Pretsy

So they are unable to produce GEMINI-tier material even with the budget we are witnessing on Adam MV spot?
 
Makes me think that A9 had some hella expensive ghost writers back then. Literally Alex Jones-ing now.

BT's Hoshino might count as one if anything - I was going to put Laruku's Ken in his stead but then I realized that Ken looks more hyuk hyuk-ish compared to his days as a Blitz Kids' cosplayer back in '95-'96. Hoshino on the other hand became classier after being all coy with his fashion taste and stuff back in early 90s to mid 90s:
 
 
He aged rather quickly but at the same time, he became even classier and less "d'awww""-ish which adds more to his mature charm. I know that folks are all about Atsushi but I just happen to appreciate something more than just Japanese Snapes, yikes.
 
But yeah, a real damn shame that this concept of "maturity" in VK goes down to men in their 40s being all fancy-shmancy with their andrometro looks that make them look more languished if anything. Buff, bulk, maybe beards but otherwise actually manrii looks should be in now, seriously.

BT's Hoshino might count as one if anything - I was going to put Laruku's Ken in his stead but then I realized that Ken looks more hyuk hyuk-ish compared to his days as a Blitz Kids' cosplayer back in '95-'96. Hoshino on the other hand became classier after being all coy with his fashion taste and stuff back in early 90s to mid 90s:
 
 
He aged rather quickly but at the same time, he became even classier and less "d'awww""-ish which adds more to his mature charm. I know that folks are all about Atsushi but I just happen to appreciate something more than just Japanese Snapes, yikes.
 
But yeah, a real damn shame that this concept of "maturity" in VK goes down to men in their 40s being all fancy-shmancy with their andrometro looks that make them look more languished if anything. Buff, bulk, maybe beards but otherwise actually manrii looks should be in now, seriously.

Romance of Scarlet would have been obviously the superior choice (Feminism merely shines due to its variety but production values suck) due to its stellar production/mixing value but I don't think anyone could find 1994 edition anymore though. Not to mention even Yahoo Auctions don't have any copies up for bidding or so?

Okay so to other guys who suggested Romance of Scarlet: it's totes great, yes, but let's consider OP's funds for that matter:
 
> It's not that easy nor cheap to get the first press edition of RoS with "Autism" - other editions have no signs of that song, which is a damn shame, considering how stellar it is truly.
 
As for those two albums, I would go with CORKSCREW due to its more cohesive content where Drug Treatment kinda fails imho. I did not feel that the latter particularly had any "scope" to begin with, albeit having a good jam or two.

As people already said, Drug Treatment has LIKE @ ANGEL which is one of the best Kuroyume songs everrr... but if it were up to me personally, I'd choose CORKSCREW. Lots of catchy (albeit simplistic) punky numbers, it's a breeze to listen to. It also carries lots of sentimental value for me, because it was the very first Kiyoharu-related album I ever listened to... and oh boy, did I listen to it religiously a dozen times! xD Good stuff, tho now that I'm familiar with Kuroyume's discography, I'd hardly rank it among their best. But still, it's better for me than Drug Treatment.

I made an account here right around the time that Batsu was nearing the end of its peak. I would casually just lurk and maybe post here and there but nothing serious because it wasn't as lively as Batsu was.  Then Batsu died and became the infamous Fukkatsu, which didnt last that long but seemed to generate a reputation here of being uber serious Dir en grey Stans haha. I then gave forums a break and for some reason i decided to poke around here years later and ran into the chat where @CAT5was very welcoming. Through chat i was able 2 reunite with my  long lost fellow negro @WhirlingBlack and make new friends which I hold very dear ( @allisapp@Jigsaw9@Carmelzors@paradoxal etc.) . Posting in the forums regularly now has also introduced me to more cool people which I enjoy interacting with daily  (on here or elsewhere online)/ whenever we bump into each other in a thread. I love this place. There's a legitimate effort here to keep it fresh and running smooth (despite the antics). Long live MH.
 
 
 
Jk, my ass is just here for the downloads. Y'all ain't shit.

Seeing as this "hurr this ripped off that one"-mill is getting a bit frustrating (yeah, I am the one to blame for that too lol), let's give this thread a new twist - by taking the OP's thread title literally:
 
Not that many J-aficionados are interested in finding out about stuff their favorite artists/biases listen to on a regular basis/dig a lot (I'd be rather surprised if there are people like that here) . Sure, there have been talks about bands fanboying X Japan, Kuroyume, LS etc. 
 
But now, I am gonna focus on foreign acts that only *some* bands/musicians in J-music scene are eager to talk about - my pick for now:
 
Kaoru (Dir en grey) + "western influences":
 
Confirmed:
 
Sources:
 

Phantasmagoria - Mikansei to Guilt  = Laputa - Jakou
the GazettE - Ruder   = SADS - Liberation
 
Dolly - Gothic Party  = Pierrot - Neogrotesque
 
the GazettE - Kanshoku = SID - Izon no Niwa
 
SID - Alibi = L'arc-en-Ciel - Fourth Avenue Cafe
 
Alice Nine - 4U  = L'arc-en-Ciel - Fate
Dir en grey - Increase Blue = Metallica - Dirty Window
 
Ken - Deeper = Buck-Tick - JUPITER
 
Dir en grey - GARDEN (solo)  = Luna Sea - Moon = DEAD END - Good Morning Satellite
(search for yourselves)
 
Dir en grey - Mazohyst of Decadence (main riff)  = Kuroyume - Yuri no Hanataba (main riff)

  - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTRPFzsCCxY 
 
ps. edit: not gonna fuss with embed codes, yuck.

the GazettE - Sludgy Cult <> SADS - Because
the GazettE - Vermin <> X JAPAN - Scars
the GazettE - Shiver <> Luna Sea - End of Sorrow
the GazettE - Defective Tragedy <> Luna Sea - FEEL
the GazettE - Before I Decay <> Slipknot - Before I Forget (do I have to go on this...?)
the GazettE - DISTRESS AND COMA <> Zilch - Psyche
the GazettE - Ogre <> various Slipknot riffs off Iowa
 
Dir en grey - Reiketsu Nariseba <> Slipknot -  People = Shit (Breakdown <> intro riff)
Dir en grey - I'll <> Kuroyume - Miss Moonlight x D=SIRE - Nostalgia (?)
Nightmare - Believe <> Luna Sea - Rosier
Dir en grey - Akuro no Oka <> Luna Sea - Millennium (listen to choruses)
Lycaon - Pierrot <> SADS - Finale
Lynch. - Sleepy Flow <> Prodigy - Spitfire
Lynch. - Shadowz <> Slipknot Before I Forget (...)
Versailles - Revenant Choir <> X Japan - Silent Jealousy
12012 - Hesitation <> Limp Bizkit - Take A Look Around (some riffs) x Dir en grey - Repetition of Hatred
D'espairsray - Love is Dead <> Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Right Round
Kuroyume - Faster Beat <> some Dead Kennedys' song off their first album...
Alice Nine - The Beautiful Name <> U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name
L'arc-en-Ciel - In the Air (sans chorus) <> U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name
Plastic Tree - Ruisen Kairo <> Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Blue Train
Plastic Tree - Ghost <> Slipknot - Duality
Plastic Tree - Thirteenth Friday <> My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow
Kuroyume - Love Song <> Luna Sea - Image (acoustic riffs)
Luna Sea - G. <> X Japan - Miscast
 
...Basically most of D-major-based songs in highly pop/early vk-related bands' repertoire are similar in one way or another to U2's pre 1990-repertoire 

I will revamp this exact similarity/definitely likely case of plagiarism because there's something very LedZeppish in terms of credits (ha!):
 
This exact enka (?) piece by Ichiro Fujiyama (?) from many decades back has been actually HEAVILY SAMPLED/IMPLEMENTED as an overall theme to one of Dir en grey's "remixes" - WITHOUT any credits nor specific royalties aimed towards Fujiyama family - and this is way too obvious I tell you.
 
 
@Zeuswould definitely love to take this into account in case he decides to work on the next edition of "six similar..."-thread along with that very funny but cute Prince reference/tribute on one of the "latest" Carrygarry tracks (Thanks @Disposable for that btw)

Unfortunately this will be never realized in such a big echo chamber like this one. Basically you have like each and every agitator practicing their foul deeds and when they get called out for their rude opinions or any bullshit, e.g.  faux-ubermensch entitlement in bigotry because of their self-proclaimed "not a str8 waipipo, fak off homofob" privilege (common issue among most trolls here, yet the staff does not even bat an eye), they escalate the situation and play the victim instead while there were no signs of "hate crime" or some sort in the first place.
 
I shalt still refer to my status replies  because some trolls and otherwise easily offended ones still fail to realize this and prefer shooting the messengers as pastime.  Maybe someone should do something about identity talks as the basis of MH opinions nowadays. Yes, those talks have to be stopped, take it back to tumblr, livejournal, youtube, whatever pleases you. I just cannot fathom these days how someone's sex, orientation or ethnicity has to be involved when all we do mostly is drool over either Final fantasy cosplaying call boys' nasal anthems or chinese freak porn cartoons or anything that makes /jp/ blush - and WITHOUT problems! Aren't we basically all the same in the eyes of outsiders though?  Why would we segregate each other further?
 
Forum's demise will be totes promised if the staff prefers to gloss over aforementioned, damaging aspects. Not a threat, just something that one of your red admins noted two years ago (still relevant).

Unfortunately this will be never realized in such a big echo chamber like this one. Basically you have like each and every agitator practicing their foul deeds and when they get called out for their rude opinions or any bullshit, e.g.  faux-ubermensch entitlement in bigotry because of their self-proclaimed "not a str8 waipipo, fak off homofob" privilege (common issue among most trolls here, yet the staff does not even bat an eye), they escalate the situation and play the victim instead while there were no signs of "hate crime" or some sort in the first place.
 
I shalt still refer to my status replies  because some trolls and otherwise easily offended ones still fail to realize this and prefer shooting the messengers as pastime.  Maybe someone should do something about identity talks as the basis of MH opinions nowadays. Yes, those talks have to be stopped, take it back to tumblr, livejournal, youtube, whatever pleases you. I just cannot fathom these days how someone's sex, orientation or ethnicity has to be involved when all we do mostly is drool over either Final fantasy cosplaying call boys' nasal anthems or chinese freak porn cartoons or anything that makes /jp/ blush - and WITHOUT problems! Aren't we basically all the same in the eyes of outsiders though?  Why would we segregate each other further?
 
Forum's demise will be totes promised if the staff prefers to gloss over aforementioned, damaging aspects. Not a threat, just something that one of your red admins noted two years ago (still relevant).

Unfortunately this will be never realized in such a big echo chamber like this one. Basically you have like each and every agitator practicing their foul deeds and when they get called out for their rude opinions or any bullshit, e.g.  faux-ubermensch entitlement in bigotry because of their self-proclaimed "not a str8 waipipo, fak off homofob" privilege (common issue among most trolls here, yet the staff does not even bat an eye), they escalate the situation and play the victim instead while there were no signs of "hate crime" or some sort in the first place.
 
I shalt still refer to my status replies  because some trolls and otherwise easily offended ones still fail to realize this and prefer shooting the messengers as pastime.  Maybe someone should do something about identity talks as the basis of MH opinions nowadays. Yes, those talks have to be stopped, take it back to tumblr, livejournal, youtube, whatever pleases you. I just cannot fathom these days how someone's sex, orientation or ethnicity has to be involved when all we do mostly is drool over either Final fantasy cosplaying call boys' nasal anthems or chinese freak porn cartoons or anything that makes /jp/ blush - and WITHOUT problems! Aren't we basically all the same in the eyes of outsiders though?  Why would we segregate each other further?
 
Forum's demise will be totes promised if the staff prefers to gloss over aforementioned, damaging aspects. Not a threat, just something that one of your red admins noted two years ago (still relevant).

Unless the people getting hurt are just absolute pussies getting hurt only because they can. 
 
More like, when someones opinion intentionally hurts other people its no longer an opinion only and you don't need to respect that.

1) Why are we still caring about Engrish? I have yet to find the positive record of someone utilizing COMPREHENSIBLE, FLUENT english in vk anthems around here - and since it's all about the voice of the masses: "why would they sing a song in a language they are not familiar with" is a very lazy and lethargic excuse.
 
2) Sure, preferences vary whenever it's about Manson and/or Gaga influences feeding upon new Gazette but let's stop for a moment and ponder this: isn't it basically palatable that Gazette has been one of the few mainstream VK acts to actually "break" the stereotype of visual "backwardism" we've been witnessing throughout these years...could one even fathom the fact that we still have VK bands that look like 2016 but sound like 2009 quality AND mixing-wise? Come to think of it anyway - even these oyaji groups have been discovering ways to "get with the times", whereas VK indie scene is being infested with so-called "cool" kids and their ideas of dated melomaniac pleasure a la mid-00s VK revival with no "revolutionary" progression whatsoever?
 
3) I am not gonna touch "rubbish, terrible"-comments without any elaboration either. Perhaps Gazette is not your cup of tea? So what was your contribution in this discussion again?
 
4)
 
- Wikipedia
- Easily modifiable resource pages
- Still cares about genre wankery
- IN A GODDAMN VISUAL SCENE/FANBASE
 
5) So you are saying that cancerous fandoms are EXCLUSIVELY and SOLELY related to Gazette? Wew, lad.
 
6) Even the most eager critics tend to agree with the notion that Gazette has gained recognition due to their easily recognizable antics and almost "genderbending" tendencies - just like with other Japanese genrebenders inside and outside of our beloved visual scene. Why would possibly westernized individual care about symphonic power metal outfits like X or Versailles,  low-budget mix flares of Kiryu and D, and stagnant animoo glory of Naitomea? As much as we would sympathize towards these acts as long-time VK weebs - is it really that hard to adopt opposite, "biased" views for a moment? Could you at least delve into details and convince our possible (albeit disinterested) non-VK (but yet Gazette-fanboying/girling) public that why these acts matter more in the context of international fanbase?
 
I do admit that I had my on/off-times with Gazette for a decade already, but imho it's really hard to argue against the well-functionable, internationally palatable soundscape of mostly mashing Slipknot and Luna Sea influences together. In that sense Ruki and co. were smart enough to realize what exactly was relevant for those times aside from minding their own biases.
 
 
 

karma* will get gackt for what he did to that woman
 
*the philosophical/metaphysical system of retribution, not the shitty vocalist

@cvlticNow you made me curious - so when exactly did this episode happen to Sugizo - I do acknowledge that his off-stage personality might disappoint those assuming he would be some sort of rockstart badass in person as well but this...?
 
Oh, also:
 
This may have been mentioned and cited to the point of exhaustion but Aoi from the GazettE has surely garnered a vast bunch of dedicated haters from otaku/vocaloid fanbase thanks to his otherwise ridiculous vocaloid jeering on Twitter back in 2011 or 2012-ish - maybe later (Tomomi cut him at the roots and halted his Twitter activities immediately after such uproar). Just when exactly did he have the platform to say such things when his band's music around the same time sounded more artificial than professional Miku tunes?

I might as well lump Dynamite Tommy as the embodiment of anything WTF in VK as we speak:
 
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Music/DynamiteTommy
(includes the question/almost rhetoric blow on whether Dir was even associated with Extasy due to Yoshiki's hand in their major debut)
 
Careful and curious observers may have noticed how much did his (possible) frauds/embezzlement cases have affected Dir's success and promotion antics (notice the slumps during certain periods)

Oh, I definitely won't resort to "all Koreans are racists," in fact, quite the opposite. I don't think that an entire ethnicity is racist, but it just surprised me that a person of her stature would constantly remind me that I'm a white male (as if I didn't already know) and how that means when studying another culture. Pretty much, she told me that my thesis paper proposal was bullshit because I was born to caucasian parents and with a penis. Because I had any choice in that matter. I'm really just frustrated because my paper's grading pretty much presides in personal opinion and I feel that since she's already decided to knock me down a peg based on my race and gender, little of what I say about my chosen subject will do anything to impress her.
 
I honestly thank you for your comments, though. I legit have nobody to talk to about them because I fear pissing off someone higher up and them tanking my GPA or whatever. I just can't wait until teacher evaluations roll around.

Maybe you should not let your discoveries escalate to the point of typical "All [any ethnicity here] are racists" though? Her perceptions are her own issue, but when it comes to you, such obstacle - or challenge, if you will - provides more opportunities  in regards to how you prove your skills' worth (and your worth if we stretch it a lil bit). Don't let yourself down because of this: chin up, you will definitely graduate. Just acknowledge that if you keep your cool and do your thing with some devotion, you will be always smarter than her in that sense.
 
Most people that face racism should acknowledge that "handle" somewhere around them exists - something they can grasp onto to reach up and further from the cesspool of hate that victims of perceived racism usually resort to as the means of self-defense.  Don't be like them (there are some in MH unfortunately)
 
 

Maybe you should not let your discoveries escalate to the point of typical "All [any ethnicity here] are racists" though? Her perceptions are her own issue, but when it comes to you, such obstacle - or challenge, if you will - provides more opportunities  in regards to how you prove your skills' worth (and your worth if we stretch it a lil bit). Don't let yourself down because of this: chin up, you will definitely graduate. Just acknowledge that if you keep your cool and do your thing with some devotion, you will be always smarter than her in that sense.
 
Most people that face racism should acknowledge that "handle" somewhere around them exists - something they can grasp onto to reach up and further from the cesspool of hate that victims of perceived racism usually resort to as the means of self-defense.  Don't be like them (there are some in MH unfortunately)
 
 

@Carmelzors This one hit multiple threads on 2ch that have been archived, seems it was sometime in Sep 2005. But he deleted it because of the backlash. Certainly not too recent, anyway.

@cvlticNow you made me curious - so when exactly did this episode happen to Sugizo - I do acknowledge that his off-stage personality might disappoint those assuming he would be some sort of rockstart badass in person as well but this...?
 
Oh, also:
 
This may have been mentioned and cited to the point of exhaustion but Aoi from the GazettE has surely garnered a vast bunch of dedicated haters from otaku/vocaloid fanbase thanks to his otherwise ridiculous vocaloid jeering on Twitter back in 2011 or 2012-ish - maybe later (Tomomi cut him at the roots and halted his Twitter activities immediately after such uproar). Just when exactly did he have the platform to say such things when his band's music around the same time sounded more artificial than professional Miku tunes?