Sometimes when I hear something, I instantly like it, and want more. Sometimes, when i hear something, I can't imagine wanting to ever listen to it, or anything remotely similar, again. Occasionally, though, there are bands that I like despite my initial resistance, or bands I come to loath despite initially thinking they had some kind of promise. Then there are bands I want to like, but just can't get around some aspect or other to say, "Yeah, they're pretty good."
First up is a band that, when I first heard the, I thought, "Ugh!" Over time, though, they have grown on me, despite the self-indulgent self-pitying of the lyrics. This is the song that really made me sit up and take notice of Korn, "Freak on a Leash":
Next up is a band that thought had a lot of promise the first time I heard them, reached what I thought was a good first plateau for them, only for me to realize that this was their peak, and that would sink slowly downhill from there. Godsmack started out as an Alice in Chains cover band, which seems odd, since Sully's throaty baritone growl is far-removed from Layne Stanley's nasal tenor. I think they had a lot of potential, but never progressed beyond this song, their best, in my not-so-humble-at-all opinion, "Awake":
Finally, I think I have a mental block when it comes to the band Slipknot. On the one hand, I think they produce some of the finest hardcore around. On the other hand, while I recognize unintelligible screaming and grunting is part of the charm of hardcore for its fans, I just can't get beyond the fact that the songs would actually be better if they were sung rather than just incoherently screamed. Love them or hate them, they give one a different view of farm country when we realize this is kind of a Des Moines, IA supergroup (the best musicians from various Des Moines hardcore groups). By the way, I think the masks are unnecessary, but again, are part of their charm. This is called "The Nameless":
