What were they thinking?

Stryper - Against the Law (I know many fans love this album, but when I first heard it I was very disappointed in it.)

Savatage - Fight For The Rock

Temple of Blood wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

I generally know what they're thinking but simply don't agree with it.

Can't think of any "what were they thinking" albums off the top of my head.

Have you heard Scorpions Eye II Eye?

No. Is it one of the "total commercial sellout attempt" or the "half-hearted return to form" variety?

No. Worse. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it. It's a total 180 degree stylistic turn for the worst. It's actually pop with techno beats, samples, etc. I'd be hard pressed to even call most of it rock. About half of it is ballads with beats I would describe as dance beats. I doubt there is a real drummer anywhere on the CD. The guitar tones are those lifeless, digital tones used in a lot of pop. It's really THAT bad.

Dokken's SHADOWLIFE, Helloween's CHAMELEON and Celtic Frost's COLD LAKE come immediately to mind.

Tourniquet "Vanishing Lessons" - I STILL don't know what they were thinking.

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

I generally know what they're thinking but simply don't agree with it.

Can't think of any "what were they thinking" albums off the top of my head.

Have you heard Scorpions Eye II Eye?

No. Is it one of the "total commercial sellout attempt" or the "half-hearted return to form" variety?

No. Worse. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it. It's a total 180 degree stylistic turn for the worst. It's actually pop with techno beats, samples, etc. I'd be hard pressed to even call most of it rock. About half of it is ballads with beats I would describe as dance beats. I doubt there is a real drummer anywhere on the CD. The guitar tones are those lifeless, digital tones used in a lot of pop. It's really THAT bad.

That's what I said. Total commercial sell-out attempt. Trying to adopt popular musical styles.

Queensryche - Rage for Order......



?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


this isn't heavy metal.... from Queen of The Ryche how the mighty fell.....

Obituary - World Demise
Iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

I generally know what they're thinking but simply don't agree with it.

Can't think of any "what were they thinking" albums off the top of my head.

Have you heard Scorpions Eye II Eye?

No. Is it one of the "total commercial sellout attempt" or the "half-hearted return to form" variety?

No. Worse. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it. It's a total 180 degree stylistic turn for the worst. It's actually pop with techno beats, samples, etc. I'd be hard pressed to even call most of it rock. About half of it is ballads with beats I would describe as dance beats. I doubt there is a real drummer anywhere on the CD. The guitar tones are those lifeless, digital tones used in a lot of pop. It's really THAT bad.

i still like it. i don't care if it's considered rock or not. Klaus would sound great over any kind of music imo.

some "what where they thinking" from me...

Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction (the beginning of the end)
Metallica - Load & Reload (wtf happened to these guys during these 2 albums?)
Manowar - Gods of War (pompous garbage)
Misfits - American Psycho (Misfits without Danzig? no f*cking way)
Sepultura - Roots (Jonathan Davis is like... god, ya know.)
Judas Priest - Jugulator & Demolition (bad vocals, bad song writing, a sad attempt at trying to stay hip)

mr.electric39 wrote:

Queensryche - Rage for Order......



?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


this isn't heavy metal.... from Queen of The Ryche how the mighty fell.....

hmmm.. :p well..it's one of the heaviest records I've ever heard...it's the isolated, futurist, cynical mind, further blotted with empty promises from what the women and relationships of the outside world have to offer...a nocturnal vision of desolation and anger and UTTER DISCONTENT......it's heavy metal...a sleek, gothic masterwork of heavy metal that has the same few friends in the world of flesh and technology both, where every avenue to embrace ends up a dead end, and a struggle for further revolution and meaning...........I would say the Rÿche on this album, on the recordings prior, and the follow-up..capture a very pure spirit of Heavy Metal in it's glorious and elite discontent.......never compromise..even in the face of Armageddon. This is Heavy Metal..as essential to the understanding of the art in that decade as 'Heaven And Hell', 'Death or Glory', and 'Awaken the Guardian'.

Me thinks many people here don't really understand the point of the thread.

It's not just naming bad albums. It's about not understanding the intent behind these albums ... not that they ended up being poorly executed.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Me thinks many people here don't really understand the point of the thread.

It's not just naming bad albums. It's about not understanding the intent behind these albums ... not that they ended up being poorly executed.

um...duh?

You don't know what DETH were thinking with "Countdown"? I do.

"Let's streamline our sound so we can get more mass appeal and radio/MTV play."

Temple of Blood wrote:

You don't know what DETH were thinking with "Countdown"? I do.

sure... lets commercialize our sound and copy Metallica's direction, & give the middle finger to everyone who supported us as being a unique example of what everyone expects thrash to become. Rust in Peace was that unique example.

knowing & understanding are 2 totally different things.

Temple of Blood wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

I generally know what they're thinking but simply don't agree with it.

Can't think of any "what were they thinking" albums off the top of my head.

Have you heard Scorpions Eye II Eye?

No. Is it one of the "total commercial sellout attempt" or the "half-hearted return to form" variety?

No. Worse. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it. It's a total 180 degree stylistic turn for the worst. It's actually pop with techno beats, samples, etc. I'd be hard pressed to even call most of it rock. About half of it is ballads with beats I would describe as dance beats. I doubt there is a real drummer anywhere on the CD. The guitar tones are those lifeless, digital tones used in a lot of pop. It's really THAT bad.

That's what I said. Total commercial sell-out attempt. Trying to adopt popular musical styles.

Yes, but you'd think they would have at least gone for some alternative rock sound that was popular in 1999. This isn't really anything trendy at all, unless maybe it was some trend in Germany that I am unaware of. If you get the chance to listen to the CD, just pop in tracks 1, 2, and 10. That will be enough to show you what I mean. It's hard to describe musically.

I played the CD for a friend of mine yesterday. He listens to a lot of country, classic rock and hard rock. He is a music fanatic and knows his stuff, though he really isn't a metal fan. Anyhow, I played him the three tracks I suggested above and asked him who the band was. After a minute or so into the first track he said, "The singer sounds a little bit like The Scorpions singer, but that music is terrible." I skipped to track 2 and he said, "who is this? This is terrible." At that point I handed him the CD case and he couldn't believe it was The Scorpions. His reaction was, "WTF?"

mr.electric39 wrote:

Queensryche - Rage for Order......



?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


this isn't heavy metal.... from Queen of The Ryche how the mighty fell.....

???? That is an awesome album!!!! The only WTF song is "gonna get close to you" on the album.

Two more - Iron Maiden's blaze albums. What was steve harris thinking when he hired blaze?

thejokeriv wrote:

mr.electric39 wrote:

Queensryche - Rage for Order......



?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


this isn't heavy metal.... from Queen of The Ryche how the mighty fell.....

???? That is an awesome album!!!! The only WTF song is "gonna get close to you" on the album.

Two more - Iron Maiden's blaze albums. What was steve harris thinking when he hired blaze?

I agree. I thought Rage for Order was fantastic when I first heard it and still do. It's certainly not a 180 degree stylistic turn from The Warning or something so poorly recorded, like St. Anger, that you honestly wonder "What the heck were they thinking?"

As for Maiden with Blaze, well, Blaze is a good, charismatic singer. Unfortunately he didn't have the best material to sing over, or he may not have been the right fit for the band. However, listening to his post-Maiden material, he certainly is no slacker, which tells me it was more about the songs than the singer himself.

thejokeriv wrote:

mr.electric39 wrote:

Queensryche - Rage for Order......



?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


this isn't heavy metal.... from Queen of The Ryche how the mighty fell.....

???? That is an awesome album!!!! The only WTF song is "gonna get close to you" on the album.

Two more - Iron Maiden's blaze albums. What was steve harris thinking when he hired blaze?

I love 'Rage With Order' I even like 'Gonna Get Close to You'

I love RFO, but really...in these promo pics...what were they thinking???

Ha! If only band's went for that look these days.

SpectreFate wrote:

I love RFO, but really...in these promo pics...what were they thinking???

LOL!!!!!! Well, it was 1986 and they were trying to look the part! And Ult is correct, the music is not a huge stylistic change from The Warning. The production was totally mid - late 80's production style which was a change form The Warning.

As far as Maiden, Blaze was all wrong for the band. When I listen to Bruce singing the "The Sign Of The Cross" and "The Clansman" on Rock In Rio, it sounds 100 times better than the studio versions with Blaze. Having Adrian back on guitar adds a dimension to the music too!

I agree Jokerman, that Bruce sounds 100% better than Blaze, but in hindsight those two studio Iron Maiden albums with Blaze aren't that bad, they just do not live up to the quality, songwise to the classic line up's 80's material.

manny wrote:

I agree Jokerman, that Bruce sounds 100% better than Blaze, but in hindsight those two studio Iron Maiden albums with Blaze aren't that bad, they just do not live up to the quality, songwise to the classic line up's 80's material.

I just can't get into them and I have tried many times. I know they have grown on a lot of people, but I just can;t get into them.

So what are everyone's thoughts on the Scorpions album?