Bands or musicians who strayed far from their roots

Riff Raff

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Def Leppard are a classic example of a band who went way too soft during the 90s.
Some argue that started at Hysteria after the harder rock edge albums of Pyromania and High N Dry. But the 90s was a terrible decade for them.

I am all for bands trying to change their sound but not for the sake of it, that rarely works. Judas Priest are another example who did a more commercial turn with the sound on Turbo. It actually is not a bad album but by the standards of albums before it the album is incredibly weak.

Then you have Metallica, their true experimenting was not so much Load and Reload as that still had bits of their old metal but St Anger was a true experiment gone bad. A nu metal, uninspired attempt to get an album out there with ridiculous feuds within the band ranks, did not even have a bassist.

Megadeth with Risk was a different case, they wanted to take a gamble hence the name Risk. It flopped miserably, the commercial poppy sound did not work for Megadeth and they were smart enough to listen to their fans. Bands who listen to feedback deserve respect.
 

Soot and Stars

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Def Leppard are a classic example of a band who went way too soft during the 90s.
Some argue that started at Hysteria after the harder rock edge albums of Pyromania and High N Dry. But the 90s was a terrible decade for them.

I am all for bands trying to change their sound but not for the sake of it, that rarely works. Judas Priest are another example who did a more commercial turn with the sound on Turbo. It actually is not a bad album but by the standards of albums before it the album is incredibly weak.

Then you have Metallica, their true experimenting was not so much Load and Reload as that still had bits of their old metal but St Anger was a true experiment gone bad. A nu metal, uninspired attempt to get an album out there with ridiculous feuds within the band ranks, did not even have a bassist.

Megadeth with Risk was a different case, they wanted to take a gamble hence the name Risk. It flopped miserably, the commercial poppy sound did not work for Megadeth and they were smart enough to listen to their fans. Bands who listen to feedback deserve respect.

I think from Slang on is where Def Leppard jumped the shark. :) I liked everything right up to the "When Love and Hate Collide" single off of the Vault hits compilation! :grinthumb
 

Riff Raff

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Slang was really the album that done my head in. lol
 

Soot and Stars

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Slang was really the album that done my head in. lol

Yeah, I'm usually up for experimentation but at least understand the genres you are attempting. They wanted to be alternative rock on Slang and their last album they tried to copy Bon Jovi by incorporating country. Bon Jovi is actually great at that but Def Leppard somehow became clueless along the way! :heheh:
 

Riff Raff

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I think if bands want to experiment, maybe utilise the bands influences a bit more, incorporate influences rather then try to do something so hugely different even their fans won't recognise the band.
 

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I think if bands want to experiment, maybe utilise the bands influences a bit more, incorporate influences rather then try to do something so hugely different even their fans won't recognise the band.

Some artist are actually good at picking up influences AS they go always growing more but some rush into it for the wrong reasons.
 

Riff Raff

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Some artist are actually good at picking up influences AS they go always growing more but some rush into it for the wrong reasons.

There is that or maybe try to mix up collective influences, see what could potentially work as an album, collecting more influences I hadn't thought of actually, that is a good point. :D
Or do the sound change in baby steps, don't do it in such a radically huge step, fans may accept it more if the band maybe just does it gradually. Give the fans a chance to adjust I say.
 
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E-Z

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Believe it or not EUROPE yes guy's you've read it correctly EUROPE were a fine 'heavy metal' band all 'denim & leather' on there first album then Joey Tempest and the boy's went all BIG HAIR, perfume, cuddly toys & love ballads on the sophomore album and following albums for christ sakes!! :omg:
 

coltrane2

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I may have missed it in an above post, but Ritchie Blackmore comes to mind: defining blues hard rock with Purple and Rainbow, then ends up looking like an extra from Lord of The Rings and singing folk songs in Blackmore's Night.

Not slagging him off, just a massive departure.
 
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