mojopinuk

You make some valid points but some I completely disagree with also. Metallica have been accused of selling out for most of their career. They were accused of selling out for making a video for One on Justice For All. It started before the massive commercial appeal of The Black Album. I don't have a problem with bands making money, making number one albums etc but to say that every band should be in it for the money is an ignorant statement. Fine if you think that should you get the opportunity you'd purposely write something that would appeal to a mass audience. That suggests that you would write something that you thought people would like and therefore you'd be in it solely for the purpose of making money, am i right?

Personally I'd write the music I wanted to write and if it appealed to a large audience and made me a ****load of cash then great. If no one liked it but me then **** happens, I'd continue to make it anyway. I'd be accused of being a sell out if it made loads of money but I'd be comfortable with that aslong as the music I was making was the music I WANTED to make. However as soon as i started thinking "What music would people LIKE me to make?" and sold my passion down the river for a quick few quid THEN I'd be a sellout.

As for the original debate here I'm going with Metallica. Both bands have made great albums. Both bands have made **** albums. They are on a fairly equal scale (maybe not in units sold admittedly) but for me Kill 'Em All - ...Justice era Metallica puts them way ahead.

Ace

I'm glad you made the point of, "writing music you want to make, and if it appealed to a large audience.....great."
That's my point exactly.

When I say I'd write purposely to make money, I mean it.
But I don't mean to imply that I would alter my entire music career, just for money.
If I were in a band, I'd do whatever I felt like doing....regardless of how I was praised or mocked afterwards.
But I would definately try to write songs....I don't know how to describe it.....good enough, to appeal to alot of audiences.
Not just one group in general. Get what I mean?
I would want my band to be successful and mean something in the long run.

I think Metallica just went in a direction that took them mainstream, and got alot of heat because of it.
Whether or not they intentionally kept changing JUST to stay in the mainstream, is something only they know.

But I can tell everyone this.
The new album is definately not targeted to be played on mainstream radio stations.
The shortest song on it is a little over 5 minutes in length.

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mojopinuk

"But I can tell everyone this.
The new album is definately not targeted to be played on mainstream radio stations.
The shortest song on it is a little over 5 minutes in length."

Thats debateable but I do see where you're coming from. Tracks like All Nightmare Long and My Apocalypse etc are not really very radio friendly. I think the first single is though regardless of its length. However I do agree with you. I wouldnt say that Load and Reload were intentionally targeted towards the mainstream audience but I wouldn't deny it either. As you say, no one knows but the band themselves. The new one is too long MOP-esque to be overly radio friendly.

And by the way I'm not suggesting that your views are wrong. I dont deny a band the right to take that approach should they wish but thats where I consider the term 'sell out' to be valid - when an artist writes music with intent to satisfy what they see as the needs of the audience, what their audience WANTS them to sound like for the purpose of making money.

Thats why I usually hate the term 'sell out'. Its often used incorrectly (in my opinion) to describe a successful band.

Alot of bands make music that gets embraced by such a large audience and sells so many millions units purely by chance ie that was never the intention. If i were in a position to make music I'd write whatever I wanted to write and how commercially successful it became would be almost irrelevant.

xxTDWPxx

hands down metallica kills megadeth Dave Mustaine is a F**cking Douche Bag

kthedrummer

Peace Sells is one of the greatest metal albums ever...Bob Rock ruined Metallica.

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lucifer_sam

And Dave Mustaine ruined Megadeth. It's really not that hard to figure out.

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kthedrummer

Listen to Peace Sells that is all I ask. Listen without prejudice. Listen to it all the way through. It is better that any Metallica record besides Ride the Lightning.

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khfreek

Megadeth all the way. Better riffs, better instrumentalists, better sound... the only thing that's not better is the vocalist, and I don't mind Mustaine's voice.

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Raust

Metallica, there discography is more impressive. I perfer there songs over Megadeath's songs.

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"If it sells, it's art."
Frank Lloyd.

Sforeign

I've always found that Metallica has more of a logical progression to its chord structure, and so nicer to listen to.

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