Rosner

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!

Some more info on the album's tracks etc.:
 

I really wish the album sounded like the bonus tracks. Like, Jens Bogren’s mixes aren’t perfect, but I can pick out every single detail with no problem. I like how he went for a more natural sounding snare, but it does get a little lost in heavier parts. 

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!

I’m loving the 3rd disc performance of Different Sense. Is it just me or has Toshiya’s screams in that song improved greatly? Also sounds like he’s doing more screaming and less shouting/growling. 
 
I have only one complaint for this album besides Values of Madness: I wish Papa Kaoru was louder. Fuck, just give me his isolated guitar track and I’ll go celibate. 
 
I think the album length is great because it’s easy to actively listen in one sitting without feeling tired. The idea of having a bunch of songs being no longer than 3 and a half minutes worried me at first; but a lot of these songs greatly benefit from it. I can’t imagine an extra minute of songs like Keibetsu to Hajimari or Devote My Life. 

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!

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!

Perfect example of how the sound of this album differs depending on how and what you’re using to listen to it is in Celebrate Empty Howls. On my earbuds, that tambourine/bell sound is hard to hear unless I lower the volume. In my car they’re prominent no matter where the volume is set. 
 
I think treble is the key here. Without it you end up getting a weird muddled mid-range mess. 

So Dan Lancaster mixed The Insulated World, and looking thru his past works he’s also produced albums for One OK Rock, Blink-182, Crossfaith, Avril Lavigne, and Bring Me The Horizon. He also mixed the Ningen single, so I guess DEG wanted him to mix the entire album since he did such a GREAT JOB with Ningen. 

Oh, yeah! My intention wasn’t to discredit the man’s work with such a sweeping generalization. He’s done some fantastic work in the past, but I’d say for nearly two decades now almost every Rick Rubin project is a wall of noise. Fuck, he even managed to make Billy Corgan’s recent acoustic solo album sound loud as hell. 
 
Blood Sugar Sex Magik sounds awesome. Californication does not. That was actually the first album where I noticed the loudness thing. 

Rick Rubin has tons of fantastic production jobs on his CV. Like, tons (Radio, Raising Hell, Reign in Blood, Licensed to Ill, Electric, Danzig, Tougher Than Leather, Danzig II: Lucifuge, Trouble and Blood Sugar Sex Magik just to mention a few of his works where he truly shines.). There's a reason why his this acclaimed and considered one of the very best producers ever, but it's also his creative side and how he made bands and artists perform their best and make smart choices as where to go next in their career. It's only in "recent times " that he's gone full retard with his productionjobs. His works in the past however. Holy moly!
 
 

I thought some pictures had already been posted but here's the contents of the limited deluxe edition (photobook with band pictures in the top right corner).
 

Welcome to the inferno
How may I take your order, sir?
 
New/different artist picture btw:

 
 
You can buy them on mercari, I think. For like 500 JPN or so.
 
Some excerpts from the upcoming ROCKIN'ON interview (thanks to kyotaku, as always):
 
 

Seriously? 
 
I’m changing the track list for myself. Shifting some files around on my laptop isn’t going to alter the experience for anybody else. The original body of work is still out there for hundreds of thousands of people to enjoy, including myself. It’s just a fun little experiment. I did the same thing with Arche. 

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.

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...
 
 

brb, getting in my car

Best listening experience so far has been in my car with the bass set at one notch above the flat default and the treble two notches above the flat default. I get a more full bodied lower end  and the cymbals are brighter and more defined. 

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.
 
 

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!

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!

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.
 
 

Exactly.i don't get it,since the last re records on Vestiges were so well produced,the guitars were louder, punchier and really enjoyable... I even checked my music player settings thinking that it was messed up

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

You can’t play it loud because it’s already loud. It sounds like it’s naturally cranked up to 10, hence the clipping and distortion. Raising the volume doesn’t make it sound better. Oddly enough, I hear more intricacies when I turn the volume DOWN. We’re not new to this, but sometimes there are cases worse than others. This might be DEG’s worst. 
 
Mind you one of  the reasons why so many recordings are compressed is to accommodate people listening to lossy rips thru shitty earbuds. So yeah, I’m pining for the good ol’ days of music that sounds nice on everything.