Alastor

Nah, this is the best version.
 
;P

Nah, this is the best version.
 
;P

Artist: Sadie Album: GANGSTA Score:
The musical equivalent of the human centipede, where genres are held hostage and stitched together ass to mouth so shit flows in one end and out the other. Except one of the genres is emaciated, another is dressed in drag, and a third took five too many Xanax and huddles unconscious in the corner. Making heads or tails of what GANGSTA wants to be is fruitless. A convoluted mess of bad ideas, worse ideas, and terrible execution, the best thing about it is how little the name has to do with anything. If you like your clouds with silver lining, it's not the visual kei equivalent of Sasuke Uchiha's mixtape, but the turntable scratching and rapping still rears it's ugly head when Sadie is done violating all the other genres they think they can handle.
 
The beginning of the end of my expectations starts with MODE OF GANGSTA, which kickstarts this thirteen track tour de force of all the ways to not juxtapose genres. Evoking feelings of a coked out futuristic dystopian cyberpunk electro-rave punctuated with gang vocals, it's about as good as DEATHGAZE's Japanese Meliorism. And by that, I mean it's cool for eight measures and then it needs to stop. But by this point, you've already ventured into the ectosphere and are being pulled towards the gravitational singularity that is this album whether you like it or not, and the only question you should have is why.
 
One of the few constants within this album is how any attempts to extinguish the flaming wreckage only makes things worse. Lead single DEAD END's intro may give you hope - as a formulaic Sadie rock number they're in familiar territory - but even here there are signs that things are going to go wrong fast. Not only do I feel like I've heard this song before - probably because I have - but the song feels like a disjointed collage of half-executed ideas that don't play well together. There's some sugar, some spice, a funky guitar line or two, a chorus with complex delivery, token heavy sections, and harsh vocals that feel like an after thought, thrown about to take up eight measures worth of time. There's some good and some bad, but it's the most consistent track on here.
 
Differences in opinion over the first two tracks can be summed up into "at least they're trying!" and "diversity!", so I can't knock this band for having no ideas. But at the end of the day, the inability to execute a vision even with a multitude of ideas is not a matter of opinion. It's a fatal shortcoming that births tracks like WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND, which is the most clumsy jazz-kei attempt of the last decade. It also marks the point where the album crosses the event horizon and there's no coming back. They keep up their cabaret pretenses for three minutes before sliding back into their trademark metalcore sound so they don't feel too out of their comfort zone, but the awkward focus on English lyrics and inappropriate guitar tuning betrays the band's intentions. The left-field metalcore section sports harsh vocals poor even by Mao's standards, and the aggression displayed near the end is at odds with the rhythm in the beginning. If they had held consistent, it would have been an amusing LIPHLICH imitation at best. Instead, this is a muddled mess.
 
But it's not just WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND that sounds like a spiked cocktail of ill-executed concepts. The second constant of GANGSTA is that Sadie doesn't know what it wants to play. A puree of shit banded together by interludes forms whenever Sadie tries to coax ideas into places they don't fit, and a majority of the album falls into this category. Whenever they stumble onto an idea that might work, they suddenly switch gears before it can get going. It would be more prudent to highlight all the songs that stay the course - wherever that course may be headed - from beginning to end. For that, I give props to Tokyo Gypsy, MESSAGE FROM HERE, and the piano outro PHRASE OF LIFE. I would never say any of these three tracks are "good". Singling one out as the best song is deceptive; it's like comparing a turd to twelve less smelly turds. What we have here are three tracks that didn't elevate my blood pressure, and thus I'll take the road less traveled and talk about the few positive aspects of this album.
 
Tokyo Gypsy is a slower rock song, which in the hands of a different band could have worked a lot better. It's the first song on the album that isn't a total disaster, but the band refuses to let it's hair down and get into the groove. This creates unneeded apprehension in the atmosphere. Nothing about this song screams "Listen to me again!", but the greasy back alley male strip club vibe I get from listening to it gives it a place of distinction in my mind. MESSAGE FROM HERE is a six minute ballad driven by a piano where only the rightmost five keys work. There's a feeling of the piano sitting on top of the music instead of integrating itself to it, and feels at odds with the prominent bass line. It deserves brownie points because it doesn't have a section of asinine songwriting to ruin the flow, but it doesn't captivate me either. It's far too long for what little ideas they're toying with, and could have been four minutes and delivered the same impact. The fact that it follows another ballad and leads into a piano outro means that while the album takes a sonic detour into consistency near the end, it's sinks into obscurity in a sea of similarity.
 
I won't mention much of PHRASE OF LIFE, except it's a nod to Kisou and STACKED RUBBISH - a disjointed album ending on a pleasant note.
 
Once the piano from PHRASE OF LIFE twinkles it's way to an understated ending, my hopes are crushed. I've listened to the entire album but I don't know what the purpose was. How can GANGSTA be justified as the product of hard work and musical creativity, when corners were cut and questionable choices were made at every turn? When the band wants to play metalcore, I'm bombarded with rave synth, embarrassing gang vocals, bars of absolute shit songwriting, demented gerbil sounds that are supposed to pass for harsh vocals all held together with derivative pop hooks so recycled the logo is visible. How can one rectify the disparate influences that pull tracks apart rather than brings them together? Take bleach as a four minute excursion into all the things wrong with this album. There's prominent DJ scratching, more bad gang vocals, random unexplored changes in riffage, and melodic metalcore over a house beat held up by Sadie's favorite musical crutches. None of these things go together either on paper or in practice, but the band insists that they do. I can't find any redeeming qualities in this album, and additional listens of GANGSTA reveal more flaws and no hidden gems. If there are any in the music, it's hidden deeper than it's worth to find them.
 
There's trying, trying too hard, and then having no idea what you're doing anymore. Sadie has always been a straightforward metalcore band. The contention with their sound in the last few years is that they're using the same formula to come up with their tracks and they need a way to distinguish them. Thinking outside the box, gathering all of these ideas, and then leaving them outside the box defeats the purpose of gathering those ideas in the first place! If these ideas can't be used, they should be discarded. Instead, the box is as empty as it was before, the ideas are neglected like a child whose mother doesn't love them, the presentation is messy, and it's left to the listener to puzzle out what the band's true intentions were.
 
I'd rather vomit on tinfoil and eat it than listen to this again.

VULGAR is one of the most important albums of my life, albums I not only listened, but ebraced over and over again in school. It shaped me a little, in some weird way.
 
I find something amazing in every Deg record, but this was my first time with them, and it was sublime.
 
So, VULGAR.

Yoko Kanno / The Seatbelts - Tank! (brings back memories)

A week passed! It's Viored - Kusabi. Was it really that obscure?
 
Here's something a lot simplier
 
Solo #4

You are right, there should be some more rules - I'll post it here and ask a mod to edit the OP.
 
01. I prefer this topic to move at somewhat fast pace, so let's say two full days since posting is max period of leaving your solo here unguessed.
02. When you post the next solo, you shouldn't give any hints from the get-go and give it one day. After that, if we're still struggling with it, you can hint as much as you want, if you think it's needed.
03. Sound samples can not include vocal parts (well, maybe some very minor ones, if they're interlacing with a solo)
04. You can repeat a band that was here already - if you really want to - but let's try to be as diversive as we can.
05. Vk, metal, anime opening - anything goes, as long as it's Japan-related.
06. It doesn't really have to be a guitar solo!
07. If you won and don't want to post the next solo yourself, drop me a PM and I'll do it for you.
08. If, after two days, your solo still isn't guessed, just name the full song and let me know - I'll post the next one.
09. The preferred service for uploading solos is Soundcloud, as I think no one has any trouble using it. If you have a better idea, let me know.
10. If I'm not responding when I should in a reasonable timeframe, I'm probably dead and I pass my duties to any mod willing to do this.
 
And kurenaishineek, you probably don't know me, as the only other forum I'm somewhat active on right now is NeoGAF I'm not on any polish ones. Well, maybe I visited them once or twice but I haven't posted much or stayed for long. I was a regular at Frukto's jmusic site back when it was still a thing, though - if you're old enough to remember that And this idea isn't from any other topic from somewhere else, but I'm not suprised I'm not the first person to think about something like this.

You are right, there should be some more rules - I'll post it here and ask a mod to edit the OP.
 
01. I prefer this topic to move at somewhat fast pace, so let's say two full days since posting is max period of leaving your solo here unguessed.
02. When you post the next solo, you shouldn't give any hints from the get-go and give it one day. After that, if we're still struggling with it, you can hint as much as you want, if you think it's needed.
03. Sound samples can not include vocal parts (well, maybe some very minor ones, if they're interlacing with a solo)
04. You can repeat a band that was here already - if you really want to - but let's try to be as diversive as we can.
05. Vk, metal, anime opening - anything goes, as long as it's Japan-related.
06. It doesn't really have to be a guitar solo!
07. If you won and don't want to post the next solo yourself, drop me a PM and I'll do it for you.
08. If, after two days, your solo still isn't guessed, just name the full song and let me know - I'll post the next one.
09. The preferred service for uploading solos is Soundcloud, as I think no one has any trouble using it. If you have a better idea, let me know.
10. If I'm not responding when I should in a reasonable timeframe, I'm probably dead and I pass my duties to any mod willing to do this.
 
And kurenaishineek, you probably don't know me, as the only other forum I'm somewhat active on right now is NeoGAF I'm not on any polish ones. Well, maybe I visited them once or twice but I haven't posted much or stayed for long. I was a regular at Frukto's jmusic site back when it was still a thing, though - if you're old enough to remember that And this idea isn't from any other topic from somewhere else, but I'm not suprised I'm not the first person to think about something like this.

Now this one was a piece of cake , its Sugizo - No More Machineguns Play the Guitar . 
BTW will you be the only one posting the solos ? Or the one who guesses correctly will post the next one ?

A week passed! It's Viored - Kusabi. Was it really that obscure?
 
Here's something a lot simplier
 
Solo #4

摩天楼オペラ - Helios.
 
Easy

DELUHI's s[K]ape:goat

^ Duh, Yokan by Dir en grey.

B'z -  IT'S SHOWTIME!!
 
I instantly knew it was a B'z song though I couldn't recall the title so I skimmed through a few of their songs to find it xD.

Frilly, out of tune, cross dresser shit recorded on a $15 budget by bandmen whom barely know how to play their instruments. The more chinchillas, feathers, && leathers, the better. Faux-french and / or clavichords are an added bonus.

Oh! Oh! Mr Heaven by NoGoD!
I like this game

Don't know if this is a good place for this kind of game, please move if necessary.
 
I have a bunch of edited guitar solos lying on my HDD so I guess we can have some fun - do you know who's playing?
 
I'm not asking you for a name of the guitarist (I don't know that, most of the time). The band/song will be sufficient.
 
The first solo.
 
I'll post the next one after it's guessed.
RULES:
01. I prefer this topic to move at somewhat fast pace, so let's say two full days since posting is max period of leaving your solo here unguessed.
02. When you post the next solo, you shouldn't give any hints from the get-go and give it one day. After that, if we're still struggling with it, you can hint as much as you want, if you think it's needed.
03. Sound samples can not include vocal parts (well, maybe some very minor ones, if they're interlacing with a solo)
04. You can repeat a band that was here already - if you really want to - but let's try to be as much diversive as we can.
05. Vk, metal, anime opening - anything goes, as long as it's Japan-related.
06. It doesn't really have to be a guitar solo!
07. If you won and don't want to post the next solo yourself, drop me a PM and I'll do it for you.
08. If, after two days, your solo still isn't guessed, just name the full song and let me know - I'll post the next one.
09. The preferred service for uploading solos is Soundcloud, as I think no one has any trouble using it. If you have a better idea, let me know.
10. If I'm not responding when I should in a reasonable timeframe, I'm probably dead and I pass my duties to any mod willing to do this.

Don't know if this is a good place for this kind of game, please move if necessary.
 
I have a bunch of edited guitar solos lying on my HDD so I guess we can have some fun - do you know who's playing?
 
I'm not asking you for a name of the guitarist (I don't know that, most of the time). The band/song will be sufficient.
 
The first solo.
 
I'll post the next one after it's guessed.
RULES:
01. I prefer this topic to move at somewhat fast pace, so let's say two full days since posting is max period of leaving your solo here unguessed.
02. When you post the next solo, you shouldn't give any hints from the get-go and give it one day. After that, if we're still struggling with it, you can hint as much as you want, if you think it's needed.
03. Sound samples can not include vocal parts (well, maybe some very minor ones, if they're interlacing with a solo)
04. You can repeat a band that was here already - if you really want to - but let's try to be as much diversive as we can.
05. Vk, metal, anime opening - anything goes, as long as it's Japan-related.
06. It doesn't really have to be a guitar solo!
07. If you won and don't want to post the next solo yourself, drop me a PM and I'll do it for you.
08. If, after two days, your solo still isn't guessed, just name the full song and let me know - I'll post the next one.
09. The preferred service for uploading solos is Soundcloud, as I think no one has any trouble using it. If you have a better idea, let me know.
10. If I'm not responding when I should in a reasonable timeframe, I'm probably dead and I pass my duties to any mod willing to do this.

Don't know if this is a good place for this kind of game, please move if necessary.
 
I have a bunch of edited guitar solos lying on my HDD so I guess we can have some fun - do you know who's playing?
 
I'm not asking you for a name of the guitarist (I don't know that, most of the time). The band/song will be sufficient.
 
The first solo.
 
I'll post the next one after it's guessed.
RULES:
01. I prefer this topic to move at somewhat fast pace, so let's say two full days since posting is max period of leaving your solo here unguessed.
02. When you post the next solo, you shouldn't give any hints from the get-go and give it one day. After that, if we're still struggling with it, you can hint as much as you want, if you think it's needed.
03. Sound samples can not include vocal parts (well, maybe some very minor ones, if they're interlacing with a solo)
04. You can repeat a band that was here already - if you really want to - but let's try to be as much diversive as we can.
05. Vk, metal, anime opening - anything goes, as long as it's Japan-related.
06. It doesn't really have to be a guitar solo!
07. If you won and don't want to post the next solo yourself, drop me a PM and I'll do it for you.
08. If, after two days, your solo still isn't guessed, just name the full song and let me know - I'll post the next one.
09. The preferred service for uploading solos is Soundcloud, as I think no one has any trouble using it. If you have a better idea, let me know.
10. If I'm not responding when I should in a reasonable timeframe, I'm probably dead and I pass my duties to any mod willing to do this.

Don't know if this is a good place for this kind of game, please move if necessary.
 
I have a bunch of edited guitar solos lying on my HDD so I guess we can have some fun - do you know who's playing?
 
I'm not asking you for a name of the guitarist (I don't know that, most of the time). The band/song will be sufficient.
 
The first solo.
 
I'll post the next one after it's guessed.
RULES:
01. I prefer this topic to move at somewhat fast pace, so let's say two full days since posting is max period of leaving your solo here unguessed.
02. When you post the next solo, you shouldn't give any hints from the get-go and give it one day. After that, if we're still struggling with it, you can hint as much as you want, if you think it's needed.
03. Sound samples can not include vocal parts (well, maybe some very minor ones, if they're interlacing with a solo)
04. You can repeat a band that was here already - if you really want to - but let's try to be as much diversive as we can.
05. Vk, metal, anime opening - anything goes, as long as it's Japan-related.
06. It doesn't really have to be a guitar solo!
07. If you won and don't want to post the next solo yourself, drop me a PM and I'll do it for you.
08. If, after two days, your solo still isn't guessed, just name the full song and let me know - I'll post the next one.
09. The preferred service for uploading solos is Soundcloud, as I think no one has any trouble using it. If you have a better idea, let me know.
10. If I'm not responding when I should in a reasonable timeframe, I'm probably dead and I pass my duties to any mod willing to do this.

Don't know if this is a good place for this kind of game, please move if necessary.
 
I have a bunch of edited guitar solos lying on my HDD so I guess we can have some fun - do you know who's playing?
 
I'm not asking you for a name of the guitarist (I don't know that, most of the time). The band/song will be sufficient.
 
The first solo.
 
I'll post the next one after it's guessed.
RULES:
01. I prefer this topic to move at somewhat fast pace, so let's say two full days since posting is max period of leaving your solo here unguessed.
02. When you post the next solo, you shouldn't give any hints from the get-go and give it one day. After that, if we're still struggling with it, you can hint as much as you want, if you think it's needed.
03. Sound samples can not include vocal parts (well, maybe some very minor ones, if they're interlacing with a solo)
04. You can repeat a band that was here already - if you really want to - but let's try to be as much diversive as we can.
05. Vk, metal, anime opening - anything goes, as long as it's Japan-related.
06. It doesn't really have to be a guitar solo!
07. If you won and don't want to post the next solo yourself, drop me a PM and I'll do it for you.
08. If, after two days, your solo still isn't guessed, just name the full song and let me know - I'll post the next one.
09. The preferred service for uploading solos is Soundcloud, as I think no one has any trouble using it. If you have a better idea, let me know.
10. If I'm not responding when I should in a reasonable timeframe, I'm probably dead and I pass my duties to any mod willing to do this.