Dear Metallica and Linkin Park

It's because of the man. He turns good bands bad and keeps the minorities down with unfair legislation. The only way to get ahead in life is to kiss up to corporate america!!!

--
Beauty is just a light switch away

"In essence, it's exactly what I expect from AC/DC, and that's why I love AC/DC."

Hahah, so true. I think it's because people who are going to buy the new AC/DC CD are older people (and people who appreciate good rock music). Younger people today have such short attention spans, "the man" thinks bands need to get "new sounds" so people will stay interested, and thus keep buying their stuff.

Or maybe AC/DC just understands how to make money better than the other guys.

It's true! America is just a downright mean country in 2008! Keeping good bands down and giving us Plain White T's! :)

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"Don't blow this, Gene!"

I think any band will change their sound as they progress. Whether it's a subtle change or not will surely vary from band to band. Red Hot Chili Peppers is an example of a band that underwent a big change in their sound, yet (imo) are still just as good, if not better, than they were when they started. 311 is a band that's stayed pretty much the same, and I think that's for the best. Linkin Park didn't fully establish a sound to deviate from, imo. That said, I really don't like their latest album. I think Hybrid Theory was a better sound for them. Metallica has definitely been around long enough to have established a sound, and they've changed it several times. I became a Metallica fan when I heard the Black Album. Before you criticize me for that, keep in mind, I was 14yrs old, and that was their most recent album at the time, so it wasn't my fault. (BTW, if my life had a soundtrack, Metallica's "Unforgiven" would be the opening song). The Black Album was still close enough in sound to And Justice for All and Ride the Lightning that I grew to like those albums, too, but the Black Album is still what I compare all Metallica songs to. IMO, everything since that album has been mediocre. I think James Hetfield even took a short period of time off and did country music. There's a song on Load or Reload that sounds JUST like country to me, so yeah, Metallica ain't what it used to be.

As for AC/DC, the only thing more consistent than my distaste for them is their sound, which hasn't changed for decades. There's something to be said for how much they've managed to remain true to their roots and, presumably, their listeners. However, Angus Young just sounds silly to me. As decent as the rest of their music sounds, I just can't get past how bad the vocals are. However, like it or not, you have to admit that it's original, and they've managed to stay original for all this time. I respect that.

Good takes, Disavowed.

I agree. Keep the music the same if you want to keep your fans. If you aren't going to keep your music the same, then you had better be doing some incredible amount of extracurricular work on the side for me to continue to give a care about what you are doing.

In the meantime, I really don't care much about the artists' feelings, beliefs, or personality. I just want them to play music that I like.

Josh, I'm in the same boat with Metallica, also because of my age. No harm in finding the Black album first. However, since then Masters of Puppets and Justice for All have become the "standard" by which I compare other albums. As you might expect, this hasn't been going well for the past 15 years.

I really like AC/DC's vocals. BTW, their current vocalist (since Back in Black ,1980) is Brian Johnson. Prior to that it was Bon Scott. Angus Young plays lead guitar, with his brother Malcolm on bass. Different strokes for different folks I suppose. AC/DC was sort of my introduction to hard rock, which may explain my affinity for them. The first three CDs I bought with my own money (circa ~1992) were Countdown to Extinction by Megadeth, Highway to Hell by AC/DC, and something by Dr. Dre.

Haha, that's an interesting combination of "first CDs". I'm betting the Dr. Dre album you got was "The Chronic", since that was probably the biggest rap album around that time. I love that album, btw. Thanks for clearing the AC/DC vocalist thing up for me. The only band member I knew by name was Angus, so I assumed he was the singer. That was a poor assumption on my part. BTW, one of my first albums was the soundtrack for "Last Action Hero". Not a great movie, but a killer soundtrack. "Poison My Eyes" by Anthrax, "Angry Again" by Megadeth, "Back in Black" by AC/DC, "A Little Bitter" by Alice in Chains, "Cock The Hammer" by Cypress Hill, and a few others. Funny you mentioned Back in Black-- that's the only AC/DC song I've ever listened to on a regular basis, or actually chosen to listen to, probably b/c it's on my favorite soundtrack.

Man, talking about all these old songs and CDs makes me nostalgic. My first CDs were Metallica's "Black Album", GNR "Use Your Illusions 1 & 2", Dr. Dre's "The Chronic", and Alice In Chains "Dirt". Such good albums. They pretty much influenced my music tastes from then on.

I didn't get Dirt until 1998, but The Rooster is one of my favorite rock guitar licks ever. I just remembered that the song "Dre Day" was on that Dr. Dre CD, so it must be The Chronic. Interesting that we had similar experiences there. I got Appetite for Destruction by GNR relatively early, but I think I was 13 by that point. I remember looking at that disheveled woman on the cover with her panties around her knees and thinking "What happened to her?"

Man, I had totally forgotten about that album artwork, until you just mentioned it. With the weird looking robot, and the scene was set near a sidewalk w/ a wooden fence in the background. Funny, the stuff you remember, that makes an impression on you when you're young, even though you don't yet have the frame of reference to fully realize what it means...