I dunno...I'm talking about a conscious, non-musical strategy undertaken by a band/label to increase either their market share or their margins. At the Gates was dead and gone before anyone knew their classic album would became a classic. Carcass closed their career with 'Swansong', hardly a consistent brand message.
And Emperor? Being one of the biggest black metal bands in the world didn't mean a whole lot then. I saw them in 1998 at the Milwaukee Metalfest, and in 1999 with Borknagar at a shitty 20%-filled theater for a $15 ticket price. There was certainly no mythmaking going on there! And it's a universe away from $100 VIP packages.
Sure, those bands continued to be well-known names in their absence, but that's basically the opposite of branding. That's grass-roots, organic fandom, desiring them purely for their music. Actually there was probably some attraction, just like when a musician dies, that comes from the complete *lack* of marketing.
Neil
i saw that same Emperor tour in SC with Borknagar and i drove over 3 hours to see them and the place was packed out. for me, myth making usually happens after a band has called it quits as people recall stories of shows, some true - some not true, but still keeping the legacy of the band alive. again, that could be just my take on how myths come to be.
but as far as branding Emperor were on every cover or featured in large spreads within magazines i read (which back then was a lot) whenever something new was coming. in the US they might not have been massive, but everywhere else they were and we all know the US metal market isn't the greatest in the world and can hardly be the place in which a Scandinavian band's popularity should be judged.
i will just agree to disagree with on the Carcass and At The Gates topics. Because i don't know about you but
Heartwork and
Slaughter Of The Soul changed my world upon purchasing those albums way back then. So simply stated those were destined to be classics for me from the get-go and i think why they became classics to the genre over time. What they eventually turned into for the generations after the bands were dead and gone is only a testament to how good they were. But they did make an impact immediately in the music scene originally as well.
i could be mistaken on this but i am pretty sure Michael Amott and Bill Steer were the first guitarists from the death metal genre to be featured on the cover of guitar player magazine (any guitar guys remember that?! help? hahaha) after release of
Heartwork. again, something i remember that could actual "myth" hahaha.
also, to judge carcass on swansong is kind of funny. they had already been crushed by sony records by then hence it sitting on a shelf until earache could get it back from them.
again, just my opinions. i am a carcass nut, sorry.
