one-eyed waiter

Mission statement and introduction
 
I wanted to review something of theirs and I figured I'd write about everything they've done so far lol, since I feel there are some unfortunate tendencies in their material. I will rate songs a) based on personal preference and how much of an actual finished song it feels like since many of these don't actually seem like much more than riffs thrown together with swoosh transitions. A relevant point is that I absolutely adore ネガ's first 3 EP:s and, progressively less, the rest of their output. I also liked PERESTROIKA and loved the absolute fucking trainwreck that was VANITAS.

So, basically, THE BLACK SWAN is in some ways Jin's continuation of late NEGA. The metalcore ambition is there but this time we are presented with two guitarists that actually seem to be able to play the written riffs*, bass lines that are audible** and a drummer that is pretty technically good***. Jin however carries over, along with what seems to be a lot of the songwriting such as the ever-missed PERESTROIKA synths.

* this point I am factually unsure of as there seems to be no live footage of TBS anywhere. I stand however by ネガ fucking everything up after losing Hiroki
** at the expense of being really cheesy
*** again, in the studio. I'm not at all saying that Yuu was bad, but a lot of the TBS drum lines feel more solid than NEGA's
 
 
Review part

自深傍観者
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ Long piano intro
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass

Sadly, having watched the first TBS teaser video, you had pretty much heard all of this song. I guess it's pretty cool that it's mostly in 3/4 time or something and the main riff is actually kind of refreshing the first time. Things like the unexpected accentuated bass in the chorus makes for some kind of a twist and it's pleasant. There is however nothing at all new or interesting happening for the rest of the track after the chorus (which is all in all pretty bland), not even a proper breakdown. Where is the kitschy bad metalcore goodiness? This doesn't leave a huge impression on me at all, so I move on.



TRIPPER
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★★

☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ PERESTROIKA vocoder
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

So judging from the name I expected some "sexy" sounding shit like MINDLESS from PERESTROIKA which I would most rather forget tbh. Instead we are treated to some pretty cool sounding dissonant-ish ~mysterious~ delayed guitar, turning into a pleasant mid-tempo main riff that keeps the arpeggiating melody theme which is a nice thought. The guitar work sounds pretty interesting during the verses and there's even some exciting trade-off with the bass! Wow! Later, shit hits the fan when we get a fantastically catchy dubstep-ish breakdown that transitions into a really epic guitar solo. The song then rounds off without feeling like a chore. Never during this song do I feel bored and this borrows the exact right proportions of PERESTROIKA and NEGA to make it enjoyable.



I SOLATION
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★☆☆☆

☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

Also being featured in the initial TBS teaser, there really isn't much more to this song than the first half. It's a little bit heavy and it's pretty fast and there are some budget D.I.D.-sounding elektronix idk. The verse feels pretty badly disjointed. There is a swoosh transition between every fucking part of the song. The chorus sounds like a more boring version of NEGA's VORTICAL [E]MOTION. What's pretty cool however is the breakdown, introducing(?) that whine that one of the guitarists seems to really like. After that however, there is, as in 自深傍観者, absolutely nothing interesting going on whatsoever.



THE HOPELESS
Rating: ★★★★☆
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ 15 NEGA songs fit into one
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

TBS' first single lead is probably the most NEGA-sounding song they've done. We have verse shouting, swoosh noises and a brooding church organ synth or whatever. The works! The pre-chorus however offers something new to the table which is pretty exciting. We are then subjected to a chorus that really oozes NEGA cheesiness. The trademark guitar whine then leads into a breakdown and a kind of awkward insipid guitar solo. All in all, this is basically the formula of NEGA's VANITAS singles but much more cohesively executed and featuring every TBS indulgence so far. Bonus mention for OK though lulzy video.



HATE YOURSELF UNTIL YOU DIE
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★★

☑ Phantasmagoria level SE
☑ Better than 壁

So this is, as far as I understand, the live closer song of choice for TBS. After a totally emotional SE intro we are given a very straightforward, catchy mid-tempo metalcoreish main riff which alternates with a standard fast-paced "blastbeat" part throughout most of the song. The verse leads into a really solid chorus with interesting bass work and the "HAATE YOUUURRSEEEEELF" parts are fun. Drums are really solid throughout. All in all, this is very stable and really sounds like the whole band working together. There are no swooshing sounds either (as far as I could hear anyway), which is amazingly refreshing!! I'm actually sure this is equally as solid live.



long japaneez title song
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
How finished: ★☆☆☆☆

☑ You have heard this before
☑ Fucking wooden bass or whatever
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion

I honestly did not know what to expect from the long-awaited ballad but saw that it would feature like a stand-up bass or sth? That seemed like a pretty cool gimmick. Starting out with that chord progression that you've heard at least 10 times in VK played on an acoustic guitar, we are then introduced to a half-hearted drum beat. At around 1:30 we finally get the promised wooden bass which really doesn't do anything interesting at all. The line could have just as well been played on a regular bass (maybe for an even better effect idk.) By 2:45 we have a pretty bland build-up and the chorus is just meh. Jin has thus only used his ~quiet voice~ so at this point we can safely expect an EXPLOSION OF EMOTIONS later on. Idk, whatever, I just don't care. At 3:40 or something some sketches of potentially interesting guitar effects trikkery appear and pass by unnoticed. An arpeggiating guitar break with engrish whispering just isn't enough to save the song at this point and when the chorus hits for the climactic final stretch, it is accompanied by the most boring drum line imaginable. Basically this is that excruciating track WILL from NEGA's VANITAS but somewhat ~darker~ and somehow even worse. This seems like a sketch of a sketch of a finished track and is painfully bland.



INSIDE SILENCE
Rating: ★★★★☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ InSSSSSSSSSSide SSSSSSSSSSSSilenCCCCCCCCCCCCe
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing
☑ Key change

Fast song. At some point we get a verse with clock ticks instead of a beat? Whatever, I forgive you just give me more of the fucking synth voice goodiness. The next thing I know I'm at a fun bass solo after which the tempo actually slows down (NEGA did this a couple of times and it's so cheap and dirty and I love it) for the really sweet breakdown, where a whine™ leads the way into a crazy (faster) guitar solo. The rest of the song isn't much to write home about and I guess it has an overall "basic" structure-wise feel but one cannot deny the fun factor.



失い
Rating: ★★★☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ Piano intro
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ Key change

From the start, this feels like business as usual. The piano intro sounds like a 2009 ネガ SE which suddenly and really nicely erupts into a cool early ネガ level haunting low-tempo riff. Rushing through a fast part, the verse is quite exciting with interesting guitar and actually pretty surprisingly tricky drum work from Len, transitioning into an alright, slightly cheesy chorus. Another verse leads into the build-up for the fast part from the beginning but then dissolves into... another build-up... or something... Anyway, this eventually results in a really solid headbanging breakdown. Then the song goes back into the chorus and then into the chorus again with a key change, a guitar solo and a really loud, almost painfully cheesy bass line. The chorus then slows down and the song kind of dissolves into nothing. All in all, this is kinda disjointed but the components are by themselves solid and fun. Bonus mention for cool video.



I'M SHIT NOODLE, BUT...
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ i like girl. i like sex. i like money. i'm shit noodle
☑ Jin trying to sound like a girl
☑ Swoosh transitions

From the beginning this is slated to be completely amazing. The main riff of this is like exactly 瞋恚の炎 by PERESTROIKA but with super wild synth, making it so much more fun. This is precisely the kind of kitsch I want to hear from a band like TBS. I don't even know what to write, everything about this is just super fun, from the headbang parts to the chorus to the guitar solo to the fact that this is Jin venturing into weird semi-ironic V-ROCK IS DEAD territory.



ETERNAL SLEEP
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ NEGA level drum machine
☑ You have heard this before

Can TBS deliver a good ballad? This does not answer the question as this track really isn't anything special as far as VK ballads go but kind of OK I guess? At least it is a well-defined song compared to the long ass japaneez title one and has a guitar solo and actually decent arrangement. Thankfully, there's no wooden bass in earsight. Whatever, songs like this are not the reason I listen to TBS.



SICK (黒夢 cover)
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Juicy ass bass slides
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

OK so this is from a Kuroyume tribute album which got uploaded here recently. Now I basically don't know anything about Kuroyume or the original song but this is a controlled and quite pleasant, fun and unique (featuring all the appropriate hallmarks) sounding effort from TBS where all of the band really comes through in quite technical ways. Especially the piano-tinged breakdown and the solid guitar solo sound really fresh.
 
 
 
MIRROR,MIRROR
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆
 
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Broken glass SFX
 
This is TBS' first attempt at a fast ballad-ish song I guess, and I must say I expected more. We are introduced to a gentle guitar intro which turns into a slightly weird main riff... Which is okay, since the verse actually sounds good! The chorus is not great though and the following breakdown is just plain awkward. The guitar solo is slightly more solid. All in all, just nowhere near 17歳の孤独 #sorrynotsorry
 
 
Some kind of conclusion
 
I suppose this indicates some kind of trend of half-assed song writing but also some technical proficiency. There is hope for some good music to be made and songs like TRIPPER genuinely show promise. This seems however to more often than not be eclipsed by contrived transitions and generally some late NEGA awkwardness. Though once again, the reason why I listen to TBS is to get my dose of gimmicky metalcore with that guitar whine used as much as possible.
 
P.S. the trailer for the new single has a really bland chorus. Man oh man.
P.S.#2 eagerly awaiting first faux jazz song and a decent ballad

Mission statement and introduction
 
I wanted to review something of theirs and I figured I'd write about everything they've done so far lol, since I feel there are some unfortunate tendencies in their material. I will rate songs a) based on personal preference and how much of an actual finished song it feels like since many of these don't actually seem like much more than riffs thrown together with swoosh transitions. A relevant point is that I absolutely adore ネガ's first 3 EP:s and, progressively less, the rest of their output. I also liked PERESTROIKA and loved the absolute fucking trainwreck that was VANITAS.

So, basically, THE BLACK SWAN is in some ways Jin's continuation of late NEGA. The metalcore ambition is there but this time we are presented with two guitarists that actually seem to be able to play the written riffs*, bass lines that are audible** and a drummer that is pretty technically good***. Jin however carries over, along with what seems to be a lot of the songwriting such as the ever-missed PERESTROIKA synths.

* this point I am factually unsure of as there seems to be no live footage of TBS anywhere. I stand however by ネガ fucking everything up after losing Hiroki
** at the expense of being really cheesy
*** again, in the studio. I'm not at all saying that Yuu was bad, but a lot of the TBS drum lines feel more solid than NEGA's
 
 
Review part

自深傍観者
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ Long piano intro
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass

Sadly, having watched the first TBS teaser video, you had pretty much heard all of this song. I guess it's pretty cool that it's mostly in 3/4 time or something and the main riff is actually kind of refreshing the first time. Things like the unexpected accentuated bass in the chorus makes for some kind of a twist and it's pleasant. There is however nothing at all new or interesting happening for the rest of the track after the chorus (which is all in all pretty bland), not even a proper breakdown. Where is the kitschy bad metalcore goodiness? This doesn't leave a huge impression on me at all, so I move on.



TRIPPER
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★★

☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ PERESTROIKA vocoder
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

So judging from the name I expected some "sexy" sounding shit like MINDLESS from PERESTROIKA which I would most rather forget tbh. Instead we are treated to some pretty cool sounding dissonant-ish ~mysterious~ delayed guitar, turning into a pleasant mid-tempo main riff that keeps the arpeggiating melody theme which is a nice thought. The guitar work sounds pretty interesting during the verses and there's even some exciting trade-off with the bass! Wow! Later, shit hits the fan when we get a fantastically catchy dubstep-ish breakdown that transitions into a really epic guitar solo. The song then rounds off without feeling like a chore. Never during this song do I feel bored and this borrows the exact right proportions of PERESTROIKA and NEGA to make it enjoyable.



I SOLATION
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★☆☆☆

☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

Also being featured in the initial TBS teaser, there really isn't much more to this song than the first half. It's a little bit heavy and it's pretty fast and there are some budget D.I.D.-sounding elektronix idk. The verse feels pretty badly disjointed. There is a swoosh transition between every fucking part of the song. The chorus sounds like a more boring version of NEGA's VORTICAL [E]MOTION. What's pretty cool however is the breakdown, introducing(?) that whine that one of the guitarists seems to really like. After that however, there is, as in 自深傍観者, absolutely nothing interesting going on whatsoever.



THE HOPELESS
Rating: ★★★★☆
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ 15 NEGA songs fit into one
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

TBS' first single lead is probably the most NEGA-sounding song they've done. We have verse shouting, swoosh noises and a brooding church organ synth or whatever. The works! The pre-chorus however offers something new to the table which is pretty exciting. We are then subjected to a chorus that really oozes NEGA cheesiness. The trademark guitar whine then leads into a breakdown and a kind of awkward insipid guitar solo. All in all, this is basically the formula of NEGA's VANITAS singles but much more cohesively executed and featuring every TBS indulgence so far. Bonus mention for OK though lulzy video.



HATE YOURSELF UNTIL YOU DIE
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★★

☑ Phantasmagoria level SE
☑ Better than 壁

So this is, as far as I understand, the live closer song of choice for TBS. After a totally emotional SE intro we are given a very straightforward, catchy mid-tempo metalcoreish main riff which alternates with a standard fast-paced "blastbeat" part throughout most of the song. The verse leads into a really solid chorus with interesting bass work and the "HAATE YOUUURRSEEEEELF" parts are fun. Drums are really solid throughout. All in all, this is very stable and really sounds like the whole band working together. There are no swooshing sounds either (as far as I could hear anyway), which is amazingly refreshing!! I'm actually sure this is equally as solid live.



long japaneez title song
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
How finished: ★☆☆☆☆

☑ You have heard this before
☑ Fucking wooden bass or whatever
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion

I honestly did not know what to expect from the long-awaited ballad but saw that it would feature like a stand-up bass or sth? That seemed like a pretty cool gimmick. Starting out with that chord progression that you've heard at least 10 times in VK played on an acoustic guitar, we are then introduced to a half-hearted drum beat. At around 1:30 we finally get the promised wooden bass which really doesn't do anything interesting at all. The line could have just as well been played on a regular bass (maybe for an even better effect idk.) By 2:45 we have a pretty bland build-up and the chorus is just meh. Jin has thus only used his ~quiet voice~ so at this point we can safely expect an EXPLOSION OF EMOTIONS later on. Idk, whatever, I just don't care. At 3:40 or something some sketches of potentially interesting guitar effects trikkery appear and pass by unnoticed. An arpeggiating guitar break with engrish whispering just isn't enough to save the song at this point and when the chorus hits for the climactic final stretch, it is accompanied by the most boring drum line imaginable. Basically this is that excruciating track WILL from NEGA's VANITAS but somewhat ~darker~ and somehow even worse. This seems like a sketch of a sketch of a finished track and is painfully bland.



INSIDE SILENCE
Rating: ★★★★☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ InSSSSSSSSSSide SSSSSSSSSSSSilenCCCCCCCCCCCCe
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing
☑ Key change

Fast song. At some point we get a verse with clock ticks instead of a beat? Whatever, I forgive you just give me more of the fucking synth voice goodiness. The next thing I know I'm at a fun bass solo after which the tempo actually slows down (NEGA did this a couple of times and it's so cheap and dirty and I love it) for the really sweet breakdown, where a whine™ leads the way into a crazy (faster) guitar solo. The rest of the song isn't much to write home about and I guess it has an overall "basic" structure-wise feel but one cannot deny the fun factor.



失い
Rating: ★★★☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆

☑ Piano intro
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Obnoxiously loud bass
☑ Key change

From the start, this feels like business as usual. The piano intro sounds like a 2009 ネガ SE which suddenly and really nicely erupts into a cool early ネガ level haunting low-tempo riff. Rushing through a fast part, the verse is quite exciting with interesting guitar and actually pretty surprisingly tricky drum work from Len, transitioning into an alright, slightly cheesy chorus. Another verse leads into the build-up for the fast part from the beginning but then dissolves into... another build-up... or something... Anyway, this eventually results in a really solid headbanging breakdown. Then the song goes back into the chorus and then into the chorus again with a key change, a guitar solo and a really loud, almost painfully cheesy bass line. The chorus then slows down and the song kind of dissolves into nothing. All in all, this is kinda disjointed but the components are by themselves solid and fun. Bonus mention for cool video.



I'M SHIT NOODLE, BUT...
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ i like girl. i like sex. i like money. i'm shit noodle
☑ Jin trying to sound like a girl
☑ Swoosh transitions

From the beginning this is slated to be completely amazing. The main riff of this is like exactly 瞋恚の炎 by PERESTROIKA but with super wild synth, making it so much more fun. This is precisely the kind of kitsch I want to hear from a band like TBS. I don't even know what to write, everything about this is just super fun, from the headbang parts to the chorus to the guitar solo to the fact that this is Jin venturing into weird semi-ironic V-ROCK IS DEAD territory.



ETERNAL SLEEP
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ NEGA level drum machine
☑ You have heard this before

Can TBS deliver a good ballad? This does not answer the question as this track really isn't anything special as far as VK ballads go but kind of OK I guess? At least it is a well-defined song compared to the long ass japaneez title one and has a guitar solo and actually decent arrangement. Thankfully, there's no wooden bass in earsight. Whatever, songs like this are not the reason I listen to TBS.



SICK (黒夢 cover)
Rating: ★★★★★
How finished: ★★★★☆

☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Juicy ass bass slides
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ That fucking guitar whine thing

OK so this is from a Kuroyume tribute album which got uploaded here recently. Now I basically don't know anything about Kuroyume or the original song but this is a controlled and quite pleasant, fun and unique (featuring all the appropriate hallmarks) sounding effort from TBS where all of the band really comes through in quite technical ways. Especially the piano-tinged breakdown and the solid guitar solo sound really fresh.
 
 
 
MIRROR,MIRROR
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
How finished: ★★★☆☆
 
☑ Clean guitar delayed to oblivion
☑ Swoosh transitions
☑ Broken glass SFX
 
This is TBS' first attempt at a fast ballad-ish song I guess, and I must say I expected more. We are introduced to a gentle guitar intro which turns into a slightly weird main riff... Which is okay, since the verse actually sounds good! The chorus is not great though and the following breakdown is just plain awkward. The guitar solo is slightly more solid. All in all, just nowhere near 17歳の孤独 #sorrynotsorry
 
 
Some kind of conclusion
 
I suppose this indicates some kind of trend of half-assed song writing but also some technical proficiency. There is hope for some good music to be made and songs like TRIPPER genuinely show promise. This seems however to more often than not be eclipsed by contrived transitions and generally some late NEGA awkwardness. Though once again, the reason why I listen to TBS is to get my dose of gimmicky metalcore with that guitar whine used as much as possible.
 
P.S. the trailer for the new single has a really bland chorus. Man oh man.
P.S.#2 eagerly awaiting first faux jazz song and a decent ballad

Yokan

 
Yurameki

 
A few things to note:
 
1) Kaoru effed up his parts imho
2) Shinya's drums sound tack-tack-tack-tack-tacky
3) I cannot hear Toshers at all Why is Toshers' bass so low-volumed @Yurameki?
4) They look VERY BORED

Are you? lmao

Artist: Jupiter Album: THE HISTORY OF GENESIS Score: The Birth of Venus. The Death of Creativity.
Visual Kei is a world of its own; a patchwork scene that mixes and matches various established genres and reinterprets them under its own musical and aesthetic niches. The peculiarities found within the scene - which can range from vocal style, visuals, songwriting, marketing ploys, to general band ethics - are usually recognizable, but also fleeting at best. When you add in the fact that any given Visual Kei band can have an entirely different set of musical influences, this renders comparison to the "source" of those influences a fruitless task outside of music historicism. Visual Kei is best appreciated from within, with some kind of inside narrative. Something that explains how Visual Kei operates or the rationale behind a band's artistic choices. However, sometimes you'll come across a band that defies a narrative - for better or worse. Jupiter is one such band.
On their sophomore effort "THE HISTORY OF GENESIS", it's painfully apparent that they fall in between the cracks of being a successful metal band with Visual Kei aesthetics and a Visual Kei band that has effectively appropriated metal into their repertoire. Instead, they sound like a lukewarm imitation of both - neither delivering from a metal standpoint, nor fully embracing the artistic nooks of Visual Kei. Some of the most "thrashing" moments of the album, like opener "The Birth of Venus", single track "LAST MOMENT" and "ARCADIA", are marred by hackneyed power-metal songwriting and technical, yet emotionless instrumentation that fails to engage. It's as if guitarists HIZAKI and TERU are literally riffing in one ear and out the other. Even the harder hitting songs like "Darkness" and "絶望ラビリンス" lack punch and wouldn't warrant headbanging, much less a simple head nod.
But beyond the lackluster songwriting and sterile musicianship, THE HISTORY OF GENESIS suffers from a host of other issues, one of which is ZIN - Jupiter's vocalist. As a metal vocalist --power-metal in particular-- ZIN doesn't cut it. He lacks the soaring, dynamic range and the theatrical bravado necessary to be compelling. His harsher vocal attempts, as heard in tracks "SACRED ALTAR" and "Darkness", are weak and struggle to be heard amidst all of the drab riffage. Even by Visual Kei standards, ZIN's vocals are thoroughly uncharacteristic. There are no tortured quirks or endearing imperfections to add charm to his performance. So while ZIN isn't a remarkably good vocalist or an offensively bad one, he still occupies an awkward musical territory - one that simultaneously falls short of the expectations of metal and the appeal of Visual Kei.
The final nail in this album's coffin was hammered in by its wearisome length and seemingly asinine arrangement. Of course, metal albums are usually protracted affairs, but with 14 tracks and a duration 10 minutes shy of your average feature-film, there just isn't enough quality material here to justify sitting through it. Omitting a few tracks or trimming some of the fat would have done some good. Running at nearly 8 minutes, title track "The History of Genesis" is a progressive behemoth that feels like more of a chore than an immersive epic. Even with the track being placed near the end (it's the last track on the limited edition), it just feels like a tired recap of the entire album, as opposed to an actual climax. Instrumental guitar ballad "Church Candle", as dull as it is, would have served more effectively as an intro or an outro. Instead it's slapped right in the middle of the album and adds no sense of progression or logical flow. "Shining" is another unfortunate curveball in which Jupiter delves into an oshare kei-esque pop-punk number. Normally, a band's attempt to diversify their sound would be laudable, but in the the context of the album it comes off as half-baked filler.
Though for all of its weaknesses, THE HISTORY OF GENESIS isn't without some merit. One of the band's strongest showings was, ironically, the only song composed by ZIN - "Red Carnation". This track revels in everything Jupiter tried but failed to accomplish with the rest of the album. All of the symphonic and neo-classical elements are kicked into high gear, and ZIN even duets with a female vocalist, giving their music a much needed spark. "THE MOON", however, is the album's most standout track. It's a groovy, mid-tempo ballad where HIZAKI and TERU put the power chords and the chugging on hold to embrace smoother guitar tones. There's even an unexpected, but extremely welcome jazz breakdown. Unlike "Shining", this is an instance in which Jupiter tried something new without deviating from the tone of album or abandoning their core sound.
It's obvious that Jupiter has all of the tools to impress; they're just misusing them 80% of the time. If HIZAKI loosened his compositional stranglehold and allowed more new ideas to flow in and if ZIN were a bit more convincing, then Jupiter could become a force to be reckoned with. But as THE HISTORY OF GENESIS has shown, Jupiter is stuck in an uninspired artistic limbo devoid of a narrative. Whether your musical inclinations lie with metal or Visual Kei, this album is sure to leave you entirely apathetic.

All 40 of their fans, bless their little hearts.

Nobody gives a fuck about San. No wonder this band didn't last long. He was bullied by the other members of NEGA in every single comment they had and I remember back in the days when we had that VK DVD Magazine that they said he is so useless they once forgot him in a mountain or w/e. He was just a talentless cutie in a band with ugly, but actually talented dudes, so that's why you might think he might be a good musician, but he just sucks. Unless he can get another band to suck off the talent of other people, that's what will always happen to his career.

vk graveyard: 1
 
san's career: Ø

眞呼(maco)(ex-deadman) will act as special guest at HOLLOWGRAM one-man live "All about us & Rust off us" at Daikanyama UNIT at 2015/01/17

I can't get enough of this album for the entire week, and this is probably the first time since withering to death when it happens.
I hope it won't take them another 3 years to record a follow up, and they won't be doing self-cover releases anymore in the meantime, since nothing good typically comes from those.
my 2nd favest deg album at the moment (vulgar and wtd got stale a few years ago, although I still listen to kisou quite a lot.)

those church synths at the start sound like the menu music from a crash bandicoot game


whole thing afterwards is shitty evanescence-core mallgoth wank

new band "Develop One's Faculties" will hold their first presents live "gathering place #1" at Ikebukuro EDGE at 2014/12/20
 
"Develop One's Faculties" members:
Vo.&Gt.yuya (ex-Minerva(Vo.)-->Schwein(support Gt.)-->cocklobin(Gt.))
Gt.rui (ex-the Pumpkin Head-->ケミカルピクチャーズ(chemical pictures))
Ba.detto (ex.-Eve--->タイハイノソラ(taihai no sora)-->ネオン(neon)(support)-->Cherry-->江戸川パラドクス(edogawa paradox)(雷覇/raiha))
Dr.Johannes (ex-CROW-->苺69(ichigo69)-->メロウ☆ぴんきぃ(mellow pinky)-->ジャガー(jaguar)(support)-->meth.-->cocklobin(sora))
 
 
their new maxi single "フラスコを振ると天秤揺れた(frasco wo furu to tenbin yureta)" will be released through their official webshop and at their live since 2014/12/20 (2 TYPE, 1,260yen each)
 
[track list]
01.フラスコを振ると天秤揺れた(frasco wo furu to tenbin yureta)
02.ピエロ(pierrot) (included in live-limited edition)
02.結果論(kekkaron) (included in webshop-limited edition)
 

 
http://d-o-f.jp/

And there we are...
 
Bye bye rare & unique song.

【EVIDENCE OF EXISTENCE】
Here's the evidence that I could find of these bands being *real*:
-
https://twitter.com/KISAKI_OFFICIAL/status/297370748589338624
KISAKI played recorded versions of songs of Levia~LAYBIAL~SHËY≠DË at his 20th anniversary live. It's not really “proof” of anything, but this was a history live, so there should have been someone who was a fan of the bands that were ripped off (VICE∞RISK, 業, Levia[non-KISAKI]), and who would have noticed if KISAKI was playing those songs...
-
As someone else mentioned, on 2007-11-19 in his HOLIDAY blog, he mentioned meeting ex-Levia member 美憂, who is married and has a child.
-
https://twitter.com/KISAKI_OFFICIAL/status/154273353094537216
On 2012-01-04, he posted in his Ameba (now deleted) that he met Levia members again. Most of them married with children now. He also posted a pciture of 美憂's child this time (also on Twitter ↑), as well as a picture of that guy's shop. (Google/Tineye didn't return any results when I searched the images).
-
http://music3.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/visual/1066131643/
Earliest web mention of these bands that I can find is on 2ch in 2003. So at least we know his *canon* band history included these bands way before BEYOND THE KINGDOM.
-
Again, not proof of anything, but the canon lineup of SHËY≠DË features 紫緒, who was in HISKAREA. I automatically doubt that KISAKI would make up a fake band with a known musician in the lineup, if it weren't real...
-
松本 博, the owner of Wakayama livehouse OLD TIME at which Levia supposedly performed a lot of oneman lives, actually commented in BEYOND THE KINGDOM about seeing KISAKI's junior-high band Levia as regulars who were popular. So that seems to confirm a lot for me, unless they faked that comment (I already checked―the 松本 博 is real.)
---
【REALLY WEIRD STUFF】
This one is sort of reaching, but bear with me. Check out the cover of the Levia “滅びの序章” demotape again (which was copied from the Levia[non-KISAKI] “滅びの序章”, remember?).
Now check out this image by hyura again. The image on the left. I know it's near the LAYBIAL sign, but it's only 3 members (LAYBIAL had 4), and LAYBIAL didn't play a live on 1994-09-21... but Levia had 3 members and did play their first live on 1993-09-21. So could that picture be of KISAKI's Levia?
And if so... looking at that supposed Levia[non-KISAKI] scan, couldn't you see KISAKI on the left and the other two guys on the right (compare the eye-makeup, the hair, the chokers, the suit jackets)...?
-
I can't claim anything from this, but you have to admit that it sort of looks like Levia and Levia[non-KISAKI] are one in the same, at least from comparing those two pictures.
That would be the ultimate mind fuck if that were the case, because the Levia[non-KISAKI] demotape has 5 tracks which, as far as I know, aren't stolen from anything...
---
【CONCLUSIONS】
Personally, I think Levia~LAYBIAL~SHËY≠DË were *real*, since they've been mentioned for so long (at least since 2003), way before there was a book about KISAKI or he had some “legacy” of being a 15-year-old genius who was playing oneman shows. Also, I can't imagine KISAKI and FOOL'S MATE would be so bold as to fake a comment from the owner of a livehouse who knew Levia. And finally, I don't think KISAKI was lying when he posted about meeting ex-Levia members... but if he was, then he's been purposefully sprinking those things throughout his blog for 7 years which just seems to be way beyond his level of thinking IMO.
So like I said, I think the bands are *real*, but I'm not sure if the demotapes ever were... I see a couple of possible scenarios:
1. The *canon* demotapes were *real* but were also fake/stolen (even at the time of their release).
2. It's been so long that KISAKI has no clue what his early bands released, so he just made it up for BEYOND THE KINGDOM. In that case, there are *real* demotapes, but probably completely different from the *canon* ones.
3. There are *canon* demotapes are also *real*, but KISAKI's been seeding the net and auctions with fake copies, while he maniacally holds on to the only real copies that are left. In that case, the titles are still stolen from other releases... (This would fit in nicely with the crazy theory that Levia is the same as Levia[non-KISAKI]!)
-
So I guess my posts didn't really give any clear conlusion, but I hope you've gained some more evidence to make your own (or at least see that the situation is even weirder than some simple lying).

【DISPUTING THE MYTH_CEO DEMOTAPES】
Let's start talking shit:
-
1. 滅びの序章 (green / black)
● This tape was never in the canon discography. The canon discography does have a “滅序章” (notice only two characters missing), but that one is supposed to have 5 tracks.
● Levia[non-KISAKI] has a demotape called “滅びの序章” which had the exact same cover. Rarez Hut actually sold it: http://www.rarezhut.net/product/levia-%E6%BB%85%E3%81%B3%E3%81%AE%E5%BA%8F%E7%AB%A0
● Remember, on my copy of the grayscale version, the insert appeared to have been longer originally... well, as posted here, Levia[non-KISAKI]'s tape had an insert that was longer (with member info + tracklisting)... I wonder if KISAKI had this Levia[non-KISAKI] tape and just ripped that part off and used the remaining insert for his fake demotape???
-
3. 「KELOID」 -Not For Sale-
● This wasn't listed in the canon discography (only a version with 2 tracks was), and is clearly modern-made/fake.
● The track used for the demotape is familiar... hold that thought
-
4. 「KELOID」
● Again, clearly faked, as per inkjet printing and such. At least the cover/tracklisting matches up to the canon discography, but as pointed out, the tracks are stolen from a VICE∞RISK demotape.
---
【IT STARTS GETTING WEIRD】
OK, so here's where it gets weird. “「KELOID」 -Not For Sale-”, the *semi-canon*, faked demotape that KISAKI sold me via auction. That 2:40 track which is completely different from the “「KELOID」” version...
Champ mentioned that she traded somebody for some SHËY≠DË demotape rips... I traded for the same rips with that same person.
...The Levia “「KELOID」 -Not For Sale-” version of KELOID is the same track as SHËY≠DË's FUNERAL from the “DARK SIDE” rip which I traded for!!
...And as Champ pointed out, FUNERAL by SHËY≠DË is actually FUNERAL by 業!
!_! ?_?
So just by pure coincidence (...??????), KISAKI sold me a fake Levia demotape which featured a track by 業, and someone traded me for fake SHËY≠DË demotape which featured the same track by 業. Coincidence? Or maybe KISAKI mixed up his fake files? Either way it's interesting...
-
Also, I'm quite embarassed to admit it, but I thought I'd figured out what Levia - 滅びの序章 (the actual music on the demotapes which KISAKI sold me) was stolen from, but I can't remember now @_@.
---
Still more to come...

【EXCLUSIONS】
I posit, but can't prove, that KISAKI (1994 solo project) and De=prive are *real*, bringing the scope of my posts to Levia, LAYBIAL, and SHËY≠DË.
KISAKI (1994 solo project)
It is *canon* that KISAKI released a solo demotape in 1994 with STELLA MARIA vocalist Ray. The rest of the [disputed] canon discography wasn't known until 2007's BEYOND THE KINGDOM, but this demotape was listed on UNDER CODE PRODUCTION's website since at least 2004. That, and the fact that it features a (relatively) well-known musician (STELLA MARIA's vocalist Ray), I find it unlikely that this release/artist was faked.
De=prive
This is actually the least-known band in KISAKI's history. In fact, it's *non-canon*―that is, it came from Japanese VK fans rather than KISAKI himself. Since there's no reason for fans to lie about such a small band (with no releases), and because Japanese VK fans are rather trustworthy with information (moreso than overseas fans or KISAKI himself), I'm comfortable asserting that De=prive was *real*.
(If KISAKI's *canon* live history is *real*, I would guess that De=prive was the unnamed session band in 1994.)
---
【MYTH_CEO DEMOTAPES】
As pointed out in previous posts, KISAKI has been selling shit (anonymously) via Y!J auctions. In early 2014 he started selling Levia demotapes, and I bought almost all of them. Here are descriptions of those, followed by an update (canon + semi-canon) Levia discography:
-
1. 滅びの序章 image
● Green-tinted insert with cover art and spine, but no tracklisting or member information. Contains one track, 2:11, presumably 滅びの序章.
● I believe this is the same one that someone else purchased (although their copy was sold much later, I think).
-
2. 滅びの序章 (grayscale) image
● Same cover, but grayscale. Again, no tracklisting or member information, same 2:11 track as before.
● Again, not listed in *canon* discography―according to *semi-cannon* auction description, live distributed.
● However, it does appear to be old (rather than modern-made), as there is some yellow discoloration and wear on the insert. Additionally, the top of the insert appears frayed, as if it was originally longer, but was carefully torn apart.
-
3. 「KELOID」 -Not For Sale- image 1 / image 2
● Insert is clearly modern-made―background is pixellated while text box is sharp and uses a (sort of) modern font. One track, about 2:40, presumably KELOID.
● Not listed in *canon* discography (there is a canon KELOID, but it has two tracks and different cover art). According to *non-canon*, live distributed.
-
4. 「KELOID」 image
● Again, modern-made, as the insert was clearly printed with a modern inkjet printer, and creases/wear are printed images rather than physical features. It features two tracks, KELOID (5:30) and PRAY (3:57).
● This is listed in the *canon* discography, and features the correct cover art.
● Note that this tape's version of KELOID is 5:30 while the previous one was 2:40... and they're completely different songs.
● And let me just point out that KISAKI saw the same person buying these two tapes with the same Y!J account within the span of one month... you'd think he would at least use the same song in his faked demotape o-o.)
-
So here's our updated Levia discography, with *semi-canon* entries in blue:
Levia
　　1993-01-10 - 滅序章
　　　　1.滅序章 / 2.PROLOGUE / 3.蒼ノ真相 / 4. Die&DEA / 5. EPILOGUE
　　????-??-?? - 滅びの序章 (green)
　　　　1.滅びの序章
　　????-??-?? - 滅びの序章 (black)
　　　　1.滅びの序章
　　????-??-?? - 「KELOID」 -Not For Sale-
　　　　1.KELOID
　　1993-12-21 - KELOID
　　　　1.KELOID / 2.PRAY
　　1994-01-23 - My Duel
　　　　1.My Duel

Well, for what it's worth: the person that gave me the rip of 瑠璃の雫 also gave me 2 other demo tapes allegedly by SHEY=DE: 奴隷華 and Dark Side. Again, just rips, not physical tapes, so not really hard evidence. But the fake 瑠璃の雫 rip led me straight to the very real INSANITY tape which then showed some eerie parallels to the information on Kisaki's site. Maybe we can find something for the other ones as well.
 
 
The "Dark Side" tape has already been partially identified. Gaz pointed me towards a band called 業, and upon searching a bit I actually found 2 YT vids by that band
and . Those are the first 2 tracks on the tape. (Interestingly enough, the YT description says that 業 was the first band of ピエトロ and リエット, presumably the vocalist and guitarist of Da'vidノ使徒:aL - the band 業 is indeed mentioned as a previous band of リエット here. ) The alleged tape also has a 3rd track called 苦悩二果テニ which I'm unable to identify or match to any other band. 
However, this one doesn't really proof anything so far, since there doesn't seem to be any "official" tracklist for this particular Kisaki tape. In this case anyone could have made up a tracklist and mislabeled the files. Which would have been my normal guess, but in the light of all these discoveres.... who knows?
 
Here are all 3 tracks from the the fake "Dark Side": https://www.mediafire.com/?0sjs1oq4w4vlwq4
Maybe someone recognizes the still unidentified 3rd track?
 
 
Now, the other tape, 奴隷華. The tracklist I got matches the one from the scan above. Neither I or my contact recognized the songs from any other band. In theory, this rip could still be legit, but I'm not holding my breath. Again, I'm posting it here, maybe someone else can identify it: https://www.mediafire.com/?qg69423c4i5g72k
 
 
So yeah, that's all I can offer for now. Good hunting.

This thread is perpetually like Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-BF6q6Hc6A
 
 
「金-kane-」lyrics:
 
I borrowed large money
Pallor of the face　No...
It's high interest
Tie-down bond of debt

Heartlessness increases
Short period, high interest
Finally the money which I watched
Fukuzawa-Yukichi money

Debt　While debts increase
Debt　To accumulate

Debt　Consumer finance
Debt　Daily deposit finance
Debt　"090" finance
Debt　Oni-kinyuu

Debt　There is no money
Debt　There is no home
Debt　There is no food
Debt　There is nothing at all
No No No No No No

I want to eat roasted meat
I want to eat sushi
There are only cup noodles
I want a lover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynkImfSwnTo
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZa32oUdP3w

looking forward to inflammatory tweets soon