10 Overlooked Masterpiece Songs By Legendary Rock Bands
8. Ogre Battle - Queen
How this beast of a song isn't better known remains a mystery. Go back to a time before Queen's equally brilliant run of 80s and 90s, radio-friendly hits, and you will discover a treasure-trove of quirky, ambitious and hard-rocking tunes. Ogre Battle comes from Queen's second studio album, (the appropriately-titled Queen II) released in 1974.
Queen II is probably the closest the band ever came to recording a concept album, with several recurring ideas and characters, often focused on mythological or somewhat-cryptic fantasy themes. Although often overlooked in Queen's lengthy discography, the album, which is unofficially split into a 'white-side' and a 'black-side,' was a favorite of no less than Kurt Cobain.
Ogre Battle itself, written by Mercury, opens with swirling synth sounds, reverse-vocals and tape effects, before bursting out into heavy-rock majesty, with crashing riffs and pounding drums. It contains all the melodrama you expect from a Queen song, and those lovely, unmistakable guitar wails from Bryan May (who apparently utilized a filed coin as a plectrum, in order to create his unique sound).
The Queen playfulness and invention is all here - swift changes of direction, vocal histrionics and immaculate production. This is a song which doesn't mess about. It's here for the business of grabbing your ears and not letting go.