Lestat

I am doing something different this year, and I am going through nearly every newly released black metal album I can find online. I just found this (even though Schattenvald have been around since 1998) and I can say I am pretty amazed. For fans of Emperor, Summoning and Bathory. Very melodic/symphonic, with some excellent guitar-work. Loving the vocals too.

I love Dead End, Creature Creature and Morrie — but please, those vocals are ridiculous. He sounds like something's choking. Such a beautiful voice, why ruin it like this?

I do hope these tracks still need to be mastered, as the mixing sounds positively awful. I am liking Lineage, however the rest of the previews sound very alike — it is probably a poor thought that they previewed the choruses.

I listened to that Shaarimoth album earlier, it's amazing. Definitely up to my favourites of January thus far. Laster's new album is out and it's absolutely delicious. I can't stop listening to it. (https://laster.bandcamp.com/album/ons-vrije-fatum) – I wouldn't know how non-native Dutch people would take this, as the lyrics are made up of... forgotten Dutch vocabulary indented with olden slang. Especially the spoken and whispered words are quite originally poetic.

Recently, the albums that I have been listening to average on a track-length of fifteen to twenty minutes alone. These albums therefore easily pass the hundred-minute mark and I cannot say I have ever been bothered by these numbers whatsoever. An album can be one tireless fifty-minute track, or two full sides tallying up to sixteen shorter titles, as long as the music works. As @Bearsays, it depends on the artist in particular and how well they are able to perform in any given time-frame. I can enjoy fifteen-minute albums just as much as those that last up to two hours — but given what artist performs them, they could also be horrible.

Anything from what you would call 'pre-wave' (and earlier), until somewhere to the early nineties. Essentially this would mean where this music was still merely a Japanese answer to glam-and sleaze rock (with a few influences of thrash metal here and there) and hadn't been given its own tag yet — 44MAGNUM, Ladies Room, X JAPAN, Cats In Boots, Lipstick Killers, Anthem, Vow Wow, Valentine D.C., TOKYO YANKEES, ZIGGY, Loudness, Dead End, 聖飢魔II, Aion, and so forth. These were the first Japanese bands I came in contact with before I had ever even heard of the term 'visual kei', as they seemlessly fit into my taste for glam rock; their music was overall similar, but the Japanese took their visual looks to a higher level indeed. I had been an X JAPAN fanatic for approximately six years before, and it was not until I was somewhere around the age of seventeen that I learnt of the term 'visual kei' after someone from my highschool at that time introduced me to Versailles and D.

There can never be enough organ-sounding synthesizers — I am enjoying this.

Paul makes me happy.

Those of us who actually follow him —and have enabled notifications of his tweets— have been aware that his account has been posting random polls, psychological tests and what else for at least two years now. Perhaps those who are only here to thrive off of his missteps would do well to inform themselves about his doings and whereabouts before pulling conclusions.

It truly deserves its place in my list of best releases of the year 2016. I believe it is very undervalued and overshadowed by the more popular, younger bands of today. Everyone should surely give it an attempt, at least.

To be frank at the beginning, this year was a tedious sit-through when it came down to Japanese music. Having heard most of my favourites by the end of March, the later months were a hit-and-miss, deviating between top-tier acts and absolute distastrous music that I could not find it within myself to swallow. It was therefore a heinous task to collect two handfuls of releases that I appreciated enough, resulting in a high spike of listening hours throughout the month of December where I was desperately scouring and ransacking the internet for things that I had perhaps missed. Doing so for international releases was equally as difficult, as I simply returned to the roots of my listening-experiences too late and began exploring beyond the borders of Japan again somewhere in the midst of August. Catching up and gaining a proper impression of everything wondrous released this year did not lie within my capabilities, as there was too little time left. I therefore worked with what I knew and felt comfortable with, rather than outstretching too far out of my comfort zone to perhaps pick up a few ambigious releases here and there. Japanese Picks: 「01. "地球" by 摩天楼オペラ」 Without second thoughts, "地球" may be named 摩天楼オペラ's greatest effort to this very date. There is no smothering the tremendously burgeoning acceleration with which this band grows in power metal's theatric scene — it is therefore as predicted how this group is now making a renowned name for itself outside of visual kei's tight fingers' grip, and continues to conquer the seas beyond Japan, surprising more and more ears around the world. 01. PANDORA 02. BURNING SOUL 03. 致命傷 04. YOU&I 05. 君と見る風の行方 06. Good Bye My World 07. 青く透明なこの神秘の海へ 08. FANTASIA 09. SILENT SCREAM 10. ether 11. 讃えよう 母なる地で 12. 地球 13. 嘘のない私で 「02. "SOLOIST" by 清春」 This year, a much larger fondness for soloist 清春 grew immensely through the first magical spin that was given to this warm, seasoned record. It provides every bit of a crackling ambience experienced around a large bonfire set on a secluded piece of beach, yet where flames would normally take over, it is the man's very own voice sending tepid musical streams through one's system. 01. ナザリー 02. 夢心地メロディー 03. EDEN 04. DIARY 05. ロラ 06. 瑠璃色 07. FUGITIVE 08. MELLOW 09. MOMENT 10. QUIET LIFE 11. 海岸線 12. メゾピアノ 13. 麗しき日々よ 「03. "心・技・体" by ダウト」 Issued in January, "心・技・体" remained a durable favourite throughout all of 2016. Holding steadfast to their jazz-influences and soft-rock incentive, ダウト waver not and refuse to yield to the overwhelming turmoil inhabiting visual kei's current questionable, and unstable state. Emotive and tight on the heart's strings, especially the latter half of the album exceeds expectations. 01. 心技体 02. OH! MATSURI MONSTER 03. ダァァティィ・ロマンチッカァァ 04. 53 05. 恋ができない 06. 綺麗事 07. 華麗なる外道 08. 傷心パラドックス 09. TAXI 10. おねだり 11. 国立競技党 12. SM 「04. "アトム 未来派 No.9" by BUCK-TICK」 The paramount, anointed kings of Japanese music continue their succesful streak of outstanding musicianship without a visible end in sight. Blessed be us, as the legendary BUCK-TICK's presence in our midst would be sorely missed. Fresh and tireless energy pours yet again from "アトム 未来派 No.9", a genuine and heartfelt succession to the veterans' longlasting, exemplary career. 01. cum uh sol nu -フラスコの別種- 02. PINOA ICCHIO -躍るアトム- 03. DEVIL’S WINGS 04. El Dorado 05. 美 NEO Universe 06. BOY septem peccata mortalia 07. 樹海 08. THE SEASIDE STORY 09. FUTURE SONG -未来が通る- 10. 曼珠沙華 manjusaka 11. Cuba Libre 12. 愛の葬列 13. NEW WORLD -beginning- 「05. "Baby who wanders" by DECAYS」 Exiting the catastrophic and bitter era of 2016 with an arrangement of fireworks was definitely not too problematic a task for the ambitious movement that DECAYS brings us. Bringing the two further ends of the Japanese music scene together, Die combines a plethora of talents and conjures up the enthusiastic "Baby who wanders", an all-purpose, all-around jewel in the rough. 01. Aesthetics of the transgression 02. Zero Paradise 03. 愛と哀を遺さず… ＜Baby who wanders Ver.＞ 04. Drifting litter 05. Where are you going? 06. Vagabond 07. Imprisonment Leaving 08. シークレットモード 09. HELLO! NEW I 10. Eve 11. Rana 12. D/D 13. 綺麗な指 「06. "ULTRA" by SCHAFT」 It would be criminal not to include this ambigious industrial outfit awoken from slumber after nearly two decades of what appeared to be eternal hibernation. And awarded we are, for "ULTRA" is packing harsh volume and distortion that the unit composed of the legendary 今井寿 and 藤井麻輝 —who are no longer held by the restraints of an assemblage of guest-musicians— have convincingly made their very own cohesive sound. 01. The loud engine 02. Vice 03. drift 04. SAKASHIMA 05. Der Zauberlehrling 06. Anti-Hedonist 07. ReVive 08. swan dive 09. Adam’s rib 10. Leidenschaft 11. 魅 「07. "WILLS" by HOLLOWGRAM」 Ryo and the myth of Midas are two apples from the same tree; everything they touch, turns to pure gold. "WILLS" is a short, yet emotional rollercoaster miraculously withstanding the unquestionable weight that Ryo must be feeling upon his shoulders with the amount of tasks at hand. It floats beautifully and does not stray from its dream-like purpose, not for even a mere second. 01. Lucent room 02. ラブレターレイン 03. indicencia 04. Kalmia 05. Where you go 「08. "CORD" by Angelo」 Already anticipating for Angelo's new work to fly far under the radar, there did not happen to arise any bewilderment whatsoever of how disproportionately this album was received. A pity, as the super-group devised a praise-worthy, foot-to-the-ground hard rock record uncompromised by dilly-dallying or any further nonsense. A sublime effort, and uncontested by many of their successors. 01. Umbilical cord 02. Cut 03. リテラシー 04. PROTOCOL 05. 嗤う月 06. Sorrow tomorrow 07. JUDGMENT 08. FIELD OF GOD 09. Daybreakers 10. CONNECT 「09. "憧憬、睡蓮と向日葵" by cali≠gari」 While appreciating cali≠gari not only for their peculiar oddities and quirks at random, but instead taking to their chance encounters with beautiful simplicity, "憧憬、睡蓮と向日葵" hits the hammer right on the nail's head; with melodies aplenty, the mini-album is a positively upbeat joy that doesn't take too many hours to grow in to, but then again can be repeated for many long evenings. 01. 薫風、都会、行き行きて 02. ギラギラ 03. 陽だまり炎 04. 蜃気楼とデジャヴ 05. アレガ☆パラダイス 06. 憧憬、睡蓮と向日葵 「10. "Grimoire" by forCroiX-フォークロア-」 Out of thin air, forCroiX-フォークロア- entrusted us with their headmost (and unfortunately, likely determinative) release after a four-year silence. While formed in 2012, the group has lived mostly out of our field of vision (and remains there, for they immediately dove deep yet again) — regrettably so, as their album "Grimoire" bears a courtly sound reminiscent of the magnificent days of a more gothic-redolent age of visual kei. 01. resent 02. Limited Governor 03. Distracture 04. 傀儡destination 05. Rusty 06. Dystopia～断罪の聖堂～ 07. Vagrant 08. 月ノ涙 International Picks: 「01. "Jumalten aika" by Moonsorrow」 With no contestant over the course of the year, "Jumalten aika" easily takes the highest spot in this list, overpowering with immense soundscapes and epic structures stretching far across tundra and frozen lands, reaching not only to the Scandinavian shores, but far beyond. Moonsorrow capture the essence of life and the spirits that give life, doing so through unbelievable legends and tales woven together into yet another Finnish magnum opus. CD-1 01. Jumalten aika 02. Ruttolehto incl. Päivättömän päivän kansa 03. Suden tunti 04. Mimisbrunn 05. Ihmisen aika (Kumarrus pimeyteen) CD-2 01. Soulless (Grave Cover) 02. Non Serviam (Rotting Christ Cover) 「02. "Triangle" by Schammasch」 There are no intelligible words for the monstrous enormity that is Schammasch's "Triangle", a superlative journey through the spiritual cosmos and yonder of the mere corporeal body. The avant-garde Swiss ensemble has not merely created a record; the three-way genesis is a bible —with the possibility to change one's view on existence— to those who can decipher its intentions, with an ability to transcend the human mind. CD-1 01. Crepusculum 02. Father's Breath 03. In Dialogue With Death 04. Diluculum 05. Consensus 06. Awakening From The Dream Of Life CD-2 01. The World Destroyed By Water 02. Satori 03. Metanoia 04. Above The Stars Of God 05. Conclusion CD-3 01. The Third Ray Of Light 02. Cathartic Confession 03. Jacob's Dream 04. Maelstrom 05. The Empyrean 「03. "Dust Bowl Jokies" by Dust Bowl Jokies」 Coming from Sweden are the sleaze-infested Dust Bowl Jokies, but with their hearts lying not far from West Hollywood's notorious Sunset Strip, home to many an 1980's glam rock outfit. As their moniker implies, the young group seems to take inspiration from the dry desert and its gypsy-like superstition and legends — the record therefore has an impeccible design where it serves like a movie script, rather than a mere album alone. 01. Mama Cocha 02. The Moon Hanger Grove 03. Borderland 04. Old Fashioned Country Canvas 05. Pink Flamingos 06. Rawbone 07. Bad Juju 08. Hogs And Heifers 09. Son Of The Sun 10. Lulu 「04. "Night Hides The World" by Spellcaster」 The fairly recently established juniors in Spellcaster bear the legacy of traditional heavy metal acts upon their backs as if this were a weightless matter. Their most novel endeavor comes by the name of "Night Hides The World", a young take on the traditions of old — and to be fair, the production quality is the one single element separating this group from their mighty predecessors thirty years foregoing. 01. Aria 02. Night Hides The World 03. The Lost Ones 04. Betrayal 05. I Live Again 06. The Accuser 07. The Moon Doors 08. Prophecy 「05. "For Crying Out Loud" by Shiraz Lane」 As an absolute blast from the past, Shiraz Lane have emerged from their Finnish time-machine in long hair, denim shorts and high-top sneakers. With a close absence of modern influences, the group still manages to take hold of an entirely individual style, procuring themselves a place in the hearts of those reminiscent of their youths, and the ones longing back to an era where music, —perhaps— was spoken more truly. 01. Wake Up 02. Momma's Boy 03. House Of Cards 04. Begging For Mercy 05. Same Ol’ Blues 06. Mental Slavery 07. Behind The 8-Ball 08. For Crying Out Loud 09. Bleeding 10. M.L.N.W 11. Kill Me (With Your Love) 「06. "False Highs, True Lows" by Plebeian Grandstand」 Positively vile and absurd, Plebeian Grandstand might very well be the next sludge-metal act to arise upon the scaffolding they so deserve. While their previous releases were purely chaotic mixtures of hardcore and violence, "False Highs, True Lows" has mutated through an exposure to raw black metal influences, turning it in to an absolutely distraught and murderous apparition from the very depths of the nine circles of hell. 01. Mal Du Siecle 02. Low Empire 03. Tributes And Oblivions 04. Volition 05. Mineral Tears 06. Oculi Lac 07. Tame The Shapes 08. Eros Culture 「07. "Post Pop Depression" by Iggy Pop」 A tribute to the late David Bowie, or a complete musical interpretation of Iggy Pop's longlasting legacy? Perhaps being a little bit of both, "Post Pop Depression" siphons just that what its title refers to; it is moody, oblique and hypnotic, a middle-finger to the very world and yet so relatable on a multitude of levels (perhaps that being exactly why). What a powerful farewell, what a glorious and complete manifesto. 01. Break Into Your Heart 02. Gardenia 03. American Valhalla 04. In The Lobby 05. Sunday 06. Vulture 07. German Days 08. Chocolate Drops 09. Paraguay 「08. "Mystical Future" by Wildernessking」 Black metal from South-Africa — this is a correlation not often predicted, and therefore did Wildernessking meander within the musical scene without too many loud exclamations. However, upon the very first listen to "Mystrical Future", it became clear that these men from below the equator have conjured up something truly unpredictable and magical, something belonging only to themselves. 01. White Horses 02. I Will Go To Your Tomb 03. To Transcend 04. With Arms Like Wands 05. If You Leave 「09. "The Armor Of Ire" by Eternal Champion」 Eternal Champion are journeying toward their grasp on might and glory, with a sword in their right hand, and a shield in their left. Thunderous and heroic, the epic "The Armor Of Ire" rampages over a battlefield drenched in blood, while it gets ours pumping and running coarser through our veins. The United States have not yet given up on their challenge declared to their contestants in the ancient Europe. 01. I Am The Hammer 02. The Armor Of Ire 03. The Last King Of Pictdom 04. Blood Ice 05. The Cold Sword 06. Invoker 07. Sing A Last Song Of Valdese 08. Shade Gate 「10. "Kodama" by Alcest」 One does not have to enjoy atmospheric black metal to understand that the talent behind Alcest is unquestionably a musical mastermind. His subtle handling of musical instruments and ethereal phonetic accentuation give life to transcendental French creations truly as beautiful as thousands of individuals claim. If we had some knowledge on the voices of angels, Neige would come close to turning myth into certainty. 01. Kodama 02. Eclosion 03. Je suis d'ailleurs 04. Untouched 05. Oiseaux de proie 06. Onyx 07. Notre sang et nos pensées

The addition of non-prejudiced moderators would likely be my first incentive for joining, indeed. If this turns out to be anything like the Skype chat used to be (quite hostile, a lot of member-bashing and an unmonitored environment which was a perfect place for starting fights), I think a lot of users will be greatly discouraged.

I am not quite certain if this reflects it correctly, however — http://www.last.fm/user/PIXYFALSE_/listening-report/year

I do not think it is quite unusual that my own favourite albums of this year do not correlate with those of the majority of users on the forum, and I am therefore not all that much surprised that I cannot find any more than two front-runners out of my own personal lineup on the staff's ending list. Those are BUCK-TICK's "アトム 未来派 No.9" and KEEL's "Raison d'être et de sang", and out of those two, only the former has made it to my very top tally of the year. The majority of these twenty-five are artists I am either not familiar with, or simply do not enjoy, and there are a sparse nine releases on here that I have personally heard, and three of those I could not be entertained by at all in 2016, (DEZERT, ザアザア and …。【サイレンス】) where previously I did enjoy their works. I can understand that composing such a list requires a lot of work, but with so many differences in tastes it is of course difficult to please every other soul. Another good job, however — and I am looking forward to what 2017 offers.

PSA; I am aware that he is a perfect target at the very moment, but I would like for everyone to be cautious about openly addressing him on social media, because he will be looking himself up. A few accounts on Twitter have surfaced and they are threatening Kisaki and encouraging him to commit suicide and desiring to see him tortured. It is highly likely that he is in a very ill mental state right now — and through his past comments I had already established he is severely depressed. Sadly, I am sure a lot of you have seen the explicit photos of him that have been leaked (I had already come across them a few months ago), and his physical state is also terrible. He looks extremely malnourished and sickly, and all these combinations thrown together can lead to disastrous events. Yes, he is known to be a drama-queen, but his fans are very worried about him at the moment and do not think anything that is happening further right now is staged or acted.

I do not think this will be his final decision — knowing him. His behaviour is of course irrational, and I most definitely find him an incredible moron, but I believe that is also what crafted him. It is likely best for me not to speak about the matter at all, as I do not desire to be a spokesperson for him in this case (I however have come to realize that I also, crafted myself this way), yet I feel urged to address the matter even if it were to mean breaking five months of silence. In a vicious scene as this someone with his slyness and yet clumsy tactics is not at home, and I feel he needs to seriously consider the weight of his actions when they lean on fourteen-year-old girls unable to break fact from fantasy. Visual kei is not something where personal matters and private feuds can be openly discussed, and he either needs to consider finding another base or somehow redeem himself in a different manner. Perhaps he tires of the veil draped over the scene —the entire, 'clouded in mystery' setting— but then again, he also comes across oftentimes as too immature socially-wise to be able to actually lift that veil. I genuinely hope someone or something pricks through his bubble and that he will lose his knick for drama like this. Things like this probably occur in nine out of ten musicians in this scene, he is just too idiotic that he gets caught when he goes on whims like such. It personally does not affect my fondness for him, but I must smack myself across the face on his behalf.

After due consideration, I have decided to end my public posting activities on Monochrome Heaven. Some might already be aware of my quiet departure, and I initially did not desire to place an open announcement on the forum as it would —so to speak— mean I am giving in to the defeat of feeling undesired, but after two weeks of relief in my absence I have come to the conclusion that I am holding myself back if I were to remain affected by certain unpleasantries that have surfaced around my activity, and prefer to end matters on an 'official' note. A chain of events that occured on another platform but did include certain individuals who are also active on here made me realize that perhaps with my ideals, views, personal opinions and methods of conducting myself in a social area, this is not the correct environment for me. I feel as if I have overstayed my welcome and with that in mind (a mind that is commonly overthinking every possible given situation), I feel as if it is more beneficial for me and my fellow forum-members were I to withdraw. I wish I could have offered more to this forum or participated in its activities more often. That I could have offered a more pleasant voice to interact with. It was a great wish of mine to be included on the review team as writing is one of my greatest passions (especially when it is tied to music), but I have also realized that writing is one of my greatest flaws — its style and complexity leaving me unable to move past certain barriers and walls I have constructed around myself, thus disabling me from joining that part of the community. Naturally, I have made good friends and pleasant acquaintances on here, as well as crossed people I have no desire of witnessing ever again. I suppose that is the case in every community or social group. Perhaps my sensitivity to 'trolling' and 'shit-posting' has gotten to the better part of me. I feel as if I have reached a point where I need to withdraw completely were I to be able and overlook those things without feeling as if something were to be ripped from within me. I reckon that thinking about my own mental health comes first of all. It's simply not fun anymore if every little remark upsets, or sends one into a melt-down. There is no other community online that gives such a great voice to Visual Kei and other Japanese music as Monochrome Heaven, and it will be difficult to no longer actively participate in conversation about this music, because frankly — no other place believes in it with such passion. I want to thank everyone who did eventually welcome me, who made me laugh and made me feel like I truly had a voice on here. My inbox remains open if any of you ever wants to strike up conversation. And some of you know where else to find me. All the best, and au revoir. Lestat.

It becomes really obvious that your mental disability is severely socially blocking you when you see pictures of an event you would have loved to attend all over social media, but no opportunities have presented themselves for you to go. The people that you asked either rejected you or ignored you entirely, no one personally invited you to come with them, and the people who you possibly could have tagged along with never told anyone of their attendance at all. There is only the survival of trying to fit into a society that hasn't opened itself up to social or mental defuncts, and perhaps we really are the ones who try our hardest but also fall the hardest. It always seems like that for 'normal' people, friendships and communications come so naturally, just like a breeze in the wind that doesn't even require a single thought or conscious action. And yet here I must always try to prove myself to others because of a difference, while simultaneously try and live a normal existence. Social interaction comes with a choking-hazard warning to me. I feel literally constricted or sick sometimes when I have to talk to someone, when I have to ask someone a question or even when I have to make an appointment for the dentist. Sometimes I cannot do it at all. I feel like the label of 'autism' that has been stamped onto me is just a warning for people to avoid me rather than a mere 'caution, handle with care'.

I assume using slang and unintelligible jargon would make it easier to be found friendly online. But I shall not give in only to fit in. That is not me.

ELYSION-エリシオン- Gossip-ゴシップ- R指定 ダウト 摩天楼オペラ 己龍 More グリーヴァ DIAURA マルコ Current bands only, no hiatus or disbanding. (This goes for bands only, no solo-artists.)

So, Last.fm rolled out another API update, and it completely destroys Google Chrome for me. Nine out of ten times when I visit the website, my browser ends up freezing only to receive some sort mish-mash between black and blank screens. Anyone else?

What I think is that the reason behind people's slander towards this band lies in the thought of how many Visual Kei bands are tuning down their guitars just because this –core music does well with the audience. You see musicians who previously wore pink, frilly skirts and blush on their faces in the Oshare scene suddenly covered in black smudge and fake blood. To me it looks fake, like a lot of them do not care what they are recognized for, just that they are recognized in general. It feels as if a lot of these bands aren't doing their own thing, aren't following their own dreams. It is just a test of 'we will stick with what works best, despite our personal interests.' I think this is also why you see so many bands breaking up early-on due to 'musical differences.' Something came to me earlier, that Visual Kei bands are actually a lot like sports' teams — almost like human trafficking; playing styles change over the course of the season, and you have to pick players who fit your current playing style. This all happens on a short notice, in fact it changes by the months. Visual Kei musicians are being shuffled around between teams like happens during auctions on soccer players, seemingly forming no attachment to their current team and easily moving on to the other when it's there that they can be in for the prize. And a lot of fans fall for this too! (Because they have no other choice.) Your favourite member moves from band A to band B? Let's forget about band A and specifically focus on band B, because that's where he's at for an inconclusive period of time. Now I am not saying that Deviloof specifically is one of those cases (as they previously came from heavier roots), but in this general situation, seeing -another- band pop up who are heavy just for the sake of being heavy (as their actual musicianship seems... quite unpolished), it makes us wonder whether any of these guys are in it for their own personal joy. Their music might feel empty to people, soulless and void of something to ponder over or to get lost in, because it doesn't appear to come from the heart. You can feel it when an artist doesn't put everything he or she has into what he or she does. I am not speaking for everyone even while having read similar opinions on a variety of platforms, but it's just that a lot of these upcoming metalcore bands feel like this to me (and to a lot of others). --- (Sorry, I edit my posts a lot.)

Because sales were bad. Just like with Merry.