Duwang

I'm really digging the previews, especially もうすぐ雨が降るから, 死にたいand 闇
This band can take all my money. I can never have enough XAA XAA in my life.

The only two July releases I've listened to entirely are Fatal Error Race and Aoi Yami and I like them both. Good picks. 
I kinda like W.O.D.II a little better than Fatal Error Race but the two compliment each other well as yakihiko said.
 
Dadaroma's Ame no Waltz is also pretty good, but I haven't heard the whole single. I still prefer Crazy Shampoo, though.
 
I'm also kinda digging that Codomo Dragon song. If the rest of their music had a similar sound I'd totally to buy that album.

I'm really digging the previews, especially もうすぐ雨が降るから, 死にたいand 闇
This band can take all my money. I can never have enough XAA XAA in my life.

lol, this isn't the place for this discussion. However, I can refuse to sell again. We talk about it before money is exchanged. If they had a problem with my request they would buy elsewhere. The end.
 
On topic: previews for the songs are up!
 

MiA composed both of those songs, though.
Anemone was also originally a VanessA song that they made into a Mejibray song so it's not like they haven't done that before.
 
If you wrote the song for a previous band then that's fair game since it's your song but that doesn't mean that it's not lazy.
Though I personally have no complaints if it's done well.

MiA composed both of those songs, though.
Anemone was also originally a VanessA song that they made into a Mejibray song so it's not like they haven't done that before.
 
If you wrote the song for a previous band then that's fair game since it's your song but that doesn't mean that it's not lazy.
Though I personally have no complaints if it's done well.

The only two July releases I've listened to entirely are Fatal Error Race and Aoi Yami and I like them both. Good picks. 
I kinda like W.O.D.II a little better than Fatal Error Race but the two compliment each other well as yakihiko said.
 
Dadaroma's Ame no Waltz is also pretty good, but I haven't heard the whole single. I still prefer Crazy Shampoo, though.
 
I'm also kinda digging that Codomo Dragon song. If the rest of their music had a similar sound I'd totally to buy that album.

satsuki's entire solo career

I need to gooooo

ザアザア / どしゃ降りの彼女
ザアザア / コワイクライ
 
Period.

i didn't think i'd want to put coll:set BUUUUUUT looking at my library, its honestly classic--more so than gazette or dir en grey. so +3 on that,  if theres one metal derivative that is a must listen--its that.
1.) D'espairsRay - [coll:set]
2.) emmurée - Love Letter-dark mania+-
3.) MALICE MIZER - Merveilles
 
kinda random, but out of my whole library these are essential stand-alone works.
HONORABLE MENTIONS GO OUT TO:

Looking forward to this~ Gallo and Elm are always great together.
I hope Gallo will do one of these with LuLu or Sibile Bashir one day.
 
Fingers crossed I can make it to the 10/30 live 

WeeD will disband. New band bLunT has formed.

Some Valluna singles:

And, not Japanese, but a repress of an old and rare AFI record (hashtag nostalgia-trip):

agreed. but at this point I kind of wish serial number could just be laid to rest. There's like what 13 former members...?

Song samples have been uploaded onto Youtube.
死神-THANATOS- seems to be a rerecording of 死神.
 


 


 

"Real" metalheads? Can we cut the elitist crap? So people like Leda who play in metal and visual bands aren't "real" metal heads? Please. There are a lot of vk bands who suck at metal, but there entire genres of metal that like visual imagery, too.

A lot of bands are breaking up and we haven't had a proper influx of bands that are particularly interesting, in my opinion. It's generally a pretty boring year for me.
 
Unfortunately Develop One's Faculties and The Benjamin failed to hold my interest.
 
Bands I'm still in VK for:
XAA-XAA is the main thing holding my interest right now. Their attention to detail is wonderful too. Glad to see they were mentioned before too. They are the only new band that's really kept me interested. Minus Jin-Say Orchestra is always phenomenal but the pitfall with them is their recording quality is pretty shit. I think most people that I know who got into them saw them first--it was the same with me. Their release this year has some great songs on it but... the recording quality ruins some of it. Ensoku is also great and consistent. But that's also the thing like you know exactly what to expect with Ensoku--and while it will be done well I don't think Ensoku would keep me interested if I didn't have the other two bands I listed above. Bands that I'm interested in
Reirei was surprisingly fun live Hiz was also a lot better live than recorded Shellmy is also a lot better live than recorded BLESSCODE ..also, a lot better live than recorded GAGA also has me mildly interested ViV oh my god RayJi is the best bassist he blows my mind but you see a pattern? For me at least this is an era of bands that you need to see live rather than listen to recorded.
 
Bands that have gone down in quality heavily imo
GIGAMOUS -- what happened? ??? ???? Souiumono -- what happened???????? Everything is so generic and boring now and what's with the autotune. They've lost a lot of fans (including their jouren--the girls who went to EVERYTHING and were basically the ones paying their salary due to how much money they poured into the band). I've been waiting for a break up announcement since Christmas.  RUVISH -- from last year there was a marked drop in quality and live is so forced now too  
A lot of Osaka (and Shikoku and Hiroshima) bands are bands you just need to see live, rather than listen to recorded, to be honest. XAA-XAA is one of the few that I enjoy listening to recorded as much as seeing live.. On the other hand Tokyo bands, in general, are really stale for me. 
 
Also kirakira bands (what you guys would label as "oshare kei" but that's another topic) are dying out. Personally, I need like at least one kirakira band in my life because the live experience is almost always just so fun (unless it's Sick2). 
 
Anyway, 2015 has been a lot of fun for me in seeing bands live, but as far as releases/new bands goes it's pretty meh (besides XAA-XAA).

@fitear1590
I'm always happy to see your vk recommends. I hadn't gotten around to checking out tokinokito or horobi no bigaku yet. Both bands will be properly on my radar now. That horobi no bigaku song is so out of left field. I love it! 
If I had a little more time this month I wanted to write up something for Kidori Kidori too, I was so torn between the song you chose and "傘を閉じれば". So much goodness!
That Bilinda Butcher's song is also another interesting pick I'm really happy you opted to share. Not something I'm normally into but probably would have never have even heard about if you hadn't shared so thanks for that too.
 
@beni
Alexandros, polly, and FLOW! ♥ Super happy to see you post some of these guys. I totally forgot about polly's release but I liked this song a lot when I saw the video a while back. Glad you reminded me about them. 
But omg surprise with that Kenji Furuya song!! I've never heard of him before and he gives me some major K (PTP) vibes with his voice. ;3; Then I learn he's the vocalist from Dragon Ash?! So maybe K is the one who sounded like him... either way. Going and getting this single, as well as catching up with like 20 years of Dragon Ash music now. Goodbye world~~~ it's all beni's fault. XD
 
@CAT5
Love that Aureole song. I really enjoyed that album. I didn't comment on your review because it was just me basically nodding along with everything you said. I might have enjoyed it a little more because I'm not so familiar with their older work (I feel like I always say this? lol) but it's a strong album and I keep playing it so both thumbs up with this pick.
I'm also mad I'm behind on indigo la End because this song sounds great too! D;
 
 
Hope you find some songs you like! Thanks for adding your own picks. 
I have some highs and lows with the new Mucc mini. I still like it, but it kind of feels like a step back for them in ways. Like this would have fit right in around their Kyutai era a few years back, but sounds strange coming from them now. If that makes any sense... >>; But I liked "Rendez-Vous" and "TONIGHT" the most.
I am happy you mentioned the LOTUS because I would have mentioned them again, but I did so too recently so I was hoping someone else would do it! lol. Nice mini from them.
 
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so. I hope they keep up the great tunes. They're working their way up my list of favorites too. 

random puresound order

David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes

Selfie with XAA-XAA's Roji at their oneman on Wednesday.
We did better this time at the taking a picture together thing.
I should note that I pulled atari cheki so this was my ~prize~

Ordered a bunch of old things.
 
baroque - Clip Collection
Black:List - MELANCHOLY
Homura - 儚クモ底ヘ
SCISSOR - Number Cut #3
tosinn - Undesirable Guest
tosinn - 問う心
ZODIA - IN THE DARK
ZODIA - 慟哭
ZODIA - 果て無き絶望、朽ち果てる太陽
 
might order more things soon...Dx

I'm happy to see 花占い made it on there since it's by far my favorite track on the mini and I've listened to it at least 100 times by now. Also glad to see other people agree [on the poll]. Xaa Xaa is fucking fantastic and well on their way to being one of my favorite bands.

I'm happy to see 花占い made it on there since it's by far my favorite track on the mini and I've listened to it at least 100 times by now. Also glad to see other people agree [on the poll]. Xaa Xaa is fucking fantastic and well on their way to being one of my favorite bands.