Metal Wars!!!!!!!!!!!

Howard the Duck · 12-14-2011, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Just to let you guys know, that I`m off on holidays for about 4 weeks and will only get a couple of hours internet time per week. Therefore, for the next month The Batlord will be running the thread.......I know its hard to get good help these days, but he was the best I could get at such short notice! Hopefully he shouldn`t fuck things up too much and hopefully he won`t turn this into a porn thread either.

So if you`ve got any battles, they should be sent to him over the next month. I`ve given him as well the one pending battle (RCVA) so that should be the next up in a couple of days. If nobody submits albums, The Batlord has an almost endless pit of metal albums to call upon anyway.

Finally, I want to wish all you guys that have participated on the thread a great and merry christmas.

goodbye quality metal, hello porn metal?

Howard the Duck · 12-14-2011, 04:05 AM

ok heard all three:-

Blind Guardian - this one is like a metallized version of some early 70s prog-folk, complete with the spoken interludes, and it reminds me most of Eloy. Which i think detracts from it, cos it would work better in a prog-folk setting than a metal one. Otherwise, i don't think it's based on Lord of the Rings but rather the posthumous Tolkien ones, it is cobbled together from those bits and pieces and is well-written and i don't mind the spoken interludes much

Hammerfall - in love with this at first listen - seem to combine the best of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden whilst not sounding like either, and hooksy and catchy as hell, almost Keeper of the Seven Keys (both volumes) quality

Gamma Ray - i don't deny their technical adeptness but this is a long slog, without anything memorable about the riffs or melodies, sometimes I also think i'm hearing an Iced Earth album, sometimes an Iron Maiden one. Faceless.

Blind Guardian - 1
Hammerfall - 2
Gamma Ray - 1

Mrd00d · 12-14-2011, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hip hop bunny hop

Generally, whenever I hear 'avant-garde' in relation to Metal I just blow it off. That being stated, Sigh are completely random. There are moments in songs that come completely out of left field, and even when I tried to look at these moments as the same way a grind band uses noise, it didn't work for me.

Solefald was a more engaging listen, and not just because I spent a good twenty minutes fiddling with my EQs on account of the high-end production. The songs are less random, and the riffs are better than Sigh. A lot better. There are actually some really good riffs on this album.

Sigh - 3
Solefald - 1

What, like how that dub reggae beat comes up in Scarlet Dream only to let right back in to bridge and chorus? I fell in love the moment that happened, and Sigh has climbed higher and higher on my list of metal-y bands. And kudos to the Japanese for being so weird (read: creative).

The amazing thing about Sigh: their keyboard player.
Case in point: Solo on Nietzschean Conspiracy. Makes tears come to my eyes sometimes.

Ecstatic Transformation? As the title says, I got ecstatic at the transformation the song goes through.

Slaughtergarden Suite took a few tries but I've got a soft spot for it now.

Requiem Nostalgia is delicious. Especially that guitar solo. The tone sounds like it belongs in a different generation. Sounds like a black metal surfer western.

You call it random, I call it precisely executed. And brilliant.

Can't believe I missed the Sigh debate, but not TOO late... I should check out the album it was up against... sounds kind of fun.
I know I know this was last round, and I'm not in a position to download any albums at the moment but I will have to get involved in the Metal Wars. I'm a fool for abstaining so long.

The Batlord · 12-14-2011, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVCA

Hammerfall - 1
Blind Guardian - 0
Gamma Ray - 1

I'm not a big fan of classic heavy metal like Priest and I can only tolerate Maiden in short bursts, so that pretty much killed Hammerfall for me. It often sounded too "heavy metal" and too generic. Blind Guardian was pretty cool, but why the **** does one album need so many interludes? I think Gamma Ray easily took the cheesecake here. But again, is it a thing with power metal to include copious amounts of interludes?

Well, it's a concept album about The Silmarillion, so the interludes make sense in context.

Unrelenting · 12-14-2011, 11:39 AM

Blind Guardian wins this for me. They're my favorite power metal band. I always really hated Hammerfall.

Blind guardian- 2
Hammerfall-2
Gamma Ray- 1

King_Matt · 12-16-2011, 08:04 PM

I've already heard these three albums, but I'll give 'em all another listen before I cast my vote.

The Batlord · 12-17-2011, 11:37 AM

Alright, so in case anybody missed the memo, I'm covering for Unknown Soldier while he's having penis enlargement surgery (he said "vacation", but I'm just filling in the blanks). I think the way I'm gonna do it is, if you still want to vote on the Hammerfall/Blind Guardian/Gamma Ray battle for the next few days, feel free, but I'm gonna put the new battle up anyway. I'm pretty sure it'll only be like one, maybe two people who haven't already voted on it already anyway.

So, next up we've got a battle by RCVA, with Sleep's Holy Mountain and Solace's 13.

Sleep Holy Mountain

Versus

Solace 13

Again, anyone who still wants to vote on the last battle, you've got a few days grace period.

King_Matt · 12-17-2011, 09:09 PM

Blind Guardian - This band wasn't one of those love at first sight (listen?) bands. At first I thought they were one of the most overrated bands in metal history. Nightfall In Middle-Earth was actually the first BG album I've heard, and didn't enjoy it at the time. After listening to some of their other material, I slowly started liking them more. I came back to this and this has got to be one of my favorite power metal albums ever.

Hammerfall - Although this band is labeled power metal, I always thought that Hammerfall just sounded like traditional heavy metal. Legacy of Kings is full of obnoxiously catchy choruses and uninspired guitar riffs. They're not that bad, but I think they should put more time in writing better instrumental parts and add a little more vocal variation. They could also throw something more exciting in there like symphonic elements.

Gamma Ray - I do love this band. Kai Hansen's voice is one of my favorites in power metal. There are some really great melodies in this album, better than Hammerfall's for two reasons. They aren't catchy to the point of wanting to shoot yourself, and they have more varied vocals. The Land of the Free is a very solid album and has some beautiful ballads thrown in there.

Blind Guardian for me.

Blind Guardian - 3
Hammerfall - 2
Gamma Ray - 1

The Batlord · 12-22-2011, 10:26 AM

Good lord! Five days and no one's voted? I guess I'll vote for Sleep. The old school production, vocals, and overall vibe just do it for me.

Sleep - 1
Solace - 0

Also, there are currently no suggestions for the next battle. So feel free to PM me with your suggestions and pictures of your naughty bits.

**Janszoon** · 12-22-2011, 10:38 AM

Bummer. I really wanted to vote on that last one. Just hadn't had a chance to give the Solace album a listen yet. Maybe we should leave the battles up a little longer than five days? This battle didn't even give people a full weekend to have a chance to check the albums out. I would think it should be a whole week at the very least. Considering how busy people get this time of year I would have thought the battles would run even longer.

12-14-2011, 11:39 AM	#725 (permalink)
Unrelenting True to username Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 1,100	Blind Guardian wins this for me. They're my favorite power metal band. I always really hated Hammerfall. Blind guardian- 2 Hammerfall-2 Gamma Ray- 1 __________________ My lastfm

12-22-2011, 10:38 AM	#730 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	Bummer. I really wanted to vote on that last one. Just hadn't had a chance to give the Solace album a listen yet. Maybe we should leave the battles up a little longer than five days? This battle didn't even give people a full weekend to have a chance to check the albums out. I would think it should be a whole week at the very least. Considering how busy people get this time of year I would have thought the battles would run even longer. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm

12-16-2011, 08:04 PM	#726 (permalink)
King_Matt Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 75	I've already heard these three albums, but I'll give 'em all another listen before I cast my vote.

12-17-2011, 09:09 PM	#728 (permalink)
King_Matt Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 75	Blind Guardian - This band wasn't one of those love at first sight (listen?) bands. At first I thought they were one of the most overrated bands in metal history. Nightfall In Middle-Earth was actually the first BG album I've heard, and didn't enjoy it at the time. After listening to some of their other material, I slowly started liking them more. I came back to this and this has got to be one of my favorite power metal albums ever. Hammerfall - Although this band is labeled power metal, I always thought that Hammerfall just sounded like traditional heavy metal. Legacy of Kings is full of obnoxiously catchy choruses and uninspired guitar riffs. They're not that bad, but I think they should put more time in writing better instrumental parts and add a little more vocal variation. They could also throw something more exciting in there like symphonic elements. Gamma Ray - I do love this band. Kai Hansen's voice is one of my favorites in power metal. There are some really great melodies in this album, better than Hammerfall's for two reasons. They aren't catchy to the point of wanting to shoot yourself, and they have more varied vocals. The Land of the Free is a very solid album and has some beautiful ballads thrown in there. Blind Guardian for me. Blind Guardian - 3 Hammerfall - 2 Gamma Ray - 1