2011 in review: music

How tremendously underwhelming was this year for music might I ask? Personally I've had a complete year of musical regression, re-living my school years with flashbacks to Linkin Park (when they were good), Avenged Sevenfold (when they were new) and Metallica (when they got themselves a goddamn orchestra!). This has mostly been nostalgic and hilarious, and the only way to get around the fact that there really has been very little to appreciate in the way of new music lately.

Of course 2011 finally brought us the eagerly anticipated Dum Spiro Spero from Dir en grey, which was quite good at dividing the crowds to say the least.

Ten points right off the bat for being the only album to feature a track that actually scared me, within barely a minute - indeed after the first track played through I turned the record off and didn't return to it for the hour that followed. I still don't know whether or not I like the whole album but I think it is nigh on perfect, in the sense that it accomplishes everything the band said they wanted it to accomplish. Months down the line I am still listening to it to try and figure out a real opinion but too many tracks are still being skipped in disdain and impatience. And other than Dir en grey we had:

the GazettE's latest offering of TOXIC. Once more the word "underwhelming" comes to mind. The album featured some particularly outstanding tracks but nothing as show-stopping as previous albums have seen. It should go without saying that the GazettE really do create things in their own world and with their own sound, and TOXIC still keeps that going, but ... "average" isn't a word I want to be using for them.

Honourable mentions must go to Sel'm's dusty doll single (reviewed here) and Sadie's COLD BLOOD album (featured here), for possibly being the music highlights of my year. Honourable mentions do NOT go to girugamesh's GO (undoubtably the biggest let-down of 2011) and lynch.'s I BELIEVE IN ME, which I still can't make myself go back to.

Finally honourable mentions go out to one of the most important bands to me, UnsraW, who broke up back in March, and to Sel'm whose outstanding vocalist and guitarist left in the same week. Swings and roundabouts, huh?