Is evolution a good thing?

I am known for defending metal bands that have broken through and are popular with non-metalheads. I personally fail to see why people feel the need to turn their backs on artists just because they have found financial success. I have heard of some Norwegian black metal artists intentionally recording using sub-par production in order to keep non-fans from buying their albums. That lasted long enough for them to run out of bologna and cheep beer. Then they realize fans are your bread and butter if you’re going to be a professional musician. Certain bands figured this out early on in their careers. These bands often are accused of leaving their original fan base behind as they ride the success train to the top. Is that a correct statement? I decided to let the music do the talking.

I decided to start with Avenged Sevenfold. Friends and longtime readers will know i like the band. I’ve seen them three times in concert and they are worth going to see. I loaded up the trusty iPod with their albums from WAKING THE FALLEN through HAIL TO THE KING. All of these albums are very familiar to me, but I had yet to listen to them sequentially. That’s where the changes became most apparent. As I moved from WAKING THE FALLEN to CITY OF EVIL and then to AVENGED SEVENFOLD (the white album), the band grows and becomes more interesting. It’s less screamo/metalcore or whatever you wish to call it. It’s still definitely metal, but it’s refined and polished. The song structure improves, the lyrical content becomes more mature and the musical interplay becomes more interesting. Then comes the pivotal NIGHTMARE album. With Rev’s death and unfinished work and the use of drum legend Mike Portnoy, the boys put out their breakthrough album. I hate it. It’s a chenge from everything I liked about their previous stuff. There’s shining moments, but overall the album does little to move me. Finally, I come to HAIL TO THE KING. It’s well produced and sold a ton of records. It’s not my bag. It’s not longer true metal, but is more of the heavy end of hard rock.

I ponder the evolutionary process, perhaps unfairly. Avenged Sevenfold lost a key member when Sullivan died. He was not only their drummer, but also was a major part of their song-writing team. While Portnoy is a drumming god, he wasn’t really part of the band. He didn’t have the years of experience and hardship that created the band and brought it forward. Iljay Is a competent drummer and a full band member, but he yet to really shine on record (though he is great live). Taking all of this into account., I needed to look at a band that didn’t have the catastrophic loss.

Five Finger Death Punch was the next reasonable target. They too have gone from basement band to arena headliner and have earned the wrath of metalheads everywhere. I loaded up the iPod with 5FDPs albums and went to work . The differences aren’t as dramatic. WAY OF THE FIST and WAR IS THE ANSWER are so similar they could have been a double album. That’s a good thing. Both a solid metal albums all the way through. WAR IS THE ANSWER had 5FDPs breakthrough hit with their cover of “Bad Company”, but other than that, they aren’t that different. AMERICAN CAPITALIST follows the trend . For some reason, I personally have never been able to focus on AMERICAN CAPITALIST for very long. It’s a good album, though not as strong as the previous two. The trip through the Death Punch sound ends with their double volumed THE WRONG SIDE OF HEAVEN AND THE RIGHTEOUS SIDE OF HELL. Perhaps this is where long time fans lost their patience with the band. It starts off well, guesting The Metal God, Rob Halford on “Lift Me Up.” The albums (Volumes I and II) are fun, but inconsistent. “The bizarre cover of LL Cool J’s “Mama said knock you out” raises an eye brow, as does the bands lack luster version of “House of the Rising Sun.” As Volume II comes to a close, I understand the frustration hardcore metal fans feel. It’s craving a hamburger and being fed a bologna sandwich. I Thought about the first time I saw the band and each subsequent time I’ve seen them. Ivan Moody drives a well oiled machine and he announces his attentions to adoring fans. I saw them open Mayhem Fest and Moody announced,”The next time you see us, we’ll be headlining this thing!” He was right. And when I saw them at a sold out Tabernacle (seats 5,000), he said they would be playing the Arena next. He was right. They sold out the Gwinnett Arena (estimated seating 25,000) and had the fantastic Adrenaline Mob and HellYeah open for them. They continue to increase their success, but move farther from the base that supported them.

I finished my experiment with another band that has seen increasing success, but that has a fan base that is rapidly changing. All That Remains has found a slightly different approach to success. They include a couple of radio hits on each album, but also makes sure there are several hardcore metal tracks. The results are albums that all inconsistent, but actually pretty good. They exhibit improved production and musicianship with each album. The songwriting is pretty level. The radio hits and ballads are good for what they are: money makers that have taken the band from bars and basement clubs to festivals and larger venues. They have yet to reach the pinnacles A7x and 5FDP have reached, but they are on a steadily improving path. I wish them success, but after a three day stretch of listening to all three bands entire catalogs sequentially, I found myself tired of all three bands and their brand of metal.

I sat in silence and pondered the evolutionary processes of each band and of other bands. I recalled Judas Priest’s attempts at crossover albums that failed so horribly and alienated so many fans. Motorhead’s failed attempt at a change in style (ANOTHER PERFECT DAY) was met with derision. Metallica’s amazingly successful albums of LOAD and RELOAD are still discussed with scorn. It was only with DEATH MAGNETIC that fans came back to the Metallica fold. Motorhead quickly reversed their error and didn’t suffer long term effects. Priest (thankfully) returned to form and the fans came back.

Is the problem the success or the changes one makes to achieve it? As each album becomes more accessible to the masses, there is that segment that despises the change and feels alienated. The long time fan feels betrayed and ignored. It’s like the kid at school that goes from being the nerd in the back of the class to becoming prom king. Those few friends he had at the beginning don’t fit in with the new crowd.

I find myself understanding more of the anger metalheads heap on these bands. It’s not just the fact the bands are now driving Bentleys and Porsches. It’s the increasing move away from square one. It’s moving into a territory where others either can’t or don’t want to follow. It’s forced change.

I have put my ATR, 5FDP and A7x albums back in the library. Not because I dislike them, but because, quite frankly, after three days straight of these bands, I’m tired and want to something more of my speed, something not on the beaten path. King 810, Goatwhore and Baroness are lined up. Bands that don’t necessarily have the following but still have the hunger.

I am amazed to see the increase in readers and welcome new readers in Italy, Portugal and Lithuania! Thank you for taking a moment to read my inane ramblings and spread the word!