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R指定 (R-Shitei) will release their new mini-album "日本アブノーマル協会 (Nihon Abnormal Kyoukai)" on 2017/04/05. More details TBA. In addition, they will hold a one-man tour from 2017/04/06 to 2017/05/19

So here it is! Versailles's first proper release since their hiatus in 2012! I'd really like to hear what you guys thought about it so I'm starting a review thread of my own. 1: La Musique I'd say probably one of the more solid tracks on the album. I really like the verses and solid piano break near the middle. 8/10 2: Shadows Fang Sounds pretty standard for them. It doesn't really blow my mind. 7/10 3: Inheritance I like the neat little transition from bass, guitar, and vocals before returning to the chorus again. 7.5/10 4: A Day Without You I like the rocking guitars at the beginning. It almost reminds me a little bit of The Revenant Choir. This song is starting to grow on me. Also has a pretty good chorus. 8/10 5: Lineage After hearing the previews I honestly thought I was going to hate this song. Funny because I actually think it's one of the best songs on the album after hearing it in full. The symphonic sounding intro that repeats throughout the song is very good. I honestly wouldn't hesitate to call this one of their best songs if it wasn't for the weird chorus which sounds kinda out of place imo. 8/10 6: Marionette. You're responsible for this one aren't you kamijo? >.> hmmm.. ok 8.5/10 ~Overall Thoughts~ A decent return for them but I wouldn't consider it among their best. Definitely inferior in comparison to their other mini-album lyrical sympathy but it's not that bad.

Let's share our first favorite vk band,your favorite look or the best songs from them,those ones which brings you many memories mine is the old Aline Nine,when i got into them in 2010. Songs like yuri wa aoku saite,gekkou yoku,velvet,the album Alpha...simply amazing band. stopped following them after the single Heart of Gold.Now them are just meh to me,unfortunately

I can think of at least 4 other examples of bands using a manji in their song titles, so I'm sure there won't be much backlash.

For me it was Dir en grey when they were still considered visual kei. Wow, that was soooo long ago...

Megaromania~ I got into them pretty late, around 2012 or so...My first song of theirs was Angelical Jewelry.

I would give my middle nut to be at this show.

Older GazettE was better than newer GazettE. Even though they had lower budget production, they were more creative and unique back then I think the GazettE are very skilled musicians who have either become lazy to make anything that I haven't heard over and over, or they're getting artist block a ton. Either that or Sony told Ruki not to trill his Rs xD. I mean, they went from almost all their music having a parental advisory, to literally no lyric warnings on the CD covers. That says a lot about how they've changed.. Also, Wagakki band in my opinion is overrated. I used to love them, but they pulled an MCR, going from heavy to poppy really quick. Also, Yuko's vocals have too much post production on them, making them sound a bit overpolished, which someone as skilled of a vocalist as her, shouldn't need polishing. She's truly an amazing vocalist, but you'd only hear her true skills in Hanafugetsu, not Wagakki. Also, sometimes, the music can get a bit cacophonous with all the instruments trying to play different parts at once. Like, there is an easy way to fix this: don't make every part so complex. It is ok to have the Koto, Shamisen, Shakuhachi and Taiko parts simple. Also, I think they've gotten too popular. I mean, you have these fangirls now who think Wagakki is so special, saying "They were the first Japanese folk metal band!", and "Yuko's lyric writing in Tengaku is so amazing!". Like, Wagakki Band's covers have gotten more popular than the original, to the point where people think Wagakki actually wrote the songs. Also, there have been other bands mixing traditional Japanese and Metal for a LONG time. Bands like Onmyouza, Kiryu, Memento Mori, Whispered, Ningen Isu, etc. Heck, Kurona used to be in a Vkei band called CrowXClass (My first ever Vkei band I got into) and they used traditional Japanese instruments, and on their only EP, had 2 metal songs, and had even more live. And really, with how poppy Wagakki has gotten, I don't think they should represent Japanese folk metal. Kiryu or Onmyouza would be better representatives. Though, Ningen Isu is the oldest out of the ones I've mentioned, they're style of folk metal is not in the instruments, but in the composition and vocals. Plus, they're more of the first EroguroKei band. Also, and finally, Vkei was always full of clones, especially in the 90's. In the early 90's, there were a TON of X Japan clones. Then, in the mid 90's, it seemed as if everyone wanted to start doing a mix of Alternative Rock, Gothic Rock, Alternative Metal and New Wave. And also you had the Kuroyume sound-a-likes and clones. Dir En Grey's early stuff being kinda like that (Even though I still enjoyed it). And almost any Metal that was played in the 90's, was either Gothic Metal, or Thrash Influenced Alt. Metal. And every single song had to have a chorused guitar, playing the same 3 notes... You did have a few bands that went outside the norms, but it wasn't until 2001 that you had a rise in Vkei bands play more Punk rock, Nu Metal and a little bit of pop rock and such, finally doing something different than what filled the scene before. Also, there were a ton of crappy bands in the 90's. In fact, since they couldn't clean everything up in the mix, it often sounded crappier.

There is a stronger Kamijo sound on this release rather than a balance of Kamijo and Hizaki. Or maybe Hizaki has eased up on his guitar play? I haven't listened to Jupiter so I don't know if that is a trend with him now but his trademark guitar seems so neutered here compared to all previous Versailles releases. With less guitars, the rhythm sections are much stronger sounding and is probably the highlight of this album.

Every time I tried discussing about Morrigan's music with other (older than me) fans I was met with utter silence. But If I bring out how cute Aryu's last selfie was everyone replies. It's so frustrating. I suddenly felt really lucky... I have an amazing group of 10 + people in my own country, nearly in my own town with whom I can actually have meaningfulish conversations about newish bands that aren't Dadaroma and such... I wish other countries had as many VK fans and as varied as there are here :/

Sounds pretty cool so far.

they look good!

i come to x threads to cleanse myself of the ebola that goes on in 80% of MH there will never be any shortage of elegant and wildly original yoshiki drags...thank u all

That documentary was pretty shit, too. People like Taiji and Jun got shafted in favor of Yoshiki's special snowflake story. X Japan is just a big nostalgia act, and acting like they're going to release another Blue Blood or even Jealousy would be barking up the wrong tree. What a joke. Is this even X Japan? I just see it as Yoshiki and pals. Probably always been the case.

Phantasmagoria!! the first song that I hear from them is Kyousoukyoku ~Cruel Crucible~ <3

the first visual kei band i got into was Mejibray, when i found their MESSIAH.bat mini album on youtube lolol shows how much of a fetus i am

Hahaha my favorite was Alice Nine (A9) as well. Akatsuki was my shit, that I had recorded it on a blank Cassette so I could play it in my shitty car stereo. Good times.

Nice look. Too bad KYOKUTOU GIRLFRIEND already took the same pic years ago:

its so nice the chorus is super catchy

Started playing Megadimension Neptunia VII. It packs a lot of content but man its incredibly tedious dialogues makes me skip half the cut scenes (and in doing so, barely anything develops). So much moe moe & teehee talk. I guess this is what I get for buying it from the steam sale.

It was definitely after he broke from the Home of Heart / Masaya's cult that he adopted this new moniker. I imagine it had to do with legal associations from his previous endeavors - AFAIK, he might've signed over his previous management to Masaya so anything under his original 'Toshi' might go directly to HoH. Not to mention his autobiography basically explained that he was penniless despite all those years of gigging for Masaya's group. He's working his ass off now like he did back then but now at least he looks like he's having fun doing it and hopefully living more comfortably. For a tragic read about how Toshi original became brainwashed and how he quit the band, read this great translation: http://www.xjapantranslations.com/brainwashing-12-years-of-hell-1 Anyway, Toshi and his backing band might be more X than X Japan is these days. He's pretty much playing all of the songs X fans want to hear live. I mean look at this fricken setlist from a recent live! Dear Loser Vanishing Love Sadistic Desire WEEK END Standing Sex Desperate Angel Celebration Say Anything World Anthem Blue Blood Alive Stab Me in the Back Joker Orgasm Encore: Toki no Umi e He's also performed other classics in recent years like Rose of Pain, Silent Jealousy, Unfinished, Tears, and Dahlia . http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/toshi-23d6dc87.html

new album come 2030?

I have always been very picky about my bands and now that all of my favorites disbanded over the last two years, Visual Kei just feels dead to me. If I don't like the vocalist's voice, I can't get into the music. And while there are still some bands I find aesthetically interesting, like the art kei folks, their music isn't my thing at all. All of my friends go crazy about SAVAGE, DADAROMA, MEJIBRAY, MORRIGAN and to me, they all sound awful and I'm getting tired of seeing these same overhyped faces retweeted onto my timelines, so much that I developed a strong dislike, especially against Aryu and his pretentious instagram-Tzk-fanboy life. I actually don't want to lose touch to the scene, I've been a part of this for over 10 years, but I'll be in Japan in a few weeks and not a single concert show but one sounds appealing to me. I'm going to see Gazette's anniversary live for the sake of old times. I had tickets for lynch., then Akinori happened, so that leaves me with one show to attend. In 2012, I was at 16 different concerts. These bands all disbanded or changed for the worse. It's a sad feeling to watch myself grow out of something I love like that. But when I see others fangirling as hard as ever, I think it must be me.

That's... a pretty fucking unexpected and weird line-up to be honest.. I mean, I know at least Kyo and Gara are kinda connected, but I'm not entirely sure how Metronome fits into all this. Is it like some kind of sound-themed thing? Like 'retro' = Merry, 'future' = Metronome, '???' = sukekiyo or what?

Preview of the new Sukekiyo song. Sounds interesting for a new direction I suppose, I gotta hear more though for final thoughts, excited nonetheless

Participating bands at MERRY presents threeman event, 「三月に咲く愚鈍共による錆びたハサミと戒厳令の雨あられ三輪車の花園にて、許しておくんなはれや」, have been revealed: March 17 @ Osaka Kyoto Universe w/ sukekiyo and 犬神サアカス團 (Inugami Circus Dan) March 18 @ Nagoya Bottom Line w/ sukekiyo and メトロノーム (Metronome) March 21 @ Shinjuku RENY w/ sukekiyo and メトロノーム (Metronome) Tickets go on sale on Feb 18.

It's impossible for me to review this album in a totally objective voice, so just know that before we go into this. Essentially, the EP was very good. I wasn't going to have a bad opinion even if it was just Kamijo recording himself defecating. To be honest, though, I can't believe how: 1) There's nothing here longer than 6 minutes 2) La Musique and Shadows Fang are -so- similar. Bouncing off that, Shadows Fang is not a bad song, but La Musique has a 'je ne sais quois' about it that just makes it better. If La Musique and Shadows Fang are to Philia and Rosen Schwert in terms of being more symphonic metal, Inheritance and A Day Without You are to Illusion and Remember Forever in terms of being more power metal (with ballad-esque undertones). Then there's Lineage which is just a fucking opus. From the choir, to the chorus of Kamijo's own backing vocals, ugh god everything is perfect. Marionette is kind of like Zombie in that way where its an outlier in their discography, but is every bit as unique as I would hope. I'm going to need them to let Teru compose more and Hizaki compose less. How much more could the man really do in a way of composition. Everything with intrigue has been done by Kamijo or Teru. Hizaki is there for the really beautiful typical stuff but there's only so much of it that's necessary.

Just a little correction: 万 (man) - 10,000 千 (sen) - 1000 And yeah, probably won't be very controversional. At least not in Japan or with vk-fans but we all know this is nothing that the mainstream media or w/e will know about anyway. First thing that comes to mind when I see that symbol btw:

I'm looking forward to Horizon ZD, but after seeing this certain quest video on YouTube my expectations are on the ground. I really hope this lives up to the hype, just don't be a pile of shit, pleaseee. Of course Nier Automata! I'm happy this world and story are still going and getting picked up by highly respected developers. Also I think there's a new danganronpa coming out in summer... I want that more than any game I mentioned so far.

y'all know i'm not a fan of ballads but this song isn't bad (but then again gossip have never really disappointed me)

Recently picked up Final Fantasy 6 again, it's still as great as ever. Still has the best game soundtrack imo, and I'm not even one of those FF diehard fans

Literally this for the first part of your comment (sadly enough I didn't bother to initiate newer relationships after "the first fling" and failed relationship due to my bad sentiments on "leaving every fun aspect of your self-focused life behind on a whim", i.e. being too wary of starting anything new after fuckups so to speak) Folks in this thread - as stated above, don't rush with your intimate life/relationships etc. . There's no such thing as "the caste of early cherry-popped birds" or whatever these "Chads" tell you nowadays. I honestly could have "turned a better leaf" in my life if it wasn't for this idiocy of social pressure and consequent "doom and gloom" I am experiencing even today as we speak. Give it some time but at the same time, give yourselves a chance to build "the better self" your future partners would cherish as much as you would cherish them - without someone's pressuring/convincing effort.

Yeah not going to lie, this is just shit. My thing is that I like pretty much all visual kei by default so I can listen to this also, but nonetheless I'm going to call spade a spade here. Tenten is such a strong nu-kei vocalist that his presence is going to make a lot of things palatable; his vocals have that unpredictability and personality where every performance is distinctly unique, even when they're some dull headbanging number where he's just grunting. It's a good trait to have in 2017, when those bog-standard metalcore numbers are on the rise. It's the rest of it that's wrong, like es-fucking-specially San, whom I'm sure has only been part of good things, like early Nega, only in spite of himself. I can listen to this for sure - it's just that I can listen to a lot of things that I really shouldn't. While I want to think they'll get decent in a few month's time ( I think this is an improvement over their last release ), the fact happens to be that they have both San and Tenten in the fold, so it's rather unlikely that this band will stick around for long. Sometimes I wish MH would die so I'd get bands like LACK-CO out of my life. Their EP sucked too.

I'm not even finished listening to the classic X albums, tbh, so I don't really care if they ever finish a new one or not. I just come to these threads for the YOSHIKI jokes.

updated with sold items. Also finally added prices to all of them

Your stuff is soooo cute!! The lines and the colors are lovely

A top 100 list for just last year...?! Christ, vk doesn't need THAT much help looking bad...

I got over VK around 2010 or so, but recently I've been discovering bands that have interested me... such as Dezert, Grieva, Kuroyuri to Kage, KEEL, IX -nine-, and most recently DECAYS. now I'm sorta enjoying the scene again It just happens man, being too over saturated in one scene or genre will burn you out, try to mix other kinds of music into your listening tendencies.

New look Price: ￥2,000 (tax out) Tracklist: 『ミステリアスパレード』 <CD> M1.ミステリアスパレード M2.メタルタイガー M3.Mr.珈琲男爵 M4.モンスターガピンク M5.ユーレイ☆になっても愛してる(リマスターver.)

I don't get what's so great about brutal bands.

Lynch and Gazette are boring me to death.

VAMPS is really not that great of a band, period. I tried listening to them but everything ive checked out is nothing short of mediocre, just boring rock. At least to me, it feels like a lot of their fan base our just blind Hyde stans...or people who miss L'arc and feel like VAMPS is the next best thing to cling to (which they aren't).