Seimeisen

Here is mine. ;3
 

Best New Tracks: February 2015

Best New Tracks is a new series brought to you by MH's review crew! Every month we'll be highlighting brand-new Japanese songs worth checking out, so stay tuned! Feel free to comment or discuss any of this month's picks and even offer your own as well!

@Zeus's picks:
"戦-ikusa-" by 和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band)

"marionette" by Lycaon

@fitear1590's picks:
"For You" by Czecho No Republic

"ツキナミ (tsukinami)" by 分島花音 (Kanon Wakeshima)

"endless" by ねごと (NEGOTO)
Watch the PV
"マーブル (marble)" by ユナイト (UNiTE.)

's picks:
"Paper Planes" by ONE OK ROCK

"Seven Deadly Sins" by MAN WITH A MISSION

"実験前" (Jikkenmae) by indigo la End

"Kawareru" by theCharmPark

"アカペラ" (A capella) by ペンタゴン (Pentagon)

"なくならない" (Nakunaranai) by 左右 (Sayuu)

@beni's picks:
"marionette" by Lycaon

"夜明けの街 (Yoake no Machi)" by CICADA

"そつぎょう (Sotsugyou)" by daoko

"へその緒 (Hesonoo)" by 黒百合と影 (Kuroyuri to Kage)

"Future,Super Duper,Nova" by X4

"TWO HEARTS" by 家入レオ (Leo Ieiri)

"さんすくみ (Sansukumi)" by 分島花音 (Kanon Wakeshima)

"至上の人生 (Shijou no Jinsei)" by 椎名林檎 (Sheena Ringo)

"WING to HEAVEN" by DIV

@CAT5's picks:
"all is white" by Anoice

"Ground" by CARD

"街の底" by eastern youth

"ンスターペアレンツ (Monster Parents)" - Jin-Machine

"Rep(110)%4" by loqto

"君を壊すガラスの衝動 (Kimi o kowasu garasu no shoudou)" by Lycaon

"Gengar" by Sel'm

"Foster Mother" by sukekiyo

"game over" by 大橋トリオ (Ohashi Trio)

"Setting Sun" by 疋田哲也(Tetsuya Hikita)+NIL

Well that made it obvious that PSC turned this band into the giant heap of turd that it was.
I liked Givuss, and I liked A9's early work, but man the stuff they released the last few years was horrible.
 
This new song shows that they can write songs, and definitely can play their instruments (that bass was pretty awesome yo). I'm intrigued. It's not stellar or amazing, but it's heaps better than their previous stuff.
 
As for Diawolf, not bad. Some cool riffs and the vocals are good, but that shitty pronunciation... meh. Also, no way in hell did Shou write those lyrics by himself, haha.
 
 
Oh, and I also hope they can get this crowdfunding thing going. Respect for their stance on (their) music and the way VK labels whore out musicians.

They finally turned into ann amazing band.

A9(Alice Nine) SHOW OHARA & TORA AMANO new project "DIAWOLF" will hold their first live at Shibuya SOUND MUSEUM VISION at 2015/03/15, and their new one-coin single "Rebellion" will be released at 2015/04/12 (500yen)
 

 

 
http://diawolf.com/
 
 
A9 Crowd Funding Project has formed with target funding amount 5,000,000yen, and their START-UP EP "銀河ノヲト(ginga no oto)" will be released in 2015/08
 

 
http://a9-project.com/

Game/Spam Topic - '5 disbanded bands, which should've never disbanded'
I knew I answered a similar thread! x'D
 
Just stating in here too by quoting mine from there;
 

I still love them. A lot. But their new albums since going major have been kind of tame.

Ghost Bath just made their "Moonlover" streamable through bandcamp and so on:
 
http://ghostbath.bandcamp.com/
 
The album is not bad fosho - kinda tamer than their previous album, but still neat

Gt.炭酸(tansan) has joined UNDEAD CORPORATION in 2015/02, and their new album "Flash Back" will be released at 2015/07/01 (2,160yen)
 
[track list]
01.Flash Back
02.The Revolution
03.Chase The Rabbit
04.Xing Noises
05.Sad Dream
06.Blow
07.Datura
08.The Cold Sun
09.White Reflection
10.End Of My Pain

it is announced at AvelCain one-man live tour final "言霊-ありがとう-(kotodama-arigatou-)" at LIQUIDROOM ebisu at 2015/02/28 that their new mini album "おまじない(omajinai)" will be released at 2015/04/29 (2 TYPE)
 
limited edition (2,700yen, limited 666) will include CD+lyrics cards (4 pages)+××××, and regular edition (2,160yen, limited 1500) will include CD+lyrics cards (4 pages)+××××
 
[CD track list]
01.自ラノ業ヲ自ラ得(jira no gyou wo jira toku)(SE)
02.片想い(kataomoi)
03.相合傘(aiaigasa)
04.午前二時(gozenniji)
05.おやすみなさい(oyasuminasai)
 
 
btw they will hold their one-man live tour "釘、御札、午前二時…(kugi ofuda gozenniji)" since Ikebukuro RUIDO K3 at 2015/05/03 and up to tour final at TSUTAYA O-East at 2015/08/29
 
 
their members will participate in movie, which will be broadcast in 2015 summer
 

Since when Johnny Depp has joined DIR EN GREY?

DISK 1 preview

 
DISK 2 PREVIEW
http://t.co/nrJq2i2qwF

umbrella new mini album "キネマトグラフ(kinematograph)" will be released through DANGER CRUE RECORDS at 2015/06/21 (2,484yen)

Arelquin DLC for Mario Kart 8 confirmed

Like I said, I haven't followed Lycaon in years. That's nice to know for future reference though thanks.

If I wasn't sure about it I wouldn't have written it.

You very clearly missed something. Please point out where my criticism of Yuuki is. I don't see it.
I understand that you enjoy Lycaon very, very much, but your fandom has crossed the range of understandable and leapt into the realm of fanatical. It's gotten to the point where you're angry at me for not validating your opinion, but nothing you said in response to my review makes any type of sense. It's like you didn't even read it. Lycaon can be your favorite band but it doesn't mean that they're the best band in the world and that everything they do is flawless. The fact that you are completely incapable of seeing the faults in this band amuses me to no end.

CONGRATS BENIBANA!!

01.ジレンマ(dilemma)


02.imp


03.白い鬱(shiroi utsu)

http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/500/103552579/Camera+Obscura.jpg" width="200" /> Artist: Lycaon Album: camera obscura Score: How can you get wet over something so dry?
Lycaon and I have had an icy relationship ever since they lost Mio and eve and went through their rebellious, adolescent phase. The atomic meltdown that was their "erotic phase" (god, I fucking hate that term) came to an end with 「嘘と女と『　　　　』」 全国流通盤」, and I cheered quite loudly when they decided to drop the overt 'sex sells' antics cum-plastered all over their stupid marketing gimmicks. Even so, their music lacked some of the charm and finesse that Mio and eve brought to the band. So apart from the forgettable 「マゾヒストレッドサーカス」, I haven't touched anything by this band in years. We've come to an understanding that they're not the same band they once were, and I'm not the same fan I used to be, and maybe it was better if we parted ways.

So for no particular reason at all, I decided to give "camera obscura" a chance to see where the quintet's heads are at. If I were to describe the sound, I would describe it as a mix of old and new Lycaon in the best way possible. There are some hints of the alternative metal style honed on "Royal Order", the EDM bass drops of 「マゾヒストレッドサーカス」, some of that good 80's rock vibe that I know guitarist Satoshi is fond of, and thankfully none of that erotic bullshit. Even when they decide to get raunchy, they do it in a more palatable manner. It really does offer something for new and old fans alike: tracks like "marionette", "悪女の微笑", and "追憶" remain somewhat memorable far after I finished the album. One of the things they did right with this album was reduction of harsh vocals. That's not where Yuuki's strengths are and by shedding those weaknesses he maintains the most consistent performance across the entire album. This is when Lycaon sticks to their guns and produce the quality rock music I know they can. "marionette" in particular deserves extra mention. I really like these cabaret and oriental influences that are slowly working their way into visual kei and I think more bands should try their hands at it.

There are two main reasons I can't accept "camera obscura" as is. One is the abysmal production. The guitars sound absolutely dead, and there's two of them. There's no punch to them. The treble is also way too crisp and it makes the cymbals sound like wooden blocks ("悪女の微笑"), fuzz ("アネモネ"), and other degrees of sounds I would only describe as "not cymbals". Whether the guitars are oppressive or energetic, it's the main instrument and when it's so dead a lot of potential gems here fall flat.

When the aforementioned production isn't siphoning the life out of the music, and after all those pointless interludes were deleted, the reason why I can't accept this album is because a lot of the songs are just average. "ILLUSION" comes out of left field like an Arlequin reject with that bizarre dubstep breakdown that ruins an otherwise listenable song. That would have/could have/should have been punishing riff near the end of "liar" should have hit one note a bit sharper and sounds off. "メランコリック" feels like filler. I really want to like "Dark Night", and I like the Yousei Teikoku influence they were channeling, but the bad production and the really fake sounding piano ruins it. The similarly fake piano in "Rouge" steps all over the band and doesn't fit in at all. Worst of all is the abomination that is "馬鹿ね。". It starts off interesting and quickly deteriorates to the barest of alternative rock melodies, sprinkled with some electronic effects until the embarrassing trance chorus. I cringe in horror every time it comes on. Couple in the five pointless interludes, and quickly a large chunk of the album does not please me. What about the other tracks? Apart from "アネモネ", I don't remember any of them. It's the token ballad on an album, and reminds me of "結晶華". They somehow managed to procure a real piano for this one, but the ballad is drawn out for no reason and feels forced.

Putting all of this together, I can't really say this is a great album because I didn't enjoy much of it. But I can say that it's good enough when comparing it against the average visual release, and it's head and shoulders above their last album so I guess Lycaon and I can be civil. They're actually trying to be a rock band again and I can respect them for that. Their music is lacking a particular finesse and direction that I felt they once had a long, long time ago, but it doesn't suck. I just don't find it all that compelling. I might not even remember I listened to this by the end of the year.

omg D:
 
 
That was actually my favorite track on the album. My heart...it aches
 
lol, seriously, though. I thought the album was neither as bad as ender thought nor as good as beni put it. I would have rated it closer to what Zess did, although our general thoughts may differ. The production is definitely pretty crappy, but I found the songwriting of this album much more effective than whatever their last album was. I can't recall anything from that album - it's just one big mental blank. But with this one, I think the feel and narrative of the album will stick with me in the long-run. The effort they put into it is palpable - even if the sound they were going for wasn't as keenly realized as it could have been from a production standpoint. 
 
It's pretty interesting to see everyone's reactions to the album. The opinions may be all over the place, but this is one case where I can completely understand each side of the argument.

It seems that a common complaint about ARCHE is that it's scattered, and maybe it's because of the tracklist arrangement?
I came up with this:
and Zero
Un deux
咀嚼
鱗
Phenomenon
Chain repulsion
Cause of fickleness
Midwife
Sustain the untruth
てふてふ
懐春
禍夜想
濤声
Behind a vacant image
輪郭
空谷の跫音
And then Revelation of mankind would be a single with The inferno as a b-side.

Hoping for an album

I realized that I didn't really mind it when I was first getting into Japanese music, but over the years I've become progressively opposed to it. I'm not sure why that's changed for me, but in general, I'd prefer to hear Japanese when listening to Japanese music. These days, there are very few cases where I don't mind it, but a few random interjections of Engrish? Sure. Entire songs of poorly pronounced, borderline unintelligible Engrish? I'd rather not.

From what I understand, many Japanese people simply think English is "cool".

[header]MERRY - NOnsenSe MARkeT[/header]
 


[header]Rating: | Who (or what) is MERRY? ... THIS is MERRY:[/header]






01. iNtO the mARkeT 08. Zombie Paradise ～地獄の舞踏曲～
02. NOnsenSe MARkeT 09. Carnival
03. 東京 10. Station 07
04. 自意識過剰型木偶人間 11. 千代田線デモクラシー
05. ZERO -ゼロ- 12. 梟
06. 暗闇にピンク 13. Unreachable Voice
07. Hide-and-seek 14. 群青




If anyone asked me about MERRY, I would show them “NOnsenSe MARkeT.” This is the definitive MERRY album! Not only is this album representative of MERRY as a whole, it pulls off quite a few things that don’t commonly work in Visual Kei. From the very first tracks, “iNtO the MARkeT” and “NOnsenSe MARkeT,” we have: an introduction that segues beautifully into the second track, beautiful acoustic guitars that don’t sound too poppy and in fact, add to the atmosphere (You’ll hear more in “Unreachable Voice”), and we get some fine-tuning and maturing of their previous sound from (the less than stellar received) “Beautiful Freaks.”
This album is full of throwbacks to their past styles, giving us some “現代ストイック” (Generation Stoic) vibes, a few “M.E.R.R.Y.” vibes, a little bit from “nuケミカルレトリック” (nu chemical rhetoric), and so on, while ultimately refining the sound of their previous effort. In Visual Kei, it’s not uncommon for a throwback or continuation to yield something stale, or perhaps “uninspired,” and perhaps that continued sound becomes another on the long list of (unwritten) definitions for that… “G” word (generic). But on this album, MERRY manages to show remnants of their past while keeping things fresh.
In Visual Kei, it also seems uncommon for bands to modify a recent sound for the better. If you didn’t like “Beautiful Freaks,” do not turn away from this album. The songs on this album are much more interesting and engaging, and the overall “package” is more cohesive.
One thing that contributes to the greatness of each song is the flow of the tracklist, and hearing each song in the midst of another. When I first heard “ZERO -ゼロ-” in late 2013, I completely dismissed it, despite instantly falling in love with the previous single “梟” (Owl), but hearing that song on this album made it a more enjoyable one. Although I will say, that pseudo-reggae break in the middle of the song had me cringing.
Let’s talk about Hide-and-Seek for a bit. It’s got a ‘surf-meets-’60’s jazz club’ kind of vibe, with emphasis on the jazz club, all the way down to the way all the instruments were equalised in production (just for this song); it sounds a bit like a live recording that took place at a jazz club. The song is also a rare example of how you can create one song, that can remind the listener of another (SID’s “妄想日記”), without it sounding like a carbon copy or ripoff.
Some more honourable mentions include the segment of the album from “暗闇にピンク” (Pink in the Dark) to “Carnival.” These are just damn fun songs, and overall give a similar kind of vibe. These songs are essentially the party of the album, especially “Zombie Paradise ～地獄の舞踏曲～” (Tango from Hell). After the party ends, you go to “Station 07” and take a train home… the rest of the album still has some energy, but it effectively winds down. And “千代田線デモクラシー” (Chiyoda Line Democracy) is just catchy as fuck, with the melody and that accordion.
I am about to eat my words about one song…
I thought that the album ending with “群青” (Aquamarine) was going to be bizarre, and leave the album unfinished. But when I read @*littlelamb’s comment about the song having a strong message to stay positive and hopeful, I kept an open mind. “群青” as an ending is not as bizarre as you may think. It does give you that sort of “to be continued…?” feeling, but it doesn’t feel wrong. It doesn’t leave you frustratingly thinking “where’s the last track??!!,” but instead, it leaves you anticipating MERRY’s next chapter. It’s saying, “this is where we’ll stop… for now. In the mean time, keep your head up!”
Every time I listen to the album, it doesn’t feel all that “experimental,” but in hindsight after listening, there are quite a few things that I can think of that would count as “experimental.” So maybe this album does have those moments, such as the Halloween dance track “Zombie Paradise ～地獄の舞踏曲～,” and the vintage sounding “Station 07” - “千代田線デモクラシー,” but the album isn’t scattered, or disjointed. The album is very cohesive and the tracklist flows quite nicely.
Honestly, I am highly impressed by this album, and am already considering it my favourite MERRY album. While I can’t say I’ve listened to a single album in their back catalogue as much as I have this one, I see this turning out to be their most memorable. If you want some material from a band that’s been around for awhile that can say “yeah, we still got it!,” listen to this album! If you’ve heard of MERRY, but haven’t really been engaged into their sound, listen to this album! If you’re new to Visual Kei, and wanna try out another cool band, listen to this album!
 

I don't believe this website is a good representation of today's society.