Since the dawn of the genre, metal bands softening themselves up to emphasise melody or groove has incited gatekeepers to cry, “Sell-out!” Change isn’t inherently a bad thing, though. Such shifts in sound have spawned masterpieces from Metallica’s Black Album to Megadeth’s Countdown To Extinction – although these bands later returned to their fast-thrashing ways. Even more fascinating are the artists who temper their aggression then stick to their guns, all the while keeping goodwill and climbing in status. These are 10 metal bands who went soft, stayed soft and became far better off for it:
