So....Is it possible to be innovative in Hard Rock anymore?
 

You know, I was checking out Audioslave's debut album, and it as you can see here:

en(DOT)wikipedia.org/wiki/Audioslave_(album)#Reception

it just got straight average reviews, mainly because critics noted that it wasn't nearly as forward-thinking as Rage or Soundgarden.

So I guess I'm asking if there's any innovative hard rock groups around anymore

There's Queens of the Stone Age, but their last truly forward-thinking hard rock album came out back in '02:

en(DOT)wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_for_the_Deaf#Release_and_reception


Anybody know anything else, though?

oh, and I'm aware that there's been plenty of good indie rock bands throughout the 2000s and what have you, but I'm talking about more of straight Hard Rock

Audioslave are **** so judging anything else by them is pure folly.

I disagree

Hard rock?

would the Darkness count in that genre or is that pop rock? (im so bad with genres) lol

You mentioned QOTS but how about the eagles of death metal or the foo fighters?

I heard audioslave and velvet revolver but they didn't really impressed me i rather prefer the Darkness cause to me they have great classic guitar riffs like Thin lizzy or obviously Queen

i didn't like the darkness when they first came our but lately they've been growing on me


The Darkness - Growing On Me - YouTube

you can also try Wolfmother they sound like straight up hard rock n roll to me

of course it is but its reallllyy hard 2 do so

the problem with being innovative in hard rock is everything has been done before and its hard to come up with something new and fresh

I think playing a style straight means adhering to the conventions of the genre, and by definition if you're adhering to convention you're not being innovative.

that's harsh JH.

Audioslave is pretty damn good in my opinion but sure they might not be doing anything particular innovative that they should be held to such a high standard. They constantly put out good material when they were active.

Also the only thing that The Darkness is doing was reviving that arena rock sound from the 80s. There was another band that did it as well Bang Camaro

I've never heard anything by them that was better than complete garbage.

well okay....that's like your opinion...man..

Hard rock is my style. Try bands like RED, or Avenged Sevenfold. They may not be straightforward, but they are great bands. Mostly alternative metal or Nu-Metal.