Augie1995

Did you guys actually read the small response he did to the song or did you just read the headline and just say "fuck it, time to voice my frustration. HOW DARE HE!!"?

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

There's two different types of changing that can happen: big changes and small changes.
Big changes are things like moving out of visual kei, playing a new genre, getting/losing some core members etc. These things can distinctively alter or change a band's sound. The GazettE has had some big changes in their career like DISORDER->NIL, DIM->TOXIC, DIVISION->BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY. Small changes are when bands create music similar enough to be earmarked as "theirs" but different enough from earlier/other similar artists so that the music doesn't sound too familiar. Transitions like TOXIC->DIVISION, Cockayne Soup through Hankou Semieibun/Gama, and now probably DIM->DIVISION fit in here even though they don't directly follow (they don't necessarily have to).
Note that I did not use terms like "best", "better", etc. Bands can change and get worse too.
If BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY was their way of "revisiting NIL", this is probably their way of "revisiting DIM". When I read "change", I'm keeping in mind that most GazettE fans praise DIM, so I think of it as doing something similar to it without making DOGMA a cheap copy of it. After all, if I wanted to listen to DIM, I'd listen to DIM. That's what some of us have been doing since 2009 (luls).
Band members here also know about their strengths and their weaknesses better than we do. It is up to them to apply what (if anything) that they learned between the release of their last album and now into their newest album. Peeps are probably disappointed because for all the things that they got right there are still other glaring ~issues~ that haven't been rectified in what...five years now?
Also, because we all have short memories does anyone else remember how well received the announcement for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY was? Just a year ago there were way more detractors towards their new single and album than what we read now. In here, even the most negative of peoples have some amounts of interest for this new album. I have not seen GazettE fans this ready for a new album since DIM.
 
So let's stop all the meta chatter about what other people think about what other people think. It doesn't make for good conversation.

+1. Anyone claiming that "the GazettE doesn't change" needs to go back in time farther back than DIM.
They are all about change. The GazettE have been setting up hype towards the "differentness" in their next releases since Wakaremichi. Look at the progression from Cockayne Soup to Gama, then again from DISORDER to STACKED RUBBISH, and then tell me where on that spectrum would one place 大日本異端芸者的脳味噌逆回転絶叫音源集. The mini-albums themselves sound like a completely different beast than the punk influenced DISORDER, and nothing else in their discography sounds like the nu-metal/rap rock STACKED RUBBISH, and we all know about DIM so I'll leave it at that. And we can't forget about my favorite track of theirs by all time: Zetsu!
I'm just saying that people expect something different because The GazettE have set the trend of reinventing themselves every so often. TOXIC/DIVISION was their last major reinvention where they leaned towards a more electronic influenced sound, and they tried to bring together the old and the new with BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY. It's about time for them to adjust their direction to try something new again, and to expect that after literally five years of the same electro rock influenced music is not only understandable, it is completely justified.
At the end of the day, it is up to the band themselves to make the type of music they want to make. But no band has ever gotten as influential or as big as the GazettE in visual kei by ignoring the reactions of their fans toward their music or by ignoring the demands of their record label. They really do care about what we think...maybe a little bit too much if I may say so myself. I would even say that the "dark, mysterious" vibes I'm getting from this promotional campaign is a conscious choice to capitalize on this expectation of ours. And the fact that you continue to see the same memes and responses in every GazettE thread means that they are very good at managing these expectations while keeping us interested, even when they string us along for months at a time with nothing but the album cover and some samples.
 

yeah it is kind of crazy to repeat the same formula of trying to expect the unexpected when you know most bands don't deviate from their formula too much. if you like them, cool listen to them if you don't like what they are doing, don't listen to it. That's how I feel about it. Me, personally I've never had a problem with what they've put out. As an artist you do you, not what people want to hear. I hope that's the case for most bands around now but I guess that could not be true.

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

I feel like after reading the comments on The GazettE new release threads on here, it seems with every thread it's the same comments, same responses, same arguments, same obsessed fans, same obsessed haters, just different song titles getting thrown around lol

Me looking at the "I was expecting something progressive" comments.
 
As if the GazettE would do a complete 180 and go that route. Oh boy, lmfaooooooooooo
 
Asking for the GazettE to be "progressive" is like asking Dir en grey to do Dum Spiro Spero all over again (I hate to do these kinds of comparisons but THIS one time, i think its necessary........and some of y'all did compare this to ARCHE......). And WE ALL know the reception that album got.
 
Y'all don't want a progressive GazettE.
 
I don't want a progressive GazettE tbh. Seems like a bad move, especially since their sound is hella distinct as is. That's almost asking to alienate some of their fanbase just to tickle some fancies outside of their usual fanbase. They seem to be growing from Beautiful deformity and their past works with some of these songs, which is whats really important, at least to me.  Change doesn't always have to be uber heavy or progressive. It seems as if that's like a "must" among J-rock/metal listeners these days. 

I'm hoping Diawolf really pushes the members forward. It becomes an outlet for Shou and Tora to do their thing and Alice NIne maintains as this raw being they've had. This is where Shou and Tora can do something crazy with no restraint

DOGMA Special Booklet Courtesy of The GazettE Fan's
Best photo of Reita and Kai that I have ever seen and Uruha and ruki are looking dark

DOGMA Special Booklet Courtesy of The GazettE Fan's
Best photo of Reita and Kai that I have ever seen and Uruha and ruki are looking dark

Wait... are we seriously debating shoes and somehow trying to make this relevant to the album?

Wait... are we seriously debating shoes and somehow trying to make this relevant to the album?

I don't think I really clicked with this album. I just find it really boring. I'll probably get stoned for this, but I think Stacked Rubbish is where they actually started to get interesting.
It could have something to do with my worship of Agony

David Maxim Micic / BILO3.0: I really don't know what to say about this except that it just feels like something that I saw in a children's picture storybook and I love it... Either that or Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends or whatever that cartoon network show was haha. It connects to me on a younger level, plus the album is a compositional masterpiece with a great mixture of orchestral pieces, piano interludes, and some very melodic guitars.

 
Scale The Summit / THE MIGRATION: Honestly, a friend of mine introduced me to these guys but I never paid much attention until I saw this artwork for their album a few months before it came out. The fact that all of their cover artworks (minus The COllective) have been of barren landscapes and then getting this lush creature made a huge impact on me. Also it fits with the theme organic that Letchford was going for with their music and the artwork fits that. Plus, I'm curious if that creature has a name. (Also, these guys are amazing, no guests vocalists, no djent, no dubstep crap, just pure unrivaled melodic tunes to take you upon a journey)

 
MUSE / THE 2ND LAW: Basically all of their album covers hit strong and look awesome but this one just attracts me so much. Something about the way that it looks like an actual brain ( or at least the shape of) and the huge spectrum of colors that it's been painted with. I wish our brains would look that beautiful when we were in a creative process, exactly how I felt the band members brains would have looked like as they were creating this album. There's a reason these guys are a highly-regarded rock band, they just create some spectacular music and some delicious eye candy for you to look at as you enjoy their music

 
Protest The Hero / VOLITION: This isn't the original artwork for the album but this is the special one that we croudfunders got for supporting the creation of the album (seeing as how the album was created using only the money that us fans gave the band in support of their next release). There's nothing to say other than the artwork is just stunning. I just love the brushwork even though this was done on computer and I love eveything about the outcome of this. Plus, seeing Dan Mumford creating this through a speed-through video uploaded by Luke Hoskin of Vimeo is mesmerizing to say the least.

 
Serj Tankien / IMPERFECT HARMONIES: I just really love this artwork for his solo album. Serj Tankein has one of the most unique, yet odd voices and it's amde me fall in love since i heard SOAD's Question song. This artwork features some really cool duality going on (Especially since Serj is a very strong political speaker with his songs, just listen to Harakiri) with one side of the landscape being lush green plains with a sunny sky and the other side a cityscape destroyed, covered in a fog with a concrete road. Plus, the way his suit seems to be getting covered up by the blackness almost as if the human body is being corrupted. I'm getting to analytical about it but it's a really cool and strong image. (Another duality album cover I like is Alice Nine's GEMINI)

Shou (Sorry, er, Show) just tweeted a new setlist:
 
本日list
Rebellion
Heavenly Dark
MC
Everlasting Flavor
smells like teen spirit
VICTIM INFERNO
でした、早く音源出したい
 
Judging by the name of the tracks, I'm assuming those are going to be for Diawolf

Artist: MEJIBRAY Single: シアトリカル・ブルーブラック Score: Seriously?
I don't often listen to MEJIBRAY, but when I do it's a single because I can't take an entire album of this.

Listening to MEJIBRAY is like playing darts with a very skilled but drunk friend whose precision is impeccable but whose aim is off. Said friend would hit the bullseye more often than not if they took the time to aim before throwing. But in the spirit of keeping the game going as fast as possible, he tosses many darts at the board and hope that enough stick to get him the points he needs to win. The groupies watching who hype his skills overlook this fact. His fans are divided into two groups: one group that sees the potential and the other group which is concerned with the final result. One group hypes his abilities too much and the other underestimates them too much, and that leaves our friend MEJIBRAY in the no-man's land of slightly above average.

This friend knows that he has the talent to play much better - the company of expert-dart throwers he practices with is top-shelf - but he also knows that there is little incentive to play well, so he is satisfied with subpar performance because even if he doesn't win, he still "did well". It works out anyway, right?

No.

THEATRICAL BLUE BLACK is that type of performance that starts shaky and fizzles out before the end. Akin to watching a trainwreck in slo-mo, I can pinpoint the moment when the hype train goes off the side of a cliff. Inconsistency has always been MEJIBRAY's Achille's heel - except it's more like Achille's torso - and the only thing I can say in confidence about them is that they're consistently inconsistent. Even with the gigantic target on their chest that I can't resist taking shots at, MEJIBRAY is here to stay. So while they're still relevant and the Little Hype Train That Could struggles to stay on the track while moving at top speed, let's take a look at why it's good to know when to stop.

If you're interested as to when things get bad, the answer is before it begins. THEATRICAL BLUE BLACK is MEJIBRAY's current offering of a single. I've heard good things from many people about this single but I don't see it. I was expecting to be floored but instead I was bored. "Been here, done that" sums everything up. Yet another song with metalcore verses and a pop hook that by some arcane wizardry fits together better than it usually does, MEJIBRAY has covered no new ground. In my eyes, this is a regression of sorts! They've done better than this before.

Let's start with the tone of the guitars. They may be tuned low, but MiA left all the aggression and heaviness at home. These riffs sound djent-like brittle, neutered at the balls and leave no impact. They seem to be low because they have to maintain their cred as a metal band, but when the chorus is the more convincing musical effort the band isn't maintaining very well. The bass makes up makes up for the lack of low-end punch but it's not enough and often gets overpowered by the guitar. The biggest surprise is Tsuzuku, who has removed a lot of the vocal ticks that made him insufferable to listen to. It's evident in his vocal delivery early into the song - the way his singing morphs into an agitated outburst is the product of many hours of practice. His harsh vocals have not improved at the same rate. He is not at the level where he should attempt them, but no obvious pitch-shifting and the ability to maintain his pig squeals is a plus.

But what can I really say that's not me scraping for positive comments? Not much. Singles need X-Factors to draw me in. THEATRICAL BLUE BLACK doesn't have that. Yet another nameless, faceless single that I won't remember by next week, it could have been done by any other band with the same result. I fail to get a sense of what skills or inspirations MEJIBRAY possesses that separates them from their peers. If this is what they call a single, I'm not convinced the hype is warranted.

I'm even more convinced I'm right when I move onto the B-sides. BI"name"JIKA has an even more cryptic name and has it's own set of problems. First off, it sounds like two different tracks sandwiched together. The first part moves with a rhythm that sticks in your head like a harpoon but isn't catchy. An overreliance on electronic elements with barely any melody means MEJIBRAY is treading water until it switches gears halfway through. Once MEJIBRAY commits to the slow, building style of the chorus on the way out they start conjuring something that can keep my interest. But they don't sustain it for long and just when things get started the track begins to fade out. This irritates me, because the one time they stumble onto an idea not fully explored, it's treated as an afterthought.

HATE is MEJIBRAY's last attempt to get my attention, and they resorted to a two and a half minute number that isn't worth listening to. I have no positive comments about this song. Maybe this gets the crowds going when performing but it's a below-average track overall. I was bored faceless by this. Just needless screaming, a boring and simple set of riffs, and a lack of resolution coupled with no direction. They do this type of track now and again and every single time it just fails. I didn't even finish this song because once I knew where it was headed I knew I wouldn't like the destination.

Cut out all the fame and the hype G. Close any tabs that have a picture open of this band. Turn whatever you're listening to off. We're going to have a serious conversation.

I'll start with the fundamental question I want to pose: why?

Why are they at the forefront of the modern visual kei movement? This band is nothing special. Pardon my French, but this was bland as fuck. No immediate appeal, no lasting appeal, no noteworthy moments at all on this single. What was being hyped again, because I totally missed the train? Or rather, I should say the train missed the station. It never showed up!

Adamant on relying on the same bag of tricks that's been passed around the scene for the last few years, MEJIBRAY doesn't put their own spin on their influences. It's a direct copy-paste of the formula that never deviates from it's inspirations and this formula isn't a turn-key. If a successful product is the end goal, going through the motions isn't going to cut it. Bands can't just play metalcore riffs with pop choruses and come up with a hit single. Songs need soul! It's not only about composing the music, it's about feeling the music. Being the music, even! It's about putting your emotions, your heart, your everything into every track. Each track should communicate a message from artist to fan across language barriers the way only music can.

MEJIBRAY doesn't do this. MEJIBRAY is incapable of doing this. I've tried to get into them on multiple occasions and each time it leaves a worse taste in my mouth. I went back to their first single just to see if it's them or me and it's them. There were traces of promise on their first two singles that have been suppressed for a good while now. MEJIBRAY need to get back to their roots. DIE KUSSE was a step down from Karma & KILLING ME not only in terms of complexity, but delivery, energy, and passion. This is another step down from that. Where's the energy of the band? Everyone sounds so bored, like this has become a routine for them. The passion in the delivery of the choruses are so forced and unconvincing the songs never elevate. The thrill that only a great solo can instill in the listener; the type of solo to get your heart pumping and your feet tapping? It's not here.

At the beginning of the review, I said there were two groups: those that see potential and those that want results. I am in the latter group. Potential means jack shit if you can't deliver. Nobody will remember a band for their potential - only for what they delivered. As long as MEJIBRAY continues to not explore their potential and are content with substandard performances, they will never be deserving of all the hype or attention they get.