Metallica : The Black Album - While I actually like about 2/3's of the album quite a bit (Wolf and Man, WIMR, Struggle Within, TTN in particular), this was the album where Metallica stopped being METALlica and just became the trendier, more mainstream-friendly, 'Tallica. From that point on, they became less concerned about making quality music and more concerned about keeping their faces plastered all over the music press outlets. They probably don't regret it, as they have been rolling in cash ever since, but I can't really respect them as artists from this point onward.
Queensryche: Empire - Now first of all, I
LOVE this album, so I am not necessarily blaming the music itself; however, I think it is pretty safe to say that the success Queensryche received from this album was the catalyst for their eventual fall. Overtouring for Empire destroyed the relationships of the band members, while having too much money in their hands clouded their better judgment with regards to personal responsibility. Perhaps worst of all, reaching such a level of mainstream popularity placed the band in a situation where they felt they needed to alter their music to remain current with the ever-changing record industry around them. While the follow up, Promised Land, was good, it marked a very noticeable shift in the band's approach to music, which became much more apparent over the course of subsequent albums as the band started to crumble and the signature Queensryche sound became a distant memory. While it is easy to blame much-maligned albums like Hear in the Now Frontier, Q2K, Tribe, Mindcime II and so on for Queensryche's decline, it was here, at their commercial peak, that the seeds for the inevitable demise of this once great band were sown.
Guns 'n Roses: Use Your Illusion - To quote one of my all time favourite films: "The star that burns twice as bright only burns for half as long." Appetite for Destruction was one hell of a debut, but much like Queensryche with Empire, GNR did not handle success well. At least QR was able to manage five good albums and an EP before fading into mediocrity. GNR gave us one great record, and then proceeded to tear themselves apart while attempting to top it.
Judas Priest: Angel of Retribution - There comes a time in every band's career to admit that the magic is gone. Some bands can go for decades, while others can barely manage each album/tour cycle. Priest was just not the same without Rob, and the band knew it, but rather then try to forge a new future with Ripper (who had a lot more to offer, but was simply never given a fair chance), they choose to take the safest path and have a half-assed reunion. Now, AOR did get JP back onto the top of the metal world for a while, but the album was mediocre and everyone knew it. It had some good tracks, sure, but it just sounded like a microcosm of Priest's career, including both the good and the bad, and it didn't really bring anything new to the table. Sometimes it is just better to let the past be the past, and if KK's recent departure is any indication, Priest's glory days are well behind them.
Rainbow: Down to Earth - You
DO NOT choose to part ways with Dio. Ever.
Theatre of Tragedy: The Storm - You
DO NOT choose to fire Liv Christie. Ever.
Balance of Power: Heathen Machine - After three phenomenal power-prog albums, BoP parted ways with singer/songwriter Lance King and subsequently lost much of what made them unique and interesting as a band. Heathen Machine wasn't bad, but it was a pale shadow of what had come before. I highly doubt it is any coincidence that this band never released any more records after this album.
Adagio: Dominate - This band had sooooo much potential on their first two albums, then they threw it all away and became a generic growly metal band on this record.
Scorpions: Eye II Eye - WTF?!?
Crimson Glory: Strange and Beautiful -
WTF?!?!?!?!?
Savatage: 2003 - Despite being criminally underrated, Savatage still had a lot in their favour at the turn of the millennium. They were obscenely popular in Europe, Latin America and Asia, they had a strong cult following in the States, and their phenomenally successful side project, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, had introduced the band and it's music to a very wide base of people that would never have heard of them otherwise, not to mention giving them the financial resources to do whatever they wanted. Despite the death of Criss Oliva, an ever changing lineup, and all the bullshit that was going on in the industry in the early 90's, Savatage not only persevered, but they continued to release one masterpiece album after another. So why would they stop when they were still going strong? What the hell happened? I know TSO is a major commitment, but if Jon Oliva, Zak Stevens, Chris Caffery, and the others all have time for their solo bands, why can't they do anything as Savatage? And even more importantly, why give up all that hard-earned prestige and respect in the global metal community? Why throw away two and a half decades of hard work, heartbreak, tragedy and
FUCKING AMAZING music when there is still so much more potential waiting to be tapped?! More then a decade after their last album, I am still at a loss as to why this band
chooses, of their own free will, not to record and tour, when it is fully in their power and capability to do so. It is one thing when a band reaches the end of their career and they have nothing relevant left to contribute, but Savatage simply decided to end their career when they still had it in them to continue onward, making great music and bringing endless enjoyment to thousands of fans around the world. The premature death (or rather, suicide) of Savatage will forever be a mystery to me, and it is likely one that will haunt me for a very long time to come.
Topic: That precise moment when a band blew it (Read 6655 times)
