“It’s time to revisit a conversation that became necessary in 90s metal circles with the advantage of almost 30 years hindsight. How do we deal with beloved metal bands when they lose their interest in metal, either abruptly or over the course of several albums? Back then, it was complicated. When Paradise Lost decided they weren’t a death/doom metal band anymore, there was disappointment and confusion. Same when Ulver left black metal tied to a tree whimpering in the woods and never looked back. Some fans of their metal work remained open minded and found merit in the new directions. And the bands certainly found new fans who would never touch metal on principle. I’ve surveyed the general metal media consensus around Pallbearer’s output since 2017’s Heartless, and I’ve come to the conclusion that in the 2020s, things aren’t so complicated. Everyone’s a simp.” Simptons of the metalverse.