Metal Madness 2012: Round 3 – Vote Now!

As Round 2 of Loudwire's March Metal Madness comes to a close, we've seen some of the most heated battles possible between metal's biggest and most important acts. The next few days will prove to be the most noteworthy yet, as the champions of each region are crowned, bringing us into the Final Four.

In the Devil Horn Region, Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid' gained a swift win over the legendary Van Halen, with the Sabbath classic overwhelming Van Halen's 'Runnin' With the Devil,' allowing the metal architects to advance into the regional finals. Additionally, the Devil Horn Region showcased a battle between 'Big 4' rivals; with Slayer's 'Raining Blood' gaining a victory over Megadeth's 'Peace Sells… But Who's Buying.'

The Moshpit Region gave us some vintage battles of the old school, with AC/DC's 'Back in Black' triumphing over Motley Crue and 'Shout at the Devil.' We also witnessed an epic match between Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden, who will be hitting the road together on the 'Maiden England' tour this summer. Iron Maiden proved too much for Cooper in their battle, with 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' claiming victory over 'School's Out.'

The Headbanger Region saw another big win from Metallica and 'Master of Puppets,' which captured a clean victory over System of a Down's 'Chop Suey!' Also, in the closest battle in all of the Round 2 duels, Pantera's 'Walk' was able to defeat Ozzy Osbourne and his immortal solo track 'Crazy Train.'

Finally, Judas Priest eliminated Alice in Chains in the Stage Dive Region, with the Priest classic 'Painkiller' gaining a smooth win over 'Man in the Box.' This region also showcased the most impressive blowout yet, with Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' gaining a huge victory over the iconic Guns N' Roses track 'Welcome to the Jungle.'

Keep the votes coming for Round 3 of March Metal Madness, where these eight will soon become the Final Four on Thursday, March 29. Voting for Round 3 ends at 11:59 PM on Wednesday, March 28.

March Metal Madness Regions:

Devil Horn Region - Round 3 (Vote Now!)

Moshpit Region - Round 3 (Vote Now!)

Headbanger Region - Round 3 (Vote Now!)

Stage Dive Region - Round 3 (Vote Now!)