Rosner

That's Jens Bogren's trademark snare sample! Would be my only grip with most of his works. Even my favourite of his albums (Paradise Lost's 'Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us') has a perfect drum sound... Sans the snare! But well, works for him in the context of the mix I guess. But I'm definitely with you: the bonus tracks sound so much better than the album... Also, thank you Seelentaus!!! Really interesting read.

Been listening the shit out of the album for the last couples of days, and it just gets better and better. I have no problem with the placement of songs now, and I accept 'Ningen...' and 'Utafumi' now. My only problem would be 'Values of Madness': I still don't like how it is placed after 'Aka'. The rest of it has finally clicked with me. Also got past the production after finding the right EQ and listening device, as Saishu said. I just hope someone rips CD 1 and 2 in good quality, because I can't get enough of 'The Deeper Vileness' remake and it's only on YouTube. Seriously: I'm really happy with what they did to the song. I would love a complete re-recording of 'The Marrow of a Bone'. Going back to 'The Insulated Wolrld'', I honestly think it's a good album with some standout moments (especially the second half), but they could have done better. It still feels rushed and 'simple', though this was something the band was after. Hope we don't have to wait four more years for another album!

Is there somekind of rivalry going on between Dir en grey and The Gazette? I know nothing about VK, but I see a lot of comparisions and feud-like commentaries about them. Seems like the 'Metallica VS Megadeth' of the VK scene. Is it possible Rubish Heap was somekind of parody to The Gazette? I'm really clueless about this enmity. Honestly, I like both bands, but comparing them is like comparing Slipknot to Maudlin of the Well (The Gazette would be Slipknot, obviously). Everything from 'Aka' to 'Ranunculus', except for 'Values of Madness'. The second half of the album has the kind of sound I wanted the band to pursue after Arche. 'Aka' would be the ideal: I'd love hearing an album full of songs like it or 'Rinkaku'. A dreamy atmosphere, almost nostalgic, goth rock arpeggios, post-metal/shoegaze-esque chords, sludgy riffing, soaring solos and of course, Kyo's high vocals. In terms of favourite, 'Zetsuentai' is my definitive choice: I love this kind of songs, and I would also love the band to make an album full of long, progressive dirges like 'Vinushka' or 'Diabolos'. They may be predictable (eerie intro, arpeggios, melodic chorus, build up, death metal/core drumming and riffin, etc.), but I really love them. In fact, I know this is kind of early and pointless, but... What would you like to see on future albums? I would honestly love a double album: CD 1 could be agressive, weird and catchy, while CD 2 could be more experimental and progressive. Just a tought.

Just posted this on the album's official thread: This is INCREDIBLY weird.

Listened to the album today on my garbage cellphone with the worst earbuds I've got... And I'm amazed but how good it sounds! Normally, I would listen to most modern albums at full volume (95% or 100%), but I'm listening to 'The Insulated World' at about 70% loud and it sounds really good. The guitars don't overwhelm the drums and everything sounds controlled. The snare cracks really good and there's some good dynamics between each instrument. Also, I would always listen albums at 95%/100% in order to avoid any external noises bleeding into my ears, but 70% is enough for this album. This is REALLY weird. I'm surprised that I got the best listened experience for the album with the worst audio settings ever... I'm digging 'The Deeper Vileness' remake! I was really excited for it as it is one of the few heavy tracks on 'The Marrow of a Bone' that I enjoy. It's basically the same song, but I like how they made it more agressive. Kyo's growls are amazing! The other remakes don't do much for me, but they are ok. Regarding their engineering I think it's ok but not really good... But still, not as bad as on the actual album! I'm really dissapointed tough, because Jens Bogren is one of my favourite metal producers/engineers EVER, and I had really high hopes... But well, either is his fault for doing some lazy engineering or it's the band's: maybe the original audio tracks are not that good...

They sound 'broken'! I cannot find any better adjective to describe them. When lowering the volume, they sound better, but when turning it up, they are unbearable. I don't know what happened here. I was happy when I listened to them on 'Ranunculus', but know I think I prefer the ones on 'Ningen...'s single, even if they are so dull. I agree with you Manji 卍, 'Vestiges' has an overall better production. It sounds raw, yes, but if they were aiming for a more 'live' and unpolished sound for 'The Insulated World', that kind of production would have benefited the album a lot!

Been listening to the album the whole night, and I definitely cannot stand the engineering. The guitars are my main problem: I cannot take how 'broken' and badly compressed they sound. I agree with Saishu: the lower the volume, the better it sounds. Also, geist is right about getting a different experience with each different audio device. Sadly, I listened to it on studio monitors and on professional mixing headphones (no pre-EQ) and it has a lot of problems. I also listened to the album on some low-tier Sennheiser HD 202, which have an acceptable bass boost, and it sounds kinda better. Later, I'm going to listen to it on my cellphone with the worst earbuds I can find: that's the true trial by fire for me. And finally, going to try listening to it on some DT-770 tomorrow! Also, I was so upset about the mixing/mastering that I decided to play with the songs a little. I created more headroom, used some RX6 to cut some reverb and crackle and then 'uncompressed' it and applied a basic mastering chain. I'm REALLY far from an audio engineer, but I think it sounds more bearable, especially the distorted guitars. Also a lot of extra layers like the synths (or violins?!) on 'Zetsuentai' cut better through the mix. I still can't get around how loud the cymbals sound tough. May upload it later, but I still have faith the CD-rip is going to be more bearable. What's just really fun about all this is that a YouTube user named Yurameki uploaded almost every song of the album to the aforementioned site and it all sounds better. Weird thing, considering YouTube tends to compress the audio, sometimes causing a drastic quality loss. But to be honest, aside from the production, I'm enjoying the album more and more with each listen, especially the second half. The last four songs are amongst the best the band has composed in years.

YES! I'm feeling the same... The distorted guitars sound really compressed and have some sort of clipping. I cannot stand them!

I think 'Ningen...' as the album opener would be interesting. Maybe I just would love for it to get out of the way soon, but then, it has an appropiate intro and outro, which would connect well with the actual first two songs on the album ('Keibetsu...' and 'Devote My Life'). Regarding the rest, I need time to think of an specific order, but I would love for it to be an 'A-side'/'B-side' album with the heavier tracks on the first half and the more experimental/progressive/atmospheric/whatever tracks on the second half. Kind of what we got, but even better placed.

I came to say similar things! 'Aka' really feels like 'Rinkaku pt. 2', I love it! Overall, I'm enjoying the album a lot! Especially the second half. It feels like a missing link between 'Dum Spiro Spero' and 'Arche', and while the songs are less layered than before, they still have a lot of interesting things to unearth with each new listen. The mixing/engineering would be my main complain. There's so much compression and clipping on the harsh vocals and on the distorted guitars (they sound so horrible...). Hope the CD rip has a better quality, but my hopes are low. I also do not like how the album flows during the first half. A different song order would have done wonders. Maybe this is because I'm a sucker for conceptual albums, but I would have loved for it to have a better pacing. The last four songs flow so amazingly, especially how 'Zetsuentai' segues into 'Ranunculus'. Speaking of pacing, 'Ningen...' and 'Utafumi' really feel out of place and kind of break the flow for me. I like the new vocals for both songs, but they seem to be on a different kind of vibe than the rest of the songs on the album. Also, everything seems really rushed. The second half seems far more polished than the first, with songs that are more 'progressive' and less in your face. I'm really loving songs like 'Keigaku no Yoku' that seem to achieve a lot of the styles and overtones of the band in just 4 and half minutes (even when I feel it ends too abruptly). Song by song, I would briefly say: 'Keibetsu to Hajimari': amazing album opener, I like the energy on this track a lot! 'Devote My Life': really digging the mathcore riffing here. I like how this flows with the first track like if they were just one song. 'Ningen o kaburu': feels really out of place. I like the new vocals, but yet it seems like a song that's on the wrong album. 'Celebrate Empty Howls': loving this! Reminds me of 'Untouchables'-era Korn a lot! The extra percussion really works, and Kyo's clean are incredible! 'Utafumi': I really like the new vocals, sans the backing ones. Not as out of place as 'Ningen...'; maybe I'm just tired of this song. 'Rubbish Heap': it's like 'The Inferno pt. 2', but with better songrwritting and with one of the best climaxes on the album! (AMAZING vocal lines). 'Aka': as said before, 'Rinkaku pt. 2'. I was hoping for an album full of songs like this. I really like this post-metal/gaze vibe. Very beautiful. 'Values of Madness': placed after 'Aka', kind of breaks the flow, but again, same thing happened with 'Rinkaku' followed by 'Chain Repulsion' on 'ARCHE' and I got used by it. Love the song, but the extra section does nothing for me though (I prefer the promo edit). 'Downfall': love the riffing, even some black metal-esque tremolo riffing in there. Even if it is the shortest song on the album, there's a lot of things going on. 'Followers': reminds me of songs like 'Behind a Vacant Image', really digging it. 'Keigaku no Yoku': on of my favourites in the album. Too bad it ends so abruptly. Love the eerie atmosphere. It's like 'Diabolos' little brother. 'Zetsuentai': best on the album for me... But well, I'm that kind of people that would love a total progressive Dir en grey album. 'Ranunculus': love how well connected to the previous track it is! The extra sections make the song sound fuller, especially the ending. Amazing way to end the album.

JENS BOGREN? HOLY SHIIIIIIT!!!! Is it leaked already?

Original Uroboros! I love it's raw, analog and 'weird' mixing. Also, I'm a big fan of bands that bury the vocals in the mix or have them on volumes that are lower than the standards for popular music, so I'm ok with how the vocals are mixed: when vocals are not the predominant instrument, I'm more than happy. Also, the drums are weird but feel real, which is always a plus. I also enjoy the muddy guitars and think they really work in the mix overall. Lastly, and most important, the original version has a vibe that's difficult to describe... Somekind of 'ancient' and 'arcane' atmosphere, if that makes any sense. On the other hand, I cannot stand the remix/remaster: that atmosphere I tried to describe is completely lost thanks to the clean and polished sound. My main problem comes from the drum samples. I do not like them: they sound tiny and don't have the same kind of impact that the original ones got. It's obvious they tried to match the modern metal/core-esque perfection of Dum Spiro Spero and there was heavy editing/triggering on drums and guitars. I also do not like the extra content: the extended 'Sa Bir' does nothing for me, same for 'Bugaboo (Respira)'. Also, the inclusion of 'Hydra 666' breaks the flow of the album for me. However, the remix/remaster is not totally bad: there are really amazing things, like the beautiful drum panning and how everything breathes better than on the original. I just don't think the crystal clear production fits the experimental and erratic nature of the album. As Asakusa hinted, a sound that could be something in between both versions could be really interesting. I like polished and well produced/mixed albums, but I would never trade that for atmosphere!

New samples sound great! Getting a big 'ARCHE part 2' vibes now. Seems like the songs are definitely going to be short but with many things going on around. Also, there's seems to be a lot of variety: just hope the whole album flows well and haves no filler at all (50 minutes sounds promising).

Really excited for this!!! To be honest, I was hoping for a more progressive and experimental album, but this in-your-face approach seems nice. Some songs seem to have mallcore riffing and even some mathcore patterns going on. I just hope there's room for laidback and atmospheric parts too and this is not just total violence. If they are going for something like 'The Marrow of a Bone' but they manage to make the heavy songs interesting, then I'm sold! So '絶縁体' is going to be an epic track? GREAT! That's exactly what I wanted. If it is like 'Vinushka' or 'Diabolo's, then I'm happy. I hope there's lots of variety on the album: that's something that I found great about 'ARCHE'. If they can pull a varied album that's 50 minutes (as speculated) long and with no filler, maybe we could be getting the best Dir en grey album in years! 'Values of Madness' sounds like 'Chain Repulsion' part 2. It's fun, weird and has a big chorus: It's very clear they were going for a more 'live songs' thing, and it really works. On the other hand, I've always loved 'THE DEEPER VILENESS' (one of the few heavy songs on 'The Marrow...' that I truly enjoy). Seems they are giving it a great treatment. '理由' has me really pumped too!

LOVE that moment! Same kind of harmony happens in 'Dreambox' at around 03:16. It's really subtle, but very effective: DSS has amazing production and arrangements overall!