Old Heroes VS Current Releases

[Injustrial]

I thought we could do a discussion about being disillusioned by the latest stuff from musicians we've been long time fans of. The reason I bring this up is that I've been let down by a lot of my favorites lately. Grendel, Aesthetic Perfection, NIN and VNV Nation have all gone off course. And not in a good way. I recognize the artist's need to explore new directions and grow as musicians, but sounding like The Backstreet Boys is not the way to go Daniel!

How about you guys? Have you been let down \ pleasantly surprised by recent releases from your old time favorites?

[Freewave]

Good question! Yeah it's very easy for musicians to "lose the plot" and start "losing their edge" as they go past a certain point. I stopped listening to Nine Inch Nails after the decade long break after Downward Spiral (damn you Marilyn Manson) although I'm sure a lot of that may have been my own loss. Generally bands go all pop (like U2) or disappear up their own b#ngh@le (like Bjork's last couple of albums or Radiohead's EP only status). I guess from their pov its pretty easy to start feeling like you have to take less chances to keep that recognition and that more people on their staff depend on their success (pop direction). OR that you have to make your music less and less accessible to the majority to be considered a true artist (b#ngh@le direction). Either way i think most bands have a narrow window of when they really can keep coming up with great ideas over and over again. Bands like Interpol and The Strokes more or less showed that they one great album in them and the just photocopied the same idea on latter albums in desperate effort to come up with anything interesting after that.

Daft Punk's recent album is one that is very divisive because it's really the true height of their success, its more derived from original material and collaborations then using samples like in the past, and yet some long time fans do not like it much at all. Just as many newer fans are incredibly happy with it. So It's a a toss up who you talk to. That's really as music should be, it's never going to make everyone happy.

I do think its important to recognize a band's good period and seperate that from when stopped making the same great quality. It's to be expected and its better to backtrack to the good stuff then just say "they suck" in some short-sighted hipster viewpoint. There' s plenty of great albums to go after if you don't only chase after the present. The present is filled with bands who won't be remembered in a year or two.

[CaptainFluffatun]

I was very unimpressed with Avenged Sevenfold's latest album. It didn't seem like they ventured out of their comfort zone at ALL.

[ExoBassTix]

Are you talking about Lulu?
If not, that album is a disgrace imo. Blegh.

Yes, I've had this happen plenty of times. Some examples:
Headhunterz and Noisecontrollers go from Hardstyle to Nu-Style (and Modern Dubstep if I'm not mistaken).
Scot Project (one of my biggest idols) went from the Hardtrance LEGEND he is, to Progressive Trance, to Electro House.
Kamui went from one of the best Hardtrance duo's to ever live to one solo act that makes Prog House and Modern Dubstep (and Electro House iirc) called Kairo Kingdom iirc.
Armin Van Buuren went from the Trance legend he is, to Big Room House.

I've talked about it before with friends at the CCL. Mainly, they do it because their genre didn't give them enough money, and so they move on to another genre that satisfies them income-wise.
I would also like to bring up one individual here that fits nicely in the story: Deadmau5.

In my eyes, his latest movements with 7 EP (which is now already removed, and I can only assume that it's caused by the comments not once seeing 7 EP for what it is) were a confession, a story, and a promise (and I repeat, one that wasn't found by the average commenter). I believe he was sick of acting like the facade that his manager (and thus, all his fans) want from him (because steady image/attitude = money). That he apologized for being a dick (you can hear it radiate from the songs, and the titles are the Latin seven deadly sins). That he promised he'd resume life in his way. That he'd not be influenced by the flow of mainstream happenings anymore.
A great deal of sadness, and I only cringed when I'd read his two latest comments (now probably no longer existent):
Two guys commented about how they love the songs, and give a very small bit of critique. Deadmau5 chose those two to reply with "idgaf".
I believe he wanted to hear understanding of his story.

The music industry is a powerful force that one shouldn't underestimate. It led to the (temporary?) breakdown of Deadmau5, to the arrest of Justin Bieber (having taken from him the road to properly growing up), to the betrayal of great artists to their home-genre leaving it to do 'something bigger', and I could go on.
Sure, it brings good, but the bad it does ...

Heh. I remember how Tiësto started as an Early Hardcore producer, in 1995. Now that's what I call changing.

[azerty]

Being the drum'n'bass crackhead that I am, the biggest artist-changing "scandal" would've had to have been when Spor (Jon Gooch) announced he was starting Feed Me, his modern, popular, successful, and DnB-free EDM alias. Oh my god, you should have seen the DnB purists flip their shit. Regardless, Gooch is way more successful as Feed Me, and his music is probably even more inventive and diverse now, so I'm actually happy he made the switch.

On the other end of the spectrum, there're artists who produce for ages, keep the same general feel and genre to their music, and manage to stay fresh, innovative, and successful. One of my longtime DnB favorites, Klute, has been producing since the early 80s, and his sound just gets better and better with each new song he drops. His latest album, "The Draft" (2013), is almost indistinguishable from his stuff in the 90s, but with a higher level of quality of course.

[S.P.P]

I was very pleasantly suprised when GnR finally dropped Chinese Democracy. It took on a whole new edge, where everything was much crisper than the older GnR albums. Of course the old school GnR fans went mental over the radical change in sound but I still maintain that the album is a solid one by its own merit.

[Injustrial]

I was very pleasantly suprised when GnR finally dropped Chinese Democracy. It took on a whole new edge, where everything was much crisper than the older GnR albums. Of course the old school GnR fans went mental over the radical change in sound but I still maintain that the album is a solid one by its own merit.

I very much disagree. To me, the album sounds too clean and sterile. Lacking direction and the songs don't feel like they fit together. GnR did very well at capturing the feel of the dirty LA streets and a raging nightlife. I don't believe in the new album, my suspension of disbelief was broken and I find myself going straight for the cynical with it. It's not terrible or awful. It's just not what I wanted...
Rock is supposed to sound a little dirty, a little rough around the edges. The content's what was important to me. Chinese Democracy was very polished, but also completely hollow.

And now I feel like a goddamn hipster...

[Polarlys]

In general, I'd have to say that every artist I've listened to (with a few exceptions I'll get into soon) for a while, seems to drop what used to make them good/appeal to my tastes.. Then again, metal seems to be a dying genre. For example, Dead by April has gone completely off the course.. I don't know how to word myself correctly when it comes to this, but it seems like they're appealing to nothing but heartbroken girls now.. Or just complete emos..

Celldweller on the other hand, seems to be doing amazing. I really liked the metal'ish style, but I'm all for the dubstep transition as well. That lad seems to be doing well every goddamn time he tries something new, be it dubstep, trance or industrial metal.

In short, I think that almost every artist I used to listen to have lost some spunk, while relative new ones (especially dubstep and house artists) seems to deliver music fitting to what appeals to at least me.

Whether or not this is because my tastes have changed or because the quality have actually been lowered, I do not know.

[Stuntddude]

I feel like I may be the only person here who hasn't really had this happen... for a while I didn't think I liked Emancipator's newer albums, but after a short while I grew to like them. Besides that, I don't think I can relate.

[Navron]

I've always been a big fan of Tool, but they tend to displease a lot of fans from previous albums because each album they've released has evolved far from their previous album.

I didn't like 10,000 Days very much at first, but it really grew on me. Many fans experienced the same with Aenima, and Lateralus. They're one of the few rare bands that have shown to evolve yet still maintain the original quality they became known for.


When you think of this topic and how it applies to your own music creation, it goes to show that the key to failure is repeating the same technique expecting the same result (ex. Lincoln Park, Disturbed), or being too progressive (ex. Radiohead).

I highly suggest anybody wanting to create their own album to wait until you've solidified your own sound and technique first. I see a lot of newer brony musicians coming out with albums, but everything from the genres, mixing quality, and mastering differs between each song.

I haven't even started an album yet because I'm still improving my mixing, and still haven't quite solidified my own sound yet, but I'm very close.

Once you've got your sound and the technique down, then you can seriously consider beginning an album.

[Twy]

I'd much see a band or artist try and fail at something new than to keep releasing the same album over and over until it becomes boring and ruins their whole sound. Of course, ideally they can manage to change things up enough to add some new life into their music while still retaining that same feel that the listener has grown to love. Like cherry or vanilla coke. Or something...

But even if they can't manage to do that, I feel like releasing music that's the exact same formula as their earlier work is the lazy but safe route, so I'll always at least respect an artist for trying something new, even if I end up disliking the result. Usually.

for a while I didn't think I liked Emancipator's newer albums, but after a short while I grew to like them. Besides that, I don't think I can relate.

I think I'm at where you were at. If each album was as good as Soon It Will Be Could Enough, Emancipator would be one of my absolute favorite artists... but, I dunno, I've just liked each album less and less.


EDIT: Also

I highly suggest anybody wanting to create their own album to wait until you've solidified your own sound and technique first. I see a lot of newer brony musicians coming out with albums, but everything from the genres, mixing quality, and mastering differs between each song.

I agree so much with you on this.

[S.P.P]

I feel a little bit disappointed in Metallica's last album. A lot more 'poppey' than they used to be.
Feels like they've lost their touch (for me, anyways)

Death Magnetic, really?

I thought Lulu was after Death Magnetic? To which I would agree, Lulu was definitely the weakest of all their albums. Death Magnetic I thought was great; it saw them harken back to their thrashier days after a stream of more rock influenced (Metallica, (Re)Load, etc.) albums (which were all great imo).

I find that whenever artists go away for a while and come back with a new album they more often than not have switched up their style and it is much better to go into that album with a clear mind, and not to try and judge it alongside their past releases. Listen to it and judge it on it's own merit. "Oh, that's not REAL [insert band name]" is possibly the worst mindset to be in.

[ph00tbag]

Protoculture started out as a really good Morning Psy producer, with lots of detail put into every track. Pretty much all of his latest stuff, however has been really uninspired Epic Trance stuff that kinda just follows the formula. I really enjoyed Circadians, but everything since then has been really disappointing.

[Gray Ham]

Well, I'll just name a few artists I've been following for a while now.

The Presets: Their third album dropped in 2012, and while managing to be different to their first two it still managed to keep some of their sound. They released a new single about a week ago, and it was very EDM-y but it still had their style on it.

The Cat Empire: By Cinema (their fifth album) I had no idea what to think of them anymore. They were gradually becoming more pop-y and it was tearing me apart to lose my beloved TCE. Then last year they released an album similar to their first two and it happened to be my favourite out of all of them.

The Beatles: I think everyone knows this one. They started taking more risks at the end of the band's timeline and it ultimately paid off with Sgt. Pepper's, Abbey Road, White Album, etc. It may have played a part in them all splitting and going in different musical areas as solo artists.

[ganondox]

I've always been a big fan of Tool, but they tend to displease a lot of fans from previous albums because each album they've released has evolved far from their previous album.

I didn't like 10,000 Days very much at first, but it really grew on me. Many fans experienced the same with Aenima, and Lateralus. They're one of the few rare bands that have shown to evolve yet still maintain the original quality they became known for.


When you think of this topic and how it applies to your own music creation, it goes to show that the key to failure is repeating the same technique expecting the same result (ex. Lincoln Park, Disturbed), or being too progressive (ex. Radiohead).

I highly suggest anybody wanting to create their own album to wait until you've solidified your own sound and technique first. I see a lot of newer brony musicians coming out with albums, but everything from the genres, mixing quality, and mastering differs between each song.

I haven't even started an album yet because I'm still improving my mixing, and still haven't quite solidified my own sound yet, but I'm very close.

Once you've got your sound and the technique down, then you can seriously consider beginning an album.

Funny you give Lincoln Park and Disturbed as examples, as both definitely have changed their style overtime, both starting out as nu metal, but not being nu metal anymore. I don't know how Lincoln Park's discography went, but Disturb's most successful album is their most different album, with them changing style after The Sickness, but their most critically received is their most recent one, which is really more of the same thing. *shrug*

Anyway, the thing you said about Tool is spot on. Each album sounds like an evolution of the last, gradually going to a more ambient sound, but they all sound distinctly Tool. Tool experiments a lot and have really weird stuff on their albums, but they still have a root sound, and a general sound for each album.

[JSynth]

I can relate to this. A few years back, I got hooked on a band called Reality Addiction, who started out with some real good alternative rock, as well as some chill stuff. They later switched over to Pop music (and got a new name), I stopped following them since.

It was nothing against them, I fully supported their decision. I just liked some of their older stuff a lot more than what they have been doing recently.

Anyway, I actually think that it is a natural thing. Everyone's style changes as time goes on and fans wont always like the change in style.