Ikna

Hurt Lycaon/Heal Kagrra,

 

Nightmare - 10
Royz - 19
Lustknot - 11
The GazettE - 10
Lycaon - 4
MEJIBRAY - 7
Dir en grey - 7
Kagrra, - 11

Versailles 13

Megaromania 7

D 38

Matenrou Opera 30

Cynthia - Mask of Affectation ～虚像の仮面～

Thanks Arithmetica for the informational answer. I find it interesting that Dir en grey play at the same stage/tier as most japanese bands, especially Visual kei. That should be proof enough that they didn't get more audience and a commercial sell out band by changing their sound, what many people believe. They seem to be in the same Tier since years...

I agree, their look has kind of an Under Code-ish flavour if you know what I mean. It'd be awesome if they sound anything like Vior Gloire or Megaromania... but let's see.

As long as Trombe doesn't disband, everything's fine

Seconding Joy Division's Closer. It's a very iconic album cover, together with their Unknown Pleasure cover art as well.

 

 

Dead Can Dance- Within the Realm of a Dying Sun

 

Really awesome cover that fits perfectly to the dreamy, ethereal neoclassical music. In the Darkwave associated genre there are a lot of covers with "sad" or mysterious sculptures, but most of them look rather cheesy and cliché- this one, however, does not.

 

 

Bauhaus- Burning from the Inside

 

 

Depeche Mode- Black Celebration

 

The bonus edition of the remastered album has a nice making off of this cover. It's really cool how everything was handmade and crafted carefully. There was no Photoshop back then and the cover artists put so much energy, time and blood into it.

 

 

Tiamat- Wildhoney

 

 

Last one, before the post gets too big:

Gary Numan- Replicas

 

Versailles 12

Megaromania 6

D 38

Matenrou Opera 30

Hurt SPYAIR/Heal Dir en grey

 

Nightmare - 10

Royz - 19
Lustknot - 11
The GazettE - 10
Lycaon - 6
SPYAIR - 2
MEJIBRAY - 6
Dir en grey - 7
Kagrra, - 10

Basically all Matina and Undercode tape and Cd covers. Aki Okamura did the megaromania ones and is  the designer who has worked for many Matina cover artworks as well...

 

 

 

Such as this one from Syndrome. It's the typical style that also Phantasmagoria, Lin and Megaromania covers have.

Also off topic: but doesn't such similiar systems exist in other countries as well? I am not sure, as I live in the middle of europe and I think we just generally don't have so much differntiated venues, so bigger (mostly indie though) bands might even play in fucking small discos . But I think when you start as a musician in the US you also might have to run through different types of performance spaces before you made it and can go touring in bigger halls? Just curious.

^ I agree to you, but then say that I can totally understand the people who dislike people like Justin Bieber. Yeah, hating on him with an obsessive passion, stating in every discussion, forum and under every youtube video that he sucks is really shitty and stupid behaviour. But I can totally understand everyone who is seeing him and any "artists" in his vein negatively. Why? Because this guy is a rude, attention seeking fuck who doesn't even give a single shit about his fans. He treats his own fans like trash or objects and yet expects every 11 old girl to love him unconditionally. He is marketed to be a nice guy, a dreamboy, which he isn't. You can transfer this basically to all popstars and groups created or supported by the industry.

 

Also I guess it's also the fear of adult people that young girls and boys are manipulated by musicians to become machines whose only purpose is to give the music industry more and more money. I don't know how much truth this actually holds... but if you look at some really rabid fans than I'd still start to worry. I believe this is one of the main reasons the Kpop fandom is so highly disliked, because some of their fans stick out as they are just batshit crazy.

 

But then, in my opinion, Visual kei isn't so different from Kpop. Vk guys too wear make up, are fashionable, well dressed and cute, beautiful boys. They might play different types of music, but a lot of vk music too is your standard pop music.

 

What annoys me the most about fans of any "oh so exotic because asian" music is, that they feel like the most unique, hip and anti-mainstream shit. And no, you are not cooler than the average Lady Gaga listener because you like Kpop. You are not more individual because you think "all western music sux" and you listen to oh so brutal Visual kei Metalcore. You are just really not having a better music taste in general just because you listen to any asian music.
There is really nothing more asshole-y than stupid music hipster pretending to be cool because "hey look, I like Bischual Keeeh. That msuic is so much more better and creative than all western muzic and the artists also look fucking sexey (omg hot azns) and not like ugly hairy europeans!! I am so cool, rite?"

Most visual kei vocalists are terrible. Apparently, that's also an unpopular opinion. I am aware of the fact, that not all visual kei singers are bad. But most really are. Especially in the indie vk sector you will find terrible vocalists who ruin the actually decent or good music. I am one of those people who like "crappy" old indie vk bands. Of course I also enjoy the "better" bands of the era, such as Luna Sea, Rouage, Laputa, Pierrot and Co. and I'd say that their vocalists are not terrible but still an aquired taste. What I like about visual rock the most are not directly the vocals (as they are often craptastic) or lyrics (as I can't understand them), but the music and overall concept and the overall atmosphere a band creates.

Though I admit that a lot bands actually get their interesting and unique sound because of their singers. I couldn't imagine Madeth gray'll being as awesome and dark as they are if Hisui would hit every note.

 

What puts me off of modern visual bands are the Metalcore influences. I have already mentioned this in the biggest crimes of japanese music thread, that I find it unbearable to listen to visual kei singers trying to growl when they have totally no clue how it's properly done. It fucking hurts to listen to and it does not make me wonder why visual kei singers suffer so often from problems with their voice or vocal chords. I know vocal training lessons are expensive and take time... but vk bands should really invest more into it if they don't want to risk their vocalits to damage their voice for ever.

Also I don't like the way most of these bands (including Mejibray) sing. I am more found of clear singing or the way old vk bands have screamed. So it's more personal taste than anything. But I agree that Tsusuku's voice isn't that well and he sounds like any other neo visual kei singer trying to growl or scream. Maybe I am not good at hearing, but for me D.I.D, Mejibray and Co. sound exactly the same (especially style-wise).

Yay, more hannibal fans fannibals X3 This series needs way more love. And it's disappointing that it wasn't nominated for an emmy :/

 

Still watching Supernatural, but I finally reached season 5. Also rewatching the X-Files, because it's cult.

I am quite surprised nobody has posted Hide's Pink Spider PV. I think it is well done and it was the first PV that I saw of him and instantly  loved it for the colors.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXLPlMdVS-U

Well, the others already have meantioned the bands I liked to be revived, such as Madeth gray'll, Aliene Ma'riage, La'Mule, Eliphas Levi.

 

I also add these:

Metis Gretel- really awesome group. Megaromania developed into their very own band and they weren't bad, but not comparable to Metis Gretel in any way. From all the Kote bands of the last years these guys probably were the best. They did some really awesome, original, yet familiar (because old school inspired) sounding songs.

 

Kagerou- One of these bands that will never come back again because of an important member being dead. I loved Daisuke's voice... he was an outstanding personality and his death is really a big loss for the visual kei scene. I really really miss him and this band :/ Someone please invent resurrection technology, please.

 

Malice Mizer- Considering they are on an indefinite hiatus, they may have a chance to come back. I'd hope at least this will happen one day. And hopefuly they can also bring back Klaha. What is this guy actually doing (is he even alive)?

 

Syndrome- because they are my fav Kisaki band. Maybe MIRAGE too. But in my opinion Syndrome was way more interesting than Phantasmagoria and I just simply like Tatsuya (and wish he would just stop being part of the bands he was last seen... seriously boy, come back to your roots). I doubt this will happen though with Ken being in Merry and Ruiza in D...

 

Merry Go Round- Legendary Nagoya kei. I simply love their music. Can't even explain why, but that is just the type of Nagoya kei that should become popular today. I think groups like emmurée come already pretty close to that sound, but I still wish the original to rise from the grave.

 

Phobia- The other type of awesome old Nagoya music I enjoy. And Kisui's hysterical singing is unique. I can't really find anyone else in visual kei who sounds like him. At least his solo project should be revived.

 

And then there are possibly more (Lamina, Laputa, Pierrot...). I am afraid all good japanese bands are doomed to disband. At least we still have Buck-Tick and Luna Sea.

This threads is about what we consider big crimes and things we don't want to see or happen or what pisses us really off... not what we personally dislike about jrock or visual kei. And stating that gory PVs are a crime and therefore shouldn't be made or even exist is not the same as saying "I dislike gory PVs". At least that's how I interpret the sense of this discussion.

 

I guess I know what kind of bands you are reffering to and I'd say "well, unlucky, but these bands both have the looks and image connected with eroguro, (body) horror and shock value, so what do you expect?" Sure, you are free to dislke what they do and nobody forces you to watch their music videos. Nobody is preaching anything either, but stating their opinion, just like you, Umi_Niwa.

 

About the copies thing... I believe the PV thread has shown that there are a lot of very diverse PVs. Sure, the bloody stuff is always pretty similiar, but that's not unusual about visual kei. Bands always have copied each other. You just need a few bandmembers who saw Diru's Zan PV and thought "that weird crazy shit is rad, let's do something similiar!"

But as much as there are tons of bloody music videos there are equally (if not more) totally bland, uninspiring PVs with bands posing in front of a simple location or Green Screen.

I'd rather prefer to watch Pvs with exploding hearts and Kyouki eating some girl's brain than watching a PV full of face closups and sparkles and bad CGI and shit... in the end it is always about subjective, personal taste.

 

(and before you again feel like I am attacking you, Umi_NIwa: this was just my opinion, my two cents about this and I do not have the intention of pissing you off.)

Meh, another good band disbanding. And I just wanted to get into their music :/

It seems like that opinion isn't as unpopular as I thought but I hate VK bands playing Metal.

It's not even that I dislike Metal as a genre or influence but the fact that every band does it just destroys most things I like about VK.

It takes aways the simplicity and elegance of the genre.

[...]

Metal as a music genre is just as cheesy and poseurish as VK as a style and together it's too much pathos.

 

Hm... I have to disagree. Now I am not really a big Metal fan (despite I have been one of those silly mallgoth kids who listened to Dimmu Borgir and so on... but lost interest into it) and I am not very happy with the evolution of visual kei. My problem with neo visual these days aren't really that bands have drastically changed, but their sound doesn't attract me. Of course we could argue how many bands today really play Metal and I bet there aren't that much left. Most vk bands play just simply harder rock or Metalcore, but not straight Metal. Or their Metal compositions are pretty weak and technically bad compared to "real" Metal bands and that would also explain why most Metalheads avoid VK like the plague or see it as a kind of a joke.

So I'd rather blame Metalcore and that whole Badass Indie Rock fad (also Electro/Technorock...).

 

Isn't it pretty logical that Metal is as poseurish as VK when Visual kei was an offspring of the japanese (Hair) Metal scene? Despite all the post-punk and goth influences old school visual kei too had a big amount of Metal influences. Probably not as strong or obvious than the fathers of visual kei (X, Aion and friends) or modern visual bands, but it was there. You can't really explain all that "br00tal" guitar slamming and growling in faster old school songs with "that's the post-punk influence". Goth normally isn't that aggressive (except maybe deathrock, which also had some influence on 90s visual kei. But a deathrocker would turn your neck for comparing it with Metal).

 

And to the old school topic: I  sadly am one of your elitist Goth fuckers. Seriously, I enjoy New Wave and post-punk songs more than modern gawfick music and Metal. That already makes me ignorant towards new visual kei. Though I am not sure if we can really consider old school vk to be that full of gothic influences. There are definitely metal influences too and there have been groups like Velladonna and Vasalla, which I can't really put under the goth-wave tag. I guess our very perception about what old visual kei is, is distorted by our favour for labels like Matina or Soleil. But old visual kei was much more than those amateurish indie bands. There were so many bands who played a mix of all kinds of musical styles that once upon a time were really popular in both Great Britain, the US and Japan. Old school visual kei even had electronic or "industrial" bands (Dune xxx? Blame Honey?)

 

I still have the same opinion I had in the last threads i discussed this topic. I will always favour old school visual kei bands more, because they just have the sound i like and I am honest about my intolerance. And I pretty much entered the whole visual thing with groups like old Dir en grey, Malice Mizer, Moi dix Mois and Coll:Set era D'espairsRay. Visual kei has changed, I can understand that. Like I have said in another thread, visual kei was always doomed to adapt to current trends and transforming into something else in order to survive. The scene still has some pearls to offer in the big pile of shit (which isn't a mere neo visual problem, as the flood of terrible bands already started 1996 and probably before). There are some pearls even I like. But visual kei today has become something entirely different, musically and visually. And yeah, I also tend to look after great visuals. I don't do that in other genres (seriously... there aren't that many well dressed or beautiful people in most alternative genres, including post-punk) but I do that when I search for new vk bands. Why? Because it's called visual kei and therefore I can consider their looks to be an important part of the band. When I see agroup which has interesting looks I kinda start to wonder if they also sound good. Mostly, I am going to be disapoointed, but hey... I tried

 

The only thing that pisses me off as an old school lover is the fact, that the scene doesn't offer good kote kei bands. Most people nowadays just don't give a shit about the 90s bands and the possible target audience is little and small- which means that there will always be only a few bands playing this style. I can accept that, as there will only be as much groups as ther is demand for them. But unfortunately (or sadly?) all of these bands have potential but don't use it; instead they just copy and play the same shit we have heard 10 years ago over and over again. I really like Grieva and Ru:natic... but i just wish they could create something I have never heard.

 

I can't agree with the notion of darker bands getting more exposure though... Most "darker" visual kei bands today re just sounding heavier but that doesn't mean they are edgier and gloomier. They just play "heavier" music (I know the term is pretty subjective and debatable itself). And yeah, they may have angsty lyrics. But heavy/hard/Metal/brutal/whatever music + angsty lyrics don't make a band dark. Hell, I would even agree when someone says that 80% of all gothic rock music is, in fact, not dark. Now it is really hard to define what makes a band truly dark, gloomy or melancholic... I think that's truly subjective. But I personally don't perceive most visual kei groups today to be dark. Especially not when we are talking about groups like Gazette, Mejibray or Versailles (especially the last... they are not edgy just because they wear frilly clothes and like vampire stories).

And the scene has many, several, melancholic or "darker" bands who don't get that much recognition. Like, I am still surprised how a group like emmurée who make such awesome post-punky music don't have that many fans and are heavily underrated. I'd say the same for 9GOATS BLACKOUT (though I don't really dig their stuff), cocklobin, Dish an others. I could say this for most visual and visual kei leaning bands who are coming from the Nagoya kei or Angura kei "scene". Those bands are also the ones that convince me, that visual kei isn't completely dead and that the scene can still serve some great bands. But the fans just don't care about them that much.

 

And I don't think bands are imitating old Nagoya kei á la Kuroyume either. Most bands are rather fascinated with Kiyoharu's later works or Dir en grey after their Vulgar era.

And weren't we all complaining just a few years ago, that the scene was overfilled with colourful, one dimensional oshare kei and "nyappi, everything is cool and the world is great" bands? Guess that hate for either colourful or dark bands change every new year...

And I am afraid visual kei was always full of pop rock bands. They sure are pretty one dimensional and sound like any other pop band, but it's not like the problem of softie visual rock was new. In the 90s there were many poppish bands as well. I'd even go as far to say soft visual was it's direct ancestor. I think visual kei already changed into a mass phenomenom that became a part of the fashion industry when the "genre" reached it's highest peak of popularity between 1993 and 1996. That was the time when once oh so punky, rebellish bands dropped their big hair and new wave facemask and changed into bright, casual clothes, normal hair and less make up (see Kuroyume, Shazna, L'arc~en~ciel). It seems you just can't survive or exist as a visual band without either changig into a pop group, doing the same shit until eternity or disbanding.

 

(okay, i'm gonna stop now or i will write the next deep analysis of visual kei culture...)

Thanks for the translations X3

Very interestig concept behind Kikei's lyrics. They should really do more songs like this one, I feel it would be the right direction for the band.

Wow, that's hard... because I rarely listen to new vk bands.

 

1. Grieva

2. CelL

3. emmurée

4. Kiryu

5. GAUZES

6. D

7. Moi dix Mois

8. Buck-Tick

9. Ru:natic

10. Pan-d-ra

 

well, I guess Penicillin and Luna Sea could fit there as well. Most bands I like are disbanded or have disbanded recently... but checking the lists of other people here I see some bands that could be really worth being cheked out (cocklobin, LIPHLICH, DISH...)

It's me again! With two bands...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcMQfb3y2AY

 

These guys aren't marketed directly as visual kei, if I see this correctly, so I'd rather call them heavily visual kei inspired. They are not bad, but this whol pseudo-gawf half assed black metal thing isn't my cup of tea. However, the singer is actually pretty decent and they don't try to act very visual keeeeeh musically... the PV is very low-budget and unintentionally funny though. Guess it's a matter of taste.

 

 

But this one... is a bit scary. A mongolian band that call themselves Visual Moon (very creative) and fuse together all the stylistic crimes of visual kei. They have another PV and that was a rather calm ballad, it was okay, but this PV... and I can't even judge them, since their source of inspiration isn't any better.

 

The only non-japanese visual kei band I found was pretty decent was

. Especially their very early material comes very close to good old school visual kei. Their first album also had a very nice touch of gothic rock and I love Ling's voice and singing.

 

 

Well... those guys are in the league of trying to be very visual and sounding old school. I think it's interesting, but the amount of weaboness kinda destroys it. I bet the japanese lyrics are full of spelling errors and shit... why can't they just sing in a language they are capable of speaking. No comment for that Matina low budget production-like PV.

 

In my opinion the problem of having almost no good or decent foreign visual kei bands is mostly that the japanese bands themselves aren't very good, especially in the technical aspect. Vk always suffered from bad vocalists and band members who have never learnt to play an instrument. Most vk bands are highschool goups or consist of very young and inexperienced people. And outside of japan skilled and talented muscians are rarely interested into something like visual kei so chances are low that really good musicians would come together forming a good visual kei band. It is more likely that some young weaboos who aspire to become the next Dir en grey, Madeth gray'll, Gazette or [insert any currently popular band or past legend] will.

^you forgot MERE REVEIL.

 

 

But then Lanus Dune, Ruellia & co. were all connected because they shared members and they tried to be trve old skewl... so kind of logical that they look very similiar.

 

 

Oh, and Kyouki also did the Obscure PV look

 

 

Hm... does Mao's Rosario look count as Obscure inspired too? (Edit: okay, I have overlooked that small Sadie pic you have already posted, Peace Heavy mk. I am really blind or too tired right now)

 

Hm... am I the only one thinking he won't get that much money with it? Now I don't know how much old visual kei and especially Kisaki's old label are respected in Japan, but I personally doubt that most UCP fans give a fuck about his old label. It's a nice gimmick for nostalgic people and fans of Matina and Kisaki sure wants to make money with it... but I don't really believe it will sell as good as the other, newer visual kei stuff.
 

I would buy some tapes, but I still have nothing to play them with (I am too lazy to move my ass buying a casette player...). I'd be interested into the Eze:qul tapes, since the rips I have from them are shitty...

The singer of nuvɔ:gu reminds me of Pete Burns as well.

 

 

And then there is also big hair (mostly red or with some red strands) + face mask look which seems to be very popular in visual kei.

Hide has done it followed by Die from Dir en grey, the guy from Avelcain and Haru from Grieva. There are a lot more, at least face masks were the thing in the 90s and are still beloved fashion items in visual kei.