Zeus

1. It's not in English. I don't play Japanese music for my friends often, but when I do it's instrumental or with good English vocals because the minute they hear Japanese, I know 95% of them will stop listening. People want to understand what the song is about and you can't do that with Japanese music if it's all in Japanese. The vocals that are in English still have a distinctly Japanese quality to them, and that turns off a lot of native speakers. That leaves a very small group of people to make a big impression for everyone. Not a great way to start.
    
2. Rock music is not mainstream in America right now. It's hip hop, pop, and r&b that runs the air waves. It's not a bad thing, but I find i digest these genres of music differently than I do rock and metal, and people that have not grown up with rock and metal may never have developed a taste for it. I've always heard that rock and metal is the closest thing to classical music in the modern era, and on the same note I don't find many people appreciate Bach and Mozart for what it is. It just doesn't "move them".
    
3. Anime was considered taboo and nerdy up until recently, when now all of a sudden it became cool to watch Dragon ball Super and My Hero Academia and other big-name shounen. Anime and Japan are always seen as synonymous to the barely acquainted, so anime and rock music are also tied together by virtue of this rock music being from Japan. Stupid associations, but that's how it is. Considering just how bad a lot of anime themes are, I can see people associating the worst of J-pop themes with all Japanese music.
    
4. Consider this 3.5, but the people that were first promoting the music were deep into the scene, like "appropriating parts of Japanese language and unironically dressing like a visual kei rocker" deep. They...did not make the best ambassadors for visual kei music. On the other side of the coin, the Japanese indie scene has always been a smaller group covering a wider range of music, cloistered and secluded on private servers and trackers. They wanted to preserve their culture the way it was, so they weren't exactly interested in proselytizing their music to a wider audience. Y'all gotta realize peeps like @CAT5are the exception to the rule.
    
5. Japanese record companies in general do a pretty shit job of marketing themselves and their music to a wider audience, which is perplexing to me because the anime industry is absolutely KILLING IT right now. They jumped onto the digital distribution wave too late and by that time, the fad had already started diminishing. We have no equivalent to Crunchyroll to have a legal bridge between record companies and interested Western audiences. HearJapan was close, but in some ways I think it was too ahead of its time and never got the support it needed once everyone involved realized it wouldn't be a 1-2-3 smash hit.

 

I always maintained that I would be a sensation or "the next Jimi Hendrix" if I took a bunch of my favorite J-Rock and visual kei songs and sung them in English...

7 minutes ago, dannemannen said:

Is Ningen wo Kaburu a sign that DeG has lost it? Or that the members just don't give a shit about the band anymore?

 

The only catchy/good/ part about the song is 2 seconds of the chorus. Everything else feels so generic and un-inspiring. Generic intro, generic verse, generic bridge, generic outro. I cant believe they have been active for 20 years, and 20 years of experience leads to this, this is what they have come to be.

 

Im really sad. 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure about that. I don't think the band has lost anything. I get the opposite impression actually, that the band is still trying to find a new sound but they are a few places removed from where they want to be. There's definitely a certain sound and aesthetic that they are chasing, but what that is I could not tell you. I also think it's really hard to come to a conclusion on one track + a re-recording + a live performance of the last single. Dir en grey are really good about keeping their cards close to their chest until they release a full album or EP, so I wouldn't lose faith until the entire next album pisses you off.

Compared to this live recording and some of the other B-sides we've got in the past, this live version of Utafumi is more than acceptable.
 

 

 

| dududududuDODODOOOO "Ash"

 

 

Love them or hate them, there's no doubt in my mind that everyone has an opinion on Dir en grey's newest single. They've been more cagey about describing the track or releasing samples ahead of time this time around, but the news came dripping in little by little. I was apprehensive of the new single at first because "詩踏み" as a package was disappointing, but it turns out that this single speaks only good things about the next album.

 

The new single leaves a better impression on me with the first few listens. "詩踏み" was good, but not very memorable for me. "人間を被る" sounds like a mix between "un deux" and "咀嚼", inspired by the same feelings as "詩踏み" with different construction. This is not a bad thing as a fan of ARCHE. "人間を被る" shakes off a lot of the lethargy and awkwardness in the transitions between song sections. The track flows more naturally than "詩踏み" . I appreciate that Kyo is relying more on his mid-range and less on his extreme gutturals and shrieks because it gives the track more body. The ending feels purposefully unfinished and does not work as a substitute for an opening for "ash". 

 

Given Dir en grey's reputation for remakes, I dreaded what "Ash" would become. Luckily, we got a great remake this time. It sounds like the song it's supposed to cover. "Ash" now has four separate recordings - the 1997 version from Behind the Mask Vol. 2, the 1998 version on 「楓」～if trans･･･～, the 2000 B-side on 脈, and now the 2018 re-recording. It hurts that the track is only four and a half minutes long - the shortest version of all by a full minute - but it's a good four tracks. The meat and rhythm of the melody is the same, but I'm indifferent on the new lyrics. I'm too used to hearing the original ones. The constant use of vocal fry as backing vocals is another minor, annoying addition. The acoustic solo in the middle is the highlight of the single because it spices up the pacing of the single and sets the song up nicely for the electric guitar solo. The step-up technique at the end was preserved, but is also my least favorite out of all three versions of "Ash". It could have used more maniacal laughing at the end or more electronic effects to amp up the intensity. I have to say that I still prefer the 2000 version of this song the best, but at least it doesn't completely butcher the feel of the track a la "羅刹国" or "Obscure", so not all is lost.

 

The live version of "詩踏み" is a bonus to give the whole package some weight and to justify the price tag. As small of a comment as it is, Kyo sounds good here. Previous B-side live recordings were the epitome of filler because Kyo sounded terrible, and really left a bad impression on what the band was capable of live. Like I said, I didn't care too much about it upon initial release and I still don't care too much for it now. The track loses a bit of impact in its translation to disk, but for what it's worth the track sounds like it works amazingly well live. It's may even be more true for "人間を被る".

 

 

On 4/17/2018 at 8:52 PM, Saishu said:

No one ever recommends Nega to a reaction channel. 

I was thinking about covering them at a later date. I remember everyone called "muddy cult" the new OBSCURE but after watching OBSCURE again a few times and writing up my thoughts, I don't feel like that is accurate. The main difference is that OBSCURE can pretend to have a little bit of art house flair, but muddy cult has no deeper meanings to it. Sure, maybe I can twist your arm like your high school English teacher and discuss the color of the drapes or some other bullshit and connect that to Jin's depression, but really I think they made that entire video to be disgusting and obscene. OBSCURE is about abortion and muddy cult is about rape, and only one of those songs is something people want to listen to more than once in a while. Same reason why everyone wants a Mazo re-recording but no one wants a Mazo re-recording, you know?

8 hours ago, Saishu said:

Obscure PV has now been reduced to reaction bait. 

You sure that's not muddy cult?

I'm pretty sure the video is about something and the lyrics go along with it, but I also think Dir en grey is smarter than to admit what it ~really~ is.

2 hours ago, BrenGun said:

No.. then still those international bans should be in the international forum.

 

But people don't want to split up the news forum in non-visual and visual news.  Because we could use a tag. but we never really did vote for it tho.

or @Zeusmaybe shall we vote for it? 

 

There's 600 pages of topics in the news forum that the staff would have to sort out into two forums, and 99% of the content would never be seen by another pair of eyes ever again. That's more than both the dl forums combined. A physical split at this point is not happening.

We could explore a tag system for that if enough people request it in a new topic. For now let's keep this topic for the international visual kei subforum.

Do we need another subforum for international visual kei music that would not quite fit in the international or the visual kei subforum? Or do you think that the subforum for international music is enough? If enough votes are acquired saying "Yes", I will make a new forum.

but what if there are only two stalls?

 

 

 

"OBSCURE" is one of the most graphic and notorious music videos ever crafted within visual kei, catapulting the band back into the spotlight after a sudden stylistic shift sent their fans into a frenzy. It's famous for both its shock value and its strong anti-abortion stance. Abortion isn't a dinner table conversation in any country, but I've always sensed that there's an extra level of taboo attached to this topic in Japanese circles. So naturally, Dir en grey went the extra mile with some of the best CGI 2004 could buy. Is there some actual meaning behind this imagery, or is it all shock value?

 

Watching it back now, this video isn't as extreme as a younger, more impressionable me thought. I discovered that there's mostly memorable segments, but most of the video is the band rocking out in a dingy room with bodies hanging from the ceiling. These also are the least offensive parts of the video too, unless you have a particular hate for vomit, leather, or white contact lenses. And if you do, how are you a visual kei fan? Anyway, the room resembles a hospital or a jail, although it's probably the back of an old fishing warehouse. There's nothing else to really discuss here.

 

I tried my hardest to weave together a story that makes sense. The closest I can get is depictions of their anguish over this topic and how it's treated, which could be all they were going for. The main scenes cycle throughout the course of the video, and each of these scenes seem unconnected to the others. To sum it up: there's a demon orgy, robot cocks, a monk ripping a baby's head apart covered in ofuda screaming to the Lord of Light, a dissected half robot/woman creation on a table with a mad doctor, circus performers, depictions of the band as monsters mutilating themselves, and of course the infamous demon geisha eating the apple baby head. The meaning of some scenes are obvious: the orgy depicts sexual irresponsibility, the circus is about how the topic is treated as a joke, and the doctor and robot is supposed to resemble abortion and the act of playing god.  Several elements appear in different contexts, such as the geisha and baby heads. The woman on the table is shown as not in control of her body, the doctor with the huge forceps symbolizes the invasiveness of the procedure, the ofuda which covers the monk is meant to ward off evil, and the constant depiction of monsters and demons is meant to associate abortion with bad omens. The rest of this music video is pure shock value and there's no real meaning to anything.

One thing I should mention before wrapping this up is that Dir en grey threw some serious shade at men in this music video. During the orgy scenes, the women have bare faces but the men are all covered with masks. I have several interpretations of this. One parallel I immediately noticed was to (surprisingly) porn, where it's all too common for the woman's face to be visible but the man is a secondary figure, and videos are associated with the woman and not the man. On a deeper level, it's also commentary on the unequal burden pregnancy puts on women. The men literally "don't see" what happens when they orgasm (hint: the women stop enjoying the orgy and start bleeding out their mouths with pained expressions on their faces), they don't have to deal with it, and they can carry on not caring, mouths transfixed in a smile. I dug deeper into the whole mask angle, and discovered that in Japanese mythology, oni masks refer to the belief in a spirit world in which demons carry out their roles of punishing the unjust and evil, as well as spreading disease. Double dip on the whole "spreading disease" = "venereal disease" bit if you want, but I don't think it goes that far. I think Dir en grey feel that men who do this and don't care are literally demons and worse than the women, but clearly the whole eating the baby's head idea also associates certain kinds of women with demons too. The band themselves aren't exactly human either, with Shinya's deformed body and Kyo's lovely tentacle mouth, so perhaps the band thinks everyone is a demon and that everyone is responsible?

As far as PV's go for visual kei bands, this one is near the top in terms of effort and production values, even for today's standards. I'm sure there's more left to be discussed. What do you think?

So he's returned to visual kei...bwtter be THE EIGHT levels of polished or were not going to have a good time. He should call up Kenzi from AF and get some studio time going 

2 hours ago, GreatNorthernVK said:

I don’t understand the appeal behind novelty acts like Golden Bomber. Why even bother releasing physical music releases if the performers aren’t the original musicians? And why buy it (looking at you, Japan)? It kind of reminds me of that “California Raisins” tape that my parents bought for me when I was five.

That's why I don't buy Kidz Bop.

Dir en grey is still visual kei.

 

 

Hey everyone! It's been a while since our last Recommended Tracks segment since we moved from a monthly release to a quarterly release. That means there's plenty of new music for us to nerd out over, and so far 2018 has not disappointed us!  New format, same good quality of thoughts and music. Hopefully you see something you like and find something new too!

 

@Zeus' picks

"THE IIID EMPIRE" by Dir en grey

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Dir en grey's newest album VESTIGE OF SCRATCHES is a mammoth three-disc collection of all the tracks that represent the band at their finest. The collection spans twenty years and nearly three different phases of the band's career, so it was really hard to pick one track to highlight the whole album. I eventually settled on "THE IIID EMPIRE (2018)" for several reasons. The first is that it's one of the few Dir en grey re-recordings where the new version of the track isn't an experimental mess or bloated with half-baked ideas that didn't work as well as intended. It keeps all the aspects of the original which made it entertaining while also throwing in another helping of metal and harsh vocals to push the track towards the extreme in all the right places. The production amplifies this raw feeling. I can see this track bringing a crowd to a fever pitch. It doesn't represent all of Dir en grey, but it represents everything about them that I like.

 

 

"無礼王 (Burei Ou)" by Develop one's faculties

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Develop one's faculties is one of the more curious up and coming visual indie bands of the last few years, always dropping music that is at worst consistent and enjoyable. Their newest album, 不恰好な街と僕と君 (Bukakkou na Machi to Boku to Kimi), continues this legacy and "無礼王" is the standout bop from this release. It's one of those album songs that's so good, it could work as a single. Effects buzz in and around the sound stage as the band seduces the listener with a spicier delivery to the verses and a subtly shifting melody that explodes into the refrain at the end. It's so catchy and infectious, with a chorus that can get stuck in your head far after it's done. This could be the track that tips listeners on the fence into the camp of DOF, if this style of music is up your alley.

NOTE: I could not find the video for this song so I linked the album digest 

 

 

"The Gate To My Funeral" by Earthstream

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Earthstream sits high on the council for melodic death metal realness, with Earth Scream bringing old school death metal sensibilities into a new era. The polish of the entire album from beginning to end is a testament to the chemistry all the band members have - they started as a pair of graduates of Tokyo University with a passion for this style of music - and the best example of all of these qualities is the song "The Gate to My Funeral". A mix of crushing heavy and black metal riffs and synth in the verses contrasts well with the power metal flourishes of the choruses, and the throaty yet subdued gutturals are a nice change of pace from what passes as harsh vocals in visual kei. @kurenaishineek's comparison to early Blood Stain Child was accurate, and I can also safely recommend this to those who enjoy doujin artists in the vein of Imperial Circus Dead Decadence, Thousand Leaves, or Kissing the Mirror.

 

 

@tetsu_sama69's picks

"傷痕" by キズ (Kizu)

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An explosive opening sets an energetic tone for the jam packed powerhouse of a song titled "傷痕 (Kizuato)" from Kizu. Surprisingly I didn't expect vocalist LIME to have such diversity when it comes to executing such rough vocals, shifting from screams and clean so perfectly. The whole track exists as a headbanger's delight with non-stop instrumentals and a drum line that carries "Kizuato" from beginning to end. Kizu also manages to compose an amazing song that does overwhelm you with unnecessary synths and doesn't need a guitar solo to fill any gaps because it's such a solid track. Granted it's somewhat obvious there are some "CHILD PREY" (by DIR EN GREY) influences in the style but Kizu has put in a spin on it in their own way making it stand out as more than a possible homage. If Kizu hasn't made a blip on the visual radar yet for anyone out there "Kizuato" should definitely get them more attention for the long term.

 

 

 

"アンインテリジブル" (Unintelligble) by Develop one's faculties

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I haven't been able to get this song out of my head since it first appeared as a taste of what is to come from Develop One's Faculties' 2nd album 不恰好な街と僕と君 (Bukakkou na Machi to Boku to Kimi). "Unintelligible" is an unforgettable banger from it's spoken lyrics to its musical composition. Also you'll have a hard time resisting the urge to count down from 7 over and over after listening to it. Its frantic rhythm and infectious instrumentals are doing a fantastic job at setting the bar high for the current generation of visual bands. One of my favorite parts is the sudden piano break that flows perfectly with the eccentric lifeblood that makes "Unintelligible" thrive. 不恰好な街と僕と君 (Bukakkou na Machi to Boku to Kimi) as a whole album is fantastically solid and definitely is on my personal list for best of the year so far. If "Unintelligible" has sunk its hooks into you then you should try the rest of the release.

 

"LOVELESS" by DARIAN MARIAN

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DARIAN MARIAN's 1st release "Loveless" falls nothing short of a band that's composed of 3/4's of GENGAH's previous members. There's a lot of talent packed into this group and all of it shows. "Loveless" is jam-packed with delightfully solid instrumentals and spiced with a vocalist that's hard to get enough of. The guitars are a treat from giving the song a haunting presence to shifting to a surge of powerful riffs and solos, I just wish the bass lines had a bit more of a shine but it doesn't take anything from "Loveless" as a whole. DARIAN MARIAN's "Loveless" appears as a taste of things to come for the future establishing their style without pulling any punches. It's great to see Hajime (now Seijiro) return to the scene with a band that can compose great songs such as "Loveless" and I can only hope their future release "poison" is just as amazing.

@fitear1590's picks

"ヴィーナスの恋人" (Lover from Venus) by クウチュウ戦 (Koochewsen)

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If there's one current band that never fails me, it's Koochewsen. In their first digital single, they experiment with a softer side, with feathery synths and warm strumming forging a supple, dreamy atmosphere. In the song's outro, the keyboardist Kaoru takes me back to 90s Sega video game soundtracks and the group rocks out in their more typical, proggy fashion. The accompanying video is also charmingly perplexing.

 

 

"Shedding" by The fin

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Based on the singles released leading up to The fin.’s next album There, they are further exploring the wispier sound of their previous Through the Deep EP. While I've taken some issue with this development in the past, as every track starts to sound like just an interlude, "Shedding" introduces some much-needed edge into the band's sound. Rhythmic pulsating synths make for an engaging, driving beat to this promotional track. And visually, an aspect where the group has never faltered, we're treated to yet another display of sumptuous cinematography.

 

 

"貴方だけを壊して飾ってみたい〜Chantyの世界へようこそ2〜 ver." (Anata dake o kowashite kazatte mitai〜Chanty no sekai e yokosou 2〜 ver.) by Chanty

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Chanty is such an important band for visual kei. Seamlessly blending indie rock guitar with more traditional VK flare (Akuta's exaggerated vocals and tons of fake blood in the PV), the band continues to capitalize on their crossover appeal. For the occasion of their second full album, they've revamped one of their previous live-limited singles. Deeper bass, crispier riffs and drumming, and a more confident vocal performance make for a very commendable rerecording--even better than the original, which was already a hit!

 

 

"偽りのシンパシー ft.アイナ・ジ・エンド(BiSH)" False Sympathy ft. AiNA THE END (BiSH) by MONDO GROSSO

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MONDO GROSSO's "Labyrinth" proved to be one of my favorite tracks and videos from 2017.  I did not expect to be impressed by this electronic solo artist again so soon. From the new album Attune / Detune, "False Sympathy" features a slow, loungey 'heartbeat' (emphasis on beat) that gradually grows into a house banger. AiNA THE END (from BiSH) overlays her sultry vocals to dynamic effect, matching the different moods the track jumps through. Plus, her evocative dance choreography pairs well with the video's intimate shallow focus, one-take shooting style, and simple light design. Perhaps, the only visual misstep is the gratuitous reliance on panty shots that will make you think you're watching a live-action version of Najica Blitz Tactics.

 

 

"Sanfransokyo Girl" by Satellite Young

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I have a pretty low and specific tolerance for the use of Engrish in Japanese music, but the new PV track from self-proclaimed '80s synthpop duo' Satellite Young does just the trick for me! The melodies, the drum beats... everything is set to transport you back a few decades to a twinkling world where everything is dripping in neon pink and curacao blue. This brand-new PV comes off the band's awesome 2017 self-titled album, but this nostalgic group needs some more love here on MH.

 

 

"掌で踊る" (tenohira de odoru) by そこに鳴る (sokoninaru)

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Sokoninaru have often drawn comparisons to ling tosite sigure, thanks to their highly frenetic approach to composition. While the technical acrobatics always impress me, I do wonder if most of the enjoyment is in the precise production of the studio recording, which highlights every flourish of bass, each creative drum fill, and all of the guitar wankery. I get the feeling that the band just wouldn't sound as spectacular performing live, but hey, that's just speculation. In any case, if you're digging this PV track, be sure to check out their fourth mini-album ゼロ (zero) coming out May 9.

 

 

@emmny's picks

"Chocolate Passion" by 凛として時雨 (Rin Toshite Shigure)

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Surprisingly, the way I got into Japanese music wasn't through visual kei *gasp*. Before I was a professional weeaboo, I was a die hard indie rocker. By some odd turn of events, I was put onto Rin Toshite Shigure. I was watching a documentary on same-sex rights in Asia, and there was a song in the film that was so dazzlingly beautiful that I had to hunt it down. It was melancholy, the vocals were this ungendered wailing whisper, floating over a jangling acoustic guitar and lone clean lead line. I didn't have to look far, it was in the description--"eF" by Rin Toshite Shigure, except in the original kanji. I had no clue what this was or meant, but i google searched it and found the track belonged to a Japanese alternative rock band with math-rock and shoegaze influences. I was in love before I even listened to the rest of their stuff, but if you're familiar with the band, you know few of their songs are ballads like "eF". So, I was in for a rude awakening. I also remember the first song I listened to after was "Telecastic fake show", and what a fucking thrill that was. It was unlike anything I had ever heard, and still remains to be unique among the thousands of artists I've listened to--the screeching guitars, dueling male/female vocals, punchy basslines, skeletal drums. I remember going to the dentist with my brother and my dad, and I was so obsessed by the band at this point, I was blasting "nakano kill you" going down the main road with the windows open, and attempting to scream along and explaining just why this band is so good. It was 2013. They also happened to release their last full-length album five years ago, but 2018 brings a follow up to 2013's i'mperfect with #5 on Valentine's Day, after a string of ani-song releases and TK's solo efforts. Most of my peers on here will argue that the magic that brought us to Rin Toshite Shigure has since died down--hell, it was on the downswing even when I had discovered them--and I have no answer for them. As for me, I'm just happy to recall those lovely memories as I sat and typed out this spiel, "Chocolate Passion" playing in the background. The unhinged frenzy and punk energy has quieted down significantly, but what can you expect from a band active for the past 16 years? While they now come in this polished, shiny package, the song writing is still razor-sharp, with a few surprises here and there. Keep this track in mind for when the weather warms up, Rin Toshite Shigure have done an exceptional job of sound tracking that summer angst, so play it with the windows down and try to forget what could've been.

 

 

"毒苺" (Dokuichigo) by  ヴァージュ(Virge)

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Virge gives us the 90's revivalist razzle-dazzle once again, but this time changing the palette. The Virge-isms are still there, plodding bass, saccharine vocals, dramatic synths and gyakudai-inciting-shouts. The notable surprises include more treble-y guitar chords, a throwback lead-line, cinematic solo, and a fast-moving rhythm section. Also, I don't know who produced this but its an incredible change from their awfully-mixed prior releases, everything occupies its space in the mix with harmony. The opening hits with a thick, audible bassline following the 90's-chords and lead by Sizuki, who has improved a heck-ton since first debuting with MALISEND. A vocal solo by Ryo leads the song into a breakdown with heavy toms by Aru, and an ominous instrumental from both guitarists. The vocals come back in, and drumming fills lead to harsh vocals, Grieva-style. This is barely the first minute, but it's exhilarating just how much they throw at the listener before they even get to the chorus at the near halfway mark of the song. Listen further to catch all the frills in the track, especially the signature, dazzling chorus. A convoluted structure doesn't mean this is a great song, but the mix of stylistic reverence and novelty, sharp songwriting and improved musicianship make Virge the hottest name in the old school revival.

 

"Invisible Individual" by IIII-Ligro-

 

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IIII-Ligro have an odd cult following on here, probably also characteristic of their band's live attendance. Admittedly, they're a one hit wonder for most, with only "Higanbana" infiltrating the ranks of vk-PV-compilation-youtube at 100k views. If they're not known by name for their music, whether it be one track or others, it's for the way they left. Thank god that is all in the wind, as the band have revived with the intent of producing serious music. Some preface to their new-ish sound, IIII-Ligro's revival style has been around in some way or another even after the band originally went on hiatus in the form of various sessions bands, as covered here by our fantastic @Zeus. Their session work hinted at their new direction by way of the very, very apparent UROBOROS by DIR EN GREY influence. This is in full "Blossoming Beezlebub" mode with "INVISIBLE INDIVIDUAL" *see what i did there?* ;). It's a bit later down the career trajectory of their favourite band, but without the full on deathcore vibe. 99% of bands that attempted that era of DEG either wiped out, promptly stopped, or gave us such foul shit that'll never be wiped from our collective consciousness. The two tracks IIII-Ligro have shown us so far bite the trend, and give a solid chance at being the 1% to actually do the challenging, progressive era justice. The song floats, bobbing up and down with the tide but staying at a mostly dirgy, slow pace. Hinata's vocals anchor the chaotic instrumental, taming the dueling guitars, shifting drumlines and rumbling basswork. There's not much of a pop structure at play here, but the song isn't entirely free form either. While the band are giving us a challenging showing, they aren't being played by the song, if that makes any sense. Here's to a new trailblazer in the indies scene, and who might end up out-DEGing DEG.

 

@plastic_rainbow's picks

 

"this is 芸術" (this is Geijutsu) by Develop One's Faculties

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The newest album from Develop One's Faculties, 不恰好な街と僕と君 (Bukakkou na Machi to Boku to Kimi), is admittingly weaker than their previous releases, but the one new track that stood out to me was "this is 芸術". Literally meaning 'this is art', the title seems to mock the VK scene or perhaps it's merely a justification of their definition of 'art'. In any case, they certainly know they're the saviors of art-kei. The sly basslines, Yuya's signature rippling guitars and his irresistible vocals with his 'oh oh oh', you can't help but to sing along and move your body to this addictive rhythm. 

 

 

"Merry Ghost Land" by 爆烈ストーム!! ( Bakuretsu Storm!!)

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They may look cheap with their simple white hoodies splattered with an eye graphic design but at least they know what they're doing in terms of music. Bakuretsu Storm!! is a newcomer that brings a refreshing taste to the constant wave of mostly tone-deaf or average-sounding vocalists. Not often do we hear a new VK band with a vocalist that can, well, actually sing and give a strong impression once a song ends. "Merry Ghost Land" is both a light and dark song, with spooky chimes and heavy guitar riffs that introduce a spectral atmosphere, and soft clean vocals that give a lightheartedness to their not-so-creepy land of ghosts. Only problem with the song is that the drumming is a tad loud and could be toned down a bit. But other than that I can see the band going places in the future, most notably the vocalist, that is if they don't call it quits before the year ends.

 

@doombox's pick

"Modrý sen" by UQiYO

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I just recently stumbled onto UQiYO, an indie pop duo that have been working together in one form or another for the last eight years. The group began a monthly song release series, 'Monthly SHONEN UQiYO' last April, purposefully to question the usual album-style collection of songs and if it's necessary for the modern artist. "Modrý sen" (Trans: Blue Dream), their February offering, is a dreamy synth-pop journey with sparkling guitar and understated, somber vocals that hits you right in the feels.

 

 

@helcchi's picks

 

"輪廻" (Rinne) by リベリオ (RIBELIO)

 

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With song titles like “Aggression”, “Mass of Hatred” and “虐 (cruelty)”, it's no surprise that all of RIBELIO's output until now have been unadulterated heaviness. However that changes with their latest single ERROR MIND. “輪廻” (Rinne), the third track on the single, is a djent-driven plodding ballad filled with delicate nuances that blossom into a colorful flourish of melody. The song starts with typical RIBELIO fashion with its heavy riffage, but by the second half of the song, “輪廻” throws away all of their aggression as they allow their emotions and vulnerabilities to seep through. Minimal lyrics permeate the landscape of the song as the distorted guitars give way to clean tones, painting an imagery of sunlight shining through storm clouds. By the time this writing is published, RIBELIO will have already disbanded, leaving "輪廻" as their swansong. And as the music fades off, echoes of longing remain lingering in the air. Pouring every ounce of their creativity into this last endeavor, it is a touching goodbye. Despite being around for less than two years, the band has proven to be solid in their craft. Here's hoping that the musicians will continue their growth in the future.

 

 

 

"Garden in a Lost Place" by Narumi

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The SEED is the first solo EP of talented bombshell Narumi, best known as the guitarist from all-female metal bands Destrose and Disqualia. If the gorgeous album cover is any indication, this release is a departure from her usual heavy metal oriented songwriting as Narumi reveals her experimental side - an instrumental voyage of pure auditory bliss that boasts a unique view of the world painted through her guitar. "Garden in a Lost Place" opens up the EP and is an incredibly artistic fusion of prog, jazz and metal that is both an epic show of technicality as well as a subdued show of finesse. The song dips from menacing riffs to blazing guitar solos to ethereal and soothing melody, lightly accented by piano keys. The build-up is suspenseful as the song playfully flirts with the listener, climaxing in some impressive shredding and mellowing back to softness in a repeated cycle. As Narumi brings her aesthetics to life, the listener is transported to her 'lost garden' whilst her fingers dance across the fretboard, giving a visible cue of what's to come.

 

 

"ROTTEN ORANGE" by アクメ (ACME)

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Chisa may look like he hasn't aged a day since 2008, but his psyche certainly has. This song is the culmination of the emotional baggage of being in the scene for over 10 years, as the weight of maturity, experience and even disillusionment bear down on his latest band, ACME.

The band members must understand they're not new blood anymore; they've all been through the perennial revolving door of vk as indies artists, and have all reached moderate amounts of success. As their peers have either gained fame or dropped off the radar, it’s hard not to rest on one’s laurels, harder still to start over. But amidst the turmoil these members have experienced throughout their tenure in the vk industry, they’ve found enough time to innovate and reinvent themselves. "ROTTEN ORANGE" seems to be a commentary of the uninspired youth of today, as well as a metaphor for the shit they've been through thus far. But no matter how disenfranchised they may feel, the band is still driven by maniacal ambition and they unashamedly do what they need to get what they want.

In many ways, Chisa’s career mirrors that of Yuya from Develop One's Faculties. He just doesn’t know it yet. Both are the same age, entered the scene as teenagers, playing supporting roles on the left side of the stage as bassist and guitarist respectively, before taking the limelight as vocalists. Even their voices sound similar. But while Yuya took the art-kei route, literal Art School graduate Chisa chose to express his craft through a sensory overload of color. And the color featured in this song? Orange of course.

With a look and PV saturated in the citrus' color, themes of the famous A Clockwork Orange come to light, creating a conflicted picture of the clash between art and real life. Compare Chisa to labelmate UNiTE.'s permanently smily vocalist Yui, and I dare you to look into Chisa's perfectly dead eyes and say that oshare is just 'happy-go-lucky'. This song is a blend of old and new; a reflection of their former selves with sensibilities of DIV ringing most apparent, however we also see traces of the legacy that xTRiPx has left behind, only with guitars tuned lower than this band has ever gone before as Chisa bellows from the hollowest depths of his being, all wrapped up in a package filled with metalcore's trendiest riffs. 

 

 

@YuyoDrift's pick

 

KISS OF DEATH (Produced by HYDE) by 中島美嘉 (Mika Nakashima)

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This track screams of nostalgia from 2005’s "Glamorous Sky "(to which we coincidentally get a 2018 version of as well with the single), and serves to restore the 13-year long gap created between Anime and Rock fans that have long forgotten how well the Nakashima/HYDE collaboration sounds. With an alluring melody and use of electronic music that has been described as cocaine to the ears, you'll marvel at Nakashima's  ageless vocal capability that has earned her acclaim. While the combination of music styles may not impress everyone, I think we can all appreciate HYDE’s contribution of lyrics that compliment Nakashima's singing accordingly. "KISS OF DEATH" is one release you’ll want to add to your 2018 starter pack. This track is also featured as the opening theme song to science-fiction television anime DARLING in the FRANXX.

 

 

@qotka's picks

"「リストカットして」" (risutokattoshite) by ゴシップ (Gossip)

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Gossip's 吐愚弄-トグロ- (Toguro) opened 2018 with a bang. This album is almost 46 minutes of music intricately designed to break necks at livehouses, and "wrist-cut shite" embodies that lethal intent. This annoyingly catchy tune, like a large portion of the album, exists in the realm of ‘meta visual kei’ - the kind that breaks the fourth wall and talks directly about the scene, the fans and all the grimy background details involved. Whether this is a grotesque way to engage fans by touching upon a topic they’re presumably preoccupied with, or an ironic, maybe even critical take on menhera (an overt yet romanticized representation of mental illness and social deviance in a number of subcultures, including vkei), this is easily the most pleasantly cringy song of 2018 - you’re guaranteed to love it and hate yourself for it.

 

 

 

"やさしくしてね" (yasashiku shite ne) by ゴールデンボンバー (Golden Bomber)

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To some they’re that one-hit wonder gimmick band, to others they’re misunderstood geniuses who ‘have so much more than “memeshikute” to offer’. Either way, it’s hard to dispute Golden Bomber’s sheer ability to entertain both the masses and their dedicated fanbase, as they prove again in キラーチューンしかねえよ (kiraa chuun shika nee yo), an LP that lives up to its name and includes killer tunes only. やさしくしてね (“yasashiku shite ne”) is an up-beat, feel good pop song tinged with the bitterness of the tale it tells - the hard life of a Japanese office worker who’s about to give up. The composition shows deep understanding of how to write a simple and good J-pop song, and the words show that vocalist and lyricist Kiryuin Sho knows how to keep his project well on the seam between mainstream and underground, putting out a track that both tired salarymen can rock out to at karaoke night and their hardcore fans, who for the most part might not be a part of Japan’s ‘properly successful’ workforce, can, well, relate to. To us weeaboos and J-rock/pop enthusiasts it offers a glimpse into a very serious problem in Japanese society presented in a fun, humorous and honest manner - hooray!

Guest Contributions

@Ada Suilen's picks

 "Falling" by The GazettE

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This year's March has been a true musical battle, with plenty of interesting releases coming out and some long awaited comebacks. One of these, maybe the most anticipated one, is by The GazettE, who have been celebrating their 16th anniversary with an exquisite teaser of what's next. They have released a new song, "Falling", which can appear as typical and formulaic work by them; but upon close listen, it's instead a mixture of what characterizes them best. The vocal versatility, the dynamic metal melody, astonishing rhythms, compelling guitar work, and shocking visuals are all derived from their past albums. However, they build together something that I want to explore more with their ninth album this June. Are you ready for more Gaze-rock?

 

 

"エンド"  (End) by Reol

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Reol has been a great surprise since her debut on 2016 with Sigma, which I consider one of the most surprising Japanese pop releases of the recent years. Then the ensemble disbanded and I was quite disappointed by this, as I really loved their energetic and rebellious sound. But nothing is lost: Reol decided to go in soloist mode and she continues to be strong and surprising as always. The chosen track, coming from her first work Kyoko Shu, sees a radical change in her genre, going from beating electro-pop notes to a gloomy indie-ish pop rock, with dark visuals and a simple rhythm, anyway engaging. I hope that her comeback in this style will reward her more and more than her previous project.

 

 

@Mamo's pick

こわれはじめる  by SWARRRM

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Unlike a usual featured review blurb, this is going to be a review of SWARRRM's 5th album こわれはじめる (translated: Beginning to break) released February 16, 2018. First, a brief introduction of the band. SWARRRM is a legendary Japanese Grindcore band from Kobe, Hyogo, Japan (1996 – present). Before 2007 they went through several vocalists and were a pretty standard deathgrind band, but in 2007, Tukasa (2007-Present) (ex-Force, ex-Hellchild) joined the band and from that point on the band began to really explore the genre of Grindcore taking it into areas that most bands in the scene were against deviating from with their first album with Tukasa Black Bong (2007). Ever since the band has been more avant-garde and experimental sometimes incorporating elements of screamo, post-hardcore, power violence, and even rock. 

 

こわれはじめる (Beginning to break) contains remastered songs from the split singles: The Fierce Trinity w/Terror Squad (2015), Skylab Hurricane w/Disgunder (2016), 耐え忍び霞を喰らう w/killie (2017), and 1 song from V.A. ろくろ (2017) as well as several brand new songs. There are thirteen tracks in total. こわれはじめる doesn't stray away from the direction they've been heading with recent releases, this time using all of the of the elements from their last album Flower (2014) and also a lot from 20 Year Chaos (2016). If you haven't heard either I would highly recommend them). It takes you on chaotic twists and turns from slow melodic rock to insane grindcore blast beats and overly emotional vocals. Here are some of my favorite songs on the album.

 

Notable Tracks:

 

The first song "ここは悩む場所じゃない" (This Is Not the Place to Have a Dilemma) is very reminiscent of Envy using a slow tempo and more melodic guitar riffs throughout. It begins with a single pluck of an acoustic guitar I suppose to create that more mellow atmosphere right from  the start. The drum rhythm is definitely more post-hardcore than grindcore, but where you really see the grindcore elements is in the Tukasa's chaotic vocal sections in the chorus, followed by very good spoken word sections.

 

 

"愛のうた" (Song for love) is a song remastered and re-recorded originally from  耐え忍び霞を喰らう w/killie. This song is an emotional and chaotic build up beginning with more trade mark Tukasa babbling spoken word sections, and a steady melodic rock rhythm, followed by a a gradual bass line. The song continues in this style for about a minute then suddenly  explodes with some more Post-hardcore-esque vocals and the continuing melo rock guitar rhythm and a slow droning bass in the back ground, as well as blast beat drumming then right back to slow drumming. Then a long spoken word/screamed vocal section gradually fades back into another chaotic guitar rhythm with a slow droning bass in the background, as well as blast beat drumming before returning to slow drumming and some really nice Post-hardcore vocals. The songs explodes one last time before suddenly fading into abyss.

 

"自由" (Freedom) takes a more Grindcore/Screamo approach then the two previously mentioned songs. Beginning with a few acoustic guitar chords and then suddenly erupting into screams over a fast and heavy guitar rhythm. Some continuous slow and melancholic screams and with a consistently  melodic rock guitar and bass rhythm and and slow drum beats. Then some spoken word screaming vocals backed by the same melody. "自由" ends with some chaotic screams and a fast hardcore drum beat and guitar rhythm.

 

I truly think this album is must for any fan of Hardcore, Screamo, Post-hardcore, Grindcore, or Avant-Garde metal. I give こわれはじめる (Beginning to break) a 10/10 masterpiece and I believe it's the bands' best effort.

 

 

15 hours ago, inartistic said:

The llll is silent, apparently (リグロ). In my head I say “ill-ligro” though

 

Idk what the l's are for; maybe some bs about representing the four members or something? Or the more likely answer: it looks cool.

I always thought the l's stood for each band member as well as scars that someone could leave if they clawed at someone with every finger but the thumb (like nails on a chalkboard kinda thing).

This should not be disabled for anyone. I can check later today.

 

It's been three to four years since jazz band 8-eit went on a hiatus to "mature as a band". Based on the phrasing of the hiatus, I thought they would be gone from the scene for a few months, perhaps a year. I was not prepared for the 2007ish visual kei double-speak of "sorry, but we need to get our shit together" that extended their hiatus far past the patience of 95% of their fan base. They chose the worst time to stop; they finally found mild success, with their latest single (at the time) my bullet featured on Japanese commercials. Drama behind the scenes had other plans. For one, vocalist Tsubaki started his own solo project called Tsubaki-VOICE-, because in his mid-40's he saw this as his last opportunity to go solo. The old drummer and keyboardist departed from the band, while guitarist Daisuke Aradate left and returned. Tsubaki-VOICE- held activities for two to three years, but didn't see as much success as the 8-eit, and after a few mini-reunion gigs at weddings they decided on an official return late in 2017. I'm still not sure if the decision to pause activities was worth it. 8-eit slimmed down from a five-piece band to a four-piece band, found a new bassist and drummer, axed the keyboard, and oriented themselves in a direction between old 8-eit and Tsubaki-VOICE-. Their first album, yellow, was released late last year to little fanfare. I still haven't heard it, so I'll settle with a review of the music video of the lead single "yellow" for now.

 

I hadn't noticed how much I loved Matsubara Kiyoshi's (old keyboardist) contributions until I heard this song. I miss them dearly, but his absence doesn't break the music. It will take some adjustment, but there is a lot left to like. Tsubaki is energetic as always, and Daisuke still brings the jazzy rock licks and solos that I remember him for, but the jury is still out on the two new members. The drummer makes eye contact with the viewer on multiple occasions, but the bassist is really into his instrument. The setting alternates between a green screen showcasing various geometric patterns in white and yellow and shots of the band playing against a white screen, stitched together with shots of singular members in black and white. There's no narrative to this PV. It's not as fancy as the liquor bar setting of the "戯れGOLD" PV, and I think this is because the band is working with a smaller budget than in the past. It's way better than the generic white room most visual kei bands do at least once in their career, but this is neither revolutionary nor a cause for inspiration. As far as the song goes...I can see why the internet isn't jumping for joy at the return of this band. It's not their best song, and it's not their worst, but I was expecting a bit more jazz and a bit less rock. Maybe they should think about bringing the keyboard back...

 

In many ways, this is a good music video to start this (hopefully successful) series with because I find it exceedingly average in all respects. It's a good yard stick to measure future music videos against. If you are an 8-eit fan just like me, leave your thoughts below on any aspects to the music or video that stick out (or don't) to you. Hit the like button if you want to read more of my thoughts on various visual and non-visual music videos in the future.

 

 

On 3/22/2018 at 10:16 AM, The Reverend said:

xTripx

 

The band: A surprisingly endearing mix of oshare kei and numetal.

 

The name: Weirdly, I always pronounce the first ‘x’ in xTripx’s name but not the last one (ecks-trip). I actually think more bands need to come to terms with the fact that eventually the world will run out of new band names and everyone will have to resort to having a moniker that looks like a circa-2002 emo fan’s AIM screenname.

 

See also: xジハードx, 【TRiANGLE▼SONiX】, Noi’X

 

 

1. GUILTY AS CHARGED I've always mentally pronounced them xTRIP.

2. Shouldn't it be xTR⚡Px?

 

Also props to Nuvc:gu for one of the least obvious pronunciations ever devised, right up there with kar+te=zyAnose (like srsly tho how do you pronounce that). I would have never thought "new vogue". I have a feeling a lot of the bands here are unknown because no one ever knew how to tell them about it, and then they could barely ever spell it.

 

I'd love to see a companion list of all day of vk bands with the most generic, impossible to google names.

I think the size of the band is irrelevant. I'm only proposing we do this with this one release to get some hard data on piracy, our impact, and our place in the scene (instead of hypothetical outcomes, since that is all we have available to us right now). No one in the scene has ever bothered to do something like this before, because there's always been a trade of new music for internet status. As long as one person in the scene thinks they can get net cred for being the first to share "NINTH", it will spread on the internet like wildfire. It doesn't need to be an international fan because the leaks can come from within Japan too! Even if the staff deletes links for the first two weeks, other sites don't have to do this, and I'm really not expecting every single blog and site out there to comply with my proposal. That would be madness. We have no control over anything not on MH.

You can consider yesterday's proposal a test of the patience and cooperation of the entire scene. Can we hold out for two weeks? Is piracy an everyday part of the scene that we must accept? Can we even survive as a scene if we're at a two week lag? As obvious as the answers may seem, we don't know for certain.

1 hour ago, BrenGun said:

As for Zeus said in the Other topic.

it would be great to not share for at least 2 weeks.

but for gazette i would say not sharing at least 6～8 weeks.

 

But I doubt their selling goes up.

It's a long living band with many fans who collect every release already...

 

but maybe itunes purchase goes up!

 

Not sharing it's more showing the band some respect. (*_*;

I'll be completely honest right now: unless this goes viral and somehow everyone agrees not to share it for two weeks, I expect to see zero change because people will just share it somewhere else.

It's been a little over 3 months since I originally  published this review, and the poll results are interesting. The most liked tracks of course seem to be the reworks of Fukai and THE IIID EMPIRE, which I don't find surprising. The more interesting thing to me is that Taiyou no Ao, Un Deux, MAGGOTS, and OBSCURE 2011 have no votes. This is precisely the fat I think Dir en grey can always trim from their albums. I still kind of agree with my review, but I think y'all are sleeping on Riyuu for realz >:|

バレッタ is one of the least discussed NIL tracks for some reason, and I think its one of the best ones! That and Nausea and Shudder. N&S was the song that really "got" me into the band.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to vote and share your thoughts. We had 69 people submit a vote for this poll, which has to make this one of our most popular polls of all time! It is intriguing how little the hive mind opinion of our scene has changed within the last ten years. Over 75% of us believe that piracy is still a necessary evil, 72% of us cite piracy as one of the main factors of engagement retention, and that a whopping 60% of members believe Monochrome Heaven would get worse if downloads and piracy were to disappear overnight. I tend to agree with the majority, but I also agree with the minority. Things haven't gotten any easier to acquire legitimately as a sailor of the high seas since the turn of the century, and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon, but I'm reluctant to force sweeping changes that I don't fully understand to an ecosystem which is one of the few remaining and active ties to the scene. On the other hand, we provide a valuable service through piracy that record companies couldn't throw enough money at to replicate, and the answers you all gave to the poll show that.

 

So this is what I propose we do next, just to see how things play out. The GazettE is releasing a new album, "NINTH", on 2018-06-13. Let us not share this album here until 2018-06-27. Ideally, as a scene we wouldn't share it at all, but I have no control over anything not posted here. If you purchase it on your own, please refrain from sharing here, but you can write reviews and openly talk about it. If you never planned on buying it, you may have to wait an additional two weeks. What I am interested in seeing is just how much our piracy impacts sales, and how much higher CD sales are if we don't immediately put it on the internet for free the day it comes out. Maybe Ruki will even make a twitter comment about it so we can get some deeper perspective. We can do this with two or three more hot releases, and then come back to discuss this again with some more information. I have some thoughts about how this will go, but I will save them until after the experiment is complete.

Thanks for reading.

I needed budget GazettE to make a comeback and this is just lovely.