doombox

They got another one coming:
 
Cover Album「Love&Groove Delievery vol.3」 2015.2.11release!! CRCP-40393　￥2,667+税   01. Love Never Felt So Good 02. THIS LOVE 03. 本能 04. HAPPY 05. THE SOUND OF SECRET MINDS 06. パリの散歩道 07. 狩りから稲作へFEAT.足軽先生・東インド貿易会社マン 08. ズルい女 09. ROLLING IN THE DEEP 10. LOCKED OUT OF HEAVEN 11. やさしさで溢れるように 12. KIDS RETURN   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AlAJGF9FHw

reading note 2nd Mini Album 「19200」
2015.2.18 on Bellwood Records/ROCKBELL records.
BZCS-1114　￥1,944+tax
 
【tracklist】
1.エクストラタイム
2.clap hands
3.かくれんぼ
4.なにもない部屋
5.超える
6.呼吸
7.19200
8.誰かのいた風景
 

 

See, I don't think it's fair to lump Sujk together with the rest of post-DELUHI flakiness. Leda and Juri have been all over the place but Sujk just quietly did his own thing, he didn't do regular releases but 2 full albums in less than 3 years is reasonable and you could call it consistent (if slow) lol
 
There is still plenty of reason to think it wont last long, but to me (and probably some others) that's just what ex-DELUHI projects are destined to be, so we enjoy them while they still live XD maybe someday we will still hear Arkkkkkkk 3333333

Don't hate yourself beni, you're too awesome, okay? ;;
 
 
I'm down for a little session if anyone is online?

I dunno, I was more partial to Akihabara Shounendan Dennou Romeo

I'm not sure how many people here are familiar with the indie label 術ノ穴 (subenoana), but they're pretty awesome and deal mostly in electronic music and hip-hop. Every year they get a few artists who are on the label or associated with the label to list some of their favorite music of the past year (whether it's albums or songs). This year's list include entries from robin aoki (青木ロビン - downy's vocalist), Fragment (they produced charisma.com's イイナヅケブルー and maybe some other stuff for them?), izumi makura (泉まくら - basically daoko's lesser known equivalent), producers Ogiyy and SUNNOVA, and members from indie bands 禁断の多数決 and 三回転とひとひねり.
http://subenoana.net/best2014
Pretty cool is you're into some of these artists and like to see what music they've been enjoying.

I am honestly hoping IV rethinks his retirement, he is the reason why I followed these guys, along with Ko-ki. You are right, the others did feel like "hired guns" but it was a great line-up from the start. I would like for IV and Ko-ki to continue working together (should IV forget about his retirement, a guy can dream right? lol)

Artist: VAMPS Album: BLOODSUCKERS Score: VAMPS make a good effort, but could use a little more bite. I'm a huge fan of KAZ's work with Oblivion Dust though I've never been big on L'Arc-en-Ciel or HYDE's solo ventures. Over the years I've come to realize that may have had more to do with my preference for aggressive music than the band's quality of songwriting. So, BLOODSUCKERS is only the second album I've ever heard all the way through with HYDE as the main vocalist, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. It was naive of me not to have prepared myself for high levels of cheesiness, since the song titles on this album range from spooky undead to pirate themes, but there were a lot of shockingly good moments on this album too.

The first half of this album comes off a little weak. "ZERO" is a nice blend of KAZ and HYDE's styles but begins to grate on me after about 2 minutes in, where it felt like they ran out of ideas so they just dragged the song out as if it were a live situation. Only that answer works solely in a live setting. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time that should have been shortened to an intro. "LIPS" also becomes a little boring as well, even though I do appreciate a good 80s glam rock throwback, the song feels flat and lacks the raw vocal edge necessary to pull it off. HYDE stays in this middle space that never goes full grit or full soaring powerhouse. "AHEAD," "GHOST," and "VAMPIRE'S LOVE" all end up in similar bland categories. KAZ puts on a good show with "EVIL," and it's the one saving grace for the album's slow start. The song separates itself with a more industrial feel and a prominent drum beat. HYDE also sounds a little darker in his approach and doesn't try to overpower the music with belting too much just for the sake of it.

BLOODSUCKERS does finally kick into gear by the mid-way point, however. The first promising HYDE composition, "DAMNED" is a punch to the gut and has great dynamics; with a haunting verse that slowly swells to the point that the listener is itching for the chorus's outcry. The guitars really wail on the track and it kicks up to headbang-worthy levels of pounding drums. It's followed by "GET AWAY" and "REPLAY," which were strong singles for the album, but also a step into the pop-influenced side of VAMPS. While not bad songs, they feel lost in the track placement. The first half of the album could have certainly used these songs to beef it up instead of the slower numbers VAMPS opted for. The title interlude was a monster of a piece that I would have loved as a full song, "are you all bloodsuckers?!" the track asks, and the answer to that is a resounding, "yes!" If you ask with that beastly guitar riff backing you up. "THE JOLLY ROGER" doesn't skimp on crunchy guitar riffs either, though it's a slight letdown to have such a positive sounding song after such a dark teaser. But once you accept the song for it's change in theme, it's actually a great piece of work and you will find yourself singing along with the "whoo hoo" of the backing vocals all too easily. The album sends us off with the closing track, "INSIDE MYSELF." It's just as well composed as any of the singles and the album releases its grip on you with a song that really expresses what the band's sound is about. The guitar work is just as catchy as any of the vocal melodies and the production is well polished as you'd expect from industry veterans like this.

While some of the songs rest too much on clichéd writing tropes, it's hard to find anything unlistenable on BLOODSUCKERS. HYDE and KAZ have been writing music long enough to put out quality work that shows more of their strengths than weaknesses. But there is still a lot left to this project that they could explore and I'm looking forward to it in their future releases. I recommend rock fans to give this album a spin, VAMPS cover a lot of ground on BLOODSUCKERS so there's high likelihood they'll surprise you too.
 

Artist: VAMPS Album: BLOODSUCKERS Score: VAMPS make a good effort, but could use a little more bite. I'm a huge fan of KAZ's work with Oblivion Dust though I've never been big on L'Arc-en-Ciel or HYDE's solo ventures. Over the years I've come to realize that may have had more to do with my preference for aggressive music than the band's quality of songwriting. So, BLOODSUCKERS is only the second album I've ever heard all the way through with HYDE as the main vocalist, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. It was naive of me not to have prepared myself for high levels of cheesiness, since the song titles on this album range from spooky undead to pirate themes, but there were a lot of shockingly good moments on this album too.

The first half of this album comes off a little weak. "ZERO" is a nice blend of KAZ and HYDE's styles but begins to grate on me after about 2 minutes in, where it felt like they ran out of ideas so they just dragged the song out as if it were a live situation. Only that answer works solely in a live setting. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time that should have been shortened to an intro. "LIPS" also becomes a little boring as well, even though I do appreciate a good 80s glam rock throwback, the song feels flat and lacks the raw vocal edge necessary to pull it off. HYDE stays in this middle space that never goes full grit or full soaring powerhouse. "AHEAD," "GHOST," and "VAMPIRE'S LOVE" all end up in similar bland categories. KAZ puts on a good show with "EVIL," and it's the one saving grace for the album's slow start. The song separates itself with a more industrial feel and a prominent drum beat. HYDE also sounds a little darker in his approach and doesn't try to overpower the music with belting too much just for the sake of it.

BLOODSUCKERS does finally kick into gear by the mid-way point, however. The first promising HYDE composition, "DAMNED" is a punch to the gut and has great dynamics; with a haunting verse that slowly swells to the point that the listener is itching for the chorus's outcry. The guitars really wail on the track and it kicks up to headbang-worthy levels of pounding drums. It's followed by "GET AWAY" and "REPLAY," which were strong singles for the album, but also a step into the pop-influenced side of VAMPS. While not bad songs, they feel lost in the track placement. The first half of the album could have certainly used these songs to beef it up instead of the slower numbers VAMPS opted for. The title interlude was a monster of a piece that I would have loved as a full song, "are you all bloodsuckers?!" the track asks, and the answer to that is a resounding, "yes!" If you ask with that beastly guitar riff backing you up. "THE JOLLY ROGER" doesn't skimp on crunchy guitar riffs either, though it's a slight letdown to have such a positive sounding song after such a dark teaser. But once you accept the song for it's change in theme, it's actually a great piece of work and you will find yourself singing along with the "whoo hoo" of the backing vocals all too easily. The album sends us off with the closing track, "INSIDE MYSELF." It's just as well composed as any of the singles and the album releases its grip on you with a song that really expresses what the band's sound is about. The guitar work is just as catchy as any of the vocal melodies and the production is well polished as you'd expect from industry veterans like this.

While some of the songs rest too much on clichéd writing tropes, it's hard to find anything unlistenable on BLOODSUCKERS. HYDE and KAZ have been writing music long enough to put out quality work that shows more of their strengths than weaknesses. But there is still a lot left to this project that they could explore and I'm looking forward to it in their future releases. I recommend rock fans to give this album a spin, VAMPS cover a lot of ground on BLOODSUCKERS so there's high likelihood they'll surprise you too.
 

Artist: VAMPS Album: BLOODSUCKERS Score: VAMPS make a good effort, but could use a little more bite. I'm a huge fan of KAZ's work with Oblivion Dust though I've never been big on L'Arc-en-Ciel or HYDE's solo ventures. Over the years I've come to realize that may have had more to do with my preference for aggressive music than the band's quality of songwriting. So, BLOODSUCKERS is only the second album I've ever heard all the way through with HYDE as the main vocalist, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. It was naive of me not to have prepared myself for high levels of cheesiness, since the song titles on this album range from spooky undead to pirate themes, but there were a lot of shockingly good moments on this album too.

The first half of this album comes off a little weak. "ZERO" is a nice blend of KAZ and HYDE's styles but begins to grate on me after about 2 minutes in, where it felt like they ran out of ideas so they just dragged the song out as if it were a live situation. Only that answer works solely in a live setting. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time that should have been shortened to an intro. "LIPS" also becomes a little boring as well, even though I do appreciate a good 80s glam rock throwback, the song feels flat and lacks the raw vocal edge necessary to pull it off. HYDE stays in this middle space that never goes full grit or full soaring powerhouse. "AHEAD," "GHOST," and "VAMPIRE'S LOVE" all end up in similar bland categories. KAZ puts on a good show with "EVIL," and it's the one saving grace for the album's slow start. The song separates itself with a more industrial feel and a prominent drum beat. HYDE also sounds a little darker in his approach and doesn't try to overpower the music with belting too much just for the sake of it.

BLOODSUCKERS does finally kick into gear by the mid-way point, however. The first promising HYDE composition, "DAMNED" is a punch to the gut and has great dynamics; with a haunting verse that slowly swells to the point that the listener is itching for the chorus's outcry. The guitars really wail on the track and it kicks up to headbang-worthy levels of pounding drums. It's followed by "GET AWAY" and "REPLAY," which were strong singles for the album, but also a step into the pop-influenced side of VAMPS. While not bad songs, they feel lost in the track placement. The first half of the album could have certainly used these songs to beef it up instead of the slower numbers VAMPS opted for. The title interlude was a monster of a piece that I would have loved as a full song, "are you all bloodsuckers?!" the track asks, and the answer to that is a resounding, "yes!" If you ask with that beastly guitar riff backing you up. "THE JOLLY ROGER" doesn't skimp on crunchy guitar riffs either, though it's a slight letdown to have such a positive sounding song after such a dark teaser. But once you accept the song for it's change in theme, it's actually a great piece of work and you will find yourself singing along with the "whoo hoo" of the backing vocals all too easily. The album sends us off with the closing track, "INSIDE MYSELF." It's just as well composed as any of the singles and the album releases its grip on you with a song that really expresses what the band's sound is about. The guitar work is just as catchy as any of the vocal melodies and the production is well polished as you'd expect from industry veterans like this.

While some of the songs rest too much on clichéd writing tropes, it's hard to find anything unlistenable on BLOODSUCKERS. HYDE and KAZ have been writing music long enough to put out quality work that shows more of their strengths than weaknesses. But there is still a lot left to this project that they could explore and I'm looking forward to it in their future releases. I recommend rock fans to give this album a spin, VAMPS cover a lot of ground on BLOODSUCKERS so there's high likelihood they'll surprise you too.
 

Artist: VAMPS Album: BLOODSUCKERS Score: VAMPS make a good effort, but could use a little more bite. I'm a huge fan of KAZ's work with Oblivion Dust though I've never been big on L'Arc-en-Ciel or HYDE's solo ventures. Over the years I've come to realize that may have had more to do with my preference for aggressive music than the band's quality of songwriting. So, BLOODSUCKERS is only the second album I've ever heard all the way through with HYDE as the main vocalist, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. It was naive of me not to have prepared myself for high levels of cheesiness, since the song titles on this album range from spooky undead to pirate themes, but there were a lot of shockingly good moments on this album too.

The first half of this album comes off a little weak. "ZERO" is a nice blend of KAZ and HYDE's styles but begins to grate on me after about 2 minutes in, where it felt like they ran out of ideas so they just dragged the song out as if it were a live situation. Only that answer works solely in a live setting. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time that should have been shortened to an intro. "LIPS" also becomes a little boring as well, even though I do appreciate a good 80s glam rock throwback, the song feels flat and lacks the raw vocal edge necessary to pull it off. HYDE stays in this middle space that never goes full grit or full soaring powerhouse. "AHEAD," "GHOST," and "VAMPIRE'S LOVE" all end up in similar bland categories. KAZ puts on a good show with "EVIL," and it's the one saving grace for the album's slow start. The song separates itself with a more industrial feel and a prominent drum beat. HYDE also sounds a little darker in his approach and doesn't try to overpower the music with belting too much just for the sake of it.

BLOODSUCKERS does finally kick into gear by the mid-way point, however. The first promising HYDE composition, "DAMNED" is a punch to the gut and has great dynamics; with a haunting verse that slowly swells to the point that the listener is itching for the chorus's outcry. The guitars really wail on the track and it kicks up to headbang-worthy levels of pounding drums. It's followed by "GET AWAY" and "REPLAY," which were strong singles for the album, but also a step into the pop-influenced side of VAMPS. While not bad songs, they feel lost in the track placement. The first half of the album could have certainly used these songs to beef it up instead of the slower numbers VAMPS opted for. The title interlude was a monster of a piece that I would have loved as a full song, "are you all bloodsuckers?!" the track asks, and the answer to that is a resounding, "yes!" If you ask with that beastly guitar riff backing you up. "THE JOLLY ROGER" doesn't skimp on crunchy guitar riffs either, though it's a slight letdown to have such a positive sounding song after such a dark teaser. But once you accept the song for it's change in theme, it's actually a great piece of work and you will find yourself singing along with the "whoo hoo" of the backing vocals all too easily. The album sends us off with the closing track, "INSIDE MYSELF." It's just as well composed as any of the singles and the album releases its grip on you with a song that really expresses what the band's sound is about. The guitar work is just as catchy as any of the vocal melodies and the production is well polished as you'd expect from industry veterans like this.

While some of the songs rest too much on clichéd writing tropes, it's hard to find anything unlistenable on BLOODSUCKERS. HYDE and KAZ have been writing music long enough to put out quality work that shows more of their strengths than weaknesses. But there is still a lot left to this project that they could explore and I'm looking forward to it in their future releases. I recommend rock fans to give this album a spin, VAMPS cover a lot of ground on BLOODSUCKERS so there's high likelihood they'll surprise you too.
 

Artist: VAMPS Album: BLOODSUCKERS Score: VAMPS make a good effort, but could use a little more bite. I'm a huge fan of KAZ's work with Oblivion Dust though I've never been big on L'Arc-en-Ciel or HYDE's solo ventures. Over the years I've come to realize that may have had more to do with my preference for aggressive music than the band's quality of songwriting. So, BLOODSUCKERS is only the second album I've ever heard all the way through with HYDE as the main vocalist, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. It was naive of me not to have prepared myself for high levels of cheesiness, since the song titles on this album range from spooky undead to pirate themes, but there were a lot of shockingly good moments on this album too.

The first half of this album comes off a little weak. "ZERO" is a nice blend of KAZ and HYDE's styles but begins to grate on me after about 2 minutes in, where it felt like they ran out of ideas so they just dragged the song out as if it were a live situation. Only that answer works solely in a live setting. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time that should have been shortened to an intro. "LIPS" also becomes a little boring as well, even though I do appreciate a good 80s glam rock throwback, the song feels flat and lacks the raw vocal edge necessary to pull it off. HYDE stays in this middle space that never goes full grit or full soaring powerhouse. "AHEAD," "GHOST," and "VAMPIRE'S LOVE" all end up in similar bland categories. KAZ puts on a good show with "EVIL," and it's the one saving grace for the album's slow start. The song separates itself with a more industrial feel and a prominent drum beat. HYDE also sounds a little darker in his approach and doesn't try to overpower the music with belting too much just for the sake of it.

BLOODSUCKERS does finally kick into gear by the mid-way point, however. The first promising HYDE composition, "DAMNED" is a punch to the gut and has great dynamics; with a haunting verse that slowly swells to the point that the listener is itching for the chorus's outcry. The guitars really wail on the track and it kicks up to headbang-worthy levels of pounding drums. It's followed by "GET AWAY" and "REPLAY," which were strong singles for the album, but also a step into the pop-influenced side of VAMPS. While not bad songs, they feel lost in the track placement. The first half of the album could have certainly used these songs to beef it up instead of the slower numbers VAMPS opted for. The title interlude was a monster of a piece that I would have loved as a full song, "are you all bloodsuckers?!" the track asks, and the answer to that is a resounding, "yes!" If you ask with that beastly guitar riff backing you up. "THE JOLLY ROGER" doesn't skimp on crunchy guitar riffs either, though it's a slight letdown to have such a positive sounding song after such a dark teaser. But once you accept the song for it's change in theme, it's actually a great piece of work and you will find yourself singing along with the "whoo hoo" of the backing vocals all too easily. The album sends us off with the closing track, "INSIDE MYSELF." It's just as well composed as any of the singles and the album releases its grip on you with a song that really expresses what the band's sound is about. The guitar work is just as catchy as any of the vocal melodies and the production is well polished as you'd expect from industry veterans like this.

While some of the songs rest too much on clichéd writing tropes, it's hard to find anything unlistenable on BLOODSUCKERS. HYDE and KAZ have been writing music long enough to put out quality work that shows more of their strengths than weaknesses. But there is still a lot left to this project that they could explore and I'm looking forward to it in their future releases. I recommend rock fans to give this album a spin, VAMPS cover a lot of ground on BLOODSUCKERS so there's high likelihood they'll surprise you too.
 

Artist: VAMPS Album: BLOODSUCKERS Score: VAMPS make a good effort, but could use a little more bite. I'm a huge fan of KAZ's work with Oblivion Dust though I've never been big on L'Arc-en-Ciel or HYDE's solo ventures. Over the years I've come to realize that may have had more to do with my preference for aggressive music than the band's quality of songwriting. So, BLOODSUCKERS is only the second album I've ever heard all the way through with HYDE as the main vocalist, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. It was naive of me not to have prepared myself for high levels of cheesiness, since the song titles on this album range from spooky undead to pirate themes, but there were a lot of shockingly good moments on this album too.

The first half of this album comes off a little weak. "ZERO" is a nice blend of KAZ and HYDE's styles but begins to grate on me after about 2 minutes in, where it felt like they ran out of ideas so they just dragged the song out as if it were a live situation. Only that answer works solely in a live setting. Otherwise, it's just a waste of time that should have been shortened to an intro. "LIPS" also becomes a little boring as well, even though I do appreciate a good 80s glam rock throwback, the song feels flat and lacks the raw vocal edge necessary to pull it off. HYDE stays in this middle space that never goes full grit or full soaring powerhouse. "AHEAD," "GHOST," and "VAMPIRE'S LOVE" all end up in similar bland categories. KAZ puts on a good show with "EVIL," and it's the one saving grace for the album's slow start. The song separates itself with a more industrial feel and a prominent drum beat. HYDE also sounds a little darker in his approach and doesn't try to overpower the music with belting too much just for the sake of it.

BLOODSUCKERS does finally kick into gear by the mid-way point, however. The first promising HYDE composition, "DAMNED" is a punch to the gut and has great dynamics; with a haunting verse that slowly swells to the point that the listener is itching for the chorus's outcry. The guitars really wail on the track and it kicks up to headbang-worthy levels of pounding drums. It's followed by "GET AWAY" and "REPLAY," which were strong singles for the album, but also a step into the pop-influenced side of VAMPS. While not bad songs, they feel lost in the track placement. The first half of the album could have certainly used these songs to beef it up instead of the slower numbers VAMPS opted for. The title interlude was a monster of a piece that I would have loved as a full song, "are you all bloodsuckers?!" the track asks, and the answer to that is a resounding, "yes!" If you ask with that beastly guitar riff backing you up. "THE JOLLY ROGER" doesn't skimp on crunchy guitar riffs either, though it's a slight letdown to have such a positive sounding song after such a dark teaser. But once you accept the song for it's change in theme, it's actually a great piece of work and you will find yourself singing along with the "whoo hoo" of the backing vocals all too easily. The album sends us off with the closing track, "INSIDE MYSELF." It's just as well composed as any of the singles and the album releases its grip on you with a song that really expresses what the band's sound is about. The guitar work is just as catchy as any of the vocal melodies and the production is well polished as you'd expect from industry veterans like this.

While some of the songs rest too much on clichéd writing tropes, it's hard to find anything unlistenable on BLOODSUCKERS. HYDE and KAZ have been writing music long enough to put out quality work that shows more of their strengths than weaknesses. But there is still a lot left to this project that they could explore and I'm looking forward to it in their future releases. I recommend rock fans to give this album a spin, VAMPS cover a lot of ground on BLOODSUCKERS so there's high likelihood they'll surprise you too.
 

He may not have permission from the photographer to post the photo yet. Sometimes that's an issue if they are still in the proofing stages.

Hello everyone, i'm Zombie.
 
Some of you already know me from plug.dj, but for everyone else it's nice to meet you all. I haven't really been active on a forum ever, so this will be a new experience for me. I've dabbled in Japanese music for a while, but haven't really explored it until the past year or so. I don't really know much about VK, but some of what i've heard people play on Plug was enjoyable. My tastes tend to lean towards pop/electronic/indie, but I try to be open about most types.
 
Some of my favorite Japanese artists: girugamesh, Itsue, Scandal, The Gazette, Suiyoubi no Campanella, Gackt, Backdrop Cinderella, Charisma.com, Perfume, Charan Po Rantan, Kana Boon, Tofubeats, Mondo Grosso, Gesu No Kiwami Otome
 
I also like a lot of korean pop/hip hop, but have too many favorites to list.
 
Here is my last.fm if you are interested.
http://www.last.fm/user/DiminishCap

I wish there were more samples and at the same time I'm glad there aren't because I had to listen to every single one and way too many had me sucked in for the entire song: Cloud nine(9), my letter, satomimagae, arukara, hitorie, Baton Rouge, D'Angelo, Fink, FKA twigs, Nothing But Thieves... Basically the entire middle of this list has me.  Brb going to delete my eoty list because it will never be as perfect as this one. 

they have finished shooting of their PV and artist look
 

Just putting it out here: I'd be totally up for a 90s and 80s night. Because, you know, I'm old and stuff. XD

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.

Ya'll aren't ready for my playlist xD
 
look forward to it

In regards to being able to rent like.. rooms/apartments/houses in other countries(cause hotels can get pricey), a family friend mentioned www.airbnb.com. It's pretty neat! I just looked up January 1st-31st 2016 for two guests in Tokyo for shits and giggles and they've got what looks to be a wide variety of options from essentially sharing a room with your host for around $900 usd a month to a mega swank luxury apartment for $40,000+ USD a month. All manners of places too, I even found a neat little traditional place for three guests with tatami, futons etc near the Tsukiji market for $1453 USD a month. Many of the places offer some pretty nice amenities as well, such as washer/dryer, bicycles you can use, wifi, toiletries etc. The website has hosts in 190 countries I believe? So where ever you decide to travel to you can always check it for rooms/apartments/homes to rent, save some money and possibly make new friends along the way! c:
 

We need to set up like.. an MH couch surfing group or something.

Just wanted to make an easy to follow list of the themes we've done and the themes that still need consideration.
If I got anything wrong please let me know, I haven't been to every plug session so maybe I could have missed something. ^^;;
 
Completed themes: Winter/Christmas Male & Female Vocalists  Female Vocalists   Upcoming themes: Soundtrack music   Themes still under consideration: 80s music 90s music Visual Kei only International/Non-Japanese only Kpop only Covers Female Vocalist p.2 Comedy

Wasn't familiar with the vocalist but I just checked some samples and HELL YES. Down for this!
 

Just wanted to make an easy to follow list of the themes we've done and the themes that still need consideration.
If I got anything wrong please let me know, I haven't been to every plug session so maybe I could have missed something. ^^;;
 
Completed themes: Winter/Christmas Male & Female Vocalists  Female Vocalists   Upcoming themes: Soundtrack music   Themes still under consideration: 80s music 90s music Visual Kei only International/Non-Japanese only Kpop only Covers Female Vocalist p.2 Comedy

Just wanted to make an easy to follow list of the themes we've done and the themes that still need consideration.
If I got anything wrong please let me know, I haven't been to every plug session so maybe I could have missed something. ^^;;
 
Completed themes: Winter/Christmas Male & Female Vocalists  Female Vocalists   Upcoming themes: Soundtrack music   Themes still under consideration: 80s music 90s music Visual Kei only International/Non-Japanese only Kpop only Covers Female Vocalist p.2 Comedy