1. Nine Inch Nails
The dissolution of Nine Inch Nails was quite an astonishing surprise to most of us. I know I was rather shocked. Trent Reznor had finally escaped from the greedy hands of the record industry and was consistently releasing new material at his leisure, oftentimes for free. Granted, it wasn't his best material, but his new business model to the way that he released music constantly kept things fresh. I know that Reznor isn't done with music just yet; heck there remains a sliver of doubt that Nine Inch Nails is finished. I mean, he did quit Twitter twice this year already?
2. Have Heart
Amongst the biggest hardcore bands in the world, Have Heart's announcement of their eventual breakup towards the year's end sent their fanbase scurrying to messageboards in protest - cheap shot, I know. The worst part about this breakup is that Have Heart was finally beginning to write music that reached beyond the limited one-dimensional style of their early recordings. It'll be interesting to see where the members go on from here.
3. Clouds
The post-Cave In world was an interesting one, to say the least. Each member had their own project, or in some case projects. Of all the branches and offshoots, Clouds seemed to be the most consistent and dependable. They had a solid lineup, released two full-length albums, and toured quite a bit as well. Unfortunately, the band will be going on a hiatus in the near future, as a member is moving away from their center. Fortunately, we have the return of Cave In to console us.
4. Verse
Yes, it's true. Verse broke up. I don't have much to say about this one. Just know it had a huge impact because the band was about to embark on a full U.S. tour with New Found Glory, a tour that caused a lot of controversy with their pre-existing fans. That debate was stupid, it still is. Anyway, it perplexes me why bands break up right around the release of a new album and prior to a tour.
5. Saves the Day
Okay, so they didn't technically break up. But with guitarist David Soloway announcing his departure from the group earlier this year, this leaves vocalist Chris Conley as the only longstanding member of the group. It's been a downward spiral for Saves the Day as the years have passed on, losing members along the way, and the songwriting has suffered as a result. At this point, it's almost worth forgetting to release that last album.
(Michael)
