10 Bands Who Weren’t Afraid To Change Their Sound

The Liverpudlian pioneers of the doom-metal sound were formed by brothers Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh in 1990, and signed to Peaceville Records. Their early days were led by vocalist Darren White and their albums Serenades (1993) and The Silent Enigma (1995) were gothic-doom masterpieces, which saw them tour within the extreme metal scene with bands such as Cannibal Corpse.

White left in 1995 to form The Blood Divide, and guitarist Daniel Cavanagh took over vocal duties with an instant shift in style on their next album Eternity (1996), which featured a cleaner singing style and more of a melodic approach. The new style that the band were moving towards was obvious once again on Alternative 4 (1998). With their classic album Judgement following a year later, the shift away from their doom metal roots was complete, as they started experimenting with a progressive rock style largely inspired by the likes of Pink Floyd.

This change has seen them embark on a sound in the 2000s which was even more mellow with a strong folk influence at times, and a prominent use of acoustic guitar and piano arrangements. This has seen them amass somewhat of a steady cult fan base within progressive circles, but with many viewing their career as consisting of two distinct polarising stages.