maryeon

I've ALWAYS wondered how a 20 something kid with average past bands got to start his own label as soon as Syndrome called it quits. He must have made some serious connections whike working with Kisaki.
He's refused to work for PSC at least twice and he even told Avex to go shove it once... hell, he's close friends with Hajime Okano and his family.
 
He said his (now deceased) aunt supported him a lot when he moved to Tokyo to start D and GCR. I am pretty sure his uncle is well connected and loaded.
 
I wouldn't say D is super popular in Japan but they are quite respected in the scene, more amongs bandomen than gyas, surely.

I love this video so much! I’ve been playing it nonstop lol 😂 

Ricko screamed the candles out! I can't stop laughing!!!

Jiluka announced three things at the oneman today and one of those is the release of their first full album in August!
 
They will also host their first Shusai live, that is, they host it and get to decide on the guests, on April 22nd. 
 
Their next oneman, "B birthday festival 2018" (Boogie's oneman birthday live) will be on 4/8 (Sun) at Yotsuya LOTUS. Ticket sale starts on January 20th.

Just release a remastered boxset already. 

| Old scars never fade, old habits die hard
 
Throw those DECADE-compilations out and replace them with this.
 
Let me be clear about one thing: those compilations were trash. The covers were ugly as sin and the track selection, despite sharing many similarities to Vestige of Scratches, gave the impression that the band spent a week figuring out the details because they forgot about their anniversary. They literally scraped the bottom of the barrel to come up with enough content - the fact that "audrey", a butchered version of "Deity", "Repetition of Hatred", and "Jealous -Reverse-" are on it is telling enough - and most of them felt like copy-paste jobs trying to hide the lack of effort. Most of all, it didn't highlight DIR EN GREY at their best and did the band disservice as a 'best-of'. It seems like the band agrees with me, because Vestige of Scratches is everything those DECADE albums wish they could be.
 
Before the hype train leaves the station, this compilation is far from perfect. Like much of DIR EN GREY's career, Vestige of Scratches is defined by its peculiar choices. Some are baffling, while others are smart. They come together in a frustrating combination that is uniquely DIR EN GREY. Let's start with the tracks that were chosen; we have at our disposal the single version of "脈" (Myaku); "罪と規制" (Tsumi to Kisei), the censored version of the remake of "蜜と唾" (Tsumi to Batsu); the version of "腐海" (Fukai) they've been playing live for some time (interesting); a new version of "THE IIID EMPIRE"; the reinterpretations of "羅刹国" (Rasetsukoku) [ew], "OBSCURE" [no], "かすみ" (Kasumi) [sure], "THE FINAL" [ok], "残" (Zan) [eh], and "霧と繭" (Kiri to Mayu) [ugh...]; the single version of "CLEVER SLEAZOID" [good!]; the choice to end the album on a reworked version of "Beautiful Dirt" out of all 200+ songs in their discography [wtf why]; the exclusion of "GARDEN" [what a tragedy]; and then minor adjustments to most other post-VULGAR tracks featured which work for the most part. We can already see this isn't the standard cash-grab version of a best album and that a proper sitting would be very rewarding, so I can only suggest you do that and start from "-I'll-".
 
Controversial opinion coming in hot here, but the production job is fantastic across all three discs. Some may disagree, but I find that I need time to adjust to a new production job before I can assess if I like the changes. There have been many albums I panned for 'inferior production values' that I eventually came to prefer. Sloppy production has always been one of DIR EN GREY's weaknesses, especially for the visual-era stuff which hasn't held up over time, so some of the older tracks have a second lease on life. GAUZE has never sounded so clean, there's a 12-string in "脈" that I've never heard, and some of the tracks from DUM SPIRO SPERO are actually listenable now that the bass isn't obnoxious. I'd pay good money to have all their albums past and future worked like this.

The way the album is structured is frustrating to describe. What at first seems like a chronological trek through their eras turns into anything but by the third disc. The first disc is an ode to their entire visual history, featuring songs from pre-GAUZE to 鬼葬 (Kisou), plus a bonus in "腐海 2018". New "腐海" sounds good, and I like it's inclusion as a way to preserve it. I'd spin it a few times, but it won't replace the original version for me. Every other song on this disc was just remastered. I'm surprised at the inclusion of "太陽の蒼" (Taiyou no Ao), since I thought Kyo hated that song, but like a few other inclusions it's here because its a single. The second disc dips back into 鬼葬 with "JESSICA", nods at six Ugly with "umbrella," and then focuses mostly on VULGAR through UROBOROS. Nothing from the disastrous UROBOROS [Remastered & Expanded] makes an appearance, which is a blessing. Personally speaking, I would have dropped "CHILD PREY" for "AMBER," "朔-saku-" for "Machiavellism," and thrown in the reinterpretation of "undecided". Disc 2 ends with a new version of "THE IIID EMPIRE" which is pretty lit and one of their more successful retakes.

Disc 3 is where most of the meat lies and unfortunately most of it is displeasing to my ears. It's packed with most of their earlier reinterpretations, many hit or miss, most of which I'd have left on the table if it were solely my choice. This is where my lack of frustration with the exclusion of "undecided" comes from, as I would have rotated out "羅刹国" (Rasetsukoku), "OBSCURE", or "霧と繭" (Kiri to Mayu) for it, the PV version of "OBSCURE", and the version of "Bottom of the death valley" from THE UNRAVELING. I would have also killed for a reinterpretation of "秒｢｣深" (Byou ｢｣ Shin) from six Ugly, or a proper version of "Hydra -666-" with more gutturals and less screaming. After comes the salvageable parts of DUM SPIRO SPERO, including a version of "激しさと、この胸の中で絡み付いた灼熱の闇" (Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami) superior to the album version, but not quite what the original single sounded like, a condensed serving of ARCHE, "詩踏み" (Utafumi), and then ends on a very random note with "Beautiful Dirt". Not quite sure why they set it up this way.

Maybe the unfinished feeling to Vestige of Scratches is intentional, but either way DIR EN GREY have collated a collection album worth the shelf space for any serious fan. It may not be perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than I expected it to be. At the very least, I can argue that it's a better alternative than importing GAUZE if you don't already own it. If DIR EN GREY attack 2018 the way MUCC took 2017, we may have an interesting year ahead of us.
 
Support the artist
 
CDJapan
 
 

Here's the full list of collaborators for each track, it's quite long so I'll put it under spoiler.
The website also has snippets of each song http://www.god-child-records.com/asagi/ 
 

Personally super excited for the Ruiza x Syu guitar duet coming in. Asagi has managed to make a lot of interesting pair ups, the album must've taken a lot of time and money to produce. 

Who the hell isn't a guest in this album at this point? Asagi's bringing out all the guns and murdering us in the process. 

Price will be 7,500yen for the blu-ray and 6,500yen for the dvd
 
Tracklist:
 
[ アビス ( LIVE AT 2017.10.30 TOYOSU PIT ) ]
01.Bath Room
02.DRIPPING INSANITY
03.BIZARRE
04.BURIAL APPLICANT
05.虚無の終わり 箱詰めの黙示
06.奈落
07.RUTHLESS DEED
08.DEUX
09.体温
10.千鶴
11.OMINOUS
12.13STAIRS[-]1
13.TO DAZZLING DARKNESS
14.DIM SCENE
15.DOGMA
 
[ LUCY ( LIVE AT 2017.10.31 TOYOSU PIT ) ]
01.RAGE
02.DAWN
03.HEADACHE MAN
04.BEFORE I DECAY
05.GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS
06.VENOMOUS SPIDER'S WEB
07.CLEVER MONKEY
08.Maggots
09.COCKROACH
10.VERMIN
11.The $ocial riot machine$
12.UGLY
13.BLEMISH
14.DISCHARGE
15.関東土下座組合
 
Cover:

 
Encore of both lives aren't included...

I was bummed as hell when they disbanded bc they sounded absolutely incredible. But hey, this is bomb!!!! 

Leda tweeted a personal hand-written message for Mikio-san.
 
 
Translation by /u/gakushabaka on reddit:
 

Here's the full list of collaborators for each track, it's quite long so I'll put it under spoiler.
The website also has snippets of each song http://www.god-child-records.com/asagi/ 
 

Personally super excited for the Ruiza x Syu guitar duet coming in. Asagi has managed to make a lot of interesting pair ups, the album must've taken a lot of time and money to produce. 

According to GCR website, he's in track 6 "螢火" ( http://www.god-child-records.com/asagi/)

Ex ZERO MIND INFINITY members formed new formal band "breakin' holiday"" and will released their first single "LILITH" on 2018.03.20.
Details are not known yet.
 
Member :
Vo. Juri (ex DELUHI)
Gt. 酒井洋明 - Hiroaki Sakai (ex 12012)
Ba. Aggy (ex DELUHI)
Dr. KAJI (ex REIGN)
 
http://www.breakin-holiday.com
 
 

MiA (MEJIBRAY) and SUGIZO are now confirmed as guest musicians participating in Asagi's album.

What a bop lmao thanks for that

I voted for "visual is in the name".
 
While the music definitely is what makes me like a band or not, a cool look adds an aura that I like. When you've been into vk for a while you can also sense if you will like a band who haven't released anything yet just by their looks, which I guess is both good and bad. 
 
That being said, outside of vk I do not care about how a band or an artist looks. 
 
The list itself self was also cool. I like that la'veil mizeria is there, we definitely need more matina-esque bands, both in terms of looks and music.
 
Also Karasuna Mei from Kuroyuri to kage in a bloody garbage bag needs to be mentioned as well. 

This list cracked me up. Nice work, there are definitely looks that deserve to be discussed. Maybe some of these bands should have had discussions about them beforehand.
 
As for the poll, I put kinda. I will listen to a band with crappy looks if I like the music, and likewise, I don't care how nice their look is, if the music is shit, I'm out. Too many bands put way too much effort into their image to make up for the fact they can't play their instruments, and I hate that the scene has pretty much become a catch-all for subpar musicians like that.

I forgot how Decent this band is. The Crackheads or cult members made them out to be Gazette copycats like Sadie to Diru but crackheads arent a relible source. They changed with the time but remained the same to me i.e. same messing around or lack of but different genres/tuning (just like sadie/the thirteen). Byou could sing and had effective fun unlcean unlike who, who who sounded good in the beginning and just recently (UGLY) . Death door is iconic but FEMME FATALE (ファム・ファタール),  the song Dezert ripped off, is their best
 

It's just that small part, sadly. But at the same concert, they did an -I'll- - [Cover] - Yokan acoustic set:
 
oh and I should probably mention that they also covered Rocket Dive^^

It's actually not an X Japan performance, but a cover by Dir en grey^^
I already knew the setlist and since it was one of three songs that were covered, and the only one with a different vocalist than Kyo, it had to be this song. I just needed some last confirmation. So, thank you

Yoshiki attended the Golden Globes last sunday. Still scoring them western points.
 

 
sc: https://t.co/hTOR9p5XHb

For an (apparently) untrained singer, I think Tsuzuku can hold his own most of the times. Meji songs do plow through Fry/Growl/Pig Squeal in a not so usual manner, and that is definitely not an easy thing to do people may take for granted.
 
On the list of people that suck, the dude of Lycaon, the one from Azero (who is the worst in the whole world), that one from LIEVRE CLAY, u from KLACK, the one from the:0 and NEOPHILIA's are some of the ones on my mind.
 
And anyone who says Sakurai is bad should get their hearing checked. That guy is a monster, and not liking one's tone does not equal to one having bad skills

I don't see any other X song sounding like that. Even with hide's screams it does seem like SMITB, the part that starts around 1:07 I think is the one in your snippet even tho it's lacking Toshi's vocals. 

Word : ryu, music : ryu
I can overcome anything if I am together with you
Even under the grim circumstances beyond these walls
 
Break out, break out what you see on the surface over this shit
No one no one can help this trap inside of yourself
 
So let me in to the world you keep to see the truths you hide
Show me the way you truly are the person that lies inside
 
Fuck !
The expectations they hold, sometimes it feels like they’re asking for perfection
Go fuck yourself !
 
Locked inside of a prison where the bars are made out of your fears
Pounding on the walls of [black despair]
 
Look past beyond the boundaries of your life in blue
And help out to my hand that’s been trying to reach you again
 
I often believed that the sky would make my dreams come true
But in reality, all it takes is creating a stepping stone
I can overcome anything if I am together with you
Even under the grim circumstances beyond these walls
 
Break out, break out what you see on the surface over this shit
No one no one can help this trap inside of yourself
 
So let me in to the world you keep to see the truths you hide
Show me the way you truly are the person that lies inside
 
Look past beyond the boundaries of your life in blue
And help out to my hand that’s been trying to reach you again
 
Let your hopes being reached to the height, whatever the situation is ready to fight
Believe in your own sight, see everything will be allright
I can overcome anything if I am together with you
Even under the grim circumstances beyond these walls
 
* leda Solo
 
I often believed that the sky would make my dreams come true
But in reality, all it takes is creating a stepping stone
I can overcome anything if I am together with you
Even under the grim circumstances beyond these walls
 
Let your hopes being reached to the height, whatever the situation is ready to fight
Believe in your own sight, see everything will be allright
I can overcome anything if I am together with you
Even under the grim circumstances beyond these walls