YouSuck: MetalSucks Readers Weigh In on Band Reunions
With last month’s major news that thrash metal icons Slayer are coming back for a few dates later this year, we decided to ask you guys what you felt about band reunions in general. Between Slayer, Three Inches of Blood, Pantera, and so many other reunion announcements in recent memory, you guys have been pretty opinionated in the comments.
Sometimes — and I know this is shocking — you guys were being dicks about the whole thing. I get it though, you’re passionate about this shit and have feels. That’s why we decided to see where you guys fell on the whole “are band reunions cool” question.
To do that, we asked three questions: do you like when a band reunites, should a band get back together without all of their original members, and do you plan on catching a reunited band this year? We collected your responses, checked out your comments, and here’s what you guys had to say.
Do You Like When a Band Reunites?
When it came to whether you guys enjoyed when old bands got back together, you guys were mostly in favor of it, though a majority were sorta ambivalent as well. According to our poll data, 29.81% of respondents loved the idea while 20.3% hated it. The majority, with 49.89% of you guys falling in this category, said you could effectively take it or leave it.
In the comments, the conversation was equally mixed. Commenter jim666 said they hate when bands get together and don’t deliver on the promises they make when they return:
“What I dislike is when bands reunite, promise new music, then never deliver. Looking at you, Coroner and Dark Angel.”
Meanwhile, commenter putrefuktion makes a really good point about booking shows and how reunion acts can take away from up-and-coming artists:
“double-edged sword in a way…
these might be the only bands left that can draw enough of a crowd to satisfy promoters and ever-rising cost-increases…
on the other hand, it would be nice if some of the millionaire dinosaurs would step aside and let some newer bands finally start headlining or whatever”
Over on Instagram, @leoplissken said he was totally down for reunions, but only one specific kind:
“Yes – when I reunited with your mom, that was a good reunion.”
Nice.
Should a Band Ever Reunite Without Its Original Members?
Now, this point was made a million times when Pantera announced their reunion, but sometimes bands can’t get the original lineup back together. In the case of Pantera, the Abbott brothers are no longer with us, while in Slayer’s case, we know that at least Kerry King has some serious beef with Dave Lombardo. So is that a real lineup and should a band ever return without those original members?
This time, you guys were pretty firmly in one camp, with 62.98% taking the approach that it depends on the situation and the band, while only 12.92% giving an unequivocal ‘yes’ and 24.11% saying ‘no’.
Over in the comments, you guys reflected that nuanced approach. Instagram user @ken4and said a reunion really hinges on a band’s level of success:
“Depends on the band really and actually how successful they are or were. I mean I love that Shadows Fall and Chimiara are playing some shows.”
Speaking directly about the Slayer situation, Instagram user @dan_zig did not mince any words, even if he was wrong about Kerry King:
“Slayer isn’t a reunion. Just Tom. No Jeff, No Kerry, No Dave…”
Over on the website’s comments, user “sucks” echoed the previous sentiment, but went even further, throwing haymakers at Axl Rose and shitting on other reunions in the process:
“GNR was the last time a reunion surprised me and Axl can’t sing anymore so who cares. No Dime = No Pantera, no Jeff or Dave = No Slayer. Also feels like Slayer broke up like, 2 years ago tops.”
Do You Plan on Seeing a Reunited Band Perform in 2024?
Ultimately, it all boils down to whether or not you’ll go see a reunion act perform. Money talks and all that, so where do you fall?
Well according to our poll, nearly half (48.38%) of you will stay home, just as Lisa Holt suggested. Meanwhile, 32.94% said they would be going and 18.68% said they’d go only if they were part of a bigger lineup or festival stop.
Instagram user @arthurns simply said they weren’t going to participate in the reunion band economy, despite his love of Slayer:
“I love Slayer, but definitely no.”
Looping back to a previous question, Instagram user @manic.expressive said a reunion only works if there’s a lot of time between the band’s departure and reunion. Slayer’s reunion though? That’s a different story:
“[Reunions are] not cool after 5 years. When a band is gone a decade or two, then decides to get back in the saddle, that’s fun and exciting. When a band does a 3 year farewell tour just to come back a few years later, it’s an eye roll.
Still gonna go tho”
Finally, Instagram user @gogo_holmes wrote a fuckin’ treatise on the issue, but ultimately said they don’t usually go to reunion shows because of the fact that people get old and degrade:
“I don’t find myself at many reunion shows. The bands are a shadow of their former selves and seeing loose sets from bands with weaker chemistries has changed my enjoyment of their recorded music. Slayer doesn’t need help with retirement money but other bands might so they should be allowed to keep up the hustle”
Want to give a huge shoutout to everyone that participated. Expect a new poll in the coming days, where we ask you guys what your favorite album of February was!
