Something I think about from time to time

[EpsilonX]

So people criticize bands for "selling out" and making more accessible music. But what if that's truly what they want to sound like? Take for example Avenged Sevenfold. They no longer wanted to have the metalcore sound with all the screaming, so they changed to how they wanted to sound and got accused of selling out.

But then, there are bands like Slayer, AC/DC and Cannibal Corpse who play the same music album after album and don't really change up their sound at all. On the third hand, there are bands like Emarosa who change their sound because they want to and get criticized by fans saying they preferred the original style, or saying they should have changed their names.

Y'see, I thought that the BAND decides what they want to sound like, NOT the fans. I mean, if they sound bad they won't have fans but if the band just blindly does what the fans want to, they're just trying to make people happy to buy their record and not actually playing the music they want to.

Another example is Metallica. They streamlined their sound, to bring out their full potential. They also all cut their hair. Now, to some people that was selling out, but I see it as doing what they wanted to do. They didn't want long hair anymore, and they didn't have the original energy and anger that fueled the original albums. Just because they change music interests a bit, does that mean they have to automatically not make music anymore? Personally, I think Load and Re-load are great albums, because they contain good music. It's not thrash metal, but who cares? It's very enjoyable music, and if you need more thrash just go find one of the 5000 thrash bands out there that sound exactly the same. If Metallica made more thrash, even if they didn't want to make thrash anymore, but made thrash because that's what people wanted to hear...to me that's more selling out than making different styled music

People just criticize bands for not making music to their specifications. If it's different at all, they get criticized. Whether it's more commercial, not as good, the same every album, or even if they just make 3 good albums and call it quits. No matter what, nobody will be satisfied.

Thoughts?

[Samus-Fan]

I'm gonna agree with you on parts, and disagree on others.

Some bands I know of such as The Killers changed to a more mainstream kinda music, but I don't think it was because they wanted more money by fulfilling what the popular music is.
I feel their new style is more of their type. Like they're more comfortable with it.

However, some bands like you said that sound exactly the same can be a good thing. It keeps the same kind of fans, not losing any and not gaining any. It's like a very defined PH.d.
Other bands like Muse sound completely different every time. And although I like that, it isn't a good approach in my opinion, and not saying it isn't up to the band, they can do whatever they want and true fans will listen to it.
But it is like a restaurant changing a recipe of a food you used to love every time you go. You don't want the change, you want it to stay about that same.
There is a way for the same type of music to sound different, while keeping the fans you had together, and gain more. Successful bands can do this, and do. Metallica is a great example.

[EpsilonX]

But the thing is, Muse want to do a different thing all the time. I mean, from what i've heard of their music.....none of the songs are all that similar. So them playing different music each time isn't that big of a surprise to me.

But basically my main point is this: if a band TRULY wants to play the same music their entire career, more power to em, but if a band wants to play a different style of music, they should be allowed to without everybody criticizing and labeling them sellouts. Yes there are sellouts, but they're much much fewer in numbers than people seem to think. and yea like i said if somebody wants to not change their sound...Slayer still like playing the music they play. I mean, it does kind of grow stale after a bunch of albums. But some bands don't like what they've done before, and change their music. Another good example is Genesis, after Peter and Steve left they didn't have their musical influences on the band anymore, so Mike Phil and Tony made the music that Mike Phil and Tony wanted to make, not the music that Peter and Steve wanted to make. If they kept up the prog act, they would have been selling their band out, but when they changed their style up, well i guess you could say they sold out.....every show, every time they played.