Pretsy

Nana is iconic. Fight me.

New Bajune Tobeta featuring Maki Nomiya of Pizzicato Five fame. Sounds very Shibuya-ish.

Also kinda surprising to see, as I thought Bajune Tobeta was fairly obscure. The first (and last) thing I'd heard from him was an album called "African Mode" which fused bossa nova and IDM. Really good too iirc.

From Neo Tokyo:
 
After eight years of absence, SuG are finally back to rock Europe and heat the cold season! The band has experienced a lot and grew during their absence: 2009 they got shinpei [Dr.] as a new member – he’s looking forward to his début in Europe on the upcoming tour! Their concerts can be best described with one of their songs as a big “LOVE SCREAM PARTY” with the crowd clapping and jumping along to up-tempo tunes, percussive guitars and sweet melodies.   29.11.15 - Werkstatt, Cologne, Germany 30.11.15 - Backstage, Paris, France 02.12.15 - O2 Academy 2, London, UK 03.12.15 - Machinenhaus, Berlin, Germany 05.12.15 - Technikum, Munich, Germany 07.12.15 - Moscow Hall, Moscow, Russia 08.12.15 - Tavastia, Helsinki, Finland   Ticket sales will start on 16th of September   Source and more information: https://www.facebook.com/NeoTokyoOfficial/photos/a.105765686137033.3506.104558676257734/977224065657853/?type=1

I think we more or less agree, but are wording things a bit differently. What I mean by "managed to deliver the band’s core strengths in an effective manner" is basically the same as "condensed". I feel like I'mperfect 'condenses' all of the core elements of ling and presents them in a straightforward and more accessible, albeit formulaic way. Although personally, I don't feel like that album is accessible to the point that it's mainstream and radio-ready. "es or s" on the other hand might be closer in that regard.About #4, I just feel like that's ling at their rawest and most unrefined, which is charming in it's own way.

It's pretty interesting how your musical perception starts to change when you begin to treat released records like one whole entirety (minding the flow and coherence, that is), instead of blindly accepting the package just because it has "many banging tunes compiled into one epic set" (favoring sole, possibly strong numbers and totally ignoring the possible fact of clusterfucked, compilation-tier factor of the album).
 
I might sound like a broken record, but I felt this kind of treatment should be brought up more often on reviews and analyses - seeing as what I am exactly bashing on was something I used to see very often when folks went out of their way to review "widely accepted essentials" (a switch from standard non-Japanese classics to certain "guilty pleasures" a la vk for instance and back helps a lot in terms of "enlightenment").

UNGH I HATE NEW MEME-Y JAMBA WANNABES
CRAZY FROG FTW
despite the fact that he has a small willy

Inb4 piano-based ballad album
 
...OH! (breakdown)*, maybe not, but I am highly hoping they'd get their game up and pull out something "refreshing" instead of aping Hot Topic metalcore acts and living up to their one trick pony fame. IBIM was a nice step from SHADOWZ, unlike latter albums that seem to be parodies rather than sincerely tailored records (you could do a lot to save yourself from dullness your breakdowns and dull, double-tracking crooner induce, guys)
 
 
*if you didn't get the joke, you never listened to this act carefully

Not exactly sure if I'd agree with your line on I'mperfect being the best showcase of them being "at bare bones"  (#4 might be a good go in case such demonstration is needed). As far as my take goes, I personally view the said album as more of a condensed package you'd be able to spin thru mainstream means (radio, your non-rock fan friends) without getting appalled/confused faces during certain oddities in the midst of standard Ling rally (e.g. "Shandy" on Sigure virgin might leave post-hardcore folks on the fence). Very precise and spot-on reviewing though, @CAT5!

Just remembered how much I used to love this song when I was *still in touch* with anything vk, WHOAAAAAA-AAAAA-AAAA-AAAAH <3

Artist: 凛として時雨 (ling tosite sigure) Album: es or s 1. SOSOS 2. Mirror Frustration 3. Karma Siren 4. Tornado Mystery 5. end roll fiction
Rating: | SOSOS send ling some help!
 
Ling tosite sigure (凛として時雨) albums have always been a spectacle. Rewind back to 2007 - their second full album Inspiration is DEAD was just released and for me, listening to it was like being unwittingly thrust into a pool of chilly water. I hated it at first, but the longer I immersed myself in it, the more comfortable I became and I eventually began enjoying it. There was something irresistibly charming about an indie-rock band that sounded like angsty chipmunks, yet brandished the kind of instrumental prowess found in extreme metal. As much as I wanted to shun it, I kept coming back.

The following year, they dropped their first single and I was completely sold. Every release after that was a complete thrill to sink your teeth into; you never knew what crazy riff TK would come up with, if Miyoko would sing more, or how the band would push their sound to new heights. The only thing certain was that Ling's new material would end up somewhere on your list at the end of the year.

Fast-forward to the present - the band has just released their latest EP es or s, and the endless wonder promised by the Ling's previous efforts is all but gone. From start to finish, the EP sounds like one big trip deja vu trip. The refrain in "mirror frustration" literally mirrors the chorus of "Beautiful Circus”, "end roll fiction" borrows moments from “secret cm”, and “Karma Siren” sounds like a limp combination of “Can you kill a secret?” and “Telecastic fake show”. It’s almost as if TK has taken Ling’s discography and thrown it into a blender, as you can almost dissect every moment on “es or s” and trace it back to an earlier creation. The problem isn’t that it’s derivative, though. Ling has always been adept at maintaining their sound while moving forward, but the band hasn’t broken any significant ground since 2010’s “still a Sigure virgin?”. Even their last full length, 2013's i’mperfect, generally considered as a creative brick wall for Ling, managed to deliver the band’s core strengths in an effective manner. On the other hand, this EP doesn’t even manage to refine their sound, let alone innovate. At most, there’s a cool, but exceedingly brief solo in “Mirror Frustration” and a pretty snazzy riff in “Tornado Mystery”, but those are hardly worth a mention when the rest of the EP is drowning in overused Ling tropes and suffering from some of TK's most drab songwriting yet.

On the bright side, the band is still as instrumentally proficient as they've always been, TK's vocals are at their most tolerant, and the production is sound. If you've just gotten into Ling or just haven't heard much of their back catalog, then there's a better chance that you'll receive this EP well and my criticism won't hold up. After all, there's nothing here that would constitute as 'bad' or unlistenable - it's all very well done. But if you're a long-time fan and have had a chance to live with their older works, then "es or s" might be a more difficult pill to swallow. You might even wonder what brought the band to this point. Each member now has their own side-projects; TK has released two solo albums, Miyoko has also released two with geek sleep sheep, and Pierre has his Chaotic Vibes Orchestra. One could easily assume that Ling is no longer their primary focus. Not to mention the anime themes that the band has been pumping out since 2012. "abnormalize" is their highest grossing single, so perhaps they've found a formula that sells and are sticking to it? It's hard to tell, and even more difficult to believe, but es or s truly legitimizes the notions that either TK's been hoarding all of his 'Fantastic Magic' for solo endeavors, or it's true that his 'Inspiration is DEAD'.


Support the band! "es or s" on Amazon
"es or s" on iTunes US
"es or s" on CDjapan

I don't want to derail this whole review debate but knowing that it's
 
a) Luna Sea's frontman in question
 
and
 
b ) all Gazette members are hardcore Luna Sea fans,
 
we might blithely exclude "but they are just coincidences, Gazette guys are original"-kind of pretenses and delve deeper into something you'd rule out as "tinfoil accusations"  - let's make it brief:
 
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/vinidamazio/suspicious__inspiration_and_plagiarism_in_visual_kei/
 
1) SADS and LUNA SEA comparisons are the most legit + Make "SHIVER" go slower without vocals and try to sing Luna Sea's "End of Sorrow" over it...
2) Add "People = Shit" from Slipknot (another major influence btw) into the list (they ripped this off TWICE: "Ogre" and "RAGE") + "Maximum Impulse" literally lifts its intro from Slipknot's "(sic)" (live arrangement)
3) AGONY (MH fandom's favorite), aside from connection above, is just a variation of Limp Bizkit's Pollution - I am not exaggerating, youtube it! (Gazette members are pure nu metal aficionados, FYI)
etc.
 
(just a part of what I've found out so far)
 
There are various other connections to notice and pinpoint once you get a bit more familiar with what Gazeboys are jamming to, so it's not just about "random coincidences" if they are happening more than once - and if they are usually tied to their major influences. No fanatic obsessions here, just interests in inspecting things
 
 
/endofftopic/

You incredibly and neatly put out what I wanted to say. THANK YOU

I don't want to derail this whole review debate but knowing that it's
 
a) Luna Sea's frontman in question
 
and
 
b ) all Gazette members are hardcore Luna Sea fans,
 
we might blithely exclude "but they are just coincidences, Gazette guys are original"-kind of pretenses and delve deeper into something you'd rule out as "tinfoil accusations"  - let's make it brief:
 
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/vinidamazio/suspicious__inspiration_and_plagiarism_in_visual_kei/
 
1) SADS and LUNA SEA comparisons are the most legit + Make "SHIVER" go slower without vocals and try to sing Luna Sea's "End of Sorrow" over it...
2) Add "People = Shit" from Slipknot (another major influence btw) into the list (they ripped this off TWICE: "Ogre" and "RAGE") + "Maximum Impulse" literally lifts its intro from Slipknot's "(sic)" (live arrangement)
3) AGONY (MH fandom's favorite), aside from connection above, is just a variation of Limp Bizkit's Pollution - I am not exaggerating, youtube it! (Gazette members are pure nu metal aficionados, FYI)
etc.
 
(just a part of what I've found out so far)
 
There are various other connections to notice and pinpoint once you get a bit more familiar with what Gazeboys are jamming to, so it's not just about "random coincidences" if they are happening more than once - and if they are usually tied to their major influences. No fanatic obsessions here, just interests in inspecting things
 
 
/endofftopic/

I don't want to derail this whole review debate but knowing that it's
 
a) Luna Sea's frontman in question
 
and
 
b ) all Gazette members are hardcore Luna Sea fans,
 
we might blithely exclude "but they are just coincidences, Gazette guys are original"-kind of pretenses and delve deeper into something you'd rule out as "tinfoil accusations"  - let's make it brief:
 
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/vinidamazio/suspicious__inspiration_and_plagiarism_in_visual_kei/
 
1) SADS and LUNA SEA comparisons are the most legit + Make "SHIVER" go slower without vocals and try to sing Luna Sea's "End of Sorrow" over it...
2) Add "People = Shit" from Slipknot (another major influence btw) into the list (they ripped this off TWICE: "Ogre" and "RAGE") + "Maximum Impulse" literally lifts its intro from Slipknot's "(sic)" (live arrangement)
3) AGONY (MH fandom's favorite), aside from connection above, is just a variation of Limp Bizkit's Pollution - I am not exaggerating, youtube it! (Gazette members are pure nu metal aficionados, FYI)
etc.
 
(just a part of what I've found out so far)
 
There are various other connections to notice and pinpoint once you get a bit more familiar with what Gazeboys are jamming to, so it's not just about "random coincidences" if they are happening more than once - and if they are usually tied to their major influences. No fanatic obsessions here, just interests in inspecting things
 
 
/endofftopic/

I wasn't pointing that the whole song sounded alike, I was saying the beginning.
 
There are lots of sound alike songs with GazettE's songs but the most obvious one that I remember is Kawamura Ryuichi's "Sugar Lady" which the chorus of GazettE's Cassis sounded like.

DOGMA hit #3 on Oricon weekly charts with 18,102 units sold (to compare, BD only sold merely 2000 units less and hit #8 )

Sorta impressive lol

First week sales just for fun (rather surprising that BD sales sucked??!! DIVISION had a huge sales slump afterwards though):
ps. BD sales might also be explained by the fact that Arashi obliterated sales numbers back in the day (over 670,000 units sold??!!! Talk about game changer) -> other artists had their bad sales day too @top 20
 
IMPORTANT: when DOGMA hit #3, there weren't AKB48s coming up with chart-breaking earworms unlike in cases below - so take that into account while measuring their sales success.
 

DOGMA hit #3 on Oricon weekly charts with 18,102 units sold (to compare, BD only sold merely 2000 units less and hit #8 )

Sorta impressive lol

DOGMA hit #3 on Oricon weekly charts with 18,102 units sold (to compare, BD only sold merely 2000 units less and hit #8 )

Sorta impressive lol

DOGMA hit #3 on Oricon weekly charts with 18,102 units sold (to compare, BD only sold merely 2000 units less and hit #8 )

Sorta impressive lol

Wouldn't Grieva write the title as "Insomnia -不眠症-"* then? From what I've seen so far, the song title is still "Insomnia" while the single has its name on the cover lol.
 
*this sorta reminds me of Kuroyume's usual typesets kek

Ultraviolence is better
 
#campultraviolence

Malice Mizer was the first thing I thought of when seeing the picture as well.

Artist: the GazettE Album: DOGMA 1. NIHIL 8. INCUBUS 2. DOGMA 9. LUCY 3. RAGE 10. GRUDGE 4. DAWN 11. PARALYSIS 5. DERACINE 12. DEUX 6. BIZARRE 13. BLEMISH 7. WASTELAND 14. OMINOUS
Rating: | After 13 years, "Gazerock" is officially whatever the band wants it to be.
 
If you're ever having a bad day, remember that time we waited five months for the most underwhelming album of the year.

Let's ignore for a second that DOGMA is ARCHE, Iowa-era Slipknot, and a quarter of DIM shoved in a blender and served cold with a side of drop A chugging. The marketing campaign behind this was stellar, and for five months it was the lack of details surrounding this album that sparked my curiosity the most. Just a few weeks before release, the band revealed "OMINOUS" as a teaser. For a brief second, a flash of light shone through the heavens as the hype seemed justified and the band was poised to deliver something interesting.
"NIHIL" even began the experience as I had anticipated, only for dubstep to emerge halfway through to set all my hopes and dreams on fire. I was in so much disbelief, I curled into the fetal position and muttered "What the fuck is this?" to no one in particular. That one minute encapsulates my journey with this band for the last five years, and when the crushing main riff of "DOGMA" kicked in I felt like I was left holding the bag after a bait and switch operation. This isn't what I signed up for. This isn't what this was billed as. But I'm not one to judge a book by its cover - or in this case an album by its case - and I proceeded to give the rest of the album a listen. If it had matched even a quarter of my expectations and contained a song similar to "DIM SCENE", "千鶴" (Chizuru), "体温" (Taion), or "泣ヶ原" (Nakigahara), we would be having a very different conversation right now. If it was at the very least a darker, more moody companion to 2013's BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, I would have waved the intro off. It was neither.

What followed was a most unremarkable collection of metalcore. Despite the fact that everything between tracks three and thirteen blend into one another, all is not lost. I found the vocals at their most inspired and energetic in years. On songs like "DERACINE", Ruki's vocal melodies are the most memorable thing of all. I haven't been able to say that in years! The GazettE have also remembered that they have two guitarists, and have returned to utilizing both of them to great effect. There's also an obvious attempt at focusing on one thing and doing it well - except in this case it's perhaps too focused. The lack of a ballad or even a mid-tempo rock number to change the pace exposes the one-dimensional nature of the album and makes it feel longer than it already is. They even titled the songs in all caps with edgy one word phrases like "PARALYSIS" or "BIZARRE". No other track prioritizes atmosphere and melody over pure aggression like "OMINOUS", which as far as I'm concerned is the only track you need.

I could dig deep if I wanted and point out minor flaws in specific tracks, but that would require another listen or two and the replay value for DOGMA is low. All of those criticisms have been lost to the haze that was this album. I have some fun during a listening session, but it quickly fades from memory as soon as it's done. Fun does not equate to a good album. The simple facts are that there's nothing new or distinctly "the GazettE" to see here. I'm half convinced this facade was forced by the band because it's been a while and the old has become new once again. Given some time, I believe DOGMA will wear thin much faster than other albums in their discography.

Diving head first into metal has yielded mixed results. DOGMA is an album purely for the biggest of GazettE lovers and metal fans. If this particular brand of Visual Kei metalcore appeals to you, this is your album. As for me, it's another uninspired, soon to be forgotten entry in the GazettE's bloated discography.


Support the band! Purchase DOGMA from CD JAPAN

As with other BNR threads that @Bear,@Jigsaw9 or myself used to put up, I thought it'd be good to make that good ol' summary thread beforehand (not too early, huh?)
 
You know the drill: no formats, restrictions or templates - post your favs (I'd recommend full-length/EP releases for the sake of keeping lists less tl;dr-y) off this year SO FAR (in case you managed, um, to pinpoint a few favs).
 

 
 
I'll come back later for my cents