Best late-career releases

[Pretsy 1343]

Most music enthusiasts and even casual listeners are more likely to pinpoint their favorite albums from artists' "first steps" - like you'd normally seeing someone e.g. placing Despa's debut on a pedestal and getting zealous over it and etc.

 

But are there any best bits that came out from artists after many years - or even decades of experience? 

 

List a few - or many (if you want) fav albums of your fav artists when their experience spanned for a long time.

 

Example:

 

DIR EN GREY (formed 1997) - UROBOROS (2008)

 

Assuming that MOAB would be the "divider" of DEG repertoire (early/late albums), UROBOROS did a very good job at living up to its title - taking a few notches from MOAB sessions and adding a few spices and frills from the past, thus resulting in something what even their local mainstream fanbase calls "Dir's finest hour to date".

 

I personally felt that MOAB-Uroboros kept the main focus on being more up to "how does it flow"-kind of philosophy instead of awkward "how diverse is it - let's make it more diverse"-kind of risk-taking. Most might feel like having an uproar over this but I see this (along with MOAB) as one of their most consistent, LOGICAL" albums to date. Those that came before and after are quite too much to digest as multi-genre clusterfucks, while this package can be considered to be enough to satisfy various corners of (hard) rock fanbase with dominating.

 

Felt like having a safe, but "adult" pop tune? "Glass Skin". How about Incubus-y but jumpy-heavy banger? "Stuck Man". Late Rush-meets-Mariachi worshiping, since neo-proggy number? "Ware, Yami Tote"...

 

All in all, Uroboros guaranteed the short period of peace between old and new fans - and managed to gain even newer, larger audience as a result. Cool, right?

 

Feel free to mention your fav late-career albums!

[SOTSOG 12]

This is very hard question for me, all albums by my favorite bands are bad/boring/ok.  But I will try to remember a good album.

Agree with Uroboros tho, not my favorite but way better than Dss and Arche.

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

Why are they your faves if you think their albums are bad? Lolol (Unless they're Deluhi, in which their releases larger than 2 songs were disasters)

 

 

 

La'Mule's "Berlin" was a fantastic release, as well as their last. Not that their sound really changed a whole lot throughout their career, but that single definitely sticks out as being a fantastic last hurrah in my mind.

 

 

Not sure if it counts or not, but I consider Madeth Gray'll's history album to be their best release since it mixed all of their best songs together and provided better production and improved arrangements which is widely unheard of for a vkei goodbye collection album. 

 

 

I want to say this would apply to Baiser as well, but making me choose between Hana and Ash is like asking me to choose between my two of my children (the one I like more depends on my mood).

[Des 289]

27 years into her career in 2005 Kate Bush released Aerial, a double album clocking in at 80 minutes, a very good and for much of its duration cinematic experience. And 6 years later she also released 50 Words for Snow which isn't *that* good but still a fine effort. Aerial is where it's at though.

 

[SOTSOG 12]

Why are they your faves if you think their albums are bad? Lolol (Unless they're Deluhi, in which their releases larger than 2 songs were disasters)

 

 

 

La'Mule's "Berlin" was a fantastic release, as well as their last. Not that their sound really changed a whole lot throughout their career, but that single definitely sticks out as being a fantastic last hurrah in my mind.

 

 

Not sure if it counts or not, but I consider Madeth Gray'll's history album to be their best release since it mixed all of their best songs together and provided better production and improved arrangements which is widely unheard of for a vkei goodbye collection album. 

 

 

I want to say this would apply to Baiser as well, but making me choose between Hana and Ash is like asking me to choose between my two of my children (the one I like more depends on my mood).

''Bad/boring/ok'' not only bad lmao. Some albums are ok but not comparable with earlier releases. I don't like when people say that long time ago their music were better, but it's true, all my faves new albums are nothing special.

 

Anyway, i'm biased but Gazette Toxic is good album, best from Sony era.

[emmny 4139]

NEGA - VANTAS

im not quite sure as to why people detested this, sure they changed their sound to something more mainstream cough visualcore cough but this is easily one of the most interesting and heavy visual albums i've heard. it has this oddly progressive and overall weird sound, its more than slightly influenced by DSS but its with nega's own touch. its on the surface metalcore but i hear a some cues to death/doom through the synth work and doom metal in the way the guitars drone on. 

RES - THE BOTTOM OF CHAOS / MEGIDDO

lynch. - INFERIORITY COMPLEX / GALLOWS / EXODUS

MALICE MIZER - final singles / goth era

merry go round - final singles

 

im too lazy to write up the rest but basically most of these feature a shift in sound that i wish was continued, except for lynch im mad happy they have their current sound. its a shame when a band puts out their most interesting work before they disband.

[violetchain 912]

GLAY's "Love Is Beautiful" album is the first one coming to mind. It's not my absolute favourite, but I think it's a very solid one for around 15 years into their career. The collaborations with Kyosuke Himuro and EXILE are both really refreshing.

 

ANSWER and MIRROR still rank up there with some of their best tracks, IMO.