One thing I've been thinking during watching a lot of "top best albums" lists or them being mentioned in podcasts, that when looking outside the album approach, there are also other type of great bands. Most artists, who are generally name dropped, may have absolutely brilliant releases, but also lots of fairly poor and forgettable stuff.
They get mentioned, because they have that brilliant album. But the bands, who may not have stand-out classic album, but year after year produced solid albums. Countless of them. Enough that you could trust to buy their next without hearing any comments or previews. Or, that overall, has vastly larger number of really good albums, despite none of them acknowledged as utmost genre classic (yet).
In some cases also band having vision to go forward and doing several different sounding good albums. As example, one of my absolute top hit heavy electronics album would be Operation Cleansweep "power hungry" LP. Despite that, by 2022, I am not too excited or have high hopes that they would return with absolutely killer new works.
Shift, in other hand, I would expect next album to deliver. Not even know what to expect. That project could deliver many types of album, yet sustained both quality and growth. Even if band rarely gets mentioned amoung the greats.
Or I wouldn't buy next Merzbow without sniffing around a bit, what it may be. Despite Merzbow being one of absolute favorites. But for example Kojstad, who may not appear on greatest noise projects of all times top lists, I'd trust to buy next CD instantly. Or listening many of the Lasse Marhaug titles and concluding that none of his stuff would be on my top-10 noise albums, but his stuff rather frequently make into noise to be listened to.
Besides great albums, there seems to be couple categories where you may find different names appear, and no less good. Just different.
-Bands who have all good stuff, stuff you listen to, even more than supposed "classics", but there is no stand out album, as its all good. no flaws.. except none of albums really jump out as "hit".
-Bands who were slow growers. Especially with power electronics, heavy electronics, I think debut full length is SO crucial for impression band makes, that if you had couple "ok'ish" items and then great album, it is unlikely the great album will get appreciation it deserves.
-Bands who have so massive output, that its hard to come up with "stand out album", when you can only say that their output overall, is better than hit albums of most. Stuff like Aube. If trying to get what he did, instead listening his best album, I'd say minimum of 5-10 Aube. I don't recall seeing any Aube on anyones top-5 lists. There could be, but can't remember. I would guess it is because it ain't "hit album" type noise, hah.. But phenomenal stuff.
