Torch the Sacred Cow!

I know those bands.

well said!

There are some acts who still put out stellar releases. For example, Rush, AC/DC, and Triptykon (sure they're new but let's face it, they're just another creative chapter in the life of Tom G.) all put out amazing albums that hold up to their past work in my opinion. However, I'll admit that I absolutely hate it when guys like Eddie Trunk praise a classic band's new release claiming that it measures up to their old stuff. Sure the last Judas Priest record was decent, but it was no wear near the ranks of Sad Wings of Destiny, Stained Class, or Screaming for Vengeance. Overkill and Testament have been putting out ok thrash records for the last so many years, but nothing as amazing as their 80s work. Maybe the classic fans are just under the illusion that it's gonna be like it was 20, 30, or 40 years ago for these bands. It's not. The last amazing Priest record was Painkiller. I can't remember the last Testament or Overkill record I could truly call amazing. I agree with you on this thread man.

Will the bands I listed above release an album as amazing as their past work? Most likely no. But it isn't impossible. Take Queensryche for example. After Empire, Queensryche released 2 decades worth of garbage. 2 decades pass and they sack Geoff Tate for Todd LaTorre. The result? Their best album since Empire! A 5 star record of the cutting edge progressive metal that made them famous. Not even I expected a comeback like that. Therefore, anything is possible for these classic bands, but I think the case of Queensryche is one in a million.

I agree with you on that there is some amazing younger bands coming up through the ranks so to speak, Who deserve a shot in the big time, But promoters won't take that risk all the time because it costs a lot of money to put on shows.

Some bands don't bring out good material anymore which truly sucks, But no matter who the band is or how classic they may be it all comes down to what can make them money because we are all human and have stuff in life we need to pay for.

Some metal heads will always pick up a current release from a band they grew up to over taking a risk on something they don't know because they second guess themselves and want to hold onto memories of previous years.

I myself go out on a limb time to time and get stuff that looks epic or the name sounds awesome or if I see awesome merch (IE; t shirt's, patches, etc.) on here, I've discovered a lot of amazing bands by doing so.

One of the downsides to being on a label with a contract and owing these people album after album, as an artist you're not always gonna have that magic, that spark of pure inspiration, theyre just writing and recording because it's their job, which we all need, we all need to work and better to be paid doing something you love than something you don't.... but it is a huge disappointment when a band starts out and their music is coming from a pure place and created truly from the heart and then they sign to a label and have to churn out material because theyre contractually obligated to and the material suffers because they're not inspired purely by love of music, it's rare to see bands turn out quality work long after they've been signed, iron Maiden comes to mind, as does metallica, some of their best work came years after being signed to a major label...
My love for the big names is limited almost totally to specific albums, where I feel like the mood of these worKS suits my needs at the time....
I feel like a bands' music / sound / whatever is purest on the stage or rehearsal room anyway, that's where you'll hear the material really coming from the heart....sure the studio can bring a certain magic and make an album special but a live setting is where you'll hear the material as it sounds more naturally I think....
and I'm just rambling, I've had a few beers and my thoughts aren't organized right now haha fuck my tits

Totally agree, unfortunately, several examples on this category...

I lived the 80's and you know what I left all those bands that killed back in them days back there because like already mentioned the spirit of the music died anybody that thinks Slayer is good now is fooling themselves their just a cash cow band now, I always liked my Metal with aggression and these old bands from the 80's just don't have it, I'd rather support an underground band than any major label one these days because they have the spirit of what Metal is about.