togz

I'm not really surprised .___.

The concert itself was great but the VIP organization was a disaster. Basically they had us go in by groups of 10 to buy merch and get out free shirt (merch was 100% sold out by the end of the show) and then head out in the same order we entered so no one lost their spot. My friend was lined up at 6am and was the first person at the venue. But after she went outside ... Halfway through the VIP line they just start keeping people inside. So the people who didn't wait at all got in first while the people who were outside the longest and waited longer got the shit end of the stick. 
 
San Francisco was fun but the crowd was overall whiny and trash talkers all around me and they made me feel how old I am. 
 
It was nice to meet and see them but one VIP was enough for me. I'm going to LA but imma hang in the back cuz I don't have time to listen to people bitch about each other and fix their hair and make up.
 
 

Nice review! 素晴らしい「教育」 is probably my favorite of the album. I hope they continue to use that kind of psychedelic guitar in their future releases. I think it fits well into their sound (reminds me somewhat of SCISSOR too). The rest of the songs were quite bland and forgettable to me, aside from 少年ワルツ and 二面相シンデレラ, which is rather unfortunate.

Be sure to check here for more upcoming information: http://www.jpopasia.com/news/exclusive-sekai-no-owari-working-on-first-english-album-entering-us-and-international-markets::19372.html

I got a reply from Tenten maybe 7 times with in a 10 year span lol. Tetsuya (mbhi) 2 times. I used to talk to the drummer of valgana regularly but he joined a new band called aqua or something like that and made a new ameba blog and I didn't follow. I also used to talk to gunji ex. The fool a lot. He's a creep.
As for non visual Kei I've interacted mostly with Daiki and Makoto ( HNIB) via fb messenger and Instagram
I've also had a few conversations with sho asakawa on Facebook.
Garo from galeyd replied to me once through Twitter.
That's about all I can remember \o/

I have to agree about the over saturation. But I also agree that it has to do with taste. I don't think Visual Kei is going anywhere any time soon because it's an ever recycling scene. Certain looks get brought back and the new sound is noticeably inspired by and older sound. Which in turn I feel like the people who "grow out of it" are replaced with younger fans just discovering it.
Me personally I got sick of investing my time in to bands that just disband a year later. Like I get it that VK has a band for everyone and saying all the bands sound the same is a little incorrect. But I literally have like two bands that are still active that somewhat interest me. But I guess I have gotten lazy. I've already heard all the bands that have been around a while but o don't check out new ones because they'll probably disband after 2-3 releases.
My actual music interest has changed as well. I'm not just straying away from VK but I'm gradually branching out of the Japanese area. There are still bands I enjoy, but the point is that VK doesn't do it for me anymore. New bands I do check out sound like they played guitar for a year found a great hairstylist and knew a friend who did at home recording. But it's ok to sound mediocre if you look great in VK. It's VK so I can't complain much about looks vs actual music... But I do feel like a lot of bands have gotten lazy with being original and just sort of make something up like "this sounds VK enough" because the figure their image will sell.
That's probably going to upset people, but don't take it personal. VK is still a fun scene and it does have some talent... You just have to ween through the lack of talent to find the good stuff.
There's a lot more I want to say but won't because my fingers are actually getting sore from typing on a phone at a weird angle....

Tracklist:
1. FRONT
2. WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL
3. 少年ワルツ
4. Believe
5. Here I am
6. Jesus phobia
7. 素晴らしい「教育」
8. 二面相シンデレラ
9. テツキズ
10. 冬唄
11. 踏切迷子
12. デジャヴパニック
13. 勘違い革命


| Spoopy down for what?

 For those of you who may be new to ペンタゴン (pentagon), the band was established on December 14th of 2014 by Chizuru and Minpha of Call Me. The band completed their line-up with members from bands such as METEOROID, LucaRia, and Vared. The band, as young they are, have been quite impressive over this past year. ペンタゴン is notable for having a consistent visual appearance and prominent themes in their releases that go very well hand in hand and in their short career , they've already released a full album and 2 singles that come in various types. While 2015 was a significant year for them, they have yet to slow down and have hit 2016 in full speed. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] hit the shelves on January 27th and is the band's second full-length album with an impressive track-list of 13 songs.

[WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] states its theme clearly from the start with the intro title "FRONT". Though it's more of an SE track, it's almost an asset in setting the mood for such a theme. Envision yourself coming across an abandoned mansion or house. You approach it curiously, but there's a sense of uncertainty mixed with your eagerness to explore such a sight. From the light music box and thunder to the anticipation that the strings build up, you wind up at the entrance of Ghost Hotel, and with a creak of the door, the album takes off in to our titled track "WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL". A seamless transition from the intro jumps into an upbeat and somewhat heavy set of guitar riffs accented with a unique accordion tune and chanting. It's a mildly chaotic song that makes a big entrance for the story they seem to have for this theme. We've heard "少年ワルツ" (Shounen Waltz) before from the single, but it fits right in with the on-going theme. Ghosts and spirits are remnants of a past time, so the vintage distortion to the vocals in the beginning add a nice touch. "Believe" is a rather confusing song, both placement wise and the way it was written. Aside from the somewhat spooky techno in the beginning, it's made up of very common VK riffs. Though the vocal melody is somewhat solid, the key change takes the setting in a different direction that pulls away from the creepy and spooky theme they started with. While it may not exactly fit the theme, it does seem to be a song that may have been composed with live shows in mind. "Here I am" is also a song that doesn't give the same feeling as the beginning of this album, though it transitions well from "Believe". This song is a lot lighter and lifting, which is quite the opposite of what is expected from this release. However, it serves justice as a nice power ballad with strong vocals. Another rough transition brings us to "Jesus Phobia", a sort of circus-y sounding song with powerful screams, a signature music box in the background, and a relevant key change.

Once "素晴らしい「教育」"(Subarashii 「kyouiku」) drops, the setting changes to a waltzing ballroom dance. The setting of the album was consistent enough to transition into this song and it almost fools one with its mellow intro. This song is full of psychedelic guitars, synths, and even a nifty drum solo that leads into a distorted guitar solo. The next song, "二面相シンデレラ" (Nimensou Cinderella), is another upbeat song with a prominent bass line and feels like a solid continuation of the previous track. These last two songs combined creates a new, playful and devious side of the album. Earlier we imagined entering ghost hotel and discovering the wonders inside, but those songs didn't exactly give a sense of direct contact with what presented itself. The combination of the previous two tracks represent that interaction in a playful ballroom dance where whatever malicious being or figures do show themselves and, for lack of a better word, toy around with their visitors to humor themselves perhaps.

"テツキズ "(Tetsukizu) transitions well, but doesn't quite hit home with the theme or its generic alternative riffs backed up with drumming on the offbeat. However, the piano is a nice touch. It's not a bad song, but it's forgettable. "冬唄" ( Fuyuuta) is a slower song that fits better with the vibe this album should have, but it feels more like an ending song. Even though this track is most reliant on piano,ペンタゴン do quite well at enhancing the build up to a piano and vocal melody duet. The build and anticipation in this song is favorable with the contrast of soft verses and phrases that have more prominent guitar, bass and drum work that makes the track swell with power. "踏切迷子 "(Fumikiri Maigo) starts strong and follows the last track well until the chorus key change. Something with the instrumentals and key that the vocals are in sounds off ever-so slightly. Other than that, every other element in this song fits well with the concept and offers probably the most pleasing guitar solo on the whole album. "デジャヴパニック" ( Deja-vu Panic) starts to wrap up the album as it revisits a few similar instrumental motifs from previous tracks in the beginning of the album. Don't let the intro fool you though, because this track certainly excels into the danger zone (IN A GOOD WAY!) and lives up to its name. The guitar work beautifully contrasts with the chorus' vocal melody, and when the growls and shouting happen, the double bass is tastefully used. If you like songs that have a fast paced break down at the end, this is the song for you. "勘違い革命" (Kanchigai Kakumei) doesn't feel like a goodbye song. This song feels more like an 'until next time' and doesn't give a sense of closure and may have worked better as the second to last song. The door creaking back shut at the end is a cute reference to the beginning, which brings the album full circle.

To sum up the album, it had songs that clearly worked together to paint out a sort of story, but it had inconsistencies in keeping it flowing smoothly. There were songs that didn't transition well with others, but the songs on the album itself were quite good. Having a type of horror or creepy theme is difficult to maintain in 13 tracks without having to stray away to create some sort of contrast, but otherwise it could have ended up having too many songs that sounded too similar. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] is certainly a good release from ペンタゴン and though it's a little rough around edges, it shows potential for even stronger releases in the future.



CDJapan | HMV

New brazillian band "PlatoniC Dolls" has formed, will start your activities in June with your first single.
 
"PlatoniC Dolls" members:
Vo. ALE
Gt. TONI
Gt. KIRAI
Ba. MOMOKO
Dr. NAORU
 
Official Page
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

98

79
GET TO THE HOME STRETCH LASSES I GOTTA RUN!

68
WE'RE ALL POSTING AT THE SAME TIME X'D

oh shit

65

64
 
MY ARMY ARRIVES

60
Bye CAT

Tracklist:
1. FRONT
2. WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL
3. 少年ワルツ
4. Believe
5. Here I am
6. Jesus phobia
7. 素晴らしい「教育」
8. 二面相シンデレラ
9. テツキズ
10. 冬唄
11. 踏切迷子
12. デジャヴパニック
13. 勘違い革命


| Spoopy down for what?

 For those of you who may be new to ペンタゴン (pentagon), the band was established on December 14th of 2014 by Chizuru and Minpha of Call Me. The band completed their line-up with members from bands such as METEOROID, LucaRia, and Vared. The band, as young they are, have been quite impressive over this past year. ペンタゴン is notable for having a consistent visual appearance and prominent themes in their releases that go very well hand in hand and in their short career , they've already released a full album and 2 singles that come in various types. While 2015 was a significant year for them, they have yet to slow down and have hit 2016 in full speed. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] hit the shelves on January 27th and is the band's second full-length album with an impressive track-list of 13 songs.

[WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] states its theme clearly from the start with the intro title "FRONT". Though it's more of an SE track, it's almost an asset in setting the mood for such a theme. Envision yourself coming across an abandoned mansion or house. You approach it curiously, but there's a sense of uncertainty mixed with your eagerness to explore such a sight. From the light music box and thunder to the anticipation that the strings build up, you wind up at the entrance of Ghost Hotel, and with a creak of the door, the album takes off in to our titled track "WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL". A seamless transition from the intro jumps into an upbeat and somewhat heavy set of guitar riffs accented with a unique accordion tune and chanting. It's a mildly chaotic song that makes a big entrance for the story they seem to have for this theme. We've heard "少年ワルツ" (Shounen Waltz) before from the single, but it fits right in with the on-going theme. Ghosts and spirits are remnants of a past time, so the vintage distortion to the vocals in the beginning add a nice touch. "Believe" is a rather confusing song, both placement wise and the way it was written. Aside from the somewhat spooky techno in the beginning, it's made up of very common VK riffs. Though the vocal melody is somewhat solid, the key change takes the setting in a different direction that pulls away from the creepy and spooky theme they started with. While it may not exactly fit the theme, it does seem to be a song that may have been composed with live shows in mind. "Here I am" is also a song that doesn't give the same feeling as the beginning of this album, though it transitions well from "Believe". This song is a lot lighter and lifting, which is quite the opposite of what is expected from this release. However, it serves justice as a nice power ballad with strong vocals. Another rough transition brings us to "Jesus Phobia", a sort of circus-y sounding song with powerful screams, a signature music box in the background, and a relevant key change.

Once "素晴らしい「教育」"(Subarashii 「kyouiku」) drops, the setting changes to a waltzing ballroom dance. The setting of the album was consistent enough to transition into this song and it almost fools one with its mellow intro. This song is full of psychedelic guitars, synths, and even a nifty drum solo that leads into a distorted guitar solo. The next song, "二面相シンデレラ" (Nimensou Cinderella), is another upbeat song with a prominent bass line and feels like a solid continuation of the previous track. These last two songs combined creates a new, playful and devious side of the album. Earlier we imagined entering ghost hotel and discovering the wonders inside, but those songs didn't exactly give a sense of direct contact with what presented itself. The combination of the previous two tracks represent that interaction in a playful ballroom dance where whatever malicious being or figures do show themselves and, for lack of a better word, toy around with their visitors to humor themselves perhaps.

"テツキズ "(Tetsukizu) transitions well, but doesn't quite hit home with the theme or its generic alternative riffs backed up with drumming on the offbeat. However, the piano is a nice touch. It's not a bad song, but it's forgettable. "冬唄" ( Fuyuuta) is a slower song that fits better with the vibe this album should have, but it feels more like an ending song. Even though this track is most reliant on piano,ペンタゴン do quite well at enhancing the build up to a piano and vocal melody duet. The build and anticipation in this song is favorable with the contrast of soft verses and phrases that have more prominent guitar, bass and drum work that makes the track swell with power. "踏切迷子 "(Fumikiri Maigo) starts strong and follows the last track well until the chorus key change. Something with the instrumentals and key that the vocals are in sounds off ever-so slightly. Other than that, every other element in this song fits well with the concept and offers probably the most pleasing guitar solo on the whole album. "デジャヴパニック" ( Deja-vu Panic) starts to wrap up the album as it revisits a few similar instrumental motifs from previous tracks in the beginning of the album. Don't let the intro fool you though, because this track certainly excels into the danger zone (IN A GOOD WAY!) and lives up to its name. The guitar work beautifully contrasts with the chorus' vocal melody, and when the growls and shouting happen, the double bass is tastefully used. If you like songs that have a fast paced break down at the end, this is the song for you. "勘違い革命" (Kanchigai Kakumei) doesn't feel like a goodbye song. This song feels more like an 'until next time' and doesn't give a sense of closure and may have worked better as the second to last song. The door creaking back shut at the end is a cute reference to the beginning, which brings the album full circle.

To sum up the album, it had songs that clearly worked together to paint out a sort of story, but it had inconsistencies in keeping it flowing smoothly. There were songs that didn't transition well with others, but the songs on the album itself were quite good. Having a type of horror or creepy theme is difficult to maintain in 13 tracks without having to stray away to create some sort of contrast, but otherwise it could have ended up having too many songs that sounded too similar. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] is certainly a good release from ペンタゴン and though it's a little rough around edges, it shows potential for even stronger releases in the future.



CDJapan | HMV

FED is decent from my perspective so far but I'm not big on djent. I'm still waiting to hear sample music from Juri/Aggy's session band. 
 
21. Nighty-night. 

It really is a shame that such young talented metal bands such as DELUHI & GALEYD had to end their career so quickly due to members leaving or wanting to retire. It'd be legendary to see a new visual-kei metal band appear out of nowhere and taste the same popularity as the other two bands but last longer. However, it still wouldn't be the same but I'd like to see it at least once. 
 
21

22
 
Yeah, I'm not sure why his composition wasn't as favored... it actually still ran along the same lines of Meku's skill level. 
I think people just wanted a reason to complain. Once word was out that Meku was not composing, people suddenly wanted a reason to tear the band down I think. 
But had it not been a spoken of thing... I doubt people would have noticed. 
At least not to the extent people made it sound. I mean we had people who probably had no idea what elements they were talking about jumping on the hate toki's compositions train. 
 
Garo was in some comic band for a bit, but recently left that too. He updates twitter maybe once every few weeks?
 
My heart hurts.
 
As for Meku... again I just feel that he's not ready for a solid commitment. Even with Kamijo he is only support. 
Galeyd wasn't even given a chance to blossom. 

Val plz, this isn't the internet meme. What's 9+10?
20

19 years old.

I just need their two other singles, "Genesis", "Destiny", EYE WILL and Flee from Reality. Great band but it really is a shame that Meku left for Kamijo; I'd have loved to see a full-length or best album.
 
19

whatever number goes here idk.  19
 
I JUST FINALLY got my hands on precious heart fools mate edition. all i need now is that dvd tbh. I'm extra bummed about them. 
 
also

 
i felt the song titled was a good match

17.
 
Heck yeah I'm a GALEYD fan! (Working on finishing collecting their CD discography).
Nikky is an inspiration for me and my drumming. 

Math has never been my prime-rib subject 16

14
Tell me about it. My computer froze twice while I was working on a midterm today and I ended up submitting it late.