Spectralion

Artist: Jupiter Album: THE HISTORY OF GENESIS Score: The Birth of Venus. The Death of Creativity.
Visual Kei is a world of its own; a patchwork scene that mixes and matches various established genres and reinterprets them under its own musical and aesthetic niches. The peculiarities found within the scene - which can range from vocal style, visuals, songwriting, marketing ploys, to general band ethics - are usually recognizable, but also fleeting at best. When you add in the fact that any given Visual Kei band can have an entirely different set of musical influences, this renders comparison to the "source" of those influences a fruitless task outside of music historicism. Visual Kei is best appreciated from within, with some kind of inside narrative. Something that explains how Visual Kei operates or the rationale behind a band's artistic choices. However, sometimes you'll come across a band that defies a narrative - for better or worse. Jupiter is one such band.
On their sophomore effort "THE HISTORY OF GENESIS", it's painfully apparent that they fall in between the cracks of being a successful metal band with Visual Kei aesthetics and a Visual Kei band that has effectively appropriated metal into their repertoire. Instead, they sound like a lukewarm imitation of both - neither delivering from a metal standpoint, nor fully embracing the artistic nooks of Visual Kei. Some of the most "thrashing" moments of the album, like opener "The Birth of Venus", single track "LAST MOMENT" and "ARCADIA", are marred by hackneyed power-metal songwriting and technical, yet emotionless instrumentation that fails to engage. It's as if guitarists HIZAKI and TERU are literally riffing in one ear and out the other. Even the harder hitting songs like "Darkness" and "絶望ラビリンス" lack punch and wouldn't warrant headbanging, much less a simple head nod.
But beyond the lackluster songwriting and sterile musicianship, THE HISTORY OF GENESIS suffers from a host of other issues, one of which is ZIN - Jupiter's vocalist. As a metal vocalist --power-metal in particular-- ZIN doesn't cut it. He lacks the soaring, dynamic range and the theatrical bravado necessary to be compelling. His harsher vocal attempts, as heard in tracks "SACRED ALTAR" and "Darkness", are weak and struggle to be heard amidst all of the drab riffage. Even by Visual Kei standards, ZIN's vocals are thoroughly uncharacteristic. There are no tortured quirks or endearing imperfections to add charm to his performance. So while ZIN isn't a remarkably good vocalist or an offensively bad one, he still occupies an awkward musical territory - one that simultaneously falls short of the expectations of metal and the appeal of Visual Kei.
The final nail in this album's coffin was hammered in by its wearisome length and seemingly asinine arrangement. Of course, metal albums are usually protracted affairs, but with 14 tracks and a duration 10 minutes shy of your average feature-film, there just isn't enough quality material here to justify sitting through it. Omitting a few tracks or trimming some of the fat would have done some good. Running at nearly 8 minutes, title track "The History of Genesis" is a progressive behemoth that feels like more of a chore than an immersive epic. Even with the track being placed near the end (it's the last track on the limited edition), it just feels like a tired recap of the entire album, as opposed to an actual climax. Instrumental guitar ballad "Church Candle", as dull as it is, would have served more effectively as an intro or an outro. Instead it's slapped right in the middle of the album and adds no sense of progression or logical flow. "Shining" is another unfortunate curveball in which Jupiter delves into an oshare kei-esque pop-punk number. Normally, a band's attempt to diversify their sound would be laudable, but in the the context of the album it comes off as half-baked filler.
Though for all of its weaknesses, THE HISTORY OF GENESIS isn't without some merit. One of the band's strongest showings was, ironically, the only song composed by ZIN - "Red Carnation". This track revels in everything Jupiter tried but failed to accomplish with the rest of the album. All of the symphonic and neo-classical elements are kicked into high gear, and ZIN even duets with a female vocalist, giving their music a much needed spark. "THE MOON", however, is the album's most standout track. It's a groovy, mid-tempo ballad where HIZAKI and TERU put the power chords and the chugging on hold to embrace smoother guitar tones. There's even an unexpected, but extremely welcome jazz breakdown. Unlike "Shining", this is an instance in which Jupiter tried something new without deviating from the tone of album or abandoning their core sound.
It's obvious that Jupiter has all of the tools to impress; they're just misusing them 80% of the time. If HIZAKI loosened his compositional stranglehold and allowed more new ideas to flow in and if ZIN were a bit more convincing, then Jupiter could become a force to be reckoned with. But as THE HISTORY OF GENESIS has shown, Jupiter is stuck in an uninspired artistic limbo devoid of a narrative. Whether your musical inclinations lie with metal or Visual Kei, this album is sure to leave you entirely apathetic.

But will it top their Tempura Kidz collab? Probably never

This just went from fucking stupid to fucking confusing... hold up...
...
Oh wait, I got it now! TYPE H,I,J are the only ones with bonus tracks, and buying them all will total ¥1,620, which is roughly the cost of one type of a previous single, so that's not bad! Total of four tracks being released, like most BP records singles.

凛として時雨 (ling tosite sigure)

 
Discography
Albums
2005年11月09日 #4
2007年08月22日 Inspiration is DEAD
2009年05月23日 just A moment
2010年09月22日 still a Sigure virgin?
2013年04月10日 i'mperfect
EPs
2006年07月19日 Feeling your UFO
2015年09月02日 es or s
Singles
2008年04月23日 Telecastic fake show
2008年12月24日 moment A rhythm
2012年11月14日 abnormalize
2014年11月05日 Enigmatic Feeling
2015年01月14日 Who What Who What
TK from 凛として時雨

Albums
2012年6月27日 Flowering
2014年8月27日 Fantastic Magic
EPs
2016年03月20日 Secret Sensation
Singles
2014年03月05日 contrast
2014年07月23日 unravel
-----------
I've noticed an increasing amount of ling fans on the forum over the years, and I think it's high time we actually had a topic for one of my favorite bands!

Rentrer en Soi - Hitsuu Kizuato
9goats black out - archives
Dir en grey - Myaku (first press w/stickers)
aasdfgjyezvejhf

There's a lot of long time metalheads who like it, though. Some people aren't so rigid that they can actually enjoy metal mixed with other styles.
If you don't like it, that's cool. But I really hate when people assume "only idiots like this". A lot of people enjoy cheesy and fun things. Metal is a genre that often takes itself way too seriously. I think Babymetal offer people a break from that.

I'm half naked in all of my selfies, too. I might be wearing a shirt on top, but....
 

ATTACK ON TITAN IS TRASH! IT'S A GOD AWFUL ANIME WITH A CRAPPY PLOT

Umm..okay so here's another self-portrait.
 
It was foggy last night so I thought I'd try something.
I call it "Monster of the fog"
 

 
 
I'm not positively happy about my pose but the lights went off before I could take any more shots. 
So, this is the best I got.

Starting watch Gurren Laggan. Not as excited as when I watched Kill la Kill.
 
Gonna stick until it's end...

This new year holiday, we go to the beach...
 

 
My sister take it for me. Kind of love it.

I Just watched the new Gundam Build Fighters Try episode and holy shit was it amazing! Like seriously that episode was epic as fuck, I'm not even mad about there not being an episode last week, this weeks more than made up for it in awesomness
 

Ringo Shena will release a new single titled "至上の人生" (Shijou no Jinsei), which will act as a theme song for a drama called "Tsuma" (http://www.ntv.co.jp/tsuma/ (?)). The release date was set to be February 25th. No other details are known yet.

Here's my end of the year list. I quickly realized I only listen to cross-dresser crap and don't follow many western bands closely enough to pay attention to new releases. Oh well~~~. 
 
Now with working mp3s

Albums:


 
Kamijo : Heart
 
Kamijo graced us this year with not one, but two albums. As this was his only full release, I’ve included it in my list here (although Symphony of the Vampire was equally as good, just for different reasons). As many other reviewers have said before me, this album truly showcased what aspects of Versailles Kamijo really had contributed. Ripe with a mix of classic tropes from his past bands, Heart brings the best of several worlds together in a one gilded soundscape. In it, he has some Versailles-esque neoclassical tracks (“(闇夜のライオン”),  some Lareine-ish melodic songs (“Romantique” and “抱きしめられながら”), and even an epic-length track (“Heart”).  In spite of the many critiques his previous band received about becoming stagnant after exhausting their classical influences, Kamijo has managed to keep his signature style while revitalizing it just enough to keep things fresh and interesting.  If this year is any indication of how things will go for Kamijo, it looks like the King of Rose-kei will keep his throne for years to come.
 
闇夜のライオン:



 
己龍 :  暁歌水月
 
One more first album of their career!! Just kidding: if there’s one thing the Kiryu is good at, it is releasing an absurd amount of CDs with very little time to breathe. 暁歌水月 is their 4th full-length in their discography and is one of their stronger albums to me. While their crazy take on Japanese folk-metal may get tiresome to some, their formula works exceptionally well for them and clearly stick to the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Here you’ll find a good mix of their dark and chaotic songs, as well as their melodic and softer ones, all held together by their signature use of traditional Japanese instruments. As this album showcases more than ever, The Kiryu have some of the best riffage in the scene and do not let stereotypical visual-kei earmarks get in the way of their progressive individuality. 
 
愛怨忌焔:



 
Azealia Banks : Broke with Expensive Taste
 
Another year of firsts for this artist—Azealia Banks dropped her long awaited full length album late this year. After originally announcing to come out in the spring of this year, the release date kept getting pushed further and further back. Thankfully, the wait was well worth it. Filled with her typical poignant disposition and clever lyrics, Broke With Expensive Taste offers a smattering of musical styles all over the spectrum that work well together and do not fall victim to tokenism. Her claim-to-fame track “212” made yet another appearance, as well as other singles “Yung Rapunxel,” “Heavy Metal And Reflective,” and “Chasing Time.” If you’re looking to try out an album that goes from playfully singing in Spanish, to a song called “BBD” (which stands for “Bad Bitches Do It”), and a surf rock song about a rebellious teen that goes to a nudist beach, this album is a must-try. 
 
https://soundcloud.com/azealiabanksweb/azealia-banks-heavy-metal-and-reflective-explicit



 
Lana Del Ray : Ultraviolence
 
Lana Del Ray once again leads the sadcore pop scene with her second album, Ultraviolence. Lana is an artist I tended to shy away from for a while, but this album seems to have won me over. It’s disposition is much more melancholic than what I’ve heard from her first album, and its lyrical content are more about coming out of tight spots in her life, such as abusive relationships. The musicianship here is top-notch, and her voice, hell, her whole persona, fits the album’s 70’s revival vibe so well. If you’re in the mood to watch the rain with flowers in your hair while Facetiming with a sepia filter, this is the perfect album to do that to. Definitely recommend checking out “Cruel World,” “Shades of Cool,” and “West Coast.”
 
West Coast:




 
Sukekiyo : Immortalis
 
Already wrote a bit about this on the Christmas list, but basically this is what Arche is derived from and I like this better. While I don’t necessarily like most of their members, when they put their heads together they really do come up with some wonderful ideas.
 
斑人間:



 
ギャロ : NERO
 
Completely out of left-field for me this year, I tried their split single with AvelCain and had to have more. Kind of quirky, but doesn’t use that as a crutch to base their musical decisions on, The Gallow are truly a band to keep an eye on. In a way, they kind of remind me of Cali Gari but more aggressive. Do not let this band stay under your radar!
 
帝都四号魔水路:



 
DEZERT : 「タイトルなし」
 
Another branch of the homage-kei trinity, DEZERT finally managed to put out a full-length album this year after releasing quite a large discography before doing so. Miraculously, nothing on here was from their previous singles (which is unheard of in visual-kei????) .  Hard-hitting and fast paced, 「タイトルなし」 serves up some cool nü-metal influenced tracks as well as some metal-core ones. Compared to their earlier discography, this was probably their most accessible release to me and a strong step in the right direct for this band. My favorite tracks include “Doze,” “「擬死」,” and “胃潰瘍とルソーの錯覚.” While they’re not exactly similar, per say, if you’ve enjoyed AvelCain’s album odds are you will also enjoy this one. Cake, anyone?
 
胃潰瘍とルソーの錯覚:

 


 
AvelCain : AvelCain-アベルカイン-
 
AvelCain released their first full-length as this year, self-titled “AvelCain.” This album falls under the homage-kei umbrella, giving praise to many different acts from the late 90’s and turn-of-the-century visual-kei. Here we find a return to motifs about psychosis, darkness, and ball-jointed dolls in a more modernized fashion. From hard hitting singles like “Psycho” and “ID,” to equally as powerful (and slightly deranged) tracks like “操り人形,” this album brings back all of those feelings of not quite fitting in and teen angst right back. The band does show their softer side with songs like “千羽鶴.” There’s even a Puppet Mammy cover song, as most likely suggested by their drummer and producer who was a part of that band. This is a great album to start with when trying to get into AvelCain. My only complaint with it is that they used quite a lot of rereleased material here and it could have benefitted from a larger repertoire of new songs.
 
PSYCHO-サイコ-:



 
Buck-Tick : 或いはアナーキー
 
Visual-kei legends Buck-Tick released their millionth album this year. While I haven’t really followed them for too long, it seems as though their sound has evolved at every step in their career from all different genres. According to Wikipedia, they are currently in their “straight rock” phase, although I’m not sure how true that holds when descripting 或いはアナーキー. This album has many different influences in it, spanning different genres they’ve already covered at some point in their career like post-punk, new wave, gothic rock, and quirky punk. Even with the massive genre shifts from the start to the end of the album, it all somehow works. A surprising favorite of mine is “Survival Dance,” which is one of the most fun songs released this whole year. Even if you’re afraid of Buck-Tick’s gigantic discography, this album is a good place to dive in (it’s actually the first full album of theirs that I tried out, myself). Oyaji rock has never sounded so fresh. So what?! So What?!
 
Survival Dance:



 
UNDEAD CORPORATION : 神速
 
This album is actually my first time listening to Undead Corporation. As you could probably tell by the album art, they’re a Touhou group. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect on my first listen, but what I got was a donkey kick in the stomach because this album goes hard real fast. As much I hate to use “brvtal” to describe something, even ironically, that’s basically the most succinct way to describe what this album has to offer. However, there is enough craftsmanship to this album’s music that it isn’t heavy for heavy’s sake—each song seems deliberate and thought out, even if those fleshed out ideas are pants-on-your-head crazy. This album spans a few genres, mostly hovering around metal-core + death-core, dabbling a bit into technical death metal and even pop, and it makes use of beauty and the beast vocals without being grating or trite. Another interesting point about this album is that there are really only 8 songs and then the rest are reinterpretations or remixes. Off the top of my head, I know that there is at least one song that was redone without any harsh vocals, for example. Even if you aren’t really a follower of the touhou scene, or don’t quite “get it” (trust me, I do not fall under either of those), this album is great ear bleach to cleanse all of those no-name bands trying to do the same thing and failing. 
 




八十八ヶ所巡礼 : 攻撃的国民的音楽
 
This band is bizarre in one of the best ways possible. They’re like looking at a modern art gallery and instead of being like “uggghh this is sO DUMb” you feel “wait…I actually…get this?” Maybe there really is some deeper meaning behind the unsettling egg men, only found when meditating to the cascades of arpeggios and bends oozing out of 88’s 4th mini-album. Keeping their spot as one of Cat5’s most favorite indie bands, this album still retains all of the technical goodness and androgynous multitasking that all of their previous works had to offer, but this time around it is presented in a way that is somehow more accessible. While I do love crazy key changes and time signatures, there was always this layer to 88’s music that I found somewhat draining, with the exception of a few songs. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re fantastic, but I could never listen to them for extended periods of time.  攻撃的国民的音楽 fixed this issue and has allowed me to sink into their vibrant world again and again. “赤い衝動-R.I.P-“ is like a religious experience for me, and “都会の魔界” some of the coolest bass walks ever.
 
赤い衝動-R.I.P-:

 
Singles:



 
アルルカン : 墓穴
 
Arlequin started off as what I thought would just be a guilty pleasure for me. Now they’ve grown into a legitimate pleasure and one of the best vkei bands currently active (even if their full-length was a bit lackluster). This single here is their best release to date, imo. The chorus of the title track is phenomenal and I love how the guitar solo mimics the main melody of the song, then transitions into a rehash of the same theme seamlessly. We all have classics that we will love for forever, and I feel that this single will be one of those classics for me. A+ beep-boop-core clown music.
 
墓穴:



 
Scapegoat : 赤いバスルーム
 
Scapegoat are like the D’espairsRay of today: a lot of people like them, but we just keep forgetting they’re around. I discovered this single by watching their music video and was total blown away. While they are beep-boop core as well, they put more emphasis on the –core than the bloops (I’m so good at writing, omg). The title track is dark and moody in the best way possible, and the rest of the single has better wubs than whatever the fuck the gazette have been trying to do since 2010. Hell, even Cat5 liked this single. This is a band I have to keep reminding myself to check out because they are tight.
 
赤いバスルーム:



 
少年記 : Bang Me
 
Hyped to kingdom come, the title track of this single was actually really good. I love the 90s boyband harmonization going on here, and the vocalist can actually sing well. While the musicianship isn’t anything ground breaking, it is good at what it needs to do and “Bang Me” is so catchy that it really doesn’t matter if the guitars are bland or not. I don’t consider myself to be a fan of this band, but I’ll be there for them if they keep releasing catchy pop rock songs like this and their previous single. Originally I tried this out to see what all the hype was, expecting to roll my eyes. Then I ended up really liking it, hue. Para + Mi’hen: 1, Me: 0.
 
Bang Me:



 
Ru:Natic : 「M」/ foggy night
 
The OG homage-kei band that never quite made it. This is their first single that was released since they decided to become self-produced (and quite frankly, much better. Good move on their part) and it takes a break from the La:Sadie’s worship to experiment in some more melodic aspects of late 90’s vkei hallmarks. Unfortunately, and fortunately all at once, they’ve traded in the dolphin noises to channel the ghost of Mana’s past. Truly a fantastic single, and hopefully not their last.
 

 

 
Penicillin : SOL
 
Penicillin are one of the oldest vkei bands ever, and technically have been active for longer than both Kuroyume and Luna Sea (as they didn’t take a break for 10 years and then decide they ran out of money). This year marked the release of their 200522nd album, which was more or less super bland, as well as their 3004000101st and 3004000102nd singles. While the previous single of this year, “幻想カタルシス”, was also great, the b-sides weren’t strong enough to place it above SOL. Not sure what “SOL” is supposed to mean (“Shit outta Luck??”), but the title track is a great post-Ultimate Velocity pop rock song, and the songs they chose to cover as b-sides were superb. Their covers also didn’t smother the original integrity of the songs and actually sounded like Penicillin trying to cover them, not butcher them. Awful album art though, jfc
 
北ウィング -PENICILLIN ver.- :

Honorable Mentions:


 
Kylie Minogue : Kiss Me Once
 
Kylie is an artist that I didn’t know I knew, but after listening to more of her stuff I realized I knew who she was (lmao). This album here is a good mix of different flavors of pop, like the dub-steppy “Sexercise,” the catchy “Les Sex,” and the softer “I was gonna cancel.” To be honest, this sounds more like Madonna than anything Gaga has ever done, but internet stan wars are for the mentally ill. My favorite track is actually the weird-ass b-side “Mr. President.” Apparently I’m the only person who likes it, so I’m just going to consider it written specifically for me.
 
Mr. President:



 
D機関  : 羅刹國
 
羅刹國 is the first album by D機関 , which is like the same thing as 黒夜葬 but different enough to warrant making a different band for. Idk, all I know is that is the same kind of gawfy Moi Dix Mois Castlevania nonsense that people here dig, but ignore because they don’t wear dresses. Good album nonetheless, just didn’t make my top list because nothing stood out enough on it to really floor: it’s merely a solid album. Definitely an improvement over his first mini-album under this name as well, which showcased some good ideas with very poor execution. 
 
Variant Cell→Apotosis (索敵機、発艦始め！):



 
グリーヴァ :  黒イ百合ノ花ト×××
 
グリーヴァreleased their first mini-album this year. To my dismay, it was only 1.75 new songs and the rest were all rerecordings. Thankfully, those rerecordings are great and were not just “remastered” (read: copied and pasted onto this album). It contains a great smattering of their early tunes, as well as early-like tunes, that are more aggressive than what can be found on their 2nd album. Thankfully the left off that god awful song “無常成ル世界ノ解答.” The unplugged and acoustic versions of their songs are surprisingly good as well. This didn’t make my top list because it could have used more unreleased material, although it was good for what it was.
 
相剋ノ[baiser] -黒イ百合ノ花ト×××version-:



 
Gwen Stefani : Baby Don't Lie
 
I’ve always liked Gwen, even when No Doubt were first starting to become popular in the early 90s when I was a little kid. Always dug her solo work too, even if I didn’t like the hyper exposed song “Sweet Escape” which still plays all the time on mom radio stations. This is her comeback single, and honestly I liked it a lot. It has enough catchy aspects and oomph to both make me remember it and want to listen to it again. The reason this is on the “honorable mentions” instead of the real list, however, is because of the embarrassing part in the middle. The music video is super vapor-wavy too, which is awesome.
 

Are they a MH couple?!?!
 
BTW, another self-portrait from my time in Oregon Coast.
 

This new year holiday, we go to the beach...
 

 
My sister take it for me. Kind of love it.

I spent my near years eve going to the cinema with my girl watching The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, then went home for some beers before we left to the stable to take care of the animals there. Well, my girlfiend did most of the work while I spent my time there cuddling with the three ponies and the cat. Those ponies are the cutest animals ever.
 

DIV - Secret

DIV - Secret

Okidoki:
 
1) Sukekiyo
 
A dream band-like collaboration of notable musicians from different corners of the vk-related J-music scene (RES, 9GBO, Dir en grey, Kannivalism) surpassed my expectations with their 2014 debut "IMMORTALIS" - each member succeeded in expressing themselves without causing a literal hodgepodge (most users disagree with me here). A new world of avant-garde-y obscurity/"obscenity" (to quote the band) offered by the boys from sukekiyo definitely won't fail in enthralling people with any kind of taste - convenient or inconvenient...
 
Listen to the full album here
Favourite song: vandal
 
2) Schizoid Lloyd
 
Formed in 2007, progressive/avant-garde metal act Schizoid Lloyd went down with a few EPs until their full-length debut on 2014, called "The Last Note in God's Magnum Opus". If you are a huge friend of Unexpect or even California-era Mr. Bungle, and don't really mind slight Dream Theater-y influences, try to find yourself an hour for a soundscape of pure schizoid madness and clusterfucks!!
 
Listen to the full album
Favourite song:
 
3) Wagakki Band
 
Traditional Japanesque (note: folky instruments too) folk rock/pop/hard rock act (you name it!), consisting of popular niconico musicians and some underground vk names, never failed in impressing newcomers very positively (as we can already witness it in MH ). Albeit their 2014 full-length debut, "Vocalo Zanmai", being a vocaloid cover album, Wagakki's unique ability of transcending convenient, but highly interesting ideas related to "Japanesque" genre overcame the lowest expectations and managed to mark one of the strongest debuts in this decade. A friend of Kagrra's or Onmyoza's sound? MUST-TRY 4 YOU!
 
Favourite song:

Definitely gonna try the non-Japanese one, after I completed listening to all album in MHmas list...
...but my head still kind of stick with Mono, Boris, and Tokyo Jihen. :"

My year-end list is finally done! This is a collection of my favorite releases of 2014, including a handful of singles. It is always at this point in the year I learn about new/overlooked/dark horse releases from other member's lists, so I look forward to reading those! But as it is, this is very much a list that is reflective of my own tastes. For organizational purposes (/my inability to truly rank releases), within each list, everything is listed in alphabetical order. Hopefully, you'll find a few things that strike your fancy! I did spend a lot of time working on this, so any feedback/comments you have would be very much appreciated! So, without further ado, let's get to it!

Japanese Releases


Top 10

伊集院幸希 (ijuuin yuki) - 月曜日と金曜日 ～Sugar Hi Junnie～
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/ijuuinyuki_zps2b889a04.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/ijuuinyuki-sugarhijunnie225x225_zps32a66bfc.jpg" />



Kamijo - Symphony of the Vampire & Heart
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/KAMIJO_zps3fc41eb4.png" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/kamijo-symphonyofthevampire225x222_zps6cecc52e.jpg" />http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/kamijo-heart225x222_zps02d62f24.jpg" />



Lamp - ゆめ
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/lamp_zps791786b4.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/lampyume225x225_zpsaf5782b6.jpg" />



Moran - dark & 堕落へと続く偏愛の感触
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/moran_zpscd82b3d9.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/moran-dark220x225_zps4e2b1279.jpg" />http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/moran-5815843D307830687D9A304F504F611B306E611F89E6_zps6e9ee316.jpg" />



ねごと (NEGOTO) - アンモナイト! / 黄昏のラプソディ
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/negoto1_zps971525cc.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/negotoammonite225x223_zps84ca15ca.jpg" />



THE NOVEMBERS - Rhapsody in beauty
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/thenovembers_zps9bd3cfd1.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/thenovembersrhapsodyinbeauty225x222_zps6a5f48a1.jpg" />



シナリオアート (Scenarioart) - night walking & Tokyomelancholy
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scenarioart_zpse079ba26.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scenarioart-nightwalking225x225_zpsd4d4080b.jpg" />http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scenarioart-tokyomelancholy_zpsdeddba9d.jpg" />



Teen Runnings - NOW
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/teenrunnings_zpscf017c4f.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/teenrunningsnow225x225_zps5cb88aba.jpg" />



ユナイト (UNiTE.) - レヴ / ice
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/uniteice_zps7549ffeb.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/UNiTErev225x225_zpse941260d.jpg" />



Ventla - A
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/ventla-A_zpsc820ea54.png" />





Honorable Mentions


八十八ヶ所巡礼 (88kasyo junrei) - 攻撃的国民的音楽
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/88kasyojunrei_zps72a3cc48.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/88kasyojunrei-ongaku225x224_zps735a7b38.jpg" />



BABYMETAL - BABYMETAL
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/babymetal_zps864ed826.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/babymetal-babymetal225x225_zpsa68f5894.jpg" />



HOLLOWGRAM - Qualia
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/HOLLOWGRAM_zps7d338739.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/hollowgram-qualia225x221_zps2ae477ce.jpg" />



吉澤嘉代子 (Kayoko Yoshizawa) - 変身少女
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/kayokoyoshizawa_zps6053728d.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/kayokoyoshizawa-henshinshoujo225x222_zps22002931.jpg" />



ミソッカス (misokkasu) - 統一された混沌(カオス)
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/misokkasu_zps1b97bfb0.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/misokkasu-chaos225x225_zpsf5e43b50.jpg" />



My Fairytale - Tokyo under note
 




ねごと (NEGOTO) - "Z"OOM
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/negoto2_zpsd8076458.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/negotozoom225x225_zps4121303a.jpg" />



Nohtenkigengo - Never
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/nohtenkigengo_zps1dd53f5f.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/nohtenkigengo-never_zps9dc61fa9.jpg" />



Scarlet Valse - -GENESIS-
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scarletvalse_zps85e9e052.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/scarletvalse-GENESIS225x225_zps36d80f12.jpg" />



ユナイト (UNiTE.) - Ai
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/unite2_zps986f9a8a.jpg" />  http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c49/fitear1590/Best%20of%20lists/uniteai225x225_zps1d8ac9c4.jpg" />

Jigsaw's favorite Japanese releases 2014

或いはアナーキー by BUCK-TICK
 
Ever since 2009's memento mori there hasn't been a BUCK-TICK album that was
as much fun as this latest gem, fittingly titled Arui wa Anarchy. From the rowdy
tounge-in-cheek opener to the ethereally beautiful closing track, this is Atsushi &
co. at their surreal, sensual best, delivering one catchy pop-rock hook at a time.
Sample: Devil'N Angel / ボードレールで眠れない
 
DIStopping by Charisma.com
 
Charisma.com came, saw and conquered me with their ridiculously catchy mash-up
of electronic, pop and hip-hop elements. Infectious beats and clever raps are on the
menu here that will surely please even the most jaded pop fanatics. If you just
want something fun and cool to listen or dance to, look no further.
Sample: イイナヅケブルー / ハッピーターン
 
ARCHE by DIR EN GREY
 
DIR EN GREY take no prisoners as they unleash one of their most eclectic albums
to date, ARCHE. Spiritually continuing on the path of its dark and proggy
predecessor, the songs are tailored to regular rock listeners' taste this time.
The outcome, however, is far from being regular. It's an atmospheric,
kaleidoscopic ride with enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
Sample: 空谷の跫音 / Revelation of mankind
 
NERO by ギャロ
 
I'm only a recently converted THE GALLO listener but even so, it's not hard to
see why their 2nd full-length NERO is so wonderful. The band takes cues from
all over the visual kei spectrum to construct their own quirky style where nostalgic
melodies and sheer aggressivity are good neighbors (and then there's Jojo's
ridiculous vibrato). A nice colorful surprise coming from the indies-VK scene.
Sample: 夢葬 / 大日本黒鶏主義者聯盟行進曲イ短調

終焉 by グリーヴァ
 
Grieva is like a machine pumping out release after release, but thankfully this
doesn't show much in the quality of their catalogue. Shueen is another proof of
why I consider them to be the premiere "nostalgia kei" act. It's got attitude,
mystical atmosphere and songs coming at you like a kote-kei rollercoaster.
Sample: Lost tears / 罪
 
HER NAME IN BLOOD by HER NAME IN BLOOD
 
HER NAME IN BLOOD's eponymous second album is a no-nonsense kick in the teeth
(or ears?), and you're guaranteed to be grinning when it's over. Their caveman-like
explosive aggression is close to being unrivaled but at the same time they haven't
forgotten to include some melodic bits either. Just an all-around badass record.
Sample: HALO / ZERO (FUCKED UP WORLD)
 
ABSOLUTE SENSES by HONE YOUR SENSE
 
The debut album of HONE YOUR SENSE is simply a beast. If you want to know what
it's like to be torn to shreds by a whirlwind of metalcore, death metal and melodic
extreme metal, then this is your poison. This relentlessly heavy and unexpectedly
catchy full-length is a true diamond in the rough in the underground J-metal scene.
Sample: BLACK LOTUS / THE LAST MAN STANDING

Heart by KAMIJO
 
KAMIJO, the uncrowned king & queen of cheese starts off strong with his debut
album Heart, leaving former bandmates Jupiter in the dust. This album is packed
with the stuff you expect from the vocalist: epic melodies, fluffy piano and synth
flourishes and some symphonic rockin' too, of course. It has just enough variety
to keep your interest, making this quite a smooth (and fun!) listen.
Sample: 闇夜のライオン / Moulin Rouge

LOST by Lillies and Remains
 
As soon as I heard LOST, I knew it would be the staple Lillies and Remains release
for me, and that hasn't changed throughout the whole year (not even with their
subsequent full-length). Six tracks of expertly crafted pop-rock with touches of
new wave, post-punk and even some gothic influences. Simply beautiful!
Sample: This City / You Stand Alone

SOVILLETTA & SEXIVIA by SPEECIES
 
What a treat to able to listen to two albums by SPEECIES within a few weeks' time!
Mastermind Sadie Pink Galaxy continues where he left off on his first record, that is
delivering oodles of fun and weird lo-tech jams. It's like the '80s never left – rather,
they hid out in a dingy basement to make new-wave electrojunk tunes for the initiated.
Sample: MUZIK / HARDCOWALSKI
 
IMMORTALIS by sukekiyo
 
sukekiyo's debut is typically one of those albums you might be confused by on first
listen but then you have an urge to come back to it, to re-discover its every corner.
And boy, there's sure plenty to discover here! Kyo and his band of merry men
concocted a curious mixture of avant-garde rock coupled with proggy and folksy
bits that sneaks up on you. Before you notice, you're hooked!
Sample: in all weathers / hidden one
 
賑やかな食卓 by the god and death stars
 
the god and death stars, being a band fronted by aie, is a project I'll always hold
dear to my heart. I was somewhat disappointed with their first full-length, but
none of that feeling is present on their latest mini album. Nigiyakana shokutaku
is a wonderful display of the band's usual grungy, melancholic garage-rock style
woven into hypnotic songs that will burrow their way into your ears.
Sample: 出来事と偶然の為の媒体 / 隣人林

晩成 by THE HAKKIN
 
As I love that typical '80s new wave sound, THE HAKKIN were like a godsend for me.
Their first relatively longer offering Bansei (or "Bansay") is only a mini album but it
delivers in spades! Addictive emotional vocals fuse with catchy synth sparkles and
guitar lines that evoke old affairs like COMPLEX and newer acts like cali≠gari at the
same time. Perfect listening for misty-eyed nostalgia enthusiasts.
Sample: NO NO モチベーション / Tokyo Lung