Here's an awesome thread for y'all! I'm talking about the last track of any given album. As in, what album has a last track that makes you go, "whoa, now that was one hell of an ending!"? It could be anything from a nice, soft song to something pummeling you to the ground. An epic song or a 30 second sample. Anything that makes you think it was worth the wait.

I'll start with a couple from the top of my head:

Anaal Nathrakh - "Castigation And Betrayal" (Hell Is Empty And All The Devils Are Here): This is easily the most intense song on the album, and was an excellent way to finish...almost too good, because I sometimes wish the rest of the album was that face-melting. But still, an excellent closer.

Martriden - "Immaculate Perception" (The Unsettling Dark): A 3-minute acoustic instrumental. I think this fits perfectly well, to be honest. It sort of glides you to the finish line gracefully. A very simple, yet effective way to finish the album.

Gorefest - "La Muerte" (La Muerte): A 10-minute instrumental that is definitely worth the wait...which is a long time. It's a mid-paced number that is well executed, and a great way to finish.

There are loads more to mention, as I've just hit the tip of the iceberg here. Three different styles of endings that all work well for their respective albums.

So let's get discussin'! *cracks whip*

Nevermore's "This Godless Endeavor" comes to mind, I had enjoyed most of the album, but it was starting to get a bit tedious. And then, oh lord, that last track is just fucking epic.

The last song of Gorgoroth's Pentagram - Måneskyggens Slave - is utterly amazing. The best song on the album by far (and that's telling a lot, being on that album). It's perfect as a closer because the song itself keeps building up toward that riff appearing near the end and then it builds around that riff (with new riffs being introduced as well), never letting the tension go away until the song (and the album) actually ends.

"Beginners Guide to Suicide" on Orange Goblin's recent album "Healing through Fire"

Truly a masterful track, always gets my blood pumping. I mean, I know they had a lot of talent, but... Damn! The harmonica just makes the track even superior, it suits the thick guitar and terrific raspy vocals of Ben Stone.

One of my personal favorite songs.

Two words; Raining Blood.

Farsot-IIII, if you've heard Thematik:Trauer you know what I mean.

You better elaborate! Two-word responses are going to get the thread locked.

This is an easy one. Symphony X's The Odyssey!!! Talk about an epic ending to an epic album.

Dude, that ending freaking rocked. One of my favorite songs off that album.

My all time top last track, though, has to go to Iron Maiden's 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner' off of Powerslave. That whole album is awesome, but...talk about going out with a bang!

Manowar - Battle Hymn. Epic track with amazing EVERTYTHING> HELL YEAH!~. As far as ending the album, it is perfect. It truly captures the essence of Manowar in my opinion. I think I shall listen to this now just to remind myslef of how awaesome it is.

Iced Earth has knack for making fucking amazing ending tracks, just take most of their albums:

Night of the Stormrider - Travel in Stygian, a work of evil power/thrash metal that has some of the coolest riffs, heaviest sound you'll ever hear.

Burnt Offerings - Just when you thought that was evil^^, we get Dante's fucking Inferno, a 16 minute epic journey traversing through the very depths of hell. Fuck what an awesome song, perfect way to end this hellish album.

Dark Saga - A Question of Heaven, possibly the greatest vocal performance ever with Matt Barlow taking over on an emotional ride of extremes. A very sad song, ending with some sweet choral work, defintely sums up the emotional hell of an album.

Horror Show - Phantom of the Opera Ghost was a great way to wrap up this themed album, with an amazing guest female vocalist in a duet with Matt Barlow,

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Do I even need to mention The Coming Curse? What a fucking kicass song, everything from the wonderfully melancholic and menacing piano intro to the killer riffing and vocals, "I AM YOURRRR ANTIIIIIII-CHRIIIIST!", fucking epic.

I'm going to go with Dawn's "Slaughtersun"

Also a BIG 'seconding' to Gorgoroth "Pentagram"

Manowars Hail To England, Bridge of Death
Good album overall, but that track is by far the most epic thing Manowar has ever done.

Dream Theaters Octavarium, the title track
I can't get over how many bricks I shit the first time I heard this.

110% agree. Though not my favorite song from that album. Travel In Stygian is an IE classic. I couldnt imagine that album ending with any other song.

Iron Maiden do this very well on many of their albums. Hallowed Be Thy Name, Only the Good Die Young, Fear of the Dark, The Unbeliever (yes I'm one of the few who loved that album), and Rime of the Ancient Mariner were all very worthy to be called closers.

Some others:

Gorgoroth - Maaneskyggans Slave

Mercyful Fate - Come to the Sabbath

Kreator - Under the Guillotine

Metallica - The Call of Ktulu

Slayer - Raining Blood

Demolition Hammer - Cataclysm

Sauron - Tormentor

Guns N' Roses - Coma (not metal I know, but awesome)

For me, a good closer gives me the feeling that it sums up the album well and also carries an "apocalyptic" atmosphere. It's like the worlds gonna end any minute and this is the last song you're ever gonna listen to, but in a good way somehow. There aren't many bands that have closers like that, which is too bad

Both Disillusion and Wintersun have awesome closing tracks on their debuts that wrap all the best elements of the albums into one epic song.

Immortal - "Frostdemonstorm": What a perfect way to end such an aggressive album...even more frantic blasting! This song truly freezes your face off with fantastic riffs and great songwriting, all condensed into a short little package. I swear one of the riffs here is in an older Slayer song, maybe "Aggressive Perfector".

Averse Sefira - "...Ablaze": Easily the highlight of the album, but that could be said for most AS albums. The chorus is absolutely incredible, and really grabs your attention. Sometimes I listen to just this song, then go through the entire album from the beginning.

AS ABOOOOOOOOOOOVE
SO BELOW!

Thin Lizzy with Emerald from Jailbreak FTW! Every song on that album is classic, but that song remains one of my favorites.

I also always found Acid Bath's album closers to be phenomenal. From the pummeling Cassie Eats Cockroaches to the melancholic Dead Girl, that is one band who has always gotten their shit right.

I'm also impartial to Alchemist's Escape From the Black Hole from their album Organasm. That has to be the catchiest song in their catalog.

The closing track to the Grand Magus's most recent album "Iron will" is excellent. I Am The North - epic, more metal than 99.9% of the metal bands out today can say. excellent riffs, excellent, classic chorus, amazing.

Helloween's The Dark Ride...love it how the song fades out.

Requiem - Nostalgia from Sigh's Imaginary Sonicscape. Pretty much combines all the best parts of the album into one long and epic song. Love the part with clean vocals and the solo, and the baby giggles (albeit scaring the crap out of me) aren't out of place.

Darkthrone - Crossing the Triangle of Flames

It might not be the best all around track on the album (I would probably award that to Dance of Eternal Shadows), but it's a perfect way to end such a deadly album. I like the outro with that slow riff fading away as the bell seems to grow louder.

Black Sabbath - Into the Void

Such doomy riffing, probably one of the heaviest Ozzy-era songs ever. Overall a well constructed album, also.

Bathory - One Road to Asa Bay

Highlighting Quorthon's most passionate clean voice ever.
"TO THE LOOOOOOOOOOG..."
'Nuff said.

Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vidda

The only memorable song on the album for me.

Megadeth - Mechanix

That furious solo wraps up one of the greatest thrash albums ever. Some may not like Mustaine's early solo style, but the sqeaky tone and frantic mood are perfect for early Megadeth.

Morbid - Disgusting Semla

The greatest moment in Dead's career are the haunting (yet humourous) "lalala's" at the end of their demo. Plus a great riff under the madness.

Pink Floyd - Echoes

Really great duel vocals that really show Gilmour and Wright's chemistry.

For some reason I really like Dammed in Black, the last track on "Dammed in Black", probably because it's one of the better songs of the album, but it's pretty awesome, it has some pretty good riffs.
That and 1349's Hellfire, I like the atmospheric part and then the riffs come in, and the blastbeats.. the good stuff.

Most Summoning albums have incredible, epic endings. For example, Farewell is Mortal Heroes best song and Land Of The Dead is by far my favorite song from Oath Bound.

One album does if for me, Windir - 1184, Journey To The End is the song to finish any album! Great Song, Riffs and a strange but very effective keyboard outro, excellent.

Better make that Postmortem AND Raining Blood, because Raining Blood is crap without Postmortem before it!

Origin - Antithesis (the title track). Over 9 minutes of aural battering bliss. The best track on the album, followed closely by Finite. It never feels like it's anywhere near 9 minutes long. I would have bought the album solely for this track alone if the others had been rubbish.. fortunatly, every track is brilliant.

Amon Amarth - Predictions of Warefare, from With Odin On Our Side. Another great closing track, and again for me.. the best track on the album. The rest of the album is great too.. but that track was played 3 times last night.

Can't think of any others right now.. too early.

The Lords Sedition from Deicide's The Stench of Redemption, the album starts to get a little dull by about track 6, but then that song kicks off with that brilliant 2 minute soloing section and completely redeems the album.

Kali of course from Rad a Trest

When Cannons Fade - Bolt Thrower/To Those once Loyal. It's not the best track on the album by any means (Anti-Tank(Dead Armour)!!!!), but I really dislike Salvo quite a lot, and that was a nice little kick in the balls to finish things off with.

Nothing in Return(Walk Away) on the newest Down album, most of the album is kind of meh, but that that song is epic.

Disheartenment by Forgotten Tomb on Songs to Leave. The Whole album is brilliant, but that song is incomprehensibly bleak.

Yeah! The song's opener with the fire goes on just a touch too long, but the rest of the track is very awesome.


Aural battering bliss is an excellent way to describe it, dude. One of Origin's best songs.


The ending riff to that song is quite awesome.

I know that some of these have been mentioned, but I'll mention it anyway.

Manowar seem to have this little thing where they put their most epic track as the great finale of all their works... And I must say, from "Battle Hymn" to "Blood of the Kings", this worked really well, and most of the time it's the greatest track of the whole album.
I guess Summoning goes by the same formula, and as someone else mentioned before, Land of the Dead is perhaps the best example of this, but my own personal favorite is "Over Old Hills" from Dol Guldur. Really atmospheric, melancholic track with some unorthodox (when it come to Summoning) effects - I guess it's because it was built upon the foundations of a song from Protector's "Die Verbannten Kinder Evas"-project.

Another recent favorite of mine is "Limb From Limb" from Motörhead's "Overkill". I don't really know why, there are other great tracks on that album which slays almost all competition in league, but that one song is somehow so much better than the rest. "LONG LEGGED LOVER - I'M GONNA RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!" Oh yeah.

The last one I'll mention for now is "A Sorecer's Pledge" from Candlemass debut album. This was the first track that really caught my attention when I got into Candlemass, and even though some tracks may've become my favorite ones for a time here and there, this track stuck with me even as interest waned in the rest. Really great arrangements, pretty neat lyrics... And the riffs! Mmm....

Daylight Dies - Dismantling Devotion (the title track)

A perfect instrumental to end the album. Very atmospheric and depressing. That riff that comes in near the end of the song makes a nice transition from electric guitar to acoustic. To me, it creates the atmosphere of the sun setting over a large, abandoned old house somewhere in the countryside...think Texas Chainsaw Massacre...after the carnage has been dealt, the dismembered corpses lay dead out on the fields and nothing remains but dead silence.

I know that sounds more like the description to a death metal song, but think of it in terms of atmosphere.

King Diamond - Black Horsemen from Abigail is probably my favourite 'epic last track' ever - it's just incredible. Granted, the lyrics make no sense without the rest of the album, but it's just monu-fucking-mental.

First, I'd like to add two Moonsorrow-tracks: Sankaritarina and Matkan lopussa. Sankaritarina is one of the most magnificent songs I've ever heard and it kinda collects everything that is great in older Moonsorrow and represents it in a stunning way whereas Matkan lopussa fades away beautifully leaving a sweet pain of longing in one's heart. Also the wonderfully atmospherical Kaiku is a very fitting last track in Verisäkeet.

Secondly, Ensiferum's Victory Song and Equilibrium's Mana are also definitely worth mentioning. In the former culminates the majesty of Victory Songs and the latter is a amazing act of how to make an extremely long instrumental without making the listener bored.

Thirdly, I agree with the earlier comments about epic Summoning-endings like Farewell and Land of the Dead.

I'm going to have to settle with E.vil N.ever D.ies by Overkill. It's the last song to end their trilogy of the Overkill series, as well as being the last track on the album The Years of Decay. The track slowly fades in, and once it kicks in it hits you full throttle like a hammer to the face. It's that intense.

This song is probably the fastest on the album, and you can feel the energy flowing through Bobby Blitz' pipes. Also, the ending is great, and is pretty much the climax of the song, with it just being so intense. No, it's not blast beats and growling, but these last few seconds are just severely intense and Overkill displays this completely and thoroughly.

Evil.... Never.... DIES!

The first one i came to think of (except Måneskyggens Slave by Gorgoroth) is Inno A Satana from Emperor's debut; easily the best song on that album.

I actually never got into Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame, nor got the whole Farwell thing... I think the chorus sounds kind of, well, buzzy and drunken in a way. I don't know, it's better performed on Land of the Dead anyway.
The only really good song from that album is South Away, in my opinion.

Bathory - Hammerheart

...And Justice For All- "Dyers Eve". That album has an awesome opener, closer and forth track. Everything else I find overly long and full of poorly composed riffs. They aren't crushing, evil, thrashing, speeding or interesting in anyway. Thank God for those three tracks or that album would be a pretty large waste of time.

Edit: Just noticed this;



Agreed 100%. Great song and closer that one. EVIL (melodic riff) NEVER DIES! That almost random sounding riff makes the song. It's great! Although, can anyone answer me; does that song sound like it cuts out perhaps one second too early to anyone else? Just wanna know if there is something wrong with my copy. Although it would be an odd defect.

Edit 2: typo

Abyssic Hate - Despondency
This is by miles the best track on the album, and it's "best till last" as it's not only the longest, but has the 3 and a half minute ambient piece by Raison D'Etre, the final bit of atmosphere.

Atomizer - The Fog Of War
A spoken word acoustic piece to top of 40 odd minutes of thrash, with absolutely chilling lyrics. The only thing putting it off is Jason's annoying Australian accent, but this is otherwise a great album closer.

Hammerheart off of Bathory's Twilight of the Gods. It's like a farewell song since this album was once intended to be the final Bathory album. Just a fine way to end an otherwise awesome album.