Wind

DUM SPIRO SPERO II: The MOOing.

Wow, now that's a hard piece of news to swallow. TRIBAL CHAIR has been putting out consistently good music since before I got into the Japanese scene. This is saddening news, but hopefully something new will come from it.

I am SUCH disappoint.

Actually, hearing Onmyou-gamesh might not be a bad thing at all.

Bah! Here is to hoping for future collaborations with, nah. sfp gone is just sadness.

I might be the only getting this, but do I sense a Pay money To my Pain vibe?

I'm actually really digging "STIGMA" as a track. The electronic elements are fine for me, since I usually dig electronic influences, and Natsuki's harsh vocals have, well, gotten harsher? I like the feel of them. They're rough, harsh, and very much like they should sound. "Trusty" sounds like an OZ song, until those dual clean vocals. This combined with "STIGMA" has me thinking that maybe they're recent shift from -OZ- to OZ (and obviously them going major) also encountered a shift in production staff (most assuredly). Perhaps a new producer who likes vocal layers? Either way, this should be a new standard for an OZ song to be compared to - it has catchy alt. metal lead guitar parts and a pop-ish chorus portion. It could be any filler song on an album if it needed to be. "Blast" is probably my least favorite track, as it subtracts the strong points of OZ's song-writing ability - their pop sensibility. It's pretty bland, with the only interesting portion being the punkish group vocals in the "chorus." I almost expect Emmure to pop out and start going at it with their big-heavy-fitted-cap-breakdowns (see: http://youtu.be/xn2A_dXoIAA ). "Flash back" almost sounds like OZ's ode to DEG with their guitar tones and the pulsing bass work along with the higher wavering vocal format. then again, after hearing the new 12012 album, maybe I'm just hearing things. Not a "bad" tr5ack by any means, but I can see why it ended up as a B-side.

Drongstea. Din. Tei. I don't EVEN, NO! I DO want to hear it!

Well, this was a nice surprise. I haven't actually enjoyed a MUCC single as much as this one in quite a while. I'll use the track-by-track format, since it seems to be so popularly regarded. I will not give idnividual scores for songs, but I will give an overall score at the end. 1. NIRVANA Again, a very nice surprise. MUCC has seemingly both transposed and dismissed their earlier attempts at incorporating electronica and have opted instead for a more reverb-heavy version that seems to be a more natural progression for their rock-ish tendencies. That is not to say that the electronics are absent - honestly, MUCC hasn't had an electronica free release since...what, Houyoku? At any rate, the electronic elements are well played in NIRVANA. They support the music with their addition, but don't overpower anything about the players themselves. This is the thing that sets this track apart from their previous efforts (lookin' at you Arcadia/Akatsuki). This feels like a MUCC song. Tatsurou's vocals are actually stronger than they have been in awhile. During the first chorus you can really feel him rev into gear and continue to hold strong with his usual flares. I'm almost tempted to be reminded of "Saishuu Ressha," or "Libra," but with, well, better singing. This is, in all regards to me, a return to style for MUCC. 2. Barusu (Balse) A bit about this track first off: The name is probably "Barusu," a reference to the magic words in the Ghibli film, "Tenkuu no Shiro Laputa/Laputa: Castle in the Sky" which are part of the finale. I won't go into details (go watch the bleeding film, it's a classic), but this song references "Horobi no kotoba wo tsukaitai na" (I want to use the words of destruction) which is a pretty decent indicator (again: go watch the film). As far as the song goes, it's a real banger. Satochi gets this real nice beat going, while Yukke and Miya both get to support with some solid god's-be-damned rock sound. Tatsurou still manages to be up front, but not by nearly as much as usual. Now kids, this is the important part; while MUCC has always been a band before, they have always tended to focus on, well, Tatsurou's vocals. Not a bad thing per-say, but it leans towards old after awhile. "Barusu" manages to bring the whole group together. There are no electronics. There is rock and feeling. Everybody participates and is exceedingly necessary for the song to work. This is forward movement, people. 3. NIRVANA -MOONBUG REMIX- I for one like dubstep and can find enjoyment in brostep. I hope that makes this clear when I say I like the elements used in this remix. If you like dubstep, and you liked NIRVANA, then you will probably be pretty cool with this remix. It's fun and at least a little bit entertaining, while also retaining a good beat. I will totally be jogging to this. Skipping the TV Size version of NIRVANA. It's a fine snippet of a good song. --- Anyway, now that my thoughts are out of the way, here are my final feelings on NIRVANA as a whole. This was a good single. It had a great A-track and an interesting b-side, while the second b-side was truly an omake in most Japanese sense of the way - something extra. If you find fault in the style of the songs that MUCC put in here, then perhaps your tastes just don't sit that well with MUCC as they are right now. "Shion" was a good departure for them, so maybe go listen to it a few more times and give NIRVANA a try again later? 9/10

My only response to this can be "Wut."

Tora's vocals were decent indeed - her is to hoping this guy can fill his shoes.

I may be ungrounded in this, but it's possible that the title of the artbook/single is not "Tsuyu no Lotus" but "Arawa no Lotus." Tsuyu in this context doesn't make much sense, seeing as it means dew, where arawa means exposure or bareness. We'll probably see once lyrics or a furigana bit are released, but just wanted to bring that up :X

I think I'm in love with this track list.

Notoriously good hardcore punk band FC FiVE have called it quits after more than 12 years. The decision was made and delivered in a statement in October via the band, specifically stating that the band members had "decided to pursue new fights." The band have decided to conclude with a final tour, an EP titled "My Strife EP" featuring a re-recording of two songs as well as a new song, and an album titled "THE ANTHEMS" featuring re-recordings of 20 songs from their 4 previous albums and 5 EPs. Tour dates: Fc Five Last Tour 2012 2/19(日) 柏Alive 「Last Tour Kick Off 2man Show」 w/kamome kamome Open 18:00/Start 19:00 Ticket 2,500円 SOLD OUT!! 3/21-25 東南アジア 4/7(土) 大阪Sunhall 4/8(日) 名古屋Club Zion 4/21(土) 福岡Early Believers 4/28(土) 札幌Klub Counter Action 4/29(日) 旭川Casino Drive 5/12(土)代官山Unit 5/12(日)つくばParkdiner "Final Show" My Strife EP [2012.01.18] 1,My Strife 2,Rather Be Dead 3,Forver(Umea Version) The Anthems [2012.02.22] 1,Enter 2,Evolve 3,Strange Days 4,Never Say Good Night 5,New Greed 6,A Thousand Shams 7,Jaded Hope 8,Super Bloom 9,Cowards 10,Dawn Break 11,Eclipse 12,My Strife 13,Generations 14,Stolen Things 15,Change Sorrow Into Rage 16,Truth Has Gone 17,Watching The Sky 18,The Man Who Killed The World 19,Dandelions Blues 20,Come To The End --- Sad day to be a hardcore fan

ASPARAGUS have announced they will release their 5th full album "PARAGRAPH" on February 29th, 2012. It will be released through 3P3B and contain 14 songs as well as see a list price of 2,800yen plus tax. The band was formed by vocalist/guitarist Watanabe Shinobu after CAPTAIN HEDGE HOG, his previous band, broke up in 2002 after almost 10 years ('93-'02, small re-union in '09) and several albums and EPs. Together with former NICE MARBLES bassist Yamashita Shuuichirou and Ichise Masakazu, formerly of popcatcher, they put out their first album "TIGER STYLE" at the end of 2002, and have been fairly active since (though Yamashita was replaced by former SHORT CIRCUIT bassist Hara Naou in 2006), though with noticeable silence since the release of "MONT BLANC" in 2007 - one single and download only song between then and now. A Promotional video for the song "MEND OUR MINDS" has been released to support the release of "PARAGRAPH." c_HJ5iW1JGI

I am disappoint

Demetori have been saying they'll put out a new album for almost two years now though. Hell, a new album was supposed to surface at C79 last year, and was "pushed back" to M-3 Spring this years. Then nothing. When they get some album details up, like an album name or tracklist, then maybe I'll believe. Until thne I'll just go listen to Manenjushaka or Sendaisoushi again.

"君に、胸キュン。-浮気なヴァカンス-" is a Yellow Magic Orchestra cover btw. It was also used as the ED for the first Maria-Holic anime, though again, it was a cover version. Not gonna lie, I actually prefer SFP post-major debut. Their indie stuff tended to be a little too indie for me. "futuristic imagination" as a whole speaks wonders about the direction they've taken in their career for the past three years, and for the better if I may.

Not that it lessens the sadness of his passing, but a bit of clarification is necessary; the member who passed away of a heart attack, Hiroyuki Tai, was not the keyboardist/guitarist of BEAT CRUSADERS when they broke up/took a break last year. He was the first keyboardist/guitarist from the band when they started in 1997 until 2003, when he and two of the other members left the band to form ANITA CHILI PEPPERS. While Hiroyuki Tai was a member of BECR, I feel it may lead people to believe that the one who has died was Tanabe Keita, the latter keyboardist from 2003-2010, if we merely say that he was an "ex-BEAT CRUSADERS." That completely aside, it is still rather sad to see a person so young and active in the musical community die - of an easily survivable problem of all things.

Zesshoku: Junius, just sayin.

I added two or three albums to your recommendation list in the other topic, so give it a whirl if you wish. On the subject of the Prodigy, I cannot say I've ever been a terribly huge fan. Every time i hear a song by them, I then get hit by a remix of it and generally, the remix ends up better. Specifically "Voodoo People" and "Smack My Bitch Up" have some brilliant remixes out there, but in no case whatsoever do the originals ever seem to eclipse these. It seems as if The Prodigy are almost making songs with the specific intention of having them remixed, instead of creating songs that are brilliant.

I'm going to suggest a few things on the usual end of my spectrum, so let's see what happens pmtoday - In Media Res (Progressive Rock / Post Hardcore) The best description I have ever given of this album is if Coheed & Cambria had a child with The Fall of Troy. The vocals are are a quirk, but by no means are they bad, and the instrumentation is full of energy and punch, along with a good amount of goddamn tier skill. Protest The Hero - Scurrilous (Progressive Metal) I cannot say anything bad about them except for the possibility of their lyrics being a tad forced at times, and considering the flair with which they perform the songs themselves, I'm not sure even that is a bad thing. Bloody excellent performers with a math-y flair for taste. Thrice - Beggars (Post Hardcore / Experimental Rock) My favorite album by Thrice since their turn toward art rock back in 2005. This record has such an organic feel to it when compared with other bands, its hard to believe that Thrice were once hardcore punk band with melodic hardcore underpinnings.

Calling it: Self cover of 13's Reborn (with current sound). Everyone dies as a result.

I'm really hoping lynch. is pulling a DEG with this preview. You know, how they pick possibly the worst spot in the song to pull a preview from, and then surprise everyone with awesome? If not, then this is a pretty lackluster lynch. song it seems. =/

....Huh. Go figure. To quote Zesshoku, as others have done: