The "Apex" Album Syndrome vs. "You'll Never Get as High as the First Time"

Every band has one of two paths to follow...

The recent Pearl Jam and Tool records to come out have brought to my attention a thought (which I can only assume has been living in my subconscious since the beginning, and only now has it had a vehicle in which to manifest itself).

The Thought:

By in large (as there is always an exception), every band has one of two paths to follow (three albums minimum to qualify).

1) The Apex Path

A band a certain "essence" in terms of sound in the beginning and over time it develops a different "essence" (good or bad). Two completely different sounds. The album that the conversion of the "essence" takes place - is the band's best album (at least commercially). The album directly before and directly after represents the two completely different sounds - but album in question has both. This is the most common path.

Examples: Metallica (Black Album), Tool (Aenima), Soundgarden (Superunknown), Pink Floyd (DSOTM), Radiohead (OK Computer), Smashing Pumpkins (Siamese Dreams - keep in mind Pisces Iscariot was written at the same time), Incubus (Make Yourself), Marilyn Manson (Antichrist Superstar), Ministry (Filth Pig), Nirvana (Nevermind), Nine Inch Nails (The Downward Spiral),STP (Purple) I am sure I can go on and on.

2) The 'As Good As It Gets the First Time' Path

Just like it sounds. A band hits the high watermark the first time, right out of the shoot, and it never gets any better. Not to say its not good, its just that it never is AS good.

Examples: The Doors (The Doors), Pearl Jam (Ten), The Verve Pipe (Villains - their first FULL album), RATM (RATM), Silverchair (Frogstomp), Bush (Sixteen Stone), Weezer (Weezer), Van Halen (Van Halen), Deftones (Adrenaline)

I am not sure what kind of meaningful conclusion this draws other than helping yourself set expectation levels for upcoming albums.