10 Hyped Hard Rock Albums That Weren't Worth The Wait

When Australian hard rockers Wolfmother appeared on the scene with their self-titled debut in 2005, the general feeling in the musical community was that something new and exciting had arrived. And the band rode that feeling like nobody's business, until they finally dropped their second record four years later.

While 2009's Cosmic Egg is definitely no disaster, neither is it worth half the hype that preceded it. With 12 tunes cut straight from the hard rock/garage rock playbook, the record feels like B-sides to the band's first release, without the vocal hooks and catchy, barn-storming riffs that made that album so popular.

The band itself was responsible for a lot of the over-hype, with singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale touting the record as "epic", "relentless" and "explosive" over the years leading up to its release – a run-up that unfortunately saw the internal fracturing of the band and the departure of bassist/keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett.

Maybe their popularity got to them, maybe the stakes were so high that they choked, maybe they were afraid to push the boat out. Whatever the reason, let it never be said that Wolfmother didn't have enough time to compose a great album – often the reason for a sophomore slump. But, hey, maybe too much time is just as bad as too little.

Cosmic Egg could have been a hiccup, but history says otherwise. Each subsequent release has been less anticipated, received dwindling attention, and delivered diminishing returns in sales, artistry and success.