Is it normal that my favorite bands new album sucks

First world problems.

I'm not really into Hollywood Undead, but it seems like a lot of bands aren't as good as they used to be. I have a friend who claims that it's because most bands are trying to go more popish because that is the mainstream, but all it does is make the bands lose fans.

I find this is a common trend with most music. The album I started listening to first for a band will almost always be my favourite. Anything before will generally be fairly close in comparison but anything afterwards will never be as good. Musicians can't keep doing the same thing over and over again. It will get boring so they have to change things up, and sometimes it will be better sometimes it will be worse. It's normal. One of my older favourite bands used to be Avenged Sevenfold, I still love their older music but everything after the City of Evil album just felt boring to me.

I don't think you can phrase that as an is it normal question. Maybe for the band and their new direction plus your taste for their old stuff it is "normal" for it to suck. Yeah that's my answer.

Look at Metallica. They went from thrash metal to Lou Reed? WTF?

Well it really depends. Some bands will change to be with the times. Some people with a signature sound that has never died like "Linkin Park" had continued for years with Loyal followers. However at one point changed up the music to be more soft and modern. Which made the old fans lose interest in them and a lot of rockers to drop them. However I think they believed they would get more of a following. Even though they succeeded and losing its already existing fans. However it is true that as you grow older your taste changes and songs you like before might sound boring now.

had the same problem with van halen. They released a new album a few months back, its utter garbage. The last guns and roses album wasnt that good either.

Yes. When I heard No Doubt first new single of their new album, I was very disappointed. I'm still disappointed and its affecting my decision making on whether or not I really want to buy it. I think their older stuff was fantastic. I also loved the art direction(s) for those albums.

I love HU and loved their second album... It's been my favorite album for much time... I haven't heard their newest album yet... Thanks for reminding me, I'll check it out later^^

I enjoyed some of their first album for the novelty of their sound and the fact that it felt like it had a strong story to it (which most people I know who heard the album seemed to not notice). The second album felt like it was treading familiar ground expect for the fact it felt less raw and more over-produced; the novelty wore off. I've not heard their latest, but from the single they released last year (I think it was called Dead Bite? Something like that) it doesn't sound like they've in any way progressed from American Tragedy.

They were never my favourite band, but I've definitely lost some interest in them too. They're an example of a band not willing to change their trademark sound and becoming boring, in my view.