In 1988, three of my favorite bands were, in order, AC/DC, Metallica, and Anthrax. The order has changed slightly, 15 years later, to:
1. Anthrax
2. AC/DC
~247. Metallica
In 1988, AC/DC released Blow Up Your Video, a less-than-stellar follow-up to Who Made Who, but nevertheless, stayed true to their high voltage kick ass rock'n'roll formula, the same music that they still play today. In those fifteen years, they've released 3 more studio albums, a double live album, and a box set, with another unnamed studio album set to be released this fall, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under their belts. They remain instantly recognizable, and sound the same now as they did fifteen years ago, as they did fifteen years before that. It's funny how some people complain about the fact that they never change, and these same people turn around and complain about how Metallica changed.
Metallica, meanwhile, was releasing And Justice For All, a tremendous album, but also the beginning of the end. Why? Their first taste of mainstream success with the One video, a success that would ultimately corrupt and destroy them. 15 years ago, Metallica was a trend-setter, now they just follow the trends. There was a time when I considered Lars to be the best drummer in the business, Kirk to be the best guitarist in the business, but now, they're a mockery of their former selves. Perhaps if someone other than Metallica released St. Anger, I wouldn't consider it to be a bad album, although not necessarily a good album either. But knowing what these guys were once capable of, this is an extremely disappointing mess. Yes, there is a heaviness to it that had been missing from recent efforts, but each song is so unfocussed, it's like an album full of filler or unfinished songs.
Finally, 1988 saw the release of State of Euphoria by Anthrax, an album that many see as one of their weakest, although I still liked it. However, from here on in, they only got better, especially after the addition of John. While AC/DC remained unchanged and Metallica turned into a completely different band, Anthrax fell somewhere in between, evolving while still maintaining ties to their roots. Unfortunately, while the other two bands saw increasing success, Anthrax hasn't been so lucky. Will WCFYA break that trend? It's not their best album, but it's certainly written to try and get some new fans, with a number of tracks that are more radio-friendly than ever before...but will radio stations notice? Time will tell, I guess.
1. Anthrax
2. AC/DC
~247. Metallica
In 1988, AC/DC released Blow Up Your Video, a less-than-stellar follow-up to Who Made Who, but nevertheless, stayed true to their high voltage kick ass rock'n'roll formula, the same music that they still play today. In those fifteen years, they've released 3 more studio albums, a double live album, and a box set, with another unnamed studio album set to be released this fall, and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under their belts. They remain instantly recognizable, and sound the same now as they did fifteen years ago, as they did fifteen years before that. It's funny how some people complain about the fact that they never change, and these same people turn around and complain about how Metallica changed.
Metallica, meanwhile, was releasing And Justice For All, a tremendous album, but also the beginning of the end. Why? Their first taste of mainstream success with the One video, a success that would ultimately corrupt and destroy them. 15 years ago, Metallica was a trend-setter, now they just follow the trends. There was a time when I considered Lars to be the best drummer in the business, Kirk to be the best guitarist in the business, but now, they're a mockery of their former selves. Perhaps if someone other than Metallica released St. Anger, I wouldn't consider it to be a bad album, although not necessarily a good album either. But knowing what these guys were once capable of, this is an extremely disappointing mess. Yes, there is a heaviness to it that had been missing from recent efforts, but each song is so unfocussed, it's like an album full of filler or unfinished songs.
Finally, 1988 saw the release of State of Euphoria by Anthrax, an album that many see as one of their weakest, although I still liked it. However, from here on in, they only got better, especially after the addition of John. While AC/DC remained unchanged and Metallica turned into a completely different band, Anthrax fell somewhere in between, evolving while still maintaining ties to their roots. Unfortunately, while the other two bands saw increasing success, Anthrax hasn't been so lucky. Will WCFYA break that trend? It's not their best album, but it's certainly written to try and get some new fans, with a number of tracks that are more radio-friendly than ever before...but will radio stations notice? Time will tell, I guess.
