Comebacks in metal

[johnfrank1970]

My research reinforces my opinion that reunion albums do not hold a huge amount of promise. For my tastes, the only bands whose reunion album is their best work are Mekong Delta, Sculptured, and Teramaze. Also Satan if you don't consider their masterpiece under another name, Pariah - Blaze of Obscurity. Exumer, Gorguts, Hell, and Mr. Big's reunion albums are also my favorite releases by those bands, but I did not care for their earlier work.

I added the list of "return to form" albums to acknowledge bands I like who were active throughout their career or reunited and released a crappy album first, but they managed to surprise me with their first enjoyable album in a long period of time. These are also comebacks by a different definition.

Reunion album that is similar in quality to the band's best work

Reunion album / Previous album

Artillery - When Death Comes (2009) / B.A.C.K. (1999)
Disaffected - Rebirth (2012) / Vast (1995)
Ira Deum - Demoratoria Irae - Back in Dark Ages (2011) / Reincarnation of the Immortal Evil (1995)
Maelstrom - It Was Predestined EP (2008) / This Battle to Make History, Yet History Never Comes Demo (1991)
Mekong Delta - Lurking Fear (2007) / Pictures at an Exhibition (1996)
Satan - Life Sentence (2013) / Court in the Act (1983)
Sculptured - Embodiment: Collapsing under the Weight of God (2008) / Apollo Ends (2000)
Teramaze - Anhedonia (2012) / Not the Criminal EP (2001)
Warlord - The Holy Empire (2013) / And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun... (1984)

Worthwhile reunion album that does not measure up to the band's best work

All Too Human - Juggernaut (2012) / Entropy (2002)
Atheist - Jupiter (2010) / Elements (1993)
Believer - Gabriel (2009) / Dimensions (1993)
Black Sabbath - Dehumanizer (1992) / Mob Rules (1981)
Carcass - Surgical Steel (2013) / Swansong (1996)
Cynic - Traced in Air (2008) / Focus (1993)
Exodus - Tempo of the Damned (2004) / Force of Habit (1992)
Faith or Fear - Titanium (2012) / Punishment Area (1989)
Forbidden - Omega Wave (2010) / Green (1997)
Forte - Unholy War (2012) / Rise Above (1999)
Heathen - The Evolution of Chaos (2009) / Victims of Deception (1991)
Heaven's Cry - Wheels of Impermanence (2012) / Primal Power Addiction (2002)
Helstar - The King of Hell (2008) / Multiples of Black (1995)
Leatherwolf - World Asylum (2006) / Street Ready (1989)
Mercyful Fate - In the Shadows (1993) / Don't Break the Oath (1984)
New Eden - Solving for X (2012) / Stagnant Progression (2003)
Night in Gales - Five Scars (2011) / Necrodynamic (2001)
Pariah - Unity (1998) / Blaze of Obscurity (1989)
Sacred Warrior - Waiting in Darkness (2013) / Obsessions (1991)
Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth (2012) / 1984 (1984)

Cool reunion album, but I did not care for their earlier work

Exumer - Fire & Damnation (2012) / Rising from the Sea (1987)
Gorguts - Colored Sands (2013) / From Wisdom to Hate (2001)
Hell - Human Remains (2011) / Demo 1986 (1986)
Mr. Big - What If... (2010) / Actual Size (2001)

Return to form / First album I liked from the band in a long time

Accept - Blood of the Nations (2010)
Accuser - Dependent Domination (2011)
Agent Steel – Alienigma (2007)
Anthrax - Worship Music (2011)
Candlemass - Death Magic Doom (2009)
Death Angel - Relentless Retribution (2010)
Destruction - All Hell Breaks Loose (2000)
Flotsam and Jetsam - The Cold (2010)
Hellbastard - Sons of Bitches EP (2012)
Iron Maiden - Brave New World (2000)
Kreator - Violent Revolution (2001)
Machine Head - Through the Ashes of Empires (2003)
Megadeth - United Abominations (2007)
Mortal Sin - Psychology of Death (2011)
Motley Crue - Saints of Los Angeles (2008)
Onslaught - Sounds of Violence (2011)
Overkill - Ironbound (2010)
Ozzy Osbourne - Scream (2010)
Paradox - Electrify (2008)
Primus - Green Naugahyde (2011)
Rage - Soundchaser (2003)
Ratt - Infestation (2010)
Riot - Immortal Soul (2011)
Slayer - Christ Illusion (2006)
Tankard - Beast of Bourbon (2004)
The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us Is the Killer (2013)
The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet (2012)
Voivod - Target Earth (2013)

Did not like this band until this reunion album:

Anihilated - Scorched Earth Policy (2010)
Bitches Sin - The Rapture (2011)
Obsession - Order of Chaos (2012)
Satan's Host - By the Hands of the Devil (2011)
Vendetta - Feed the Extermination (2011)

 

[AeonicSlumber]

How is the last Dillinger album at all any different from the last 4 albums?

 

[dcowboys311]

Celtic Frost...

 

[Sir Exar Kun]

Wow, you have put some serious thought into this list.....

Here's what I love....

My research reinforces my opinion that reunion albums do not hold a huge amount of promise. For my tastes, the only bands whose reunion album is their best work are Mekong Delta, Sculptured, and Teramaze. Also Satan if you don't consider their masterpiece under another name, Pariah - Blaze of Obscurity. Exumer, Gorguts, Hell, and Mr. Big's reunion albums are also my favorite releases by those bands, but I did not care for their earlier work.

I cannot believe Mr. Big made it into this list! (Personally, though, Mr. Big is the only band ON this I have ever listened to, and I agree with you 100% on your assessment.)

I was just laughing as I read through "Gorguts / Hell / Exumer / MR. BIG".

 

[PromisedLand]

LOL..

To be fair, Actual Size sucked. Richie Kotzen is a great guitarist, but he was a huge departure from the classic Mr. Big guitar sound developed by Paul Gilbert.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Celtic Frost...

Yes. And Dissection.

 

[johnfrank1970]

How is the last Dillinger album at all any different from the last 4 albums?

I like it. The next most recent album I like from them is Irony Is a Dead Scene.

 

[johnfrank1970]

Celtic Frost...

Not a fan of the band, but, yeah, people seemed to dig Monotheist.

 

[johnfrank1970]

Wow, you have put some serious thought into this list.....

Here's what I love....



I cannot believe Mr. Big made it into this list! (Personally, though, Mr. Big is the only band ON this I have ever listened to, and I agree with you 100% on your assessment.)

I was just laughing as I read through "Gorguts / Hell / Exumer / MR. BIG".

Though I basically only listen to metal and hard rock, I certainly like a variety of styles within those parameters.

 

[DADRocks]

LOL..

To be fair, Actual Size sucked. Richie Kotzen is a great guitarist, but he was a huge departure from the classic Mr. Big guitar sound developed by Paul Gilbert.

Completely disagree. I liked Actual Size quite a bit.... I think it's a really solid release. Same w/ Get Over It.

 

[dcowboys311]

Yes. And Dissection.

I can't believe I forgot this one. Reinkaos is their finest.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

I like it. The next most recent album I like from them is Irony Is a Dead Scene.

Yeah but, everything they've done since Miss Machine is pretty much in the exact same sound. Miss Machine, Ire Works, Option Paralysis, and One of Us are very very similar records. They've never really gone back to the style of Calculating Infinity and Irony Is a Dead Scene was a complete experiment with Mike Patton (and the Coalesce guy) and not representative of the band's sound anymore.

 

[johnfrank1970]

Yeah but, everything they've done since Miss Machine is pretty much in the exact same sound. Miss Machine, Ire Works, Option Paralysis, and One of Us are very very similar records. They've never really gone back to the style of Calculating Infinity and Irony Is a Dead Scene was a complete experiment with Mike Patton (and the Coalesce guy) and not representative of the band's sound anymore.

Agreed. This one fits into the category of "First release I have liked from the band in a long time", as I stated in the header of that list.

 

[OrionSon]

For the longest time, Brave New World was my favorite Iron Maiden album of all time. It probably still is, I just need to give them all a listen again.

 

[johnfrank1970]

Suspended Sentence (1987)

Yeah, like with Van Halen and Black Sabbath, I listed the last album that had the same key people as the reunion album. Life Sentence features the Court in the Act vocalist, not the Suspended Sentence vocalist.

 

[nomisofsiman]

My research reinforces my opinion that reunion albums do not hold a huge amount of promise. For my tastes, the only bands whose reunion album is their best work are Mekong Delta, Sculptured, and Teramaze. Also Satan if you don't consider their masterpiece under another name, Pariah - Blaze of Obscurity.

Hold on a second. I'm not trying to make an argument here, BUT in one sentence you say reunion albums don't hold up but then you say how reunions usually aren't their best work. Who says it has to be and if it isn't, the album can still be quite good. Take Judas Priest for example. I LOVED Angel of Retribution, but with a band like that, I can't exactly call it their best work. However, it still was high quality.

I also second Monotheist. I LOVE that album.

 

[MelbCro]

For the longest time, Brave New World was my favorite Iron Maiden album of all time. It probably still is, I just need to give them all a listen again.

I rate it highly as well, in my top 3 Maiden albums. love it

 

[johnfrank1970]

Hold on a second. I'm not trying to make an argument here, BUT in one sentence you say reunion albums don't hold up but then you say how reunions usually aren't their best work. Who says it has to be and if it isn't, the album can still be quite good. Take Judas Priest for example. I LOVED Angel of Retribution, but with a band like that, I can't exactly call it their best work. However, it still was high quality.

Of course, it is highly unlikely that a reunion album will be the band's best work. That should not be the expectation. I was just trying to point out that having a reunited band release their fifth best album is no great cause for celebration. The anticipation/excitement associated with comebacks is not really justified in my case. In many cases, the reunion album sucks. I only listed albums I actually like to some extent. In most of those cases, the album usually just reminds me that I should listen to the band's classics more often.

 

[TheLongshot]

Of course, it is highly unlikely that a reunion album will be the band's best work. That should not be the expectation. I was just trying to point out that having a reunited band release their fifth best album is no great cause for celebration. The anticipation/excitement associated with comebacks is not really justified in my case. In many cases, the reunion album sucks. I only listed albums I actually like to some extent. In most of those cases, the album usually just reminds me that I should listen to the band's classics more often.

Not sure why the fifth best album == suck, which is what you seem to imply. Personally, when a band you like produces a new album, that should be a cause for celebration, since more music is usually a good thing, even if it isn't the best thing they've ever done.

 

[johnfrank1970]

Not sure why the fifth best album == suck, which is what you seem to imply. Personally, when a band you like produces a new album, that should be a cause for celebration, since more music is usually a good thing, even if it isn't the best thing they've ever done.

I buy hundreds of albums per year. Many reunion albums get lost in the crowd. It is nice that the band has returned and released something decent, but it does not stand out. It is just one of many, many albums. It's not a bad thing, but it is not particularly notable either. So I don't get too excited about reunion albums. No real celebration. Just one more purchase.