Fragrance comparison

Strong as Metal vs The Dark Side of V

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 24 Oct 2026 16 ratings analysed

3 wins

Strong as Metal

Dévier

5.001 votes

Rank #52,727 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

The Dark Side of V

Wild Drops Parfums

3.8015 votes

Rank #54,209 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Strong as Metal takes 3 of 4 categories.

Strong as Metal
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
The Dark Side of V
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Strong as Metal3/4

The Dark Side of V0/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Strong as Metal
Sillage & projection: Strong as Metal
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Strong as Metal

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Strong as MetalDévier

The Dark Side of VWild Drops Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 44%Had 0%Want 56%

3.80/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 10%Had 5%Want 85%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

47%Love

20%Like

7%Ok

20%Dislike

7%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage48

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityStrong as Metal

SillageStrong as Metal

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value25

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

earthy77%

fruity69%

citrus61%

woody100%

leather88%

smoky77%

aromatic65%

earthy53%

animalic42%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

PlumBergamotBay Leaf

Heart2-4 hrs

CypressVetiverWhite Amber

Base6-8+ hrs

TobaccoMoss

Notes

VetiverWoolLeatherBirchBirch TarTobaccoGuaiac WoodCypressWoody NotesAmberMossPapyrus

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCypress, Vetiver, Tobacco and Moss. Durations are only published for Strong as Metal, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day92

Night100

Spring43

Summer71

Fall100

Winter57

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Date 31%Casual 29%Work 27%Party 13%

Men0

Unisex83

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,727

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#54,209

PerfumerAnna Nikishina

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerStrong as MetalHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Dévier Strong as Metal catches you off guard. The name suggests harsh industrial chrome, but the liquid inside tells a much richer story. It opens with tart bergamot and a distinctive burst of dark, ripe plum, cut cleanly by herbal bay leaf. Soon, woody cypress and smoky vetiver pull the scent into a forest-green hear…

Reviews →

The Dark Side of V is a dry, smoky leather fragrance built around vetiver, birch tar, woods and tobacco. It opens dark and textured, with a charred, slightly animalic feel, then settles into earthy leather and papyrus with a rough, woody finish. This is more niche than crowd-pleasing. It may suit someone who enjoys au…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Strong as Metal or The Dark Side of V?

Strong as Metal takes 3 of 4 categories. Strong as Metal is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes; The Dark Side of V is rated 3.80/5 from 15 votes. Choose Strong as Metal for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose The Dark Side of V for a woody and leather character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Strong as Metal or The Dark Side of V?

Strong as Metal lasts longest (Strong as Metal 80/100, The Dark Side of V 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Strong as Metal or The Dark Side of V?

Projection is very close: Strong as Metal 50/100, The Dark Side of V 48/100 for sillage.

Do Strong as Metal and The Dark Side of V smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Cypress, Vetiver, Tobacco and Moss.

Is Strong as Metal or The Dark Side of V better for summer or winter?

Strong as Metal suits evening wear; The Dark Side of V suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Strong as Metal and The Dark Side of V?

Strong as Metal has top notes of Plum, Bergamot and Bay Leaf, heart notes of Cypress, Vetiver and White Amber, a base of Tobacco and Moss. The Dark Side of V features Vetiver, Wool, Leather, Birch and Birch Tar.