The Three-Album Cycle

[tzb]

I was listening to them for the first time in a while today and it occurred to me they're following a three-album rotation of album styles.

1 Generation Terrorists - Starting/default point.
2 Gold Against The Soul - Commercial "arena anthem" record.
3 The Holy Bible - Angular, darker, heavier record.
4 Everything Must Go - Softer, poppier sound than what had come before, going after the mainstream.
5 This Is My Truth - Commercial "arena anthem" record.
6 Know Your Enemy - More angular, somewhat darker and certainly heavier record (OK, so this one's a less easy fit).
7 Lifeblood - Softer, poppier sound than what had come before.
8 Send Away The Tigers - Commercial "arena anthem" record.
9 Journal For Plague Lovers - Angular, darker, heavier record.
10 Postcards from a Young Man - Softer, poppier sound than what had come before, going after the mainstream.
11 Rewind The Film - Well, we know it's not heavy/aggressive, but from RTF and descriptions of Show Me The Wonder I can imagine this record being somewhat anthemic.
12 "Futurology" - Has been described as a spiky angular record akin to The Holy Bible and JFPL.

So the cycle seems to be:

a A softer, poppier record;
b An "anthemic" rock record;
c A dark, angular record.