Dillinger

The GazettE announced on june 29th that they’re leaving PS Company and opening their new company “Heresy”

I second @Jigsaw9. Not feeling much excitement post listen. I like the sound of the album, the riffs and compositions are solid, but I don't like the majority of Ruki's melodies. Since Division, I feel like his vocal parts are fitted in haphazardly with no focused melody. It's like the musical equivalent to rambling on and on. He sounds great on NINTH, but, apart from the 2 single tracks, I can barely remember his parts.
 
It's unfortunate because a lot of the album is working really well for me. Although, I think it could have been paced better as it gets slow in the middle. I hate to keep ragging on Ruki, but he dragged this album down for me significantly and it feels like a wasted potential. Man's gotta be consistent. He can't give us a performance like in Falling and then drop like 8 other songs with weak choruses.

His first single "Gothic/White veil) will be released on 2018.07.01. (1500 yen)
 
Tracklist :
01.Gothic
02.White veil
 
 

This is not the Amerikein style I was expecting

On Sigh's Facebook page, it was announced that their album "Heir to Despair" will be released later this year ! 
 
 

C'mon, Dr. Seuss metal!!

So, Ninth is out and what I've mostly read online is that it is not at the same level as Dogma, it's generic, it's been heard before, bla bla bla... so I tried it out asap and wrote an overall review, (don't expect a song-by-song musical analysis).
 
I have to agree on one thing with the negative critics: Dogma was the shit on a technical level, but the more I play it the more it feels like a single long song. I distinctly remember playing it for the first time and asking myself "when is this song ending, sounds like a freakin' Versailles song", only to check the iPod and realize it was already on track three.
 
Sure, Ninth sounds like "shit we've heard before", but the album on it's own is more diverse, soundwise, and has ups and downs. I rated songs while I went through it with 4 stars and others with 2, 3's and a 5 along the way. Dogma was a flat three. All the way. For Dogma, none of the tracks sucked but none was outstanding for me either. Which is not a good thing because I honestly never even remember what the album sounds like (the album and the singles related to the concept). And every time I play it to see if I magically start liking it I get bored and switch to something else halfway.
 
Ninth, however, felt more... Complete? Catchy? Memorable? Your pick. It was definitely something else.
I can distinctly remember which tracks stood out for me and which ones I disliked. Whereas for Dogma I cannot even tell them apart. Sure, it's generic GazettE, it's stuff we all know, it's familiar. But more importantly: it works. Structures work together to make songs memorable, in good or bad ways. And, tbh, I feel if any other band would have released this it would have been probably praised. But since it's Ruki's distinct voice attached to those riffs people get a "déjà vu(heard)" feel. And, being the popular band it is, the bar is always high when it comes to them.
 
While Dogma was a good dive into darker, heavier waters, I always felt their execution of it was not as proficient or distinctive as it could have been. While, for me, Ninth nailed it. You can always try new things, and I'm all for bands attempting new styles, but sometimes it can be better to go back to a safer zone and kill it than keep attempting at something new and do it halfway. And Ninth is good proof of it. I get the more versatile feel I got from albums like Nil and Stacked Rubbish, in a more mature, polished and 2018-ish way.
 
The tracks that stood out for me were Falling, Utsusemi, Sono Koe wa Moroku and Unfinished (a banger, way to finish an album). 
I did not pay attention to the first version of Falling and I will certainly not do it now, but this version gave me a better impression (it could be the transcode-decent bitrate difference rather than the mixing itself). It's catchy and modern enough for a PV and the composition has Ruki all over it. I'm a sucker for good rock ballads and Sono Koe wa Moroku was melodic enough without going on a chopped-onion level of cornyness. Utsusemi and Unfinished were just straight up my alley; strong yet not overly harsh on the voice.
Ninth Odd Smell and Gush sadly blend together a bit too much for my taste yet both are solid tracks that will most likely grow on me and Babylon's Taboo was barely... bearable. The SE track was terrible, but their SE's rarely are my taste at all. The Mortal has a mystic feel to it and to me it carries on the atmosphere from the previous releases, with a pleasant twist. Abhor God is powerful and thankfully short, otherwise I'd feel it drags on more than necessary. I feel it will be a great song live. Two of a Kind felt like a "fresh old Gazette" and Uragiru Bero fitted the album nicely to, but didn't catch my attention that much, felt like a filler track.
 
The album showed both a heavier side yet was kept melodic and reminded me a lot of Division, one of their best releases imho. Like it, it was packed with both harsh and softer aspects and shows maturity and improvement.
Overall I give it a 4/5, and I will most likely buy it in Japan in a few months. Otherwise I'll get the iTunes version. It's a great release and if you felt lately that GazettE was getting stale you should definitely try this album. It is unmistakably The GazettE, yet fresh and modern.

I think Uruha mixed the intro.
anyways the only thing that i like from the album version of falling compared to the mv version is that you can clearly hear the bass
 
I wish this album had a Dogma type of production. 

My thoughts exactly, the album version is a muddy shitfest. HOW COULD YOU, GUYS?! WTF

The Mv version of Falling is way better imo, everything sounds way clearer. 
The album mix sounds really muddy in comparison, especially the drums.

I wish Josh Wilbur would have mixed the whole album not just the FALLING mixed that was released in the 10th of march.
coz that mix is 10times better than the album production 
 
 
Coz apparently they didn’t have time to do it with Josh Wilbur so they chose a different producer

deathgaze's best contribution to the scene was breaking up and giving birth to dexcore

deathgaze's best contribution to the scene was breaking up and giving birth to dexcore

deathgaze's best contribution to the scene was breaking up and giving birth to dexcore

That long scream was killer

me and my wig rn lol

Pinocchio should have been the title track, but it's not bad. Pinocchio sounds like a MBHI song. 

This whole single is so amazing, my favorite song in the single is PINOCCHIO, what an awesome rhythm , it's perfect, and the main song Brilliant, I love it too. I am definitely going to keep and eye on this band. They officially have my interest lol

PINOCCHIO may be one of my favorite songs all year–It's been on repeat for like, a week.
 
It's got that MBHI sound to it and so many interesting parts.

I'm sorry, but shouldn't that be the other way around?  how come in a BAND music is "important" and the looks are "integral"? We'd be in a very sad place if people could somewhat forgive bad music if it came from nicely dressed boys...
 
And I don't see any contradiction at all. Some people are here (japanese music in general, with VK going for a more specific rock vein) for the composition styles, unique time signatures, different scales and etc. A lot of times VK is a thing of its own, musically speaking. IMO that's what should attract people, in an ideal world looks would be a plus. But I'd have to agree with you that it is what keeps band floating, sucking on the wallets of socially awkward fans who pays shit ton of money to spend some time with them (which is such an abusive practice I can't fathom why people don't stand up against it).
 
In any way, visuals are somewhat of a gamble. You are either doubling down on the weirdness and hoping on cashing on the hardcore fans, or you get popular enough to ditch the hard looks and appeal to more casual masses. And I bet most of them would go clean in a heartbeat, if that meant a more sustainable band career

Don't forget Hizaki.

I bet you Shinya and Mana are all about it.