doombox

Not only songwriters, but the singers too. Their pronunciation is a pain in the ass, seriously. I do get that it's not easy when it's not your mother tongue (and I know that, trust me), but when you plan to sing in another language, just do what you have to do to nail it ffs ! idk, take lessons etc. If you're not ready to work that way, then stick in your native language where you're better. my 2 cents.
 
First song in mind: AGONY from the GazettE. XD (and surely a lot from them too, they looove engrish nonsense from google trad lmao).
 

oh ok. make sense now

MUCC LIVE DVD "SIX NINE WARS-ぼくらの七ヶ月間戦争-「THE END」@国立代々木競技場第一体育館" will be released at 2015/02/25 (7,452yen), which will include 2DVDs+2CDs (including scene/live songs of their one-man live "SIX NINE WARS-ぼくらの七ヶ月間戦争-「THE END」" at 2014/09/23)
 
 
SET-LIST at 2014/09/23:
 
01.THE END OF THE WORLD
02.ENDER ENDER
03.Ms.Fear
04.G.G.
05.謡声(utagoe)
06.ガーベラ(gerbera)
07.World's End
08.Tell me
09.999-21st Century World-
10.WateR
11.369-ミロク-(miroku)
12.未完の絵画(mikan no kaiga)
13.メディアの銃声(media no juusei)
14.JAPANESE
15.ニルヴァーナ(nirvana)
16.Hallelujah
17.風と太陽(kaze to taiyou)
18.咆哮(houkou)
19.Mr.Liar
20.死んでほしい人(shinde hoshii hito)
 
EN1
夢烏P
21.ホムラウタ(homurauta)
22.オルゴォル(orgel)
23.空と糸(sora to ito)
24.ホリゾント(horizon)
25.流星(ryuusei)
26.大嫌い(daikirai)
 
EN2
27.前へ(mae e)
28.MAD YACK
29.蘭鋳(ranchuu)
30.故に、摩天楼(yue ni matenrou)

^ Holy crap, you're right. It does sound like The Black Keys.
With the way a lot of rock music has been on the radio, I could definitely see this getting airplay if Meev wanted to go that route.

You must check jizue! Their new album is their best I think. Very refreshing and chilling

This doesn't even make sense. It's like a Japanese rep describing Slayer as "Intesnity that is seen as if it was like four Captain Cavemen picked up music instruments and played heavy metal."

KNOCK OUT MONKEY new album "Mr.Foundation" will be released at 2015/01/14 (2,916yen)
 
[track list]
01.Revolution
02.RIOT
03.If you fly
04.Take you
05.How long?
06.Priority
07.Greed
08.MOON
09.街(machi)
10.Our World
11.Wonderful Life
12.Eyes
 

Day 18 - jizue - Shiori

Release Date: 2014-08-06
Label: bud music, inc.
Genre: Post Rock/Jazz/Instrumental
Impressions from @Zeus:

  Impressions by @Original Saku:

  Sample song:

Buy the album:
CDJapan | iTunes | Amazon

Not one to shy away from releasing albums, it's been really unusual to not have heard a full LP from D in over three years. The years have seen a staggering nine singles, three best albums, and two EPs from the boys which is quite the achievement. Being that there were so many singles, when Kingdom was announced I became worried that the album would be primarily pre-released singles. I was very pleasantly surprised when only four singles made the album and D gave us a whopping 11 brand new tracks. 
 
In a world where bands begin albums with 30-second instrumental introductions, D starts their 7th studio album with "Blood Moon," a visual kei spectacular. This song really captures the overall theme of the album and sets the tone for what to expect throughout: big choruses and big melodies. The song uses a liberal amount of a synth that sounds like it's trying to be a violin, but doesn't sound bad. In fact, this aspect of the song is what proves it's overall 'Visual Kei'-ness, if you will.  "Dark Wings," admittedly, was not my favorite song released prior to Kingdom but in the context of the album it makes sense. While the intro to the song lacks anything special, the chorus is huge and leads into a second verse that makes you forget about the lackluster intro. Possibly the most interesting song on the album is "Mother Doll" which has some of the best guitar work in D's career and one of Asagi's best vocal performances in recent years. The song begins with some pretty intricate metal guitar riffs and works its way through deep verses leading up to a catchy and powerful chorus.    "Tsuki no Sakazuki" was my personal favorite single released for Kingdom. It was the total package, from the catchy German hook to the chorus which really reminded me of older D songs (and how good were those b-sides, though, I mean really). "Tsuki no Sakazuki" gives way, however, to another one of my favorite songs: "Chi ni Nureta Ikkaku," which shows in 4 minutes and 41 seconds exactly why Hiroki is one of the best drummers around. What we've seen so far on Kingdom primarily is Asagi's supreme vocal ability and how well he works with the band as a whole. "Chi ni Nureta Ikkaku" is really driven by the drums in particular which is pretty atypical of D's usual style which focuses on big band compositions rather than focusing on one instrument over another. The third single choice for Kingdom is "Danzai no Juushi (Gunner)," a song that was lackluster on it's very own  release a la "Dark Wings," but comes into it's own in the context of the full album. In fact, it actually ends up standing out quite well with it's extremely-catchy chorus and harsh vocals which, when used as sparingly as on this song, are a real asset instead of a detriment.    "Secret Hangar" is the heaviest song on the album. Using a lot of rhythm in both guitar and drums instead of focusing on big guitar solos and powerful choruses. It's a nice change from the general pace of the album being so dramatic to change direction and now have a song that's really made for cutting loose and losing yourself in a song. "Anökumene" is an interesting anomaly in and of the fact it's less than three minutes in length and entirely instrumental. The song's overall purpose is apparently to break up different segments of the album, but doesn't exactly stand up as it's own number. Nothing about the song is particularly impressive, and I mean that not out of a sense of negativity, but just in the fact it left no impression on me. "En'ou no Koshikake" is definitely on the heavier side and sticks out in my mind in particular because of it's Arabic influence. One of the things I've learned about D after being a fan of them for so, so long is that they never shy away from using musical styles of other cultures in their songs and their continuous use of the Arabic style is one of their most unique characteristics and "En'ou no Koshikake" really drives that point home.    Following in the same vein as it's predecessor, "Kaze ni Totsuita Bailaora" is very influenced by another country. This time, that country is Spain. The song certainly has a nice beat and melody, but fails to stand out as it's own song. The best part, in fact, is the Spanish guitar in the beginning. "Binetsu ~Ame no Fantasia~" is a song on which D made some interesting production choices. It begins with the sound of rain and Asagi singing through a vocal filter of some kind. As the song progresses, it becomes heavier and utilizes harsh vocals more and more before switching gears completely mid-song for the chorus and then returning to the heaviness and harsh vocals. Overall the song feels like the song was initially supposed to be a few other songs and they picked the best parts of those songs to turn into one full song and they called it "Binetsu ~Ame no Fantasia~." This is then followed up with the other instrumental song, "Another Kingdom" which I'm fairly certain is just "Anökumene" with a different title if I'm being totally honest. Again, the song leaves no lasting impression on me.   The absolute climax of the album comes in on "Kurobara no Kishi", which brings us back to the style of song on the first segment of the album. Once again, D shows us how to effectively use the pseudo-choir as a bridge and properly scream a hook. The song goes on for 5 minutes and 15 seconds without losing intensity or interest. The fourth single choice for Kingdom is "Rosenstrauss", a song that is really more pop/rock than anything. After the acoustic piano intro, the song kicks up the pace in a big way creating an extremely exciting environment. Finally, the album closes out with the absolutely massive power ballad "Shuuen ~Sora he no Kaiki~." Not only does this song sufficiently some up the story of Kingdom but it feels like it's the goodbye D fans deserve after such a long and magnificent career. Additionally, the music video for this song is epic in every sense of the word. They spared no expense on the production value and costumes, that's for certain. This particular song inspires a sense of hope rather than finality. As we know, D is going on a hiatus for a while rather than disbanding altogether. The message of "Shuuen" overall, I think, is hope and promise for the future.   Overall, I would highly recommend D's "farewell" album Kingdom.  If there's one thing D does better than any visual rock band, it's putting together a cohesive theme album. Every song on Kingdom makes sense in the overall context without getting boring or repetitive. In fact, I may even dare to say this is their best album to date.     
Please support this artist by buying the album here from our friends over at CDJapan   This was my review published over on VKH, you can view the original article here: http://www.visualkeiheaven.us/2014/12/review-d-kingdom.html#more t

cover

In the event of an emergency, please take a taxi until further notice.

PLUG REALLY??? XDDD im not buying none of them because they aren't even
worth it i mean the ice woman one is nice but still
 
im not buying for that...the halloween ones were better tbh lol

it is announced at GHOST one-day revival 10th anniversary one-man live "Theater of Haunted Carnival Scene of...[Red thread]" at Birth SHINJUKU at 2014/12/15 that ZERO(ex-GHOST-->Hi:BRiD) new band will commence their activities in 2015, although band name and other member details have not yet been announced

That sounds exactly like I envisioned them being. Well except the ex-junkie part. But then again, this is rock'n'roll and we all know what goes with that. lol.

To quote one of my friends that saw them live lol:
 

and to quote another friend who was considering adding them to the NMFT tour:
 

...XD

I had to get fancy (and buy a dress) to do family things so naturally this means picture time.
 

Haha lol! Thanks, appreciate it!
I'll let you know when I finish em and post them sometime.

^ What I was going to reply with, yep. If you do try them, do enjoy Cat. ^^
 
And Ito, I totally agree on the art cover!

witness is just good, it's easy listening, and I can easily addicted with that album. The aggressiveness come back with FACT's new album!
 
to me, burundanga was very meh, great they can improve more in witness!

I really liked those songs! Every time they changed I got slightly angry because I wanted to hear the rest of the song! haha. Nice work!

MEJIBRAY formed and rose from the ashes of VanessA in 2011. Since then they've had a rough go at it with a rather hit or miss discography. Their latest effort, THE "420" THEATRICAL ROSES, shows more of their struggle to find an identity. But that's not to say that it's without merit. 
 
The production on the album is a definite step up from their previous releases. One of the most notable improvements being Meto's meter sounds abundantly more solid and less "chopped"- a recording technique where drum hits are moved or replaced to have more clarity and precise meter. In the 2 years since Emotional【KARMA】's release the compositions have come a long way. The members no longer sound like they are fighting for attention over each other and have opted to share the spotlight to write songs that have a much more defined direction. The problem is the songs on the album don't necessarily complement each other. THE "420" THEATRICAL ROSES comes off as just another collection of songs and not a conceptualized collected work. One theme that does seem to span the album is wearing inspiration and influence on their sleeves. The album reads as a huge love letter to 90s and early 00s era visual kei. Which is something I can appreciate.
 
One of the stronger songs on the album, "Mr.レインは死んだふり(Mr.rain wa shindafuri)" leaves behind Mia's penchant for hair metal nostalgia and the guitar takes a more atmospheric and modern approach. The vocals mirror the polarity and sound as if Tsuzuku's voice might crack from emotion at any second.  "RAVEN Al Ver." would have been my pick for album opener. Everything works together in an insane, unexpected way with machine gun drums and vocals that erupt in inhuman shrieks and screams. Bass is rich in tone and breaks through to carry as much of the song as the guitars. Koichi may have took his sweet time showing up to the party, as the bass is considerably buried in much of the album, but he picked one of the best times to do it. Then there are the blatant Dir en grey tribute songs "埋葬虫(Maisoumushi)" and "hatred × tangle red × hunger red" which ironically enough are on par with the best songs on the album that showcase technical ability and emotional connection from the members.
 
THE "420" THEATRICAL ROSES is not without some missteps, however. The album suffers from being overly indulgent and could have trimmed the fat to be a much better 11 or 12 track record instead of condemning its listeners to the likes of "Hungry Psychopath", "Contagion", "瞬間のアイディアル(Shunkan no ideal)", "BOWWOW", and "SUICIDAL WORD GAME". These songs struggle with Tsuzuku's vocal melodies sounding thin and overpowered by the instrumentation of the songs. They also have trouble walking the line between boring filler or obnoxious try-hard territory.  I do give Mia a bit of credit for his guitar solos being the saving grace for far too many of the aforementioned. 
 
But the most memorable songs for me were the 6 plus minute epics "Echo" and especially the song "鳥は泳ぎ方を知らず溺れ亡骸(Tori wa oyogikata wo shirazu obore nakigara)". Thumping bass and drums pulse along to string and wind instruments creating a multi-layered orchestral atmosphere in the latter track. Guitar is retrained initially but steps in as the song explodes into full band for the chorus and Tsuzuku's voice manages to hold on for dear life to stay front and center. It was the only track that had me so enveloped I couldn't stop to compare it to anything else for the first time in the entirety of the album.  "SERVANT" is also unique with an interesting, almost death metal inspired approach to it but never quite makes it all the way there. Even still, I don't mind. The middle space they find is pleasant. Maybe if they wanted to break from the tribute band comparisons they could explore more of this sound. 
 
Even with its short-comings, I do think THE "420" THEATRICAL ROSES is MEJIBRAY's strongest album to date and they've come a very long way. And they'll continue to go a long way so long as they don't let their egos do too much of the song writing for them. Die hard MEJIBRAY fans should enjoy this album, but it may not be suited to the general visual kei fan's taste.
 
Rating:

I just laughed so hard to this I think I pulled a muscle. haha.
 
But seriously, I don't even know what they are trying to do with that artwork. Cute dog, though?

I totally respect that, especially the relating part. I'm just someone who likes to see bands progress with time and do something different. I blame a lot of this on the many metal/J-rock bands that I listen to. So when it comes to new release announcements, the first thing I think about is, "what have they done differently? What freshness did they add in? Etc."

I agree with  about both bands improving on their own sound, but I'm biased and like both bands already so that's not really news. But if people are waiting for ONE OK ROCK to step outside of their box, I wouldn't hold my breath. They have such a solid corner of the market, and it works for them, that I don't see them going out on a limb to risk that. Not everyone is gonna love every band. I can understand when people think OOR is on the generic side, they play radio friendly mainstream rock music. It's not a very experimental genre. But I have to give them credit that they take generic overdone music and make it extremely catchy and relate-able. It doesn't hurt they are 4 young, decent looking guys who have approachable dorky personalities that fans can gravitate to. This is a huge part of Japanese marketing, and they've found a way to make it work outside of Japan where many have failed. And to add to they "add nothing new to music" most casual listeners don't care if a band is adding anything new. They care that they can relate to it and sing along to it, and that the music makes them feel good when they hear it. And OOR are excellent at that.

We all understand. There were bigger fish to fry with the forum last night. Glad to see it's all back as it should be again.
 
Those disclosure teasers had me so hyped and the video when it was on the anniversary site was so amazing. I wish they would have left it permanently so everyone could revisit it. And I agree 100% the album did not disappoint. If I keep playing it as much as I have this year it may end up being my favorite album of theirs so far.