zaa_zaa

I have got to admit - the more I listen to the album, the more I get the feeling that it gets better. I don't know if it's me just getting used to it or the album simply requires multiple listens to digest.

I have got to admit - the more I listen to the album, the more I get the feeling that it gets better. I don't know if it's me just getting used to it or the album simply requires multiple listens to digest.

stockholm syndrome luv x

Pop and Metal are considered to be almost completely opposite genres of music. One is perceived as being major key, happy, upbeat, often repetitive and known for not being diverse, while the other is perceived as minor key, angry, and incredibly diverse (Of course, these are just stereotypes). Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, these genres are sometimes mixed. Whether it's the popular artist Poppy, or the infamous Babymetal, these genres were bound to cross one way or another, especially in Japan, and Visual Kei is no exception.
For one, the mixing of the two comes with the territory of Visual Kei. After all, the movement in the 90's was filled with songs that contrasted Thrash Metal riffs with Post-Punk choruses. It is also definitely not unusual for a band to play multiple genres of music on one album. Even to this day, Visual Kei songs will often have a chorus that sounds completely different from the rest of the song. It's basically given that there will be some bands here and there who mix elements of Pop and Metal.
While there are a lot of Visual Kei bands that mix pop and metal, for this, I will be focusing on bands that specifically mix elements of J-Pop, since those are the most distinct and so I can make the title relating to Babymetal lol.
 
A very infamous example of this was the cult classic band DEViL KiTTY. Mixing pop and metal was their bread and butter, whether it's primarily poppy songs with occasional metal riffing, such as DRIVE, or a very thrashy, angry metal song that goes pop in the chorus, such as Hello Katty. They also just had fully pop rock songs with no metal elements whatsoever, such as 束縛 (Sokubaku), or full on metal songs with no pop at all, such as アンチお洒落系 (Anti Oshare-Kei). Their early looks also mixed in some elements of Harajuku Fashion, but that changed after ESE IKARE Rockstar, where they just started wearing suits. Not only that, but their music contains a lot of Japanese pop culture references, whether it be Japan's early internet culture in songs like 奇形の２ちゃんネラア (Kikei no 2channeler) or even references to Visual Kei culture itself, such as バンザイお洒落系 (Banzai Oshare-Kei). Their lyrics, however, were far from radio-friendly, as Yuuga's love for sex songs is well known, and many songs are your typical vkei songs about not-so-savory stuff like murder. To summarize it, DEViL KiTTY's sound was an abrasive, lo-fi interpretation of Visual Kei's love for mixing genres, with a huge emphasis on the contrast between the heavy parts and the poppy parts.
Although this primarily applies to their 2002-2004 era. When they returned in 2015, they still mixed pop with metal, but focused way less on the contrast. However, there was one song, バンギャル最終兵器 (Bangya Saishukeiki) sort of channeled old Devil Kitty with a modern take, but that was their last ever release. (Note: While making this, I just realised the only good quality upload of the PV for バンギャル最終兵器 was taken down. RIP)

Selected listening:
Deaitai (出愛隊) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9suBOucP7I
Hello Katty (note: I plan to upload the PV for this soon, but for now, please bear with this video) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj7qwpfdwtM
 
Another infamous example of this is legendary Oshare-Kei band An Cafe. Specifically, their early years. Whereas DEViL KiTTY mainly focused on harshness and aggression, An Cafe was more focused on contrasting heavy with happy (or should I say, Nyappy?). Of course, in the beginning, their lyrics weren't always happy, as songs like My Favorite Beat actually have sorta dark lyrics. However, especially unlike DEViL KiTTY, these guys' music was definitely something that would probably be played on a pop radio station if those songs were ever popular enough to do so. Like DEViL KiTTY, they make references to Japanese pop culture, and implement elements of Harajuku fashion into their looks. (I mean, the whole Oshare-Kei shtick kinda grew out of Harajuku fashion). Sadly, they kinda dropped the whole thing sometime after 2005 (I'm not sure when because I honestly do not listen to much of An Cafe after their first album) and went on to just being pop rock, and then Bou left.

Selected listening:
My Favorite Beat - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOjcc6B_C04
Touhikairo (頭皮回廊) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIeV3a174o8
 
So what are your thoughts on these type of bands? What are your favourite examples?

Sho and Hiroshi still being in Dimlim but looking like they want out desperately at lives are proof that it's quite hard to tell Retsu "no" to something.

XANVALA new single CREEPER will be released on 09.03.2020.
 
If their tweet gets 200 retweets they'll upload the full PV.
 
 

📯1. We’ve changed.now it’s your turn next & 6.＋&− The first SE is actually a nice little jamming session. The latter is like if Snail House tried to make a heavier track but got too scared of losing fans, so went back to their sparkly shit. I don't mind it.

🔇2.MIST I like parts of the chorus.

✨3.真夜中に私を連れ出して This one gets it right. That section starting around 2:30 is oof 😩 I think these light ballads suit dimlim IN MODERATION 

🔇4.Funny world "Have you every thought your dirty birthday? "No idea what Sho is saying, but I hate it. Please, stop the Engrish.  Once again I like the little breakdown/section around 2:30. Cool ideas that are surrounded by meh. Would be cool live.

✨5.What’s up ? Quintessentially post-issei DIMLIM. Sho's voice doesn't sound too constrained and the guitar work is pretty good. Drums come alive.

🔇7.For the future meh.

🔇8.Tick tak Alright.

✨9.気付かない者たちへ Completely unrelated name in the spotify version?? TO FOOL. Lovely ballad, could do without the sfx tbh.

✨10.Before it’s too late Gives me strong early Linkin Park vibes. It's kinda cringy but fun. 

✨11.Out of the darkness We don't hear this too often in vk, it needs polishing but has all the right elements.

🔇⚠️12.Lament  I lament how unmemorable this song is. Holy shit the bass is NON EXISTENT. It's a very newbie vk band type of song, I've heard it a million times before by lighter bands with shitty vocalists that need to fill space in a release. Ugh, the Engrish is the cherry on top... From 4:20 it gets interesting. It reminds me of Nikusyu to hanshoku to hukaikan (from Rijin) because of the complete style change in the last few seconds of the song and I find myself loving this tease. But yea this song is a no from me. Actually I hate it.
 

 
I voted for "Underwhelming 2*", I don't hate MISC. and I'll probably keep coming back to some tracks. By all means, it isn't a bad album. It's just kind of flat and in desperate need of more bass and less SFX. I hope the boys can develop on some of the better ideas in this album in the future. 
 
When I listen to CHEDOARA, Rijin and heck... I even started to try some stuff from Issei era... All of these releases make me feel overwhelmed in a very positive way. 
 
For example, Hito to Katachi. They DID THAT.  But with MISC. only select few songs and sections provoke any emotion from me,  so I gotta give it 2* cuz it's a step down. Even if I were to look at the album by itself, it isn't remarkable. Like someone said, if they were a newcomer band then maybe I'd bookmark them to see this potential develop.
 
But, either way, there's plenty to work with for future releases and hopefully it has been a massive learning process for the band. Whether they decided to continue and improve or break up after this.
 
 

It is an ok album, but all of the songs are so forgettable. I can't recall almost anything that stood out to me in comparison with ALL of their previous releases.
 
Kinda sad, but whatever.

Here u go

i havent seen it stated anywhere but KAZ from SLOTHREAT provided backing vocals on choruses in this album

Just got my physical copy and boy... uh. 
 
Okay so the release is actually manufactured by Amazon, which is a new thing to me. The booklet is filled with just promo art we’ve already seen, and the font for the lyrics and such almost looks like it’s blurred from a bad photocopy. 
 
No one from the band is credited anywhere. 
 
This is the most low budget indie thing I’ve seen in a while 

that's already double the followers -OZ- had in japan, good for him

Apparently the farm has an instagram and it's reaaally big. Also a fresh pic of Natsuki.
 
https://www.instagram.com/sekine.farm

The Japanese reviews on Twitter weren’t too bad, but apparently half of Tanuki already declared them dead. 

The guitar parts are clearly written for two guitarists. I hope they will find new members.

The song is good on its own.

Not really sure how y'all could enjoy tracks like Rijin and Vanitas but somehow hate this. Sure they're emphasising the mathy elements more while downplaying the heavier side somewhat, but it's hardly a complete 180 from their last couple of releases or anything.
 
Anyway I'm basically a math slut so I'll let this song have its way with me. All hail visual math kei etcetc.

their new album "ぼくら100%死んでる" (Bokura 100% Shindesu) will be released at 2020/04/29
13 songs including SE, "ゾンビ死ス" (Zombie Shishu), etc.
 
they will hold their oneman tour "ぼくら100%死んでる" (Bokura 100% Shindesu) since 2020/04/04 at Urawa Narciss to 2020/05/23 at 静岡Sunash
 

 

 

 

 

 

Well still buying the album so the boys can eat

The guitar parts are clearly written for two guitarists. I hope they will find new members.

The song is good on its own.

The unpredictability of this band is what i fucking adore.
 
This new direction wont be for everyone of course and honestly im amazed this band is still going. They've lost 4 different members by now and dropping the vk aesthetic is a huge move. The band doesn't care about following formulas and this song really showcases that. 
 
They aren't afraid to try weird shit and even without screams you can really hear sho's voice give it all hes got. I wont lie i was hoping for a lil roar.
 
 
And ofcourse Retsu's playing is nothing to scoff at hes really bringing out bunch of different techniques. Remember hes compensating for another guitarist. Hiroshi does a solid job; in final chorus he pops off with those crashes and i love that he didnt overly use them throughout the track.
 
The build up really makes the final chorus worth while. 
 
It's not for everyone i think everyone has the right to like it or hate it.

Like all those years after releasing "Eclipse"?)

Like all those years after releasing "Eclipse"?)

Like all those years after releasing "Eclipse"?)

💫 GRIMOIRE disbands
💫 ZOMBIE disbands by summer time
💫 Yoshiki will post 1 (one) tweet about the X-Japan album💥
💫 Yoshiki might do a world tour again just so that he can keep up the hope of the fans funding his Hollywood lifestyle
💫Yoshiki will eat a burger at the white house
💫 We will see Chizuru (pentagon) back in a new project 
💫 Minpha will be in a new project too and he will speak
💫 Minpha x Meto [OUR VOICE] project?
💫Kisaki will lowkey try to return to the scene like nothing happened💥
💫 Really unremarkable year for アルルカン
💫A couple of singles by sukekiyo, people are gonna whine that they can't get into sukekiyo after INFINITUM
💫 Miyavi x Yoshiki collab
💫 8P-SB takes the world by storm
💫 DADAROMA goes around Europe and/or USA (Oop....I guess not)
💫 No releases from DAMLAM for the rest of 2020