"The Final Countdown" has one of the all-time epic intros with an unforgettable synth hook that leads into a sweet galloping rhythm. Joey Tempest sounds super polished, the vocal melodies are great, there's a nice melodic solo, and if you can embrace the cheese factor then there isn't much to complain about here. Excellent stuff -- no wonder I nominated it! "Love You To Death" has nuance and atmosphere, and strong vocal melodies. It probably runs on longer than it needs to, but it's otherwise pretty solid. Unfortunately for the list nominee, that's not enough to avoid being put down for the count here. Winner: Europe - "The Final Countdown"
"Astronomy" has a nice subdued piano intro that leads into a pleasant verse, though the occasionally non-rhyming lyrics grate a bit. The heavier pre-chorus works well, the solo is strong, and the subdued interlude is nice. The final chorus is also strong. Solidly good, though I wasn't blown away at all, and I definitely prefer Metallica's cover. "Wild Side" is pretty seminal Mötley Crüe, with dope riffa*ge, hammer-on-anvil percussion, and sleazy lyrics delivered with strong melodies. The slower-feel bridge works well too, especially when it kicks back into the full tempo riff again. Great stuff. Sorry, @LooseCannon, but I prefer the list nominee here. Winner: Mötley Crüe - "Wild Side"
"You Suffer" is a 4-second joke that has no business being here, much less with multiple list nominations. It's actually kind of offensive to think about all of the great songs that got eliminated in first-round play while this steaming turd is guaranteed to be with us for the entire round robin. Oh well. "Freewheel Burning" kicks ass right out of the gate. Driving riffa*ge and a piercing verse vocal from Halford, a great escalating pre-chorus, and a solid chorus. I like the busy vocal bridges. The solo's a little try-hard at first, but the melodic section and the harmonized bits that follow are both great. Love the outro, too. Great stuff. Oh yeah, and it's actually a song, which helps. The easiest of all calls for Priest here. Winner: Judas Priest - "Freewheel Burning"
"Bomber" is more Motörhead, and guess what, it sounds like all the other Motörhead songs we've heard. Overly simplistic, good groove, bad vocals with limited melody, peppy but de rigueur bluesy solo. Always head-bobbing, but completely forgettable. Meh. I like the vibe of “The Coffin Ships”, but as with most of the Primordial songs I’ve heard, it kind of slips into a single groove and stays there for most of the song. The gentler break about 2/3 of the way through the track is a nice change, though, and the song is enjoyable enough. And congratulations, @Magnus, that's more than enough to win this match-up. Winner: Primordial - "The Coffin Ships"
"21st Century Schizoid Man" definitely has its own vibe with the wind/horn accompaniment. It borders on carnival music at times, which isn't my favorite, though it doesn't ever fully go over that line. I like the jazz odyssey that makes up the bulk of the track, and there are parts of the vocal lines that are appealing. Mr. Bungle was obviously heavily inspired by these guys. Interesting for sure, and solidly good, though I couldn't really call anything here great. "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" has a nice atmospheric verse and a solid chorus with just a hint of late-80s Def Leppard. Good solo, strong atmospheric bridge. Really good stuff. Sorry, @Stardust -- while I appreciate the artsy aspects of your nominee, I would rather listen to @DJMayes's selection. Winner: Y&T - "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark"
"Over My Head" has cool riffs and pretty good vocal lines, though I'm not thrilled with the "music, music, I hear music" part. Good solos, and I like the prominent bass sound. The piano-and-clap-driven bridge is interesting. Pretty good overall. "Arriving Somewhere Not Here" has great atmosphere and strong vocal melodies, and it goes through some pretty cool permutations over its 12+ minute runtime, from pensive, to warm and driving, to crushingly heavy and dark, to ethereal, and then back again. Great stuff, and an easy call for @The Dissident's nominee here. Winner: Porcupine Tree - "Arriving Somewhere Not Here"
