When did [insert band here] click with you?

[MrKnickerbocker]

Have you ever had a musician or band suddenly click for you, even though you previously had either not appreciated their music or simply never given them the time? When and why?

 

[Mosh]

it was a meme on this forum for awhile, but I’ve come to really appreciate Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree recently. I’m not sure if I can pinpoint a certain time, but I was really impressed with the Porcupine Tree reunion tour a couple years ago. I was mostly impressed with how much charisma Steven Wilson had as a frontman. He genuinely seemed to enjoy being on stage and was invested in entertaining the audience. It felt like a contrast to his image as a “serious” artist who, at one time, seemed frequently to turn his nose up at other artists. The lack of pretension in that particular show went a long way toward me appreciating his music more. I still find a lot of it to be boring, but less so than before.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have learned to take music (especially metal) a lot less seriously the last couple years and enjoy the kitschy side of the genre. With that in mind, I have come to really enjoy King Diamond/Mercyful Fate this year.

 

[Sth2112]

I started with Metallica, Pantera and power metal when I was 15 or something, and soon found more extreme metal. So then I hated almost everything power metal. I also had a phase where I hated metal in genera, taking Steven Wilson and Trent Reznor way to serious. But when I went home to power metal in 2009, I had to eat my hat as I had to admit that Edguy, Avantasia, Helloween, Hammerfall and others are brilliant. This is what my true love is. I can like power metal just as much as black metal, pop music, kraut rock or whatever.

I still find some things that click after many years. This year I have just found out that Epica is quite good, same about Dragonforce. Last year this happened to Running wild. I’ve liked their music for 20 years, but then I bought their back catalogue and spent a month just listening to them, and I can now say they are one of my favorite bands.

 

[Kalata]

Grave Digger - I never gave them chance because of the vocals, but after I listened to their 1995 album (I think) in the early 2000's, it clicked. I think the great music helped. And ''heavier metal'' in general.

Another example is probably power & speed metal, fast playing. I've always enjoyed it from Metallica or Helloween's debuts, but I think Startovarius albums in the mid-90's helped me to like it fully. They are a bit different than Helloween, although it may seem not seem like it. Also appreciating progressive/neoclassical metal later.

Bruce's Skunkworks and Psycho Motel's Welcome To The World definitely helped me to like/find their genres.

 

[Ascendingthethrone]

Ghost. The song ‘Rats’. Before then I was put off by their image. I heard that song on the radio and was blown away. They said it was Ghost and I haven't looked back since. I think Tobias Forge is the best songwriter in the rock/metal scene at the moment. He fuses genres well and just writes amazing hooks.

I know people said he has ‘sold out’ but his songwriting is getting better and better.