Who are your "blind buy" bands & who have fallen from that status?

[GameFreac]

Very few bands...the last blind buy I can remember was the new Alcest.

I usually want to hear some songs first before I buy because some good bands put out shitty albums. So you never know.

 

[DemonOfTheWoods]

Blind Buys

Iron Maiden
Grave Digger
Rage
Anything with Jorn Lande
Dream Theater
Pagan's Mind
Manticora
Eldritch
Anything Savatage related
Nocturnal Rites
Primal Fear
Wuthering Heights
Brainstorm

I know there are more but that's all I can think of now. It shouldn't matter since I think the initial post said to post 5 anyway!

No Longer Blind Buys

Sonata Arctica
Hammerfall
Edguy

Anything with a logo I can't read.

Anything death, melodic death, folk/pagan, or black metal. Must hear it first or already like the band from previous releases. Way too much sounds the same.

Limb Music. I used to buy anything & everything on Limb Music. After a while, so much of it started to sound the same & the bands would only exist for 1 or 2 albums before disappearing, so now I use caution. I did discover some of my favorites through Limb releases (Galloglass, Vanishing Point, Olympos Mons, Domain)

 

[lady_space]

There used to be DOZENS...DOZENS of bands I would blind-buy over the years, but now I would say none. not even my favorite band Venom. Their last 2-3 albums have been so sub par that I won;t even blind purchase them anymore and I have been a fan of theirs for almost 30 years. Slayer would probably be the closest to a blind-buy band now but even them...no.
There are far too many bands out there, and every one has put at least one bad album. With so many bands today compared to the 80's and early 90's, you have to be more selective in what you purchase.

There used to be no choice... I still remember when I went to buy Promised Land, they offered to let me listen to it first. I was dumbfounded. But I listened to a couple of songs... why not? Then I bought it anyway. (This was at Peachtree Mall, btw. )

There are bands I will more than likely buy from "blind." That said, money is so incredibly tight these days, I listen to everything first, whether I already intend to buy it eventually or not. That said, I have a feeling I've missed something and am going to have to interrogate Greg about VP in depth.

 

[eppst1]

Actually, too many blind buys to list. If it's a band I like, I'll blind buy. There are some exceptions: Edguy, Hammerfall, and Brainstorm come to mind. The only time I won't blind buy is if it's a band I've never heard of before, I usually try and track something down to listen.

I'm not sure if this is considered a blind buy, but if I read a good review from someone I trust, I'll pick it up based on their recommendation.

 

[eppst1]

No Longer Blind Buy:
Moonsorrow
Vanden Plas

These 2 surprise me. I thought you were a huge fan of Moonsorrow and I thought you said somewhere (I may be wrong) that you felt Vanden Plas was the best prog/power band currently out there.

 

[BRAND SPRAGINS]

Interesting post, i have never really thought about this until i read this post. So here are mine.

Blind Buy

Symphony X
Seventh Wonder
Pagan's Mind
Kamelot
Jorn Lande
Firewind
Riverside


Used to be Blind Buy but no longer

Yngwie Malmsteen
Evergrey - This one hurts, love em live but last 2 albums have done nothing for me
Chastain
Sonata Arctica

 

[GoRillaBoy76]

Blindbuys

Iced Earth (and anything Matt Barlow sings on)
Circus Maximus
The Showdown
Soilwork
Neverdream
Primal Fear

Fallen

Sonata Arctica
Stratovarious
Vision Divine
In Flames

 

[ratanda]

I used to do blind buys of my favorite bands at festivals. But after a little while I realized I rarely listened to these blind buys and stuck with the more familiar ones in the band's catalog. So it was just wasted money and space. I stopped doing blind buys a long time ago.

 

[edgeofthorns]

Blind Buys:

Savatage (I'd literally would buy anything!)
Jon Olivas Pain
Circle II Circle
Trans-Siberian Orchestra (eventhough their last one sucked big time!)
Kamelot
Jorn
Iron Maiden
Candlemass
Solitude Aeturnus
Brainstorm
Symphorce
Urban Breed (the many projects of Mr. Breed!)
King Diamond
Iced Earth
Nightwish
Within Temptation
Symphony X
Circus Maximus
Avantasia (Tobi still has it here)

No Longer Blind Buys:

Edguy (it saddens me to admit to this)
Pagan's Mind (the last one was just outright bland to me)
Dream Theater
Countless array of 80's bands ranging from AC/DC to Ratt to Stryper.....I have officially grown bored with that era of music.

~Brian~

 

[mel_progson]

Blind Buys;

Pagan's Mind
Circus Maximus
Seventh Wonder
Nevermore

No Longer;

Dream Theater
Queensryche
Fates Warning

 

[mel_progson]

Pagan's Mind

Milt, just out of interest, what made you drop Pagan's off the list?

 

[Harvester]

Hey Mel,

I keep waiting for the shirt change in the avatar:

 

[Justin G]

There are too many to list. If I really follow a band, I’ll “blind buy” most (no live albums, no “hits” compilations) anything they release.

Here are some bands I’ll no longer blind buy, but would still consider buying (as in, would pick up a used copy if the samples sound good or it’s getting good press):
Anthrax
Asia
Avantasia
Bonfire
Circle II Circle
Crimson Glory
Disillusion
Europe
Freedom Call
House of Lords
Jon Oliva’s Pain
Katatonia
Labyrinth
Lacuna Coil
Metallica
Nevermore
Axel Rudi Pell
Shadow Gallery
Stratovarius
Tesla
Threshold (sorry, I’m just afraid of what they’ll sound like without Mac)
Vicious Rumors

And these are former blind buy bands have dropped completely off my list. If I see a new release, I’ll probably pass it by without thinking twice.
The Cult
Dokken
Edenbridge
Gamma Ray
Helloween
Iced Earth
In Flames
Megadeth
Moonspell
Nightwish
Pain of Salvation
Queensryche
Rhapsody
Royal Hunt
Samael
Soilwork
Spock’s Beard
TNT
White Lion
Yes

 

[booB]

This looks like it's starting to turn into "What bands are your favorites, and which ones do you no longer enjoy?" That's not the point.

The point of posting the bands that are no longer on your blind buy list (if I understand the original intent correctly) was to mention bands that are amongst your favorites, but of whom you have become skeptical enough to where you need to listen to their output before you buy it.

 

[Magius]

This looks like it's starting to turn into "What bands are your favorites, and which ones do you no longer enjoy?" That's not the point.

The point of posting the bands that are no longer on your blind buy list (if I understand the original intent correctly) was to mention bands that are amongst your favorites, but of whom you have become skeptical enough to where you need to listen to their output before you buy it.

Or bands which were blind buys, but have moved beyond skepicism and are now on the "no buy" list.
Either way they "have fallen from that status."

 

[Justin G]

Or bands which were blind buys, but have moved beyond skepicism and are now on the "no buy" list.
Either way they "have fallen from that status."

Exactly.

 

[The Fiddler]

Blind Buys:

Iron Maiden
Fates Warning
Iced Earth
Kamelot
Zero Hour
Circus Maximus (Mike is a vocal god)

No Longer Blind Buys (must listen to samples first before buying):

Vanden Plas (quality music, just nothing I haven't heard from them b4).
Redemption (quality music, just nothing I haven't heard from them b4).
Morgana Lefay (their last disc was their first disappointment for me).
Nevermore (just more of the same).
Pagans Mind (nothing has topped Celestial Entrance for me).
Symphony X (last disc was a waste of Russell's vocal talent).
Epica (need to hear something more catchy - first album is still my fav).
Primal Fear (just more of the same).
Circle II Circle (just more of the same).

Wont buy at all (have no interest in even seeking-out samples):

Edguy
Evergrey (First three albums are all I need).
Stratovarius
Dream Theater (Six Degrees was the beginning of the end).
Jorn (solo stuff, but looking forward to Ark).
Nightwish (not the same w/o Tarja).
Avantasia
Angra

 

[progmetalprincess]

Blind Buys:
Nightwish
Opeth
Kamelot
Symphony X
Delain
Tarot

No longer blind buy:
Dream Theater
Dreamscape
Evergrey (only because of recent lineup changes)

 

[mel_progson]

Hey Mel,

I keep waiting for the shirt change in the avatar:

Fixed.

 

[KYF_Cincinnati]

Music is just not a priority for me, and so I don't spend much time online listening to samples.

I don't understand. How can music not be a priority for you? What kind of person are you?

BTW: johnfrank1970's quote made me laugh out loud because I was thinking the same thing. I'm sorry but the sentence... "Music is just not a priority for me..." is one of the most unrelative things I've ever read, by any member, on this forum. For some reason a statment like that reminds me of Nancy Pelosi.