In Defense of the Outcasts - Which "Unpopular" albums of a band do you like?

[killer_roach]

Every one of us has a band that they listen to regularly where there's an album of theirs that gets pretty well put through the wringer by, well, everybody... yet you're sitting there thinking "hey, this isn't that bad" (or, even, "this is pretty damn good!"). What albums are these for you?

To get things started:

Magma - Attahk: Yes, it's the ugly duckling of the catalog. Yes, there are Magma fans who don't even consider it canon. But when you have tracks that infuse elements of R&B ("Spiritual"), disco ("Liriik Necronomicus Kanht"), and even belching ("Maahnt"), the album turns out to be a fair bit of stupid fun.

Radiohead - Amnesiac: In many ways, it takes the style of Kid A and runs with it, often improving on the formula. Yet it's often considered a dud... I realize that its predecessor was a hard act to follow, but it's not like it was a second Pablo Honey or anything...

Phideaux - Fiendish: Okay, so maybe I'm a sucker for debut albums. And maybe throwing a fair bit of goth rock influence is a good way to get me to swoon over an album. Still, a couple of weak tracks excepted, it's one of the more engaging albums he's ever done, yet it's about as well-regarded amongst prog fans as 313 (the album he wrote, recorded, and produced in one day).

[Cubecubed]

This is a good idea for a thread. I'll have to think about this one for a bit.

[FlyGuyLXI]

Iron Maiden - The X Factor
A lot of Maiden fans snubbed Blaze Bayley, of course the Bayley years weren't Iron Maiden's best years, but The X Factor is an album that surprisingly still holds up for me even today, incorporating the same formulaic styles of their late 80s albums with that creative touch backing it up. This album is actually preferred over even to their acclaimed The Number of the Beast. "The Edge of Darkness" and "Sign of the Cross" are both immensely solid works.

[BachiG]

I'd have to think about this as well before seriously posting a reply...but, I'll take this bait:

Radiohead ... Yet it's often considered a dud... I realize that its predecessor was a hard act to follow, but it's not like it was a second Pablo Honey or anything...

Pablo Honey seems to get a bad rap around these parts, as well as in general, which I really don't get. It's probably one of the best debut albums written of late, and when I first heard it (I think on a college radio station) in 1993 during the peak of grunge rock, it was a great sounding alternative style (with a grunge influence, no doubt). If it wasn't for the single "Creep" making it onto mainstream radio, who knows, Radiohead may have never been given a chance to develop into the experimental sounding band that they did in subsequent albums. It will always have a place in my heart because I actually enjoyed the songs lyrically, the acoustic sounds (reminds me a bit of blind melon at times), and I also rather like the short "underdeveloped" songs...

[RHCPfan96]

Metallica- Load. I'm not a huge Metallica fan, I still like their stuff though, and I REALLY like Until It Sleeps.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- One Hot Minute. "Aeroplane" and "My Friends" are both awesome.

All of Weezer's new stuff, especially the Red Album.

[afterstasis]

Merzbow's Animal Magnetism is actually one of my favorites from the man, despite the overwhelming hate from most noise fans.

[clashcityrocker10]

It's overlooked more than despised, but I enjoy Give 'Em Enough Rope more than the average Clash fan, I'd say. I think it has some of Mick's best guitar work ever.

[Mega-Tallica]

Metallica- Load. I'm not a huge Metallica fan, I still like their stuff though, and I REALLY like Until It Sleeps.

I agree with this one. The first half of Load is better than the entire Black Album as a whole. "Bleeding Me" is even one of my favorite Metallica songs of all time.

Queensryche - American Soldier

An album that got terrible reviews and is even hated among Queensryche fans, I actually really enjoyed it. Even though Queensryche is very hit or miss, I wouldn't say this album is a miss.

Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity

The album that DT fans love to hate. If you take out "You Not Me" and add in the demo version, this is one of DT's finest efforts. Definitely top 5 in DT's discography for me.

Megadeth - Youthanasia

This is (secretly) my favorite Megadeth album, although I don't usually admit it. Say what you will about it, Megadeth "sold out" or "tried to copy Metallica", but I think it's just really underappreciated, especially among Megadeth fans.

Disturbed - Believe

I can't believe (no pun intended) that Disturbed fans reputably hate on this album. Great musicianship, great guitarwork in particular. Dan Donegan must've had his creative juices flowing because nothing he's done since matches the guitarwork on this album. Songs like "Prayer", "Awaken", "Remember", "Breathe", "Devour"... really makes me wish Disturbed never strayed away from this style.

[exploder]

I agree about Youthanasia

[Dylan619]

Hypnotize from System of a Down is often considered there worse material but I love it!