There are a few other threads similar to this one out there, aren't there now? But I suppose there's always room for more of people's thoughts on the subject matter, seeing as it's becoming quite the rowdy discussion out here.
I feel the same as you, together with a few others who aren't into Visual Kei's current directional movement. This is fine for me, I stick to what I know and promised to myself that I won't go out of my way anymore to find new bands who might bear a slightly different tone than others because I know for myself that I won't really find them anymore, unless rooted musicians pop up with a new project.
But to address a few personal favourites who are currently still active (or close to disbanding) who I believe are worth noticing — most of these bands consist of musicians who have been around since the late 90's or early 00's:
MASKED RIDER SYSTEM
KAMIJO
KEEL
Femme Fatale
K.A.F.K.A
Scarlet Valse
ザアザア
マルコ
メディーナ
Synk;yet-シンクイェット-
ライチ☆光クラブ
Veritas en void
Lament.
凛 -the end of corruption world-
己龍
-真天地開闢集団-ジグザグ
Lucifer's Underground
MORE
THE MORTAL
R指定
Obviously there are the obvious names like BUCK-TICK and PENICILLIN, but I don't think it's useful mentioning those here.
"UNPOPULAR" opinion: Frequent disbandment is not unique to Visual Kei
From what I've observed over the years, there seems to be a common notion that the VK scene is highly unstable and unhealthy, and thatVK bands disband at the speed of light. I completely understand why some people might feel this way, but I think perspective is very important here. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of passionate Visual Kei fans abroad - people like @Trombe who tirelessly deliver news from every nook and cranny of the scene, and people like our good MH users here (@Champ213, @Biopanda, @Mi'ihen, @Yuki No Sai, @robkun, @kyoselflove, too many to name) who have gone out of their way to purchase and share all kinds of indie and rare VK goodies with overseas fans, we tend to have a rather enlarged and distorted view of VK as a whole. The overwhelming fervor found in the overseas Visual Kei fanbase simply doesn't exist for most other areas of Japanese music, like Japanese Jazz or folk/ssw for instance (although I wish it did). Bands outside of VK disband all the time - we're just much less aware of them. Most of us are viewing visual kei under a microscope and ignoring the peripheries. Common sense dictates that not every 4 to 5 guys with instruments and a makeup kit will find success.
MUSCLE ATTACK members new band "THE ALTERNATIVE" has formed
"THE ALTERNATIVE" members: Vo.&Gt.Shunp (ex-DONUT MAN, now in NICOTINE, MUSCLE ATTACK, BRAND NEW PARTY) Vo.&Ba.Jong (ex-prominence-->My Last Ballad, now in MUSCLE ATTACK) Dr.&Cho.Okky (ex-NICOTINE)
Artist: lynch.
Album: D.A.R.K. -in the name of evil-
1. INTRODUCTION
8. FALLEN
2. D.A.R.K.
9. BEAST
3. ANTARES
10. INVADER
4. EVOKE
11. COSMOS
5. GHOST
12. MELANCHOLIC
6. ILLUMINATI
13. MOON
7. ETERNITY
Rating: | DARK is a breath of fresh air for this great band!
lynch.'s last studio album GALLOWS is what brought me back out looking for my VK renaissance. By falling so short of expectations creatively, it reminded me what made me so avid about listening to these bands almost ten years ago. Since then I have come to MH, and delved far deeper into the scene, creating healthy distance from such established names as lynch. and the GazettE. By late 2015 I was more than ready to get back into what lynch. had to offer, but following the EVOKE and ETERNITY singles I was concerned whether I would be even further disappointed by their strict, uniform sound.I was happily proven wrong as the new album is well laid out and shows commendable creative efforts. "INTRODUCTION", a piano based SE, serves to at least be stronger and more ominous than "GALLOWS". At less than one minute, it sets a suitable atmosphere but does little more than that.
Deep, rhythmical guitars usher in a true example of what the album means by 'DARK'. Appropriately spooky synth sounds accompany the stark guitar/piano combination of "D.A.R.K". while Hazuki lays out safe but still impressive vocals. A decent chorus keeps this title track among my top played for this album. The first experiment on D.A.R.K. is "GHOST", which opens up very smooth and relaxed. The main guitar riff is energetic without losing a swing quality which is more playful than the band usually allows. Mostly for Hazuki, I see this is a bit out of the comfort zone of current lynch.. It's quite interesting and entertaining and I hope they do more with this influence in the future. The creepy, carnival sample at the beginning of "ILLUMINATI" was immediately one of my favourite sounds from the album. Sporting of course an eerie and topical title to live up to, it pops out another very standard lynch. riff. The harsh vocals here remind me much more of those heard on INFERIORITY COMPLEX, which is nice to have present on the album. I love that the song breaks back to the same sample from the opening and the subsequent breakdown section is reinvigorating. The chorus hampers the evil on this one, not to say it won't get stuck in your head.
Our feature track and PV for the album itself, "BEAST" is high energy and old school lynch. harsh vocals. When the full version of the song was released prior to the album, I was underwhelmed. In the context of the full album however, it comes in at a welcome time following softer tracks. A heavier section before the final chorus provides a bit of garnish but nothing to drastically change the nature of the song.
"FALLEN" is one of my immediate favorites on this album, it baffles me why they would choose to dwarf the impact of the previous song even more by following it with a much more emotionally impactful ballad. I got a little emotional with this one. It's among my most repeated songs on the album. Thundering bass drum and resonating signature guitar work with the vocals retaining the same or similar melody throughout the track giving it an intimate appeal. I appreciate the simplicity of "FALLEN" similarly to "BE STRONG" (from EXODUS), but surely even more so. "FALLEN" proves to be one of my favorite lynch. songs in recent memory (even recalling such former releases that "ETERNITY" failed to live up to). "INVADER" starts off with a quick, twangy bass line kicks off what is sure to be a live favourite in years to come. It also consists of mostly spoken lyrics and aggressive instrumentals one can liken to the revving engine of a muscle car. A very simplistic chorus is framed by shout-and-response energy and closes out as suddenly as it began. @Shir0 complained to me endlessly about the short track length of this one, and I feel her pain. However lynch. is known to include such short numbers in their full albums ("EXODUS" or "TIAMAT" being prime examples). The faded, far-off chorus preview effectively sets up the intensity of "COSMOS". Marching to the rhythm of a powerful breakdown. I was initially concerned that D.A.R.K. wouldn't feature anything dynamic enough to compare to title tracks "EXODUS" and "GALLOWS". "COSMOS" does so much more during the first harsh vocals, the instrumental stays relentless and offers varying riffs before returning to an admittedly powerful chorus. I do like and appreciate how the final chorus tapers out into something quite dainty with a falsetto note only to be followed by an uncompromising roar from Hazuki while once again blasting what is likely the band's strongest breakdown.
Then there are tracks that didn't resonate with me as well as I wished. "ANTARES" is a song which I, for some reason, was expecting to be heavier - perhaps due to a misleading preview. The guitar work is strong, but the progression lacks the punch I was truly hoping for out of the faster songs lynch. produces and a decidedly weak chorus shows itself within 30 seconds. The latter half of this song features a pleasing heavy section but nothing lynch.'s followers haven't already heard. Thus far, it still hasn't called for repeat plays and is usually skipped. Upon its release, I was quite apathetic toward the album's first single "EVOKE". However, placed next to a similarly mid-range song like "ANTARES", it has a chance to shine as a strong example of typical lynch. On the flip side of these featured singles, we have "ETERNITY", a song that I literally forgot to type in the track list of this review. There's a little insight into my experience with the second featured single on D.A.R.K.. There is nothing technical to critique, only that it seems like a strained effort. The solo Hazuki PV was not what one expects from lynch., I have followed the band through similar featured singles like "MIRRORS". There is just very little to talk about. It's a song I may have appreciated more had I not already been an avid listener.
The intensity of "COSMOS" warranted the most relaxing ballad track possible, making "MELANCHOLIC" a success. Soft, chiming guitar strokes create a cascading sound akin to the visual of falling water. It comes off very well written, but in comparison to "FALLEN" it does not endear itself so soon. In the third minute, the melodies become emotionally deeper, certainly worth waiting for by the track length. Surprisingly, despite being longer than either one, this song seems to come and go more quickly than "FALLEN" or "ETERNITY". This is not entirely a bad thing as I chalk this up to its position on the album and purpose in its progression. It's an honest, fun but disdainfully lighthearted finale to the album. I hear a lot being packed into the sound of the intro of "MOON" but everything subsequent feels quite basic in its catchiness. Like many of the mid-range songs on this, there is a banging heavy section late in the track but at this point in the album there is unfortunately nothing new here. It's not a bad song by any means, but as a memorable album closer, I see "MOON" as a misfire.
Coming out of D.A.R.K., I find myself far more satisfied than with my experiences with the band's last few albums. It offers the dynamic focus of GALLOWS while providing enough intrigue per song to make them distinct, something that's infinitely valuable to lynch. who sport waning Nagoya visuals and often seem far removed from the Visual Kei fan base in which they were born. I would certainly recommend D.A.R.K. not only to those looking for renewed hope in the potential of lynch. but even to those open-minded metal fans in an effort to show something agreeable, interesting and undeniably talented. Being exactly a month old to this date, it has already proven its shelf life beyond my personal expectations.
I'm pretty sure I've opened all of my CDs, as I usually end up making my own rips in either v0 or flac. Most of the stuff I buy I either already have downloaded in low quality or isn't stuff that readily appears on the net.
I do carefully open them and keep the plastic to slide the CD case back into. and I also keep the obis.
new band "The Joker Hates Jokes" will hold their first live at Abeno ROCKTOWN at 2015/11/11, and their new mini album "TAKE A NEW STEP" will be released at 2015/12/16 (1,500yen)
"The Joker Hates Jokes" members:
Vo.Miyu Inogami (ex-Staltura)
Gt.ヤスイタロー(yasui tarou) (Dears(support))
Gt.上野豪介(ueno kousuke)
Dr.山下誠烈(yamashita seiretsu) (ex-CamelChair, now in フェイクファー(fake fur))
support Ba.立山昂(tateyama akira) (INHALE)
[track list]
01.Diabolo
02.Bruno
03.Hate
04.The Clown And A Boy
05.Because Of You
06.I'm Alone
Found this wonderful live DVD and got a couple other things too.
Dir en grey - 1999.12.18 Osaka Jo Hall (First Press)
D'espairsray - Ori no naka de miru yume (Tokyo Version)
Dir en grey - Ryoujoku no American (First Press)
Dir en grey - Kimon
the GazettE - Chigire (Fan Club Live Limited)
Dir en grey - embryo
born - Black Dead Muzic
