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

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

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  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
Pantera is dominated by Slayer in a thrash-off. Gamma Ray vaporizes a lackluster Manowar offering fairly easily. Napalm Death can't light a fire in their battle against Edge of Sanity. Rush has no fear of a blank planet, or losing the round. Quasarborn overkills Overkill, and The Ocean is drowned by a prog titan in Dream Theater, failing to learn to live.





Part 1, Round 4, Matches 19-24


Play In Round
Match 19
Running Free Division​
Lovebites - When Destinies Align
vs.
Helloween - Midnight Sun​
@Confeos
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 20
Running Free Division​
Darkthrone - Quintessence
vs.
Thorns - World Playground Deceit​
@Magnus
Nominators
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 21
Trios Match​
Match 21
Running Free Division​
Def Leppard - Foolin'​
vs.​
Guns N' Roses - Mr. Brownstone​
vs.​
D-A-D - Sleeping My Day Away​
Popoff 500​
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Nominators
Radio EHS 100​
Links
Links


Play In Round
Match 22
Ed Hunter Division​
Rainbow - Man on the Silver Mountain
vs.
Judas Priest - The Ripper​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 23
Ed Hunter Division​
Metallica - Whiplash
vs.
Pantera - This Love​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links

Play In Round
Match 24
Ed Hunter Division​
Testament - Practice What You Preach
vs.
Megadeth - Rust in Peace..Polaris​
Popoff 500
Nominators
Popoff 500​
Youtube | Spotify | Amazon
Links
 
LOVEBITES sure is upbeat, but that’s all it is. Zero dynamics, one big power metal wall of sound with female vocals that seem pretty monotonous despite being technically “good”. On paper there is nothing wrong here, but this song does nothing for me. Helloween’s song is far more interesting musically, even if I really, really dislike their B-league Bruce Dickinson singer (whichever one this is). The chorus melody is powerful, the solo breaks are nice, and the song manages to be very slightly more than just another double-bass pounding power metal tune. This one goes to Midnight Sun.

Into the basement we go with Match 20…and damn if these guys aren’t trying real hard to make it sound like they aren’t recording these tunes on a potato next to their mom’s checker-print dish towels stacked above a washing machine. I’ll be honest, I didn’t make it through a minute of Darkthrone. Life is too short to listen to those vocals or tuna can drums. The recording on the Thorns track is far better, but still terrible. I still do not like a single thing about this song, but I’ll give my vote to World Playground Deceit simply because it’s 1% less annoying than its competition.
  • Foolin’ is a solid pop song. End of line.
  • Mr. Brownstone is actually one of the few Guns N Roses tunes I enjoy. It’s got a great, snake-like rock n’ roll riff and Axl isn’t as annoying as usual. It’s a good tune and gets my vote.
  • D-A-D have an aggressively terrible band name and a decent enough classic rock sound. It’s an okay song, but it’s not as good as the Guns offering. I do really like the clean, baritone-sounding lead part before the solo, though.
Match 22 contains, IMO, the two most important songs to appear so far in the game. Man on The Silver Mountain is certainly not my favorite Rainbow or Dio tune, but it remains an absolute masterpiece on the bridge between hard rock and early heavy metal. The riff is timeless and Dio’s vocals are heavier and more soulful than they have any right to be. The palm-muted arpeggio section in the pre-chorus is one of the coolest parts in Rainbow’s history. Conversely, The Ripper is a metallic slab of musical theatre - it sounds like Queen on even more drugs. Halford’s playful, kooky vocal acrobatics combined with those twisted guitar interludes are a thing of magic and also helped to birth the darker, more theatrical side of metal. At the end of the day, I think these songs are equal, but my heart will always live with Dio. Rainbow gets the vote.

Match 23 is a pretty mid-grade early Metallica tune against a pretty solid Pantera song. Whiplash has always been a much better live song than on record, especially with Newsted, but it’s still a corker. This Love has some strong sections, but the constant transitions are a bit janky. I do like it, but I’ll go with Metallica here.

Practice What You Preach is an awesome Testament song slightly hampered by subpar, thin production. The song is still fantastic, though, and that lead guitar pattern before the proper solo is so fucking good. It’s a powerhouse of a tune and Chuck Billy is in his “clean shouting” prime. The title track from Rust In Peace has always been a song I’ve had a hard time with. On one hand: it rules. That intro alone is absolutely phenomenal. The vocals, however, are probably my least favorite on the entire album. Dave takes turns being a garbly-talking fool and yelping in his highest pitch. The pre-chorus is pretty weak, too, despite the rapid fire chorus (“launch the Polaris!”) being stellar. It’s a bit repetitive until the ending, though I do love the ending. I’m gonna give the vote to Testament here as I’m sure there will be 20 better Megadeth songs coming our way.
 
"When Destinies Align" is very Kai-Hansen-inspired power metal, for sure. Lots of guitar excesses, but in a good way. There's something odd about the vocals -- a combination of a deep female voice and a noticeable accent, I suppose. Otherwise this is pretty good, albeit very derivative. "Midnight Sun" has a cool back and forth between darker riffage and brighter power metal guitar, but the vocals are pretty forgettable outside of the chorus, and the chorus isn't that great either. I like the first solo and the instrumental that follows, but the second solo isn't very good. The harmonized bit that comes afterward is nice, though. Both songs are a bit of a mixed bag, but sorry @Confeos, I'm leaning toward @Kalata's nominee here. Winner: Helloween - "Midnight Sun"

"Quintessence" sounds like it was recorded in a public bathroom somewhere, but I guess that's the intent. The rhythm guitars lay down a serviceable groove while the town drunk blathers into the microphone. Aside from a brief detour in the middle, it's the same thing over and over again for over seven minutes. At one point I'm pretty sure he mumbled something about "swallowing shit", which is pretty much what it felt like to listen to this song. "World Playground Deceit" has more going on, with some bizarrely interesting guitar chaos and less annoying vocals, though the repetitive drumming is really grating. The song is also at least twice as long as its musical ideas would merit, but that's black metal for you. Can't say I enjoyed either track overall, but sorry @Magnus, there were at least some interesting things going on in @Shmoolikipod's nominee. Winner: Thorns - "World Playground Deceit"

"Foolin'" has great atmosphere and vocal melodies throughout, and aside from some slightly excessive repetition it's a really well constructed song with a solid solo. "Mr. Brownstone" is one of the small handful of GNR songs that I legitimately enjoy, with consistently strong guitar work, a great solo, and memorable vocals. It also doesn't overstay its welcome. "Sleeping My Day Away" was a one-hit wonder for D.A.D. in the U.S. The chorus guitar bit is a nice little hook, the chorus itself isn't bad, and the bass-driven interlude in the middle is nice. The noticeably accented vocals give the song a weird feel, though. All of these songs are pretty good, but in the end one is a bit stronger and tighter than the others. Winner: Guns N' Roses - "Mr. Brownstone"

"Man On The Silver Mountain" has a solid groove and memorable vocal melodies on the verse and chorus, though the pre-chorus is a bit lacking. The solo is...fine, but it goes on too long. There's also more repetition at the end of the song than necessary. "The Ripper" has a nice 70s groove and some mildly proggy change-ups, but it gets too cutesy with the stereo effects and doesn't hold together as a song as well as it should. Both tracks have their strong points and some drawbacks, but I think the edge goes to Rainbow here. Winner: Rainbow - "Man On The Silver Mountain"

"Whiplash" has good energy, but it's overly repetitive, Hetfield's voice is annoyingly raw, and the lyrics are dumb. The guitar change-up before the chorus is the best thing about the track, though the solos are also good, and the rhythmic outro is cool. "This Love" starts with some promise, having some nice clean ringing guitar and a pleasant melodic vocal, but the chorus is complete garbage and the distorted guitar tone sounds like something off a black metal album. The solo is quite nice, though. Pantera briefly had a shot here, but they managed to torpedo themselves pretty quickly. Winner: Metallica - "Whiplash"

"Practice What You Preach" has some nice guitar work and an especially cool extended solo, but the vocals are less memorable and just sound like they're aping James Hetfield. "Rust In Peace...Polaris" alternates between tight explosions of rhythm and a swinging swagger, with some memorable vocal lines throughout. The change-up as it enters its final section is also great. It verges on excessive repetition in places, but never quite gets there. No real contest on this one. Winner: Megadeth - "Rust In Peace...Polaris"
 
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Lovebites - When Destinies Align vs. Helloween - Midnight Sun
Lovebites sounds like AI Power Metal. Helloween not great either but at least sounds like a band playing. Midnight Sun

Darkthrone - Quintessence vs. Thorns - World Playground Deceit

Darkthrone vocal is better than usual in this sort of the stuff, clearly hearing words makes a huge difference, but not great. I thought a change was coming at the midpoint but it didn't happen. Thorns guitar sounds like a jar of bees. Vocals sounds like a poor man's Mustaine. I lasted a bit longer than the two power metal tracks but that's not exactly a ringing endorsement. Neither track in my ball park but Quintessence a good bit the better of the two

Def Leppard - Foolin' vs. Guns N' Roses - Mr. Brownstone vs. D-A-D - Sleeping My Day Away
As I said the last time, Leppard don't have anything to match Guns best tracks, and they've brought a knife to a gunfight this time. Not familiar with D-A-D other than knowing they're Europeans. This track is alright enough for me to consider checking more out. I'd much rather listen to this than the rest of the unfamiliar stuff I've listened to so far in this round, good melodies and hooks, clean guitar sounds great. I might have voted for it if it wasn't up against a classic Mr. Brownstone

Rainbow - Man on the Silver Mountain vs. Judas Priest - The Ripper

Toughest round so far by me, and will genuinely doubting I've picked the right one no matter which one I go with. Without over thinking, the gut says Man on the Silver Mountain

Metallica - Whiplash vs. Pantera - This Love

I remember when This Love was out, was the first time I heard of Pantera, and they became huge all of sudden off the back of it (at least as far as I was aware at the time, maybe everyone else already knew of them), but these days it's a bit shit and misogynistic to be fair. Whiplash kicks ass.

Testament - Practice What You Preach vs. Megadeth - Rust in Peace..Polaris
I like Testament and Practice What You Preach is great but much like Leppard above, they will need a lucky draw if they come up against Megadeth again maybe one of their biggest tracks against I Ain't Superstitious or something Rust in Peace..Polaris
 
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Midnight Sun is placed at #28 on my list of the greatest album closers of all time, and it is also largely the song that cemented Uli Kusch as one of my favorite drummers of all time. When Destinies Align is good fun, but it sounds like a generic fantasy anime theme song, just like most power metal of the last 10 years. No contest.

Quintessence is musically pretty decent, but the vocals are hilarious. It almost cracked me up a couple of times. It's an okay song. World Playground Deceit I can take a bit more seriously. It's more competent in every way, but not really something I need to hear ever again.

Foolin' is a great classic Leppard song and one of the strongest moments on Pyromania. Mr. Brownstone is good, but it might be the weakest song on Appetite. Sleeping My Day Away I had not heard before and it was a damn cool track. I was sure it was going to be Leppard for me but I think D-A-D's going to get my vote here for their surprise value.

Man on the Silver Mountain is a classic of course, but it isn't necessarily one of my favorite Rainbow songs. The guitarwork and Dio's vocals still make it a great tune. The Ripper I used to love more when I was just getting into Priest, but it has fallen a bit for me. It's tough but I have to give it to Rainbow.

Whiplash is a mid-tier track on one of my least favorite Metallica albums, which pretty much just means that it's a really good song. I wouldn't call this Pantera track one of their best either, and as Pantera are also not even half the band that Metallica are, the result is clear.

Now, Practice What You Preach might actually be my favorite Testament song. But it's once again difficult to compare it to Megadeth, a band that I like so much more. Rust In Peace... Polaris is one of the few underrated tracks on Rust in Peace. It's not exactly a top tier Megadeth song, but I think it's still enough to beat Practice What You Preach. It's an unlucky draw for Testament.
 
What the hell did I just watch? Lovebites looked and sounded way too artificial. Big meh. Deris and me will never be friends but Midnight Sun is a great track! I love the solo section! Helloween by a 1000 miles.

If the next bands would join forces you get Darkthorn. Darkthrone was "once and never again" for me and I can say the same about Thorns. The 2 worst songs I heard in this competition so far. I wouldn´t like to vote but I don´t want to break LC´s rules so I pick the least crappy of the crap. Thorns...

Next we have 3! All 3 very nice songs! Def Leppard and Guns N Roses have better tracks than this so I´ll vote for the unknown underdog here: D-A-D

Man On The Silver Mountain is a classic and Dio a fantastic vocalist. The Ripper doesn´t have any single vote yet?? Hard to believe to be honest. One of Priest´s early classics and I really like Robs scream. This is such an energetic song so my vote goes to Judas fuckin´ Priest !

I remember I had Vulgar Display Of Power on tape when I was 17 (a yellow Maxell one, don´t know what was on the B side though...) and This Love was one of my favourites. However it had no chance against an early Metallica neckbreaker.

I have a favourite Testament song, unfortunately it´s not this one and I won´t vote for it against any Megadave from the classic Rust In Peace.
 
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Lovebites is a band I've never heard of before. A word to the wise - for every band, not just them - if you don't feel comfortable in front of camera, you don't need to do performance videos. There's no rule saying you'd have to.
I really hate the overtuned production, I can tolerate it in the more extreme genres, but here it works to the song's detriment, definitely. It's a pity, because it's a fun little melodic song with bright atmosphere and good energy, nice guitar work and if they weren't trying to make it sound like fucking Periphery, it'd be much better. The vocals are fine, if a bit bland - I'm not exactly sure which female metal singer do they remind me the most of, but they definitely do.
I don't know which Helloween album is my favourite one, honestly, but if someone told me Better Than Raw is the best of the Deris era ... or even of the band in general, I just might be inclined to tacitly agree. Back then, it was where everybody noticed they are doing some nice PM work again - though the cover was way more tacky than it needed be - and to this day it still stands for everything the Deris era represents. A bit heavier, but immensely catchy and boasting a powerful energy - this was before Grapow and Kusch split off and Grosskopf might be among my favourite all-time underrated bassists. For a band I value more for their consistency than their highest highs, I still like Midnight Sun very much. Let's keep it brief - Helloween, for me, as is probably expected.

Now @Magnus can watch and see that I don't hate black metal per se. Darkthrone might be my favourite of the "classic" BM bands. Though this particular song...
Well, for one, Panzerfaust is closer to the Venom/Motorhead adoration we've been talking about than something akin to Transilvanian Hunger or Funeral Moon, more Celtic Frost-like... eh, again. Also, what the fuck is going on with Culto's vocals? He can sound great, cold and haunting, why does this sound like a drunken first take in his attempt to ape Misfits' era Danzig? It literally sounds like he's dying, Bon Scott-way. It's the Csihar situation all over again, isn't it? And do the lyrics have to be written by Vikernes, of all people?
Why do you black metal guys hate vocals so much?
The chainsaw buzz is fine, I guess, but I primarily like black metal for its atmosphere and this sounds like Fenriz and Culto are just taking the piss.
Thorns sounds like some unholy (and I mean the wrong type of unholy) misbegotten combination of black metal and Neuraxis or some other technical melodeath of the turn of the millennium. It should be more interesting, on paper, but the seven minutes felt just as monotonous, with some of the really annoying guitar trills, the vocals feeling disconnected from the song itself and the song kinda goes nowhere. In a way, it reminded me of Cephalic Carnage, whom I'd probably listen to much rather. I really don't know, but I'll go with the band favouritism of the duo I otherwise like and who only had their weaker moment - Darkthrone.

So, a first trio match. Finally we have Def Leppard at their cheesiest best, with a song that sports both melodies irresistible and a sound so vile it should be banned in several countries. It is just as sickeningly sweet as Journey are, though there's still some juicy guitar here. It's no Coming Under Fire, but I like it anyway, somewhat in the "guilty pleasure" mode of appreciacion, but that's given, I guess.
GNR are definitely the best band of this match, technically. I was rather surprised recently at how actually skilled they are at their respective instruments - at least when compared with similar bands - and how much did they try to make the songs catchy and memorable. There's this nose for both riffs and melodies that should not be overlooked. Mr. Brownstone is not my favourite track off Appetite - I'm not generally a fan of the Bo Diddlesque beats and the chorus sounds a bit too wacky (and even more so in the context of the album), but just listen to those guitars. That's like a fine, juicy steak. The song has an undeniable swagger and even though it's - for me - somewhat lower in the rakings of the songs off their debut, it's very cool and gets you bobbing in no time.
D-A-D are the type of music I'd put on when I'm drunk in the evening and wnat something cheesy from the 80s, to fill in the decadent mood. You know, like Take Me Home Tonight or Jessie's Girl. Or even Make Me Lose Control. Which I honestly don't mean as a condemnation and in a way I can appreciate it, but although I might check the band out later for more, it's not enough and I'm going with GNR.

The next match is much easier than it probably should be. I mean, I love Judas Priest, they are one of the bands I went out of my way to see live even slightly after their prime and there's many a song by them that I deeply love and cherish. And yet, I find their discography very uneven and definitely not every tack beloved by fans is among my personal favourites as well. That goes for Ripper too. To put it closer to the street vernacular of today, I just don't vibe with the song. The intro guitars are too sharp and annoying, Halford's vocals are a tour of his most obnoxious aspects - from the random detached falsettos in the verse to the hiccups... the song tries to be complex in its short runtime, but Gentle Giant these blokes are not and it just sounds like a mess or like a novelty track. Seriously, the Wings of Destiny album has such awesome stuff otherwise, why did this particular song had to become the most popular off it?
Opposing it is Man on the Silver Mountain.... and man, did I ever want to vote for a song this much! I remember back in high school, I was slowly getting into various classic rock acts and I just kept hearing about these "Rainbow" blokes, the band that started because Purple were too small for Blackmore's ego. I was disinclined to go and check them, I have this tendency to get into side and solo projects only reluctantly and this seemed the usual type. Also, I heard I Surrender on the radio before and I didn't want to have anything to do with this particular band.
And boy oh boy, was I mistaken. The first listen, the first time I listened to the album from start to finish, that was one of the moments I remember even now, 15 or more years later. I was absolutely flabbergasted by the fact the album contained pretty much no filler, that every fucking single song was prime stuff. And it is all encapsulated in the very first song on the album.
Now, I admit that I have spoken against the overall Dio adoration here. I do find him a bit overrated (much like a lot of genuinely good or great things are often ultimately overrated in the eyes of the public) and I often personally connect with other singers more. But here, this first acquaintance with the man... that was something special.

Come down with fire
Lift my spirit higher
Someone's screaming my name
Come and make me holy again
I'm the MAN ON THE SILVER MOUNTAIN.


Really, if you can vocally reproduce this, just go and try if you're not by the way able to lift the Eiffel Tower, just like that. My tip would be that you might.
But it's not just the vocals. Have you heard the riff? Fuck everything he ever did in Purple - and there's a ton of classics as well - if there was one riff to be his legacy, heck, scratch that, rock's legacy as a whole, this one is a serious contender. And just listen to those noodlings under the pre-chorus! You'd almost miss it in the heat of the moment, but it helps the song to create the perfect flow it has.
Eh, that must be enough, enough of blind fanboyism, MAN ON THE SILVER MOUNTAIN MUST WIN!

In the next match, I'll be brief. Whiplash might be my favourite song off my least favourite album of the classic 'Tullica era, but that's not saying much. It is, quite possibly, the best example on that debut album of how from the very beginning, they were always about he melodies. Metallica were not the Beatles of thrash just beause they brought it into the mainstream or just because they were always a bit more high-brow and aiming up, but also because they always wanted to be captivating and to thrill the listener not just with riffs or energy or moshing moments (though they had those, too), but with their melodic talent as well. To me, personally, Whiplash has the catchiest chorus of the entire KEA album and since the song doesn't really suck even in the other aspects, I'd be willing to vote for it primarily...
...but just now I checked and saw that Pantera's This Love has no votes whatsoever as of now. And that just hardly seems fair. I admit I am partial to this particular track ever since I got the haunting verse riff under my skin when playing Doom II (it was the basis for the score for levels 18 and 27, in case anyone remembers) and to this day I still sometimes can't get it out of my head. Anselmo is keeping it in the "passionate" and not yet "obnoxious" category, Darrell plays some nice stuff in the pre-chorus and in his solo and the chugging section doesn't annoy me like Domination did.
Also - just noting that the album version is somewhat longer and feels more well-rounded in its second half.
Whiplash might be a bigger classic, but This Love deserves at least some love and I haven't had enough opportunities to unleash my redneck side, so Pantera it is.

As for the last match... I wish I cared more.
Testament are one of the classic thrash bands I've never quite gotten into. To me, they lack a certain character that would distingush them for me from the multitude of their peers. I mean, when I see people mentioning they should have been counted in the Big 4, my reaction would be "surely you're talking about Overkill, right?" (and even then, it would not fit, as the 4 was kinda supposed to represent the different "prog - pop" - "tech" - "crossover/punk" - "brutal" approaches and neither of those bands represents these this distinctly, but I digress)
Practice is certainly one of their catchier songs, I honestly appreciate the typical 80s sound, the shifts feel really natural and I honestly love the instrumental section, the guitar here thrills me more than almost anything else in this round (well, except for the other song in this match and the band we don't talk about, heh, heh). It still feels like one of the myriads of thrash songs that got released in the 80s, but it is a very solid track nonetheless with occasional flashes of brilliance.
Rust in Peace... is million times more technical and generally probably closer to what I look for in music, in the past and up to this day. The almost tribal intro and the chorus with the descending riff itself immediately scream "classic" at you. I just wish Dave didn't use any distortion or other fuck ups on his voice - it's ugly enough as is, the beginning of the verse is absolutely atrocious.
Enough rambling, we all know what I'm going to vote for, it's Megadeth.
 
Is that the one with a live album from, I think a UK college, around 1980 or so? I heard a few tracks off it around the time it was released and it sounded great, keep meaning to try and get hold of it.
That's the one! Absolutely essential set imo, not just for those interested in early Leppard but really for anyone with interest in NWOBHM.
 
When Destinies Align is my kind of cheese. Fast riffing and cool twin guitars and pretty snappy production. The vocals really elevate this one for me, as the vocals are way more listenable than the screeching often found in the power metal genre. Definitely a standout in a genre that has a lot of cliches. As for Midnight Sun, I'm not that familiar with the Deris era of Helloween. It's something I've meant to check out but it has never been a priority, at least partially because Helloween is a band that has never really grabbed me. I definitely feel like the riffing is a little tighter than the Kiske era and I don't mind the vocals at all. Still, like most Helloween, a lot of it ends up being kind of forgettable. With that being said, the instrumental section is irresistible. Great guitar solos and a run of twin harmonies that rival mid-80s Maiden. Nice drum break after as well. I really dug Lovebites, but Helloween prove that, at least on this song, they are still the masters of the genre.

Quintessence: Nazi black metal fuck off. Get Varg out of here. World Playground Deceit kinda wins by default here. The song actually isn't bad at all and I may have picked it anyway, although any other Darkthrone song would have been competitive here as well. Love the groove changes and the way this stays true to the style of the band/genre despite being recorded years later. Feels like a genuine homage to Norwegian Black Metal, which is typically a genre I really enjoy.

I'm a big fan of Foolin'. Really the whole Pyromania album is an excellent crossroads between Leppard's metal side and them going full pop with Hysteria. Songs like these really cemented their status as giants of the arena rock genre and are welcome in any early Metal playlist. Similarly, Mr Brownstone has always been one of my favorite "mid tier classics' from Appetite. More hard rock than Metal, but still a cool track. Both songs are far superior to the D.A.D. rock. Should've left that one in the 80s. Def Leppard takes it fairly easily.

Oh man, Man on the Silver Mountain vs The Ripper is brutal. Frankly though, it's not even a contest for me. Silver Mountain was never one of my favorite Rainbow songs (I've kinda always seen it as more of a 'proof of concept' for Dio and Blackmore as creative partners). It's a cool song but not one that I ever go out of my way for. The Ripper, on the other hand, is a complete experience and packs a huge punch in a very short run time. Classic riffing, classic lyrics, excellent performance by everybody and a song that really feels ahead of its time. It still sounds heavy today.

In the Ed Hunter round we have two songs that I never really cared for. Whiplash is standard NWOBHM worship but lacks the variety and excitement of a song like Four Horsemen or Seek and Destroy. This Love is just slow and plodding and I really don't like Anselmo's singing on this track or Dimebag's mosquito-y leads. A little too Tuff guy for me. At least Metallica has a cool solo and I like that they namedrop themselves.

I really love Alex Skolnick's guitar playing, but I could never really get into Testament no matter how hard I tried. I can't get into Chuck Billy's vocals an I feel like their songs really lack hooks. Either way, it's not even a contest against one of my favorite songs off what is probably my favorite thrash metal album of all time. Rust in Peace wins and it isn't remotely close.
 
Helloween's song is my nomination and I think Midnight Sun is one of their best songs. Underrated song by the band with great drumming, classic Helloween vocal melodies and chorus for the Deris era and instrumental section that is on Maiden's level. No comparison here.
Foolin' is a glam metal classic with one of Def Leppard's best choruses. No comparison again.
Priest's song The Ripper is nice (never been one of my favorites), but Man On The Silver Mountain has that magic and grand feel to it.
Whiplash is one of my favorite fast thrash metal songs.
Not a fan of Megadeth's song, but a song from arguably their best album is always interesting.
 
Any reason for voting for any song is valid.
I'd say this game is about what we make of it.
This pretty much sums how I think about it.

Defining what is metal and what isn't metal could be your opinion on why should you vote for certain song, but it shouldn't be rule that any of the songs don't deserve a place in this tournament.

What I find a bit irky is that when a household name (AC/DC, Pink Floyd etc.) is pitted against some lesser know band people, will automaticly vote for household name without hearing the other band's song. I mean, imaging getting asked who is a better hockey team: Montreal Canadiens or Mighty Ducks?! Damn the Stanley Cups, whoever watched that first movie knows how good of a team "Mighty Ducks" are. So here I go by the same rule, rooting for the underdog. Still, my theory is flawed because of two reasons:
A) in GMAC a lot of household names and classic albums didn't get far
B) @LooseCannon really took time to pit opponents properly. So if you get Rush, there's probably be Dream Theater on the other side, or if you get Pink Floyd, Tool might be opponent.

In the end, all songs should be here, we'll see in the end did the overstay their welcome.
 
Never heard of Lovebites, so Helloween it is. In the old-school shit BM battle - Thorns wins. Then GNR in a threeway, The Ripper, Whiplash and Polaris. Easy round.
 
I mean, imaging getting asked who is a better hockey team: Montreal Canadiens or Mighty Ducks?!
The Montreal Canadiens. Can't believe you did this on a forum where one of the mods is a massive Habs fan. Banned.

Anyway, Spambot was a nice guy, but he's gone forever now.
 
What I find a bit irky is that when a household name (AC/DC, Pink Floyd etc.) is pitted against some lesser know band people, will automaticly vote for household name without hearing the other band's song.
This felt like it happened a lot in the GMAC, which admittedly required a much larger time commitment to give everything a fair shot, so it was a little more understandable there. But hopefully in the GMSC people will actually listen to every song before voting.

I mean, imaging getting asked who is a better hockey team: Montreal Canadiens or Mighty Ducks?!
Thinking about hockey gives me "Dallas Stars" PTSD. They'll always be the Minnesota North Stars, dammit. Wild be damned.
 
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