Controversial Metal Opinions

[Trev]

I think Barlow was a much better fit for Iced Earth, but The Glourious Burden with Ripper is still my favourite of theirs (minus that shite acoustic song)

[mugz]

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[Pedrito]

Ripper was and remains class. Cathedral Spires is one of the best songs Priest ever released.

Ripper an amazing vocalist. Charred Walls of the Damned the first album...claaaasss

[mugz]

...

[Carnage]

Barlow was THE Iced Earth singer for me, none of the other fit so perfectly IMO. Ripper has his moments though, despite the jingoism of The Glorious Burden, there were some decent tracks on it - The Reckoning in particular - and I think the production is what let that album down.

[Ducky]

My fave Iced Earth albums are Stormrider, The Glorious Burden and Dystopia... yet I'd still rate Barlow as their best vocalist

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I was never a fan of Ripper's vocals, not with Iced Earth, Priest, Charred Walls of the Damned, nor even when he turned up in the most unlikely of places (pretty sure I made a thread about this when it came out):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQT0a2BSM_Q

Speaking of Nevermore, Warrel Dane, compared to Ripper, always performed on a completely different level. To my ears and mind, Ripper's is a cringey, forced earnestness, Dane delivering a tragic theatrical style that adds layers of depth to the music. Was never a big Iced Earth fan, but definitely prefer Barlow's thrash edge to Ripper's approach. 

[Ducky]

Warrel Dane is (was, fuck) one of the best metal vocalists of all time. He had such amazing nuance and delivery, some of his stuff hits like a truck. The way he delivers "people hearing without listening" on their cover of The Sound of Silence is chilling.

[Thorn]

Anyone deeming that 'controversial' needs a quick escort to the hall doors. Dane is up there with the best, no question. Actually, lyrically, he was way above most.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

No, that's not controversial, but knocking Ripper may be.

Dane still doesn't get the kind of recognition he deserves, because he was never the singer in Iced Earth or Priest, or Maiden, or whatever, but he was more accomplished than any vocalist any of those bands ever had. There, there's your controversy haha.

[Slaughterday]

Not a Nevermore fan, but his work on the first Sanctuary album is incredible, up there with the most powerful vocalists. I believe he damaged his vocal chords in the recording though.

[Cailleach]

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[Cailleach]

Not  a fan of his vocals at all, but then I dislike  nearly all power metal type vocals - the exception  being Barlow

[Juggz]

Not a Nevermore fan, but his work on the first Sanctuary album is incredible, up there with the most powerful vocalists. I believe he damaged his vocal chords in the recording though.

More likely after that because he was still screeching when they played live.

[Ducky]

No, that's not controversial, but knocking Ripper may be.

Dane still doesn't get the kind of recognition he deserves, because he was never the singer in Iced Earth or Priest, or Maiden, or whatever, but he was more accomplished than any vocalist any of those bands ever had. There, there's your controversy haha.

Yeah surely anyone with ears and only a cursory sense of music can hear Dane's ability, no controversy in stating his greatness at all.

This reminds me of an interview I read in a Century Media catalogue with Alexi Laiho where they played him some recent releases, Dead Heart in a Dead World being one of them.

His response was along the lines of "I thought the band would be all about dragons and stuff, the guitarist is good I guess but they need proper vocals". Fuck that guy.