Zeus

2 hours ago, SilverEspeon__ said:

Er, I was not looking for fans, I was just wondering what other people thought about it since there was no thread about it here. I won't judge anyone for disliking it.

If there's no thread here, that implies no one cared enough to listen to it. I don't want to speak for everyone on this forum, but YOHIO isn't popular here for many reasons and opening discussion won't make him more popular. Some just hate because he's living the dream. Others hate because he sounds like a transplant of poorly-done visual kei (note NOT a poorly-done visual kei transplant; if he actually sounded decent he might have fans). For me, it always seemed as if YOHIO wasn't popular more so because he took the rose-tinted glasses off the scene so we can see what caked-on foundation and desperation looks like and less because he sucks musically. The man can shred a guitar, select western audiences are becoming slightly more receptive to less traditional metal aesthetics, and I've heard worse visual kei bands stanned for less. Seremedy was hot garbage and I'm glad that's gone, and whatever side project that spawned off of the four leftover members is equally as irrelevant, but DISREIGN is proof of western scenes willing to accept visual kei for me; it's a budget The GazettE clone but no one minds because they're palatable enough to get by.

consider this my mini review of his entire career.

37 minutes ago, DarkWater said:

 

My friend kinda said something about this not that long ago...

Kinda "They only care about the people who give them money"

 

But I wonder in which band he would have played in secret o.o

anybody?

We all know you're the plug around here when it comes to Starwave.

1 hour ago, Tokage said:

 

Damn, watching this made me realize just how out of touch I've gotten with the VK scene lately, I only really like Liphlich and The Gallo out of all of the bands in here.  Most of this stuff feels incredibly derivative, like at least half the bands sound like they're covering the same song with swapped-out vocalists. Is this really what's popular nowadays? If that's the case,  I'm kind of glad I started exploring sounds from other countries lmao..

 

I would love to jump on the bandwagon...but to be fair growing up in visual kei we had a similar phenomenon, except the flavor of the decade back then was bland metalcore and bubbly oshare. The scene cares not for yesterday's interchangeable acts such as GHOSE, BIOSPHIA, DELACROIX, Crest of Aleist, DILIAL, Xepher, Re:dis, DIO -distraught overlord-, SHEDIA, DEPAIN, WERKMARE, THE RUDIE SATAN PARK, ichigo69, Diavro, GAUZES, GremlinS, トーマス, SCAPEGOAT, Since1889, Annabyss Coast, Gossip-ゴシップ-, Gimmick, DI3SIRAE, Deflina Ma'riage, Lustknot, JyuLie, 2the DISCOLAND, VIRGENOW, 2nd dyz, Heartless, Crazy shampoo, Golbeza, Dragonwapppppper, PIECElang, 東京指定., V-last., REALies, Zip.er, お遊戯ゎが魔々団×【PaRADEiS】, ZUCK, CANZEL, Called≠Plan, Zelktage, DIS★Marionette, Ap(r)il, 御主人様専用奇才楽団Virgil, xTRIPx, v[NEU] or 0801弐209336 -ゼロハチゼロイチニーニーゼロキュウサンサンロク-. Great bands, good bands, shit bands all forgotten to the sands of time. Half these bands are why people left the scene in the first place. Never forget the massive amount of shit we had to wade through when the scene was at its lowest.

As for me, I think it's obvious I stopped really paying attention to certain sections of visual kei a while ago. Really indie bands get no burn from me unless they establish themselves since I'm over getting into bands that disband in two to three years. The crossover between visual kei and indie/alt rock is what has my attention these days.

 

 

 

| Another solid effort but it doesn't stand out as much as it could.
 

With the head of a human, a bird's torso, a long, flowing tail, and a voice said to surpass all the gods and angels in Nirvana, the fantastical creature known as the Kalavinka is the inspiration behind 陰陽座's fourteenth album, 迦陵頻伽 (Karyobinga). 陰陽座's known for taking heavy amounts of inspiration from Japanese folklore and incorporating it into their music - even though they sound more like Iron Maiden than anything else - so this is a positively peculiar route to follow after their recent focus on Japanese deities and folklore. The Japanese interpretation of the Kalavinka is portrayed faithfully on the album cover; vocalist Kuroneko's upper torso is dressed as a winged Bodhisattva and her lower half is birdlike. It's both a gorgeous sight and a lofty proposition.

 

I'm torn on 迦陵頻伽. On one hand, the feel and flow of the album are all too familiar. I peg it as some hybrid of 金剛九尾 (Kongokyuubi) and snippets of their last two albums because of the pacing and atmosphere. 金剛九尾 ranks among my least favorite of their albums, but to its credit, 迦陵頻伽 is much more polished and straightforward, as if MATATABI had a destination in mind when composing. On the other hand, there is lots of carry over from 風神界逅 (Fuujinkaikou) and 雷神創世 (Raijinsousei), which I regard as near perfect. It's not as ambitious as their last effort, and at times it feels like they're marking boxes off a checklist, but this consistency is why they've never released a bad album. An opportunity to incorporate some Indian and East Asian influences into more songs was missed and would have greatly opened up their sound, but I can look past that. If it didn't appeal to you before, this will not change your mind.

 

Where this album impresses me is how the mystic, haunting atmosphere of their earlier eras returns. It's no longer as dark or ominous, but still present and mysterious. Opener "迦陵頻伽" really catches what I'm trying to describe here, and it's got one of the catchiest choruses in their repertoire. Centerpiece "人魚の檻" is a masterful emotional manipulator that's hogged my repeat button for the last few weeks. Those in need of a fix of heavy metal should check out "廿弐匹目は毒蝮" or lead single "愛する者よ、死に候え", and "轆轤首" is the token track where they buck all expectations and try something new. It's tone reminds me of "無風忍法帖" and it's one of my favorites of the album. The canned strings of "轆轤首" were a curious choice, and "御前の瞳に羞いの砂" sounds suspiciously familiar, but I'll admit these are minor quibbles.

 

陰陽座 is in the midst of a second renaissance after the release of 2012's 鬼子母神 (Kishibojin), breaking a streak of tepid albums with a concept so beautifully realized that it still sounds fresh today. 迦陵頻伽 stabilizes this upward trend, and while it's not the best thing ever it's pretty good.

 

 

Support the band!
CDJapan

There's some good and some disappointing to be heard in this previews. A solid fifty seconds for each song is virtually unheard of when bands give us ten to fifteen seconds now.

 

Their self-titled is the bar I judge all their new material off of. This fits somewhere between the best of album and Holy Grail, probably closer to Holy Grail. Listening to these previews really highlights how tired HIZAKI's compositions are. He's great when noodling on his guitar alone for minutes on end but when tasked to make space for a vocalist he recycles the same guitar techniques and motifs. Even if his compositions are aurally different, they all still sound alike. KAMIJO and TERU definitely need to compose more. MASASHI needs to step it up as well since his contributions have been good quality. More diversity is what this band has always needed. I'd kill for a Versailles release where everyone but HIZAKI writes a song.

Songs sound okay. "Inheritance" and "Marionette" get my attention the most but since all previews were the chorus that's not a fair way to judge anything. I'll probably end up liking them all.

4 hours ago, sume7 said:

 

They will mark my words. 

 

Also @Zeus have you listened to any HOLYCLOCK (ex. LIX. vocalist)? I think that they are one of the best things going in vk.

I have not. HOLYCLOCK is a name I've seen surface in the news section quite often, but usually it's attached to "live distributed release" or news about a release I forget about soon after reading. I heard one preview and it sounded very good (in the vein of DOF if I remember correctly) but not good enough to keep me coming back. It's been a while since I sampled them, and if they're still around perhaps they found some solid footing. Is there a release you would recommend?

 

 

On 1/20/2017 at 0:13 AM, Bear said:

Run the Jewels and Vektor. My man, my  man. Run the Jewels 3 might be Run the Jewels' best yet, or at least on par with their debut and Terminal Redux is a masterpiece that are miles ahead of Vektor's two first albums. Miles ahead!

 

 

You gotta check out Hail Spirit Noir btw. Think that might be something for your liking.

Hail Spirit Noir is something that's been on my list all year and I haven't gotten around to it. Totes remember liking Oi Magoi a lot and I remember you recc'ing that too. Time to bump it up.

2 hours ago, patientZERO said:

Was there ever a concrete reason for their disbandment?

No, but there are some clues so we can piece it together.

I don't think they ran out of money but I think it was possible they saw ahead and couldn't find a way to turn a profit and continue activities. After ROUGE, their activity slowed down a lot but that album didn't sell any better or worse than VERSUS. They tried changing elements of their music to react to criticism about their sound, and I remember mixed results, but I also don't think that was a fundamental factor in their disbandment either. Their COMPLETE BEST ALBUM's existence (a bit of a misnomer since it's missing nine songs) means they had enough clout and money left with their label to reprint all their music - even if it was a limited run. And the fact that none of them have resurfaced in music in any capacity leads me to think they just were done with making music. Money may have been a big factor but probably not the only factor.

They do not.

Preview isn't hyper convincing, but the band hasn't lost their touch. Even if they're a one trick pony, if the trick is good enough I'll stick around.

5 hours ago, Hakari said:

 

Sadly this, but we won't know for sure until it comes out!

No one asked me, but it sounds like the first third of the chorus. It's cut in at a weird time, but sounds normal to me.

15 hours ago, CAT5 said:

Everything I've heard by THE BLACK SWAN has been good, but Jin is my biggest obstacle in getting into them.

 

I did my time with NEGA, so I've long since adapted to Jin. This might be Stockholm Syndrome talking, but I think he's improved considerably.

 

15 hours ago, CAT5 said:

I haven't been in a hip hop mood for a long time, but Flatbush Zombies sounds nice and I HAVE TO GET ON THAT NEW RTJ ALBUM PRONTO!

 

Bruh the RTJ album was released on Christmas Day. Total fire I thought you'd be all over that.
 

15 hours ago, CAT5 said:

Also need to give Russian Circles a shot at some point.

 

@Ito we have failed CAT.

 

15 hours ago, CAT5 said:

Is that Ryutaro album as shoegazy as that track?

 

Kinda sorta...not really?

 

 

Really slick layout man! I'm liking the simplicity. Maybe next time you could add a little tag indicating the preview track since I don't know what half of what I'm listening to is.

I like looking at these lists because it shows us where our tastes line up and where they diverge, and there's always something that I nick from you at the end of each year and ruminate over for the next year. There's so many releases here especially ones which I remember from the ChristMHas voting back in November.

Uyama Hiroto is a must check out if it's similar to Nujabes. This could be something I get people into.

Nakamura Emi surprisingly is someone I've been keeping my eye on. This looks like a good release to jump in with.

I've seen Nakashima Ko's name on both RT and the list, so now I'm sure I have to check it out. Been looking for a replacement to Fugenn for quite a while.

 

I didn't realize how much I agreed with you about the general degrade of quality from PROGRESSIVE FOrM. Especially after getting into more abstract electronic music a lot of the newer releases don't have substance. Still might check out Shohei's album anyway since it sounds up my alley.

Preservation = piracy + time. Today's piracy will be the foundation of tomorrow's preservation efforts.

 

~Like every year the combination of images and videos is assaulting your web browser. Just give it a minute~

 

2016 was an ... interesting year. I came to grips with my status as a visual kei fan of shit turn of the century disbanded bands and ojisan rock, but found new comers convincing enough to keep me around. Albums I had been waiting on forever finally released and invigorated my passion for music halfway through the year like it always does. A few surprises were sprinkled throughout the year and while I felt that the year was lacking in great music looking back it's not so bad. This year certainly left a better impression on me musically than any year since 2011 - and that's saying a lot for me since that's the year that I started doing these lists.

 

 

Aphex Twin - Cheetah EP

 

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I've been a fan of Aphex Twin since his debut in the 90's, when I came across a few of his tracks on Ares and instantly fell in love.  He commands my attention without playing a single note and his ability to turn noise into music is unrivaled. He's eclectic, diverse, simultaneously prolific and mysterious, and finally returns after a fourteen year hiatus to release more music. I've never been happier. One can doubt if there's room to push the electronic sound further, and if you give Aphex Twin that challenge I guarantee he will find a way to surprise, but that's not the point of CHEETAH. Despite being named after a swift animal, it takes it's time morphing between sonic palettes. A very interesting fact about the CHEETAH mini is that it was recorded using a synthesizer of the same name, notorious for producing a unique sound signature but too complex for most people to figure out. The mini album advertises this fact and it's no marketing gimmick; with a sufficient setup you can definitely feel the music move as much as you can hear it. It's not genre (re)-defining, but it doesn't have to be.

 

 

 

THE BLACK SWAN - OUSIA

 

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You've heard enough praise about OUSIA by now. The progressive behemoth that came from left field that marks the difference between true depression and muted anger, it's something I didn't expect THE BLACK SWAN to be capable of. They found it within themselves to move beyond NEGA's shadow and produced something all their own. It's the album that beckons stalwart NEGA fans such as myself to stop clinging on to the old days, because what's new is so much more polished than the promises of what could have been. This is an album I know I will revisit time and time again; I've lost count of how many times I've listened to the title track "OUSIA" this year alone.

 

 

 

 

BUCK-TICK - アトム 未来派 No.9

 

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There's a sense that bands come with a shelf life and after that point they're phoning it in. Skeptics have been waiting with watches in hand for the legendary BUCK-TICK to overstay their welcome for some time now. Any signs of age or cracking detected with previous albums that weren't up to snuff were put to rest here. With their twentieth album, Imai and company are going at it stronger than I've heard them in years. This is the perfected form of a sound they've been chasing since Razzle Dazzle and Arui wa Anarchy, and with it they go in a direction Japanese bands rarely explore - and yes I'm talking about the Latin influence. From the thick Moroccan-inspired opener "cum uh sol nu -フラスコの別種-" to the darkwave "BOY" to the boisterous "PINOA ICCHIO -躍るアトム-", it's everywhere, it's original, and it's awesome. This successful gamble - it honestly doesn't feel like a gamble but for any other band it would be -defines アトム 未来派 No.9 and really makes me long for more bands in the scene to follow in BUCK-TICK's footsteps. For a band that many see as past their prime, BUCK-TICK have struck back at any would-be detractors with a nuclear bomb of an album. If you are daunted by the sheer amount of music this band has produced, this is a fine place to start.

 

 

 

The Dear Hunter - Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional

 

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Concept albums are hard. Serial concept albums are even harder and at times I imagine the pressure to create ever better music while sticking to the theme is maddening. That's why guitarist Casey Cresenzo left me in awe when he dropped Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional this year under progressive rock band The Dear Hunter. He is a musical genius. This is the kind of rock I search years for before discovering it. The music is so good you don't need to hear Acts I through IV to fall into the rhythm (although I think you should). Act V is a sprawling, progressive behemoth that leaves me in awe every time I listen. Check this progressive rock album out if you're in the mood for something creative, clever, thought provoking and fun.

 

 

 

decays - baby who wanders

 

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For a band I thought was a flop, DECAYS has done a lot to improve my opinion of them. Baby who wanders remains interesting right up to closer "綺麗な指" and gives off an intoxicating warmth that invites you back again and again. It gets better with every listen too; multiple listens brought me around on some tracks that didn't win me over the first time. Recommended heartily for any fans of pop, rock, or shoegaze looking for something new and captivating. This is so good it makes you forget it's a side project.

 

 

 

 

downy - 第六作品集『無題』

 

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第六作品集『無題』 is the album which musically defines 2016 for me. downy's fourth full length album is a musical juggernaut that takes time to truly be appreciated, yet only one other release came close to leaving such a strong musical impression on me with only the first listen. It's very difficult to describe the otherwise paradoxical feelings that characterize 第六作品集『無題』. Transitions are both carefully planned and seemingly spontaneous, ensnaring me within seconds. downy crafts a unique world with each album, chasing a goal they reach on their own time. It takes really great musicians to be able to communicate emotions like these through music and at times I forget that downy is a band and not a collective being exerting their will upon me. I've always liked this band, but this album flipped a switch inside of me that truly turned me into a downy fan. I can't recommend it enough for anyone fans of alternative shoegaze.

 

 

Flatbush Zombies: 3001 A Laced Odyssey

 

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Of course I need to feature at least one rap album on my list, and what album is better than Flatbush Zombies' latest? This came out much earlier this year and had I not been tracking music all year this one would have slipped through the cracks. That's a damn shame, since this is the most trippy album of theirs yet. It also features an interesting production choice, emphasizing the beats and the low end for some heavy goodness, sticky like the end of the blunt that inspired some of these instrumentals. For those not in the know, Flatbush Zombies are part of the BEAST COAST rap revival movement, started by a bunch of rappers on the East Coast as a reactionary movement against lyrically trash artists. Or at least that's how I view the group, since no one associated with them is trash. I can get behind decadence, as long as its lyrically proficient. Anyhow, true to form the lyrical content still centers around drugs, violence, murder, and occasionally sex but the way the themes are woven in is much more subtle than before. Not every song centers around these themes and some of my favorite cuts such as "R.I.P.C.D." (a song about changing music mediums) and "Your Favorite Rap Song" (a dedication to all their fans who followed them) only make passing references to them at best. This isn't going to change your mind about rap, but if you're open to that style of music this is what I've been bumping for the last few weeks.

Also I have to support local talent.

 

 

 

HIZAKI - Rosario

 

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I thought Hizaki was washed up and that JUPITER was him resting on his laurels, selling out like Shiina Ringo. And for all my JUPITER hate I still longed for the day when Hizaki would dust off his neoclassical inspirations and get back to the power and speed metal instrumentals I love. Hizaki must have felt my longing and released the most inspired material of his since JUBILEE. The new tracks are for the most part awesome and I love the new work he did on "Desert Apple" and "Silent Knight", with the lead guitar lifting songs to new heights. I never thought I'd be so glad to hear him crawl back into his comfort zone. Together with a successful Versailles re-recording release, Hizaki finally has his groove back.

 

 

 

IX -NINE- - NIRDVANDVA
 

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@fictioninhope told me recently that she never imagined I would have emotional attachment to an IX song - the song in question being "有終の美" from the second CD of this release - so despite the featured review earlier this year I guess I haven't done a good enough job talking about this band. IX -NINE- is 9GOATS x sukekiyo if one could imagine such a mixture; a unique creature that is a product of both its time and place. They have a refreshing, yet familiar sound that's unlike anything else out currently. The vocalist is a bit of an acquired taste and those looking for some bite to their music is better off sticking with sukekiyo. This is much lighter, almost cerebral in nature. If you're in the mood for something sublime with a thick atmosphere and you don't mind nasal vocals, NIRDVANDVA is a hidden gem of 2016 you need to check out. True originality right here.

 

 

 

 

KEEL - Raison de etre et de sang

 

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The longer I stay in the scene, the more I appreciate what KEEL has to offer. A no-nonsense, mature alternative to the metalcore bands that spring up a dime a dozen, KEEL is the closest thing the alt-rock mask of visual kei is getting to a super band. And for a band that has had this "mega-band" label thrust upon them unwittingly, they've risen to the challenge with equal parts speed and precision. Raison de etre et de sang is a wonderful release. It doesn't push boundaries or try anything new, but it doesn't have to. KEEL have settled into a sound spectrum that works for them. Even as they rubber band between melancholic rockers, upbeat ballads, and lightly distorted mid-tempo rockers, they do it just right. It still brings me back to the early 2000s when I was really excited about visual kei and good bands felt plentiful. To feel that again, especially after the tumultuous year that was 2016, KEEL was everything I needed and more. The inclusion of "SWANS" makes Raison de etre feel like an extension of their Ugly duckling single from earlier in the year - which is the only criticism I can come up with - but even that's not bad. There's a reason why veterans rally around this band and claim they will save visual kei. They just might.

 

 

 

陰陽座 - 迦陵頻伽

 

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It's a damn shame that 陰陽座 aren't considered visual kei, because they slay the entire looks and concept angle better than 95% of bands. I'm amazed they can stick with the same concepts for over seventeen years and find new ways to innovate and keep their music interesting. Vocalist Kuroneko, forever the visual centerpiece of the band, appears as the namesake of their fourteenth album 迦陵頻伽 (Karyoubinga); the mystical immortal creature from Buddhist mythology with the head of a human and the torso of a bird. What keeps me coming back to this band is their consistency; I can always expect heavy metal with powerful vocals, catchy riffs, and great solos and 陰陽座 will always deliver. What it gives up in grandeur it gains in clarity and focus of vision. 迦陵頻伽 is a much easier pill to swallow than their 2015 offerings while still maintaining the energy of their post-2012 renaissance, and is an album I feel comfortable recommending to any lover of heavy metal.

 

 

 

Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 3

 

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Arriving early on Christmas Day like God's on my side and he answered my Christmas list, Run The Jewels 3 sneaks its way into my list at literally the last minute. It's no secret Killer Mike and El-P are two of the most influential underground rap figures out right now, and Run The Jewels is a killer hip-hop duo that keeps delivering. This is the follow up to their last two albums - guess the names if you're so inclined - but it's markedly different. The concept of "run the jewels" is turned on its head here. On the first two albums, the colors where harsh and clashing, the hands were decaying, and the fist clenched jewelry. This time, it's gold hands on a baby blue background and the fist clenches nothing. I went the entire list without mentioning how shit 2016 was of a year to 85% of the populace, and this is the one album where I can hear 2016 weighing on the musician's psyche and I can see it on the album cover. There's the traditional braggadocio of "we're real bad guys" - except they drop the act more quickly than ever and start talking about overcoming adversity, feelings, societal issues, selling concerts, friends, oppression, racism, and more by track four. The bipolar nature of Run The Jewels is still here, but tapered somewhat and the way each track flows into one another gives it a feel of a concept album. But when it comes down to it, I just enjoy listening to two friends rap about how fucked up the world is and how imperfect they are as human beings.

 

 

 

Russian Circles - Guidance

 

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2016's latest offering from post-metal trio Russian Circles sees them take a darker turn. Albums don't often paint stark impressions on me with just the first listen, but almost immediately with the first track I was assaulted by waves of grief and mourning. This is the soundtrack to funeral and coping, gesticulating emotions wildly without uttering a single word until the end. Often I question how bands find the inspiration to innovate while essentially remaining the same, and the answer for Russian Circles lies in the emotional aspect of their musicianship. A powerful album that takes time to open up to, but is well worth the time sunk into it.

 

 

 

有村 竜太朗 (Ryutaro Arimura) - 「デも／demo」

 

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Plastic Tree is a band I've respected musically and have seen held in high regard in many visual kei circles, but I personally could never get into them. Ryutaro Arimura's vocals are an acquired taste to say the least, and it's turned me off Plastic Tree more than once. Even so, I was still curious about his first solo album if only to see if his solo career goes somewhere unexpected. It turns out his vocals are much better suited to this spacey, wall of sound style shoegaze. I've already raved about "浮融 / fuyuu" in November's Recommended Tracks but I have to stress I can't get enough of this. I find every track enamoring. The entire release lifts me up and takes me away. Take it in doses if extended amounts of shoegaze puts you to sleep, but for me this is the dark horse of 2016.

 

 

 

siraph - siraph

 

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Rising stars of the indie scene, electronic pop band siraph ranked number two on our list this year. I've extolled the virtues of siraph earlier this year, but it needs reiterating that this is the most refreshing, vibrant mini album of the year.  It's rare to find a band establish their sound so firmly with their first release, but with Masayuki Hasuo and Yoshimasa Terui as primary composers it doesn't surprise me that siraph strike gold on their first try. This is the kind of meaty, complex pop music indie heads seek out for years before stumbling upon. The heavily rhythmic opener "in the margin" is the black sheep of the release and with each track the band ease into their roles as if they've been together for years. "時間は告ぐ (Jihan wa Tsugu) feels like a school food punishment track that didn't make the cut, and my favorite track "thor" combines the chillwave and pop elements with a progressive rock flair for a haunting yet entertaining track. There is more to this band than the six tracks have time to show, and their first single "quiet squall" tells me they have lots of ideas waiting to be explored. If you weren't listening to this band at all this year, you should start now.

 

 

Vektor - Terminal Redux

 

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Once again progressive thrash gods Vektor prove why they're the leaders in the revival thrash scene. I've been waiting for Terminal Redux since last year when hints that it was almost complete first surfaced. It was the album that reignited my passion for music. Opener "Charging the Void" is just massive and together with "Recharging the Void" fill 80% of the narrative. The rest makes room for insane riffs, blistering solos, and the first appearance of clean vocals on "Collapse". Vocalist DiSanto noted that he may not able to do the Vektor style vocals forever, and with such a successful first attempt at something new my fears that this band changing would ruin their sound have been subsided. Probably my favorite metal album of 2016.

 

 

 

Versailles - The Greatest Hits 2007-2016

 

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One of the greatest visual kei power metal bands of all time makes a glorious return with a shining example of how self-covers are done! The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 features ten re-recordings with the style turned up to eleven and two new tracks that fit so seamlessly I don't know if they are entirely new compositions or old ones that never made the cut. Versailles chose excellent tracks to tackle; many fans have been clamoring for new versions of "The Love From a Dead Orchestra" and "The Revenant Choir" for ages.  "Destiny" and "Philia" didn't have as many immediately noticeable flourishes to it, and some tracks felt a little strange since I'm used to hearing them a certain way for many years, but given some time I will come to accept these as the definitive versions of many of their songs. KAMIJO's performance was by far the most impressive singular aspect of the album, often granting older tracks the power they needed to reach new heights. I was left impressed by the quality of this release, but it's hard to swing and miss wearing your Sunday best. The new songs were good, but not ground breaking material, and no songs from their self-titled are present, implying that the band knows those songs can't be saved. Only time can tell if Versailles can capitalize on their former momentum and regain the glory of their JUBILEE-era, but the future looks bright.

 

 

 

ザアザア (Xaa-Xaa) - 中毒症状

 

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Visual kei flirts with a gamut of musical styles, but many newer bands don't take an affinity to hard rock. In addition to that, quirkiness as an aesthetic has been on a decline for some time. These two qualities are why up and coming rockers ザアザア impressed me with their LP 中毒症状 (Chuudoku shuujou). This band blends a lot of visual fads together with a penchant for repetition to create something familiar yet refreshing, varied yet always hypnotizing. 中毒症状 does not escape the curse of compilation albums since it feels like a grab bag of their Sunday best but it's a serviceable introduction to one hell of an eclectic band. To think that I only checked this band out because of the clamor and drama over the rarity of their releases! It's not for everyone but you won't know until you try.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

3 hours ago, Danao said:

just a way to sell more albums and tickets, always like that

 

but please, do disband, misaruka got boring a while ago, there are many other great bands that deserve more attention under starwave records

 

Anyway if misaruka disbands, they'll instantly form a new band so  there's literaly no point x)

 

THIS.

It's not even about how many people show up to the live. It's about how many albums they can push. They don't even care if one person shows up if he buys 500 copies. Money grubbing at its finest.

I mentioned this elsewhere but I should mention it again. I feel as if what we consider legendary visual kei bands today are only legendary because of longevity, not because of building up their brand.

15 minutes ago, Carmelzors said:

While meddling around here, I am way surprised to see how truly popular Diaura is as of those current Japanese vk bands according to the public opinion and exposure...

 

Their PR staff knows how to do their shit, really (oh, hi Ains!)

I wonder how much of that is raw musical skill, how much of it is good PR, and how much of it is persistence. These days it seems like the bands that attain legendary status do so not because they make good music but because they've been around so long it's hard to imagine the scene without them.

I should clarify that I don't want any of these bands to return. I want new bands to pick up the slack and start taking notes from good bands of yore. There's so much untapped creative potential left in the five bands I highlighted and I would love for the scene to make a resurgence by emulating the sounds of the boom days. This new stuff isn't doing it for the old heads or the new and it needs to change sooner rather than later.

 

In the case of D'espairsRay, RES, and A things wouldn't be the same no matter how much they forced it to. I don't think HIZUMI will ever recover from his vocal condition enough to sing like he used to. Also their direction post-MIRRORS lacked serious focus and if they can't be dark anymore I'd rather they not force it. Rentrer en Soi just...quit? They mumbled excuses about reaching their creative apex but I think the real reason was that Satsuki thought he could do better with a solo career. They can stay dead since sukekiyo is a very interesting project I wouldn't want sacrificed for a reunion that's not going to target their earlier sound. No shade to anything post Sphire-Croid, but it's the run-of-the-mill 2008 JAY-RAWK sound every other band and their grandmother was pounding out riffs for in the basement. They did it a little better than their competition, but Satsuki's harsh vocals ruins a lot of THE BOTTOM OF CHAOS for me (still a good album). Also, MEGIDDO is a very unsatisfying send-off and years later I still can't shake the feeling the band never reached the new incarnation of their sound before calling it quits.

 

Something similar happened with A; if I recall it was the violinist Rookie Fiddler who composed the majority of the tunes for the band and when he walked away the band was done. With all the member difficulties and low funds I don't see this band coming back, but they were very much loved and I don't know why other bands haven't been leaning on cultures for ideas. I loved what Royz did with Vishnu on their latest album. More bands need to do that.

 

Kagrra, will never come back for obvious reasons but there's a dearth of visual kei bands using specifically Japanese elements in their rock and metal. Wagakki-Band comes close but it's not the same. Unforgivable, really.

 

 

A universal truth about visual kei is that it is forever changing. The tiniest of bands can grow into an influential force given a few years, the largest of bands can end a legacy with one tweet, and there's an ever-growing catalog of unique and defunct bands lost to time whose talents will never be truly replicated. However, since nothing is original anymore, I'd love to see someone try their hand at it. I've listed a total of five bands or musicians who at one point had a unique, definitive sound I'd love to see come back.

 

D'espairsRay (1999-2007)

Sound: Dark, depressing, gothic industrial metal

Quote

No one does darkness and depression like D'espairsRay. Interviews more or less confirm the sadness was real; from personal struggles to band personalities clashing, these musicians knew how to channel their feelings into music. 2005's [Coll:set] and 2007's MIRRORS are both seminal albums in the neo-visual kei scene, with the former universally touted as one of the best albums of that decade. We even named the forum after one of their songs! After MIRRORS, they disappeared for a year as they were wont to do, but around this time I believe guitarist Karyu discovered antidepressants and vocalist Hizumi contracted a serious vocal illness. This prompted a stylistic shift which marked the beginning of the end for this band. I'd give anything to have that genuine despair and depression from 2005 return. Unlike other artists on this list, their influence is still felt in newer bands today. I can say that early exist†trace at least tried to emulate them, I already ripped visual kei nobodies Valluna a new one for completely biting off "「タトエバ」キミ...ガ...シンダ...ラ" ("Tatoeba" Kimi...ga...shinda...ra), and DEZERT retains elements of their sound while putting their own spin on it, but it's not the same.

 

 

Kagrra,

Sound: A classic rock sound with a cultural twist

Quote

For a country who makes a killing exporting its culture, I find it more than strange that few bands incorporate traditional Japanese themes and elements into their music. Instead of embracing commercialism with western ideals, visual kei band Kagrra, looked to their own culture for musical inspiration to add to their style of hard rock. Kagrra, was a unique blend of eastern and western styles that brought great diversity to the scene, and they consistently pumped out quality rock music until their disbandment. The passing of one-of-a-kind vocalist Isshi means this band will never resurface, so another band coming along to pick up the torch is more than welcome.

 

 

愛狂います。(Aicle.)

Sound: Quirky, turn of the century rock and metal

Quote

Visual kei band Aicle. were a tough pill to swallow both visually and musically. Existing at the height of the oft maligned oshare scene - treated with disdain even by fans of visual kei who associated it all with Antic Cafe - it was easy to dismiss them as another one of those bands. You couldn't be more wrong. Underneath all the "psycho-happy" visuals was a deceptive musical depth, unusual guitar melodies, and a penchant for splicing styles together effortlessly. This kind of personality died off with the style completely as oshare morphed into EDM rock. 2009 me would never be caught dead asking for oshare to make a resurgence, but if another band could master Aicle.'s sound, that'd be a wonderful start.

 

 

RENTRER EN SOI (up to Sphire-Croid)

Sound: undescribable

Quote

No band with such personality and grace has entered the scene since RENTRER EN SOI. They were the darling child of the scene and everything everyone wanted out of a visual kei band at the time: a return to the aesthetics of the nineties with a modern sensibility, a wonderful vocalist, and a complex art rock sound that stood apart from everyone else. They weathered the storm of change when other bands went with the flow and found modest success for it. When they disbanded, everyone cried. 2004's Sphire-Croid was and still is a beastly classic that has withstood the test of time. This was the apex of their sound; their second album was disastrous as they eventually decided to graft more metal onto their sound. It was never worked out fully before their disbandment and while THE BOTTOM OF CHAOS was acceptable, it already shows its age. It's hard to believe that it's almost been ten years since their disbandment and no band has even tried to emulate them.

 

 

 

 

A (Anonymous Confederate Ensemble)

Sound: Rock with a cultural twist

Quote

I haven't been interested in anything visual kei since A disbanded. They were the second darling band of visual kei in my eyes; their brand of "world rock" came at a time when the scene was losing a lot of flavor. They brought influences in spades and with a full-time violinist on board, it was easy for them to stand apart sonically. In the face of austerity, with no permanent drummer and a guitarist on a visa, they managed to put out some clutch tunes. They covered Latin influence before BUCK-TICK thought it was cool. "Grafton Calling" is possibly the only visual kei song in existence with an Irish feel to it. They even alluded to their own disbandment with their last single "Phantom of the Snow" (spoiler: everyone dies in the PV), due to what I guess were monetary issues. Before they left, they gave us a forty minute epic in "ELEMENTA ALCHEMICA" and a pretty decent debut album. They are one of the most innovative bands I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, and I hope other bands take notes from them and use some non-standard instruments in their music.

 

 

That's all for me! Given time, there are plenty more bands that I would love to see reincarnated in some fashion. What bands do you want to hear again?

1 hour ago, helcchi said:

 

I think due to the changing times, what it means to be a musician has shifted significantly. Instruments are often considered to be reserved for elites and/or archaic while turntables and music software can be easily attainable to anyone. Now that technology has become more advanced, anyone is able to create music on the cheap, with a faster turnaround, and without having the knowledge of how to play an instrument.

 

By completely abandoning musical notation and focusing less on complexity and more on catchiness, I think this is what most people will relate to the most. It's what makes mainstream mainstream and it's also what makes pop music so prevalent.

 

Instruments and musical gear are hella expensive and often require a lifetime of practice and care - a skill and dedication that is seen as unattainable to most people and therefore cannot aspire to be. "Why spend my life savings on band gear and learning how to play an instrument when I can replicate the sound on my computer easily?" kind of deal.

And then to bring it all the way around, there are plenty of people who will pick up an instrument but only half-ass their lessons. I can't remember how many times I've criticized a visual kei band for not being able to play their instruments properly...and more often than not it was probably true about at least one of the members.
 

1 hour ago, Ro plz said:

DUDE I KNEW I MADE A RIGHT CHOICE IN TELLING YOU TO CHECK IT OUT hahaha.

 

I'm happy that you like it man!!!!

 

Its right up there with my tops for 2016.

I mean I had  it sitting around, but you convinced me to move it to the top of my queue. I really didn't expect much from DECAYS after the lackluster singles. In this scene, I'm used to bands starting strong and petering out. It seems like this band just hit its stride and I'm excited for more! Just remind me that this album is eligible for 2017's list since it came out too late for 2016's list, but if it was it would have found a place on it guaranteed. It's just too good not to.

 

 

| A wonderful resurgence for a band I didn't care for at all.

 

The halfway point of this decade marks a resurgence in Japanese music as a whole. I would have never thought guitarist Die of DIR EN GREY and Kobayashi of THE NOVEMBERS would team together and cross the traditionally solid divide between visual kei and indie rock. However, things that seemed a match in heaven at first were not. It became clear after the first few releases that the band couldn't find their sound. Kobayashi departing soon after was the best move for the band because Die found not one, but two new members to fill out the roster in vocalist Ataru Nakamura and violinist Ayasa. These additions imbued DECAYS with the charisma they previously lacked without changing their core sound.

 

Die's contributions to DIR EN GREY have always been eclectic and he's responsible for penning classics such as "Audrey" and "304号室、白死の桜" (304 goushitsu, hakushi no sakura). Those musical tendencies are everywhere in Baby who wanders. The whole album falls into the shoegaze realm with some punky influences. The crisp production really pushes the wall of sound shoegaze is known for and Die and Nakamura's vocals blend incredibly well. Ayasa's violin opens everything up musically, breathing life into their previously stagnant, almost mechanical sound. This is best shown when contrasting the album version of "愛と哀を遺さず…" with its single version. Supplemented with a healthy dose of electronics and a mesmerizing rhythm section, each song pulsates with a radiant atmosphere.

 

For a band I thought was a flop, DECAYS has done a lot to improve my opinion of them. Baby who wanders remains interesting right up to closer "綺麗な指" and gives off an intoxicating warmth that invites you back again and again. It gets better with every listen too; multiple listens brought me around on some tracks that didn't win me over the first time. Recommended heartily for any fans of pop, rock, or shoegaze looking for something new and captivating. This is so good it makes you forget it's a side project.

 

 

Support the band!

CDJapan | iTunes (Japan)

36 minutes ago, DarkWater said:

And actually next year I would prefer to see 2 lists of 25 days.

one list of 25 non visual and a list of 25 visual.

 

We do not have the manpower to do this, however cool of an idea it is. If we tried, both lists would suffer for it.

 

There were about five times during construction of the list when I thought I knew who the winner was going to be. DEZERT, BUCK-TICK, THE NOVEMBERS, and siraph each spent time at the top of the list uncontested before girugamesh swept them all away. And I mean swept. There wasn't anyone that even came close to contesting with them.
 

Just now, Spectralion said:

Don't see wagakki band on the list.

 

How's @Zeus not rioting?

We only count mini albums and full albums, not single releases. They only released two singles this year.

4 hours ago, DarkWater said:

2009 was just a hype period, Also many did learn about visual kei, what it means etc, so why would you still search it 10 years later?

I still think visual kei is big. MH is still running. And the reason why bands can't play in Europe / america is because they are too expensive or the bands which are coming aren't the bands people REALLY want to see. So no wonder why it will flop. of course back in the days it didn't really matter which band you would bring, but if you look up at those names, no real big band EVER came over back then. okay big names where despairs ray and dir en grey. And yes back then everybody loved them and I guess somehow also less expensive than bringing some bands now because Japanese people know that they are loved too overseas.

 

VKEI isn't dead not even in Japan. Maybe the real boom is out, but who knows what will happen in a few years a boom always CAN return.

 

Even D'espairsRay took a huge financial loss on their MONSTERS tour in the USA. Like I said in my last post there were plenty of online fans begging D'espairsRay to come but not everyone could make it. I remember by the end they were begging people to buy a ticket. I would have...if they didn't play shows exclusively on the West Coast

 

5 hours ago, helcchi said:

Most people in japan use Yahoo, but I don't think Yahoo has a similar trends analysis tool to google. Hence I searched in Japanese, and Japan was the only region available so I didn't have to narrow it down further:

 

Blue: "visual kei" / Region: global

Red: "ヴィジュアル系" / Region: Japan

 

Also communities and individuals migrating from livejournal to tumblr might've been a factor as well. It created a mess at the time and information sources became convoluted.

So then what really matters is the red line and the blue line is extra? That falls in line with what everyone is saying; visual kei was a fad that died out overseas but more or less remained a constant force in Japan (however weak that may be). What's very interesting is how the interests seem to be converging between Japanese fans and overseas.
 

 

4 hours ago, YuyoDrift said:

 

 

If you run a Google trends for Anime, you may see a similar decline.

It all boils down to lack of resources and marketing/exposure. In fact, Japan's influence in general is slowly declining here in the USA, but I wont go into details there.

 

 

 

I also forgot to mention one pivotal event around the start of 2010 2012 that was a real kick in the ass for visual kei. The death of MegaUpload took out so many archived files it wasn't funny. There's still some stuff you can't find today! Byouto went offline. The lossless website Gakuon had to move to P2P exclusively. Private servers got even more private. The files being seized were one thing; the paranoia that came after hasn't really gone away. @CAT5 has plenty of stories from the indie side.

There's a few things I want to point out while the topic is still young.
 

1. This is only reliable to gauge foreigner interest in visual kei. I do not know if Japanese fans of visual kei use Google, a different type of search engine, or if they avoid the process altogether and share privately. We have to combine this data with some other sources of data for more info. But this is a great start.
2. The focus is on March 2009 but the rate of decrease is at its highest in 2010 roughly a year later. Then it peters out. What gives? Well, that's when Tainted World died off and we had to navigate to our ZetaBoards replacement. We used it until the end of 2010-2011 when we are able to get some real hardware and hosting providers (before we were running on total crap and the forum could barely stay up...oldies remember that). In that time I imagine a lot of people's interest died off since they couldn't get free music anymore.
3. Tour managers shitting the bed bringing visual kei to the masses; fans shitting the bed asking for bands to come and then not going to the concerts.
4. The sound changing. 2009 is where I'd peg the overall direction of visual kei to change to what it is today. I can't describe it aurally but we all know VK in 2016 isn't the same as VK in 2006. I think this lost a lot of people too when their favorite bands disbanded and there was no one to fill the void.