10 Rock And Metal Albums From The 2000s The Critics Got Wrong
It's fair to say the music critics don't get it right all of the time...
The 2000s were a downgrade for rock music when compared with the 1990s, but there was still a multitude of great acts during this decade.
Bands such as The White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, System of a Down, and The Libertines were amongst those lauded by fans and critics alike, and many of them continued their success into the following decade as well.
But such bands are not typical. A devoted fanbase and worldwide tours are an irrelevance to the average music critic, and as such, there are plenty of well-known rock and metal artists whose material wasn’t always looked upon favourably.
Throughout the 2000s there were a number of records that were wrongly underappreciated or panned by music journalists. Sure, it’s their job to look for flaws, but sometimes it feels as if they’re criticising things the average listener simply won't concern themselves with.
What’s more, given it’s hard to assess how influential a record is going to be in the future, some of these albums are now held in much higher esteem than they were at the time of their release…
10. Suicide Season - Bring Me The Horizon (2008)
Back in 2008, Bring Me The Horizon released their second LP. Though critics preferred Suicide Season over Count Your Blessings, they didn’t give the album as much praise as the band’s subsequent releases.
The lyrical content was a common criticism. Sputnikmusic described the lyrics as ‘tedious’ and objected to the party-like nature of the album. Whilst songs like ‘Diamonds Aren’t Forever’ have their fair share of uninspired lyrics, other songs grapple with much deeper themes. Indeed, both the title track and ‘Chelsea Smile’ contain some of the best lyrics Oli Sykes has ever penned.
Sykes also recorded an emotive vocal performance on Suicide Season. His growls and screams are mixed with a cleaner style which makes the album a much more interesting listen than Count Your Blessings. And the quality of the record is heightened still further by the addition of electronic sounds and the occasional use of classical instrumentation.
Though Suicide Season is not Bring Me The Horizon’s best record, critics didn't quite grasp how much of a leap forward it was for the band.