Uncharacteristic albums that actually don't suck

[s4tch]

Here are 3 of my fave albums that raised some eyebrows when came out, but I still love 'em:

- Overkill: I Hear Black
This is arguably the slowest Overkill album. Pieces like Spiritual Void or Ignorance & Innocence are almost doom. This album misses a killer vintage Overkill tune like Elimination or Fuck you, but features the most mature songwriting of any Overkill record, and their best tune in World of Hurt.

- Pride and Glory: Pride and Glory
I cannot tell how much I hated Zakk Wylde for that. I expected some heavy metal, some epic solo work, and I got some lame southern rock. That was my first impression that lasted for a decade. I had my CD hidden somewhere in my flat. Then after I totally forgot about the record, I found it, and gave it a chance. Fuck, what a great material is it! Killer songs, killer sound, killer album, the best and most honest work Zakk has ever done.

- Satriani: self-titled
This came out after Surfing, Flying, Extremist, three records that changed the way we think about instrumental guitar music, and Time Machine, which was just like his earlier records. Many expected some tight riffing, great melodies, and rock, rock, rock. What we got was some blues, some jazzy drum work and almost no effects at all. Very much not like Joe ever before. But it's still a nice couple of songs, it features the best drumming on any Satriani albums (Manu Katche FTW!) and it is the best sounding record of Joe's bar none.

So, these are some uncharacteristic albums that actually don't suck. Keep 'em coming!

 

[heineken_fretwalker]

Well, These Days is absolutely nothing like anything Bon Jovi had done before, and it's far and away my favorite album. So, I suppose that fits the bill haha.

 

[Ishan]

My Dying Bride - 34.788% Complete
Every MDB fans hate it, I just can't get enough of it. Far better than quite a few albums they've done before (and after too )

 

[MatthewK]

Sonata Arctica - Unia
Twilightning - Swinelords

 

[ry_z]

My Dying Bride - 34.788% Complete
Every MDB fans hate it, I just can't get enough of it. Far better than quite a few albums they've done before (and after too )

34.788% Complete is an extremely uneven album, but it has some really interesting stuff on it.


This one will almost surely be lost on everyone here, but:
Kaya - かや名曲シリーズ１　ボンジュール！シャンソン (Kaya Meikyoku Series 1: Bonjour! Chanson)

Kaya's stuff is otherwise basically all club/dance oriented, but he took a left turn and recorded an EP of covers of old French songs.


Is this not the happiest goddamn song in existence?

He also managed to make La vie en rose sound incredibly sleazy.


Kashiwa Daisuke recently took a break from his usual glitch/breakcore/neoclassical self and released a solo piano album: (88)




I could probably include several Boris albums, but at this point I really think that they're characterized by doing uncharacteristic things.

 

[signalgrey]

I could probably include several Boris albums, but at this point I really think that they're characterized by doing uncharacteristic things.

well theres "Boris" and then theres "boris"

did you hear the newest ones? i got a straight up WTF?!?! face when i listened to it. then i couldnt stop listening.

 

[ry_z]

did you hear the newest ones? i got a straight up WTF?!?! face when i listened to it. then i couldnt stop listening.

This is exactly my point.

(and yeah, I have everything Boris have done)

 

[s4tch]

My Dying Bride - 34.788% Complete
Every MDB fans hate it, I just can't get enough of it. Far better than quite a few albums they've done before (and after too )

The latest one is Unseen by The Haunted. They always were a thrash band, now they play something like Mastodon met Audrey Horne. It sucks as a Haunted record, but if you forget your expectations and the name of the band, it's actually full of catchy songs.

 

[USMarine75]

Exodus - "Force of Habit" - most Exodus fans I know shit on this one because they claim it's not 'real thrash'... they say it's too slow and has too much singing. Plus, a lot of people preferred Baloff's vocals over Steve Souza. But, it's by far my favorite album of theirs and the only one I still listen to.

Scar Symmetry - "Dark Matter Dimensions" - Christian Alvestam is my favorite singer right now (when is Solution .45 coming out with another album?), but I've grown to love his 2 replacements and I love the songwriting/musicianship on this album as well as "The Unseen Empire".

Van Halen - "5150" - Van Hagar... controversial... you either loved the change from Diamond Dave or you really hated it.

 

[SenorDingDong]

Pain of Salvation - Scarsick

My favorite PoS album, most fans think it's to odd or not as good as most. I love it.

 

[s4tch]

^Cribcaged is the best PoS song alongside Iter Impius. BTW their last album is waaaay off the traditional PoS way, much more than Scarsick was. And it's a nice listen, too.

^^Force of Habit kicks ass.

Another one: The Ritual by Testament. It's slower and more melodic than their previous albums, it sounds less aggressive, too, but it's their best anyway. Or second best after The Gathering, depending on my mood. And Skolnick plays the best ever solos on The Ritual.

 

[vampiregenocide]

Pretty commercial and emo, but the album is well written and produced, with some heavy chuggy guitar work in there.

 

[DrakkarTyrannis]

Eat Me, Drink Me- Marilyn Manson

That dude has some great songwriting talent..or at least knows how to find people who do, and a lot of these songs on this cd were killer. Putting Holes In Happiness is an amazing rock song and I know for a fact that if someone other than Manson realeased this as a single it would be a huge hit.



And again

The High End Of Low- Marilyn Manson

It's an "adult" record, and I think a lot of his fans didn't care for it because he wasn't doing the "antichrist superstar" thing. It's probably the most adult music he's ever done and some of the lyrics really give insight to the stuff he was going through at the time. It's just a stripped down and honest cd with some of the usual Manson theatrics, but not so much.

 

[SilenceIsACrime]

This came out after Surfing, Flying, Extremist, three records that changed the way we think about instrumental guitar music, and Time Machine, which was just like his earlier records. Many expected some tight riffing, great melodies, and rock, rock, rock. What we got was some blues, some jazzy drum work and almost no effects at all. Very much not like Joe ever before. But it's still a nice couple of songs, it features the best drumming on any Satriani albums (Manu Katche FTW!) and it is the best sounding record of Joe's bar none.

What about Engines Of Creation? Completely techno/electronica but with crazy awesome guitar sounds. I think this record is one of Joe's least popular but it proved to me that the guy has some balls to put out something so different. Frankly, I really enjoy it, and it makes me wish he would keep stepping so far out of the box (his last few records have all generally had the same vibe).

Also, +1 to the guy who mentioned Unia.

 

[Adari]

Well, Damnation is the obvious answer:


My favourite album of Rush's entire catalogue: Caress of Steel:

It nearly ended their record deal.

Led Zeppelin III was pretty badly received:


Plenty of people hate the sudden change in production, but it's by far my favourite Metallica Album:

Obviously, it's less of a change than when TBA came out, but the dry guitars, lack of bass and clicky bass drum was pretty uncharacteristic of Metallica at the time.

I know I'll get a lot of hate for this one:

I love Slipknot.

 

[s4tch]

Eat Me, Drink Me- Marilyn Manson

This is the only Manson CD that I actually bought. Definitely has a place in this thread.

What about Engines Of Creation? Completely techno/electronica but with crazy awesome guitar sounds. I think this record is one of Joe's least popular but it proved to me that the guy has some balls to put out something so different. Frankly, I really enjoy it, and it makes me wish he would keep stepping so far out of the box (his last few records have all generally had the same vibe).

Sure it was a weird step from Joe, and I'm with those who do not like it a lot. In fact, I think that the self-titled, red-covered album was his last truly great recording before Wormhole Wizards. I love the last one, though.

Adari, nice finds, all of them!

 

[poopyalligator]

Thrice came out with the alchemy index album which was 4 distinctly different eps: fire, water, earth, and air. It was so different from their other stuff that island records dropped them from the label in the middle of production. I thought it was a great album and it had some great songs.

 

[USMarine75]

Anyone mention "new" In Flames albums? I know everytime they release a new album my diehard "old school" fans call it shit and say it isn't as good as their older stuff. (Since I just got into them I prefer the newer stuff anyways)

 

[xeL]

Thrice came out with the alchemy index album which was 4 distinctly different eps: fire, water, earth, and air. It was so different from their other stuff that island records dropped them from the label in the middle of production. I thought it was a great album and it had some great songs.

Water and Air led the way for Beggars which is a really good record considering how much of a change it was from TAITA or Vheissu.

 

[AllBodies]

Irony Is A Dead Scene by Dillinger was pretty different from their other stuff. My favorite album they have put out.