We all love Master of Puppets, and South of Heaven, and Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?, but it’s easy to love an album that’s been acclaimed from the very beginning.
There are tons of great metal albums, ones we would all consider to be classics, that were met with cold welcomes when they were initially released, and some of these are going to really surprise you…
Korn – Korn (1994)
These days, Korn is considered to be one of the most crucial nu-metal bands of all time, over all the ground they paved for the genre. There was a time, however, when they were not discussed fondly.
Back in 1994, when the band dropped their self-titled debut album, a lot of critics and metal fans had negative feelings and opinions about it. Both the Village Voice and the LA Times had less-than-stellar reviews, and many metal fans felt like it was a musical bastardization.
Sure, not everyone hated the album, but it wouldn’t be until a few years later, when Korn dropped their third album, Life is Peachy, that the band would start getting real recognition for forging a new sound.
Today, Korn’s debut, with songs like “Blind” and “Shoots and Ladders,” is widely considered to be among their best work and a shining example of early nu-metal.
Death – Scream Bloody Gore (1987)
Similar to what Korn dealt with, death metal godfathers Death faced a lot of “that’s different and we don’t like it!” when they released their debut album, Scream Bloody Gore. It was the first time that death metal had really been perceived outside of its ties to thrash metal (see: Possessed’s 1985 album Seven Churches).
When it was released, Scream Bloody Gore was met with negative reviews from many outlets, even Kerrang!, one of the most reputable heavy music news magazine outlets (they would reverse this decision decades later and give the album a perfect 5/5 score).
Today, Scream Bloody Gore is looked at as a blueprint for death metal and its rise over the next decade, with modern bands of the genre still considering it a massive inspiration.
Mötley Crüe – Shout at the Devil (1983)
Immediately, you’re like “what?! bullshit.” I totally understand. It’s near-impossible to imagine now that, of all ’80s glam metal albums, Mötley Crüe’s Shout at the Devil would ever be considered subpar, but it’s true.
Shout at the Devil dropped in 1983 and, coming off their 1981 debut Too Fast for Love, the band’s sophomore album didn’t initially hit the notes they’d hoped it would. In fact, The Village Voice panned the album, and Rolling Stone only gave the record a score of 2/5.
Clearly, any negative perceptions of the album didn’t have longevity, as Shout at the Devil is one of the band’s most successful records and is considered one of the greatest metal albums of the 80s.
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)
If their final concert event proved anything, Black Sabbath is the greatest heavy metal band to ever live. With the late Ozzy Osbourne at center stage, the group influenced every band in the genre that came after them and built the foundation of heavy metal that’s still holding up today.
But… when Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album dropped in 1970, people just didn’t get them. A Rolling Stone writer compared them to fellow British rockers Cream, only “worse,” and The Village Voice gave the album a C-.
Additionally, Metal Injection pointed to some old headlines found by YouTube channel AudioMover where the band was called: “obnoxious, superficial, and too loud.”
I think Black Sabbath and Ozzy’s legacy is “told ya so,” enough that this album is a bona fide classic, but to reuse an old quote that’s still often very relevant: “If it’s too loud, you’re too old.”
The post 4 Heavy Metal Albums That Got Hated at First—but Now They’re Classics appeared first on VICE.
