big changes that bands made THAT YOU LIKE!

[Cythraul]

So here's something that happens to a lot of metal bands: They put out some cool metal records, then they start getting bored of that or start loathing themselves, so they decide to make a big change in their sound. Some people cry 'sellout!', others don't give much of a crap, and others really like the new direction.

Here's one band whose different eras I enjoy more or less: Paradise Lost. I like their early death/doom stuff, and I really like their middle period album Icon. It's quite a change in direction (or maybe a radical softening up of their original direction, whatever), but I think it's great music in its own right. I don't even mind whatever synth/goth rock Depeche Mode worship stuff they're doing nowadays that much.

What are some bands whose various changes in direction you enjoy?

edit: also, Bathory!!!

 

[The Butt]

Burzum. I love each Burzum album (I even sorta like DSEV now)... but something happened inbetween DSEV and HLTO... the songwriting changed completely. That's when Burzum's sound changed into more than just the sum of its parts.

IMO anyways.

 

[Seditious]

Hypocrisy. Didn't care at all for their first two albums, but am a huge fan of the atmospheric slow and simple MeloDeath style they developed.

 

[Slayed Necros]

Graveland. The change between Immortal Pride and Creed of Iron is pretty significant, as is the difference between Carpathian Wolves and Thousand Swords. I love basically everything released under the Graveland banner, but I'll admit that Darken has been slipping lately...

 

[Satanstoenail]

I really like the direction Entombed went with Wolverine Blues after releasing two classic death metal albums. I'm sure it got stale after that but WB is full of killer death & roll.

Coroner went from being the best that tech-thrash had to offer to a 'less is more' approached that ended with their masterwork, Grin.

 

[TechnicalBarbarity]

Grin is far from being their masterwork.

 

[Satanstoenail]

Grin is far from being their masterwork.

Ah but that's where you're wrong, see.

 

[Kulak]

Dimmu Borgir from BM to Satan pop.

 

[SkeletonWitch]

Savatage, from straightforward heavy metal to something really epic.

 

[Lifewithoutpain]

I like the change in Schuldiners approach to metal. His lyrics and guitaring got better and better with each album. Though the music progressed so much that it arguably wasn't even death metal by the end, it was still some great music.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I strongly enjoy every Fates Warning album except the debut, and each was at least a little different from the next, if not drastically. The change from AtG's prog-power into No Exit's prog-speed/thrash, and Inside Out's almost-commerical progressive metal into A Pleasant Shade of Grey's elaborated and brooding style are probably the two most pronounced.

Coroner went from being the best that tech-thrash had to offer to a 'less is more' approached that ended with their masterwork, Grin.

If the entire album was on par with the four eight minute songs, I'd agree, but it's a little too inconsistent to defeat Mental Vortex (which began the change into the wall-of-sound progressive weirdness). I would put Sepultura's Chaos AD on top for similar reasons, although their change from primordial death metal into generic Bay Area schlock was horrendous.

Savatage, from straightforward heavy metal to something really epic.

They had a fairly steady evolution though, except with Edge of Thorns being an 80's throwback of a hiccup in the middle of their Broadway era.

EDIT: Oh, Holocaust has to win for the most extreme change. Typical NWOBHM to Voivod-influenced progressive thrash to an almost dream pop/metal hybrid, and it's all kickass.

 

[Blind Guardian]

I also like Paradise Lost and the direction they took. They're by far the best band to go from growl/synth/doom to dark rock (I'm looking at you Katatonia). Another Peaceville 3 band, Anathema, also made some pretty nice changes. Their latest album is cool, sounds like a mix of Porcupine Tree and Sisters of Mercy.

 

[HolyJari]

Amorphis. I loved their early death metal style, but the new stuff is still pretty good. Didnt like it at first though.

 

[waif]

Satyricon, I like the black'n'roll sound more than their early black metal stuff.
Agree on Bathory and Death f'sho.
I also would say Elvenking, I actually enjoy their pop-punk take on folk/power quite a bit.
Dark Tranquility - although I enjoy the second album the most, their style on the last couple has been consistently interesting and well-done.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Besides the obvious ones, I'd have to say Beherit and Bolt Thrower.

But I guess these changes weren't really that drastic and more of the evolution of the band.

 

[J.]

Candlemass.

From the 13th sun is much better than the stuff with the fat oompa loompa.

Black sabbath

All sab is good, but Born Again is awesome.

I like all enslaved

I like the change immortal did with blizzard beasts and athow

 

[Jimmy... Dead.]

Katatonia





[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Lkrnxo9hfM&feature=related[/ame]

 

[Ryuuzaki]

Amorphis
Katatonia
Enslaved
Bathory

 

[PhlegethonVeins]

Katatonia, Ulver, Opeth, Enslaved, Death(aside from the vocal front.)

 

[MWM]

Anathema
Katatonia
Porcupine Tree
Primordial
Hypocrisy
Enslaved