Clear cases
Def Leppard - "Pyromania": The band lost an arm, some years and all the balls. Crappy, poppy the shape of things to come. Where "High'N'Dry" was left, mostly dry I guess.
Metallica - "Metallica": Another high dive into nothingness. Everybody guessed that 'One' and the video was a bad omen, the next album was a high alert, after that ("Load") a war declaration and gravity make the rest of the job.
Dream Theater - "Train Of Thoughts": Disgusting sound try to impress mallcore fans. Copycat of new post "Metallica" (black album) sound of the great-down the-spiral-all time champions.
Anthrax - "Stomp 442": I don't have the previous one and I also believe the band fucked up big time with "The Attack Of The Killing Bs' and the 'I Am The Man' shit. Friends recommended me this one but is so Panterishtical that bores me to dead, one good song 'Fueled' and the final ballad is yuck!
Nightwish - "Once": "Century Child" was damn weak compared to the predecessors, but this one is a lot of nails in the coffin. The next one (if it happens) will be
severely scrutinized before purchase. Something wicked this way comes and smells like a band loosing appealing.
Megadeth - "Cryptic Writings": If "Youthanasia" brought for me the first unrecordable Megadeth song, CW brought many. Bad sign that a check of "Risk" and TWNAH confirmed. Bye bye Dave...and hello again with "The System Has Failed" I hope the Helloween effect may apply here.
Almafuerte - "Almafuerte": The speed metal band from Argentina that I like so much after two albums decided to re-record songs from the former band off the bass/singer Ricardo Iorio. Moreover finally the true colors of the guy show up in the lyrics: right wing wacko, populist clown. The next two albums were awful, I bought them and sold them This IDIOT found the hard way the error of buying albums without previous info on them or a pre-hearing. I still have the two first albums, but I abhor the band greatly.
Avalanch - "Los Poetas Han Muerto": after three great power metal albums, the guitar player fired half the band, toned down the music and made it mellower and sweeter. The result
Iron Maiden - "No Prayer For The Dying": Alright,
don't shoot me! This is about conversation not free bashing
I'm not going to say that is Gers fault either (even if I don't like him), but after SSOASS the band lost magic, the next albums were increasingly erratic, Blaze era (don't mention it JD
) and Bruce return were all failure. DOD is just
please let me die. The band that brought me into metal is a walking corpse, nothing but sadness fill my soul on this subject
Hit and miss
Helloween - "Pink Bubbles Go Ape": The band was heading for tomorrow?
, no for disaster. The album is plain bad, and "Chameleon" is plain
. But like the phoenix the band came back from ashes with "Master Of The Rings", giving one good album after another... just to came into shit again. "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" is not
bad but is not good either compared to the stuff before it. The band from here may go up or probably down again, and (if)being the second time can be fatal.
Metal Church - "Masterpeace": Years passed by, the band was revamped with the old singer and as much as I miss Howe the album actually is much better than most people says is not. Anyhow something smelled fichy, and covering Aerosmith wasn't a good sign either. After that the band fell apart, Wayne screwed up big time, and now all that is left is Vanderhoof and the drummer. Looks more like Vanderhoof band than MC, but people say the album is good so who knows...?
The Organization: The post Death Angel outfit did it right unlike Metallica. They changed the name and the sound, the albums are groovier and poppier. Not awful, but nothing really important to have in the collection (unless you're an IDIOT like me and bought them cheap but without info). The band got astray, change again the moniker and went into oblivion.
This year Death Angel (minus one original member) came back with a good album, bashed for many who wanted another debut
. The album is better than "Frolic Through The Park" and even parts of "Act III".
The skin of the teeth
Black Sabbath - "Forbidden": the album just stinks. Who in hell gave Iommi the idea of having Ice-T (and his guitar as producer) in the album? Where's the gloom/doom Ozzy era music? The might of the Dio albums? The heaviness of "Born Again"? Even the spirit of "The Headless Cross"? No idea, the album reeks mediocrity, and it was one of the worst swan songs in metal history. ""Reunion came as an eraser, it just took the bad taste and gave the band a dignifying farewell, the original line-up got together and
buried the band with honors. May they prove worthy of themselves in the Ozzpest.
Judas Priest - "Demolition": second album with Owens and the novelty of a more aggressive sound was replaced for a tendency of Tipton to get "modern" and filled the album with mallcore atmosphere. Owens was neglected as a lyricist and the input of Downing, Hill and Travis ignored. The band was heading for the bottomless pit, and Halford decided to throw them a lifesaver. Now the oxygen is on their field, I hope they know how to breath it good, because if the new album doesn't deliver up to the expectations for this kind of reunion...
False alarms
Skyclad - "A Semblance Of Normality": The first new material album without Martin Walkyier was a big surprise. Against most prophets of doom who predicted crap without Walkyier lyrics and vocals, came out as a great album. The lyrics are still good, the music is GREAT, and I prefer the cleaner vocals of Kevin Ridley.
Deep Purple - "Bananas": As "Purpendicular" and Steve Morse came as new msucle for a band deeped troubled by line-up wars, the next one "Abandon" and the numerous live albums filled with just old material (plus boxes and remasters) smelled like a dying band in their last gasps. The new album was among the finest surprises of 2003. Great songs, great lyrics, catchy melodies, perfect playing and the proof that being old school at its best is worth to be forever.
*Note: I'm not fan of Sepultura, but I also believed they screwed up with "Chaos A.D." and from there to
bottomity"*
Sorry for the long post, I got carried away (must be the Friday 13th effect).
. However I broke down and got St Anger ... just goes to show how dumb I am. 
