*littlelamb

You should give that to the Gazette for all their effort. @relentless: It's she, not he, and clearly everyone is free to "express themselves", but everyone's art is also fair game for criticism. It's funny because just yesterday Kenichi (from Merry) was saying something on twitter about there being no need to answer the question whether music is art. That having answers to/in music feels like cheating. And I was thinking "what? of course music is art!". Then I came here and listened to Vortex and was like "yea... not all music is art". And then I started pondering about where can one draw the line between art as self-expression and something that's put together just because the label needs you to release a single. And there really is no answer to that. Still I refuse to see all music as self-expression, even if I can't be the judge. Call me stubborn.

That's a lot of projecting right there, don't even know where to begin. Or whether I want to. First of all I never said making music should be easy. What I was saying is that it should be left to those who don't find making an original sounding tune *SO* hard that they need to have fans defending their songwriting after every release with the "but it's so hard to make something new" argument. I was in no way implying that one should put no effort into what they are doing and just coast along year after year with whatever first pops into their head. I have no idea how you reached that conclusion. Though if that sort of coasting is an opportunity then we are clearly talking talent. Whether people capitalize on it is another thing. Now I know it's pointless to except artists who are signed to agencies to have artistic integrity, but that doesn't mean I can't have an opinion on their obvious recycling. What is so awesome about DIM? I've tried to listen to it several times and everytime I've opted for silence. All their songs I've heard, with an exception of maybe one, either sound boring as hell or super-awkward to me. Like an audio version of a scrapbook. And not a pretty one, or an ambitious one, just awkward. At least it follows their all over the place visuals. They might be doing well for a neo-VK, but since 99% of it is utter shit, that's not saying much. Your interest in defending them is strange enough as it is, if half their stuff sucks in your opinion, but it's made even more hilarious by your bashing of Dir en grey, who even at their simplest manage to sound far better. And then you think I'm a teenager? Sorry, haven't been one for half a decade. Dream Theater? There's a difference between using your skill and knowledge to make something cool and using it to show off your skills. Last time I checked they fell into the latter category, as in no thanks. Opeth has made some lovely music though, so no need to bring them into this discussion.

I was quite a sporadic music listener all through my teens, though always surrounded by music thanks to my dad. I always hated pop with a passion and only got attached to some Brit rock bands and a few Spanish/French/Italian artists, because I liked the languages. But since internet file sharing wasn't quite what it is now, it certainly kept the number of bands down. I wouldn't call any of those important as far as my current taste goes though. Malice Mizer has to be mentioned, even though I rarely listen to them these days, but they are what first introduced me to Japanese music and kept popping into my mind for years before I looked any further. And what did I find after looking further? Why visual kei of course. Thankfully even in all my naïvety I didn't find much I could tolerate there. Except for MERRY. I fell in love with all their melancholic old pop melodies that were just this bizarre throwback to my childhood. All of the songs having the same effect without sounding the same at all. Before I knew it I was listening to them everyday, and whereas before I'd mostly been paying attention to the melodies in music, I suddenly started to really listen to every instrument separately. Because in Merry they all have something to say while not being too complex or chaotic to follow. Kind of the perfect mix to hone your ears with, catchy but balanced, simple yet effective. And paying attention to the instruments just opened up so many genres I would have before that dismissed as uninteresting, as well as making it impossible to listen to rock with boring instrumentation. Plus on top of all that they've straight up brought me to so many bands I've loved via recommendations, taking part in the same tribute albums, playing at the same events... None of them VK mind you. Stuff like 9mm Parabellum Bullet, Judy and Mary, midori, Soil & "Pimp" Sessions, kinoco hotel, Number Girl, Kaguyahime, Chirinuruwowaka etc. I respect their tastes and general love of music so much, and it makes me have the utmost faith in them. I could go on all day, but enough of that. Ling tosite sigure for getting me forever lost in the indie scene of Japan. I found them on last.fm somehow and after Youtubing my mind was blown. Set the bar impossibly high from the start really, but led me to endless Youtube trips via their similar artists and suddenly I had found loads of bands that sounded better than almost anything I'd ever heard, or more like actively listened to. The rest is history really. As much as there are skilled brilliant bands all over the world, I'm just a total sucker for the melodic sense of the Japanese. Maybe it's because their popular music of the last century has been influenced by stuff from all over the world much like that of my own country. They've even been obsessed with the same genres as we have, like surf rock and tango, so there's this odd similarity in taste. Plus they possess that crazy boundless creativity that isn't something you come by often. I started learning Japanese because of the music and the more I understand the more I wish to listen to it, so I find myself increasingly stuck on J-music. Oh a special shout-out to DIR EN GREY for making me realize there's nothing wrong with growling if you do it right. Just another way to sing. Made it possible to appreciate various metal bands, though my taste in metal is fairly limited to a few subgenres.

Oh okay. These people clearly have a deep an thorough understanding of the Japanese music scene.

Barf. But thanks for reminding I posted in this thread. No. You have no idea what you're talking about. Making music is all about challenging yourself. Once you stop doing that, you've become too lazy. Once it starts to be too "easy" for you, it means you've just lost your creativity. It's far from being good. People who don't find music "hard" end up composing songs for come-and-go-popstars, because everyone who actually cares and knows about music, does not want their songs. Gazette aren't creative, that's pretty obvious. It's also pretty obvious that they do pay attention to their music and don't just throw out what ever the crap comes in to their minds first. Everyone who understands music can realise this. Whether they think this band is shit or not. The fact is that nowadays you have to create a whole new genre to actually do something new. Gazette's style can't be reinvented. They would have to tear down their whole concept before they can even start creating something new. And that is something this band will never do. Like most bands in the world. Get over it. Yes, challenging yourself is always needed, but for all your hard work to matter to the listener, you first have to have the basics down. If all your effort is being wasted on putting together a simple song, then you will never go beyond that. You will be stuck in mediocrity. And this band is not even mediocre unless you include all the crappy pop rock out there. You don't have to invent new genres to make good music, though it's always a good thing to not stick to one sound defined by various artists before you. But you can make good music within any genre, if you just know what you are doing. Though in the case of creative people not knowing can lead to amazingness. You can always hear if a band knows or not, and whether you like them personally makes little difference. The Gazette barely has a clue. Tear down their concept? They have NO concept. Making basic rock with pointless bits of shredding and sticking some computer effects on top to make it sound not entirely stuck in the 90's is no concept. Now if you don't mind wasting your time listening and defending this crap, then good for you I guess. But don't start lecturing other people about having no idea, just because your own appreciation of music is so limited you can't differentiate between the good and the pointless.

I don't see really see how that makes one a weeaboo. Unless you're doing it for the sake of moving to Japan and acting Japanese. If it's just to understand then it doesn't differ from studying any other language. You can't fully understand people unless you have some understanding of their language, because it's such an integral part of culture. But then again I've always been studying various languages for fun. Japanese is just double the fun because you get to draw pictures!

HAHAHA, I agree. There are some bands that I wish would take 3 years to craft a good album, instead of consecutively releasing crap every year (9mm Parabellum Bullter springs to mind). LOL, I thought of them immediately halfway through that sentence. Didn't even have to finish it. But yea, no need to churn out an album every year, unless you're bursting with new ideas. And no one is after more than a decade of making music.

They kinda ran out of ideas a while ago.

I think at least グリード was pretty unfinished, since it sounds like Yuu made it into his current style, guitarwise that is. And ピアス sounds like kannivalism. And 独??者??涙 like a trainwreck. But clearly they didn't change the tracks that were already finished in one way or the other much, which of course is how it should be.

Wait, Nouvelle Mariee was composed by Takumi right? Jesus christ.

Oh can you people please quit with the fail genres? Here's to hoping it will sound like nothing in particular. Kind of like everything else I listen to. Or like Ling tosite sigure. j/k!

Thanks for pointing that out! I remember watching those vids a while back without knowing the setlist. Sounds like a good fit for Kyo actually.

That's why making music should be left to those who don't find it so hard. It's not an equal opportunity profession, you're supposed to have talent. If you don't then you should stick to playing at people's weddings and birthday parties.

Oh it's been great so far. THE JUNEJULYAUGUST really reignited my love for Tetsu Takano. I think I've listened to the album 100 times by now. The piano makes the sound so dynamic and Kazi is a great drummer. 女王蜂 released a great debut! Love it when new bands deliver. The new Lillies and Remains album really pleases me too, especially Avijja. キノコホテル released another album as well, and while I feel it wasn't as cohesive as their debut, it's still pretty great. Some true psychedelic rock in there this time and there just isn't a better combination in the world than Group Sounds + psychedelic. If there is then I've yet to hear it. Oh and Boris, yay. And things I get to look forward to: Film A Moment, the DVD/Photobook by TK from 凛??????時雨. 3 new songs and I get to relive a recent trip from the looks of things. MERRY's new album. I have no doubts about it being something I'll love. Dir en grey's new album. No idea what to expect, but should be interesting.

The truth being that this band sucks? Clearly, since you're in such deep denial about it.

Merry's cover of Precious... Gara really ripped that song a new one, which is always a welcome change. Especially when it comes to Luna Sea, since I always found them really boring. The Michiro Endo cover is stunning as well. All Satanicpornocultshop covers, including all the Get Ur Freak On and sWVspE-WEw0 and r7n7FJ8kEkI OH and adding to the Hanoi Rocks up in here, love this bad and this cover: SrTKfcWP8c0

I only have a few myself. Good luck! You might need it.

Some fake LP's (suppose you can find some, if you look): Actual vinyl:

Some fake LP's (suppose you can find some, if you look): Actual vinyl:

Only one I sort of regret (that isn't 10+ years old) is The bottom of chaos by RES, but it's the EU version and I bought it from the department store, so at least it didn't cost any more than a regular CD.

No, it's the only one. And I don't think they made many copies of that either. Actually I'd really like to know how many... They have a lot of LP-sized releases though, but that's just the packaging. Worth every penny though, since they are lovely pieces of eroguro art.

Merry - Koseiha Blend Classic ~OLDIES TRACKS~ (vinyl)

Merry on vinyl. No great backstory though, and I've yet to actually play it, since I don't own a turntable. ONE DAY.

Which one? I'd rather make modern art out of them or something. The Him one, unless it's the Dark Light since I already have it :< No, it's Razorblade Romance I think. It has the most pathetic emo lyrics I've ever read. Why do you want to listen to terrible music? I won't enable your bad habit. Besides it's back home far from here, so I couldn't give it to you anyway.

Which one? I'd rather make modern art out of them or something.