I'm just three songs into the Septic Flesh album and man is it good, "Pyramid God" what a killer song! As I've always said death metal is usually superior to black metal and now after hearing this, death metal with symphonic influences is also better that black metal with symphonic influences.:D I'm so impressed that I've marked this band down to explore their back catalogue, so no contest in the voting.

Septic Flesh -4
Anorexia Nervosa -0

Septic Flesh easily win that round 4-0. Next up they face Hollenthon a death metal band from Austria with a symphonic slant and early black metal influences. This band seem to have a big reputation and the selected album highly regarded amongst critics.

pick will be coming soon, just been quite busy recently

I'll be listening to the Hollenthon album a bit later as well.

too much stuff to listen to, so not really arsed about this group of albums

I will sell my body if you listen to these albums...

Don't be fooled. He gives blow jobs to business men for crack regardless.

Hollenthon: boring.

Septic Flesh - 1
Hollenthon - 0

When I heard the first track or two of the Hollenthon album I thought this was going to be a good album with its mix of death, viking and symphonic. After a few songs I agree with HHBH's opinion in that its quite a boring album, so no contest in the voting here.

Septic Flesh -2
Hollenthon -0

I was also underwhelmed by the Hollenthon album; overrated as hell in my book. It just pales in comparison to The Great Mass, which has overwhelmingly done the best in incorporating symphonic elements successfully into its sound. The intro to "The Vampire From Nazareth" gets me every time haha.

Septic Flesh - 3
Hollenthon - 0

It was impossible for me to pay attention to Hollenthon. There were several times where my mind started to wander so badly that a song would end and I wouldn't notice for minutes on end.

Agreed. And not in a good way either. Like with a Neurosis, Isis, or Rosetta record, I can lose myself in the music and kind of take in the whole album as one, unified, aural experience. Not the case with Hollenthon; just terribly boring and without gusto.

Ok Septic Flesh take that one 3-0. Next up is the final clash of the war as Septic Flesh will take on Haggard from Germany whose album came out in 2004. I've noticed that this Septic Flesh album has two different covers as well.

Septic Flesh The Great Mass 2011
http://azintex-music.com/published/p...20Mass_enl.jpg

Versus

Haggard Eppur Si Muove 2004

Don't really have time to post a good explanation, but my vote goes easily to Septic Flesh. The Haggard album sounds a little demo-ish, and at times the incorporation of symphonic elements seems downright lazy. I kind of assumed ahead of time that SF would get my vote in every round (after looking at the other albums), and it looks like that assumption was correct.

Septic Flesh - 1
Haggard - 0

Septic Flesh is still winning this one for me. Besides being one of the best albums from last year, I think it does the best job at marrying the sounds and stylings of extreme metal with the softer, more melodic sensibilities of symphony without feeling like it has to sacrifice anything.

Septic Flesh - 2
Haggard - 0

I'm going to have to go with Haggard. I think their production fits the music better, and I think the song writing is better overall. Whether or not the symphonic elements mesh as well as SepticFlesh is a point of debate, and I have to admit the songs are rather disjointed.... but they are fun.

Septic Flesh - 2
Haggard - 1

Haggard was an accomplished album set around the concept of Galileo, it set out to do what it wanted BUT I didn't enjoy it as much as the Septic Flesh album.

Septic Flesh -3
Haggard -1

Ok Septic Flesh win the final battle 3-1 and win the Best Extreme Metal Album with Symphonic Influences. The battle achieved a total of 18 Votes not one of the highest but thanks to Metal Connoisseur for the suggestion.

Final Order:
Septic Flesh-The Great Mass
Haggard-Eppur Si Muove
Hollenthons-With Vilest of Worms to Dwell
Anoerexia Nervosa-Drudenhaus
Fleshgod Apocolypse-Oracles
Mirrorthrone-Carriers of Dust

Ok since there has been a lack of interest in some of the recent themes and albums and thanks to the Batlord and his suggestions, Metal Wars will become a bit more versatile, diverse and more streamlined. Meaning that wars will turn around quicker (less albums per category) and a better mix between obscure metal albums and well known metal albums so as to isolate less people from voting etc.

So how it will work. I'll continue from the list as always which is below, but after each war, I will put up a couple of albums of my choice (or ask somebody else too) which should help to generate interest.

Unknown Soldier
The Batlord
Howard the Duck (Il Duce)
Janszoon
Loathsome Pete
Bastard of Young
Mondo Bungle
Jackhammer
Metal Connoisseur
Lolpocolypse
RCVA
Unrelenting
Frownland (Battle Pending)
Mrdood
Hip Hop Bunny Hop
James

NEW WAR COMING A BIT LATER (WATCH THIS SPACE)

Thanks to all who participated, I've been really busy at of late, which is why I didn't get around to voting in the last battle. Septic Flesh was clearly a cut above though and thankfully the voting reflected that.

Ok before the next war proper by Frownland, the Batlord has suggested an Alternative Metal Battle of just 4 albums (saves me thinking) and they're something of a mixed bag as well.

As awesome as Angel Dust is I've always preferred King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime, but I've also always liked Jar of Flies more than Dirt. Huh... well I guess I'll have to go with Dirt because it feels truer to its metal roots than Angel Dust.

Alice in Chains - 1
Faith No More - 0

ok this battle i'll participate in

just let me get reacquainted with both albums before I cast my vote

Same hear need to listen to the Faith No More again.

Angel Dust is one of the best albums of the 90s, period. Dirt is a chore to sit through. This vote is really easy for me.

Alice in Chains - 1
Faith No More - 1

Dirt is cool, but the riffs aren't really that great for the most part, and Layne Staley's voice can be great, but it can also be campy. I feel like the only times that Alice In Chains are firing on all cylinders is when they quit with the hard rock/sludge and get melodic. "Would" and "Down In a Hole" are the only truly great songs on here, and though they have a few other good songs on here, it's not enough to justify the god-like status most people seem to hold them in.

Angel Dust on the other hand is weird, quirky, catchy and incredibly eclectic. This is one of the only albums I can actually listen to twice in a row without feeling bored, because all of the songs have a personality all their own. My only gripe is "RV". It was funny the first time I heard it, but after that it just got to be incredibly boring.

Alice In Chains - 1
Faith No More - 2

I listened to both The Real Thing and Angel Dust today and had really forgotten just how groundbreaking they actually were. These are both essential albums and I'd even say that Angel Dust actually kicks even higher than The Real Thing. Mike Patton's vocals are even more intense on Angel Dust. I was always a fan of King for a Day anyway so I didn't listen to that. Now despite saying all that, I really have to be in the mood for this band so they're not the sort of thing I'd play that often.

Alice in Chains, well given the fact that this is their best album and that I actually own the cd and accept its a great album, they still as a band bore the fuck out of me with that bland sludgy sound that they seemed to master.

Alice in Chains -1
Faith No More -3

I'm quite the Patton fan, and Angel Dust is of no exception. Love the bass on the album as well, that's always one of my favourite elements of Faith No More's albums, and the guitar and piano have some great moments as well. Favourite track has to be ****lobber for the chopsticks piano in the beginning and the Fantomas reminiscent vocals during the chorus and the dissonant close. I could have done without Be Aggressive but that's my only complaint really, apart from the satiric RV (which has a nice enough backtracking to enjoy.)

Dirt is pretty good and it's my favourite Alice in Chains album, but it doesn't come anywhere near to Angel Dust.

Alice in Chains -1
Faith No More -4

i've always disliked Angel Dust - i mean i got it last time and got rid of it - it just doesn't really integrate itself much, i listen to it, there's a nice bass bit here, there's a nice riff there, but they don't coagulate into very memorable songs, except for "Midlife Crisis" and "A Small Victory" - suffice to say i prefer their preceding and subsequent albums

whereas Dirt is like the perfect marriage between metal and grunge - yes, the vocals can be crap at times, but the music is nearly perfect

Alice in Chains - 2
Faith No More - 4

always like the sabbath myself, maiden next

That's great but none of these are currently nominated.

Faith No More win the first round 4-2. Next up they face Prong and the selected album is usually regarded as their most diverse and interesting work.

Faith No More Angel Dust 1992
http://love-it-loud.com/wp-content/u...Angel-Dust.jpg

Versus

Prong Cleansing 1994
http://www.metal-archives.com/images/4/0/9/4/4094.jpg

Another easy one. I've never been able to get into Prong (this album or any other I've heard), even despite their pedigree, and Angel Dust is, again, one of my favorite albums of the 90s.

Faith No More - 1
Prong- 0

Damn, I was going to vote for AiC. Dammit. Both evenly matched albums. But I think FNM are the most overrated thing that the king overrated, Mike Patton has attached his name to.

Will vote for them here though, only cause I never cared for Prong.

FNM - 2
Prong - 0

Faith No More - okay, I've heard this twice since this new war started, and perhaps I've gotten more appreciation for it, even if I still don't like it much. I still like "RV" more than other people here, though.

Prong - this group and Toad the Wet Sprocket I've been meaning to check out for some time. Usually, the intros to each song are very exciting but they don't really sustain the excitement and it gets pretty repetitive and boring.

Angel Dust is better by a small margin.

FNM - 3
Prong - 0

Prong and Toad the Wet Sprocket..... 2 bands I would not expect to see mentioned side by side.

both were on a compilation I had

this one?
Theodore: An Alternative Music Sampler by Various Artists : Reviews and Ratings - Rate Your Music

yes, but my copy's cover was different

Personally I don't see much metal in the FNM album. Regardless, my vote goes easily to Prong. For me, songs like "Snap your fingers, snap your neck" are much better than nearly all of Angel Dust. I also like the industrial touches in Cleansing. I can hear a little bit of Killing Joke in there. It really does sound like an alternative METAL album.

Prong - 1
FNM - 3