Does a band's name prevent it from becoming popular?

There's a really good thrash / death metal Aussie band that imo should be a lot better known than they are but for the life of me I wonder why they are not ... maybe because their name is .. .Destroyer 666

I mean c'mon that's a bad name. Destroyer ok but Destroyer 666 sounds so cheesy people just don't take them seriously imo

Yes they have a following etc. but they're not as big as Morbid Angel or Amon Amarth even.

Alex Dee Rokket wrote:

but they're not as big as Morbid Angel or Amon Amarth even.

few are. it's death metal.

Alex Dee Rokket wrote:

There's a really good thrash / death metal Aussie band that imo should be a lot better known than they are but for the life of me I wonder why they are not ... maybe because their name is .. .Destroyer 666

I mean c'mon that's a bad name. Destroyer ok but Destroyer 666 sounds so cheesy people just don't take them seriously imo

Yes they have a following etc. but they're not as big as Morbid Angel or Amon Amarth even.

I really don't think it has anything to do with the name being cheesy as opposed to what the numbers represent. They are not going to get marketed well having those numbers in their name. The Aussie bands in the extreme metal genre in general aren't really "known." As mc666 said, it's death metal.

And they do kick ass!

Not much to add. I heard Vicious Rumors and Laaz Rockit early so they didn't hold me back but Pretty Maids did, really dumb name.

Lucifer's Friend and Demon suffered from this IMO. They managed to simultaniously alienate two large groups at once:
A. Christians and others who avoid dark music and
B. Disappoint those who were looking for dark heavy metal.

Granted their first albums were both slightly dark and heavy, but the majority of each band's catalogue was firmly rooted in cheesy and harmless (but interesting) melodic prog rock.

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Also, I remember the NWOBHM band Satan talking about how their name really held them back. They would even get barred from gigs because of their name. Sad thing is, their lyrics didn't really reflect that name. So in that case, the band's poor choice of name definitely held them back.

Sad thing was their other name Blind Fury (and great album Out Of Reach) didn't help them either. Still think Blind Fury is a pretty cool name. I actually ignored Satan for the longest time since I thought they would be goofy Venom impersonators. The internet has had the nice effect for me in getting past some of these band's names to discover what the music is.

I remain convinced that the Killer Dwarfs would've at least been bigger had they gone under some other name.

There are a smurf poo ton of bands I won't even give the time of day to because of their name. So I will answer YES.

SAHB Healer wrote:

Lucifer's Friend and Demon suffered from this IMO. They managed to simultaniously alienate two large groups at once:
A. Christians and others who avoid dark music and
B. Disappoint those who were looking for dark heavy metal.

Granted their first albums were both slightly dark and heavy, but the majority of each band's catalogue was firmly rooted in cheesy and harmless (but interesting) melodic prog rock.

Lucifer's Friend's primary issue was the lack of a steady US record label and the fact that they were a "studio-only" band from 1972 onwards. Every album in their catalog is a different style, so they would have had a hard time regardless. But I LOVE most of their records.

Alex Dee Rokket wrote:

There's a really good thrash / death metal Aussie band that imo should be a lot better known than they are but for the life of me I wonder why they are not ... maybe because their name is .. .Destroyer 666

I mean c'mon that's a bad name. Destroyer ok but Destroyer 666 sounds so cheesy people just don't take them seriously imo

If they were just plain ol' "Destroyer" people would probably mistake them for a KISS tribute band. Adding the "666" kinda tells you what you're in for.

Good call on the mention of Lääz Rockit; they're the first band to come to my mind. Their name doesn't make me think of a thrash band at all.

Smindas wrote:

There's a handful of interviews where Oliva comes across a bit bitter about the fact that TSO did so well with Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24, whereas Savatage's version got brushed by the wayside. On Wikipedia, it says "Oliva has stated however that he was saddened about the success of the record, citing the fact that the same song was released by both bands, yet TSO's rendition became a bigger hit. This led Jon to believe that the biggest barrier to success would be the Savatage name."

I think that had less to do with the actual name Savatage than with their reputation of being a heavy metal band. It would have been the same if Testament or any other metal band had recorded the song. Mainstream radio was just not going to play a song by a metal band. A new name, TSO, did the trick and got them airplay.

I think if Christmas Eve was Savatage's first single, with no prior history of recording metal, it could have worked just as well.

And personally I think Savatage is a bitchin' name!

Destroyer 666 is a great name! It fits the band and the music. No problems with it. Plus they are a GREAT band.

Smindas wrote:

There's a handful of interviews where Oliva comes across a bit bitter about the fact that TSO did so well with Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24, whereas Savatage's version got brushed by the wayside. On Wikipedia, it says "Oliva has stated however that he was saddened about the success of the record, citing the fact that the same song was released by both bands, yet TSO's rendition became a bigger hit. This led Jon to believe that the biggest barrier to success would be the Savatage name."

As a whole, Jon doesn't seem so keen on the Savatage name nowadays just because of all the misfortune and toil he's had associated with it. It's fair enough, really. Shame though.

Savatage never released Christmas Eve as a radio single, did they? Of course radio overlooked a metal band, but drooled all over a broadway rock outfit.

These days Jon doesn't even own control the Savatage name.

He doesn't !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF !!!!!!!!! Please don't tell me the producer Paul O' Neil owns the name!

That's the rumor.

Actually, apparently Savatage sent out a large amount of radio singles of 'Sarajevo' only to be told that they were a metal band and would not get slotted in to the programming. They released it a year later under the TSO name and it all went swimmingly.

As for the Savatage name, there's a lot of mystery surrounding who owns it. I suspect it might be Paul O'Neill but I also think the only person preventing a reunion is Jon. Allegedly, at the end of every TSO gig on this European tour they're doing, they're going to do about 8 Savatage tracks as Jon Oliva will be on the tour, as will the entire Dead Winter Dead line up. I hope that's true, but I'll go see TSO either way!

Radio stations in my area were playing "Sarajevo" by Savatage before there was a TSO...only at Christmas time and only on pop stations...they acted amazed that a band could blend a symphony with heavy metal and played the life out of it...I thought it was pretty surreal at the time...

kmorg wrote:

Savatage never released Christmas Eve as a radio single, did they? Of course radio overlooked a metal band, but drooled all over a broadway rock outfit..

I used to have a promotional CD single of "Dead Winter Dead" b/w "Christmas Eve" but it apparently disappeared during one of my moves...

Smindas wrote:

Actually, apparently Savatage sent out a large amount of radio singles of 'Sarajevo' only to be told that they were a metal band and would not get slotted in to the programming. They released it a year later under the TSO name and it all went swimmingly.

As for the Savatage name, there's a lot of mystery surrounding who owns it. I suspect it might be Paul O'Neill but I also think the only person preventing a reunion is Jon. Allegedly, at the end of every TSO gig on this European tour they're doing, they're going to do about 8 Savatage tracks as Jon Oliva will be on the tour, as will the entire Dead Winter Dead line up. I hope that's true, but I'll go see TSO either way!

I read somewhere that both Jon and Paul own the name and Jon is the one holding back a Savatage tour. I also read he feels the name "Savatage" kept them from being huge

Shawn Of Fire wrote:

Radio stations in my area were playing "Sarajevo" by Savatage before there was a TSO...only at Christmas time and only on pop stations...they acted amazed that a band could blend a symphony with heavy metal and played the life out of it...I thought it was pretty surreal at the time...

I also remember hearing it on the radio in Seattle prior to the TSO album being released.

One band that I avoided due to their name. "Nasty Savage". I just couldn't get past the oxymoron inherent in the name...it's a Savage...of COURSE it's nasty. Thus the word Savage.

thejokeriv wrote:

Smindas wrote:

Actually, apparently Savatage sent out a large amount of radio singles of 'Sarajevo' only to be told that they were a metal band and would not get slotted in to the programming. They released it a year later under the TSO name and it all went swimmingly.

As for the Savatage name, there's a lot of mystery surrounding who owns it. I suspect it might be Paul O'Neill but I also think the only person preventing a reunion is Jon. Allegedly, at the end of every TSO gig on this European tour they're doing, they're going to do about 8 Savatage tracks as Jon Oliva will be on the tour, as will the entire Dead Winter Dead line up. I hope that's true, but I'll go see TSO either way!

I read somewhere that both Jon and Paul own the name and Jon is the one holding back a Savatage tour. I also read he feels the name "Savatage" kept them from being huge

Yeah, there is one issue that holds Jon back from doin' Savatage again, and that is the members of the band. I don't think he has anythibg against any of them. But I don't think he will ever climb onstage with any other guitarist than Matt LaPorte, ever again. And it would not be fair to Chris Caffery to replace him.

detuned wrote:

One band that I avoided due to their name. "Nasty Savage". I just couldn't get past the oxymoron inherent in the name...it's a Savage...of COURSE it's nasty. Thus the word Savage.

They are from here Tampa, Fl and saw them live a few times, my buddy at the time loved them but I hated 'em, they were best known smashing television sets on the vocalist's chest.

manny wrote:

detuned wrote:

One band that I avoided due to their name. "Nasty Savage". I just couldn't get past the oxymoron inherent in the name...it's a Savage...of COURSE it's nasty. Thus the word Savage.

They are from here Tampa, Fl and saw them live a few times, my buddy at the time loved them but I hated 'em, they were best known smashing television sets on the vocalist's chest.

ouch. I guess he was glad for the advent of slimline tvs...

Nailshitter, 'nuff said