From: 5ea8manchest@vms.csd.mu.edu
Newsgroups: alt.rock-n-roll.metal.heavy
Subject: MORE ON THIS SELLING OUT THING
Date: 14 Dec 1992 05:17:31 GMT
Organization: Marquette University - Computer Services
Reply-To: 5ea8manchest@vms.csd.mu.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: vmsd.csd.mu.edu

I've read a number of posts here now about metal bands "selling out," and while
I admit that this does sometimes happen, there are other explanations for why bands alter their styles.  First, I think bands like Judas priest really did 
sell out somewhere along the line; their old material is so much more innovative
and fresh that the new stuff can't even touch it (and so many of their
later albums adopted absolutely hokey themes for their songs--incidentally,
Priest also used to have some of the coolest album covers around, and then
about the time of British Steel [and really by Screaming for Vengeance] they
started developing that quasi-comic book look that is boring).  Anyway,
I think it's jumping to conclusions to assume that when bands alter their
sound, or even mellow it, they're selling out.  i personally love Trouble's
first two albums, and had to learn to like everything after that, but i never
hear anybody accusing them of selling-out.  Why?  Because they're still laboring
in obscurity, so the accusation would be ridiculous.  What else then could
be the cause of their chaNGe?  I think some of it is the musicians just like
to try out new ideas because they get tired of playing the same old style
over and over.  Also, as Eric Wagner of Trouble expressed, it would be
insincere for bands to strive for a style that did not reflect their 
true emotions (and probably it would be hard to try to produce these emotions
on a release if you weren't really feeling those things).  As Wagner stated
it (more or less), as he grew older he developed a more optimistic outlook
on life, due to the birth of his son, etc. and really just didn't feel
downtrodden enough to produce things like The Skull, where he once claimed
he worked on while he was fighting genuine bouts of depression.  Maybe
it's natural for bands like metallica to change their personal perspectives
some, and to therefore express a new feeling in their music.  Come on,
Metallica may not be as mean and raw as they once were, but their latest is
still a decent enough record, and lyrically it's still fairly solid.  It took
me several listens to appreciate it (I was disappointed at first), but it
strikes me as being the more the result of a musical transition than an 
out and out sell-out.  In other words, "mellowing' can often reflect the
desire for a new musical expression and the change in one's outlook on
life as much as anything.  Once again, I'm not saying this excuses all
bands, because some start to sound so standard that it's clear they're
falling prey to the demon of commercialization; it's just that one shouldn't
be too quick to pin the "sell-out" label on every single band that lightens
up a bit.
	Other than JP, no bands come to mind right away that I feel were worth
listening to at first and then simply lost it.  Some have changed to a direction
I don't care for, but generally this strikes me as having at most only a
little to do with selling-out.  Also, I think some of the sell-out thing
takes root because people like supporting obscure bands (it makes them
feel more hardcore), and when the bands make it big, some of that "best
kept secret" appeal is lost.  I'm even prone to this attitude myself.
Well, I hope this gives you all just one more suggestion to consider.  
Eric M.