*littlelamb

I think they said they were going for a straightforward 80's punk rock (The Blue Hearts?) feel with Happy life, but it's just too simple in my opinion. I do like the song, but it's always felt a bit empty, like something's missing. I hope the new version is more "full" and intense. I love the acoustic one.
 
I'm hoping for a punky album, kind of like Underworld.

a better-detailed and more accurate live report from a fan that i actually follow who was there ✨

Cannot wait! I like the title, even though it was hard to figure out.

Under-World is great and I don't get the hate for Fuyu no Castanet at all. I've said it many times and I'll gladly say it again: fantastic song!

I preordered A & B, so I'll be happy to let yall know!

I would, but I think I'll stick to the A-type as well. I'm sure we'll find out one way or another though.

Knowing Merry, the pile of trash is just them being self-deprecating. Gara often refers to how they used to be called a rubbish band.  Even in some MC during the anniversary lives, he said something like "Merry was called a rubbish band, but this rubbish band is now going on 15 years". I think that's what's going on in the video, they're so rubbish the streaming site stops working and just shows a pile a trash instead. I could be wrong, but I like it.

Knowing Merry, the pile of trash is just them being self-deprecating. Gara often refers to how they used to be called a rubbish band.  Even in some MC during the anniversary lives, he said something like "Merry was called a rubbish band, but this rubbish band is now going on 15 years". I think that's what's going on in the video, they're so rubbish the streaming site stops working and just shows a pile a trash instead. I could be wrong, but I like it.

I'm a bit sad that there won't be any new B-sides. Even though I like the new song, it does remind me a bit too much of their old stuff (Souhide Sunset maybe?) and I need some Merry freshness! Hopefully a new album will follow soon enough.

I'm a bit sad that there won't be any new B-sides. Even though I like the new song, it does remind me a bit too much of their old stuff (Souhide Sunset maybe?) and I need some Merry freshness! Hopefully a new album will follow soon enough.

Oh wow, life in the Merry thread. Needless to say they are my favourite band ever, the only one I've been a proper fan of. Their music just hits all the rights spots in my brain and never seems to get old. Maybe because it's pretty "old" in the first place, not tied to some fad. I'm really happy with their current direction and I feel like ever since NOnsenSe MARkeT they've gone back to being themselves so to speak.
 
What happened with the Beautiful Freaks era is a combination of things I think. I sort of blame Kyo as well for some of their bad decisions, I mean he was credited as producer on their releases back then. Kyo and Gara weren't even speaking for years, but then Kyo reached out to him after Merry had left Victor and were in disarray, and I think him caring and wanting to help made Gara a bit too prone to his suggestions. I do think Kyo is brilliant in his own way and I appreciate him helping Merry get started on their career, but he really shouldn't be meddling in their music at this point. That's why I'm happy he started Sukekiyo, since he clearly doesn't have any time or interest in getting involved anymore. Thank heavens for that! It's not all his fault though. From what I've read in interviews, the members were well aware that they'll never be able to outdo the brilliance of their eary compositions, so that's why they were trying to find a new direction, but it didn't really work out. Heijitsu no Onna is the product of realising you should stick to what you're good at. The period around the switch to Free-Will was also a generally miserable time for them. They didn't particularly want to join Free-Will, the fans absolutely hated it, Gara was having constant problems with his back, people close to them were dying and just when things started looking up, Tetsu broke his neck and was out for years. It's not like BF is even close to unlistenable, the basic song-writing is still there, but the arrangements are just too simple and the sound all muddled and boring. Merry is not the kind of band who should be sending their tracks to Sweden or where ever to be finished either. It's of no benefit to them.
 
I think they sound better than ever live at the moment. At least based on the two lives they've already broadcast on nicovideo this year. They were pretty stellar. The only song Gara struggles with is the A-side of Heijitsu no Onna, but it's no wonder, since it goes so high. Thankfully the B-side version is made for lives. In case someone didn't know, they're broadcasting their 15th anniversary White Sheep/Black Sheep live tomorrow, as in 16 hours, so don't miss out! Put it on timeshift beforehand, if you don't have time to watch live or pay the 540 yen for premium membership. Epic acoustic versions to be expected. http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv280746643
 
BTW, I noticed the other day that someone had upped the entire nico live this summer on Youtube . The acoustic versions of Makka na Aoi Haru and Happy Life are so good!

It's super easy to download timeshifts with IDM. About two clicks and done. I just haven't watched my timeshift yet, since I'm always paranoid something goes wrong and then I've wasted my only chance to watch it again, lol. And the last time I shared a nico download, they put that stuff on some release and then I felt guilty for maybe affecting their CD sales. Seems silly perhaps, but they're my favourite band and they need all the income they can get.
 
Oh and under-world is my favourite album. Might not be to everyone's taste, but I find it the most unique out of all of Merry's already unique stuff. I just can't think of anything that sounds even remotely like it, yet it sounds just right and has ever since the first listen.

They played the new song twice today. First an acoustic version during White Sheep and then the proper version during Black Sheep. Sounded good! Very retro, so seems they're continuing what they started. Can't wait!
 
Great show today BTW. Gara was so happy and chatty.

They played the new song twice today. First an acoustic version during White Sheep and then the proper version during Black Sheep. Sounded good! Very retro, so seems they're continuing what they started. Can't wait!
 
Great show today BTW. Gara was so happy and chatty.

They played the new song twice today. First an acoustic version during White Sheep and then the proper version during Black Sheep. Sounded good! Very retro, so seems they're continuing what they started. Can't wait!
 
Great show today BTW. Gara was so happy and chatty.

Aww, I'm glad! Sorry, it was so long ago, I don't even remember if there was a recording, so I'm afraid can't help you with that.

@*littlelambOh no, your posts were very helpful and not cringey at all! There was this one about Gara's radio dorama that still makes my day any time I think about it. (If you remember that, would you happen to have a link to the actual recording still?)

By the way, recently made subtitles for the BURST EP DVD concert, the translation a mix of my imperfect efforts, mitsu's and Dely's (Russian) translations. If it could be useful to anyone, here (video here).

Merry is a band that i leave alone for long chunks of time and then when i revisit them its always a pleasurable time. They also are a band that I purposefully try not to know much about the older stuff in their discography because I absolutely love randomly coming across gems like this one  
Speaking of their recent material, I think im maybe the minority that enjoys Beautiful Freaks a lot. Its the first album that i really sat down and listened to through out and it was very appealing. Hella good gems on there especially Zaa Zaa and The Cry against me. I need to listen more to Nonsense Market but i remember my initial opinion on it was that it was just an okay album. It didn't grab me as much.  Either way, MERRY is a pretty special band in terms of sound and band chemistry. Their live stuff radiates this kind of genuine feel and you can tell that these guys really enjoy each other and what they do. 
 
Side note: That recent single of theirs is ballin. 

Haha, I cringe just thinking about my old posts and even more so someone reading them now, but I'm glad if they've been helpful! And no need to thank me, Merry is pretty easy to love. It is almost unreal that they are still going after all they've been through and it just shows how dedicated they are and how much they love their band. It's not like they even have a big fanbase as in a monetary incentive to keep going, pretty sure they're broke most of the time. The fact that they're still making music and letting me watch them live every now and then from my sofa for a nominal fee is something I will never take for granted. They are special!
 
As for the lives, "better than ever" may have been a slight overstatement, more like better than for the past 6 years. The BURST EP DVD is still my all time favourite. That Gekisei! Must've listened to it 50 times at least.

Haha, I cringe just thinking about my old posts and even more so someone reading them now, but I'm glad if they've been helpful! And no need to thank me, Merry is pretty easy to love. It is almost unreal that they are still going after all they've been through and it just shows how dedicated they are and how much they love their band. It's not like they even have a big fanbase as in a monetary incentive to keep going, pretty sure they're broke most of the time. The fact that they're still making music and letting me watch them live every now and then from my sofa for a nominal fee is something I will never take for granted. They are special!
 
As for the lives, "better than ever" may have been a slight overstatement, more like better than for the past 6 years. The BURST EP DVD is still my all time favourite. That Gekisei! Must've listened to it 50 times at least.

Oh yesss littlelamb!  <3 Sorry for the over-familiarity, ever since I fell for Merry and started looking up things on them I've just happened on so many old posts by you around the internet. Just thank you for loving them, ok? 
 
The way I remember that interview, Kyo and Gara were still speaking, just not about music. May be mistranslation or just information getting corrupted along the way, shouldn't really matter now. I agree, it is miraculous how Merry survived everything and... do I have the right to say I am proud with them, or at least proud of being their fan? Because I am. I also love NO SMART, there's just so much humanity and integrity to that album. [ @midi:netteNah, I loved Happy Life too. Straightforward songs like that are also needed, and the message is just right. Though my favorite song on the single is 臆病者の眠り方 by far.] I also believe Merry can still grow. So many new songs by Nero and Tetsu! And they did eventually get better at writing songs out of their mold. Time will show on that one.

Still about the lives, I may be misjudging here. I do feel Gara's voice hasn't been at his strongest (even as his control is stellar), but I have been watching the '09 concerts a lot recently, so that may be setting the bar too high and screwing my perspective. The fact that we are talking about a niconico recording (and a crappy rip in the case of the last DVD, as I can't afford to buy it at this point) isn't helping. I really hope you are right, as it is something I've been worried about - at this point I have reason to believe they can survive anything else. 

So hyped up for tomorrow!

the way you worded this just gives me chills
 
with all the shit that they've been through, it's a MIRACLE that they're still together; most bands would disband over the slightest thing that goes wrong. Beautiful Freaks was my first album and I love it to bits, but now I truly understand the stigma around it; it was a complete change to their style that they weren't completely cool with. So glad Kyo's kinda out of the picture...
 
Happy life was bland af, but Heijitsu no Onna was great, so I'm glad they're being themselves again~

Happy life is a banging single, y'all. One of their best, actually and it totally fits with their current mindset. Plus, the acoustic version MERRY's been playing live recentIy? Pfff... talk about gorgeousness!
 
You can tell MERRY are in a really good place musically and mentally. They seem to be really happy with the band and themselves. You should've seem them live, especially now that テツ is back. They are always smiling, laughing, cracking jokes about each other. The mood seems to be excellent. Confident in their habilities, but still hungry to prove people that they are still relevant. NOnsenSe MARkeT was such a big step to them and quickly became one of my favorites. MERRY is a band that I've loved since the beginning and this one I can say from almost the very beginning. I've been following them for over 14 years (since 個性派ブレンド!).
 
They always had good and bad moments, ups and dows in their career. When MERRY went major in 2005 was a bit wierd, they had some cool songs here and there, but there was something off. Then, joining sun-krad and FIREWALL DIV., and trying to become a DIR EN GREY clone was also a baffling mistake (from an artistic standpoint and maybe even a financial one, it just didn't make sense to alienate your fanbase like that...), Still, I think they created some good albums during the Victor-era, especially revisiting some of them now. For exemple, I love M.E.R.R.Y. and I think it's criminally underrated among the western fanbase. And, Beautiful Freaks, while uneven (and, truthfully, not very good) had some really, really great MERRY moments, so yeah, they recovered.
 
I think they have complete freedom to do whatever the hell they want now, and also a level of maturity that makes sure that, since 2014 with NOnsenSe MARkeT, they are able to combine all the aspects of their catalog and create some cool things. 平日の女 is kinda like that, it has the retro-feel and モダンギャルド-ness that I love, but with their current production values (that I'm not really a fan, to be honest, ネロ sounds like crap and 健一 and 結生 sound too fuzzy. But that might be a stylistic choice, albeit a poor one). All in all, I'm happy that MERRY seems to be in such a good place and I'm really looking forward to their new album next year. (or maybe even THIS year, who knows... there's still time!) It just makes me glad being a fan.
 

Oh wow, life in the Merry thread. Needless to say they are my favourite band ever, the only one I've been a proper fan of. Their music just hits all the rights spots in my brain and never seems to get old. Maybe because it's pretty "old" in the first place, not tied to some fad. I'm really happy with their current direction and I feel like ever since NOnsenSe MARkeT they've gone back to being themselves so to speak.
 
What happened with the Beautiful Freaks era is a combination of things I think. I sort of blame Kyo as well for some of their bad decisions, I mean he was credited as producer on their releases back then. Kyo and Gara weren't even speaking for years, but then Kyo reached out to him after Merry had left Victor and were in disarray, and I think him caring and wanting to help made Gara a bit too prone to his suggestions. I do think Kyo is brilliant in his own way and I appreciate him helping Merry get started on their career, but he really shouldn't be meddling in their music at this point. That's why I'm happy he started Sukekiyo, since he clearly doesn't have any time or interest in getting involved anymore. Thank heavens for that! It's not all his fault though. From what I've read in interviews, the members were well aware that they'll never be able to outdo the brilliance of their eary compositions, so that's why they were trying to find a new direction, but it didn't really work out. Heijitsu no Onna is the product of realising you should stick to what you're good at. The period around the switch to Free-Will was also a generally miserable time for them. They didn't particularly want to join Free-Will, the fans absolutely hated it, Gara was having constant problems with his back, people close to them were dying and just when things started looking up, Tetsu broke his neck and was out for years. It's not like BF is even close to unlistenable, the basic song-writing is still there, but the arrangements are just too simple and the sound all muddled and boring. Merry is not the kind of band who should be sending their tracks to Sweden or where ever to be finished either. It's of no benefit to them.
 
I think they sound better than ever live at the moment. At least based on the two lives they've already broadcast on nicovideo this year. They were pretty stellar. The only song Gara struggles with is the A-side of Heijitsu no Onna, but it's no wonder, since it goes so high. Thankfully the B-side version is made for lives. In case someone didn't know, they're broadcasting their 15th anniversary White Sheep/Black Sheep live tomorrow, as in 16 hours, so don't miss out! Put it on timeshift beforehand, if you don't have time to watch live or pay the 540 yen for premium membership. Epic acoustic versions to be expected. http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv280746643
 
BTW, I noticed the other day that someone had upped the entire nico live this summer on Youtube . The acoustic versions of Makka na Aoi Haru and Happy Life are so good!

Oh wow, life in the Merry thread. Needless to say they are my favourite band ever, the only one I've been a proper fan of. Their music just hits all the rights spots in my brain and never seems to get old. Maybe because it's pretty "old" in the first place, not tied to some fad. I'm really happy with their current direction and I feel like ever since NOnsenSe MARkeT they've gone back to being themselves so to speak.
 
What happened with the Beautiful Freaks era is a combination of things I think. I sort of blame Kyo as well for some of their bad decisions, I mean he was credited as producer on their releases back then. Kyo and Gara weren't even speaking for years, but then Kyo reached out to him after Merry had left Victor and were in disarray, and I think him caring and wanting to help made Gara a bit too prone to his suggestions. I do think Kyo is brilliant in his own way and I appreciate him helping Merry get started on their career, but he really shouldn't be meddling in their music at this point. That's why I'm happy he started Sukekiyo, since he clearly doesn't have any time or interest in getting involved anymore. Thank heavens for that! It's not all his fault though. From what I've read in interviews, the members were well aware that they'll never be able to outdo the brilliance of their eary compositions, so that's why they were trying to find a new direction, but it didn't really work out. Heijitsu no Onna is the product of realising you should stick to what you're good at. The period around the switch to Free-Will was also a generally miserable time for them. They didn't particularly want to join Free-Will, the fans absolutely hated it, Gara was having constant problems with his back, people close to them were dying and just when things started looking up, Tetsu broke his neck and was out for years. It's not like BF is even close to unlistenable, the basic song-writing is still there, but the arrangements are just too simple and the sound all muddled and boring. Merry is not the kind of band who should be sending their tracks to Sweden or where ever to be finished either. It's of no benefit to them.
 
I think they sound better than ever live at the moment. At least based on the two lives they've already broadcast on nicovideo this year. They were pretty stellar. The only song Gara struggles with is the A-side of Heijitsu no Onna, but it's no wonder, since it goes so high. Thankfully the B-side version is made for lives. In case someone didn't know, they're broadcasting their 15th anniversary White Sheep/Black Sheep live tomorrow, as in 16 hours, so don't miss out! Put it on timeshift beforehand, if you don't have time to watch live or pay the 540 yen for premium membership. Epic acoustic versions to be expected. http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv280746643
 
BTW, I noticed the other day that someone had upped the entire nico live this summer on Youtube . The acoustic versions of Makka na Aoi Haru and Happy Life are so good!