Spectralion

Artist: 凛として時雨 (ling tosite sigure) Album: es or s 1. SOSOS 2. Mirror Frustration 3. Karma Siren 4. Tornado Mystery 5. end roll fiction
Rating: | SOSOS send ling some help!
 
Ling tosite sigure (凛として時雨) albums have always been a spectacle. Rewind back to 2007 - their second full album Inspiration is DEAD was just released and for me, listening to it was like being unwittingly thrust into a pool of chilly water. I hated it at first, but the longer I immersed myself in it, the more comfortable I became and I eventually began enjoying it. There was something irresistibly charming about an indie-rock band that sounded like angsty chipmunks, yet brandished the kind of instrumental prowess found in extreme metal. As much as I wanted to shun it, I kept coming back.

The following year, they dropped their first single and I was completely sold. Every release after that was a complete thrill to sink your teeth into; you never knew what crazy riff TK would come up with, if Miyoko would sing more, or how the band would push their sound to new heights. The only thing certain was that Ling's new material would end up somewhere on your list at the end of the year.

Fast-forward to the present - the band has just released their latest EP es or s, and the endless wonder promised by the Ling's previous efforts is all but gone. From start to finish, the EP sounds like one big trip deja vu trip. The refrain in "mirror frustration" literally mirrors the chorus of "Beautiful Circus”, "end roll fiction" borrows moments from “secret cm”, and “Karma Siren” sounds like a limp combination of “Can you kill a secret?” and “Telecastic fake show”. It’s almost as if TK has taken Ling’s discography and thrown it into a blender, as you can almost dissect every moment on “es or s” and trace it back to an earlier creation. The problem isn’t that it’s derivative, though. Ling has always been adept at maintaining their sound while moving forward, but the band hasn’t broken any significant ground since 2010’s “still a Sigure virgin?”. Even their last full length, 2013's i’mperfect, generally considered as a creative brick wall for Ling, managed to deliver the band’s core strengths in an effective manner. On the other hand, this EP doesn’t even manage to refine their sound, let alone innovate. At most, there’s a cool, but exceedingly brief solo in “Mirror Frustration” and a pretty snazzy riff in “Tornado Mystery”, but those are hardly worth a mention when the rest of the EP is drowning in overused Ling tropes and suffering from some of TK's most drab songwriting yet.

On the bright side, the band is still as instrumentally proficient as they've always been, TK's vocals are at their most tolerant, and the production is sound. If you've just gotten into Ling or just haven't heard much of their back catalog, then there's a better chance that you'll receive this EP well and my criticism won't hold up. After all, there's nothing here that would constitute as 'bad' or unlistenable - it's all very well done. But if you're a long-time fan and have had a chance to live with their older works, then "es or s" might be a more difficult pill to swallow. You might even wonder what brought the band to this point. Each member now has their own side-projects; TK has released two solo albums, Miyoko has also released two with geek sleep sheep, and Pierre has his Chaotic Vibes Orchestra. One could easily assume that Ling is no longer their primary focus. Not to mention the anime themes that the band has been pumping out since 2012. "abnormalize" is their highest grossing single, so perhaps they've found a formula that sells and are sticking to it? It's hard to tell, and even more difficult to believe, but es or s truly legitimizes the notions that either TK's been hoarding all of his 'Fantastic Magic' for solo endeavors, or it's true that his 'Inspiration is DEAD'.


Support the band! "es or s" on Amazon
"es or s" on iTunes US
"es or s" on CDjapan

Artist: the GazettE Album: DOGMA 1. NIHIL 8. INCUBUS 2. DOGMA 9. LUCY 3. RAGE 10. GRUDGE 4. DAWN 11. PARALYSIS 5. DERACINE 12. DEUX 6. BIZARRE 13. BLEMISH 7. WASTELAND 14. OMINOUS
Rating: | After 13 years, "Gazerock" is officially whatever the band wants it to be.
 
If you're ever having a bad day, remember that time we waited five months for the most underwhelming album of the year.

Let's ignore for a second that DOGMA is ARCHE, Iowa-era Slipknot, and a quarter of DIM shoved in a blender and served cold with a side of drop A chugging. The marketing campaign behind this was stellar, and for five months it was the lack of details surrounding this album that sparked my curiosity the most. Just a few weeks before release, the band revealed "OMINOUS" as a teaser. For a brief second, a flash of light shone through the heavens as the hype seemed justified and the band was poised to deliver something interesting.
"NIHIL" even began the experience as I had anticipated, only for dubstep to emerge halfway through to set all my hopes and dreams on fire. I was in so much disbelief, I curled into the fetal position and muttered "What the fuck is this?" to no one in particular. That one minute encapsulates my journey with this band for the last five years, and when the crushing main riff of "DOGMA" kicked in I felt like I was left holding the bag after a bait and switch operation. This isn't what I signed up for. This isn't what this was billed as. But I'm not one to judge a book by its cover - or in this case an album by its case - and I proceeded to give the rest of the album a listen. If it had matched even a quarter of my expectations and contained a song similar to "DIM SCENE", "千鶴" (Chizuru), "体温" (Taion), or "泣ヶ原" (Nakigahara), we would be having a very different conversation right now. If it was at the very least a darker, more moody companion to 2013's BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, I would have waved the intro off. It was neither.

What followed was a most unremarkable collection of metalcore. Despite the fact that everything between tracks three and thirteen blend into one another, all is not lost. I found the vocals at their most inspired and energetic in years. On songs like "DERACINE", Ruki's vocal melodies are the most memorable thing of all. I haven't been able to say that in years! The GazettE have also remembered that they have two guitarists, and have returned to utilizing both of them to great effect. There's also an obvious attempt at focusing on one thing and doing it well - except in this case it's perhaps too focused. The lack of a ballad or even a mid-tempo rock number to change the pace exposes the one-dimensional nature of the album and makes it feel longer than it already is. They even titled the songs in all caps with edgy one word phrases like "PARALYSIS" or "BIZARRE". No other track prioritizes atmosphere and melody over pure aggression like "OMINOUS", which as far as I'm concerned is the only track you need.

I could dig deep if I wanted and point out minor flaws in specific tracks, but that would require another listen or two and the replay value for DOGMA is low. All of those criticisms have been lost to the haze that was this album. I have some fun during a listening session, but it quickly fades from memory as soon as it's done. Fun does not equate to a good album. The simple facts are that there's nothing new or distinctly "the GazettE" to see here. I'm half convinced this facade was forced by the band because it's been a while and the old has become new once again. Given some time, I believe DOGMA will wear thin much faster than other albums in their discography.

Diving head first into metal has yielded mixed results. DOGMA is an album purely for the biggest of GazettE lovers and metal fans. If this particular brand of Visual Kei metalcore appeals to you, this is your album. As for me, it's another uninspired, soon to be forgotten entry in the GazettE's bloated discography.


Support the band! Purchase DOGMA from CD JAPAN

I enjoyed listening to Beautiful Deformtiy as a whole more than I did Dogma because of the variety, but I think there are stronger individual tracks on Dogma.
Beautiful Deformity favorites

Ever had this moment when you spun certain non-vk record (while chilling around without our lovely j-music...we tend to have these phases too hey)...you were reminded of your old Japanese favorites? I am pretty sure most of you did have that kind of moment at least once!
 
So the idea behind this thread is simple:
 
You post specific non-Japanese releases (compilations, albums...) which might occasionally bug you with reminiscence/elements akin to your Japanese favorites. It doesn't have to be legit influence, so feel free to open up with your discoveries! No one's gonna judge here anyway, right?
 
Example:
 

Petition to add this smiley to the default selection of the forum!
 
LIKE THIS POST TO SIGN THE PETITION

Make up result after listening to Dead Childrens' Haunted Vox
I expected myself to do something heavier..never thought these songs would make me choose something ''light"
 
 
Thanks to Elazmus for helping me choose the pic :]

Traditional music with male and female vocals. But which one rocks your socks off most? You're welcome Zeus-sama.

 



 



 



 



 



 

I love wolves. Probably more than anything. So this was amazing.
 

Today I was told by a parent that his son has his 6th birtday tomorrow, and while trying to find out who they were to invite to the birthday party, his son had asked him if it was OK for him to invite a grown up. His dad then asked him why, and his son told him he only wanted me to come.
 
 

I was out of town five years ago the last time MONO made it to Wisconsin and I have been kicking myself ever since. I thought that the likelihood of them making it back to my tiny midwest state was slim to none. Well, let’s just say that my excitement was palpable when I found out that this band would be making the trip to a venue only about 15 minutes from my home.
 
I am not sure about everyone else, but I always find it more fun to have someone else to chat with in the downtime between bands (and also to laugh at my hilarious headbanging). Since tickets were very cheap and the venue was so close, it was easy to convince my girlfriend as well as a couple of other friends to join me. The three of them aren’t exactly as in to post rock as I am (to put it lightly), but all of them enjoy MONO to some extent. Besides, I knew they were in for a treat.
 
The show was at one of the most well known venues in Milwaukee,: The Rave. I have been there several times before and I have never really enjoyed the location, but I had only really seen shows on the main stage. MONO was set to play on their smallest stage, which was downright tiny. The disappointingly low attendance - maybe 100 tops - made it understandable, but it’s kind of funny to see a band you have loved for a long time relegated to such a small stage. Also, it was very low, almost abnormally low...the kind of stage height that would would work great for a sitting show, but not a bar venue.
 
We walked in maybe a couple minutes after the opener, Holly Hunt, had started playing. According to their Bandcamp, this guitar and drum duo “...capture the meditative power of repetition [and] the ecstatic joy of tempered variation.” I’m not sure about that. but what I can say is that I have never experienced something so boring yet so loud. To put it bluntly, this opener was bad. Sludge/drone/doom isn’t something I spin every day, but I do enjoy it on occasion...but not this time. I know the point is to be repetitive in this style of music, but your repetition still needs to be interesting. I heard some of the most bland riffs that long overstayed their welcome. 
 
A single song seemed to span about 10 minutes with no breaks in between. And it was Loud. Offensively loud. I thanked god I had earplugs, as the droning guitar still felt loud even with them on. Now let’s talk about the charisma of the band... Nothing says excitement like playing more than half of your show with your back towards the crowd looking at your amp...   Perhaps all of this wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a quieter place I could retreat to and talk to my friends, but the only choice was to endure. About 40 minutes later, the noise finally broke, a few people clapped and cheered, and I was finally able to remind myself as to why I came here.
 
MONO took the stage with decidedly little fanfare. No talking, no hyping - nothing. It is about the music. They launched right in to “Recoil, Ignite” off of Rays of Darkness, which is perhaps my favorite song of theirs and a hell of a way to start. While little was going to getting in my way of enjoy this epic song, suddenly a huge problem became apparent - the low stage. If you have seen MONO before, you know that a good deal of the time the guitarists are playing sitting down. Well, once you mix this with a low stage it makes for a very difficult viewing experience unless you are one of the few pressed up against the stage. Due to this “difficulty,” I eventually gave up trying to peer through gaps in shoulders and heads and spent my time with my eyes closed just soaking it all in. Considering I always enjoy closing my eyes at shows and letting the sound wash over me, perhaps this wasn’t a terrible thing (even though I was pretty damn irritated at the time).
 
Mono followed  with “Unseen Harbor.” I found the first half of the song to be a little lacking without the orchestra that accompanies the band on the recorded track, but that ending climax was just as lovely as ever. It is mind blowing how calm a beginning on a track can be, almost a little boring for me to be listening to a music venue, only to be devastated with the pure intensity of the later part of a song. It’s hard to put in to words, but I think that juxtaposition just brings a certain power to the music that really makes it emotional.
 
“Kanata” brought some relief with a somber piano after the ending climax that came before. Then in to “Where We Begin,” which I must admit, I don’t find to be an overly interesting track. The band rounded out the night with two tracks from “Hymn to the Immortal Wind,” “Ashes in the Snow” and “Everlasting Light.” I kind of wish they have switched the two song as I feel like the ending to “Ashes” would leave much bigger final impact to the show and allow me to leave with my skin crawling with goosebumps.
 
While I had hoped they would played more from “Rays of Darkness,” the concert was spectacular. Mono’s playing was nearly flawless and the band has such a great chemistry, which is amazing to behold as their interactions are so subtle and without word. Only a few things kept this concert from perfection...with a slight shifting of the track order and different venue, I think the goosebumps would have never left my skin. If you ever have a chance to see MONO live, do it. While I love their studio releases, it’s hard to emulate the pure force exuding from their live performance.

Artist: MAAKIII Album: 兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! (Tonikaku, Genesis!!!!!) 1. TONIKAKU. JENESIS!!!!! -KAIMAKU- (兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! -開幕-) 2. ×××× 3. TRICK STAR 4. KOKONI OIDEYO (ココニオイデヨ) 5. CHO KANKAKUTEKI CHIKAKU -ZERO MIX-(超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー ) 6. kIRA◯kIRA 7. DASH!DASSHUTSU!DASSHU! (DASH!脱出!奪取!) 8. IIJAN! (いーじゃんっ! ) 9. SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!! 10. SNOWBALL EARTH (スノーボールアース) 11. TONIKAKU. JENESIS!!!!! -HEIMAKU- (兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! -閉幕- )
Rating: | HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR's ex-vocalist isn't so high and mighty anymore
 
Mākii was the female vocalist of popular rock band HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, famous for hit songs such as '一輪の花 (Ichirin no Hana)', 'RUN☆RUN☆RUN' and 'OVER'. They disbanded in 2008, citing "musical differences" and "future opportunities" as their reasons. With Mākii returning as solo artist 'MAAKIII' after five years, this must've been a foreshadowing as to what we'd be getting from her once she came back.

An SE with the same name opens 兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! with a bang. Marching footsteps, clapping and glass breaking against an electro beat do sound random, and even more so with MAAKIII's 'do, do, do, do's,' shrieks, and repeated lyrics. For how much of a hot mess it is, it does its job in getting you fired up. You can hear what direction MAAKIII was going for from just this. The closing track is titled almost exactly like the opening: '兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! −開幕−.' I was hoping it would be different since it was twelve seconds longer but alas, the closing song is pretty much the same SE. So much for creativity! It's a neat loop if you ever want to put this record on repeat, or just the sentiment alone is pretty interesting, but still, it can't be helped how cheap of a move that comes off as.

The songs are hit and miss and the track placements come under the microscope for its ups and downs. Three out of four of the singles hit a wall, sounding like the ‘been there, done that’ J-pop jam. The first culprit is ‘ﾗﾗﾗﾗ.’ MAAKIII does well in carrying the cute charm from the opening, and while it’s fitting and engaging with a climatic build up to the chorus, it’s the chorus which turns it all mediocre. Equipped with the most generic sound thanks to its typical Engrish lyrics and straightforward structure, it fails to give the song that necessary shine. However, it’s still enjoyable without suffering unlike ‘SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!!’, which is an embarrassment. This attempts to sound like a summer break hit, and is slaughtered to death by the party goers instead. The beat is obnoxiously loud with overused autotune and goes absolutely nowhere but continuously grates on your bleeding ears. 'スノーボールアース' is the saving grace. It's got that KOKIA sound in the verses thanks to its spacey sound, and its chorus finally packs the punches most of the tracks needed. While her vocals may need work in some places, the music is exactly what MAAKIII needs to stick to. 'ココニオイデヨ' can almost beat ‘SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!!’ with how much it’s in your face. I'm one for autotune, but when it's too much even I admit it wasn't a good move. I appreciate how well this track would do live because of its high energy, but the chorus is far too tiresome.  It had a promising start, but with so much autotune, it comes off as lazy and not as exciting as it tries to sound. Even a whistle can be heard in it, literally calling for a time out.

The songs that exhibit her new sound best are ‘トリックスター’ , ‘いーじゃんっ!’ and ‘kIRA◯kIRA’. The latter is the strongest and hardest track on the album, with a band playing much like how the best all-girl bands sound. The effect over MAAKIII's vocals exaggerates this all-girl group sound more so to give it a rough edge, and then synths come back in to greet the most melodic and fluid chorus. MAAKIII even treats us with a badass shout at the end, something we can all die happy for. ‘いーじゃんっ!’ acts as a compliment to it. This one can be known as the poppy 'kIRA◯kIRA’, and while it sounds like a downgrade of it, it’s still a very successful pop track. The diamond is the rough is definitely ‘トリックスター’. The progression of the track is gorgeous. It sounds epic, with fairy-tale like imagery. Piano dominates throughout, a feature non-existent for the most part in this album, and it really stands out for this. MAAKIII's vocals here are light and fluffy, and overall, it's memorable without trying too hard.

The worst of the batch are '超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー’ and 'DASH!脱出!奪取!': All filler and dead weight. '超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー' might as well not have been included. It's exactly what I feared the album would be. The chorus lacks so much enthusiasm it flatlines. A more valid attempt at the dancefloor sound, but it's one that'll get me moving to evacuate the room ASAP. 'DASH!脱出!奪取!' is the EDM number which is hungry for the listener to get their groove on, and surprisingly, this autotuned, electro filled track manages to get some taps. It’s definitely the most repetitive song but it's the only electronic filled one which isn’t unpleasant. Sure, autotune is poured all over the track but this time it works. MAAKIII sounds like a cyborg here, and clearly the autotune is even more overused since it's so heavy, but the music and the voice finally have a balance which just collided together in others. It’s a more admirable attempt, albeit it's still not enough and becomes dead weight by the end.

I really was expecting a miserable failure of an album. As only a few songs lived up to my expectation of how bad this was going to be, - and let's not forget the rather lame excuse to have the opening and closing track almost exactly mirror one another! - I'm pretty happy with the result. There's a lot of improvement needed, but surely this is the kind of music Mākii wanted to do from the beginning, so good on her.


Support the artist! iTunes

I wasn't expecting much but still found room for disappointment. I'm a fan of HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR but I won't say that she should have necessarily stuck with them. By the time she left, the band was a sinking ship and everyone on board was in denial.

This is no better though. I listened to SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!! and 'スノーボールアース' and was not pleased. Unimpressive pop music all the way around that's starting to fade from my memory and the video isn't even done yet. SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!! lacks focus and the autotune is completely unnecessary since MAAKIII is naturally talented at singing. All the autotune does is remove the one good thing from the music. You praised 'スノーボールアース' for being the kind of sound MAAKIII needs to stick to but the PV failed to impress me. If this is the "saving grace", I don't think her new album is for me. I also feel like she's restraining herself a bit while singing but on the upside she also sounds way more natural. I wonder how often she was forcing herself in H&MC to fit with the aggressive music they played.
 
tl;dr pop music can be interesting without being incredibly boring. Since she's married to a pretty famous producer, the two of them should put their heads together and come up with something better than this. Studying HOT LIMIT is a good place to start. This alone is better than anything on that album by a country mile.



 
Anyway, great review beni!

satsuki's entire solo career

Best New Tracks: July 2015

July was a big month for Japanese music and the Official Reviewers (ORZ) have been extra busy sifting through the plethora of releases, all in order to recommend you the best new tracks! Feel free to comment or discuss any of this month's picks and even offer your own as well!
Visual Kei
"Fatal Error Race" by D.I.D.

"愁いリビドー (Urei libido)" by DADAROMA

"Everlasting Flavor" by Diawolf

"この世で一番美しい薔薇よ (Konoyo de Ichiban Utsukushii Bara Yo)" by Kamijo

"The Screaming Pain" by Lament.

"鳥籠トロイメライ (torikago träumerei)" by My Fairytale

"アオイヤミ (Aoi Yami)" by Purple Stone

"砉 (Keiki)" by コドモドラゴン (Codomo Dragon)

"造花と嘘 (zouka to uso)" by ユナイト (UNiTE.)

"人形劇 (Ningyougeki)" by リライゾ (Liraizo)

Rock / Metal / Punk
"closer" by Does It Escape Again

"信じて (Shinjite)" by Galileo Galilei

"STRIKE A BELL" by LEGO BIG MORL

"From This Day" by Nature Living

"Dream Box" by NoisyCell

"Iolite" by Sailing Before The Wind

"male bee, on a sunny day. well well well well!" by THE BOHEMIANS

"夜の公園 (yoru no koen)" by シュリスペイロフ (Syurispeiloff)

"トーキーダンス (Talkie Dance)" by ヒトリエ (Hitorie)

Indie / Alt.
"the lonely crowd" by Mouse on the Keys

"Jaguar" by N.Y&BICYCLES

"Dali" by PELICAN FANCLUB

"My Little Wish" by toe

"夕霧 (yuugiri)" by 北園みなみ (Minami Kitasono)

"シーン (scene)" by 水中図鑑 (Suichuzukan)

"new place" by 雨のパレード (Ame no Parade)

Pop / Idol / R&B / Hip-Hop
"LAST STARDUST" by Aimer

"5th season" by BILLIE IDLE

"Lights Go Out" by CJ Li

"サマーサマー (summer summer)" by Caro kissa

"やれよ。(Yareyo.)" by Charisma.com

"Claymore (DJ Koo Remix)" by GACKT

"Ex Tape" by 倖田來未 (Koda Kumi)

"LUV PANDEMIC" by TOWA TEI

"スパイス (Spice)" by 東京カランコロン (Tokyo Karankoron)

"Pocket" by whiteeeen
PV
"綺麗 (Kirei)" by 印象派 (Inshouha)

"DREAM" by 岸谷香 (Kaori Kishitani)
PV
"Run Away" by 滴草由実 (Yumi Shizukusa)

See you next month!

I need more Kyousei-ish song from them :/

hi

bah, I don't take pics very often, but here's one of my brothers and I a little over a month ago. (father's day iirc)
(younger bro on the left, older bro in the middle, me on the right)

Mission statement and introduction
 
I wanted to review something of theirs and I figured I'd write about everything they've done so far lol, since I feel there are some unfortunate tendencies in their material. I will rate songs a) based on personal preference and how much of an actual finished song it feels like since many of these don't actually seem like much more than riffs thrown together with swoosh transitions. A relevant point is that I absolutely adore ネガ's first 3 EP:s and, progressively less, the rest of their output. I also liked PERESTROIKA and loved the absolute fucking trainwreck that was VANITAS.

So, basically, THE BLACK SWAN is in some ways Jin's continuation of late NEGA. The metalcore ambition is there but this time we are presented with two guitarists that actually seem to be able to play the written riffs*, bass lines that are audible** and a drummer that is pretty technically good***. Jin however carries over, along with what seems to be a lot of the songwriting such as the ever-missed PERESTROIKA synths.

* this point I am factually unsure of as there seems to be no live footage of TBS anywhere. I stand however by ネガ fucking everything up after losing Hiroki
** at the expense of being really cheesy
*** again, in the studio. I'm not at all saying that Yuu was bad, but a lot of the TBS drum lines feel more solid than NEGA's
 
 
Review part

自深傍観者
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ Long piano intro
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass

Sadly, having watched the first TBS teaser video, you had pretty much heard all of this song. I guess it's pretty cool that it's mostly in 3/4 time or something and the main riff is actually kind of refreshing the first time. Things like the unexpected accentuated bass in the chorus makes for some kind of a twist and it's pleasant. There is however nothing at all new or interesting happening for the rest of the track after the chorus (which is all in all pretty bland), not even a proper breakdown. Where is the kitschy bad metalcore goodiness? This doesn't leave a huge impression on me at all, so I move on.



TRIPPER
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★★

☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ PERESTROIKA vocoder
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

So judging from the name I expected some "sexy" sounding shit like MINDLESS from PERESTROIKA which I would most rather forget tbh. Instead we are treated to some pretty cool sounding dissonant-ish ~mysterious~ delayed guitar, turning into a pleasant mid-tempo main riff that keeps the arpeggiating melody theme which is a nice thought. The guitar work sounds pretty interesting during the verses and there's even some exciting trade-off with the bass! Wow! Later, shit hits the fan when we get a fantastically catchy dubstep-ish breakdown that transitions into a really epic guitar solo. The song then rounds off without feeling like a chore. Never during this song do I feel bored and this borrows the exact right proportions of PERESTROIKA and NEGA to make it enjoyable.



I SOLATION
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★☆☆☆

☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

Also being featured in the initial TBS teaser, there really isn't much more to this song than the first half. It's a little bit heavy and it's pretty fast and there are some budget D.I.D.-sounding elektronix idk. The verse feels pretty badly disjointed. There is a swoosh transition between every fucking part of the song. The chorus sounds like a more boring version of NEGA's VORTICAL [E]MOTION. What's pretty cool however is the breakdown, introducing(?) that whine that one of the guitarists seems to really like. After that however, there is, as in 自深傍観者, absolutely nothing interesting going on whatsoever.



THE HOPELESS
Rating: ★★★★☆
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ 15 NEGA songs fit into one
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

TBS' first single lead is probably the most NEGA-sounding song they've done. We have verse shouting, swoosh noises and a brooding church organ synth or whatever. The works! The pre-chorus however offers something new to the table which is pretty exciting. We are then subjected to a chorus that really oozes NEGA cheesiness. The trademark guitar whine then leads into a breakdown and a kind of awkward insipid guitar solo. All in all, this is basically the formula of NEGA's VANITAS singles but much more cohesively executed and featuring every TBS indulgence so far. Bonus mention for OK though lulzy video.



HATE YOURSELF UNTIL YOU DIE
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★★

☑ Phantasmagoria level SE
☑ Better than 壁

So this is, as far as I understand, the live closer song of choice for TBS. After a totally emotional SE intro we are given a very straightforward, catchy mid-tempo metalcoreish main riff which alternates with a standard fast-paced "blastbeat" part throughout most of the song. The verse leads into a really solid chorus with interesting bass work and the "HAATE YOUUURRSEEEEELF" parts are fun. Drums are really solid throughout. All in all, this is very stable and really sounds like the whole band working together. There are no swooshing sounds either (as far as I could hear anyway), which is amazingly refreshing!! I'm actually sure this is equally as solid live.



long japaneez title song
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
How finished: ★☆☆☆☆

☑ You have heard this before
☑ Fucking wooden bass or whatever
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion

I honestly did not know what to expect from the long-awaited ballad but saw that it would feature like a stand-up bass or sth? That seemed like a pretty cool gimmick. Starting out with that chord progression that you've heard at least 10 times in VK played on an acoustic guitar, we are then introduced to a half-hearted drum beat. At around 1:30 we finally get the promised wooden bass which really doesn't do anything interesting at all. The line could have just as well been played on a regular bass (maybe for an even better effect idk.) By 2:45 we have a pretty bland build-up and the chorus is just meh. Jin has thus only used his ~quiet voice~ so at this point we can safely expect an EXPLOSION OF EMOTIONS later on. Idk, whatever, I just don't care. At 3:40 or something some sketches of potentially interesting guitar effects trikkery appear and pass by unnoticed. An arpeggiating guitar break with engrish whispering just isn't enough to save the song at this point and when the chorus hits for the climactic final stretch, it is accompanied by the most boring drum line imaginable. Basically this is that excruciating track WILL from NEGA's VANITAS but somewhat ~darker~ and somehow even worse. This seems like a sketch of a sketch of a finished track and is painfully bland.



INSIDE SILENCE
Rating: ★★★★☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ InSSSSSSSSSSide SSSSSSSSSSSSilenCCCCCCCCCCCCe
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing
☑ Key change

Fast song. At some point we get a verse with clock ticks instead of a beat? Whatever, I forgive you just give me more of the fucking synth voice goodiness. The next thing I know I'm at a fun bass solo after which the tempo actually slows down (NEGA did this a couple of times and it's so cheap and dirty and I love it) for the really sweet breakdown, where a whine™ leads the way into a crazy (faster) guitar solo. The rest of the song isn't much to write home about and I guess it has an overall "basic" structure-wise feel but one cannot deny the fun factor.



失い
Rating: ★★★☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ Piano intro
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ Key change

From the start, this feels like business as usual. The piano intro sounds like a 2009 ネガ SE which suddenly and really nicely erupts into a cool early ネガ level haunting low-tempo riff. Rushing through a fast part, the verse is quite exciting with interesting guitar and actually pretty surprisingly tricky drum work from Len, transitioning into an alright, slightly cheesy chorus. Another verse leads into the build-up for the fast part from the beginning but then dissolves into... another build-up... or something... Anyway, this eventually results in a really solid headbanging breakdown. Then the song goes back into the chorus and then into the chorus again with a key change, a guitar solo and a really loud, almost painfully cheesy bass line. The chorus then slows down and the song kind of dissolves into nothing. All in all, this is kinda disjointed but the components are by themselves solid and fun. Bonus mention for cool video.



I'M SHIT NOODLE, BUT...
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ i like girl. i like sex. i like money. i'm shit noodle
☑ Jin trying to sound like a girl
☑ Swoosh transitions

From the beginning this is slated to be completely amazing. The main riff of this is like exactly 瞋恚の炎 by PERESTROIKA but with super wild synth, making it so much more fun. This is precisely the kind of kitsch I want to hear from a band like TBS. I don't even know what to write, everything about this is just super fun, from the headbang parts to the chorus to the guitar solo to the fact that this is Jin venturing into weird semi-ironic V-ROCK IS DEAD territory.



ETERNAL SLEEP
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ NEGA level drum machine
☑ You have heard this before

Can TBS deliver a good ballad? This does not answer the question as this track really isn't anything special as far as VK ballads go but kind of OK I guess? At least it is a well-defined song compared to the long ass japaneez title one and has a guitar solo and actually decent arrangement. Thankfully, there's no wooden bass in earsight. Whatever, songs like this are not the reason I listen to TBS.



SICK (黒夢 cover)
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Juicy ass bass slides
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

OK so this is from a Kuroyume tribute album which got uploaded here recently. Now I basically don't know anything about Kuroyume or the original song but this is a controlled and quite pleasant, fun and unique (featuring all the appropriate hallmarks) sounding effort from TBS where all of the band really comes through in quite technical ways. Especially the piano-tinged breakdown and the solid guitar solo sound really fresh.
 
 
 
MIRROR,MIRROR
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆
 
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Broken glass SFX
 
This is TBS' first attempt at a fast ballad-ish song I guess, and I must say I expected more. We are introduced to a gentle guitar intro which turns into a slightly weird main riff... Which is okay, since the verse actually sounds good! The chorus is not great though and the following breakdown is just plain awkward. The guitar solo is slightly more solid. All in all, just nowhere near 17歳の孤独 #sorrynotsorry
 
 
Some kind of conclusion
 
I suppose this indicates some kind of trend of half-assed song writing but also some technical proficiency. There is hope for some good music to be made and songs like TRIPPER genuinely show promise. This seems however to more often than not be eclipsed by contrived transitions and generally some late NEGA awkwardness. Though once again, the reason why I listen to TBS is to get my dose of gimmicky metalcore with that guitar whine used as much as possible.
 
P.S. the trailer for the new single has a really bland chorus. Man oh man.
P.S.#2 eagerly awaiting first faux jazz song and a decent ballad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90wG8ObCBE0
 
Anybody watch this? It's like a crazy back to the future with interdimensional space travel on crack. Was a huge fan of the first season and can't wait for the 2nd season. Love the crazy scifi antics, the strange creatures/aliens, the cleaver writing and the way this show pulls off crude jokes in a smart way.

Megaromania, who?
 
Get Metis Gretel back already!

Artist: グリーヴァ (Grieva) Album: 妄想主義者ノ背徳。(Mousou shugisha no haitoku.) 1. Type[艶] (Tsuya) (SE) 2. 自己精神殺害推進會 (Jiko seishin satsugai suishin) 3. 妄想主義者ノ背徳 (Mousou shugisha no haitoku) 4. Art play 5. 夢デ逢ウ貴女ガ削除デキマセン。(Yume de au kijo ga sakujo dekimasen.) 6. 密室104号室～暗イ部屋二僕ト君～ (Misshitsu 104-goushitsu～kurai heya ni boku to kimi～) 7. 腐『furan』乱
Rating: | No need for grievin', visual kei is not dead!
 
Grieva sure came into their own over their few years of activity. Starting out as a glaringly obvious exercise in old-school DIR EN GREY fanboyism (pretty much producing a blueprint replica of the Gauze album), they raised lots of eyebrows but also gained an ever-growing fanbase. They've been churning out release after release like clockwork, a practice that few can pull off successfully while maintaining quality. These guys, however, not only manage to put out consistent tunes, but also seem to be slightly evolving every year. While there's no drastic change in sound (thank god for that!), they're constantly tweaking their formula and instrumentation to achieve a greater effect. Their latest mini album, Mousou shugisha no haitoku demonstrates this tendency excellently.

From the kick-in-the-teeth industrial beats of the intro to the impressive sonic diversity of the closing track, Grieva presents a fine-tuned version of their vision: building upon the legacy of the old-school with youthful vigor, and a tad more than a pinch of craziness. On the one hand, compositions like the title track or "Yume de au kijo ga sakujo dekimasen" burst forth from the speakers with a mixture of yesteryears' melodic sense coupled with a truly modern (or post-modern?) approach. On the other hand, we're inevitably treated to a small number of songs where Grieva wear their hearts on their sleeves a bit too obviously. It's hard not to recall exact moments from DIR EN GREY's back catalog when you hear the intricate lead guitars of "Art play" or the jackhammering bass in "Misshitsu 104-goushitsu～kurai heya ni boku to kimi～". The difference this time (compared to, say, their debut album) is that they were able to fully integrate these parts into their songs, not sticking out like a sore thumb throbbing with plagiarism. "Misshitsu 104-goushitsu..." even has a music box interlude reminiscent of a certain DEG classic – it's hard not to crack a smile of appreciation at the homage.

The arrangement and delivery of the songs deserve praise too, where it's due. Even though the mini album starts off in a rather repetitive fashion (after a surprisingly bangin' intro SE) with "Jiko seishin satsugai suishinkai", they more than make up for that later on. Tracks like "Art play" employ a wide array of styles, from metal chugging to upbeat ska-influenced guitars, resulting in nice changes of pace and dynamics. As soon as you're beginning to feel you're listening to 'just another typical Grieva tune', they change it up ever so slightly, introducing an interesting guitar tone or effect. In short, it's hard to get bored while listening to Mousou shugisha no haitoku. This statement is ultimately solidified by the closing track "furan", an ambitious composition that goes from a punky, all-out shoutfest (props to those pipes, Kyouki!) to an unexpectedly sweet melodic guitar solo, short bass and piano interludes and a driving chorus. It is a thrilling, dare I say progressive, finish to an already cool release.

A year ago, with the release of their 2nd full-length album Shuuen, I couldn't imagine Grieva going any further in terms of quality, but along came this release and blew me away. Granted, Kyouki and co are still far from being the most original bunch of visual kei musicians, but who needs that when you have a reliable, constant supply of kickass tunes to rock out to? I could hardly ask for more.


Support the band! Buy the mini album @ CDJapan
Buy the mini album @ Yesasia

Artist: DOAK Single: 揚羽-ageha- 1. 揚羽-ageha- 2. パラサイト 3. LICKER (Type A only) 3. eris (Type B only)
Rating: | About as appetizing as a clump of toenails and prison gruel.
 
DOAK is UnsraW meets Para:noir meets 2015. As cool as that sounds on paper, in practice it's not so good. Opposites don't always attract and this is one of those cases where a band that has so much going for it theoretically flops like a fish out of water. It's a more sobering, crushing realization when one remembers that this isn't a new band. DOAK has been operating under the session band name ERIZA in one form or another for the past few years. Before that, the members in this band were part of one or more semi-competent visual kei bands, evidenced by the fact that we still remember who UnsraW and Para:noir are. It would be a more than reasonable expectation that their first official release would sound better than an awkward collection of unfinished riffs.

It's impressive how consistently flat the delivery is the entire time. There's only the faintest hint of originality poking up throughout the four song excursion into the savanna of lethargic metalcore. There's no rhythm or heaviness in the guitar, so no mosh pits in these parts, plus the smattering of electronic elements add insignificant amounts of depth to the music. These insipid metalcore leanings are among the better moments, with the dreadful moments reserved for when Yuuki sings. He's simultaneously tone deaf and off key all the time, as if he can't hear himself sing for some reason. The band knows he's not all that great of a vocalist - hell, I think everyone knows - but the only way they could compensate for his lack of range or ability was to slap some auto-tune over all the rough parts. It just makes things worse because these measures to compensate for his shortcomings are applied inconsistently too; Yuuki's opening vocal melody to 揚羽-ageha- is buried beneath mountains of digital "correction" but when the veil is suddenly lifted fifteen seconds later the result is no more desirable. Why bother at all? I wish he would pick up a guitar, rock out alongside the other band members, get literally anyone else to sing, and stick to supporting that person with harsh background and gang vocals. Maybe then this single would have a memorable few seconds outside of "LICKER"'s solo worth mentioning.

This is the exact definition of generic visual kei; this neutered, pedestrian, watered-down metalcore has less personality than a candle stick. Visual bands of yesteryear with unknown band members and a shoestring budget have composed more convincing riffs than whatever "eris" is supposed to be, and have had way less hype and attention. I had a soft spot for both UnsraW and Para:noir, but the combination of the two just doesn't click. 揚羽-ageha- didn't even make it to my music player before I purged it from my hard drive and I think I'll be all the better for it.

There's no nice way to say this so I'll be blunt: listen to anything else.


Support the band! Purchase Type A here
Purchase Type B here

THE FULL PV IS HERE !!