Spectralion

What, Sukekiyo didn’t sign up for a meandering banshee howling version of Dress?

Love them or hate them, almost everyone's got an opinion about Dir en grey. The scene stops to listen whenever Dir en grey announce a new single or album. As a long time fan of the band, I think it's the perfect time to express how I feel about all of their albums. My feelings will differ from album to album. Some albums have had the benefit of twenty years and others only a few months, so that's always going to be a factor in how I rank things. I will cover this from my least favorite album to my most favorite album, but by no means take this as a definitive list for Dir en grey. Everyone will have their own rankings and their own suggestions for where to start. I happen to think that this also a great order to introduce someone to this band.
 
This is a perfect topic for those that don't listen to Dir en grey or don't know where to start, current fans looking for spicy opinions and a pot to stir, or even old fans looking for a reintroduction into their new era. Not only have I included a PV for each album as a sampler, but I also put together suggested playlists for each album. The playlists are the order that I would have arranged the band if I were them. The songs are the songs that I believe are the best from each period. Some will require more effort than others to construct. To make it simpler, I have included my favorite three tracks and one music video from each album.

I will not consider the mini albums MISSA and six Ugly in this analysis, but some of those tracks will appear in the playlists I create.
 
DUM SPIRO SPERO
 
Album No: 8
Released: August 2, 2011
Length: 67:31
 
 
鬼葬 (kisou)
 
Album No: 3
Released: January 30, 2002
Length: 69:57
 
THE MARROW OF A BONE

Album No: 6
Released: February 7, 2007
Length: 50:05
 
ARCHE
 
 
Album No: 9
Released: December 10, 2014
Length: 68:01
 
🎖️The Insulated World🎖️
 
Album No: 10
Released: September 26, 2018
Length: 50:27

🏅Withering to death.🏅
 
Album No: 5
Released: March 9, 2005
Length: 51:14

🥉MACABRE🥉
 
Album No: 2
Released: September 20, 2000
Length: 72:57

🥈GAUZE🥈
 
Album No: 1
Released: July 28, 1999
Length: 64:47
 
🥇UROBOROS🥇
 
Album No: 7
Released: November 11, 2008
Length: 58:54

👑VULGAR👑
 
Album No: 4
Released: September 10, 2003
Length: 57:02

That's everything folks! Thanks for reading all the way to the end! Did you like it? Did you agree? Do you have your own rankings? Leave them below! I'm interested to know what everyone's opinions are, especially since Dir en grey is one of my favorite bands ever. So many people are passionate about this band like no other. If enough people liked this, I may follow up soon with one for the GazettE.
 

Until next time

Gundam SEED Destiny
 
First 13 eps were good, then they completely dropped the ball by having so many recap eps, stock footage, flashbacks, and couldn't figure out who was the main character in the show.

I saw kisaki at a grade school in Los Angeles yesterday. I told him how bad it was to meet him in person, and that he should probably leave or i’m gonna call the cops. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “yes, hello, police?  i would like to report a strange pedo at a grade school,” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my 911 call, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When the cops came to arrest him for being a child diddler, I saw him trying to walk away with like fifteen 2nd graders following behind him.
The cop that came out was very professional, and was like “Sir, you’re going to prison.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the school.
When the cop was handcuffing him, he radioed for backup to come take the kids back to class.  kisaki stopped him and told her to take them each individually “to prevent any pedo infetterence,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even think that’s a word. After he was cuffed, the cop started to read him his rights, but he kept interrupting him by yawning really loudly.

i haven't listened to the entire album in full, just did the preliminary ''skimming through songs'' thing i always do with releases i'm hyped about and so far everything sounds perfectly fine to me..? majority of the complaints i've been reading about the album so far have been regarding overuse of electronics but i don't really see what the big deal with that is tbh, ''muh real instruments'' is such an empty complaint when many vk bands make use of backing tracks anyway

sukekiyo uploaded 猥雑 Music Video, it's radio edit ver. !
 
 
Damn, why they cut it off when 毒毒モンスター part comes out... T^T

Sousou sounds more plastic-y, but I like it cause the disjointed twinkly element  is what makes this song sounds fresh, just like that Godlike WARUAGAKI. 

Nothing gonna beat FMA : Brotherhood

Nothing gonna beat FMA : Brotherhood

Why it feels so disjointed?! 
 
Is Hayato ghost writing the whole BPR's music? 

Why it feels so disjointed?! 
 
Is Hayato ghost writing the whole BPR's music? 

It's not overpriced. It's self produced. 
 
So of course it cost more money than being produced by huge label. 

Welcome to the 3rd annual most notable VK looks presented by yours truly, The Reverend.
 
As usual, we're here to celebrate the 'Visual' in Visual Kei. Suggest your favorite or least favorite or weirdest looks from the past year in the comments below!
 
Thanks to the ORZ team for helping out and contributing, and especially @platy for making like five banners for me and letting me choose which one I liked best.
 
マーブルヘッド (Marblehead)
 
 
ユメリープ (Yumeleep)
 
 
キズ (Kizu)
 
 
lynch.
 
 
BRATBAX
 
 
the Raid. vocalist 星七 (Sena)
 
 
SHiSHi guitarist お花 (Ohana)
 
 
MEIDARA
 
 
Virge
 
 
Dillinger
 
 

Another chapter has been written and filed away into the ever growing library of visual kei history, so we resume our customary annual review of all of the great albums that saw the light of day in 2018. Unlike previous years, we elected to wait until the middle of January so the stragglers of the year had their fair chance to weigh in. This list is also not in any specific order, although DIMLIM's CHEDOARA deserves a mention for getting the most votes internally and therefore kicks the list off with a bang. Even in our most challenging years, there's always something fresh and new around the corner waiting to be discovered. Like always, this isn't an exhaustive list and plenty of the hidden gems slip through the cracks, so if you have anything to add to the list tack it on at the end so the entire community can find something new to enjoy. 

Without further ado, here are some great J-Rock albums of 2018.

DIMLIM -- CHEDOARA

@The Reverend
@emmny
 
@helcchi

 
 
 
Sigh - Heir to Despair

@The Reverend
 
@helcchi


Dir en grey - The Insulated World

@emmny
 
 
emmurée - lightless

@The Reverend
 
 
キズ - 「傷痕」

 
@platy
 
 
 

Mass of the Fermenting Dregs - No New World

@The Reverend
 
@Zeus
 
 

陰陽座 (Onmyo-Za) - 覇道明王 (Hadou Myouou)

@Zeus
 
 

The GazettE - NINTH

 
@Zeus
 
 
 
 
 
グリモア - プシュコマキア

@platy
 
 

DADAROMA - dadaism#4


@helcchi
 
 
@platy
 
 


lynch. - XIII
 

 
@YuyoDrift


Thanks for reading!

RESULTS!
Thanks to everyone who participated this year!
Judging from many of your recommendations, there definitely still exists some talent in the scene!
 
Without further delay, here are the RESULTS!
 
By recent request, I have added the runner-ups for each category!
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Best Overall Artist/Band
 
Best Album
 
Best Single/Maxi-Single/EP
 
Best Cover Art
 
Best Look
 
Best Newcomer
 
Best Veteran
 
Best PV
 
Saddest Disbandment
 
Most Overhyped Band
 
Most Overhyped Release
 
Most Underhyped Band
 
Most Anticipated Release 
 
Band that Changed their Sound for the Best
 
Band that Changed their Sound for the Worse
 
Band that you spent most of your money on in 2018
 
What the hell were they thinking!? Award
 
Best Revival/Returns 
 
An amazing display of results if I may say 😎. Definitely some close calls there, I'll tell ya.
Thanks again to the participants of the MH JRock Awards 2018 for your contributions. The staff and I here at MH hope to see you and more future voters here again at the end of the year!
Until then, enjoy 2019 😁!
 
 

Steroid. Their fourth single

So it is a mini album. 
 
Bummer. 

This CD 「蟲／ガチャガチャムクムク」(Mushi/ gachagacha muku muku)  will be sold (1000 yen) at their lives on 2019.01.7/8/10/11/15/16/29 and 30. 
 
Tracklist :
01. 蟲(Mushi)　
02. ガチャガチャムクムク(Gachagacha muku muku)
 
 

I still need that "Shiawase no Katachi"

Been listening to this album again these past few days. 鉄鼠の黶 is an absolute monster.
This is AOTY for sure.

A9 has revealed that Gt.Tora has had heart surgery after experiencing minor chest pains, which were later deemed to be a minor heart attack, and fortunately, he's recovering smoothly. Because of his health, the band has postponed their VIP Salon and Dice Nine programs for this month, but they'll still perform through their current live schedule regardless.
 
English translation of the band's announcement:
http://shattered-tranquility.net/index.php/11/22/a9-reveals-tora-in-recovery-from-heart-surgery/