Over time, bands change. Their sound changes, their image changes. It might be slight and almost unnoticeable in some instances (AC/DC) but in others, it means a band goes from being something special to being a big pile of fetid shit. You can probably see what's coming next...
5. Throwdown
I should apologise to Throwdown. As a band they're the constant focus of my 'you fucked up' rage following the release of Deathless in 2009, and regular readers will be getting thoroughly bored of my beration but I promise this will be the last time.
The band that released Haymaker and the seminal hardcore/metal crossover anthem Holy Roller and a host of other mayhem-inducing numbers got beyond lazy with Deathless. Being constantly criticised by the elitists for being a Pantera-wannabe band, they decided that they should release an album that sounds like a shit Pantera effort. Despite a couple of decent songs - This Continuum is worth a listen - its just not Throwdown. The hardcore edge had gone and it felt like they were going for unit-shifting as opposed to having any kind for artistic credibility.
4. Black Stone Cherry
Black Stone Cherry are still a great rock band but there's no shying away from the fact that they peaked with their self titled debut in 2006. They have gone from being a truly exciting proposition to a middle of the road rock band who have aged blistering fast. Despite writing the odd song about shagging, the 20-somethings from Edmonton, Kentucky have reached plodding speed far too early in their career. Production values have increased tenfold, tour slots are constantly there but it seems the flame has died out. I really, really hope I'm proved wrong with their next release.
3. Feeder
No one has ever said they're a metal band so don't start. The first band I ever saw live, Feeder were an edgy indie rock outfit with distorted guitars and shouty vocals. My intro to the Welsh trio came in the shape of Woman in Town which is almost certainly still their best song, and in my early teen years, my old mucker Mearz and I played the Polythene album constantly. But then it all went wrong. The edge was well and truly smoothed and Feeder are now known for the fucking abysmal ditty Buck Rogers. If they'd have stopped at Just a Day I'd have been a happy man.
2. Manic Street Preachers
Memories of head banging with my mate Roshan to You Love Us in my bedroom aged about 10 are distant at best. I'm not suggesting James Dean Bradfield et al should still be topless and wearing a balaclava - no one wants to see a part naked fat Welshman - but where did it all go wrong? I point blank refuse to accept the existence of any Manic Street Preachers activity post-Holy Bible. Everything Must Go stayed true to the title, and everything went; interesting songs, punk attitude...I surely can't be on my own in thinking Design For Life is a hideously played bag o' shite? And Australia? Feeble. What happened to If White America Told The Truth For One Day It's World Would Fall Apart? Motorcycle Emptiness? Bastards.
1. Linkin Park
When it came out, Hybrid Theory was a monster album. I fucking love it, but more down the fact that it reminds me of being 18, being in my first year at university and being regularly pissed. A small tangent; a girl at my university and I listened to Hybrid Theory together a lot. In fact, she was so much into the nu metal scene that she managed to get back stage at Korn and ended up getting genital warts off of one of their roadies. True story.
Anyway, Hybrid Theory was, at the time, a new sound. It sounded angry, it joined Limp Bizkit in telling up and coming metallers that you could wear baseball caps and massive trousers, and it was front-to-back singalong classics. However, the warning bells started to ring when almost every song on the album was released as a single, then they released the whole of Hybrid Theory again as a remix album, and then it collapsed. There is no denying that nowadays, the band are total fucking shit.
There are other offenders but these are the big hitters. If you have any to add, I'd be intrigued.
Time to go and celebrate the beautiful 28-degree sunshine in London by sitting in an office staring at a computer.
M
\m/
Liminal Woman Launch!
7 months ago
2 comments:
I agree up to a point with Manic Street Preachers but in their defense they lost Richey after 'Holy Bible'. Okay, he wasn't a great musician but wrote most of the lyrics and had a lot to do with the image of the band. It was pretty admirable to carry on when they could easily have thrown in the towel. Certainly, a lot of the output since 'Holy Bible' has been pretty forgettable but tracks like 'Found that Soul' 'Intravenous Agnostic' and '4 Ever Delayed' are some of my favourites and stack up well against the early stuff. Age plays a part too, if they were to release 'Motown Junk' now they'd be laughed at, teenage angst should be confined to teenagers.
Feeder - yes, they bore me to death these days and God only knows what they were thinking with 'Buck Rogers' *shudder*.
Notable mentions for me would include 'Editors' and 'Bloc Party' for disappearing up their own backsides by self-indulgent experimenting with the 'electro-synth' sound. Placebo never really improved on their debut album and Blink 182 should have remained a 'fun' punk band writing songs about boobies - trying to be serious when you have limited lyrical skills and only know half a dozen chords just doesn't work, oh, and Travis, we all know you're a great drummer but rein it in a little, eh? Lastly, Milli Vanilli, their debut album was great but, oh, wait, no, forget that one...
Offspring, Green Day and Brian McFaddens solo stuff comparative to westlife!
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