I wanted to know if people also buy, like me, albums by trusting a band. There are some bands of whom I have more than trust of the high quality of their works as to go to the store and buy their albums right away. As a matter of fact, I am thinking of going to the store and picking Slayer's new album (after their EP of course) without any hesitation. Not only for a new release of Slayer I would do that, but for several other bands which I perceived as if they have a "winning formula" that does not allow them to put a record that can be considered less than good.

Also, at times I go with the opinions of other Metalheads and I venture myself into buying albums of genres that I like very much. Of course, I need to see that this band is praised a lot by the people liking them and that they give reasons for liking them so much. Then I try to listen to some songs from the band and if they are good I decide to buy the album. Up until now this strategy hasn't failed me.

Then, there are those who have to listen to the whole album before deciding to spend any money in them.

I would say that I do a little of all the strategies I mentioned above. It all depends of the circumstances. None, of them has failed me yet, except for one time in which I bought this crappy album for this crappy band but let us forget that now. lol

Now, how do you decide to buy albums? Do you go blindly to the store to buy them or are you really cautious in what you spend your money?

I definitely rely onthings such as MS reviews (if the review's good, and it usually is) my close metalhead friends who have practically an identical taste of music to mine, or how much I like the band.

Usually I wait and listen, however.

A bit of both, really. There have been times where I've picked up the album of a band I've never even heard of. This happened many years ago with me and Dream Theater. To this day the album I picked up (Awake) has been one of my all time favourites. So, yes sometimes I think it's great to pick up an album you've never heard of. However, of course there are many times when I go and buy an album that I've heard several times already. I just love owning CDs. You can get a band to sign your CDs but you can't get a band to sign your mp3s.

Indeed, a bit of all three. My last purchase was Aurora Borealis' newest album 'Relinquish'. In that case, I listened to several of their songs on their myspace and bought it. I remember buying The Haunted's 'One Kill Wonder' without listening to it, remembering they had several members from At the Gates in it. That was a good buy I think. Same goes for my two Lamb of God purchases way back when. I bought both 'New American Gospel' and 'As the Palaces Burn' after seeing a video for one of their songs on television. Same goes for Demons & Wizards. I listened to "Heaven Denies" and "Poor Man's Crusade" and had to get it. Also Decapitated's 'The Negation', Nuerosis' 'The Eye of Every Storm', and Cianide's 'A Descent Into Hell'.

However, I do own most of my CDs because I have listened to them the whole way through before. Some CDs from bands such as Bathory, Dream Theater, Behemoth, and Nile I have bought because I heard them the full way through before. It's either that I didn't have money to buy them at the time, or couldn't find them, or that I was just skeptical. I am proud to say though that I do buy albums if they are good. If they are not, I won't keep them.

Well, I have to say that things have changed on this subject for me, as the years have gone by. At the start, I used to sift through songs on p2p programs, often by artists I had never heard of, and randomly download them, which is really why I got into metal--ala random songs. Early listening included strange combinations of Rhapsody, Cradle of Filth, Children of Bodom, and such like.

Then, once I had gotten my bearings straight, I relied on reviews and purchased CD's online without hearing a single song from the artist. This, suprisingly enough, worked very well...I think that's what resulted in my eclectic taste (if I do say so myself) that includes pretty much every genre in metal and other music outside of it. I remember getting this one package from Ebay that included Borknagar, Nokturnal Mortum, Agalloch, and Dissection. Most exciting.

Then Daibh and I got together and there really hasn't been a need for me to go looking for new things to listen to unless some band releases a new album, thanks to his huge music collection. And really, now that his brother has downloading capabilities on his mega-power humungo computer nobody can stop us. Muahaha.

But my favorite method of discovering new music was definitely buying on faith. It's tense, exciting, and rewarding, if you've done good research. There's nothing like getting a disc in the mail and having it fulfill all expectations.

I used to buy albums on faith quite a lot. Ironically, that happened mostly in my nu-metal and pop/rock days. Back when I still rocked out on Linkin Park and HIM, for example. Anyway, nowadays I will most likely try and listen a few samples, at the very least, before buying an album. Often I will download a few samples, or the complete album, listen to it, and if more than half of the songs stick with me, I will go ahead and buy the release. This method works for me nicely, because it ensures that I only get myself the killer albums.

On the other hand, I must admit that I am somewhat of a collector and that I will buy any release by bands that I REALLY like. For example, I could blindly buy any Dream Evil or Epica record because I know this band will never let me down. Their consistent quality makes buying on faith that much easier.

I usually listen to them first. Though I have had ecellent luck in buying albums from bands I've never listened to. Thats how I got into Opeth, Dark Tranquillity, Morbid Angel, Bathory, and a lot more.

I do both, equally. I really love buying an album after just reading a review or hearing only one song. It's fun to have that surprise when the whole disc plays. Each song is like an unexpected gift

However, hearing an album ahead of time makes it that much more exciting to get the real album. If I know it's good then I can't wait to have the real thing!

It's important to do both. You can't buy ALL albums on faith, you'd waste a lot of money! On the other hand it's impossible to hear EVERY album ahead of time.

mmm...i do both too, it depends on the group too...sometimes i just do what my heart says hehe j/k...i get most of the albums because i've heard several songs before, or because i've heard really good recommendations from those who know....i'd choose few albums without listening to a song, review, comment, etc from few groups, those basically are dream theater, evergrey, death, necrophagist, sceptic or pitbulls in the nursery...haven't found albums from some of them though...

I buy by blind faith, because 1st impressions are very deceptive. On 2 occations have i listened to an album before i bought it. Leaves Eyes - Vinland Saga (My first impression was "Its pathetic", but my second impression was "Amazing". Then i though i would have a listen to Lullacry because i was tempted, and i didnt like it that much on my 1st impression. Since then i have heard a few select songs, and enjoyed them. So I maybe reconsidering my 1st impression of them.
I went on blind faith with Nightwish some 3 years ago, The 1st song i heard was Stargazers, which i loved the intro to. At first her voice just shocked me. It wasnt what i was expecting at all. But after 2 or 3 listens, i got hooked, and still am.

The magic with a new album that you've just bought is that you have never heard any song from the album! I'm a big Norther fan and when I heard about the new album I ordered it directly, didn't even listen to the song samples on the official site! And when I got the album I became all wild and exited . . . cause the first song was so damn good and so it continued the whole album.
A very fun thing is to buy an album with a band that you have never heard. Me and my friends sometimes do that, that was how I discovered Grave Digger and Dark Moor.

Depends..If it's one of my favourite bands maybe I will buy the album by faith.But if I have the chance,I will listen to it first of course,and then buy it.If the band is new for me,I'll definately listen the album first.I dont like doing meaningless shopping.

When I'm going for an album of a band I don't know yet, it's easier if I have had some recommendations from eg. friends, mags - or from here MS!

The next step is to try and find this particular album from the net. If I don't find it, I'll browse my local record stores and / or online stores and try to listen it out. Sometimes the recommendations are enough and I'll add it to my ever-increasing collection of 100 % METAL!

I tend to buy by faith...before the days of torrents that's what I would do...I still do it but now that we have torrents I download the album and if I like it I will pay the money to buy it...

depends upon the band.

some bands have a sterling reputation, as well as a great track record, and I buy on faith.. artists like Enslaved or Ulver, I rush to get their releases as soon as possible.

if it is an artist that I do not have any material from, I do my homework. I read MS reviews - and more importantly see what the MS'ers whose opinions I respect and whose tastes I understand have to say. Even then, I suppose it's taken on a degree of faith.

As for 'listening before buying', that's extremely rare. I am absolutely paranoid about Lars and an army of Mettalilawyers showing up at my door if I download music (the Recording Industry did name a little girl who primarily downloaded nursery rhymes and a britney spears song or two in their targetted lawsuit)... and I'm usually the 'cutting edge' of (extreme) metal amongst my circle of friends who are interested, so it's extremely rare that I get a sample to listen to.

well most of times I have bought discs by faith....! I usually listen to one song from it and I like it.! then I buy it..! and mostly I have done a good buy..! but of course I have bought sh..it..!:wall: but if I'm talking about my fav bands I don't care if I have listened to a song from the disc of them or not.! I know they are good bands and I'm not gonna waste my money...!:thumbup:

Normally i listen to them first either by a friend or downloading... but every now and then comes a cd i just cant wait to have like Symphony X - The Oddysey... after looking at the cover art i thought man theres no way i cant go wrong buying this cd and well as most people know its a superb album

Eh depends on the band for me really. I usually wouldn't just go buy them unless it's a band I have faith in or have a good idea of. Like just a few weeks ago I picked up Decapitated's new album without hearing anything from it, but I heard a few old songs of theirs once and had a good general idea. I too will be going to get Slayer's EP and Deicide's new cd without hiesitating in June.

i like a surprise, most of my favorite albums were bought on a whim. like i found this awesome band called 'witchcraft' they sound like zeppelin and black sabbath but i bought it without even knowing anything about the band, what a pleasant surprise

I had some disappointments by buying some albums without listen to 'em. That's why I try to listen to some songs or to read some reviews before buy 'em.

I used to harry and to buy the album before listening to it ,and then dissapointed =\ so i don't buy albums anymore only download

First listen to it.. I dont want to buy one and that it is really crap:lol:

i have NEVER bought an album before downloading it first and listening to it. if it clicks i'd buy it the next day!!
my playlist is 90% of the time is from the albums i own.

i could never buy an album just like that out of trust

Im kind of a really big random cd buyer, i rarely listen to a band before i buy, unless i heard it from a friend or concert or something.
The reason i do this is because you should NEVER judge an album from one listen, downloading the material is another way sure, but i find i have greater appreciation and respect of listening to something i own, if you know what i mean. Its just my way of listening to music, i feel so much better listening to originals, its like my faith regeneration

So my answer is yes, i buy from trust, or moreso, something that just looks interesting.

i like to buy albums only basing on some reviews, or my impression of the title/artwork of the album...i like to discover new stuff....this is how i came across Supreme Majesty and Bewiched

Well, usually I do quite a bit of research before going out and buying an album. It may be downloading one or two songs (very rarely the whole album, I don't have the time or the internet connection speed!) or reading the review of an album here on Metal Storm. I know that the Staff reviewer's opinions are usually good and accurate, and I've gotten some good albums from their prompts. Sometimes, when I'm in Melbourne or something (1.5 hours drive away!) I might just see something that I heard ages ago might be good, or the album just looks appealing. Often this does pay off, as I like a lot of stuff, but sometimes album covers, or band names, etc can be misleading. The way that some covers look though, you'd know that they were Black Metal for example. That's how I got an old Samael album But yeah, usually I don't do that and do research first.

Well if I've heard about the album beforehand, and it's quite cheap then sure I'll buy it. However in general I do prefer listening to them before buying them as cds are way too expensive..

I trust my bands. I almost never listen to an album before, because I mainly buy from bands I know for a longer time, or from whom I read some interesting posts about here in MS.

I buy mainly because i like to have the original cd ofr my colection and i dont need to listen to it before. i usually know the band and buy them even before i listened to it. i also buy some cds out of curiosity even if i never heard of that particular band or cd, it might be a risk but i take them.

I love buying records,whats good having a boring collection of MP3s?
But if I havent heard much of the band,Ill have to listen trough the album before Ill buy it,lil samples.
Eventho,if its a Iced Earth album,Ill cop it