What does it take to sell out??

Maelstrom

Metal is the Law!
Jan 27, 2002
257
1
18
46
Adelaide
www.theharrowed.com
What does it take to become a sell out band? I mean we can all site examples of bands who have sold out, but what is it that they do? Is it that they change purely for the sake of wider accessability? Or are we sometimes too harsh on bands who are evolving their sound, thinking that they’re trying to sell out?

For instance, I think the latest Soilwork album shows that they are going to sell out over the next couple of albums. Other people disagree and think that it’s just the direction that they would naturally go. I don’t buy it myself, but then, I don’t know them personally.

Is it label pressure? I know that a lot of bands get pushed into recording albums before they’re ready, and they usually contain weaker material. Usually because they haven’t had the time to work on the songs they don’t have the subtle layers of complexity. This often makes them sound more commercial even if it’s not their intent.

If there’s one good thing about selling out though, I think that it gets more people into metal. I still probably wouldn’t have heard some classic albums such as Carcass – Necroticism, or even Megadeth’s – Rust In Peace if it wasn’t for the fact of their more commercial albums later on. I got into Swansong and Countdown, and then I started to backtrack on their collections. That’s when I realised that the later stuff was the sellout stuff. If they hadn’t released those albums, I may not have gotten into them.

Does anyone have an experience like this? What does everyone think?

I mean the real question is “If Fury became a boy-band would our fans still respect us??”:D:)
 
What's this "still" business? HAHAHAHA!

Just kidding, man! :)

I think a band sells out when they go against everything they believe in to sell more records. I have no problem with bands wanting to be popular or wanting to do different styles or whatever, but if, say, Dungeon started playing Nu-Metal, you'd have to really question why we were doing it since we're probably the anti-Nu-Metal band stylistically! HAHA!
 
i can understand what you mean about Soilwork, the album does sound like an attempt to break into 'roadrunner type kids' market and subsequently sell more albums..

just say if Fury went huge selling millions of albums but still played thrash/death, id say good for ya's, but if you changed your style so you could have a better chance at making money.......frankly i and a lot of people would be pissed!:lol:
 
just look at the american band sugar ray. they are the picture perfect definition of a sellout. they were somewhat kinda sorta heavy, but when that song "fly" and blew up, they just started playing all that uber-poppy crap to try and emulate the success of that one song, and it worked to a degree.

wait a sec, who is fury:guh: whoops wrong forum:lol: i was going to a different UM forum and i accidentally stopped on this forum and saw the sellout thread. carry on :D
 
I tink to sell out you need to change and be against what you stood for, or just trying t omake more money than you need by changing unnaturally.



Of course, existing jsut to make money means you sucked fro the start :)