evanescence here.
This Rainbow song may not have Dio singing, but it sounds like it was written for him. Excellent track, and I love that neoclassical interlude! I always try to give Queensryche a chance, but as soon as I hear Tate's voice I'm instantly irritated. Easiest vote ever for Rainbow.
Queen have always been hit-or-miss for me; for every Bohemian Rhapsody or Fat Bottomed Girls, there's a clunker like Bicycle Race or You're My Best Friend. This song is a winner, though, taking me on a journey (I love songs that do this). Conversely, the Winter's Rose song was musically straightforward and boring, and the singer... yes, it took me until the end of the track to realize that was James LaBrie pre-Dream Theater. I wish he had stuck with this band so maybe Dream Theater would've gotten a more Russell Allen-ish singer. Easy vote for Queen.
This is one of the better Devin Townsend songs I've heard, but as @MrKnickerbocker stated, it's just one big wall of sound. I fail to hear the "brilliance" in this guy's songwriting that everyone raves about. Regarding Haken, they're a band I first got into almost a decade ago when I heard the amazing Crystallized, but I never really explored their stuff more at the time. A few years ago they opened for Symphony X and they fully clicked with me. I've had Vector and Virus on my rotation since, and am now really just doing a deep dive on their other albums. The Mountain is a cool record, but Cockroach King gets most of the attention from it. However, In Memoriam is one of my favorites from the album. Excellent piano intro followed by that crushing punchy riff, then the funky verses. I love that spacey keyboard on the second verse, too. Haken gets my vote without a doubt, and I'm saddened that they're going to lose here.
The Grand Magus song is quite solid; nothing groundbreaking, but definitely better than the overrated WASP.
They're called Evanescence, but I get the impression that the musicians themselves are little more than Amy Lee's backing band. I've yet to hear anything by them that grabs my attention from an instrumental perspective (read: no solos); unlike other female-fronted metal bands, the focus seems to be on the singer 100% of the time. That being said, her voice works for this song, which is quite catchy. Sadly, Faith No More has always just been too weird for me, and this is no exception. Going with Evanescence here.
This Rainbow song may not have Dio singing, but it sounds like it was written for him. Excellent track, and I love that neoclassical interlude! I always try to give Queensryche a chance, but as soon as I hear Tate's voice I'm instantly irritated. Easiest vote ever for Rainbow.
Queen have always been hit-or-miss for me; for every Bohemian Rhapsody or Fat Bottomed Girls, there's a clunker like Bicycle Race or You're My Best Friend. This song is a winner, though, taking me on a journey (I love songs that do this). Conversely, the Winter's Rose song was musically straightforward and boring, and the singer... yes, it took me until the end of the track to realize that was James LaBrie pre-Dream Theater. I wish he had stuck with this band so maybe Dream Theater would've gotten a more Russell Allen-ish singer. Easy vote for Queen.
This is one of the better Devin Townsend songs I've heard, but as @MrKnickerbocker stated, it's just one big wall of sound. I fail to hear the "brilliance" in this guy's songwriting that everyone raves about. Regarding Haken, they're a band I first got into almost a decade ago when I heard the amazing Crystallized, but I never really explored their stuff more at the time. A few years ago they opened for Symphony X and they fully clicked with me. I've had Vector and Virus on my rotation since, and am now really just doing a deep dive on their other albums. The Mountain is a cool record, but Cockroach King gets most of the attention from it. However, In Memoriam is one of my favorites from the album. Excellent piano intro followed by that crushing punchy riff, then the funky verses. I love that spacey keyboard on the second verse, too. Haken gets my vote without a doubt, and I'm saddened that they're going to lose here.
The Grand Magus song is quite solid; nothing groundbreaking, but definitely better than the overrated WASP.
KidInTheDark666
What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too
Hey, if I operated like that I would have to vote against all of your songs.
Spambot
Meme Lord
Match 229 - Boston
Devil's Blood informed us nicely we need to be invested in Christ or Cocaine to bear through the production of this song. On the other hand, "More Than a Feeling" is one of the greatest feel-good songs (should've been first in the playlist, for the perfect start of the day). Until I skimmed some comments here, I was under the wrong impression that the debut was all recorded by one guy and when he got the record deal he invited other guys in the band. Doesn't diminish my opinion of the song, tho.
Match 230 - Faith No More
As far as addictions go, Caffeine>Lithium (although I never tried latter). I never heard this Evenescence song, so I went to check who nominated it and saw it was YT 50 metal. I don't see it. Furthermore, I thought their other two songs may be in it, not this one. So, I went to check the list. There were only like 10 songs dating pre-2000 (one of them being Fear of the Dark). What a weird list, I thought. Or is it me, am I'm boomer? Maybe both?
Match 231 - Queensryche
Is either of these two songs considered top 10 for the band? They certainly don't sound like they're in the upper echelon of the discography.
Match 232 - Queen
I knew what to expect from early Queen albums, I think I even went throughout their whole discography. Still, when "March of the Black Queen" came I found it a bit too much. Too much Freddy or too many words or too many changes, something seemed off. It's probably that they've done stuff like this much, much better on the next couple of albums, and I was expecting something like that in a way. Still way better than LaBrie doing a glam metal.
Match 233 - Devin Townsend
TBH, I've only heard the last two albums from Haken ("Virus" and "Fauna") and they still haven't clicked. I also can't say Devin clicked with me fully but "The Greys" goes more for the fees instead of a proginess, and it's a thumb up.
Match 234 - Grand Magus
Devil's Blood informed us nicely we need to be invested in Christ or Cocaine to bear through the production of this song. On the other hand, "More Than a Feeling" is one of the greatest feel-good songs (should've been first in the playlist, for the perfect start of the day). Until I skimmed some comments here, I was under the wrong impression that the debut was all recorded by one guy and when he got the record deal he invited other guys in the band. Doesn't diminish my opinion of the song, tho.
Match 230 - Faith No More
As far as addictions go, Caffeine>Lithium (although I never tried latter). I never heard this Evenescence song, so I went to check who nominated it and saw it was YT 50 metal. I don't see it. Furthermore, I thought their other two songs may be in it, not this one. So, I went to check the list. There were only like 10 songs dating pre-2000 (one of them being Fear of the Dark). What a weird list, I thought. Or is it me, am I'm boomer? Maybe both?
Match 231 - Queensryche
Is either of these two songs considered top 10 for the band? They certainly don't sound like they're in the upper echelon of the discography.
Match 232 - Queen
I knew what to expect from early Queen albums, I think I even went throughout their whole discography. Still, when "March of the Black Queen" came I found it a bit too much. Too much Freddy or too many words or too many changes, something seemed off. It's probably that they've done stuff like this much, much better on the next couple of albums, and I was expecting something like that in a way. Still way better than LaBrie doing a glam metal.
Match 233 - Devin Townsend
TBH, I've only heard the last two albums from Haken ("Virus" and "Fauna") and they still haven't clicked. I also can't say Devin clicked with me fully but "The Greys" goes more for the fees instead of a proginess, and it's a thumb up.
Match 234 - Grand Magus
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Lol