doombox

6 hours ago, Triangle said:

This was what my friend once send me when I was feeling shitty XD It's a new year and I'm still not over it 😭💕

Drunk Miya smiles are the best. ;w; ♥

I'm trying to be a faithful Yuki fangirl but then there's Maya.  

 

7 hours ago, BrenGun said:

Everybody loves Mucc isn't?! I never got into them, and I guess I also never will. Back in the days I didn't like the "voice" of the vocalist, but I've no clue if I still think so. With bands who are already so long on the picture it holds me somehow back to listen to them. Even if it only need to be "one" release.

 

I've seen more people writing about zigzag, always their news topics are full of people who are happy with a new release. And now also you says they released something good. Which makes me also wonder, shall I try it.

 

for XAA-XAA

To be honest I also do like this band, however somehow I don't even "care" to check out their releases. I never thought that they are "super" good. But they are surely a nice band. But since I didn't listen to the album (I did DL, but I did deleted from my PC, I guess? wtf) I wonder if I shall push myself to check it out again. since they do have some nice songs. 

 

As I said in my own review, I don't really know how good 2018 would have been for me. I only did listen to a few bands and didn't really care to check out other band music. But I still believe that 2018 wouldn't be a too bad year if I would have checked out every release I could check. 

 

 

K-pop / other music of the west.
I don't care to check it out, somehow I'm only from the "Japanese" releases only.
Sometimes  I do listen to Eminem or Itchy Poopzkid(German punk/rock/alternative band) but that's it. 

While my brother is very much K-pop lately. He is such big fan of TWICE. (=_=)/// An today I did read that TWICE is damn popular in Japan. (no wonder why it was easy to buy a bunch of CD's of them while I was in Tokyo)

Haha, yes most of the Mucc fans were vocal this year with so much going on. Tatsuro has improved a lot over the years, so maybe you'll like his voice more this time around? 

 

I hope you get to check out the Zigzag and Xaa-xaa releases.  

 

Itchy Poopzkid? That is a great name lol.

Twice are really popular. A few of my friends are traumatized from hearing them so much in Korea lol.

 

6 hours ago, chemicalpictures said:

Interesting list, doom! I still thank you for recommending 2V-ALK, I fully agree with your review, it's probably a top-3 album I've listened this year from a japanese artist. those hooks, damn! I won't even start on the production, god damn its good!

 

If I end up doing a 2017 list, it will probably mix up artists like you did, Japan wasn't too kind for me last year...

 

i'll give a spin to PVRIS, Zigzag and EARTHISTS ASAP!

I'm so happy you enjoyed it! It was really surprised, I liked o1 but 2V-ALK just blew it out of the water in every way. 

 

I hope you do a list! I am excited to see what you liked this year. I see you make comments in your status about a bunch of bands I always mean to look into them but having a list is so much nicer. 

Enjoy~.  
 

6 hours ago, indigo said:

I'm glad to see Epik High included! I haven't had time to listen to the entire new album yet but the songs I have heard were solid. Bleed was my favorite. I got to listen to the album ASAP.

 

And big props for the layout / design of your list. Easy on the eyes and stylish.

Bleed is awesome. I was listening to it again today, they really did make something wonderful. Then again, I don't think they've made an album I dislike?

Awww, thank you. I wanted to keep things simple. 

 

5 hours ago, platy said:

Thanks for the list, I wanna listen to different things in 2018 do this will be a good place to start! For me 2017 was a great year since all my favorite bands released albums or at least really good singles. I didn't check a lot of non v-kei releases though and in terms of kpop I tried exo's last album and didn't like it as much as their previous  EXODUS. I was also going to try Red Velvet and Black Pink but haven't got to it yet. 

Who were your faves that released in 2017? (I also second @BrenGunwith hoping you make a list) 
I checked out The War just recently, it was the first Exo album I listened to since XOXO. So it's been a while. lol. If you say Exodus is better I will be sure to go give it a try. NGL I had mostly checked out The War for the songs G.Soul co-wrote because I love him. ^^;

 

5 hours ago, qotka said:

I was looking forward to this list, and it didn't disappoint.

2017 was an incredible year music-wise and I'm still in a bit of an overload from it.

I'm glad I lived up to expectations.  I do hope you're gonna share your thoughts once the dust has settled? *starts crowd chant* LIST! LIST! LIST! 

 

4 hours ago, Triangle said:

Same, literally same XD. I even forced two friends to listen to MUCC and now one of them likes their music (especially Ringo and Wasurenagusa) and was captured by Tatsuro forever XD.

I listened to some of the songs live before they became an album and was completely in love with Myakuhaku the soon I had it. What I've always loved about MUCC is that in each album, the songs look like they were strategically placed there so that when you group each song's story they form a whole (if it makes sense XD).

When I listened to this album and looked up the lyrics, it kinda made me feel like the members were trying to tell their own stories and the band's. That or it just fitted the 20th anniversary mood of that time. 

Also I want to give Miya a big ol' hug because every damn song he makes just rips my heart into tiny little pieces ;A;.

 

As for the kpop part, MonstaX really need more attention in Korea. I was happy seeing them popular in Japan and outside though. I'm still not over DRAMARAMA though. The song is so catchy and nice to listen and has this "Imma fight chu but Imma be a classy gansta' so you better hide while you can" vibe to it and the MV is sinful and I'll watch it again if I have enough holy water on me.

Hell yes, bring them to the Mucc side! Mucc are one of the those groups that, like you said, try to keep strong concepts with their albums, lyrics, everything. It's always well throught out and I love it too. ♥ I really need to spend more time with the lyrics. I'm always listening at work or in the car where I can't get too deep into it. But I'm so happy you mentioned it so I cam make it a bigger priority now lol. Same with Miya too. When I first got into Mucc I was all about Tatsuro... but after learning Miya writes most of my favorite songs from them, and I started reading their blog posts, he really pours himself into what he writes. ;w; He may not be the most talkative but he knows how to connect with people. 

 

Classy Time Traveling Gangsters™ I am here for this lol. Dramarama and All In are probably some of my all time favorite Kpop videos because they are so aesthetically pleasing but also tell really interesting stories. I've seen other drama MVs from groups but they feel more like love triangles or crime sagas.. Monsta X tries to be unique and I appreciate it. 

 

 

 

Be warned all who enter here!

If you came looking for an objective list based on some popularity rating or sales criteria, you came to the wrong place! This list is completely subjective and a little fangirly, but I still hope you find a couple of things that are worth your time, anyway.   Also, sorry in advance if some of the previews are region blocked for your area. 

 

 

MUCC ・ 脈拍 ・ VISUAL KEI

My entire 2017 really goes to MUCC, hands down. They took their 20th anniversary celebration and did it so big, I don’t think we’ll see any other band go to this lengths in quite some time. They re-released, re-recorded, and re-mastered most of their fan favorites between 新痛絶(Shin Tsuuzetsu), 新葬ラ謳(Shin Homura Uta), a second edition of their Best of and Coupling Best discs, a second PV collection, a tribute album, a self-cover album, and then there was this little gem of new material: 脈拍(Myakuhaku). No wonder as soon as it was over they unapologetically announced they’d be going on hiatus for 3 months. They deserve a break, to say the very least. But I digress! Myakuhaku may have been a bit lost in all the excitement for MUCC revisiting their roots, but it’s definitely something new and old fans alike can enjoy. 

The opening title track is clear and direct in its message, MUCC haven’t forgotten where they came from. They turned back time and stripped down to the quintessential visual kei heavy and melodic combination that gave the band the height of it’s popularity a little over 10 years ago. They then took that staple and folded into the mix of anime songs, ballads, and more recent metalcore-infused forays with this album. One of my favorite tracks is “EMP” since it's a total nu metal throwback. It has my 90s-lovin' name written all over it. There’s a lot of other fun musical nuggets packed in this album, “BILLY×2 ～Entwines ROCK STARS～” is a gritty little old fashioned rocker that gets you up and moving, and “孵化(Fuka)” is a surprise mid-tempo number that swells up into this crazy breakdown then veers hard left into a weird (but good) twangy guitar solo. You can tell MUCC pushed themselves to create something great for us and in my humble opinion they more than succeeded. I couldn't get enough of this album this year and, Mucker or not, I hope everyone checks it out. | Preview: Spotify

 

 

MONSTA X ・ THE CLAN PART 2.5: THE FINAL CHAPTER 'BEAUTIFUL' ・ K-POP

I think there were a few of my fellow MH members around in late 2016 who might remember when I fell down the MONSTA X rabbit hole and proceeded to become utterly obsessed. For most that probably don’t know, my love of K-Pop predates my registering for this forum, in fact one of my first avatars was of Chansung from the group 2PM with the u/n “digitalbounce” (also from a K-Pop song). But, it’s been a few years since I was this into a group. MONSTA X aren’t the most popular group around, though I think as far as third generation boy groups are concerned they usually make the top ten lists. Even then, I still consider them criminally underrated. 

 

The third installment of their The Clan trilogy is their strongest release to date, as far as I’m concerned. And even stronger if you count in the repackage version Shine Forever that includes two more songs (the last .5 in the final chapter). The majority of Beautiful leans heavily on R&B (“넘사벽 Incomparable”, “니가 필요해 Need U”, “Miss You”, “5:14 (Last Page)”) which creates just enough contrast with, but also compliments, the hip hop songs (“Oi”, “Calm Down”) that take advantage of the group having rappers that actually know how to rap. Last.fm doesn’t even have a true count of my plays (my phone's music app didn’t scrobble until recently when I made the switch to spotify), but it’ll still show you I played this album basically every day since it came out. Rest assured, I regret nothing. | Preview: Spotify

 

 

-真天地開闢集団-ジグザグ ・ 『メンヘラ』はじめました ・ VISUAL KEI

Zigzag makes me wish I was slightly more motivated to look up and translate lyrics, because I know I'm missing out on a lot when it comes to them. I can only imagine I’d like them even more, which is saying something because I have enjoyed everything I’ve heard from them over the last two years. I also have a huge soft spot for bands that don’t take themselves too seriously. Zigzag's tunes are pretty rockin’ to begin with, but when the band decides to get serious about showing off their musical prowess it's definitely no laughing matter. Their take on soft, melodic songs is simply beautiful, especially fitting with the traditional elements and instruments that are the backbone of their religious/idolatry concepts. Talent and humor? What’s not to love?

 

I chose 『メンヘラ』はじめました(menhara hajimemashita) over their other release 糞麺氏ね(kusomen shine) this year only because it seemed slightly more musically cohesive, but I love them both and enjoyed them both immensely. | Preview: - 臨兵闘者 ～皆陣列在前～ ・ 『死にたい』御年頃 ・ 短絡的『絶望』

 

 

PVRIS ・ ALL WE KNOW OF HEAVEN, ALL WE NEED OF HELL ・ ALTERNATIVE

I wasn’t a big fan at first, it took a while for Pvris to stick with me. They came to me heavily recommended over the last couple of years, I checked a couple of videos, caught a couple songs live at summer festivals, but I just never seemed to be in the mood for what they were offering. I honestly didn’t get the hype. They seemed like another try-hard edgelord band ✞øø ℂvℓ✞ ƒøЯ ✞ℍîƧ ᏔøЯℓ∂. But this year it was different, I’m not sure if they matured more, or maybe it was just my tastes changing as well. But our paths crossed, and it's become a record I find myself spinning more and more often, even as we reached the year's end. I'm sure it will be coming with me into 2018.

 

Even though the title might suggest otherwise, this album is a lot less gimmick-y than expected. It's direct and raw in it's delivery, and densely atmospheric without getting overly cliché. It ends up being a strong rock record that's still dark, but full of heart too. | Preview: Spotify

 

 

 

EARTHISTS. ・ DREAMSCAPE ・ PROGRESSIVE METALCORE

Dreamscape was an early favorite this year and managed to stay afloat while most of my other usual metalcore bands didn’t quite do it for me. It’s probably more me than them though, with all the shit going on around here lately it’s best I don’t get too amped up. But Earthists have this nice cohesion of their melodic and djent-y elements that make them easy to listen to.  They do little things like adding piano into the mix or samples of wind blowing in the background that keep their take on the genre fresh and inspired and round out their sound. “Flux” and “Winterfell” are two favorites that I keep coming back to just for that damn cool piano riffing -- and it's not a cheap-ass synth piano either, it's a deep traditional, classical-sounding one full of punch and reverb (it’s likely a digital one but it sounds expensive and that’s what counts!). I’m just a little bitter it doesn’t look like they play it live, though it understandably doesn’t look as cool and progressive to be rocking out over as say, a guitar or whatever. | Preview: Spotify

 

 

 

HYUKOH ・ 23 ・ INDIE ROCK

Oh, Hyukoh. Another band who had a fabulous year. Hyukoh is the formal project of leader and chief song-writer Oh Hyuk (doyouseewhathedidthere), who decided a few years ago he was tired of going at it solo and opted to get himself a band. You really can’t hold this guy down, he collaborated on a massive number of albums this year, and I can’t blame everyone for wanting to work with him when his husky voice is this magical. It suits so many genres, I don’t get tired of listening to him either.

 

23 was a bit of a grower for me, hearing the singles alone didn’t spark much of my interest. It took listening to the full album for me to fully understand what they ‘do’. It’s not as in your face or flashy as some of the indie rock I’m used to, but Hyukoh’s style still keeps a common thread as it weaves through funky, retro vibes or the more experimental journeys like "Reserved Seat", not losing their emotional edge. “Tomboy” and “Paul” practically move me to tears with the melancholy that cuts through Oh Hyuk’s voice. I like Hyukoh so much, they’ve even gotten me to enjoy the folk-inspired side of their music I usually make an effort to avoid from other bands. | Preview: Spotify

 

 

DAY6 ・ SUNRISE ・ POP ROCK

As South Korea’s music industry grows, it has picked up a lot of tips and tricks from the ginormous music exporting machine next door, Japan. We’ve seen 12 month consecutive releases attempted a few times now in the vk scene, so when it was announced a K-pop band would be trying it, I was extremely curious how it was gonna pan out. Fortunately, it did rather well and DAY6 released singles containing two quality tracks month after month (on the 6th because “Every DAY6” was genius marketing) which ended up collected in two full albums; SUNRISE came out in June and MOONRISE in December. Both albums are fantastic, but we’ll just go with SUNRISE for now because I can’t afford them multiple slots. But if you enjoy this album, SERIOUSLY, go listen to MOONRISE. 

 

DAY6 are a rock group from one of the 'big 3' idol companies JYP Entertainment (whose stubborn asses refuse to allow their artists’ music on Spotify and piss me off to no end), so their music isn’t necessarily ground breaking, but they do write it all themselves, play their instruments live, and basically function like your typical rock band. Though their songs are generally non-offensive relationship material (meet the girl, confess love to the girl, get dumped by the girl, wait for next girl to walk by…) they do know how to pour all of their emotion into it, and their layered vocals and compositions often remind me of The Beatles and/or other multi-vocalist 60s pop rock. | Preview: I Wait (아 왜) ・ I Smile (반드시 웃는다) ・ You Were Beautiful (예뻤어)

 

 

ザアザア ・ 不幸な迷路 ・ VISUAL KEI

My love for XAA-XAA isn’t really a secret. They’ve become a flagship band for me, though I’m worried about their future since drummer Roji’s departure. Drums are such a key part of their sound due to him, it makes this album even more special in my collection. Considering I've been following the members since they were Belmosaic, seeing him leave is just a huge blow. He's gonna be missed. As far as XAA-XAA releases go, this isn't the album I tend to return to the most, but listening to it again for this list reminded me of the quality compared to other albums I was considering. It still ends up being one of my favorite vk releases this year. 

 

Aptly titled, 不幸な迷路 translates to “unfortunate maze” and likewise this album is dark and twisted, even downright psychotic at times. Though, one thing I love about this band is no matter how crazy or erratic they get, catchy and melodic choruses remain paramount. The mayhem is balanced out with gorgeous ballads and fun jazzy numbers. XAA-XAA's diversity and strong sense of melody is something you can count on with each release so far. I only hope it remains that way. | Preview: 不幸の始まり ・ ぐちゃぐちゃ ・ 恋人ごっこ

 

 

SAWANOHIROYUKI[NZK] ・ 2V-ALK ・ J-POP

If you were waiting for something truly epic to come out of 2017, look no further. Sawano has outdone himself and created something that should be able to please the rockers, the pop kids, the anison lovers, and anyone who just enjoys badass music with some badass vocals soaring over it. It doesn’t hurt that I’m a pretty big fan of the vocalists he utilizes throughout this project. My only complaint is there was less Mizuki (ex.イツエ(Itsue)) than the previous [nZk] album o1, but newcomer Tielle carries the torch well and sings her ass off. So I can’t say I’m too upset. Judging by the amount of anime themes on this record, you probably heard her sing half the OP/EDs you watched this year too.

 

Sawano is sneaky and has 2V-ALK lull you into a bit of a false sense of security at first, “Amazing Trees” is a strong album starter but not a stretch from o1. It’s when “gravityWall” kicks in that you learn you're in for a rollercoaster ride.  This album is more female-fronted than previous releases as well, but it works for me. Even as someone who is a lot pickier when it comes to higher range singers nothing got too nasally or tin-y for my tastes, even with all the over-the-top belting going on. Overall, 2V-ALK is big, beautiful, slickly produced, and something you can become totally immersed in listening to. I don’t have words to express how much I love this album. Just play it, and play it really loud! | Preview: Spotify

 

 

EPIK HIGH ・ WE'VE DONE SOMETHING WONDERFUL ・ HIP HOP

Anyone who’s spent maybe a few minutes looking into Korean hip hop should be familiar with Epik High. They’ve been killing the game there for the last 15 years and continue to be one of the most relevant hip hop units out of Korea. They deserve to be globally relevant at this point, but I’m just gonna have to stay bitter about that for now. Not only have Epik High put out album after album of quality material, they go out of their way to work with the next generation of urban music artists and help cultivate the scene.  

 

Epik High keep a pretty classic, old school style but they know how to get dark, gritty, and emotional when the song calls for it. “HERE COME THE REGRETS” featuring vocal powerhouse Lee Hi is one of my favorites-- a definite stand out for the album. But so is “노땡큐 / NO THANXXX” because everyone needs to hear Tablo yelling “I AM GROOT! MOTHERFUCKER!” to add some extra badassery to their day.  And Hyukoh lovers can also catch ya boy Oh Hyuk lending his smokey vocals to "빈차 / HOME IS FAR AWAY". I told you he was everywhere. | Preview: Spotify

 

 

It was a weird year. I had a few more J-Pop albums I really liked: REOL's エンドレスEP (so sad they're disbanding, they were a killer match up), Junho of 2PM's 2017 S/S, and Miyavi's Samurai Sessions Vol.2, but 10 was a good place to stop and I wanted to give albums I actually played the most a priority regardless of country of origin. What did you guys like last year? What releases are you looking forward to in 2018?

I wonder what happened with ZMI? Either way, this sample sounds great!

Damn. I wonder how the heck he fell from there? 

8 hours ago, doomsoul136 said:

I honestly agree with you. If you gonna have a band that sticks when it comes to the visual kei genera you need either a sht ton of money or just simply be patient but then again sometimes i don't think that's the bands fault 100% of the time sometimes they just might be under a crappy label.

Very true, the label pressure and demands exacerbate this whole issue.

It always feels like vk bands promote backwards. They start to book gigs as soon as they have enough songs for a set and then hope to generate enough interest in their band while slowly going broke (we all know vk ain't cheap) instead of slowly building interest in their band THEN booking shows. You see a lot of the J-metal and indie bands doing this, where they're together 3-5 years before they even put out a real album, but vk just throws everything at the wall and prays that it sticks. I really don't understand the thought process sometimes. 

I had a lot of issues early in the year with scrobbling from my phone, so the stats aren't really close, but good enough to get the idea of what I was doing at least lol. https://www.last.fm/user/Doombox_/listening-report/year

 

idk wtf y'all are on but the majority of the thread is happy he's back so pipe down, jeez.

I wanna know how it's been like 10 years and Seiya doesn't age...

While we're on the topic of Twice sounding great with everything

 

 

Yay! Thanks for making the 2018 post. Gonna do my best to update this regularly and not wait until September like I did last year... >>;

 

 

Last updated: 4.13

2 hours ago, Lereku said:

I don't think even if Umebo had apologized the situation would be the same for him, in Asia it is expected that "talent" (singers/actors/show hosts/etc.) should be role models for society at large. 

Even if HNIB is not the most popular rock band in Japan they are sign under a major label so it's take time for can pay "his debt to society", even if that can be unfair the way who the music industry blacklisted him it's something totally normaly in Japan.

When a artist is arrested for a drug scandal the artist's management agency, record label(s), and any and all companies contracting that person to do work or appearances will immediately drop them from their rosters, stores will remove their music, merchandise, and other media bearing their name from their shelves.

It's take time for a artist and the band can "wash theirs names" after a scandal like this for example Buck-Tick and did a forced break of 9 months (April to December 89) after Imai was arrested on charge of drugs possession.

 

@cvlticwill can correct me if I'm wrong but since the day one Hakuzi don't give  up on Akinori and tried to found some solutions like be back in indies

Thank you for the explanation. I kind of expected this to be the case, so that's why I was so shocked to see Akinori coming back when the other still has such stigma. 

5 hours ago, cvltic said:

AK wasn't an original member but he joined when lynch. went major so maybe as far as the label is concerned that's good enough?
they're on King Records (more specifically a subdivision called Bellwood)
if this was Danger Crue or something AK would be fully blacklisted probably, idk why King flipped on this except maybe that lynch. had an impressive sales year

i'm a little shocked to see Umebo is having such a hard time, idk why but i assumed there would be less stigma in the metalcore/hardcore field that HNIB worked in? i'm sure their arrests are linked too, but i don't know why their treatment is so different since they both seemed to have the same arrested > suspended sentence OR nonprosecution thing happen (Umebo was active on FB within a month of his arrest).

I would have thought the metalcore/punk scene would more forgiving about it too. There's bands like SiM who openly sing about smoking it too so I really don't know what to make of things at this point. 

 

The only other thing I can think of is it seems like Akinori made a public apology and Umebo didn't? 

55 minutes ago, togz said:

That's what's crazy. All the members even cut off association with him... but... isn't Akinori not an original member? 

I don't know what label lynch is on.... but maybe it's Warner.

 

#MusicIndustryStillSketchy2k18

Akinori was possibly their only legit official bassist? All the other dudes before him on the wiki are listed as support only. But I'm hardly an expert on early Lynch. so maybe someone else in here can better comment on that.
 

18 minutes ago, togz said:

Woah, I was wondering why I hadn't seen them in line-ups or anything yet. But people are gonna be chill with working with Akinori? What is this noise xD

 

Thanks for that news source btw I hadn't seen it until now.

 

Umebo should join a VK based band, they seem to not care as much lol

I hope they are. Maybe it's in the way the bands handled it too. HNIB seemed quick to distance themselves where Lynch seemed a bit more regretful about the situation? 

 

Np. I didn't see it initially either, a friend passed it along so I'm just spreading the word.

That's really not a bad idea at all tbh. XD

I almost made it all year avoiding this song but noooo year end lists had to infect me. TT

 

 

5 hours ago, togz said:

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. 

 

I mean... they replaced Umebo pretty fast which is a bummer considering the outcome in the situation. But I think he's in another band actually. 

I still wonder if their busts are linked... I wouldn't doubt it which makes it even more unfair. 

 

Anyway kinda goes to show how different certain scenes handle things. 

I thought they were linked too. 2 friends with similar busts one right after the other? Had to be.

 

He is in another band, but they're having a hard time booking any gigs. 

It's kinda blowing my mind this is happening when Umebo from HNIB was axed for similar and is now basically blacklisted from the scene.... 

Idk if the song is that bad, but you can tell they are working with no budget at all. Shoddy production isn't helping, unfortunately. I still think this would be fun live tho. 

 

 

MUCC, ONE OK ROCK, and coldrain are the only ones fighting off all the Kpop. 

Booooooooooooo. I was just learning about them, they were cool.

This is disappointing.