Are there any bands you pretty much completely trust now?

[Crow]

Haken
The Hirsch Effekt

Short list, I'm a sceptic by nature.

[Ninjabait]

Dream Theater
Haken (even if the last album was just okay)
Diablo Swing Orchestra
iamthemorning
Taylor Swift
Lorde
Submotion Orchestra
Tool
Ayreon
John Williams
Koji Kondo
Michael Giacchino
Snarky Puppy
Ne Oblivicaris
The Moulettes

Too soon to tell, but likely: Carly Rae Jepsen, The Anchoress

I'm really not sure about Tool.

Sure, all their albums are awesome, but they haven't released anything in 12 years. Maybe their music evolved from a specific situation or emotionally difficult moments in their lives that made those albums so damn authentic. And maybe they are not in this situation anymore.

I mean...they did just wrap up a lawsuit that dragged on for years. That had to be emotionally difficult haha

[Indiscipline]

I don't trust anyone to fulfill my expectations because I don't feel I'm in the position to expect anything from acts.

Anyway, pretty sure active blindfold buys:

Dream Theater
Neal Morse
Transatlantic
Muse
The Aristocrats
Mark Knopfler
David Gilmour
Faith No More

In the past, there have been much more

[TheCountOfNYC]

A7X springs to mind. Their first album (Sounding the Seventh Trumpet) wasn’t great, but once Synyster Gates and Johnny Christ came into the fold, the band has put out a very consistent discography. Every album has its own distinct style, and even if they head in a direction that I don’t necessarily love (Hail to the King), there’s always something for me to latch onto musically and I know that the next album will be completely different. Plus, they’re one of the few bands that takes fan criticism into account and admit to mistakes. Their newest song, Mad Hatter, was criticized for its mix, and the band relistened to the song and fixed it. I don’t know of many other bands, if any, that will do that.

The only other bands that I have almost full trust in are Dream Theater, Halestorm, and Haken. Most of my favorite bands have had enough slip ups that I can’t be completely sure if I’m gonna like what they do.

[nattmorker]

For me it's:

Haken
Dream Theater
Steven Wilson
Rammstein
Mark Knopfler
Neal Morse

I forgot about Rammstein! They're on my list as well.

[twosuitsluke]

I'd say I'd now lump Haken in there, I love all their albums. Main ones for me would be:

Coheed and Cambria
The Dear Hunter
Devin Townsend
Mastodon
Leprous
Opeth

There are loads of bands, over the years, that would have made this list but either my love for them waned or they released the odd dud album.

There's a few newer bands I love who have a flawless release record but it's just to early for me to put 100% trust in them.

I think I'll update mine and add Frank Turner and NOFX. It might be a little bit if a stretch but I feel confident enough in both (even though slightly less than the other bands I mentioned).

[Stadler]

My list is way too long.   

[jingle.boy]

My list is way too long.

Same... but I'll throw out a couple

Ayreon
Avantasia
S-X
Evergrey
Threshold
Nightwish
Circus Maximus
Mystery
Lords of Black
Teramaze
Vanden Plas

I could go on, but that's a good enough Top 11

Dropouts from the auto-buy list based on 2 albums of declining quality...
Dream Theater
Kamelot
Serenity
Spock's Beard

[Adami]

Nightwish is a good pic. I'll buy whatever they put out without needing to hear it first.

[Cool Chris]

FOr me with my limited funds these days it is:

Top 2 favorite bands still active
Dream Theater
Iron Maiden

Second tier favorites and for sake of being a completionist
Nightwish
Within Temptation

James LaBrie - if he continues to release solo albums

[ronnibran]

I define this as automatic buy without hearing a note.

Dream Theater
Neal Morse (prog releases only)
Transatlantic
Redemption
Shadow Gallery (a man can hope)
Ayreon ( not necessarily any Arjen release, was disappointed with Gentle Storm)

[425]

Interesting topic. I would honestly not say that there is a 1:1 correlation between my favorite artists and artists that I most strongly trust. Dream Theater and Coldplay are two of my favorite bands, but I don't fully trust them as both have recent releases that did have very good songs, but also had some songs that I think are just okay.

At this point, I think the only two artists I completely trust are Iron Maiden and Nightwish. I just have the greatest possible confidence that anything these two put out at this point will be something I really enjoy, and have a hard time picturing any scenario where I find a new release from them to be a serious let-down.

Some artists that come close, but aren't quite there:
Dream Theater
Coldplay
Taylor Swift
Lorde
Transatlantic
Haken

[bosk1]

I define this as automatic buy without hearing a note.

Dream Theater
Neal Morse (prog releases only)
Transatlantic
Redemption
Shadow Gallery (a man can hope)
Ayreon ( not necessarily any Arjen release, was disappointed with Gentle Storm)

Same here regarding your criteria.  And interestingly enough, my list is similar to yours.

DT is a no-brainer for me.  Part of the reason I am such a big fan is that their music manages to cater so closely to my musical interests.  Even if they manage to put out a release that I don't like as much, the odds are still overwhelmingly in favor of there being a number of songs that I like A LOT.

Neal Morse, Transatlantic, and Redemption are probably just a slight notch below that.  They have all had "misses" in terms of albums that didn't really click with me as much as most of their material.  But they still have solid enough track records that their releases are pretty much automatic purchases at this point.

[Samsara]

Automatic buys for me. Hmm. A lot, honestly. But at this point, the main ones are Alter Bridge and Fates Warning.

[bosk1]

Fates is definitely on a streak that is working for me.  If this keeps up, they will definitely get added to my list.

[Nekov]

I think Transatlantic is the only band I trust to put out things I will automatically like, and maybe Steven Wilson. I'm not a fan of Insurgentes but everything he's done since has been great. Other than that, I don't fully trust any band.

[cramx3]

Dream Theater
311

that may be it.  Since the question is completely trust, I feel the band has to have earned it over a long period of time.  Sadly, my favorite band Iron Maiden have had some poor albums in their catalog, but Dream THeater and 311 (two very different bands) have been able to consistently release music and tour without letting me down.  I feel like neither can do wrong when it comes to making music.

[Elite]

Dropouts from the auto-buy list based on 2 albums of declining quality...

Spock's Beard

Really? I thought the last album was pretty cool. The Oblivion Particle did nothing for me either. Still, seeing them live in a couple weeks. Should be fun

[cramx3]

Nightwish is a good pic. I'll buy whatever they put out without needing to hear it first.

Forgot about them, they've been so consistently good too that they are probably on my list.

[Cruithne]

Devin Townsend, assuming it's not another one in the style of The Hummer. His post-drugs/Strapping Young Lad career has been consistently very strong.

Ginger Wildheart. He's gotten a little bit more hit & miss with age than he was with the early Wildhearts material but in general if there's an average effort it'll be followed up by something I adore.

Def Leppard. They'll never be as brilliant as they were in the 80s when Steve Clark was still around and they were working with Mutt Lange but even a duff album such as Songs From The Sparkle Lounge is pretty solid. Whatever they do you can guarantee it'll sound great... as long as the amount of wet cotton wool blocking the sinuses high register singing Joe does is kept to a minimum these days.

Iron Maiden, just as long as Bruce and H are in the band.

Beast In Black (/ Anton Kabanen). I love all three of Anton's Battle Beast albums. I love the Beast In Black album. I don't expect there to ever be much evolution from the guy but what he does I bloody love.

Scar Symmetry. Just hurry up and put out another album though...

Ayreon/Star One. Experience suggests it's worth being cautious about other work Arjen releases, but anything other than the debut Ayreon album (which still had its moments) and both of the Star One albums have been really, really good and I see no reason to expect more of the same in future, though I think he's fallen out with Russell Allen again so Star One album three probably isn't happening unless he ropes in Jorn Lande as a replacement, maybe.

Rush and Type O Negative would be in there but they're both retired, albeit for very different reasons.

[a51502112]

Pagan's Mind can do no wrong in my book.
Voivod. They're just in my DNA.

Unfortunately, DT is no longer in that list.

[Evermind]

Ayreon/Star One. Experience suggests it's worth being cautious about other work Arjen releases, but anything other than the debut Ayreon album (which still had its moments) and both of the Star One albums have been really, really good and I see no reason to expect more of the same in future, though I think he's fallen out with Russell Allen again so Star One album three probably isn't happening unless he ropes in Jorn Lande as a replacement, maybe.

Maybe he'll get the guy who replaced Russell at Ayreon Universe shows. He was pretty good at Dawn of a Million Souls.

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

DT
Haken
Coheed & Cambria
Periphery
Caligula's Horse
Tremonti
Alter Bridge (though I wasn't a huge fan of The Last Hero, I still liked it)
Animals As Leaders
Thank You Scientist

[CDrice]

The only ones that I can think of would be Dream Theater and Kamelot. Possibly Gojira too, but I feel I got into their music too recently to make proper judgement yet.

[jammindude]

Almost forgot. ODD LOGIC! New album drops early next year and I’m pumped.