On the 30 Year Anniversary of The Black Album, Who Else Followed Suit?
Metallica‘s legendary 1991 self titled album – more commonly The Black Album, represented a seismic shift in style that propelled the thrash pioneers to becoming one of the biggest bands on Planet Earth. For a heavy metal band this is no small feat, and they had to change their approach to facilitate this.
Heavy metal is one of music’s primary genres where a change in style is often fiercely unwelcome. Especially when a band has been a pioneering force in a particular genre. Metallica were this for thrash metal, and their shift was certainly strongly rejected by much of their faithful following. Slowing down the tempo and injecting a sharp dose of groove allowed their music to be more acceptable to the masses, but the real reason for this becoming such a serial release, is that none of Metallica‘s legendary songwriting ability went missing.
Reflecting on this event, which other bands were able to change their style, and either retain or increase their reputation and popularity? Simply adopting a more radio friendly style is not enough here (looking at you Papa Roach). There has to be a shift whilst maintaining some form of distinctive style.
Machine Head – The Burning Red
Opening their career with the 1-2 punch of Burn My Eyes and The More Things Change, Machine Head took a lead position in the rise of groove metal in the early 90s. However, it was their third album The Burning Red when they went full 180 spin and embraced the rising late 90s nu-metal sound. Casual observers will pool this in with their follow up album Supercharger as a mis-step in their career, but that would do a serious injustice to a terrific album.
A couple of tracks – such as From This Day, are dripping in rap-metal sauce, but mostly the rapping is minimal. They soon went back to their groove sound, with a heavier thrash influence following this period. But don’t let that distract you from what a cracking album this was.
Slayer – God Hates Us All
Leading single release Bloodlines displayed exactly where Slayer were going with God Hates Us All. Another thrash metal pioneer, Slayer has flirted with changing styles on 1990’s Seasons in the Abyss and 1998’s Diabolus En Musica. But it was 2001’s God Hates Us All when they nailed a style change. They took a much darker, groove inspired sound on much of the album – coupled with more downtuned guitars than typical.
Lyrics on this album were mostly written by Kerry King, as opposed to usual lyricist Jeff Hanneman. Exploring themes such a personal loss, self control, and a general sense that God can seem to just hate all of us sometimes. This all gelled together to give Slayer‘s darkest and most disturbing album.
Avenged Sevenfold – City of Evil
Avenged Sevenfold, across their first 2 albums honed in on their metalcore sound. Their second album Waking the Fallen is a top tier metalcore album released during the height of the first wave of metalcore in 2003. Since then, A7X have shifted their style numerous times. Their ability to appeal to the Monster chugging jocks and musical nerds is something no other band can really claim to achieve.
Their third album is the one I am going pick out as their first real musical style shift. City of Evil moved to a more progressive and melodic style which would feature throughout their later work. Opening track Beast and the Harlot showcases this new found melodic style, with lead guitarist Synyster Gates at his trademark best.
Amon Amarth – Twilight of the Thunder God
Amon Amarth may now be one of the premier bands in heavy metal, but they spent much of their early career in the death metal underground. They shifted their style between wild, ragged blackened death metal and mid tempo heavier groove. But it was their seventh album Twilight of the Thunder God when they fully embraced melodic death metal and broke big.
They have since maintained faithful to the melodic death metal sound, and to such success that you would forgive many who might not realise their blackened death metal beginnings. But it’s clearly the mighty viking warriors were born to embrace the melodeath, and Twilight of the Thunder God was the catalyst.
In Flames – Clayman
From one band who embraced the melodic death metal style, to a pioneer who abandoned the genre they helped to create. Ignoring their first album (when they barely had a band together), their early 3 album run of The Jester Race, Whoracle and Colony is the pinnacle of melodeath. In Flames had perfected the style of Swedish death metal they helped to forge.
Then, with their fifth album they shifted direction. Clayman put much of the hardened edge of melodeath to one side, and embraced the melody to the max. This drew the ire of much of the faithful – as a switch in style often does, but when they nail it as good as they do here, who can really complain. After a collection of subdued radio-rock releases since 2014’s Siren Charms, we only wish they could release another album of the quality of Clayman.
Pantera – Cowboys From Hell
This is one that transcends far beyond a change in style, much like The Black Album. Cowboys from Hell is such a landmark album, that all the albums before then might as well be a different band. Although the previous album Power Metal started a shift to the heavier side, it was still rooted in their glam metal beginnings. Honestly, after the legacy Pantera left behind it’s hard to even think back to a time this was a thing!
Being too young to appreciate Pantera in their prime, I honestly thought Cowboys From Hell was their debut album for a long time. Domination might have laid the template for a million metalcore breakdowns. It may not have been the very first groove metal album, but it certainly was one that defined the genre. A landmark release to rival even The Black Album itself.
If you enjoyed this post then please share with your fellow metal and non-metalheads. Also please follow The Metal Protocol on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you!
