What an incredible March Metal Madness! With each round, the competition continued to heat up as fans rallied behind their favorite bands with ever-expanding crescendos of intensity.

There were millions of votes and some insane battles throughout March Metal Madness 2013, but in a Championship Round that received more than a quarter million votes alone, Dream Theater's 'Images and Words' defeated Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' in the fan-voted competition to determine metal's greatest album.

Dream Theater's 'Images and Words' carved a hell of a path to win March Metal Madness 2013, first defeating the immortal Ronnie James Dio and his debut solo effort, 'Holy Diver.' AC/DC were next on the chopping block, as 'Back in Black' fell after battling with 'Images and Words.' In yet another match considered to be an upset by many, Dream Theater earned their third win against the Judas Priest masterpiece 'Screaming for Vengeance.'

Our semifinals brought the competition's final four albums into the same arena, as Dream Theater edged out Megadeth's 'Rust in Peace' and Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' beat out the Black Sabbath classic 'Paranoid.' Finally, Dream Theater scored their final win in the championship round, putting away Metallica and 'Master of Puppets' with a total of 58.87% of the vote.

Congratulations to Dream Theater and their landmark album 'Images and Words.' Through the power of social media and an incredibly dedicated fan base, 'Images and Words' is the champion of March Metal Madness 2013.