A close friend of mine drove all the way up for a visit this past weekend. Since they opened a Round 1 in Seattle (near Seattle) we went there for "old times" sake.
So we ended up taking dat purikura.
I'm on the left or something. (*___*) /
A close friend of mine drove all the way up for a visit this past weekend. Since they opened a Round 1 in Seattle (near Seattle) we went there for "old times" sake.
So we ended up taking dat purikura.
I'm on the left or something. (*___*) /
A close friend of mine drove all the way up for a visit this past weekend. Since they opened a Round 1 in Seattle (near Seattle) we went there for "old times" sake.
So we ended up taking dat purikura.
I'm on the left or something. (*___*) /
A close friend of mine drove all the way up for a visit this past weekend. Since they opened a Round 1 in Seattle (near Seattle) we went there for "old times" sake.
So we ended up taking dat purikura.
I'm on the left or something. (*___*) /
Artist: the GazettE
Album: DOGMA
1. NIHIL
8. INCUBUS
2. DOGMA
9. LUCY
3. RAGE
10. GRUDGE
4. DAWN
11. PARALYSIS
5. DERACINE
12. DEUX
6. BIZARRE
13. BLEMISH
7. WASTELAND
14. OMINOUS
Rating: | After 13 years, "Gazerock" is officially whatever the band wants it to be.
If you're ever having a bad day, remember that time we waited five months for the most underwhelming album of the year.
Let's ignore for a second that DOGMA is ARCHE, Iowa-era Slipknot, and a quarter of DIM shoved in a blender and served cold with a side of drop A chugging. The marketing campaign behind this was stellar, and for five months it was the lack of details surrounding this album that sparked my curiosity the most. Just a few weeks before release, the band revealed "OMINOUS" as a teaser. For a brief second, a flash of light shone through the heavens as the hype seemed justified and the band was poised to deliver something interesting.
"NIHIL" even began the experience as I had anticipated, only for dubstep to emerge halfway through to set all my hopes and dreams on fire. I was in so much disbelief, I curled into the fetal position and muttered "What the fuck is this?" to no one in particular. That one minute encapsulates my journey with this band for the last five years, and when the crushing main riff of "DOGMA" kicked in I felt like I was left holding the bag after a bait and switch operation. This isn't what I signed up for. This isn't what this was billed as. But I'm not one to judge a book by its cover - or in this case an album by its case - and I proceeded to give the rest of the album a listen. If it had matched even a quarter of my expectations and contained a song similar to "DIM SCENE", "千鶴" (Chizuru), "体温" (Taion), or "泣ヶ原" (Nakigahara), we would be having a very different conversation right now. If it was at the very least a darker, more moody companion to 2013's BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, I would have waved the intro off. It was neither.
What followed was a most unremarkable collection of metalcore. Despite the fact that everything between tracks three and thirteen blend into one another, all is not lost. I found the vocals at their most inspired and energetic in years. On songs like "DERACINE", Ruki's vocal melodies are the most memorable thing of all. I haven't been able to say that in years! The GazettE have also remembered that they have two guitarists, and have returned to utilizing both of them to great effect. There's also an obvious attempt at focusing on one thing and doing it well - except in this case it's perhaps too focused. The lack of a ballad or even a mid-tempo rock number to change the pace exposes the one-dimensional nature of the album and makes it feel longer than it already is. They even titled the songs in all caps with edgy one word phrases like "PARALYSIS" or "BIZARRE". No other track prioritizes atmosphere and melody over pure aggression like "OMINOUS", which as far as I'm concerned is the only track you need.
I could dig deep if I wanted and point out minor flaws in specific tracks, but that would require another listen or two and the replay value for DOGMA is low. All of those criticisms have been lost to the haze that was this album. I have some fun during a listening session, but it quickly fades from memory as soon as it's done. Fun does not equate to a good album. The simple facts are that there's nothing new or distinctly "the GazettE" to see here. I'm half convinced this facade was forced by the band because it's been a while and the old has become new once again. Given some time, I believe DOGMA will wear thin much faster than other albums in their discography.
Diving head first into metal has yielded mixed results. DOGMA is an album purely for the biggest of GazettE lovers and metal fans. If this particular brand of Visual Kei metalcore appeals to you, this is your album. As for me, it's another uninspired, soon to be forgotten entry in the GazettE's bloated discography.
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