qotka

Their music has always been hit-or-miss for me, especially as of late, but sibilebatshitcrazy were always uncompromising in their wild and oddball antics (more so Izumi), which is smth I've come to respect. It's a pity their music couldn't always match up in quality(imo) and I was never completely sold on them.
 

Definitely this if you are only here temporarily and can make the most out of the pass.

Agreed just taking the atmosphere of a band/their fans the first time is good if you don't know what general VK live manners are yet. I have mixed feelings on furi. Sometimes it's really lame, sometimes it's simple/non-obtrusive enough to tolerate, sometimes it's crazy fun, and sometimes it just makes no sense and gets in the way.

I like headbanging/fist pumping if the song is actually worth head banging or pumping to. Nothing worse than a band trying to get you to headbang to some crap pop rock lol. But if the shows are head banging/gyaku dai/etc. heavy, I think fans should have some general manners about it. Dir fans (especially a lot of the gyao) at the Androgynos shows were too aggressive and had no idea how to headbang without bumping into me/other fans and were bad about trying to push up front at times when it wasn't really appropriate. Push up during gyakudai and stuff, sure, but like using your fist to punch forward and make the other person move out of the way to avoid your fist so you can take that spot between them or just aggressively pushing people during jumping songs is kinda rude. Then again, gya who take too much space in the front and try to elbow people trying to fill in the space gaps out are also pretty rude. It's a fine balance, lol.
 

Yeah, every band has their crazies who are obsessive/actually "in love" with their favorite member and will try to do everything they can not to have to share. It's dumb and immature. Rest easy knowing that if the girl is a jouren, her favorite member probably hates her guts tbh lol. A good band will watch closely what the girls/guys in the front are doing, and it's not uncommon for them to frown on or subtly discourage inappropriate behavior. More than once I've noticed a member making eye contact to check up on me or other fans in the front when girls or the occasional guy rudely tries to push themselves forward. Or someone will "out" that person on Tanuki and/or through gossip among fans to nip it in the bud. If there is an especially bad fan, sometimes it's common knowledge that a certain song was written especially with them in mind, and not in a flattering way lol.
 

Yep, definitely switch out! And dear god, if you are a newb (especially a gaijin newb), the fastest way to become unpopular is to push your way from a distance to the front in an inappropriate manner.

LOL the shit crowd surfers. At The ROMEO lives, the nice ones would at least take their shoes off or wear "soft" shoes. I feel like being kicked in the face by a crowd surfing casual lolita in platforms or otherwise is some kind of bangya right of passage lol. But like... the crappy bandmen from new/no1curr bands diving can be just as bad or worse lol. 

It's a cool idea to start a thread like this!😊
Few comments from me:
 
#1. I've never felt like buying more tickets at once gives you better numbers. People who get saizen that I know usualy make multiple applications (one or two tickets) and keep the best ticket and sell the rest. Very often gya actually organize and they do 'hoken kakering' - insurance applications for each other. If it's a rare event then often people get their family members to help too.
 
#2. some bands/venues might have a 'cloak service' - which means you will get a big clear plastic bag (often they use rubbish bags for this 😁) and you can leave your things in this bag with the venue staff. Bags have numbers (or number ticket) or/and staff will ask your name and phone number which you must tell the staff to pick up your bag. Usually it's possible to use the service before the door time, but it might take some time to be able to get your bag if it's a big show. So don't use this option if you're in a rush to catch last train. The cost is usually 500 yen.
 
#4. In 6 years I've only been to a live that didn't allow bringing drinks twice. Most of the time you can bring your own drink in, but you will have to pay the drink ticket fee anyway. Also, at the shows of some bands gya leave their bags on the floor to 'reserve their spot' and go to get their drink before the live starts or between bands after gya of different bands swap places. But if it's your first live of the band don't risk this unless you know that's what fans do.
 
#10. I do the same - book my hotels as soon as I know tour dates. Recently the number of tourists keeps increasing and if you don't book a hotel early it might be hard to find something affordable/convenient. If my plans change I can always cancel the reservation. I sometimes travel with friends and we stay in the same room, but compared to Europe I think many Japanese are not so comfortable with that.
 

I figured it would be cool to have a thread like this for people just starting out going to lives, or maybe even some of you veterans out there that are always trying to make the most of your time and/or maximize efficiency getting in and out.
 
Hack #1: Getting Good Ticket Numbers
 

Hack #2: Getting a Locker
 
 
Hack #3: Have Everything Ready
 

Hack #4: How to Bring Your Own Drink/Keep It Out of the Way
 
 
Hack #5: Buying Goods
 
 
Hack #6: Trying to See Better if You’re Short
 
 
Hack #7: Showing Your Spirit
 
 
Hack #8: Making gya friends
 
 
Hack #9: Saving Money on Transportation Costs
 
 
Hack #10: Finding Cheap/Close Accommodation
 
 
Hack #11: Buying Tickets
 
 
Hack #12: Bringing/Giving a Gift
 
 
If you know of more tricks, please add to the list by replying! 
 
EDITED 5/23/2018 with suggestions from the replies  Also, thanks mod @platyfor the sticky!

i think this hits the nail on the head of this problem.
when you're looking to curate something (and i believe this is a large part of an organizer's job), you need to know your shit and actually care about the acts you're bringing.
taking a quick look at the VK acts b7klan are working with, my first thought is 'i don't believe you for a second that you actually believe these bands have potential in europe'.

Confession: I bought the limited edition of MUCC's Shin Tsuuzetsu because I fell in love with the creepy cage doll design and it had a lenticular jacket. Can't stop looking at it.
 
 

Plastic Tree has announced that their major debut 20th Anniversary DVD, "1997.09.15" (6500 yen, 120 min) will be released in October. Footage will feature the band's reproduction of their major debut performance at their live on June 25, 2017 at YOKOHAMA Bay Hall.
 
Songs featured:
痛い青 (itai ao)
本当の嘘 (hontou no uso)
twice
割れた窓 (wareta mado)
クローゼットチャイルド (closet child)
スノーフラワー (snowflower)
銀ノ針 (gin no hari)
リラの樹 (rira no ki)
まひるの月 (mahiru no tsuki)
水葬。 (suiso.)
トランスオレンジ (trance orange)
アブストラクトマイライフ (abstract my life)
ねじまきノイローゼ (nejimaki noiroze)
エンジェルダスト (angel dust)
エーテルノート (ether note)
鳴り響く、鐘 (narihibiku, kane)
psycho garden
クリーム (cream)
サーカス (circus)
 
http://plastic-tree-special.com/114/

Klubb Lunacy is one of Europe's oldest Visual Kei nightclubs, which originally ran between 2004 and 2010. After a 7 years long hiatus, I'm happy to announce that I'm the one who is carrying on the torch and together with the old owner I'm reforming it and intend to make it stronger than ever. The first date is set for 1 of September in Stockholm, Sweden. Six hours of old and new Visual Kei music, a Visual Kei outfit competition with an amazing prize sponsored by RarezHut, and the chance to hang out with over one hundred other fans of this increasingly rare style of music.
 
And while we hope that some of you might be able to attend this grand revival, we don't intend to limit our activities to Sweden, and would be glad to bring it wherever enough people who are interested might be located, mainly in Europe. So if you have any connections or ideas please feel free to message me and we'll see what can be done!
 
The clubs Facebook is located here:
https://www.facebook.com/KlubbLunacy/
 
And the event itself is located here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1435508826514161/
 
Most posts have an English version after the Swedish text, so please scroll down if you want more info!
 
We're glad for any and all support we can get from you guys as we try to bring back some community and party to the fandom! 
 
Also a special thanks to @orange~ who designed our logo!

"MIDNIGHT PARTY ZOO ~Stars Born in August~" will be held at midnight at Shinjuku LOFT on August 24. The following session will perform:

"カブちン" (kabuchin):
Vo. SATOち(MUCC)
Vo. カブキン (kabukin) (GUTS AND DEATH)
 
"PSYCHOMMUNITY":
Vo. 逹瑯 (tatsurou) (MUCC)
Gt. 海 (umi) (vistlip)
Gt. MiA (MEJIBRAY)
Ba. ちょび (chobi) (ex DIV)
Dr. KENZO (BVCCI HAYNES、GREMLINS)
 
"KoЯn 杉並":
Vo. taama (ROACH)
Gt. ミヤ (miya) (MUCC)
Gt. 奈緒 (nao) (アルルカン (arlequin))
Ba. Sacchan (DEZERT)
Dr. SORA (DEZERT)
 
"LUNA SUI":
Vo. ガラ (gara) (MERRY)
Gt. 圭 (kei) (BAROQUE)
Gt. 一樹 (kazuki) (BugLug)
Ba. AKi  (SID)
Dr. KenT (The Winking Owl)
 
"Ken Stand Alone":
Vo. & Gt. Ken
Guest Vocal 怜(BAROQUE) ※Join only one song
 
Other participating musicians:
ミヤ(MUCC) / DJ-ADAPTER。 / DJ狂犬(LOUD ROOTS) / 西村ひよこちゃんX / 村田智史(Mantle5) / and Naughty stars

This album will be released in spring 2018. There will also be 4 dates for Halloween called "HALLOWEEN 17 SPOOKY BOX 2" which can be seen in the images. The lives on 2017.10.25/30 will have the concept of Abyss while the lives on 2017.10.28/31 will have the concept of LUCY.
 

 

 

Tracklist
 
Disc 1: Shin Homura Uta
 
1. ホムラウタ (Homura Uta)
2. 絶望 (Zetsubou)
3. 幸せの終着 (Shiawase no Shuuchaku)
4. 君に幸あれ (Kimi ni Sachiare)
5. 僕が本当の僕に耐えきれず造った本当の僕 (Boku ga Hontou no Boku ni Taekirezu Tsukutta Hontou no Boku)
6. ママ (Mama)
7. 暗闇に咲く花 (Kurayami ni Saku Hana)
8. 嘘で歪む心臓 (Uso de Yugamu Shinzou)
9. およげ!たいやきくん (Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun)
10. 前へ-In its true light- (Mae e -In its true light-)
11. 黒煙 (Kokuen)
12. スイミン (Suimin)
13. 帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)
14. ズタズタ (Zutazuta)
15. 水槽 (Suisou)
16. 大嫌い2006 (Daikirai 2006)
 
Disc 2: Homura Uta ~Remaster~
 
01. ホムラウタ (Homura Uta)
02. 絶望 (Zetsubou)
03. 幸せの終着 (Shiawase no Shuuchaku)
04. 君に幸あれ (Kimi ni Sachiare)
05. 僕が本当の僕に耐えきれず造った本当の僕 (Boku ga Hontou no Boku ni Taekirezu Tsukutta Hontou no Boku)
06. ママ (Mama)
07. 暗闇に咲く花 (Kurayami ni Saku Hana)
08. 嘘で歪む心臓 (Uso de Yugamu Shinzou)
09. およげ！たいやきくん (Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun)
10. 前へ (Mae e)
11. 黒煙 (Kokuen)
12. スイミン (Suimin)
13. 帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)
14. ズタズタ (Zutazuta)
15. 水槽 Sg ver (Suisou Sg ver)
 
| Classics are made to be tempered with
 
Here's one band that hasn't been getting a lot of rest in 2017. 新葬ラ謳 (Shin Homura Uta) includes two versions of MUCC's 葬ラ謳 (Homura Uta) - a remastered one and a shiny, new re-recorded one. It was released along with 新痛絶 (Shin Tsuuzetsu) as part of the band's 20 year anniversary extravaganza, its announcement coming in contiguity with their '哀愁とアンティークと痛みも葬る (Aishuu to Antique to Itami mo Homoru)' summer tour, in which they exclusively performed materials from their first two EPs and first two full length studio albums. There isn't much to say about the remastered version, so this review will focus on the new recording.
 
This release is not just about paying a nostalgic tribute to their past or reliving it. Revised 葬ラ謳 is as vibrant and relevant as the original was 15 years ago; not much has changed on the surface, yet everything sounds different. It's a great example for an album that has evolved in a similar way language does, with its tracks going through years of being performed live, re-recorded, and remixed; the result is something anyone who speaks visual-kei can understand, but with noticeable changes.
 
葬ラ謳 was a fairly commercially successful album. It was first released in September 2002 as a limited edition that sold out quickly; a regular edition came the next month, and a reissue of the limited edition came in 2004. This album had a story to tell - a story of distilled anguish, pain, sorrow, loss and all those other heart-wrenching emotions and experiences that have been driving people to create art throughout history. In that sense, they never offered anything revolutionary; they were just good storytellers who used heaps of murky sound and raw energy to create something people could relate to. It is also clear that grunge, alternative rock and even nu metal were among their many interests at that point, and they were learning them carefully and experimenting with them as best as they could.
 
In 2017, the same album tells a completely different story. The muddy sound is replaced with a polished presentation, which might strike some v-kei veterans as 'lacking depth' or even 'less than genuine'. It’s true that nothing can replace those pain-driven shrieks in the original “絶望 (Zetsubou)” or “ズタズタ (Zutazuta)” that sound like someone’s soul being run over by an 18-wheeler. But this is just where the potency of the new recording lies; it doesn’t try to recreate the original, it uses it as a foundation to create something new. It doesn’t only show the experience the band has gained in the past 15 years, developing both in terms of musical skills and delivery, which can clearly be heard in Tatsuro’s crisp vocals and Satochi’s precise drumming. 新葬ラ謳 is a story that couldn’t have been told the way it is without the band’s (sometimes questionable) musical endeavors over the years and could be seen as a journey journal of sorts - one that doesn't leave out even newfound quirks, like in “前へ (Mae e)", which now includes an auto-tuned reggae moment brought to you by music nerd Miya. “前へ” was re-recorded in 2014 for the “ENDER ENDER” single, and it shows that nothing is sacred in the name of nostalgia - everything can be torn, mixed, glued on, and tempered with for the sake of trying out new things. Many of the other changes are smaller and rather conservative, like a new verse in “帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)” and an altered enunciation of the lyrics on many of the tracks, but they're enough to turn 新葬ラ謳 into something worth listening to in an of itself, even for those familiar with the original release. People who have been listening to this album for years will have a lot of fun playing ‘spot the difference’ while listening to this.  
 
This solid and clean rendition of a classic wasn’t only a chance to play around the border of nostalgia, self-cover, and re-imagine, but also a great way to introduce old material to new fans. MUCC have always been open to adapt to trends, experiment, and evolve, which means they’ve gained new listeners with every release (and probably lost some along the way). A crowd that’s been around since カルマ (Karma), SHANGRI-LA, or THE END OF THE WORLD will not necessarily bother checking out their older releases unless they keep them alive and relevant, which is something they’ve succeeded in by re-recording both 痛絶 and 葬ラ謳 and taking them on tour. This 2-CD package will probably be the first thing I’ll recommend to anyone interested in listening to the band for the first time or exploring their older materials, as well as to more old-school listeners who have been out of the loop for the past couple of years and have been wondering what they’re up to nowadays.
 
 
Support your jrawk poets: the [limited] and [regular] editions are available to order!

Yes exactly, in the past it was like he was screaming all his pain.  
I remember an interview they said they wanted to have more fun now and not being stuck with depressive songs X) 
 
Anyway i'm happy they don't deny their past like some others bands

purchased from @togz , thanks again! ^^
 

 

mah bois <3333
 
kannivalism - ホシの夜
kannivalism - 鬱病ロッカー (book)
baroque - 我伐道
SINCE1889 - [Gaula]
Crazy★shampoo - The place in which I am now. (and comment dvd)
Crazy★shampoo - LOVE SONG

Kizu's first single ( A and B ), and some Jully, Kalimero and Monokuro kinema stuff I was missing.

DANGER☆GANG have unveiled their new look on August 17.
 
*The official band photo has yet to be released.
 

 

Confession: I bought the limited edition of MUCC's Shin Tsuuzetsu because I fell in love with the creepy cage doll design and it had a lenticular jacket. Can't stop looking at it.
 
 

Tracklist
 
Disc 1: Shin Homura Uta
 
1. ホムラウタ (Homura Uta)
2. 絶望 (Zetsubou)
3. 幸せの終着 (Shiawase no Shuuchaku)
4. 君に幸あれ (Kimi ni Sachiare)
5. 僕が本当の僕に耐えきれず造った本当の僕 (Boku ga Hontou no Boku ni Taekirezu Tsukutta Hontou no Boku)
6. ママ (Mama)
7. 暗闇に咲く花 (Kurayami ni Saku Hana)
8. 嘘で歪む心臓 (Uso de Yugamu Shinzou)
9. およげ!たいやきくん (Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun)
10. 前へ-In its true light- (Mae e -In its true light-)
11. 黒煙 (Kokuen)
12. スイミン (Suimin)
13. 帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)
14. ズタズタ (Zutazuta)
15. 水槽 (Suisou)
16. 大嫌い2006 (Daikirai 2006)
 
Disc 2: Homura Uta ~Remaster~
 
01. ホムラウタ (Homura Uta)
02. 絶望 (Zetsubou)
03. 幸せの終着 (Shiawase no Shuuchaku)
04. 君に幸あれ (Kimi ni Sachiare)
05. 僕が本当の僕に耐えきれず造った本当の僕 (Boku ga Hontou no Boku ni Taekirezu Tsukutta Hontou no Boku)
06. ママ (Mama)
07. 暗闇に咲く花 (Kurayami ni Saku Hana)
08. 嘘で歪む心臓 (Uso de Yugamu Shinzou)
09. およげ！たいやきくん (Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun)
10. 前へ (Mae e)
11. 黒煙 (Kokuen)
12. スイミン (Suimin)
13. 帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)
14. ズタズタ (Zutazuta)
15. 水槽 Sg ver (Suisou Sg ver)
 
| Classics are made to be tempered with
 
Here's one band that hasn't been getting a lot of rest in 2017. 新葬ラ謳 (Shin Homura Uta) includes two versions of MUCC's 葬ラ謳 (Homura Uta) - a remastered one and a shiny, new re-recorded one. It was released along with 新痛絶 (Shin Tsuuzetsu) as part of the band's 20 year anniversary extravaganza, its announcement coming in contiguity with their '哀愁とアンティークと痛みも葬る (Aishuu to Antique to Itami mo Homoru)' summer tour, in which they exclusively performed materials from their first two EPs and first two full length studio albums. There isn't much to say about the remastered version, so this review will focus on the new recording.
 
This release is not just about paying a nostalgic tribute to their past or reliving it. Revised 葬ラ謳 is as vibrant and relevant as the original was 15 years ago; not much has changed on the surface, yet everything sounds different. It's a great example for an album that has evolved in a similar way language does, with its tracks going through years of being performed live, re-recorded, and remixed; the result is something anyone who speaks visual-kei can understand, but with noticeable changes.
 
葬ラ謳 was a fairly commercially successful album. It was first released in September 2002 as a limited edition that sold out quickly; a regular edition came the next month, and a reissue of the limited edition came in 2004. This album had a story to tell - a story of distilled anguish, pain, sorrow, loss and all those other heart-wrenching emotions and experiences that have been driving people to create art throughout history. In that sense, they never offered anything revolutionary; they were just good storytellers who used heaps of murky sound and raw energy to create something people could relate to. It is also clear that grunge, alternative rock and even nu metal were among their many interests at that point, and they were learning them carefully and experimenting with them as best as they could.
 
In 2017, the same album tells a completely different story. The muddy sound is replaced with a polished presentation, which might strike some v-kei veterans as 'lacking depth' or even 'less than genuine'. It’s true that nothing can replace those pain-driven shrieks in the original “絶望 (Zetsubou)” or “ズタズタ (Zutazuta)” that sound like someone’s soul being run over by an 18-wheeler. But this is just where the potency of the new recording lies; it doesn’t try to recreate the original, it uses it as a foundation to create something new. It doesn’t only show the experience the band has gained in the past 15 years, developing both in terms of musical skills and delivery, which can clearly be heard in Tatsuro’s crisp vocals and Satochi’s precise drumming. 新葬ラ謳 is a story that couldn’t have been told the way it is without the band’s (sometimes questionable) musical endeavors over the years and could be seen as a journey journal of sorts - one that doesn't leave out even newfound quirks, like in “前へ (Mae e)", which now includes an auto-tuned reggae moment brought to you by music nerd Miya. “前へ” was re-recorded in 2014 for the “ENDER ENDER” single, and it shows that nothing is sacred in the name of nostalgia - everything can be torn, mixed, glued on, and tempered with for the sake of trying out new things. Many of the other changes are smaller and rather conservative, like a new verse in “帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)” and an altered enunciation of the lyrics on many of the tracks, but they're enough to turn 新葬ラ謳 into something worth listening to in an of itself, even for those familiar with the original release. People who have been listening to this album for years will have a lot of fun playing ‘spot the difference’ while listening to this.  
 
This solid and clean rendition of a classic wasn’t only a chance to play around the border of nostalgia, self-cover, and re-imagine, but also a great way to introduce old material to new fans. MUCC have always been open to adapt to trends, experiment, and evolve, which means they’ve gained new listeners with every release (and probably lost some along the way). A crowd that’s been around since カルマ (Karma), SHANGRI-LA, or THE END OF THE WORLD will not necessarily bother checking out their older releases unless they keep them alive and relevant, which is something they’ve succeeded in by re-recording both 痛絶 and 葬ラ謳 and taking them on tour. This 2-CD package will probably be the first thing I’ll recommend to anyone interested in listening to the band for the first time or exploring their older materials, as well as to more old-school listeners who have been out of the loop for the past couple of years and have been wondering what they’re up to nowadays.
 
 
Support your jrawk poets: the [limited] and [regular] editions are available to order!

Ken(L'Arc～en～Ciel) live "PARTY ZOO 2017" will be held at Zepp Tokyo on November 22~23.
 
[live participating artists]
Day 1 (11/22):
YUKKE (MUCC) BIRTHDAY UNIT 「HAPPY FARM」
kazuma (gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy) session 「Merry Go Round Respect」
Danchou (NoGod) session 「X SUGINAMI」
「Ken with Naughty stars」
...and more
other musicians
A9 (Alice Nine)
BAROQUE
MUCC
aie, kazuma, sakura (gibkiy gibkiy gibkiy)
匠 (takumi), YUCHI (sukekiyo)
AKi (SID)
DAISUKE(Jupiter)
団長 (Danchou) (NoGoD)
KENZO (BVCCI HAYNES、GREMLINS)
Masa(NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST)
maya(LM.C)
莎奈 (Sana) (ユナイト (Unite))
愁 (shu) (ex-Girugamesh)
冬真 (touma) (CLØWD)
悠介 (yusuke) (lynch.),
...and more
 
Day 2 (11/23):
Ken with Naughty Stars
A9
BAROQUE
MUCC
sukekiyo
 
More details tba!

哀愁のアンティーク (Aishuu no Antique) not being a part of their digital catalogue is criminal! Anyone interested in MUCC should listen to that album.

Most of their stuff is on Spotify as well (with romaji tags though). Antique is not there though which kinda sucks :v

Y'all can call me Jae or Shi, I haven't used forums in forever so nicknames are a little odd. I'm 23, from middle of nowhere Canada. Found this forum randomly while looking up stuff on visual kei bands on and off over the past few years. I've been a  filthy casual fan since about 2007 but stopped listening to most vk bands in 2011 (Isshi's death was mad hard on me, yo). I got back into Japanese music in 2013 but have been corrupted by a lot of the new indie/alternative rock bands so mainly listen to stuff like Sakanaction and Suchmos but also am a huge PTP fan. I'm obsessed with Susumu Hirasawa and he is ruining my life. I've worked a lot with Japanese exchange students and my interest in a wide variety of music has helped them to really connect with me.  I hate most J-pop with a passion though, much to their dismay.
 
Bands I've liked/loved a lot are BUCK-TICK, X, Plastic Tree, Malice Mizer, Kagrra. I still listen to all these bands almost daily. I don't know crap about new bands or anything really past 2011 but after talking with a Japanese student who likes many of the newer bands I thought I should try getting back into vk.

Tracklist
 
Disc 1: Shin Homura Uta
 
1. ホムラウタ (Homura Uta)
2. 絶望 (Zetsubou)
3. 幸せの終着 (Shiawase no Shuuchaku)
4. 君に幸あれ (Kimi ni Sachiare)
5. 僕が本当の僕に耐えきれず造った本当の僕 (Boku ga Hontou no Boku ni Taekirezu Tsukutta Hontou no Boku)
6. ママ (Mama)
7. 暗闇に咲く花 (Kurayami ni Saku Hana)
8. 嘘で歪む心臓 (Uso de Yugamu Shinzou)
9. およげ!たいやきくん (Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun)
10. 前へ-In its true light- (Mae e -In its true light-)
11. 黒煙 (Kokuen)
12. スイミン (Suimin)
13. 帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)
14. ズタズタ (Zutazuta)
15. 水槽 (Suisou)
16. 大嫌い2006 (Daikirai 2006)
 
Disc 2: Homura Uta ~Remaster~
 
01. ホムラウタ (Homura Uta)
02. 絶望 (Zetsubou)
03. 幸せの終着 (Shiawase no Shuuchaku)
04. 君に幸あれ (Kimi ni Sachiare)
05. 僕が本当の僕に耐えきれず造った本当の僕 (Boku ga Hontou no Boku ni Taekirezu Tsukutta Hontou no Boku)
06. ママ (Mama)
07. 暗闇に咲く花 (Kurayami ni Saku Hana)
08. 嘘で歪む心臓 (Uso de Yugamu Shinzou)
09. およげ！たいやきくん (Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun)
10. 前へ (Mae e)
11. 黒煙 (Kokuen)
12. スイミン (Suimin)
13. 帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)
14. ズタズタ (Zutazuta)
15. 水槽 Sg ver (Suisou Sg ver)
 
| Classics are made to be tempered with
 
Here's one band that hasn't been getting a lot of rest in 2017. 新葬ラ謳 (Shin Homura Uta) includes two versions of MUCC's 葬ラ謳 (Homura Uta) - a remastered one and a shiny, new re-recorded one. It was released along with 新痛絶 (Shin Tsuuzetsu) as part of the band's 20 year anniversary extravaganza, its announcement coming in contiguity with their '哀愁とアンティークと痛みも葬る (Aishuu to Antique to Itami mo Homoru)' summer tour, in which they exclusively performed materials from their first two EPs and first two full length studio albums. There isn't much to say about the remastered version, so this review will focus on the new recording.
 
This release is not just about paying a nostalgic tribute to their past or reliving it. Revised 葬ラ謳 is as vibrant and relevant as the original was 15 years ago; not much has changed on the surface, yet everything sounds different. It's a great example for an album that has evolved in a similar way language does, with its tracks going through years of being performed live, re-recorded, and remixed; the result is something anyone who speaks visual-kei can understand, but with noticeable changes.
 
葬ラ謳 was a fairly commercially successful album. It was first released in September 2002 as a limited edition that sold out quickly; a regular edition came the next month, and a reissue of the limited edition came in 2004. This album had a story to tell - a story of distilled anguish, pain, sorrow, loss and all those other heart-wrenching emotions and experiences that have been driving people to create art throughout history. In that sense, they never offered anything revolutionary; they were just good storytellers who used heaps of murky sound and raw energy to create something people could relate to. It is also clear that grunge, alternative rock and even nu metal were among their many interests at that point, and they were learning them carefully and experimenting with them as best as they could.
 
In 2017, the same album tells a completely different story. The muddy sound is replaced with a polished presentation, which might strike some v-kei veterans as 'lacking depth' or even 'less than genuine'. It’s true that nothing can replace those pain-driven shrieks in the original “絶望 (Zetsubou)” or “ズタズタ (Zutazuta)” that sound like someone’s soul being run over by an 18-wheeler. But this is just where the potency of the new recording lies; it doesn’t try to recreate the original, it uses it as a foundation to create something new. It doesn’t only show the experience the band has gained in the past 15 years, developing both in terms of musical skills and delivery, which can clearly be heard in Tatsuro’s crisp vocals and Satochi’s precise drumming. 新葬ラ謳 is a story that couldn’t have been told the way it is without the band’s (sometimes questionable) musical endeavors over the years and could be seen as a journey journal of sorts - one that doesn't leave out even newfound quirks, like in “前へ (Mae e)", which now includes an auto-tuned reggae moment brought to you by music nerd Miya. “前へ” was re-recorded in 2014 for the “ENDER ENDER” single, and it shows that nothing is sacred in the name of nostalgia - everything can be torn, mixed, glued on, and tempered with for the sake of trying out new things. Many of the other changes are smaller and rather conservative, like a new verse in “帰らぬ人 (Kaeranu Hito)” and an altered enunciation of the lyrics on many of the tracks, but they're enough to turn 新葬ラ謳 into something worth listening to in an of itself, even for those familiar with the original release. People who have been listening to this album for years will have a lot of fun playing ‘spot the difference’ while listening to this.  
 
This solid and clean rendition of a classic wasn’t only a chance to play around the border of nostalgia, self-cover, and re-imagine, but also a great way to introduce old material to new fans. MUCC have always been open to adapt to trends, experiment, and evolve, which means they’ve gained new listeners with every release (and probably lost some along the way). A crowd that’s been around since カルマ (Karma), SHANGRI-LA, or THE END OF THE WORLD will not necessarily bother checking out their older releases unless they keep them alive and relevant, which is something they’ve succeeded in by re-recording both 痛絶 and 葬ラ謳 and taking them on tour. This 2-CD package will probably be the first thing I’ll recommend to anyone interested in listening to the band for the first time or exploring their older materials, as well as to more old-school listeners who have been out of the loop for the past couple of years and have been wondering what they’re up to nowadays.
 
 
Support your jrawk poets: the [limited] and [regular] editions are available to order!

Been using Last.fm since 2008, but I did a full reset back in January 2015 at about 40k scrobbles. here's my top 8 artists as well as albums.
 

 
I'm now back at 24k, but my chart numbers don't really reflect that since I listen to so many different bands and artists XD also it's funny that Diru is #1 because I almost never listen to them on purpose.... I have their entire discography and like a few dozen live audio rips, so they come up a lot when I listen to my collection on shuffle.
 
as a bonus my top songs.
 
 
My account link is below in my sig, feel free to add me.