In your opinion...the most epic song?

[DeathDevil]

Gamma Ray - Shine On
Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys

 

[Virtual Scott]

I'd go with: The Count of Tuscany or Learning to Live (Dream Theater), A Pleasant Shade of Gray (Fates Warning), Nighttime Sky (Enchant), Roads to Madness (Queensryche) and The Odyssey (Symphony-X).

 

[mëtålspëd]

Jethro Tull-Thick as a Brick

Really?? Jethro Tull is the absolute opposite of epic in my mind... they make light and fanciful music. Not so epic...

 

[shreddy]

So shocked that this hasn't been said.

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

Nearly 35 years old this song is still remains to be one of the most of Epic songs of all time. This song alone has a 10+ page entry on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Rhapsody.

Some things about the song that just make it that more special.

The song has no Chorus
24-track technology available at the time, the "opera" section took about three weeks to finish.
The choir effect was created by having May, Mercury, and Taylor sing their vocal parts continually for ten to twelve hours a day, resulting in 180 separate overdubs
Various executives suggested to them that, at 5 minutes and 55 seconds, it was too long and would never be a hit.
The single was accompanied by a promotional video; considered groundbreaking, it helped establish the visual language of the modern music video.

 

[Force10]

I'd go with: The Count of Tuscany ...

That song is pretty damn epic

 

[Jasonic]

MANOWAR - HEART OF STEEL

 

[oldboy]

Really?? Jethro Tull is the absolute opposite of epic in my mind... they make light and fanciful music. Not so epic...

I get you point, but like the TS said epic means different things to different people. With a length of 45 minutes, and a very complex structure Thick as a Brick feels larger than life which is (IMHO)what makes a song epic (and man, that drum solo does not sound light and fanciful to me ).

 

[Ascension]

Really?? Jethro Tull is the absolute opposite of epic in my mind... they make light and fanciful music.

Really? Didn't Tull beat Metallica's ass at the Grammys one year? l'm just sayin...

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

Always preferred A Passion Play (minus the hare).

I get you point, but like the TS said epic means different things to different people. With a length of 45 minutes, and a very complex structure Thick as a Brick feels larger than life which is (IMHO)what makes a song epic (and man, that drum solo does not sound light and fanciful to me ).

 

[Pellaz]

So shocked that this hasn't been said.

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

You're right. That is shocking.


Not on par with "Bohemian Rhapsody" (of Fiiiiiiiiire), but I've always loved Billy Thorpe's "Children of the Sun" as a bit of an epic. May he r.i.p.

 

[Iced Dog]

I'll add another not mentioned yet...Consign To Oblivion by Epica

 

[Claus / Intromental]

Really?? Jethro Tull is the absolute opposite of epic in my mind... they make light and fanciful music. Not so epic...

I don't agree ... I've always thought a lot of JT's music was very epic. A song like "Heavy Horses" t.ex. has EVERYTHING within one song; from pop music to folk music, from symphonic parts to progressive parts, from classic rock to hard rock. That's EPIC!

c.

 

[johan68]

Uriah Heep - Sailsbury = Epicness defined...

Also agree with Claus on Tull. Heavy Horses is epic in my book...

On the hare in A Passion Play.... I like him until he loses his spectacles...

 

[Bryan316]

Hmm.

This is a hell of a topic.

For me and my collection of tunes.....


Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons

Kamelot - The Elizabeth Suite from Karma

Avantasia - The Seven Angels (that last 4 minutes gives me goosebumps every damn time)

Angra - Carolina IV

Edguy - The Pharoah

Epica - Cry For The Moon

Iced Earth - Gettysburg

Manticora - The Flood, A Long Farewell

Mellotron - Raven

Opeth - Deliverance

Ozzy - Diary of a Madman

Pagan's Mind - Entrance To Infinity (Fuck, I wish that song was TWICE as long... so damn good)

Shaman - Fairy Tales

MetallicA - ...And Justice For All

Pantera - Cemetery Gates

 

[Wyvern]

Uriah Heep - Sailsbury = Epicness defined...

I don't know if I call that epic (my definition is different than most I've seen here) but one thing for sure that songs SLAYS! One awsome underrated piece of progressive rock from the golden era.

 

[mëtålspëd]

I get you point, but like the TS said epic means different things to different people. With a length of 45 minutes, and a very complex structure Thick as a Brick feels larger than life which is (IMHO)what makes a song epic (and man, that drum solo does not sound light and fanciful to me ).

Ahh... I see where we went down two different paths. You were referring to the album in its entirety. I guess I only know that track as a much shorter version.. maybe a radio edit or something?

 

[Comic Book Dude]

Kansas-Icarus (Borne On Wings Of Steel)
Uriah Heep- Against The Odds
Queen-Innuendo


Holy crap....I forgot , Rainbow-Stargazer!

 

[spag]

I'm actually really surprised that nobody has mentioned anything by Therion. I know in some ways, they nail the epic thing to the wall.

Some Tull is totally epic. At least as much as some of the songs listed here, like Crimson, which is long, but not as epic as something like Dawn Of Victory. Check out the first disc of Jethro Tull's Nightcap import.

 

[oldboy]

Ahh... I see where we went down two different paths. You were referring to the album in its entirety. I guess I only know that track as a much shorter version.. maybe a radio edit or something?

You are right, there is a 3 minute version which was released as a single. The original version is 45 minutes long. Passion Play (which was also mentioned in this thread) is a similar composition, also about 45 minutes long. Later on Tull were able to write shorter songs which also have an epic feeling. Heavy Horses is a good example. Another example is Minstrel in the Gallery.

 

[cslebn]

There have been some epic posts in this thread

I raise the orb to:

Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name
Rhapsody - Wizard's Last Rhymes
Gamma Ray - Man on Mission
Heavenly - Victory (Creature of the Night)
Dream Theater - Change of Seasons
Pain of Salvation - Song for the Innocent
Primal Fear - Seven Seals and All For One
Manowar - Dawn of Battle
Rainbow - Kill the King
Pagan's Mind - Evolution Exceed
Kiuas - Conqueror

but the most epic in my mind, the entirety of 2112 by Rush