Peace Heavy mk II

EXPOSE

Never really listened to Giru before, but this sounds good.

those Just Dance shades tho

oh man, that's awful

I don't think there's a large, high quality, photo without text over it yet.

Interesting--I didn't think Sii was still around.

Oooohhh the Easter egg is sonic!

Chaotic Resistance | Sui Takin Me 2 Church - Finally getting around to writing a review. Lin has been one of those bands that I've love / hated since they started. They're like that childhood friend you were super close with growing up that started doing stupid shit once they got to college--all you can do is really watch and hang out with them in small doses because there's not a whole lot of the friend you once knew left. After some fighting, nights up pondering over regrets, and self reflection, you decided to stop being upset and realize he now has his own life to lead and it is time to, for the most part, part ways while cherishing the good times that weren't tarnished. But then he started to get his act together: his grades went up, he started to dress better, no more coming home at 6:45 am caked in his own vomit, he's been hanging out with less douche-y people, and he's even got some job prospects lined up for after graduation. That friend you once had is starting to come back and you no longer count the seconds during each interaction you have with him. In fact, you've even started to look forward to catching up with him. Everyone has some sort of hot mess phase, but maybe this guy managed to pull himself out... This allegory is how I feel about "Chaotic Resistance." It's taken all of Lin's idiosyncrasies and wraps them up in new, shiny, paper and presents them as a gift to those who've stuck through their awkward, self discovery, period (Are we Phantasmagoria? Are we Laputa??? Synth Chariots?????). It is hard to ignore that this 2nd line up does in fact bring much more elaborate guitar work, shifts their genre more towards the cheesy gothic symphonic metal that Phantasmagoria was, and definitely ups the effort put into the synthesizer, but when comparing to their first period it really doesn't seem as different as I originally thought on first listen. For example, their first single "Sacred Xanadu" is actually very similar to their first period aside from the three shifts I mentioned earlier--they still have their Laputa-ish rockabilly synth-rock twang to their songs, but that accent is further buried under Mizaly's prominent (and albeit overbearing) signature style. To simply dismiss this single as more "Megaromania leftovers" shows a lack of attention and exposes an already jaded disposition because it completely glosses over how much the group has improved even in just the very very small span of just two singles. Take the title track, for example: there is fantastic use of different forms of phrasing throughout each part of the song and they all blend together well. Part of what makes a song that's less straightforward "good" is how each of the parts are phrased into each other. The acoustic guitar over the brisk drumming that leads into a pipe organ harmony, followed by a gut punchingly soulful chorus would not work had the transitions between the addition and removal of the parts not been carefully put together. On top of the phrasing and continuity, this song also has a well crafter guitar solo that ends uniquely, which is a big deal for vkei that tends to rely on playing it safe; I really dig the super exposed triplet pattern of the lead guitar at the end of solo before the last rehash of the chorus and outro melody. "Persecution Complex," or as I like to refer to as "Ode to Tumblr," was actually the low point of this single for me but only because I don't always like slower melancholy songs unless there's a phenomenal hook (spoilers, there isn't here). It is one of their "heavier" songs in the sense that the guitars are generally in a lower register and the bass is very prominent while the synthesizer is generally dystopian sounding. This atmosphere is then lost in the chorus, which returns to "~HOLD ME AS I SING IN THE RAIN~" sadness (think Mikansei to Guilt). Apart from being generally unremarkable, this song is still a prime example of how coherent song writing can stop Lin from having a discography that's 75% duds. The following song took me by surprise. "Schwarz Vrain" is Phantasmagoria-tier synth x100 with a simple melody that is the backbone for the entire tune, as it plays almost constantly throughout. The real surprise here is that the harsh vocals here make Sui sound almost exactly like Riku. Somewhere on MH is a thread that says that Vkei vocalists single with an accent and tone on purpose, so I am under the impression that this song shows what Sui sounds like without the eye liner. While this song is very repetitive, it holds its place well in the single and is my 2nd favorite on the CD. I like the aggression of the verses and how it transitions to more gentle, yet still firmly powerful, chorus. "Schwarz Vrain" has gotten mixed reactions thus far, but I can almost promise it was meant to be a killer live track which doesn't always translate well to a CD. Sorry Kamijo, but Lin outdid you in the "HEBI INDUSTRIAL B-SAIIIIIIIDO" department this year. The last song on the single, "Sincerely" is fairly safe for Lin, but still good. I do not agree with OP in classifying it as a ballad at all, however. I also do not agree that it is a "typical Megaromania song" either. Actually, out of the whole single, this song here is the most first period Lin song they've done so far! The verses, yes, are akin to later Megaromania softer rock songs (possibly off of their pirate-themed album), but the synthesizer here is definitely what early Lin was all about. What's cool though is that it sounds kind of like a modern rendition of a Sega Game Gear game sound track. The most interesting thing I found about "Sincerely" is that it is essentially a reimagination of Phantasmagoria's "幻想曲～Eternal Silence～." Instead of "I wish...heaven" the song starts off with "I wish fo-e-ba." The guitar solo even has a homage to ES'. With that being said, the tempo and mood of "Sincerely" is much more lively, but at least Kisaki is realizing what elements he's worked with in the past that have been well received by fans. All in all, this is a sprint in the correct direction for Lin. Be as butthurt as you want that Riku is no longer in the band, but pretending like their ratio of 1 great to 7 trash songs was an appropriate expectation for quality is just wrong. Instead of resting on his laurels, Kisaki is now realizing that he can use what has worked well before and apply it in a modern context. Yes, there's a lot of elements being pulled back from Phantasmagoria going on here, but they're being used to create something new instead of just herding Megaromania's fanbase up for some quick cash. Basically, this is confirmation that Chariots was an awful idea. In just 6 songs, this band has become very cohesive, powerful, and hopefully vigilant to becoming stagnant. I also think the year or so break was a great way to start fresh for everyone involved--Yushi's drumming is less predictable, Kisaki's bass lines are actually audible and his synth is less tacky, Mizaly's weave is more natural and he is learning how to be a virtuoso without steam rolling over the rest of the group, and Sui's vocals have gotten so much cleaner--less modulation, less awkward trailing at the end of a phrase, and his harmonization adds to the song rather than acting like calamine lotion over an obvious blemish. As stated above, I'm giving this release 4.5 stars out of 5. Definitely one of my favorite releases of this year and was completely blown away by how much they've improved. Even if all of the songs on this CD had some flaws, I could forgive them in recognition to what happens when effort is actually applied to reinventing yourself.

well

Callback, Freedom, and Foolish are their worst songs and yet it seems like the Japanese stan for them. Ugghhh At least they're redoing 凛, which was their best song yet imo. Even though it was supposed to be ~special and rare~, there's no surprise that they're recording their self-titled song lolol

9000 yen --- looks like Spooky Kyo was just a test to see how wealthy their stans are. Aww @ kyo trying to be a leather daddy though. Whatever floats your boat, short stuff xoxo

Maiku is super pretty

Ughhh and I just got into them too.

How severe is his TMJ? I guess bad enough to not be able to perform for a while.

Both sound really good. I orded the regular edition, but won't get it until October :< Did their first mini with Gisho ever turn up? My order has that in it as well.

yaass van vogue the fuck is with this mlp shit tho

My guess is to draw people back to playing installation games from time to time. I'm under the impression that arcades are a lot more popular there then they are in the US, at least.