anieresus

Malice Mizer should at least release the album they started to record in 2001, there were several interviews that shows they were almost there. 
Too bad they couldnt be together for some months to put tht out. 

There are several oldschool bands I'd like to see back in scene, but I cant miss them because I havent followed them at the time they were active lol but for the ones I followed I miss Brain Hacker, 9goats black out, deadman, and Phantasmagoria.

Aliene Ma'riage: the music, the atmopshere and the fictional story about the members' characters make the band really interesting to me.
 
Lareine: the music and the playful portrayals of femininity.

SUICIDE ALI
They announce a disbandment out of nowhere, without any reason or explanation, no comments from the band, no final release, no DVD of their last show, no proper goodbye. Listening to them makes me sad, thinking about them makes me feel somewhat bitter from time to time. Despite the lack of closure, or perhaps because of the lack of closure, I miss the fuck out of these guys.
Oh... and D'espairsRay [7]

Inb4..DADAROMACOAN   rofl
 
 
[intense Sweating]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPeIsKnJJw0
 

full ver. of their songs "ひとりトピア(hitori-topia)" "げんそうシンドローム(gensou syndrome)" will be played at Like an Edison Tokyo stores at 2015/08/16

Moi dix Mois will hold their live "Dis inferno Ⅷ～LAST YEAR PARTY～" at Shibuya duo MUSIC EXCHANGE at 2015/12/12

Happy Unbirthday to them :'(

Artist: MEJIBRAY
Album: VENOMS.app
Release: 2015.08.05
VENOMS.app is MEJIBRAY's third mini-album to date and comes packed in a roller coaster release schedule featuring four other singles in 2015, two still to come. This is also the shortest of their mini-album releases, just 22 minutes (with MESSIAH.bat and Silvers.exe reaching 25 and 30 respectively). Upon a first listen, it felt deflating listless to me. Capitalized my Tsuzuku's vocals drifting into what could be called bored, droning, and decidedly safe. After a few days' listen however, I've developed a familiar fondness for each track and would say that there isn't a truly bad one to be found.
As for individual tracks;
Moudoku(Deadly Poison)(SE): An official CD release of MEJIBRAY's signature anthem and live intro. Also my first problem with the mini-album. I have personally never been interested in this track and in the back of my mind, the sound of it only makes me think of watching previews for their recent PVs repeatedly. IMO does nothing to inspire the mini-album or set the tone. Could be nothing more than a pleaser for live fans. (0/5)
VENOMS: Title and PV track as usual. Opening with the piano tune that was shown in the PV. Setting the tone for the album on it's own, symphonic theme sounding quite pleasant (it actually sounds like something I kept trying to write in middle school music when using keyboards lol). Pretty basic main guitar riff for a standard MEJIBRAY song. The verse is a bit dull and bored, but the harsh vocal section really sold me and the song takes it's time reaching the chorus which is an easy selling point. Sounds like something right at home on The 420, somewhat like Hungry Psychopath. This one was stuck in my head prior to release as expected. Could use more energy in some sections but is undeniably solid (4.0/5.0)
Kairi: The most ominous and intriguing of the album samples. Perhaps the most dramatic build we have heard from MEJIBRAY, somehow the symphonic sound over marching guitar rhythm sounds.. off? The actual melody is had to place and almost sounds as if the wrong key was struck. I'm sure this isn't the case but it makes the synth a bit hard to digest. This is one of those 'reverse' songs where the chorus features all harsh vocals after mostly soft clean singing. I like that this song carries the same air as VENOMS but even more somber. I did expect more from this track, suffers from listlessness as much as anything on this release. Even so, it takes it's risks and I like it. (4.0/5.0)
Until...: Strikes me as almost a direct follow up to Kairi (which in itself already follows VENOMS nicely) making feel like they belong together. This is my favorite song from the mini, I think it has a lot of the things that Kairi lacked. Yet another swaying, symphonic atmosphere surrounds the opening. This time accompanied by a twinkling, morose piano. One of my big draws to this song is the sense that Tsuzuku took more care in the vocals overall. More effort to delicately lay out the melodies and be consistent with his vibrato. The chorus is very strong and the song sports an equally strong guitar solo that DOESNT sound like a bunch of other MEJIBRAY solos (thank you). This one I think will stay with me the longest. MEJIBRAY at their current best (4.5/5.0)
ACME: MEJIBRAY's signature twangy guitar and bass choke into life sounding like an engine turning over and struggling before finally starting. High energy where it was mostly absent up until now. ACME is almost a textbook b-side for this band. Somewhat disappointed in the vocals here, though the melody is pleasant. There is too much hacking by Tzk on every other note. There isn't a whole lot to say about ACME that hasn't been said about recent b-sides already. There is some screaming, there is a solo, but both are likely heard before from anyone actively following them. I would have gone to a 3 or higher here but keeping in mind that this is a mini album and NOT a single, I expect a bit more when discerning what tracks deserve a spot on the list. Still a good listen (2.5/5.0)
Kodoku no Catacomb: Rolling guitar and bass riff into a cacophony familiar to MEJIBRAY fans. The vocals bounce back and fourth between speaking tone and Tsuzuku's dry, quiet harsh vocals (think XV). There isn't much more to this sub-3minute track until the chorus, which despite sounding out of place, has gotten stuck in my head more than most things from this mini. This is also most easily categorized and dismissed as a b-side, but I think it has a lot of it's own charm and I'll be returning to it for sure. (3.5/5.0)
Rui(Trouble)(SE): *Feels ripped off again* So they basically included the same SE twice on this mini album, once at the beginning of VENOMS and then for some reason again as it's own song at the end here. I truly cannot decide which SE is more frustrating to me. As much as I don't care at all for the live intro, I can't even think of a reason to justify the way Rui was just DUMPED here. (0/5.0)
VENOMS.app makes a lot of mistakes, has a lot of cool selling points and ultimately, like most of their releases, leaves me wondering exactly what is next for MEJIBRAY. I'm sure they realize this based on their release schedule. There is quite good material here, but I think the packaging is wrong, this could in fact be more of an extended single stretched out into a mini album. Thoughts?

At this moment I can only recall「便所」having it's Kiryu-ish moments (especially towards the end of the song). But throughout the mini album there were instances that it reminded me a bit of Kiryu's first songs. But like I said it might have just been me.

At this moment I can only recall「便所」having it's Kiryu-ish moments (especially towards the end of the song). But throughout the mini album there were instances that it reminded me a bit of Kiryu's first songs. But like I said it might have just been me.

I agree with the Kiryu statement completely I know exactly what you mean.
(listen to BENJO for the vocals)

Personally I think I like this mini more than their album. Both releases have about the same number of songs that I'd put on repeat (thus making AS pound-for-pound stronger to me) Benjo, Pedo. and Takadanobaba Alien are gold to me and I kind of like the other track more the more I hear them.
 
Good review I'm so happy this is featured :]

Cool review!
 
I went into listening to this mini with great expectations, and I guess it isn't bad or anything, it just didn't grip me as much as their massive debut full-length. It starts off really strong with the first two tracks, then kinda stagnates in a "this is good enough I guess"-type of repetition of sounds, and then towards the end they try to change it up a bit, not too convincingly though. On the other hand, there's a nice overall soundscape of dirty distorted tones and fitting atmosphere, which is a huge plus. These guys made a clear-cut world for themselves, and they're okay with sticking to it, and I'm totally okay with that too. I'd rather listen to this kind of VK than all the dime-a-dozen metalcore-wannabes. All in all, it's a solid listen but a bit of a letdown compared to their fantastic beginnings. On its own, however, it's a pretty fine achievement for such a young band.
 
(I'm a bit torn whether to give a 6.5 or a 7, but gonna go with a weak 7 cuz these guys are still pretty cool in my book)

Good review!

I instantly fell in love with Takadanobaba Alien (cause that's a station I take everyday). Some parts of this mini-album reminded me of Kiryu, it might just be me though...Nothing too bad but not too great either.

Artist: 黒百合と影 (Kuroyuri to kage) Album: アケスケ羞恥録 (Akesuke shuuchiroku) 1. 「便所」 (Benjyo) 2. ぺど。(Pedo.) 3. ティシューの空箱 (Tissue no karabako) 4. 児童公園 (Jidouyuuen) 5. 高田馬場えいりあん (Takadanobaba alien) 6. ぼくのともだち。 (Boku no tomodachi.) 7. 花と骨 (Hana to hone)
Rating: | Quantity over quality strikes again.
 
Forming only last year, delightfully dark 黒百合と影 return with a new mini album after their last full length won over a plethora of cynics. Their style is equal parts doom and gloom musically, lyrically, and aesthetically. This time around they decided to up the ante by increasing their creepy factor and centering their concept for this release around children and the loss of innocence. アケスケ羞恥録's titles like "ぺど。", "児童公園", which translates to 'playground', and "ぼくのともだち。" meaning 'my friend' should start to bring some very specific imagery to mind.

Part of what I love about 黒百合と影 is their use of nu-metal groove and sludge metal overtones to give a distinct sound in the sea of visual indies bands battling it out for your attention. Just when I thought nu-metal was getting phased out of the scene, they came and made it awesome again! So after having a great appreciation for the approach taken on the last album I was beyond pumped to take this one out for a spin. Though, when my hype settled down and I fully digested this new batch of songs, I ended up enjoying this album less with each listen. Actually, the more I listen to it, the more I hear where the band simply 'phoned it in'.

This mini feels rushed and devoid of much inspiration, frankly. The opening track, "便所" felt so much like an old Coal Chamber song that it was distracting. A quick listen to "Loco" and the first minute will show you what I'm talking about. I ain't calling it plagiarism, but there are some undeniable similarities going on here underneath that layer of violin synth. I'm just sayin'. At other times, certain members' shortcomings are highlighted when they seemed much less conspicuous before. I can appreciate vocalist Karasuna Mei's drive to push his vocals in new directions, but songs like "ティシューの空箱" and "ぼくのともだち。" sacrifice vocal control for extra levels of emotion and it becomes more cringe worthy than engrossing. Both start off pleasant enough but soon lose their focus, and being part of the host of songs on this album suffering from extremely cut and paste construction doesn't help them to engage the listener, either. It all begins to blend into other songs you've already heard this band make before.

That's not to say a couple of songs don't fight their way out of the murk. My favorite pick off of the album is "ぺど。", and while it doesn't reinvent the wheel, the song is one of the only ones on the album that felt thoroughly conceptualized from first note to last. It plays off of the band's signature sound, then proceeds to add a creep-tastic music box and venomous machine-gun guitar riffs into the mix. The song has fist-pumping highs and somber lows that all compliment and build off of each other. "児童公園" is also a highlight with some sexy slap bass from K that snaps it out of the same-y territory right away. The call-back style vocals are a nice, quirky addition that make the song more memorable than its comrades.

It is a tad unfortunate that nothing on the album compares to 黒百合と影's previous work, though I wouldn't call any of it unlistenable, by any means. However, as much as I do love the 90s, they should consider leaving just a little more of it back where they found it. They seem to have hit the proverbial wall for creativity for now, but I will be holding out hope that it returns in the future. This is a group of talented musicians, but maybe it's time they took a break and got real honest with themselves about their own strengths and weaknesses.


Support the band! Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ CDJapan
Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ HMV
Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ JP iTunes

I have an old issue of a SHOXX magazine with AFTER IMAGE member profiles where he states that his name is Matsudo Jeirou Seiji. 

He used to go by the name M.J.SEIJI at the time. 

It's called "Happy Unbirthday"

Stepping out of the box doesn't automagically make something good, no matter what Tumblr says. They've always been fairly diverse, but that doesn't make them immune to criticism.
 
ESPECIALLY after having released 7th rose, which quite frankly, is one of the best vkei albums of the last decade. This isn't amateur hour. 

collab with Jero when pls???

He's the bassist / leader of Black Gene for the Next Scene, which is doing fairly well so I'm not sure where you've been?????

Didn't know what else I expected from a song called "Unhappy Birthday"