That's great for you. I'm not that much different. Also love many different styles of music and bands, but that doesn't mean I also don't have certain things I detest. Like most metal music. And I haven't cast off all the music I liked when I was 14. I just realized over time (quickly, by my late teens), that certain acts, like Triumph, were spoon fed to me from the classic rock station. I didn't really have any other outlet to hear what was going on at the time. Thankfully, I was later able to hear what I was missing and realized some of that late 70's stuff was pure shit (Triumph is totally 2nd rate).

BTW, I don't care about trendy or what's cool. It such a non-issue for me.

Well, I'm glad you were spoon fed bands by your classic rock station, but no one's ever dictated my music tastes to me, but me. I've usually been way ahead of the curve of whatever style/genre was about to become popular, anyway. Generally what happens is as soon as something becomes too popular, people start abandoning it or cutting it down - the very same people who used to be fans of it, too. That, or they see the music they listened to in their youth as "Kids stuff" and something to be outgrown. What I'm saying is, that I've very rarely ever done that. I can't say never, as I'm sure there may be a band here or there - but I still like most everyone I've ever heard.

Now with a case like Triumph (which is really more early 80's), I'm not saying they're musical geniuses, or that their music is superior to other groups by any means. However, I like it just fine, thank you very much - and you'll never be able to convince me it's shit, or second rate. Although, I'd be curious to hear your reason's why you think so, or who you'd consider them second rate to. Just give me one band from the same time period, and NOT Rush, as an example. Not to get into a pissing match, but I just want to know how you'd defend your statements. Who did you move on to, and why, for instance? What influenced your musical journey?

While I'm no longer really a fan of metal - these are as close as I get:

Pantera - I'm Broken - just listen to it, kick as intro and overall just a solid tune. Great vid too:

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Deftones - Be Quiet and Drive:
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Helmet - Milquetoast (embed disabled):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pByYv_zWN1U

Helmet - Wilma's Rainbow (embed disabled):
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FUqyfXguY90

Growing up in Indiana with only radio (and maybe some magazines) there really wasn't any other choice for me to hear what was available. No internet, no older siblings, no hipster friends and fairly conservative parents. I guess I could have hung out at the local record stores, but I saw no need since I actually liked what I was hearing. I'm impressed if you were so ahead of the curve at the age of 14 to know what was going on. Times were VERY different back then.

I think Triumph is a dogsqueeze band (actually, I think I was being kind calling them 2nd rate) because they were apeing other acts that I don't find all that great either. The lyrics are silly and the music is insufferably boring and by the numbers. A couple of years ago I downloaded their catalog (well, just 1979 to 1982, the years I bought their albums) and it was even worse than I expected. I enjoyed "Lay It On The Line" purely as nostaliga, but the rest was really nasty. Just pure cheese.

And after all these years looking back, I really wish I had been into other albums from, say 1980 instead. Thankfully in college I was able to really dive down into sounds that were interesting and creative. Things I discovered in part on my own and in part working for a college radio station (and being music director there for two years (Auburn)). These are albums that came out in 1980 that blow my mind:

Talking Heads "Remain In Light", Joy Division "Closer", Feelies "Crazy Rhythms", Peter Gabriel "Peter Gabriel (Melt)", X "Los Angeles, Elvis Costello "Get Happy", Pretenders "Pretenders", English Beat "Just Can't Stop It", XTC "Black Sea", Echo & The Bunnymen "Crocodiles", Rockpile "Seconds Of Pleasure".... and there are others even more underground like Young Marble Giants.

oh yeah... and Rush "Permanent Waves" (my fave of theirs).

Looking back at that list of stuff I love from that year, a few of those acts were played on classic rock radio. I even bought that Elvis Costello album and the clerk thought it was odd I was buying that album at 14. But it still took me a few years to discover some of those others and realize how much better these albums were over the typical Journey, Styx, REO spew.

There are plenty of groups I still like from those early teen years. Zep, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Neil Young, Dire Straits, Supertramp, ELO for example.
But there are just as many that make me laugh.

edit: I wanna add Springsteen's "The River" to my love list.

Thanks. I like about half your list, and the rest doesn't do anything for me, but that's cool. Just wanted to get a feel of where you were coming from.

Growing up in Indiana, I'm surprised KISS wasn't a requisite listening experience for you. I lived there for a year (1977, in Merriville) and the one (and only, it seemed) band everyone loved then was KISS.

Back to Triumph - I agree about their 70's output, and therefore don't own any of it. Most of what followed from '81 on, though, (Allied Forces, Never Surrender, Thunder Seven...etc) is the stuff I like. Is it artistically brilliant, innovative or influential? Not at all, but it still does something for me. There are times I just want to listen to thunderous drums, rocking guitars and sing-along-able lyrics, especially while driving.

Sometimes you can appreciate a good piece of Fillet Mignon, and sometimes a cheeseburger gets the job done. It doesn't make the cheeseburger any less tasty.

I get ya. I'm SURE there are meat and potatoes bands I like that others would think suck. I don't think my wife gets it when I listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd or Atlanta's own Drivin' N' Cryin'.

I loved KISS in the 70's. I still like "Destroyer" and the debut album a lot. Usually when I want something more in the classic rock style, I'll chomp down on the Rolling Stones. Or another 1980 album called "Back in Black" that was a wee bit popular.

Gotta love Rush and Triumph

Rocketdog2000 I feel you're getting pounded on the Triumph issue and i'm comming to your rescue! Triumph was a great early band with RNR Machine and In the Beginning. I also loved Just a Game. Live King Biscut is also a favorite of mine. I haven't heard anything from them after Never Surrender so I can't debate after that. But I have all of their early recordings and I still play them today.

The Talking Heads and Springsteen? No.

Thunder Seven is a great album and Never Surrender and Allied Forces are decent, but that is about all the Triumph I ever want to hear.

Ahh Sepultura's Arise. I remember when it came out, and in my mind Slayer was dethroned. Fucking killer riffs and drumming on there. Scariest part is those guys played it *faster* live. Probably coked up.

Thanks for the support Joe29, although I really don't feel that I'm getting pounded on the issue. So far, it's only been atlantamoi voicing dissent, and in all fairness, even if we disagree, he is entitled to his own opinion. Just like you and I can say we feel the same about the Talking Heads as he does about Triumph. It's all good.

I definitely lean more towards KillerCannibal's taste in metal, at least as far as the videos that were listed with song titles.

A lot of what's been listed in this thread I wouldn't consider hard rock or heavy metal.

might like it (or hate it), this version actually got me into "newer" pantera, as i didn't realize their stuff after 'vulgar' was so damn good.
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Well, now we have some viking metal on here, so how about some Tolkien metal.

Cirith Gorgor

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Also try Black Jade.

Wow.

If Tolkien were still alive, he'd kill himself after hearing that.