Offbeat opinions about bands you actually like

[Perpetual Change]

First thing: this thread isn't the place to troll other DTFers by saying popular bands here are "the worst thing ever." Rather, this is a place to share some opinions you have about bands you actually like which may go against the grain of the majority opinion of the particular fanbase of those bands/artists/etc in question. I hoping that this will promote some interesting discussion, instead of the usual shitstorming to be found in the other "Controversial Opinions" type threads. To give an example, I'll post a couple opinions of my own.

Iron Maiden: Both Blaze Bailey albums are better than the first three Maiden albums, as well as a couple of pre-Blaze albums other than just Fear of the Dark and No Prayer for the Dying. I don't know why these albums get shit on so much, because the band really matured musically and lyrically under Blaze.

Rush: Their long, progressive songs are by far my least favorite. I don't know why, but songs like 2112, Jacob's Ladder, Natural Science and Cygnus X-1 all have cool sounding parts, but ultimately drag on without really ending in a good place. In my opinion, Rush's keyboard phase was one of the best things to happen to them from a songwriting point of view. When it comes to the longer stuff, they always have struck me as one of those bands who could do a hell of a job building up an atmosphere, but couldn't really do a great job doing anything with it.

Opeth: The Steven Wilson produced albums are the worst in the catalog. Yes, this includes Damnation and Blackwater Park. While I respect those albums and Opeth's relationship with SW for what that turned their sound into in general, I still can't make it through any of them in one sitting.

[73109]

Great idea.

Metallica-The best on Load is equal to the best off their earlier albums.

That's all I got really...

[Perpetual Change]

I agree completely about Load. In fact, I like the direction Metallica were going. Shame they had to start "listening to the fans."

[73109]

Like I said, the first 7 tracks off Load are gold. And Outlaw Torn is a classic aswell.

I got more.

Slowed down Slayer>thrashy slayer

The Ritual>The Legacy

Endgame>Rust In Peace

Ok, I better stop before I get murdered by UMH and his cronies.

[orcus116]

Porcupine Tree: "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here" doesn't deserve its length. It's a fun song to listen to but it's essentially seven minutes of musical ideas stretched out to just over twelve. In Absentia is probably their most boring album outside of On The Sunday Of Life, which I consider odd since most people would call the earlier spacey albums more boring by shear definition of that type of music. It has a handful of absolutely fantastic tracks but there are a lot of songs that have never gelled with me.

Between The Buried And Me: "Mirrors" and "Desert Of Song" are the only tracks worth listening to more than once off of The Great Misdirect.

The Offspring: "Pay The Man" is far and away the best thing they've ever written despite the fact that Smash is their best album. This opinion might gain some supporters here but I know most Offspring fans dismiss that song.

Radiohead: Their alternative rock style music (OK Computer, The Bends) is more enjoyable than their electronica stuff. Not that they're bad albums, though. Also, I don't see In Rainbows as the masterpiece everyone else seems to see it as. There's nothing really engaging about the music and I've never found anything about it that suggests it's anything more than background music.

[skydivingninja]

Dream Theater-Falling Into Infinity is better than Awake.

[LCArenas]

Testament:

Low and The New Order>The Legacy. The Legacy was like Testament's Kill 'em All. They sounded great, but they sounded like they had a lot to polish, and they had to determinate their true sound and not falling off as another generic Thrash band. TNO just did all that and I think they found their true sound in that album. And after they experimented with Heavy Metal in The Ritual many years later, I think they found another good way to be themselves without being too generic or too experimental in Low. Thrash songs, soft songs, half-thrash songs, instrumentals, it's just freaking incredible.

Also, my Testament albums ranking:
1. The New Order
2. Low
3. The Legacy
4. The Gathering ( , and their best songs can top some songs of The Legacy)
5. The Ritual (Many will call Blasphemy now that I'm putting it higher than SoB and PWYP)
6. The Formation of Damnation
7. Souls of Black (Sometimes it's even higher than TFoD, sometimes it's lower)
8. Demonic (It kicks major ass nonetheless)
8. Practice What You Preach (In tie with Demonic)
9. First Strike Still Deadly (Meh)

I'll post more later.

[ClairvoyantCat]

I've always liked Opeth, but I never thought his singing to be anything special at all like most people seem to...

[MetalManiac666]

Opeth:

What got me into this band was the vox, not the music.

[Perpetual Change]

This thread is already surpassing my expectations! Good  job guys, let's keep playing nice.

I'm going to post another:

Yes: What you're about to read is probably considered heresy by most Yes fans, but The Yes Album and Going for the One both slay the 4-album run of excellence sandwiched between them. There's something about those two albums that just have a rockin element the others lack without losing out on any of the creativity. And while Close to the Edge is a serious contender for my number 2 Yes album, most of the time I've got to say it's only number 3 in my book.

[KevShmev]

In regards to The Flower Kings vocals, Roine Stolt's are better than Hasse Froberg's by a pretty wide margin.

Some of Rush's keyboard sounds leave a lot to be desired.

Yes' music is too pretty at times.

Neal Morse is a huge dork.  Great musician and songwriter, and a helluva nice guy, but a huge dork.  In fact, I often wince at most of his in-between song banter on the live DVDs I have featuring him. 

[King Postwhore]

I like it when U2 is less experimental.

I'd rather hear Rush make a CD without the wall of guitar sound.

I'd wish Steven Wilson would stop playing bass on PT albums.  Colin Edwin is too damn good to be left off those songs.

[Volk9]

Nonpoint's Development is one of the best "nu-metal" albums and really showed their true talents and creativity.

Say what you will about Slipknot, but Corey Taylor is one of the best vocalists that I've heard.

[Perpetual Change]

Neal Morse is a huge dork.  Great musician and songwriter, and a helluva nice guy, but a huge dork.  In fact, I often wince at most of his in-between song banter on the live DVDs I have featuring him. 

Definitely.

[Kornflake]

Black Crowes haven't been the same since re-banding.  All the songs on their last two albums (excluding Croweology) all sound the same.  Also, Croweology is kind of a cool idea but really seems like more of a last stitch money grab before the band splits than an honest attempt at releasing a great album.

Foo Fighters try too hard to write serious "deep" acoustic songs.  The first four albums are all fantastic, but the later stuff is just lame.

A lot of Spock's Beard music seems cheesey, but I love it just the same.

[ddtonfire]

Porcupine Tree is overrated.

[orcus116]

This is on bands you actually like, not the controversial opinions thread.

[Arcaeus]

I like Porcupine Tree and I think they're overrated, so...

[lateralus88]

Iced Earth - I never have and never will like the Ripper era even relatively as much as I did when Barlow was originally in the band. His entrance seemed to be where Iced Earth became...less bro0tal. They just don't feel as "heavy" with the guy who sounds almost identical to Rob Halford. I actually REALLY don't like The Glorious Burden or specific portions of Framing Armageddon.

Buckethead - I love practically all of this mans material, but I find that is experimental endeavors (i.e. Welcome to Bucketheadland 2 and Giant Robot) are by far his most interesting and fun to listen to over his more straight forward material (i.e. Population Override and Enter the Chicken).

System of a Down - This opinion really only comes off as "offbeat" or "controversial" to any of those SoaD fans who think the band sold out or some shit with the release of Mezmerize and Hypnotize. But, Mezmerize is and will always be the best album the band has produced. It's where the band fullly refined their musical style and their writing style. The album feels as if they truly got their shit together and constructed something much more than a collection of hardcore influenced craziness.

Opeth - Orchid = The best them. The production, while very...minimal, works. It's not good, but it sounds great if you like black metal-esque atmosphere (so basically, shitty production quality)

That's all I got for now.

Say what you will about Slipknot, but Corey Taylor is one of the best vocalists that I've heard.

You obviously haven't heard all that many, by definition, good vocalists.I jest, mind you

[wolfking]

Iron Maiden: Both Blaze Bailey albums are better than the first three Maiden albums, as well as a couple of pre-Blaze albums other than just Fear of the Dark and No Prayer for the Dying. I don't know why these albums get shit on so much, because the band really matured musically and lyrically under Blaze.

Agree. X-Factor = No. 1 Maiden album.

[Zantera]

Porcupine Tree - Even though there's no dislike, i don't get the huge praise for In Absentia/Deadwing, they're just 2 great albums out of 10, and personally.. PT has made many better albums.
I disagree on the huge love for songs like The Sound of Muzak, Blackest Eyes and Arriving Somewhere, (i agree with orcus116 that the latter sounds so stretched out), and for the others.. i think its 2 good songs, but nothing really special about them.

Radiohead - Still haven't heard Pablo Honey, but The Bends and OK Computer are easily the 2 worst albums they've made, with OK Computer being the best out of the 2.
Overall i'd say the 4 albums they've made after OK Computer beats it quite easily.
In Rainbows and Kid A would be my favorite albums made by them.

Opeth - I don't get the huge love for BWP as an album, and i don't get it for Bleak.
When i first heard The Roundhouse Tapes, Bleak was easily one of the songs that stood out the least, and even though i consider it to be great overall, i feel like people who rank it nr1 must have missed 70% of the discography or something.
Deliverance is also the best Opeth-album, having only awesome tracks.

Anathema - Newest album is the best, and anyone who says otherwise is clearly wrong.

[wolfking]

I love the Ripper era of Judas Priest.  Jugulator is my fav Priest album.

[Durg]

Opeth - I really love the musicianship and creativity of their material.  I HATE the cookie monster vocals.  I just don't get why people like that.  To me it's a bit silly.  I can't even understand what he's saying.  I still like some of the songs where he does it like in "Bleak", "Ghost of Perdition", "The Grand Conjuration", and "The Lotus Eater" for example.  Mainly because the music is just amazing.  But "Face of Melinda" is musically just a brilliant song and contains no growling.  Bleak is also a brilliant song but I have to sort of ignore the cookie monster in the first half and end.

Queensryche - Really.  Operation Mindcrime is a masterpiece!  Empire was really great.  But let's face it.  Geoff Tate is old and can't sing the high notes anymore.  When listening to the "Sign of the Times" compilation from oldest to latest the octave range goes from like 3 to 1.  Their latest album is just. eh.

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

I dislike PT's older and newer materials. Signify to Lightbulb Sun were their best.

[glaurung]

Queensryche - Really.  Operation Mindcrime is a masterpiece!  Empire was really great.  But let's face it.  Geoff Tate is old and can't sing the high notes anymore.  When listening to the "Sign of the Times" compilation from oldest to latest the octave range goes from like 3 to 1.  Their latest album is just. eh.

This is not an offbeat opinion.

[cthrubuoy]

Opeth are my favourite band but I very rarely listen to Orchid or Morningrise. Not for the production, just because I don't think the music is up to par with other Opeth stuff. If they were made by another band, I doubt I'd even listen to them more than once or twice. I feel ashamed and a traitor

[LCArenas]

Anathema - Newest album is the best, and anyone who says otherwise is clearly wrong.

Judgment. It's still tied with Judgment for me. I can't just decide which one of them is the best (them)

[Cool Chris]

If my house was burning down, and I had a chance to save all but one of my ~100 CDs, I would leave behind Falling into Infinity, and DT has been my favorite band for many years.

Queen has an incredible collection of excellent songs, but no real great album. Each one its share of duds that keep them from being awesome.

[Perpetual Change]

Iced Earth - I never have and never will like the Ripper era even relatively as much as I did when Barlow was originally in the band. His entrance seemed to be where Iced Earth became...less bro0tal. They just don't feel as "heavy" with the guy who sounds almost identical to Rob Halford. I actually REALLY don't like The Glorious Burden or specific portions of Framing Armageddon.

This isn't offbeat at all 

[Sigz]

Queen has an incredible collection of excellent songs, but no real great album. Each one its share of duds that keep them from being awesome.

This, but replace Queen with Rush.


Between the Buried and Me - TGM is their worst album by far, and Colors, while still great, has some of the most uninspired metal music in their entire catalog.

DT - Awake is probably their worst album, perhaps second only to FII.

[Progmetty]

I appreciate Images & Words only for it's status among my fellow DT fans, which means a lot to me, but truth is the only song I ever really liked from it is Metropolis.
And I hate FII, to me it's more like a collection of b-side songs, I hate LiTS and ToT, they're so freakin boring, predictable and repetitive, only passable song on this album is Hell's Kitchen.

[robwebster]

Dream Theater are getting better with age.

Tell you what, I'm going to piss away a bit of goodwill here (nice to do a bit of spring cleaning), but Systematic Chaos is fucking brilliant. I could gorge myself on it for hours. And frequently do. The Dark Eternal Night being one of the highlights, and a song which has flirted with my top ten.

I was actually gonna make a thread about this DT-side, and call it "Systematic Chaos is gorgeous," but I couldn't think of a way to start it without sounding all smug. It's hard to make something that goes so self-consciously against the tide without sounding like some absolute bell-end who's hell-bent on being alternative and trying to do something clever and edgy, which is why I didn't bother making the thread. But it's a brilliant album and I've been struggling to work out why it's so widely lambasted for the last three years.

Er, sticking with the offbeat opinions, I agree with Derek Oliver, the A&R man who had to pressure them into writing a single, about Awake. Album full of good songs, no real great songs. It's a good listen for sure, but it's just... there.

[skydivingninja]

Rob, I used to love you.

Another offbeat opinion that I expressed in the Iron Maiden thread: No Iron Maiden album is a masterpiece.  Each album has at least one song that ranges from mediocre to just okay.  When I say masterpiece, I mean every track is 5/5 and you could listen to it anytime.  Powerslave and AMOLAD come close, but Maiden so far has no 10/10 album.

[Marvellous G]

Er, sticking with the offbeat opinions, I agree with Derek Oliver, the A&R man who had to pressure them into writing a single, about Awake. Album full of good songs, no real great songs. It's a good listen for sure, but it's just... there.

I agree with this definitely. Hmm, I'll try and think of some.

Metallica: I agree with the people saying that Load is one of the best them, it's in my top 3 Metallica albums easily. I'd also like to throw out that St Anger is better than Ride The Lightning, and Hetfield's voice in 96-99 ish is miles better than Hetfield's voice from 84-88.

Tool and Porcupine Tree are studio bands.

Quite a lot of the time DT are actually boring musically.

[Zook]

That opinion on Maiden in the OP is all kinds of fail.