Linkin Park got harshly (and rightly) criticized for Meteora being Hybrid Theory Part II. It seemed very calculated to be that, to maximize commercial potential. LP are a band that always slaved over the songwriting process, methodically perfecting everything, and that was their craft and they were AWESOME at it. But I really couldn’t get into One More Light or – I think it was Little Things? I can’t remember the name of the record. But as divergent as their other stuff was, I did always dig it.
Parkway Drive I only discovered a month or so ago. Ire is fantastic. I didn’t realize the new album dropped already; added to the playlist.
Getting outside your genre as a musician is important, too. Metal is my blood, but then you listen to Brad Paisley, Brian Setzer, Mark Knopfler – those guys are absolute BEASTLY guitar players, and their songwriting and craft are different, without being way out there. Then you can get into some stuff like classic vocalists – Tony Bennett (her duet album with Lady Gaga is actually REALLY good), Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, etc. Amazing stuff. There’s so much great music out there (and almost none of it is current Top 40 stuff – blech).
Horizons are meant to be broad, by definition. Like @daniel said, though – established band experimentation has its limits, if they don’t want to alienate fans. Avenged have covered a lot of ground within different metal genres, and done the odd song here or there outside the realm (i.e. Dead God), but a whole country album? I dunno about that.
Parkway Drive I only discovered a month or so ago. Ire is fantastic. I didn’t realize the new album dropped already; added to the playlist.
Getting outside your genre as a musician is important, too. Metal is my blood, but then you listen to Brad Paisley, Brian Setzer, Mark Knopfler – those guys are absolute BEASTLY guitar players, and their songwriting and craft are different, without being way out there. Then you can get into some stuff like classic vocalists – Tony Bennett (her duet album with Lady Gaga is actually REALLY good), Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, etc. Amazing stuff. There’s so much great music out there (and almost none of it is current Top 40 stuff – blech).
Horizons are meant to be broad, by definition. Like @daniel said, though – established band experimentation has its limits, if they don’t want to alienate fans. Avenged have covered a lot of ground within different metal genres, and done the odd song here or there outside the realm (i.e. Dead God), but a whole country album? I dunno about that.