10 Metal Albums That Should Have Been Great (But Totally Weren't)

More often than not, when a band finds itself under pressure for an upcoming album, it's a make-or-break scenario. The act in question either rises to the occasion and crafts a defiant masterpiece or, in the case of the records featured in this list, the hype outlives the end result, crafting nothing short of a crushing disappointment for an excited, almost cult fan-base.

These ten albums fell short of their build-up in disastrous, dumpster fire fashion, either going on to divide a fan-base right down the middle or, in the worst of cases, unite them in thinking "Yeah, this sounds as fun as a pneumatic drill to the cranium."

In either scenario, though, it is worth prefacing this list by saying that not every entry on it is objectively "bad". Some of them have either been unjustly vilified or been seen from a more forgiving, understanding stance in more recent years.

From classic, infamous failures to modern blunders, the point remains: If a record left a sizeable chunk of its band's fan-base jaded, angry or disillusioned at the time of its release, it deserves a slot here.

The most recent entry on this list, the self-titled album (2017) by deathcore innovators Suicide Silence may be one of the most out-of-left-field metal records since Metallica and Lou Reed's Lulu (2011).

Theoretically, this album should have been a guaranteed smash hit. After all, its predecessor, You Can't Stop Me (2014), had already done all the hard work, introducing fans to new frontman Eddie Hermida after the tragic death of the beloved Mitch Lucker, and receiving critical acclaim in the process.

Yet, for album number five, Suicide Silence switched from deathcore to bizarrely art rock-inspired nu metal, delivering something totally unlike anything they've ever attempted before.

Yeah, the risk hasn't paid off.

Just look at their Facebook page for proof. Under every single post, without fail, the band is being gloriously and viciously roasted by legions of jaded fans.

A lot of hate has especially been directed towards Hermida who, as the newbie in the band, is being unfairly villainised for this change being "his fault" and a result of "his influence". To be fair, it takes every member of a band to agree to a change in sound, especially one as drastic as this.

Hopefully, for their follow-up album, Suicide Silence can either make the nu metal revival sound work by implementing tighter vocals and stronger riffs and hooks, or return to their deathcore roots. But, either way, it's impossible to deny that their self-titled album is their worst release so far.