Saishu

I just want Malice Mizer back.

Does Dir en grey know they're participating in the new X Japan album?

Does Dir en grey know they're participating in the new X Japan album?

Anime themes worked for MUCC right?
Right?!

Because Sony Japan sucks.

Couldn't get thru the whole preview. I officially hate Yomi's voice now.

The problem with DSS is that it was mostly pieced together in the studio with no regard for how it would sound live. They sat behind their laptops layering riffs and whatnot, then rehearsal for the shows roll around and they realized they couldn't really recreate the sound that well. Shinya programs crazy ass drum patterns, then can't actually nail them when he's sitting behind the kit. This carried on thru to The Unraveling, too, where songs like the title track and Unknown.Despair.Lost just sounded thin and hollow without all the studio overdubs.
So yeah, it's curious that they want to devote shows to DSS yet again. Maybe some renewed confidence has surfaced and they feel like they can tackle it again.

The problem with DSS is that it was mostly pieced together in the studio with no regard for how it would sound live. They sat behind their laptops layering riffs and whatnot, then rehearsal for the shows roll around and they realized they couldn't really recreate the sound that well. Shinya programs crazy ass drum patterns, then can't actually nail them when he's sitting behind the kit. This carried on thru to The Unraveling, too, where songs like the title track and Unknown.Despair.Lost just sounded thin and hollow without all the studio overdubs.
So yeah, it's curious that they want to devote shows to DSS yet again. Maybe some renewed confidence has surfaced and they feel like they can tackle it again.

Excited for the DVD and new single, but why the hell are they revisiting Dum Spiro Spero again? Have they finally gotten their shit together and learned how to play it live?

Excited for the DVD and new single, but why the hell are they revisiting Dum Spiro Spero again? Have they finally gotten their shit together and learned how to play it live?

I don't like WISH.

Okay, I finally listened to this.
First off, be aware that there appears to be two track lists out there, one of which has the titles practically in reverse order. So watch out for that.
Now The Black Swan is clearly Jin just picking up the mess that NEGA left behind, so it's obvious that he had a Ruki-like iron grip on which direction the band's sound was going in. And that's... not necessarily a good thing. NEGA wasn't that great. There were signs of promise here and there, but they were few and far between. The same applies to The Black Swan.
NEGA was notorious for having awful production; listening to a NEGA song was like someone shoving my head into a pile of pots and pans, then clanging on them with a hammer. It's the opposite here. There's almost too much bass at some points. You don't have to be a major band to have good production, so I don't know what Jin's problem is.
The songs come across as tons of ideas just mashed together with no regard for how they fit (and yes, the trademark "NEGA SWOOSH" makes an appearance). The band is promising, but that doesn't matter if they don't know how to compose a song that makes sense. My main problem, though, is the same one I had with NEGA:
Jin
This dude can NOT sing at all. I mean, we all know that VK vocalists are almost always lacking in terms of technique because they just never bother to learn to sing. But with Jin it's not just hitting wrong notes or having no breath control; he lacks creativity when it comes to melody and phrasing. When Jin isn't aimlessly mumbling and whispering his way thru a verse, he sings a melody that he's probably used several times before. It makes everything he's ever done just sort of blend together.
But despite all that, I think Jin is super sincere about what he's doing. He just... doesn't really know how to do it. He needs guidance.

Okay, I finally listened to this.
First off, be aware that there appears to be two track lists out there, one of which has the titles practically in reverse order. So watch out for that.
Now The Black Swan is clearly Jin just picking up the mess that NEGA left behind, so it's obvious that he had a Ruki-like iron grip on which direction the band's sound was going in. And that's... not necessarily a good thing. NEGA wasn't that great. There were signs of promise here and there, but they were few and far between. The same applies to The Black Swan.
NEGA was notorious for having awful production; listening to a NEGA song was like someone shoving my head into a pile of pots and pans, then clanging on them with a hammer. It's the opposite here. There's almost too much bass at some points. You don't have to be a major band to have good production, so I don't know what Jin's problem is.
The songs come across as tons of ideas just mashed together with no regard for how they fit (and yes, the trademark "NEGA SWOOSH" makes an appearance). The band is promising, but that doesn't matter if they don't know how to compose a song that makes sense. My main problem, though, is the same one I had with NEGA:
Jin
This dude can NOT sing at all. I mean, we all know that VK vocalists are almost always lacking in terms of technique because they just never bother to learn to sing. But with Jin it's not just hitting wrong notes or having no breath control; he lacks creativity when it comes to melody and phrasing. When Jin isn't aimlessly mumbling and whispering his way thru a verse, he sings a melody that he's probably used several times before. It makes everything he's ever done just sort of blend together.
But despite all that, I think Jin is super sincere about what he's doing. He just... doesn't really know how to do it. He needs guidance.

YOU'RE THE ONE FIGHTING IT, IT'S BEEN OUT FOR LIKE 13 MONTHS THAT IS NOT TWO YEARS I WILL FIGHT YOU!!!

Pretty sure neither one of us is actually fighting over this.

Okay, I finally listened to this.
First off, be aware that there appears to be two track lists out there, one of which has the titles practically in reverse order. So watch out for that.
Now The Black Swan is clearly Jin just picking up the mess that NEGA left behind, so it's obvious that he had a Ruki-like iron grip on which direction the band's sound was going in. And that's... not necessarily a good thing. NEGA wasn't that great. There were signs of promise here and there, but they were few and far between. The same applies to The Black Swan.
NEGA was notorious for having awful production; listening to a NEGA song was like someone shoving my head into a pile of pots and pans, then clanging on them with a hammer. It's the opposite here. There's almost too much bass at some points. You don't have to be a major band to have good production, so I don't know what Jin's problem is.
The songs come across as tons of ideas just mashed together with no regard for how they fit (and yes, the trademark "NEGA SWOOSH" makes an appearance). The band is promising, but that doesn't matter if they don't know how to compose a song that makes sense. My main problem, though, is the same one I had with NEGA:
Jin
This dude can NOT sing at all. I mean, we all know that VK vocalists are almost always lacking in terms of technique because they just never bother to learn to sing. But with Jin it's not just hitting wrong notes or having no breath control; he lacks creativity when it comes to melody and phrasing. When Jin isn't aimlessly mumbling and whispering his way thru a verse, he sings a melody that he's probably used several times before. It makes everything he's ever done just sort of blend together.
But despite all that, I think Jin is super sincere about what he's doing. He just... doesn't really know how to do it. He needs guidance.

Fantastically funny review. actually makes me want to check the album out. Nega was an awful guilty pleasure for me, but The Black Swan just hasn't clicked the same way. It's like Jin got some new dudes and was like, "Have you heard my previous band? Play like that."

Fantastically funny review. actually makes me want to check the album out. Nega was an awful guilty pleasure for me, but The Black Swan just hasn't clicked the same way. It's like Jin got some new dudes and was like, "Have you heard my previous band? Play like that."

Grudge is one of the best tracks on Dogma.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gZbmeQZBnGA
They played a bit of Iron Maiden's "Prowler" at around 1:30.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gZbmeQZBnGA
They played a bit of Iron Maiden's "Prowler" at around 1:30.

See, I think that's cool. The band comes off as so dark and full of ZETSUBOU that you forget they have a sense of humor.
I remember watching a YouTube video a while back where this girl just berates the band for how they look so bored in fan pics. Then she gets mad about Kyo keeping his face covered with the shroud during performances, and he needs to respect fans more because they're the reason why he can afford those expensive shoes or whatever the fuck she was on about. She then went on to say how Sukekiyo just sounds like Dir en grey (at the time only Daemon's Cutlery and Aftermath were out). Then said the band name was a sign of Kyo's huge ego because it could be read as "Kyo is great."
Those are the fans I can do without.

See, I think that's cool. The band comes off as so dark and full of ZETSUBOU that you forget they have a sense of humor.
I remember watching a YouTube video a while back where this girl just berates the band for how they look so bored in fan pics. Then she gets mad about Kyo keeping his face covered with the shroud during performances, and he needs to respect fans more because they're the reason why he can afford those expensive shoes or whatever the fuck she was on about. She then went on to say how Sukekiyo just sounds like Dir en grey (at the time only Daemon's Cutlery and Aftermath were out). Then said the band name was a sign of Kyo's huge ego because it could be read as "Kyo is great."
Those are the fans I can do without.

I don't think anyone here has a problem with that photo.

Kyo laughing actually makes sense. Especially since we all know how much he tries NOT to display any form of happiness while performing or being photographed.
And it makes this even more funny.