Saishu

Tension seemed really high during the DSS era. Not sure if it was because of the atmosphere surrounding Japan post-tsunami or if it was just the band getting tired of each other. Considering they barely even worked together in the same room during the recording of DSS, my guess is the latter? 
 
The absence of not playing the songs together as a band as they were writing them became really obvious once they toured behind the album. None of that shit was written with live performances in mind, hence why most DSS material doesn't work when played live. 

Well yeah, but I look at all these English titles and I'm just... bored already. 
 
I also had a problem with Marrow of a Bone having 90% English titles in all caps. That's so obnoxious. 

I want a Miyaviuta -Dokusou- vol. 2
 
fuck this shit. 

I want a Miyaviuta -Dokusou- vol. 2
 
fuck this shit. 

I always feel like it's a sign of... something when a band that used to have nothing but Japanese song titles starts using English. MUCC did this as well. 

They needed something to wake up the audience. 

They needed something to wake up the audience. 

I fucking hate Yoshiki. 

Those Crush compilations are another example of covers that were mostly sterile versions of the originals, though Merry's cover of Schwein no Isu was okay. 
 
But yeah, I don't expect a cover to be exactly the same as the original, I just want it to sound like the band gave a shit when they recorded it. 

Surprised they haven't worked in Cause of Fickleness, because that song is Withering to death as fuck. 

I'm saying though, Die's Cipher worship isn't a secret. 
 
The original version doesn't sound too far off from DEG's recent material anyway. They kind of played it safe. 

Those Crush compilations are another example of covers that were mostly sterile versions of the originals, though Merry's cover of Schwein no Isu was okay. 
 
But yeah, I don't expect a cover to be exactly the same as the original, I just want it to sound like the band gave a shit when they recorded it. 

This is the wrath that WhirlingBlack will face
 
 

I fucking hate Yoshiki. 

Merry, Acid Android, and DEG are the only songs that i want to hear in full. 
 
Honestly, all the rest sound like they're coming from the same band. 

the fuck...

You're not wrong. And while I like Coda, I think Yoin is the best song out of those three albums. 

The west already had its own VK, and it was called hair metal, and the nail in that coffin was hammered in decades ago.

Ruki starts ripping off Nordic doom metal bands. 

This just in: people outside of Japan act differently. 

Ruki starts ripping off Nordic doom metal bands. 

Ruki starts ripping off Nordic doom metal bands. 

Ruki starts ripping off Nordic doom metal bands. 

At one point I thought NoGod was the best thing to happen to VK in years. Then around the time V came out everything started to sound the same and I stopped listening. I check in once in a while and see that nothing has changed. 

Way late, but I'm just now seeing this since I don't check outside the news forum very often; Mika's brilliance has always been there. Now, granted, within the context of Sukekiyo (especially on Adoratio) he's given more room to experiment and breathe, per se, but even in Rentrer en Soi it was obvious he wasn't the average VK drummer. He could go balls out metal, but he was able to groove too. And his patterns and fills were creative. 
 
What DIDN'T help his case is that most of RES' albums weren't mixed that well. He tended to get buried, and just check out The Abyss of Despair for a perfect example. The speedy double bass licks in the second chorus are reduced to a barely audible rumble underneath the muddy production. I didn't even realize they were there until I watched the DVD of their final live. Also check out Gira Gira, which is the song (along with the orignal Secret Scars) that made me really take notice of Mika. He goes absolutely batshit bonkers in Gira Gira! 
 
So I dunno. Maybe it's just me because I play drums and my ear has always naturally picked out the rhythm section, but Mika's performance in Sukekiyo doesn't surprise me. He's one of my favorite drummers in music. Period.