doombox

Congratulations! *coming back sneaky*
 
I've been with TW a year after it changed to MH and I've met so many great people since then. Always loved the daily conversations in the chats and sharing some of the VK music I own.
 
I was happy to become a part of the staff/moderating team back then, it was a fun job and I did it with pleasure.
 
I hope many more years to come...!
and I'll try to come back from time to time to say hi haha
 
Stay well you all~ stay genki!
and don't forget to stay positive no matter what!

Ten years ago on this exact day my thirteen year old self was browsing myspace, like most kids my age back then did in their free time, when I came across a post on a Jrock group I frequented at the time. The post was by a "Jake" advertising a brand new Jrock forum that he and a friend created just earlier that day. At the time I was chomping at the bit for any new way to discover new Japanese rock music (VK in particular), I immediately registered and became the fourth member of that brand new empty forum. That forum's name was Tainted World and the Jake and friend in question were none other than Spike760 and Ito.
 
Since that day I have had many ups and downs with this community for better and worse. I've discovered a thousand or more bands, talked with hundreds of people from all corners of the world, made dozens of friends and like minded acquaintances, and even made a few enemies as well. I have witnessed every drama thread/post/chat log that this forum has generated, participated in profound thought invoking discussions that have sprouted up in various topics over the course of a decade, and even was here to witness the almost catastrophic implosion of the site back in 2010-2011 that led to the current domain name. I became a moderator and for a time actually did my job quite well (LOL) this gave me a direct line to grow the community in other ways than just music, in those efforts I would like to believe that the anime and video game fans of the community found this place a little more accommodating and welcome.
 
In ten years my musical taste has gone through multiple transformations that were no doubt in big part due to the people here in this community. I have grown as a person due to my time here, I've learned how to deal with life's unfortunate circumstances and how to cope when things go bad. This place has been a eternal sanctuary for me in my depressing and boredom filled times. I'm now twenty four years old and no longer the child I was when I came to this place, that in itself is a little sad, since my most fun and memorable moments were from those early years when I was still in middle and high school just trying to find a place I could fit in and kill some time.
 
But one thing is for sure... This place is a second home for me, no matter how busy my life gets I know that I can come back here and just be myself and feel good about it.
 
Ten years? I say that's not enough. I won't be satisfied until I can say I've been apart of this place for 20 years, what the hell fuck it. 30 years! Why not? WE CAN KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE  AS LONG AS WE BELIEVE!
 
~ Saku
 

I remember Monochrome Heaven as a community for pringles enthausiasts
I remember Monochrome Heaven touching my forehead in a dark alley and finding a mediafire link inscribed into my skin
I remember Monochrome Heaven reluctantly feeding me and raising me as its own child 
I remember Monochrome Heaven taking The People's Download Section away, essentially literally becoming more fascist than Hitler
I remember Monochrome Heaven teaching me how writing thinkpieces about Dir en grey sometimes is okay
I remember Monochrome Heaven for its secret hentai board 
I remember Monochrome Heaven as simultaneously being the most kawaii & unkawaii board of 2016
I remember Monochrome Heaven teaching me it's perfectlly okay to say that this time you're definitely leaving forever, and then still coming back the next day
But, most importantly, I remember Monochrome Heaven becau[YOU NEED A MONOCHROME HEAVEN PREMIUM ACCOUNT TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT]

A legendary epoch for me personally, even as far as my life really, was the heyday of the chat. I think I started appearing there around late 2011 and up until late 2013.  Anyone who was there at the time knows exactly what I'm talking about and how special that thing was.  
 
At one point you could rest assured that someone would be there all the time, like Yasu or slsr or somebody else who seemed to be on the computer day and night. I pretty much spend as much time there as I could myself, and I when I left the house I had chat on mobile and when I got home I logged in with the computer! People who are new to this forum cannot even begin to imagine how many classic happenings took place there from those long running gags to all the fights like the big one that eventually sounded its death knell. 
 
I try to relate a couple of favorite stories that I remember off the top of my head. I try to be as brief as possible so that people will actually read all this lol
 
One fairly recent character was my boi Kahzooey Tunasama from Scandal Heaven, who upon introducing himself proclaimed that he was going to leave the forum in September of something. Then he kept post-poning his exit until he made the ill-fated thread 
 
He showed up to the chat a couple of times too, but wasn't all that enthralling a person. We did go trolling on scandal heaven one day, and I think at least Cat and sai took the literal piss. I haven't laughed that much too many times in my life. 
 
When raburr joined and dove-eyed and fuzzy tailed I hazed the fuck out of him in the chat. For the life of me I don't remember what he said, but I kept copypasting some nonsense supposedly under his name where he had said something to or about sai, and sai played along and pretended that what I wrote was legit. I'm surprised he even stayed after all that lolol great guy though. The ones I love I treat the worst.
 
Back in 2012 I had to go and practice dancing for my lovely lady at the upcoming prom, and being the age of the chat as it were I was pretty much in there every chance I got. Chat when I rode the tram; chat when I waited to hit the ballroom; chat when I was at mcdonalds afterwards and before ( true og's remember I was at Mcdonald's every day, a habit I continue to this day god bless ). On one fateful day Maiku had bought a book from Barnes & Noble or some shit and had manage to get the dumb glitter ornament from the cover into his eye, and now he was going about it in the chat as I was leaving home. When I was riding the tram he was there; when I was about to start and when I stopped ceased dancing, he was there; when I went to Mcdonald's for like an hour he was still there going on about the hazards of gold dust and any possible lawsuits he might be able to undertake against barnes and noble. This might have went on for hours and hours without a pause. We don't have that shop in Finland, but if they have went bankrupt unexpectedly in recent years, now you know why.
 
I'll write more as they come to me, and I hope some of the other OG chat members could contribute. This forum has been an instrumental part of my life ever since I joined, so like eight years. Over the years I've met like over ten yous irl as friends, enemies and even romantic liaison. I want to give a shoutout to all the original yellow name crew members. 
 
Also thank you especially to all the characters that sojourned in the chat back in the day. I'd like to thank everyone individually, and I even tried, but honestly there's just so many and it'd be a great injustice to honor one and omit the other.  Even those who were only there for a couple of times but contributed to the laughs either with their wit, stupidity or both. You know who you are 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I joined TW somewhen in 2008 just for the rarez and stuff back then, and it has become a huge part of my daily life that I keep visiting since.
Moreover, MH has so many veteran VK fans from various countries throughout the world, and that alone makes me think if you claim to be a VK fan but haven't heard of MH, you're probably just a n00b one. lol
 
Well, besides MH being an international J-Rock/VK community, it's also a place where I've been learning English from interacting with both native and non-native speakers. The fact that my English has been so much improved is because of the edit button and Google Translate people here. <33
 
It was also an honor that the staff approached me in October 2013 inviting me to join the team as a blue mod; otherwise, I wouldn't dare to sign up myself. lol. And that was the right decision, so I can contribute something I'm capable of doing to the community.
 
Finally, I would like to thank MH for existing all these years and all the people here for your valuable contributions.
Thank you so much for a great 10 years, and let's move forward to the future together.

I find myself with a lot of time to think about the state of Japanese music and how things have changed since I first became a fan. I'm sure you guys have these thoughts as well. For the 10th anniversary, I'm going to publish some random musings I've had about the scene. They'll just be bullet points from one sentence to a few sentences about anything related to visual kei or J-rock. If you guys want to join in just leave your bullet points below and I'll be posting them sometime soon.
 
Thoughts from @Zeus:
 

the GazettE
 
We always had a dream of getting together a J-Rock Wikipedia of sorts to catalog our history. That idea is all but dead in the water. Last.fm is the closest we have to that and it's very decentralized. The day those servers go down is the day an entire epoch of international visual kei ends. From the perspective of an international fan, live distributed releases suck ass. It sucks more when the song in question is not put on another purchasable release, rendering that song out of reach for people like me unless we fork over tons of money to a third party reseller, so it's not like we could benefit the band if we tried. It really sucks when it was given away at a band's last gig, because the fans of that band will only dwindle from that moment on and the release will become even rarer until it reaches a tipping point where no one cares anymore. Then, you might get it if someone feels kind and doesn't purge it from their hard drives. An entire era of Japanese history was lost when Mega Upload went down. Many places exclusively used that website for all their deeds. It's said that 4% of all the traffic in the internet flowed through their servers at their peak. I say this because there are lots of releases that you just can't find anymore because links are dead and the fans have left. I've learned a valuable lesson about the permanence of data. I used to hate collection albums and viewed them as a quick way to make a buck. But after some stellar recent releases and faves of mine that broke up and left a collection album behind before they broke up, they are very useful for both sharing a blast from the past and for making mix tapes. Most blogspots have always seemed like a futile attempt to mimic what we do here for some bored teenagers 15 seconds of fame. I used to expend my energy trying to stamp them out, but that's just as futile. There were a select few that actually served as an archival device and were lit. Places like Byouto and Evil en lucifer existed with a plan and a demographic in mind and actually bothered with mirroring their own links and getting their own CDs. Re-recordings are almost always better than remasters for me. At least with the former it feels like the band put some effort into it. Speaking of which, the re-recordings on Lycaon's second album aren't that bad. I still don't like EROS or Aventure though. I've never listened to an X JAPAN song and I don't understand all of the hate Yoshiki gets sometimes. I like poking fun at Japanese Democracy, but other than that I'm from a different era than original X fans (are there even any left) so I can't cash in on nostalgia. I'm so far divorced from their music I have no feelings one way or another and if it ever does get released, I plan on buying, listening, and reviewing the new album fairly as if we haven't been waiting forever to hear it.  

THE PIASS
 
Never thought I would see a scene without UNDERCODE. Then again, there was a time I thought there would never be a scene without Matina and these days few people remember that label. Does YOHIO hang around here? He must visit every now and again - this place is too addictive and centralizing not to. Is there even anywhere else to go? Where do all the n00bs come from? I haven't heard anyone refer to anything as "too American" in years. We successfully stamped that ignorance out of the scene! I remember when XodiacK was first formed, their partnership with HearJapan, and their subsequent financial failure with their first single. They were a joke back then. Now they are considered a cult classic. It's crazy how malleable opinions are. BORN and Lycaon are two bands I waited forever for their disbandment, and when it happened I wasn't happy. Visual kei is making a third shift in sound away from the millenial-kei tunes into the unknown. This is a great time to be a fan!  
Thoughts from @fitear1590:
 

the fin.
I need more VK bands with technical guitar work that aren't necessarily tied to some offshoot of metal (Aicle was a perfect example) The lines between VK and certain brands of indie are getting more porous; a very exciting combination of worlds! Honestly, what happened to Shiina Ringo? She was such a prominent figure in my music taste at one point, but she fizzled out... Please. End. The. Treble. Synth. Fad. Long live "art kei". May the patron saints (ex-members of bands like Moran, yazzmad, amber gris, etc.) keep the style going!  
Thoughts from @emmny:
 

DIV
amber gris saved visual kei after Buglug tried to destroy it and before issei literally almost destroyed himself falling off a balcony meto style Few things were more depressing than seeing Yuuki ruin UnsraW and then flop into infinity with DOAK "Lost november" by Diaura is the most iconic vk song released in...ever Revival kei was the only thing that saved vk past 2012 DIR EN GREY's career trajectory has been amazing and no I don't care what you have to say about DSS No, i'm not EVER getting over D'espairsray so can it. Can bands stop acting like visual kei is still popular, trying to play massive venues (which would have been considered average size 10 years ago) and then flopping intensely? Miztavlah YOU'RE NEXT...300/1200 O-West wait on it DADAROMA and Mejibray have the biggest followings in the western fandoms since vk died and its actually kinda adorable...won't save vk tho Ikenai Kiss by DIV was both the peak and death of EDM kei...RIP  
Thoughts from @doombox:
 

CROSSFAITH
 
I still don't know how baby VK bands manage to pay for their costumes and make up artists when they can't get 100 people in a venue. MIYAVI proved you can survive after VK, have a public marriage and family, be covered in tattoos, and still be wildly popular. These days it's getting plain to see VK has gone down like the Titanic and we're all waiting in tiny lifeboats, clinging to each other and hoping another big ship will eventually come to save us. I'm still not over K (Pay money To my Pain), Shunsuke (Eldorado, bis), or Jasmine You (Versailles).  ONE OK ROCK took over the world. I'm still in shock. Japanese electro-core burnt out way too fast but man it was fun while it lasted.   
Thoughts from @tetsu_sama69:



BAISER
 
When will people realize that most VK bands are just homage of older previous groups and THIS WILL ALWAYS BE A THING?!!? Most VK singers are just massive fanboys of Kiyoharu/Kyo/Hyde/Ruki even if it doesn't seem like they are there always SOMETHING that gives it away and trust me even your vk daddies had people they were fanboys of as well. "Musical differences" is just an excuse for you ran out of mommy/daddy's money for your costumes/recordings OR you just don't get along To survive in this fandom you either have to be extremely open-minded or stick to what you know you like but trust me... not everyone is going to like what you like and you have to accept that Accept it, we're all weeaboos.  
 
Thoughts from @Ito:

Sel'm
 
Not only has aie somehow managed tostill be sticking around, he is almost seemingly trying to  single handedly save VK...and somehow suceeding?  It took nearly the full span of 10 years, but every one of my favorite VK bands from 2007 has disbanded I am not sure if VK has gotten worse or if I've just gotten older and grumpier Yoshiki has transitioned from a legend to a laughingstock in the community It surprises me when I meet someone IRL and they tell me they are a big VK fan...and then I find out they haven't heard of MH. Like where the hell else are you going? I wish I was more inclined to go back and check out older work. I know I have missed out on plenty of wonderful Jrock, but I am just so keen on keeping with what it current. I really need to fix that. Are we ever going to get any VK bands to come to the States again, outside of the biggest of names? While I listen to far less VK now than I used to (read that as my musical tastes have broadened), it still holds an incredibly special place in my heart.  
Thoughts from @CAT5:
 

八十八ヶ所巡礼
 
International Visual Kei fans are some of the craziest, most irritating, and deranged people that I've come across. They're also some of the most passionate, interesting, fun-loving, and generous music fans that I've had the pleasure of knowing. There's always been a stigma surrounding the community, but in my experience, there's more good to be said than bad. Monochrome-Heaven is one of the most slept-on forums of all time. We've been around for a decade and the community is still thriving despite the fact that forums are continually slipping into obsolescence. The world of J-rock is vast and infinite, and there's always something new and different to try if you look for it or ask the right people. Trying to convince VK fans that music outside of VK is somehow "better" or more worthwhile is an exercise in futility. Condescending or scoffing at VK fans is also equally idiotic. I've done both. Don't do it. You'll just come off as an absolute dick who's insecure in his own tastes and interests. VK marketing ploys are still pretty fucking hilarious and ridiculous.  Speaking of which, most of us have, at one point, gone broke for Visual Kei and Japanese music in general. It's expensive and wallet-crippling, yet glorious all the same. I still can't wrap my head around cheki or conditional disbandments. DIR EN GREY have never NOT been relevant.  

Phantasmagoria
 
MH and VK fans at large love themselves a good drama/scandal. From what i've seen, it's usually best to just have a sense of humor about these things. J-rock changes over time. Your favorite era may have been five, ten, or even fifteen years ago. Hell, it might even be NOW. Whatever the case, accept that the musical landscape is constantly changing. I think it's more effective to cherish your favs. and continuously sing their praises than it is to bitch and moan about bygone styles and eras, and how all new music sucks. Sharing keeps the J-rock community alive. It's what's kept us going this long. And not just the sharing of the music itself, but the sharing of news, lyrics/translations, scans, review, live reports, images...even something as simple as sharing your own, unique thoughts about a band or a release. It all counts. Every little piece contributes to keeping the scene alive at large. MH has truly been blessed in this regard, as so many of our members have come here to share openly and freely all out of love for VK, J-rock, and Japanese music as a whole. It's a beautiful thing and I thank everyone for every penny spent, every CD ripped, every mb uploaded, every post typed, and every general ounce of energy poured into our common love for Japanese music.

Thanks for reading!

Ten years ago today, Spike760 and myself decided that we wanted to start a Japanese Rock forum. After a while of debating, we eventually settled on Tainted World (after the D’espairsRay song of the same name). Frankly, neither one of expected it to last all that long; this would hardly be the first forum that we had run together that didn’t go anywhere. But what started as a fun little project somehow blossomed into an amazing community. The fact that this site still exists after all this time has little to say about Spike and my’s original plan and everything to say about the members here. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping build this site into what it is today.
 
While I was one of the key founders of this site, Monochrome Heaven is so much bigger than just me. That became clear to me when we went under the transition from Tainted World to our current name back in 2011. While to really understand why this is so important requires more context, I don’t want to go into a full on history lesson. But since that point, so many members have stepped up and dedicated themselves to this site, putting in the time and effort (and money) into making Monochrome Heaven as great as it possibly can be.
 
To every member that has joined and felt like they were apart of a community over this silly niche interest we all have, I raise a glass to you. You all are what have made this place special. And to every staff member, current and past, no words can express my thanks to you - you are people that I have come to admire and consider good friends.
 
But this post isn’t about me, but about the Monochrome Heaven! I want to hear from all of you as to why this community is special, why you’ve becoming coming back for 10 months or 10 years. Or tell us one of your favorite moments from your time coming, whether that was a release you were looking for forever or a stupid meme that took over the forum.

Here’s some from other users to get things started!:
 
 
 
@-jibakurei-
 
@SEKHMET
 
@Ada Suilen
 
@Flame-X
 
@Seiji
 
@Platy
 
@efuru
 
@saishuu
 
@Furik
 

As "art kei" as they can look sometimes and despite the fact that vocalist Akuta teamed up with Soan project, Chanty really doesn't sound like Moran at all, other than not sounding like your typical VK. They're much closer to an indie rock sound.

If you're interested though, I personally recommend よくのかたまり and m.o.b. (singles), as well as the mini-album that @saishuumentioned!

Well geeee, that sounds an awful lot like censorship...

Yeah...no.

Feel free to visit the suggestion forum. But you should get used to the idea of foreigners playing in Japanese bands. It's prevalent in every other style of Japanese rock. If the band is based in Japan it goes in the Japanese news sections. That's all there is to it.

hmm somewhat recent photos
 

 

Just gonna casually add some melanin to this thread ...
 
 

I gave my hair to a charity so now I am back with the boy hair!
 
Right after the cut/dye:
 


 
And now:

Okay, so this is not so much a "xenophobia conspiracy" thing, but more of a "we really are the stupidest fucking people on planet earth" kind of thing?

- Avex

So now they are saying that basically all the anime they have sold overseas in the past was actually never intended for international sale and it was all some big mistake? Am I understanding this correctly? Because this just reeks of bullshit.

uh so
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-03-02/avex-pictures-comments-on-overseas-bd-dvd-cd-shipment-restriction/.112902
 
 

LADYBEARD (formerly in LADYBABY) has teamed up with female bodybuilder Reika Saiki to form their new kawaii group, "DEADLIFT LOLITA".
 
They will debut their first song on March 31, and they will be releasing previews during the wait on their OHP.
 
 
♥ Kawaii x Muscles x Energy! ♥
 

 

Also ngl I'm a bit disappointed they didn't go with SWOLITA

Greetings, MH! The ORZ staff are back with our latest batch of recommended tracks! Feb. was a pretty delectable month, so let's waste no time and dig right in!
 
(We apologize if some videos aren't available due to region restrictions!)
 
@emmny's Picks
 
"アイラク偽心" by 游彩
"Airaku Gishin" by Yusai

ex-Zin members' (minus ex-vocalist Riku) new band Yusai offers more or less of the same thing Zin were known for: a japonesque sound that was decent but not quite Kiryu. That's not as bad of a thing as it sounds, Kiryu's ADHD sound is a bit much at times. Yusai keep the angular guitarwork, sharp melody, funky rhythm and traditional instrumentation accents while keeping it concise and catchy. Amane (once on guitars as Luy) has a husky yet nasal voice which adds an interesting contrast to the instrumental track. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise given Zin's uncanny strength in composition. Keep 'em on your radar, ladies and gentlemen!
 
"幽囚谷のバッタ" by ラッコ
"Yuushuudani no Batter" by LACK-CO.

Vk troublemakers LACK-CO. are back with another wacky song (and even wackier accompanying music video) which I happened to enjoy more than their prior output. As now typical of their everything-but-the-kitchen-sink style, the song has thrashy verses, a breakdown, swing sections and delicate jazzy, clean passages reminiscent of Moran and Chemical Pictures. I can't even tell what's going on half the time, but this jazz-kei bastard child has enough going on between the complex guitar work, lovely yet forceful vox and wild rhythm section to keep me amused for its brief three minute run.  
"失明" by グリーヴァ
"Shitsumei" by Grieva

Grieva is dead. The vintage DEG and Madeth gray'll kote-kei satan spawn is no longer. What have we done to deserve such a fate? The end was near with the release of Konton no hako and the nail in the coffin was hammered in by "Liar..." and its alt-metal-isms. It was probably Grieva's roughest era, being all over the place stylistically. Now we have the next phase, a splice of their old sound and....*gasp* TMOAB-era DEG. I'm proud to report that it is the best thing the band have done in a while. "Shitsumei" removes the worn 90's riffs and fills them in with mid-00's metalcore riffing, all while keeping the 90's charm and incredible ear for melody intact. Grieva sound entirely re-energized and ready to plagiarize some more, thank god!  
 
 
@Zeus's Pick
 
"Lineage" by Versailles

Versailles is a band that takes pompous as a compliment, and from music to visuals they've built their brand on being larger than life. Lineage is both the release and the song that restores luster to a band that had lost their way. I extolled the virtues of "La Musique" in my full-length review of Lineage〜薔薇の末裔〜, but this is the track that defines the mini-album. I'm loving how the violin and keys direct the melody without overpowering the metal. The progressive elements come in at the right moments and introduce enough variance to prevent stagnation. KAMIJO's charisma is still as infectious as ever and the instrumental portions of songs feel much more theatrical and less like a showcase for HIZAKI and TERU's skills. Versailles does not often release namesake tracks on singles - in fact I believe this is the first - so not only is this a pleasant surprise, but it speaks to the confidence of KAMIJO in his band and this song when he penned it. This is a track I can play all day.
 
  @fitear1590's Picks
 
"フラブジャスナハト" by グリモア
"Frabjous Nacht" by GRIMOIRE

Since 2015, GRIMOIRE has risen to become one of my favorites among indies neo VK. They've consistently delivered atmospheric, haunted house tunes mediated through high-concept visuals and surprisingly glossy PVs. While I can understand their main criticism--that they can be a bit too 'samey'--"Frabjous Nacht" looks to break the spell. On top of being their most standout title (lol, I still can't get over the word 'frabjous'), it's one of their most unique compositions. Verses have a slow, hypnotic quality and the track sports some of their most technical guitarwork so far. They're now apparently on Timely Records (home to the likes of other all-caps bands like XAA-XAA and DADAROMA), so I hope more people will take note of GRIMOIRE in all their 'frabjous' glory.
 
"偽物の宴" by 眩暈SIREN
"nisemono no utage" by memai SIREN

Somewhere down the line, memai SIREN was recommended to me on YouTube. "Nisemono no utage" has a lot of interesting crossover appeal. It's part anime OP song,  part Paramore-style power pop, part uplifting VK number (that guitar melody at :14 is something classic I could see MegaMasso doing). On top of that, the video is pretty striking, combining the pseudo-silhouettes of the band members over projected imagery that oscillates between organic and geometric designs.
 
"夕闇に鳴動する衝動と幸福の在処" by Soanプロジェクトwith手鞠
"yuuyami ni meidou suru shoudou to koufuku no arika" by Soan Project with Temari

Last month, Soan (ex-Moran) showed us a darker/heavier side in his surprising collaboration with Akuta (Chanty, ex-Administrator). This month, the art kei dial got turned up to 11 by enlisting the help of Temari (ex-Amber gris). It's a complete 180 from the previous release, nixing percussion and rock instrumentation in favor of a more sublime, orchestral sound. From the crisp piano that could adorn any Ghibli feature to the heart-wrenching, dramatic strings, Soan and Temari have crafted something divine. Soan Project is clearly a multi-faceted venture, so even if the first mini didn't tickle your fancy, you still owe it to yourself to check this one out.
 
 
@CAT5's Picks
 
"Change your mind" by 雨のパレード 
"Change your mind" by ame no parade

I've long been critical of ame no parade (amepare for short) and not out of some unrooted distaste for their music, but because I am genuinely fond of them and would like to see the band succeed. Kohei's pristine and soulful croon has made him one of my favorite male voices of today, and the band is competent in both playing and invoking atmosphere. They're cooking with some amazingly potent ingredients, though they've yet to serve anything truly fulfilling. Instead they've been using the same boring recipe of recycled vocal melodies, bland, minimalistic verses, and big-for-nothing choruses. In promotion of their upcoming second album, the ironically titled Change your pops, amepare has dropped the MV for "Change your mind", which is a surprisingly welcome 'change' of pace for the band. Their standard formula is still in play, but the drab minimalism of the past has been enhanced with groovy synths and danceable drums that actually manage to engage you. From the very start of the song, it's evident that they're playing with renewed conviction, and it gives me hope that amepare might actually 'change THEIR pops'!
 
@Original Saku's Picks
 
"New York City" by Tempalay

Tempalay has surprised me so much this month with music that I just typically don't listen to much. I discovered them earlier this month by chance while I was browsing JPS. They weave this weird blend of psychedelic and chillout rock that is just so addicting. It was love at first listen and I haven't looked back since. The weirdly named "New York City" serves as the opener of 5曲 (5 Kyoku) which instantly becomes less bizarre once you watch the PV. Most interesting is the concept of the album. I highly recommend you check out the whole thing if you like what you hear.  
"ノクチルカの夜" by まじ娘
"Noctiluca Night" by majiko

majiko made her major debut this month with her mini album Cloud 7. We all know about the 'major curse' that plagues indie groups and artists once they go major. I was more than a little worried at the prospect that the same curse could afflict majiko, thankfully those worries were for naught. In fact I can only see an improvement in this record. "ノクチルカの夜" showcases a clear departure from her mellow pop-oriented utaite roots, and we can see a shift to a more mature, darker sound with much more depth and production quality. The new musical shift does wonders for her beautiful voice and meshes really well with her haunting singing style. It really brings a certain level of intensity to her music.  
"一休さん" by 水曜日のカンパネラ
"Ikkyu-san" by Suiyoubi no Campanella

After a mini album that most would call 'stale' or 'more of the same' last year, people were already counting Suiyoubi no Campanella as a one trick pony. This notion was immediately disproved this month with their new album SUPERMAN which does more than enough to validate their musical prowess and innovation. "Ikkyu-san" showcases what makes this group so awesome and addicting, with an infectious beat and a stunning vocal performance from KOMUAI, accompanied by eccentric electronica sounds aplenty. I know this is a REC track thread but I really just want to say how cohesive this album is from start to finish and I couldn't recommend it more! It might even be better than their previous album Zipangu for me.  
"明日も" by SHISHAMO
"Ashita mo" by SHISHAMO

This is a group I've been infatuated with over the last few years. SHISHAMO brings forth my love of female fronted indie rock bands like no other. They have the 'it' factor in their music, that feeling of euphoria and mellowness that wraps around you and makes you just feel legit good. They're a part of the few all female rock bands that currently are keeping the dream alive in Japan. I enjoy and appreciate them so much! These girls have been spitting out material so fast that it hasn't even been a full year since we got their last album, but we already have SHISHAMO 4  to start 2017 off with a party. "明日も" Is a fun pop rock jam that asserts that these girls' instruments are not for show and that they can jam when it's time to. Like with all my other RECs, please check out the full album for the true experience. Do yourself a solid.  
 
Guest Recommendations:
 
@TheStoic's Pick
 
"METALIN" by そこに鳴る
"METALIN" by Sokoninaru

Breakdowns.  Blast beats. Gang chants. Chaotic soloing. These are not typical elements that describe the music the rock trio そこに鳴る.  Since releasing their debut EP in 2015, the group has gone under the radar on the pages of MH. It's a shame given their technical abilities and impressive songwriting in the indie rock scene.  However, their latest single "METALIN" (featured on the album of the same name) is more than worthy of appropriating the metal moniker.  The band effortlessly melds their upbeat melodic choruses and core indie sound with a fresh dash of tremolo thrash metal riffs, neckbreaking breakdowns, and a frenetic energy that is a blast to listen to.  If you have not given them a proper listen, "METALIN" may be be your gateway drug, as this single shows that they have the hunger to give indie heavyweights like 凛として時雨 (Ling Tosite Sigure) a run for their money.   @Ada Suilen's Picks   "Lineage" by Versailles I think that the visual kei scene is living a sort of rebirth, with many shiny comebacks, giving the genre a new shape. Probably the most awaited one comes from the symphonic metal act Versailles, starting off with the compilation The Greatest Hits -2007/2016- last September, and now with their second mini-album Lineage -Bara no matsuei-. In general, the sound echoes the inheritance of this band, taking even some elements from the side projects of the single members where this track represents its peak. With an incredible, virtuous metal sound, powerful riffs and more mature vocals, "Lineage" will surely stick in your head. Welcome back Descendants!
  "Remember the Name"  by アイオリン "Remember the Name" by Aiolin  One of the newest products of the scene, formerly known as code name Px, debuted with their first album at the beginning of the month and the final result was pretty shocking. As you can see from the name, their music (especially in this lead-track) is filled by a melodious violin (provided by the singer) mixed with electronic elements, energetic sounds and harsh vocals: the ideal ingredients for a sure success. Probably one of the most promising acts of 2017 and I hope that they will continue down this path.  
  -   Thanks for checking out our recommendations this month! And another big thanks to our guest contributors @TheStoic and @Ada Suilen! If you have any thoughts on our list, or if you have any recommendations of your own, please feel free to comment below! If you're interested in being a guest contributor, contact @CAT5or @doombox.   

I'd be happy to move it back as well if the OP is edited. 

I'd be happy to move it back as well if the OP is edited. 

Fuck, I'm starting to like them. I knew this would happen. It's either that I get used to a band's concept or I just want to like them out of spite for everyone on this board. I realise they're really all over the place, but that's kind of VK's lot innit? It's low attention span rock music and if a band feels like throwing out inconsequential flourishes by the boatful, then god bless. Their musical identity is tenten fronting vk nu metal with that chemical pictures, jazz kei[citation needed] instrumentation as contrast. I never disliked this in theory, and yet initial listens for me were in from one ear and out the other, but the more I listen the more I find things to grab a hold of. Tenten gives a commendable vk performance on 雨の怪虫 , and it just so happens this is how I rate my new visual kei bands:
 
cool sounding vocalist ( 8 out of 10 points )
breakdowns ( 1 out of 10 points )
cute members ( 1 out of 10 points )
 
this band is scoring high
 
I also despise these quasi-artist threads with wacky titles. I'm all for modifying the OP and the title, and transporting it back to the artists section.
 
edit: the more I listen to the new single the more I fuck with this band
 

I've moved this thread to the general forum as it is not giving any information on the respective artist. This is an opinion thread.