What Albums would have been better recieved if released under a different band name

So the Bands/ Albums you dont get thread had me thinking and even listening to some thing albums I always wrote off due to stylistic changes etc. It got me thinking if the band would have put it out under a different name would it have been more popular. I was never a huge Deliverance fan but always wrote off Learn and the following 2 albums because of a style change. Listening to Learn, Above and Below and River Disturbance now I can appreciate them more when I separate them from the Deliverance (Thrash) name. Yes they have trashy elements but they are more melodic and groove oriented. I know some Love those 3 and Im really liking them now but when I was younger I saw Learn come out and sampled at the Christian bookstore and was thinking "This isnt the Deliverance I know, this isnt for me"

Another example for me is the Goth/Industrial stuff from Betrayal. Its really great stuff but only when I can separate from the Thrash band Betrayal.

Anybody else have other examples or thoughts?

I think the last album under the Deliverance name should have been Stay of Execution. After that, the sound went too soft. That’s not to say the music is bad… just too far removed from the speed/thrash roots.

TZ75 wrote:I think the last album under the Deliverance name should have been Stay of Execution. After that, the sound went too soft. That’s not to say the music is bad… just too far removed from the speed/thrash roots.

Thats what Im wondering though but the last 2 have returned to those roots, would Learn and after been just as popular is under a different band name

The gold standard in this category for me is Holy Soldier - Promise Man.  It's a GREAT album but NOT a Holy Soldier album.

On Deliverance: I agree 100% but I'd put the change after What a Joke, with Stay... in the different band category.

I agree with Holy Soldier, they should have changed the name.  Also Messiah Prophet's third album was pretty good, but so different to their first 2.

I think a good example of getting it right is White Ray.

They did some heavy metal as White Ray.
Then they morphed in to hard rock as Killed By Cain.
Now they're groove/bluesy rock called Moonshine Zombies.

All three are great, but different.

TZ75 wrote:I think the last album under the Deliverance name should have been Stay of Execution. After that, the sound went too soft. That’s not to say the music is bad… just too far removed from the speed/thrash roots.

Even fewer people would've bought it with a different name.

Commercially, that's why bands keep their band/brand names even when the style changes drastically.

Marketing a new band name is FAR more difficult than just a new (even different) album from an old band.

Just imagine how much lower the sales for Load would've been if that album did not have a Metallica logo on it.

Holy Soldier, Messiah Prophet, and Guardian are good examples.  

Guardian switched styles not once, not twice, but 3 or even 4 times!

Also Disciple, Bride, Believer, Living Sacrifice, Lengsel, Kohllapse, Precious Death - huge stylistic changes along the way.  Neon Cross to a slighter extent.

The one that bothers me the most is Living Sacrifice.  Not only is their change so big, but they don't even play their old material live anymore and haven't for a long time.  At least a band like Bride would play some of their old material.

Mortal did it right and put out their alternative rock under the name Fold Zandura.

Yeah, I think a style change is much more forgivable if they occasionally play some of their old material.

Then again, when bands lose a lot of their main songwriters, it's debatable if it's really the same band anymore even if they keep the name.

Temple of Blood wrote:

TZ75 wrote:I think the last album under the Deliverance name should have been Stay of Execution. After that, the sound went too soft. That’s not to say the music is bad… just too far removed from the speed/thrash roots.

Even fewer people would've bought it with a different name.

Commercially, that's why bands keep their band/brand names even when the style changes drastically.

Marketing a new band name is FAR more difficult than just a new (even different) album from an old band.

Just imagine how much lower the sales for Load would've been if that album did not have a Metallica logo on it.

I agree with you in the old days but today with social media etc I think things would be way easier. I get that doesn't apply to my examples but.............

mothy wrote:
I agree with you in the old days but today with social media etc I think things would be way easier. I get that doesn't apply to my examples but.............

Easier yes, but I bet even these days side bands easily lose 50% of the audience from the main band ... probably much more.

Mad at the world.  Their album- flowers in the rain is a really cool goth synth pop type album.  Then they went heavy rock guitar/G N R styles but with a British accent.

^I never really paid much attention to Mad At The World but am listening to "Seasons Of Love" right now.  
It has some really strong songs on it.  I'd say it is more influenced by The Cult and Danzig, but I did hear a few bits of G 'N R in there....

I'll check out the earlier material but I'd have to give this album a thumbs up.

It sounds like the band certainly fits this thread though.

I think Detritus should have changed their name with this new album...just sayin'....

Temple of Blood wrote:

mothy wrote:
I agree with you in the old days but today with social media etc I think things would be way easier. I get that doesn't apply to my examples but.............

Easier yes, but I bet even these days side bands easily lose 50% of the audience from the main band ... probably much more.  

Im not sure. I know its a hypothetical but Die Happy is a prime example. If (i know its IF) the 3 other OG memebers of VR had kept the name and released the Die Happy material under the VR name it would have had huge backlash, but by going with a different name they picked up VR fans like myself and new ones that fit the genre they play.

Constantine wrote:I think Detritus should have changed their name with this new album...just sayin'....

 I agree but they would have had to promote hard off of having og Detritus members.

Crawl to China maybe?

Constantine wrote:^I never really paid much attention to Mad At The World but am listening to "Seasons Of Love" right now.  
It has some really strong songs on it.  I'd say it is more influenced by The Cult and Danzig, but I did hear a few bits of G 'N R in there....

I'll check out the earlier material but I'd have to give this album a thumbs up.

It sounds like the band certainly fits this thread though.

Boomerang was the album I was pointing to with the G n R heavy guitar sound, which sounds like a completely different band compared to Flowers in the rain.  Not that it's bad at all and their albums are slightly different from each other too but they stuck with the guitar rock setup after that album (at least I'm pretty sure it was after that one). Check it out if you feel like it- and compare it with Flowers, you'll see what I mean.


Interesting note- Boomerang was controversial in christian circles at the time of its release because of a song called 'Isn't sex a wonderful thing.'

Guardian should have changed there name after they went alternative as well as Whitecross after Rex left

I have my answer

BROTALITY

The band is serious, the name is a joke.

It doesn't even matter that they are kids. The music is great and the playing is exceptional.

A lot of great thrash songs were written by teenagers back in the day. This is no exception.

Brotality need to change their name because it's cheesy but while I get the sentiment behind the question, it's interesting to note fans will complain if a band does the same album over and over then complain if they don't.

I'm thinking Bride maybe should have changed their name for the bluegrass album

Constantine wrote:...Lengsel, Kohllapse...

I second Lengsel.  Though Kohllapse's two albums don't seem too stylistically different to my ears.

I'd add Sanctifica to the list.  Similar to Lengsel, their first album was very good black metal but their second album was completely different.

bodachi wrote:I'm thinking Bride maybe should have changed their name for the bluegrass album

I thought the same thing.  But then, they're all over the map musically anyway so what's one more?

eatbugs wrote:

bodachi wrote:I'm thinking Bride maybe should have changed their name for the bluegrass album

I thought the same thing.  But then, they're all over the map musically anyway so what's one more?

Ya'll do realize that this is meant to be a novelty album by the members of Bride and not a real Bride release?  I don't really foresee this as having much commercial success at all.  I have almost everything they've ever released, and I am skipping this due to it being bluegrass.  I can't stand bluegrass music at all!  Now, I did get the Christmas album.



Whitecross should have definitely changed the name after Rex left.  They never really recovered from that, either.

The third Messiah Prophet album would have fared better with a name change as the music was different as were ALL the members.  That third album is still gold as it has a Warrant vibe to it, but most fans of those first two just don't give it a chance.

Guardian should have changed their name as well.  It just wasn't the same after "Buzz" even though I do enjoy listening to "Bottle Rocket".  They shouldn't have even made "Almost Home" in my opinion.

Holy Soldier could have used a different name as well.

The Brave probably should have when they brought in the female singer.  It wasn't the same.  However, I liked her vocals, but the music on both the remakes and the new songs sounded very demo-ish.  I hope they redo those songs with their current sound and Stayce Roberts on vocals.  That would be slicker than hog snot!