Most disappointing album of the year?
 

We've all had albums we've been looking forward to, but a few have really let me down. Personally, I'm most crushed by Asia's recent effort "XXX". I won't go into detail, as I wrote a pretty vitriolic review in my journal (makes both a puff-adder and a rattlesnake seem subtle and wimpish in comparison!), but suffice to say it was a massive disappointment, and surprise.

Asia --- XXX --- BOOO!
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Anyone else?

Hmm...

Probably this for me:

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NaS - Life Is Good

To be honest, I didn't expect a classic, but this was just average as hell, especially for the artist in question. Far too many traces of pop and lack of real lyrical content for me to consider this anything more than "throwaway".

Hmm... out of the albums I was actually anticipating so far it's tied between these two.

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Swallow the Sun - Emerald Forest and the Blackbird

Goes on for far too long with only enough interesting ideas to fill an EP.

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Katatonia - Dead End Kings

This is just a boring album. Night is the New Day (2009) was a boring album, but it was boring in the same way that a McDonald hamburger is boring but filling. Dead End Kings is a burger that's sat at the back of the fryer for a month and now has mold growing on it. Actually scratch that, that could be interesting if you're a scientist, Dead End Kings is a picture of a burger at the back of a fryer that has mold growing on it, and was drawn with a piece of partially dried poo.

The two biggest disappointments for me are...

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Alcest - Les voyages de l'âme

After two incredible albums in Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde and Écailles de Lune this came as a big disappointment. It just sounds so bland and flat compared to the other two albums. Mind you I gave it a chance and listened to it a few times, but there is just nothing memorable going on here.

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A Place To Bury Strangers - Worship

Pretty much the same story as Alcest, two great albums and then this. Again it sounds bland, safe and unadventurous compared to their other two albums and just doesn't hold up. Their self-titled and Exploding Head sounded dark and dangerous but you don't get any of that on Worship, instead you get an album that could have been made by countless other bands.

NICKI MINAJ- PINK FRIDAY: ROMAN RELOADED
This album is a total flop. I was hoping Nicki Minaj would be the best Female rapper. If Nas's album was bad, you don't know what bad music is. In my view, truly bad music comes from fools like Nicki Minaj. Nicki is acting like another female hoe trying so damn hard to make great music when it goes nowhere. It is total nonsense. Plus it looks like this music was made way too quickly. Nicki Minaj is just like Gaga nothing special. So sad.

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I've been a fan of Neil Young since his work with Buffalo Springfield and I enjoy most of the albums he's released over the years. This one, however, was a rare and major disappointment for me.

A collection of mostly American folk songs, interpreted by Neil & Crazy Horse, deconstructed to the point of becoming almost unrecognizable. I found the album slow, plodding, noisy (in the worst way) and tedious all the way through.
I kept listening, hoping I would hear something worthwhile as the album progressed (no such luck.)

Probably the worst album he's released since 'Trans' in 1982 and the worst album he's ever released with Crazy Horse backing him.

Haven't heard it but Trans was terrible.

So bland I actually forgot that album even came out.

Totally agree with this one.

For me, it's Baroness' Yellow and Green. It's not bad, but Red and Blue are two of my favorite albums so it's tough not to be disappointed.

Haha, me too.

Thirded. But I never much cared for Alcest anyway.

It's so bland that you forget you are even listening to music until the album finishes.

I would too if I went into an Alanis Morrissette album with any sort of expectations.

Why in God's name are you surprised this was rubbish?? :confused: What were you expecting, after all, and what was it led to those expectations?

I am actually quite liking this right now. My first exposure to the band so I only came into it after hearing your comments, which have perhaps lowered my expectations. Still a good album for me.

So how was is disappointing?

I don't mind that they've mellowed out, but I just find that every song follows the same formula and it gets a little tedious to listen to. I've also heard a lot of people praise this album but I just don't hear it, conversely a lot of people didn't like their last album, but I thought it was okay, if a little bland. Diff'rent strokes I suppose, but as of right now it's up there with Busdriver's new album as my least favourite of the year and ones I probably will not carry into the new year.

Look Nicki Minaj is someone who was talented and had a great promise but now she is just nothing and she has issues.

Nicki Mianj ain't got shit on anybody else.

Fourthed. Wow, that doesn't usually happen with a band I really like...even if a new release is disappointing. I'm tempted to go back and listen to it just to remind myself of what was actually going on there, but after seeing I wasn't alone in this I doubt I will. I think Neige must have gotten lazy or something. I'll still hold out hope for the next album.

Jesus! What's she got against garden implements? I mean, okay, they're not as smart as a rake or industrious as a trowel, but stupid? That's hardly fair...

Fun. - Some Nights
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I actually really enjoyed Aim and Ignite and all of Nate's work with The Format, but this album was severely disappointing, so much unnecessary autotune, formulaic, boring songs and Nate's worst lyrics by far. Shame.

^ Not to mention I couldn't go a day without hearing "We Are Young" somewhere.... barf

Autotune is a major disease in the music scene.

Funny, we agree on something.

Auto-tune used for the sake of it is a bunch of toss, but I have no problem with it if it enhances the sound of a track. I would welcome it actually.

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Decent band, but horrible whinny vocals. The singing is so over the top and dramatic, that it completely overwhelms the band, so if there's some great riffs here, you can't hear them.

I totally agree. I haven't heard that particular album, but I downloaded one of their other releases a few months ago and was completely turned off by the cheeseball vocals.

He does a really lame impersonation of the dude in Protest The Hero. Really wretched.

Autotune was meant to be used to correct your use, not use it all of the time. Give credit to T-Pain. He is the one who made it useable on regular basis.

I really like you Franco.

Thank you Goofle11.

I hope autotune becomes less used in the near future.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!


To be honest, I'm not as much of a fan of GY!BE now as I was a few years ago, but I was still expecting a better album.

The songs themselves (well, the two actual songs, really) are nice but lack the element of surprise from previous albums. The drone parts don't really go anywhere and aren't really interesting on their own.

Also the mixing/production really put me off this album. Just feels too messy and unpolished to me.

Anyway, the whole thing just feels rushed. The two main songs don't have any room breathe and the drone parts just aren't exciting enough.

Hopefully my opinion will change with time (Maybe big crescendos just don't do it for me anymore :laughing:)

This is because the version you heard was a vinyl rip.

Are you sure?
The tracklist is that of the CD version..... :confused:

Wahtever Justin beeber does death Penalty

There aren't any digital uploads yet, there's only a vinyl rip out on the internet since the album leaked early. Plus it looks like the vinyl and the cd version have the same tracks, so yes, it would have the same tracklist as the cd version.

So there's still hope that I'll like this album, maybe even as much as LYSFLATH! (OK, probably not...)

Oh well, serves me right for getting an early leaked version instead of patiently waiting to downlo.... I mean buy the official release. :D

I am tired of people hating Justin Bieber. He is the least problems of today's in my view boring music scene. Good music is still around. It is mostly in the underground music scene.

Gallows S/T. Their first with their new singer (ex alexisonfire member). It sounds very close to stadium punk in parts (all shouty choruses etc). Me no likey.