Ada Suilen

Jupiter new live-limited single "The spirit within me" (2 tracks w/ 24-page booklet, 2500 yen) will be released at their live event, "IGNITED DICE" at SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO on December 29.
 
They will also hold their fanclub-limited Christmas live, "IGNITED DICE ~前哨戦~" on Christmas Eve at Shibuya Star Lounge, and HIZAKI Birthday Live "Elizabeth" at Shibuya REX on February 17, 2017.
 

| Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
 
Tracklist:
1.Hallelujah
2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
3.1000年 (1000 Years)
4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
6.風 (Wind)
7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
8.!!!!!!!!!!!
9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


 
THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
 
The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
 
With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
 
“Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
 
Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

What did you think of Hallelujah?
 

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| I couldn't imagine a more amazing return for one of my favorite bands!
 
August was a month of beginnings for our favorite band of Visual Rock Royalty. Hizaki had his solo album come out after being highly anticipated for quite some time and Versailles themselves reunited for a magnificent show on the 7th! This could only be the harbinger of something great to come. 
 
In lieu of coming straight back with an album or EP of new material, the boys decided to do a self-cover album featuring two new songs. This is astounding because most visual rock artists historically have done vaguely remastered versions of their classics and stuck a couple new songs on there as an afterthought. Versailles obviously put a lot of thought and effort into this release and made it quite clear that they had their je ne sais quois back after a 4 year hiatus (and a string of releases that lacked their 'it' factor).
 
In all honesty, the release has left me with a certain level of confusion. First of all, where was this passion on Holy Grail and Versailles? Because honestly I'm not certain I've ever heard such amazing music played as though the artists were just going through the motions as I've heard on those albums. Here, we have the boys playing their old songs gracefully (e.g. Zombie, Aristocrat's Symphony, After Cloudia) and their newer songs played with a passion insurmountable (e.g. Masquerade, Phillia, Destiny). Part of me wants to know what they did in the studio to make these songs sound inexplicably 30x better than the originals, part of me doesn't care because I'm glad I have them back.
 
Even with all of Kamijo's practice writing and pronouncing English words, he still seems to have a hard time. Without Zeus's help, I still would have no idea that he's saying "Raise a living corpse" about halfway through "Zombie." Not to mention "Shout & Bites" has all those growls that seem to have not improved at all. Sure the songs are still bangers either way, but one would think he could've gotten a little more used to the  "mouth feel" of the English language. In any case, none of that is as baffling as how we manage to now have a third unique version of "The Love From A Dead Orchestra." Not as though I'm complaining, however, this song is an unparalleled masterpiece.
 
Finally, after all the confusion, one must admit the new songs are a brilliant example of two sides of the same coin. Versailles' ability to create a head-banging symphonic rock opera like "Melodic Thorn" and a romantic power-ballad that isn't entirely depressing a la "Chandelier." 
 
Opinions may vary on whether they're better together or apart and I think all those opinions have truth to them, but ultimately one must recognize that these musicians are geniuses and really know their way around creating pieces of music that generate discussion.
 
Full marks.
 
 
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Dead or Alive Vo. Pete Burns has passed away from cardiac arrest on October 23. He was 57 years old.

 
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-37755445

| A case study on the effects of diminishing returns.
 
I don't have hopes for new MONO releases as much as I do expectations. I expect dynamic, instrumental post-rock passages with minimalist beginnings and too much going on at the end. It can be anywhere from six to nine tracks, possibly come with a theme about joy, sorrow, or both, and pack anywhere from zero to two instrumentals which edge the listener for six minutes with no pay off. While this describes the entirety of their output since the band "broadened" their musical tastes with 2004's Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined, this should not eclipse their accomplishments. MONO only does one style well, but their brand of post-rock has influenced countless other bands and has become the face of the genre, so to speak. Unfortunately, unwavering steadfastness is not a quality I admire in music.
 
It's strange to see a band once heralded for their mastery of a genre slowly see the life strangled out of them by those same guidelines. Even bands that "don't ever change" do change in minute ways over the years. MONO is the most extreme example of a band that has not progressed since 2004, content to sail the same seas evermore. Nine albums later, you could be forgiven for asking if they know any other way. But it's a sad fact of life that the emotional crescendos and cathartic blasts of noise that punctuated Hymn to the Immortal Wind are the same ones powering Requiem for Hell; such an unabashed clone that calling them cousins of one another still doesn't cover all the similarities.
 
Knowing when to stick to your guns is different from knowing when to bring in different artillery. A year hiatus designed to help them grow as musicians has only pushed them into a corner where all of their songs are cut from the same cloth and fabric is running low. MONO have regressed far enough to call in veteran producer Steve Albini, who was behind their masterpiece Hymn to the Immortal Wind, and as such they reintroduce the crutch of an orchestra, but even this power play is no substitute for captivating melodies. I can tap my foot and know when the strings will cut in, when the song moves into second gear, and when the emotional catharsis is supposed to strike. What should be an emotional experience translates into crossing requirements off a list.
 
I fooled myself into believing that Requiem for Hell would be different and was angry when presented with more of the same. I bargained with my computer screen for just one track to start loud and heavy, or for a dramatic switch in direction and tone, and was deftly ignored. Cue the strums of the closer "The Last Scene", I've accepted the facade of depth behind the beauty and luster. For all the big talk behind the concept of this album, it fails to communicate this theme in a meaningful capacity. It doesn't even sound particularly dark for MONO; it's just more of the same.
 
When they get moving, the meat of each song is intense as it always has been. The rising action and apex of "Death in Rebirth" and "Requiem for Hell" are truly stunning pieces, interjecting noise and guitar distortion for some much needed contrast. "Requiem for Hell" reaches almost "Com(?)" levels of despair, the most captivating track on the release by far. MONO still has the chops to write engaging music, but they insist on twelve minutes of foreplay first. When I can go to any younger band with tighter songs and more focus, hit the climax and get satisfaction in half the time, MONO has to provide a compelling reason to carve out forty minutes for yet another interchangeable experience.
 
They don't.
 
 
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アルルカン(arlequin) will release their new maxi singles "真っ赤な嘘(makka na uso)" (2 types) and "影法師(kageboushi)" (2 types)  concurrently on 2017.03.01.
 
They will also hold their "2 conceptual one-man tour" 「嘘と影-自分を保つ為の2つの顔-」 starting from 2017.03.04.
 
真っ赤な嘘 look:

 
影法師 look:

 

Release of 2 new songs 3rd single was recorded state-of-the-art sound of the FED "ZENITH / NADIR" was decided on December 28!
 
Title: ZENITH / NADIR (Zenith / Nadia)
Label: DIZAIN Records
Part number: DZRCD-005
JAN: 4948722524878
Form: maxi single CD
Price: ¥ 1200 + tax
Release Date: 2016 December 28 (Wednesday)
Publisher: DIZAIN Records
Publisher: Daiki Sound
Track: Title To Be Determined (2 songs)
 
http://fareastdizain.com/news/0/32005/

Chanty new maxi-single [title not yet finalized] will be released at 2017 spring
 
They will hold their 2-day oneman live "今年も春が希望という名の嘘をつく" (Kotoshi mo Haru ga Kibou to iu Na no Usowotsuku) at Takadanobaba CLUB PHASE as follows : "-理想day-" (Risou day) at 2017/04/01 and "-現実day-" (Genjitsu day) at 2017/04/02
 
They will hold their birtday lives "自家製生誕祭～東京巡り～" (Jikasei Seitansai ～Tokyo Meguri ～) as follows :
"～成人の日～" (Naruto no Hi) at 2017/03/26 at Shinjuku RUIDO K4
"～千歳の日～" (Chitose no Hi) at 2017/04/20 at Shibuya REX
"～芥の日～" (Akuta no Hi) at 2017/04/29 at Takadanobaba CLUB PHASE
"～野中拓の日～" (Nonaka Taku no Hi) at 2017/05/17 at Takadanobaba AREA
"～shia.の日～" (shia. no Hi) at 2017/08/29 at Ikebukuro EDGE

new band "ORCALADE" has formed! They will hold their first live on January 15, 2017.
 
They will also release their first mini-album, "Espada", on February 22; it will be sold in advance at their live on February 19.
 
lineup:
Vo.HIRO (ex- GRIND → MaveRick → EAT YOU ALIVE → ORCALADE)
Gu.希 (Nozomi) (ex- クロルシアン (clorcian) → ClearVeil → カラット (carat) → ORCALADE)
Gu.貴樹 (Takaki)  (ex-ASS'n'ARRow → DEATHGAZE (support) → DEATHGAZE → ORCALADE)
Dr.ゆいぜ (Yuize) (ex- ASS'n'ARRow, ClearVeil (support) → ORCALADE)
Support Ba.HISAYOSHI (ex-HYBRID-ZOMBIEZ → ClearVeil → ゴン☆素晴バンド → Fuel Pumps, ORCALADE (support))
 
OHP
Twitter
 

 

NoGoD 2-month consecutive digital singles will be released.
 
The first digital single "Passion Play" has been released at 2016/10/16
 
The second digital single (title not yet finalized) will be released at 2016/11/00
 
レコチョク：http://recochoku.com/k0/nogod_passion_play/
iTunes Store：https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/id1161307093?app=itunes&ls=1
mora：http://mora.jp/package/43000014/NOPA-1296/
 

DALLE new full album will be released at their live at Harajuku ASTRO HALL at 2016/12/16, although details have not yet been announced.
 
The tickets to live is already available in web-shop http://dorothy.buyshop.jp/items/4434716
 

 
 
 
Thanks @Jigsaw9 to up in other topic.

They will release a new album called 「VEDA」 on  2016.12.21.
 

FUCK.
 
That sucks, I thought they'd triumph through their label drama...
 

♡
 
 　

~~Friendly reminder to everyone on MH: If you want to be a guest contributor like Ada Suillen and chemicalpictures were this month, check out this thread or PM @doombox for more details. We want to see even more people sharing the music they love!~~

Time for some comments!

@beni - I can see myself getting into Her Ghost Friend. There's a very uniquely J-POP vibe, but in a good way. Also, I recognize the pool in that band pic (The fin.'s PV). I actually love and miss the wacky version of Cö shu Nie. There was a moment in their discog where they seemed to go full pop (was not a fan), but this song seems to be showing a plausible synthesis of both styles. I'm hopefully back on board again
@Original Saku - ...CreepHyp's (acquired taste) vocalist reminds me very strongly of someone. UGH, this is going to bother me until I figure it out. I like the kinda husky voice in Casablanca!
@togz - downy seems really solid on this newest album, so I'll need to check that out. NICE song choice for the NOVEMBERS. You might see this song pop up in a future post of mine *wink wink*. I love the way the synth goes slightly off-kilter/dissonant in the chorus. Holy shit, PIGLOW was a surprise--they're pretty much nobodies, right? Randomly downloaded it because people were raving about them (and dat name, amirite?) and it's pretty awesome! I hear more Kiryu in the vocals tho!
@emmny - I need to get on that ggg train. It's got that guitar swag that only aie can do, but I won't have to suffer through Ryo's vocals
@Zeus - yesss, Versailles! I was so skeptical about a rerecording album as a 'return,' but I was pleasantly surprised. The only thing I'm not crazy about in this particular remake is the slight tweaking of the guitar notes around 3:00-3:01 (and the repeats later on). And like togz, further support that I need to downy it up.
@CAT5 - welcome back, d00d! I still need to spend some more time with the new TAMTAM, but this song is pretty good. I'm not sure they'll ever top the perfucktion that was "Polarize" (song and some extent, mini-album). Aoi Teshima is GORGEOUS. And I'm so glad to see how many people on the team, despite varying tastes, are getting into Chanty!
@Ada Suilen - mwahaha, more NOVEMBERS love. This is probably my favorite 'heavy' track from the album.
@chemicalpictures - I was a Dhalis fan back in the day and you can still hear moments of it in ZON, even though they've amped up heaviness and production value. I need to look into them!

off-topic, why is the only clear photo of THE NOVEMBERS so dweeby looking? lol
 

The guys of The Nostradamnz will drop another single called " ほころびて" (Hokorobite)  this november.
 
The planning it to sell it at their November live gigs. (Also the previous 2 singles will still be available)
2016/11/04（金） 高田馬場AREA  (takadanobaba AREA)
2016/11/10（木） 池袋RUIDO K3 (Ikebukuro RUIDO K3)

All details will be released at a later moment.
 
 
ＣＯＶＥＲ

 

猟牙(ryouga) new band "RAZOR" will hold their first live at Zepp Tokyo at 2016/10/16
 
"RAZOR" members:
Vo.猟牙(ryouga) (ex-BLUEチョコレヱト(BLUE chocolate)-->RENNY AMY-->BORN)
Gt.剣(tsurugi) (ex-azure, now in Sadie)
Gt.衍龍(kouryuu) (ex-ASYURA-->Keith-->DOPES.-->My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND)
Ba.IZA (ex-MiScast-->リスミー(rhythmy)-->sparrow-->FANTOM-->シリアル⇔NUMBER(serial NUMBER)-->DOWNER)
Dr.哲也(tetsuya) (ex-羅刹(rasetsu)-->SKULL-->My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND)
 
http://razor-web.jp/

メガマソ(megamasso) will resume activities as of their revival live on 2016/12/10 at Shinagawa Intercity Hall.
 
In commemoration of their 10th anniversary, they will release a double A-side single "ふとん史/ｻﾞｾｶﾝﾄﾞﾆﾑﾊﾞｽ" on 2016/12/07.
 
 

 
 

Of course death penalty is absurd, but as Zeus said... I'm curious as to why he went about it in such a way. It'd be one thing if he was just expressing himself with make-up, clothes, etc... 
 
Maybe he knew he'd get caught but it was his way of being rebellious and making a point...???