Seimeisen

What I think is ironic about me and this band is that when the general consensus is that their release is good, I don't care for it and vice versa. I think this overall single is not only better than Raven, but I also think it's their best start-to-finish single in their career. Even Sabato, my previously favorite single, didn't compare because of that Ackercock atrocity. But in this single they've made 3 songs that I can really get behind and listen to over and over and like every time. Which is saying a lot. I want to love Mejibray, but they have more bad/boring songs than good.
This single though is stand out to me and I would give it a 5 star rating, but of course that's just me.

Yeah, why are people bitching about 似非林檎 being on the fucking tracklist, if it's a rare (or rare-ish) song?

This is freaking tough because I keep changing my mind as to what my favourite is! I chose Uroboros in the end because it's pretty much perfect, but if I could choose two I'd probably go for Gauze as I love every song off it.
It's a shame EPs aren't included as I would go for six Ugly in a heartbeat! I think the post-Kisou/pre-Vulgar sound was just awesome.

This is perfect I can't even

Artist: NoGoD Single: Make a New World Score: But what kind of new world is it?
Let's get straight to it. NoGoD has been a band that shows promise but hasn't yet delivered. Albums come and albums go and each time fans find something lacking preventing them from being anything other than "good". But there's always enough to keep people interested, as they've never delivered a "bad" album either. So now the question is: how good is NoGoD's latest effort?

Make a New World has good ideas sandwiched between a lot of fluff. When it gets good, it gets good. But it doesn't stay good for long, and likes to spend time dabbling in sounds and scapes that aren't as interesting as what they produce when they're in top form. In addition, it likes to move between these ideas every two tracks. So while this is an album that every fan of NoGoD can find something that they like in, it's not going to be much. Everyone comes away from this album expecting more from them in a specific department. I'll only speak for myself and request that NoGoD focus more on the progressive metal numbers and leave the ballads and pop songs to bands better at engaging a listener with those tools.

It's not that NoGoD is bad at pop or ballads because they aren't. There isn't an equal amount of attention and effort put into all of the tracks and it's the progressive, energy-filled rock tracks that get the polish and the pop and ballads that are left out to dry. Since the ratio is roughly one progressive effort per four ballads and pop tracks, it's becoming clear how things aren't adding up. Even the tracks that they spend time on feel cut from the same cloth. Very little separates World Ender from tracks like Kamikaze or STAND UP!!. A bit more work on distinguishing World Ender from other tracks in it's vein would have done a lot to improve the opening experience, as Follow follows it and eclipses it in terms of melody and passion. This happens over and over again in painful fashion, until the listener is content with taking only what they liked from the album and pretending the rest doesn't exist. Putting great songs after not so great songs doesn't elevate the former song to the level of the latter. That just makes one song good and one song forgettable.

Likewise, it's not enough for individual parts of songs to excel and others to be standard. Individually, the tracks have to be awesome as a whole. Taking the route of sticking an impressive solo in an otherwise uninspiring song doesn't elevate the whole song to the solo's level. NoGoD does this a lot on this album by luring in the listener with an attractive solo after two boring minutes of whatever genre of the week they're sampling. This is apparent on pendulum which I remember because the first half of the track wasn't interesting to me but the song started picking up at the apex of the solo.

In a way, this isn't just them. They lack some of the fire and passion that they had when I first found them six years ago, but I've also come to expect more of a band that from time to time produces something completely mindblowing. Looking back at it, I'm pretty sure the combination of Ⅰ-回顧, II-懐柔, III-実存, and IV-他者　Philosophia together is more impressive than 85% of the post-Gokusaishiki output. The ordering of the tracks and the constantly switching atmosphere has always been a problem, even since Kanna Fukyou, but now it's parts that are okay and parts that are good and parts that are amazing. They've gotten better at the aggressive upbeat metal sound that likely drew in a lot of their fans, but everything else has plateaued at a middling average and it drags down their albums as a whole.

A year ago, when reviewing V I marked them with an average score and criticized the lack of variation and inspiration. They've patched up both problems but the result can be better. It can start by giving each track the love and detail they give to those awesome progressive numbers that show up once in a blue moon. Those should stay the focus of the album if they can only produce one a year, but the rest of the album should compliment it. If we can stay away from the things like the left-field thrash ender HATE THIS WOЯLD, or slickly disguised Motley Crue worship in EZ LIF3, or the meandering pop track 十人十色 and connect songs together in an order that maximizes strengths and minimizes weaknesses, the next album could be the one where NoGoD rediscovers the magic.

But for right now, I'm still waiting.

Oh yeah hahaha, I'm pretty sure all those questions were all answered in the earlier days around the time SEXUAL BEAST was released. I saw the same Q/As on a fansite that was abandoned centuries ago.

Oh yeah hahaha, I'm pretty sure all those questions were all answered in the earlier days around the time SEXUAL BEAST was released. I saw the same Q/As on a fansite that was abandoned centuries ago.

This is like anime but real 

Yes, this is feminism's final form

What the fuck.

Uuuuhhhhh... the chorus wasn't bad?
I think I'm just done with CROSSFAITH. I didn't like Apocalyze (or whatever it was called) at all, I was a little iffy about ZION. These guys are just going in a direction that's not for me.

"Story of a different dimension" is the only track that I'm not super thrilled about, but I am still excited as fuck for this mini album. It seems there may be less engrish this time around, which is always a plus. I will definitely miss them while they're gone.
"the red" and "alone" they will most likely be my favourites.
Also, curious to hear the rest of "aqua."

"the red" sounds good. 

NoGoD says hi.

Agreed! I love Precious Heart and the op songs but the rest are sooooooo booooooring!

Well, that's the internet for you. It pretends to be a place of tolerance and personal freedom, but the collective hive of the internet is actually rather small-minded, conformist and reactionary.
 
 
Either you conform to a very narrow ideal of appearance and conduct - or you're meme material.

Their new look is really cool, but I'm not sure how I feel about the new song until I hear it in full and in HQ. Sounds only okay to me right now.

^ Totally seconding both these two tracks. I'm not really a fan of intros/outros but when it captures the mood/style of the whole album, it really gets you excited and prepared for what you're about to let yourself in for. So I'll be adding two of my own choices, because I doubt I'll be able to choose another two, sorry, sorry.
 

While I prefer Hide and Seek #3, I have to choose Hide and Seek #4, by 'Pura' on their same titled album because that fits the criteria. Even the original tracks from the original album are just as eerie and mysterious, making for a wonderful and fitting close to both album versions. Also, their Ink intro and outro are just as perfect for the opposite effect of making us feel melancholic and rather lonely (imo). <3
 

My next pick is scene:RAM, from vistlip's THEATER album. Sounding ever so similar to their same album closer, scene:KISS, both songs make for a magical and exciting sound. It's uplifting, in my opinion, and both tie in very neatly to the next/previous track, making a positiviely coherent album as a whole.
 
 
Ooh, me likey! I always love a build up in a song, it's really enjoyable to listen to and makes you want to continue listening even more. I've been meaning to listen to that album of theirs for ages, wow, you've just got me hooked!

I'm not a fan of SE tracks, because it seems that VK bands use them as lazy excuses for not making a proper first/last track. There are a few exceptions, though...
NEGA - OMNIA VANITAS

While this song was probably treated like an SE track, it doesn't feel like one; it feels like "a song" that just so happens to be short and instrumental. Apart from the fact that I simply love the composition, this song is a great way to wind down the album after the very depressing HINDSIGHT. It's very calm, but very emotional. It's a nice little epilogue to the preceding track, and a fine way to close out the album.
Fragments Of Unbecoming - Up From The Blackest Of Soil

I really like an intro track that segues perfectly into the following track, as if it's simply a cut segment from that song, and this is a great example! Also, I love, Love, LOVE, the atmosphere created by this song, with the simulated sound of rain and the acoustic guitar, that sets the mood for the entire album. I always like to listen to this album when it rains. Every other band in the world could take a lesson or two from FOU on making intro/outro/intermission tracks!
Following track for reference:
the GazettE - 剥離 (Detachment)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A8N5ikDu6c
It's calm, serene, atmospheric... it's misleading. It's very well known that the GazettE aren't big on incorporating atmosphere and ambience into their music, "SE tracks" aside. Hearing tracks like 剥離 and [Depth] really make you wish that they would incorporate a similar atmosphere into their "main music." Also: that guitar composition! It's damn beautiful. I really don't know what else to say. This is fucking awesome, just click that damn play button already!
the GazettE - PEOPLE ERROR

Again, another outro that's really a song that happens to be instrumental. Something about this song (maybe the fact that it's at the end of the album) feels pretty awkward, so the name PEOPLE ERROR is quite fitting. While I like the composition. PEOPLE ERROR is an awkward ending to an awkward album.
Also, side note: I saw a live clip of this (it was played over the PA system at one of their shows)... the audience clapping along did more than a perfect job at completely destroying the mood.
These are the only ones I can think of at the top of my head...

D - 7th Rose [2010]

 



 

fuck why am I doing this to myself

 

Okay so the first installation in this trainwreck series will be the one album I wasn't able to shut up about for approximately 2 years and I hereby want to apologize to all of you. I had to listen to this at nighttime and stay up until 4AM because it's goddamn hot outside and people are actually being hospitalized. I couldn't move a fucking muscle without sweating from all possible locations. FUCKING GLOBAL WARMING KIDS.

 

I'm listening to my own Lossless rip, fully formatted for the best torture listening experience. ANYWAY, HERE WE FUCKING GO. ALSO LOL WHAT IS FORMATTING.

 

1. 7th Rose ~Return to Zero~

Okay so basically just an interlude leading up to the actual title track of this album. Not sure if this is a build up to hype you up or to have the holy spirit protect you from the monstrosity following this interlude. Pope Francis/10

 

2. 7th Rose

Jesus fuck. Asagi's either suffering from sincere bronchitis or the main avex guy was ill and hired Maria Cross to do the retake on the harsh vocals, who probably just was like "well at least it sounds better than whatever I do" and gave it the thumbs up. The harsh vocals are atrocious and I have absolutely no idea why anyone in D thought this was a good idea. This entire fucking song is a mess because literally NOTHING adds up and everyone's just heavily ramming around on their instruments while Asagi sounds like he just shat a lego garage. The good thing about this song is that the chorus is actually good and it isn't poppy, which has been a trend lately. Then again this album was released before MEJIBRAY even formed so idfk. But whatever, I fucking love this song anyway. Holy shit why do I still like this, probably nostalgia/10

 

3. 花摘みの乙女 ～Rozova Dolina～

A wild studio formatted synth string appeared! Always love me some of those. D, you were major at this point in time, couldn't you hire a guy to do the actual recording of these strings I mean holy shit. Apart from that this song is actually pretty fucking cool. Asagi's dramatic vocals are actually placed really well, the accoustic work is perfectly executed and everything just sounds fantastic. If only it weren't for the synth strings/10

 

4. Tightrope

This song somehow relates to some other D or ASAGI solo song but all I remember from this was that PV that included dogs and Asagi being chained to a wall with ropes and singing about freedom.

 



 

Tightrope was actually the song I expected to really hate by now but fuck it's really catchy. Since I'm more of an individual song kind of person I'm sort of glad I gave this one a fair relisten. Everything else that somehow slightly sounds like this sucks. I actually really enjoy something for once/10

 

5. Crimson Fish

This is the song with the most individual plays according to iTunes. Then again, "according to iTunes" my most played track is a song that I haven't even played like 10 times so yeah iTunes fucking sucks. Apart from the fucking horrible synth strings and the misplaced echo-y intro, this song is actually still really good? Holy shit. This song still fucking rules/10

 



 

6. Independent Queen

Obligatory heavier middle song comes in right at the middle point of this album and it's really not that surprising. Welcome to fucking VK, kids. OBLIGATORY GUITAR SOLO RUINS EVERYTHING. Does D have a fucking contract that obliges them to put a fucking guitar solo in every song even if it doesn't need one. Obligatory Engrish as well, lovely. Eh this song is whatever, I can't even be bothered to make semi-decent comments about it. I'M INDEPENDENT QUEEN/10

 

7. 13月の夢見丘

The year doesn't have 13 months, that's fucking silly. What are they teaching kids in schools these days.

 



 

Folky song of the album that I actually really like because it's so overly fucking cheesy. The synth strings don't really sound that horrendous here so who fucking cares. My review, my opinion. Sort of want to skip through a field now/10

 

8. Day by Day

Day by Day is, I don't know what it is. It's an okay poppy song I guess but why the fuck is it on this album. It's placed at the worst fucking place too, right in the middle of where this album is starting to bloom. It's like someone finally being able to buy that car they always wanted and then accidently setting it on fire. This is leaving aside that Toki no Koe is going to fucking kill anything good going on until this part though. Why was this necessary/10

 

9. 絡繰り絵巻

Could've done without the heavy bits. Starts of good, then gets progressively worse. It's like eating a Subway sandwich when halfway through the lettuce starts to get gross and sulky because the fucktard who made your sandwich put three fucking bottles of ranch sauce on your sandwich. That's how this song feels to me. Overall it's still good, I just wish I could take some bits out. Subway needs to use less ranch sauce/10

 

10. 鬨の声

This is where I can unleash all my inner fury because this album was actually going really well up until this monstrosity. I HONESTLY THOUGHT THE ALBUM FLOW WAS GOING TO BE PICKED UP AGAIN AFTER DAY BY DAY AND THEN THIS FUCKING HAPPENS.

 



 

Who the fuck approved this. These 5 guys sat around a table and thought "well this sounds good enough to print on disc". Multiple avex guys could've fucking approved this. The harsh vocals are once again fucking atrocious. The instrumentals are awful, this song is too long for the kind of song it tries to be. The obligatory guitar solo is actually the best part here, for the rest it's as big a train wreck as this current review. Hope burned before my eyes/10

 



 

11. Sleeping Beautiful Beast

Thank fucking god for a decent ballad. This is what I'm talking about. Is there software that deletes certain tracks from discs because that's what I'd like to do to Toki no Koe. Sleeping Beautiful Beast would be even better placed after Karakuri Emaki (or whatever the fuck it's called). This review could've been called "Toki no Koe ruins everything". Pretty fucking good/10

 

12. 三日月揺籃歌

Outro sort of thing? Idk sounds pretty good to me though it would've been better to end with Sleeping Beautiful Beast because this sounds more of an intro than an outro to me. UNLESS IT'S LIKE AN INTRO TO 7TH ROSE. BUT DIDN'T THAT ONE ALREADY HAVE AN INTRO THOUGH.

 



 

Actually sort of yes. Depends on which version of the album you have. If you have type A and B it's pretty neat. If you have type C this one doesn't make any fucking sense. GOOD OLD VK STRIKES AGAIN. Depends on which version you have/10

 

13. 風がめくる頁

BONUS TRACK DESU. Okay this song is nice and it works as an outro but not this sort of outro. It's a goddamn single on an album that's nothing similar to it, why the fuck is it even on here. Like I know this one's at least optional but jesus. Liking it more when it's not a fucking closer/10

 

---------

 

FINAL VERDICT TIME

 

VERDICT OF 16-YEAR OLD ME:

VERDICT OF 21-YEAR OLD ME:

 

For the amount of hate this album gets by fans of the band, it's actually really good. I still consider it their best major album, because it really just is a good record. Toki no Koe is like the only thing that really makes you cringe on here, that's basically it.

 

DO I WANT TO PUNCH MY YOUNGER SELF IN THE THROAT FOR LOVING THIS?

 

NO

 

Alright, that's it I'm fucking done. I'll be keeping how many times i want to punch myself in the throat for liking what I did. So far that score's on zero, HA.

 



 

NEXT TIME ON BLAST FROM THE PAST [PROBABLY, IDK]:

 

NIGHTMARE - majestical parade

No! Bad Furik! I read the thread title and I immediately thought, I have to post that ReS track as it is one of the best closers I have ever heard, and then you go and ruin it for me
I couldn't find Roach's Haru to Yume, eight's Yuganda Seishun, Werkmare's -13- or Tokyo Heroes' Fuyuuta on YT so these will have to do:
 

Still one of their best songs, and a great closer at that.
 

Technically this is from an EP, but still, man what a way to end that EP.

For me, probably the best ever is Dir En Grey's 'Mode of Adam'. The way it kicks in is just plain astounding.
 
Plus, dat bass line
 

Any intro GazettE comes out with.

I would say: If you hear the bell sound clearly, it sounds like the rain