Mastodon vs. Emperor – Metal Madness 2017, Round 1

In this March Metal Madness matchup to determine the Best Debut Metal Album of All Time, we have two albums that revolutionized each band's respective scene. Mastodon's ambitious hardcore-rooted Remission is up against Emperor's black metal classic In the Nightside Eclipse in Round 1 in the Devil Horn Region!

Taking hardcore-leaning rhythms combined with psych-inflected lead playing, sludge and Brann Dailor's human octopus drumming, Mastodon were forging a new sound that would later find the band championed as one of metal's greatest modern acts, renowned for their diverse musicianship and intangible chemistry.

While most of Norway's corpse-painted outfits were enthralled with lo-fi production and bleak riffing, Emperor mastermind Ihsahn was crafting a sound entirely different from his contemporaries. In the Nightside Eclipse helped spur the symphonic black metal movement with its illustrious use of keyboards to fuel the nightmarish soundscape of Emperor's whirlwind riffing attack.

So which album will move on to Round 2 of March Metal Madness 2017? Vote below for either Mastodon's Remission or Emperor's In the Nightside Eclipse as the Best Debut Metal Album of all time in the poll below!

(Voting in Round 1 will end on Friday, March 17, at 10AM ET. Fans are able to vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure your favorite debut album advances to the next round!)