Battle of Middle Earth: Summoning vs. Blind Guardian

[J.]

I just expected for BG to win by a few votes. Look at who voted, though, and only count the regulars, and the poll is closer.

 

[JayKeeley]

it's not like Summoning is running away with it.

Thing about these polls is that you just have to choose one in the instant. I think *most* people on this forum would appreciate both bands - whether you like PM or not, BG are phenomenally good at what they do, and they're more than just derivative PM. Their last album is just an orchestrated masterpiece that would make Steve Harris sit up and take note.

In any case, I fuckiing love Summoning to death so these polls are made tricky on purpose just because everyone here has a pretty open mind.

Maybe we should start doing polls on album vs. album instead of band vs. band, hehehehe, that would be cool.

 

[Black Winter Day]

I just expected for BG to win by a few votes. Look at who voted, though, and only count the regulars, and the poll is closer.

Did you base this on the CNN exit polls?

 

[J.]

Fox News

 

[NAD]

I think I'll keep it safe and just get Stronghold, then if I want, move on to their other albums later. Especially ince I have a tendency to enjoy my first experience with a band the most.

Also if Blind Guardian is gay, then so is Summoning. Stronghold is borderline metal at best, with gay keyboards everywhere. Other than the vocals on Stronghold, Nightfall in Middle-earth is much darker. Note: I love both albums.

The Silmarillion ruled, what an amazing book. I don't recommend it for anyone other than hardcore Tolkien fans though.

 

[speed]

I voted for SUmmoning. I think both bands are quite talented at what they do. I dont know if a band that is more over the top than Blind Guardian? Hammerfall maybe?

 

[nataservant]

If you guys are comparing these bands to BG I will check them ALL out because BG is awesome.

 

[JayKeeley]

I dont know if a band that is more over the top than Blind Guardian? Hammerfall maybe?

OTT with regards to what?

Blind Guardian are borderline prog at times - some of their riff structures and changes are just mind blowing. They dress regular - yes, they used to dress like they were in a renaissance fair I suppose - but now they have ZERO stage effects or clothing. In fact, their last tour in the US 'looked' very boring, but 'sounded' amazing.

EDIT: Haha, by 'zero clothing', I mean, 'zero fancy clothing'.

Hammerfall have 1-2 riffs per song, playing very regular mid-tempo metal, dressed in cloaks and knee high boots etc. They bring little 3" castles to the stage and have lots of pyrotechnics and sounds of motorbikes revving away, but their knobs fall short of 11 by about 9 on the, er, volume scale.

 

[Demonspell]

Damn, this forum is taking the results of this poll very seriously. If you vote for Blind Guardian, then the armies of Mordor have already won!

 

[IOfTheStorm]

First Hammerfall album was very very good. The rest is a load of shit

oh come on, there are a bunch of power/trad/speed metal listeners here, plus some (NAD, Nate) aren't familiar with Summoning at all.

power/trad/speed metallers? Where are they? You all listen to black metal.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

I had given black metal a chance, but except some great bands (Emperor, Darkthrone, Satyricon, Immortal, some others too) its all the same to me. For me its like "if you heard 10 major black metal bands, you almost heard everything in the genre"

 

[Hell Mike]

I could debate that and prove I'm right with audio files but I'm too damn lazy, if you're too ignorant to recognize the greatness of Grand Belial's Key, Ondskapt, Negurã Bunget, Torgeist, Angantyr and so on, your loss.

 

[IOfTheStorm]

It doesnt work that way. I am sure that you could not recognize the greatness of some progressive or power metal bands i listen too. I wanted to check that Negura Bunget thingie (because they are supposed to be epic), but couldnt find their cds anywhere.

 

[NAD]

For me its like "if you heard 10 major black metal bands, you almost heard everything in the genre"

I'm a little bit in this boat as well, but more that I don't need hundreds of black metal albums to see the subtle differences and nuances between the bands of the genre, I'm happy with about 10 really solid and distinct releases (and about 10 that are crappy, I'll mention no names ).

There was a time when everyone on the forum loved Negura Bunget, I'm not sure about a lot of the newer (from the past year) members.

They are brilliant.

 

[JayKeeley]

For example, people like Josh, Zod, Ayeka and JayKeeley listen to a lot of that stuff. You're just confused because even they are far more open-minded than you to the point where they will give black metal a chance.

I've sat here for about 10 minutes wanting to respond to this, and you know, I think I'll just refrain.

 

[Black Winter Day]

I just came to an astonishing revelation about Summoning: listening to them at a mid-range volume is much shittier than listening at higher ones. They must be listened to LOUD on headphones for full effect.

 

[speed]

In response to the past topic of Blind Guardian being over the top, I meant musically. Musically they are quite operatic, dramatic, but in a sort of good way I suppose. Yes Hammerfall is a bad analogy, I suppose Rhapsody, or even old Queen, or even the Darkness are all bands that share in that special form of going way over the top musically.

 

[JayKeeley]

Then yes, I agree - there is lots of Queen influence in Blind Guardian, especially the multi-tracked vocals. It's all very pompous and theatrical.

When traditional heavy metal is not pompous, it's normally crap. I've never understood 'run of the mill' when it comes to that genre (see: Hammerfall, Primal Fear....all just straightforward song structures and very blah - complete failure to achieve anything). The music has to be cinematic to a certain extent, and both Summoning and Blind Guardian are very good examples of Tolkien-esque escapism.

You all really need to hear the new Angra album, f me that's good.

 

[speed]

yeah I should pick it up. I love old Angra.

 

[Dev]

I can't stand new Angra ( well I've sold my cds but I used to like them when I began Metal) it's nearly plain power metal (no?) . Nothing near pre-rebirth stuff (most of the solos suck on the new album whereas they always created amazing solos even when the songs were terrible like in 'Carolina IV number 2' on Rebirth (can't remember the name ) ) . Listen to the solos from ZITO , Mystery Machine , Extreme Dream , Speed , Millenium Sun and prove I'm worng