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fitear1590

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  1. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from plastic_rainbow in Post outrageous TV/movie quotes/stills/GIFs with no context whatsoever!   
    The thread title says it all. Let's get started!


    "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw."
    Heathers (1988)
  2. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to beni in Post outrageous TV/movie quotes/stills/GIFs with no context whatsoever!   
    P.S-This thread is a blessing.
  3. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from IGM_Oficial in Post outrageous TV/movie quotes/stills/GIFs with no context whatsoever!   
    The thread title says it all. Let's get started!


    "Fuck me gently with a chainsaw."
    Heathers (1988)
  4. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to Zeus in Edit: Message Deleted   
    I never intended for the thread I split off to be turned into an example against anyone, but as long as it is I may as well make it a good one. I want @Kawaii_Minpha to walk away from this understanding that lying on the internet is bad and everything is saved somewhere. Nothing is ever truly deleted from the internet and you cannot start over when you make a mistake. I try not to let my opinions be known, but this topic is an eyesore. The initial impressions given off about Japan and the visual kei culture sound like fanciful dreams of anime land, are misleading, and fills impressionable people with these ideas that will never happen in reality (and will only lead to disappointment later). Zero percent of it was based in reality and I know we can all see that. The entire exchange devolved into a mess very quickly and thankfully she rage quit before it got any worse. I thank the people that came here to initially try to correct her because I did not have the energy to, but turning this into a witch hunt and trying to embarrass her after the fact is bullying and I won't have it. Party is over.
     
     
  5. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to Chi in Show Yourself (again)   
    It here
  6. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from CAT5 in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    Yesss, togz!
     
    Thanks, bb!

    I wonder if their new label is partly to blame for the lack "UMPHHH!!!" from a production standpoint. Granted, I also thought Elegance was lacking some pizzazz and iirc, that was still self-released like Rhapsody in beauty and zeitgeist. Hmm...
     
    Playing around with the tracklist is an interesting idea... What would your ideal track order be for this album?
     
    Thanks so much! Also, I think your comment about not agreeing, but giving the same score sheds light on THE NOVEMBERS' unique appeal. For instance, many of us here are talking about "Rhapsody in beauty" (the song), but for me, my favorite ~dreamy~ NOVEMBERS tracks from that album are easily the album closers ("Romance" and "僕らはなんだったんだろう").

    And holy shit, yes. Can we forgot DECAYS was a thing and make Nagoya Kei-bayashi happen instead?!
    I simply could not prolong the use of that dweeby promo pic from Elegance and I also wasn't happy with this album's pic 

    I was just telling Cat earlier this week, I've recently gained a new appreciation for Misstopia. That was my bad with the poll, I should have made it so multiple choices were possible, so we didn't have to pick one favorite, haha. Should have included their mini-albums as options too! Gahh!
  7. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from plastic_rainbow in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    Yesss, togz!
     
    Thanks, bb!

    I wonder if their new label is partly to blame for the lack "UMPHHH!!!" from a production standpoint. Granted, I also thought Elegance was lacking some pizzazz and iirc, that was still self-released like Rhapsody in beauty and zeitgeist. Hmm...
     
    Playing around with the tracklist is an interesting idea... What would your ideal track order be for this album?
     
    Thanks so much! Also, I think your comment about not agreeing, but giving the same score sheds light on THE NOVEMBERS' unique appeal. For instance, many of us here are talking about "Rhapsody in beauty" (the song), but for me, my favorite ~dreamy~ NOVEMBERS tracks from that album are easily the album closers ("Romance" and "僕らはなんだったんだろう").

    And holy shit, yes. Can we forgot DECAYS was a thing and make Nagoya Kei-bayashi happen instead?!
    I simply could not prolong the use of that dweeby promo pic from Elegance and I also wasn't happy with this album's pic 

    I was just telling Cat earlier this week, I've recently gained a new appreciation for Misstopia. That was my bad with the poll, I should have made it so multiple choices were possible, so we didn't have to pick one favorite, haha. Should have included their mini-albums as options too! Gahh!
  8. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to plastic_rainbow in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    I was gonna say where did that promo pic come from?? xD
     
    I thought Hallelujah was not a bad album. I quite like the nostalgic feel in it, but there were only a few tracks that I really enjoyed, namely Hallelujah, What Little Love, and Even Time Ages. They're the only tracks that I can play on repeat, while the rest are perhaps more forgettable for me. I mean, songs like 1000 Years, Black Rainbow, and I Want To Love You are also great, but it doesn't quite reach that wow factor where I can listen to it on repeat for pretty long.
     
     
    I can agree with this whole statement. Sure they still make great music, but I highly doubt they'll ever make anything better than my all time favorite album, that is To (melt into). In my ears, that album is too perfect and I love every single track from it. I think it has its own overall dark and gloomy tone with frequent psychedelic guitars that I feel they'll never bring back. I love it so much I don't even feel the need to rank their other albums, haha. It's actually just very hard for me to rank the others because they're kinda all over the place for me...A bit sad to see that Misstopia and picnic don't have much love though.
  9. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to indigo in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    @fitear1590 Great review! I enjoy your style of reviewing. I don't agree with all your opinions but I think I would give it the same score you did.
     
    My expectations for this album were very high, like they always are with THE NOVEMBERS releases and I was a bit disappointed if I'm being honest. And it's still one of the best J-albums released this year so that's saying something about the quality of their music.
     
    Some notes about the album / songs:
     
    - 1000 Years is like a poor man's version of Blood Music.1985.
     
    - Kobayashi's vocals on 愛はなけなし (What Little Love) make me think that he would be a great nagoya kei vocalist.
     
    - I think @CAT5 put it well with there being no notable "UMMPPH!" moments that make you revisit the songs time after time. For me moments like these are the first chorus of Rhapsody in beauty with the siren guitar and Kobayashi's high notes interlocking, the killer riff starting at 1:30 in Wire (Fahrenheit 154), the chorus of 彼岸で散る青 (Jigan de chiru ao). There were no moments on "Hallelujah" where I thought "holy shit that's amazing!"
     
    - My favorite songs after multiple listens: Black Rainbow, What Little Love, Just Going Far. That guitar riff in Just Going Far's "chorus" is fantastic!
     
    And for lolz: 1. (To) melt into, 2. Zeitgeist, 3. Rhapsody in beauty, 4. Hallelujah
     

     
  10. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to Zeus in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    You took the words right out of my mouth! I can agree with the overall sentiment that this is a great album but not their best. For me, the biggest downside is the inconsistent flow of the album. With just a little bit of re-arrangement, the entire album could have come off as more cohesive. When there are sprints of tracks near the end that don't resonate with me, I fall out of the music pretty quickly. The first half of this album is pretty bad-ass but the second half just puts me to sleep. I haven't listened to enough of THE NOVEMBERS to be able to rank them as CAT and togz have, but I know that it's above "Elegance" but below "Rhapsody in Beauty".
  11. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to CAT5 in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    Awesome review as usual @fitear1590 - I always enjoy your writing!
     
    I enjoy this album, but there just aren't any moments that make me go "UMPHHH!!!" like Koba's shouting before the chorus in "Blood Music.1985" or in "鉄の夢". There are no songs that make me want to just fly off into the clouds with Koba's voice like in the chorus to "Rhapsody in beauty".  Nothing on this album feels as emotionally cathartic as when Koba hits those high notes near the end of "dumb." There are no songs here where I can simply get lost in the beautiful, melancholic guitar interplay and the smooth buttery basslines like in "We" and "はじまりの教会".
     
    But, as I said, it's still a good album - hell, it's extremely solid in fact. It just doesn't reach any of the peaks that the other albums reach for me, and the narrative/flow just isn't as compelling for me. I'd rate this as my 4th favorite album of theirs - with Zeitgeist up first, Rhapsody 2nd, and To melt 3rd - with a fucking razor thin difference between those three.
     
    My favorite tracks from Hallelujah atm are "Black Rainbow", "1000 years", "Just Going Far" and "What Little Love".
  12. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from indigo in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    | Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
     
    Tracklist:
    1.Hallelujah
    2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
    3.1000年 (1000 Years)
    4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
    5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
    6.風 (Wind)
    7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
    8.!!!!!!!!!!!
    9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
    10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
    11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


     
    THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
     
    The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
     
    With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
     
    “Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
     
    Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

    What did you think of Hallelujah?
     

    Support the band!
    Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon Japan
  13. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from plastic_rainbow in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    | Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
     
    Tracklist:
    1.Hallelujah
    2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
    3.1000年 (1000 Years)
    4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
    5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
    6.風 (Wind)
    7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
    8.!!!!!!!!!!!
    9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
    10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
    11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


     
    THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
     
    The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
     
    With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
     
    “Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
     
    Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

    What did you think of Hallelujah?
     

    Support the band!
    Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon Japan
  14. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from Zeus in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    | Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
     
    Tracklist:
    1.Hallelujah
    2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
    3.1000年 (1000 Years)
    4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
    5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
    6.風 (Wind)
    7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
    8.!!!!!!!!!!!
    9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
    10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
    11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


     
    THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
     
    The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
     
    With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
     
    “Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
     
    Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

    What did you think of Hallelujah?
     

    Support the band!
    Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon Japan
  15. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from Delkmiroph in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    | Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
     
    Tracklist:
    1.Hallelujah
    2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
    3.1000年 (1000 Years)
    4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
    5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
    6.風 (Wind)
    7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
    8.!!!!!!!!!!!
    9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
    10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
    11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


     
    THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
     
    The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
     
    With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
     
    “Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
     
    Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

    What did you think of Hallelujah?
     

    Support the band!
    Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon Japan
  16. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to togz in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    This is an awesome review and you stole the words right out of my mouth. I'm glad to see we favored the same song! I think it shows a lot of different sides just in one track but doesn't sound too choppy. 
     
    I really liked this album its easily my second favorite after zeitgeist.
     
    thank you for reviewing this!
  17. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from togz in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    | Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
     
    Tracklist:
    1.Hallelujah
    2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
    3.1000年 (1000 Years)
    4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
    5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
    6.風 (Wind)
    7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
    8.!!!!!!!!!!!
    9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
    10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
    11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


     
    THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
     
    The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
     
    With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
     
    “Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
     
    Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

    What did you think of Hallelujah?
     

    Support the band!
    Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon Japan
  18. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from Original Saku in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    | Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
     
    Tracklist:
    1.Hallelujah
    2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
    3.1000年 (1000 Years)
    4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
    5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
    6.風 (Wind)
    7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
    8.!!!!!!!!!!!
    9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
    10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
    11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


     
    THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
     
    The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
     
    With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
     
    “Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
     
    Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

    What did you think of Hallelujah?
     

    Support the band!
    Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon Japan
  19. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from Ada Suilen in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    | Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
     
    Tracklist:
    1.Hallelujah
    2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
    3.1000年 (1000 Years)
    4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
    5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
    6.風 (Wind)
    7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
    8.!!!!!!!!!!!
    9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
    10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
    11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


     
    THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
     
    The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
     
    With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
     
    “Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
     
    Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

    What did you think of Hallelujah?
     

    Support the band!
    Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon Japan
  20. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from CAT5 in #87: THE NOVEMBERS - Hallelujah   
    | Not quite divine, but a PREACH-worthy effort!
     
    Tracklist:
    1.Hallelujah
    2.黒い虹 (Black Rainbow)
    3.1000年 (1000 Years)
    4.美しい火 (Beautiful Fire)
    5.愛はなけなし (What Little Love)
    6.風 (Wind)
    7.時間さえも年老いて (Even Time Ages)
    8.!!!!!!!!!!!
    9.ただ遠くへ (Just Going Far)
    10.あなたを愛したい (I Want To Love You)
    11.いこうよ (IKOUYO)


     
    THE NOVEMBERS hold a special place in the hearts of many Monochronmiums. I would go as far as saying, the majority of us who have at least a toe dipped in the waters of the ‘J-Rock’ and Japanese indie scenes, are fans of the band in some capacity. What makes THE NOVEMBERS a unique case is their wide appeal. Without going into strict alter egos, their sound can be divided into two major halves: namely, the light, jangly, and shoegaze-y sound and their darker, more aggressive, alternative sound. Or, as I term them, ~dream ver.~ and ~scream ver.~. While 2015’s Elegance leaned heavily toward the dreamy sound, this album, Hallelujah, seeks to restore balance.
     
    The title track eases us into the album delivering (us from evil) with a euphoric sound, featuring simple, ‘tribal’ style drumming. It’s an epic theme, if a bit one-note. Immediately changing gears, the band hangs a hard U-turn with “Black Rainbow.” As the first single release of the album, we got to preview this angsty number back in July. Can anyone say, ‘shoegrunge’? The band maintains the forceful momentum on “1000 Years,” perhaps the best received heavy track on the album, according to comments here on MH. There’s something vaguely thrashy about the riffs on this one. Kobayashi’s harsh vocals are also noteworthy, invoking a paradoxically restrained rawness.
     
    With a pretty strong start to the album, tracks 3 through 6 form a flawless stretch for me, as someone who predominantly gravitates toward THE NOVEMBERS’ lighter sound. “Beautiful Fire" is gorgeous and the polar opposite to the grittiness of the previous two tracks. It has more conviction than the wispy work on last year's Elegance and it also marks a glorious return to those warm horn arrangements, a nod to 2012's stunning GIFT EP (did you really think I could get through a NOVEMBERS review without namedropping it?), which adds a nostalgic touch. “What Little Love” is a track I slept on at first, but if I had to choose now, I’d probably nominate it as my album fave! I know @togz agrees with me! What’s fascinating about this track is its fusion of the band’s two sides. The dark, but tranquil verses are somewhat reminiscent of 2013's zeitgeist-era tracks like “Meursault.” The choruses, however, are where the band’s dreamier side shows through again. The piercing, ethereal synths are a NOVEMBERS signature, but during the chorus, they creep ever so gingerly towards dissonance, adding a striking tension to this song. Bringing up the rear of my album high is “Wind.” I’m not sure the band has ever produced a number quite like this, with bright riffs that would be at home in 90s/early 2000s ‘white kei.’ If you’re wondering what the hell I ever mean with ‘jangly’ guitar, look no further than “Wind.” Plus, Kobayashi hits an unusually high register in this track that is truly music to my earholes.
     
    “Even Time Ages” is where Hallelujah starts to falter. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite enjoy this gloomier track, but it feels like what we’ve heard before on zeitgeist or mid-album on 2014's Rhapsody in beauty. "!!!!!!!!!!!" is arguably the weakest showing on the album, lacking the distortion to back up how aggressive it wants to be. “Just Going Far” seems to directly cite zeitgeist’s “Flower of life” with its contrasting heavy bass and airy synth approach, though I suppose this one has more of a somber mood. “I Want To Love You” is where the band gets back on track, granting us a droning, unabashedly shoegaze ballad, if such a thing exists.  In fact, this track and the closer “IKOUYO” summon the distortion that their last album, Rhapsody in beauty, so selfishly hogged for the ~screamy~ tracks,  proving that the ~dreamy~ side can get down and dirty just as well.
     
    Dazzling (and colorful) cover art aside, Hallelujah is unlikely to go down as many people’s favorite NOVEMBERS album. Despite unprecedented tracks like “Wind” and “I Want To Love You,” the album is just a little too derivative of work they’ve already released. Having said that, ‘more of the same’ is not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, Hallelujah is still a kickass record and is commendable for balancing the band’s two primary sounds more effectively than on recent releases. THE NOVEMBERS have been around for eleven years and it's not that they are starting to show their age. Rather, it’s simply getting tougher and tougher for them to outdo themselves. Even so, they remain as solid as ever. Perhaps, we just need to reconceptualize Hallelujah as something to hold us over until their inevitable release in 2017. I, for one, am already looking forward to discovering where the band will take us next. And maybe, just maybe, the band will give us a decent promo photo next year so I don't have to resort to a still from a PV!

    What did you think of Hallelujah?
     

    Support the band!
    Spotify | CDJapan | Amazon Japan
  21. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from hiroki in LONDBOY new maxi single "エグゼ" release   
    That poor rhythm guitarist gets the worst hair each time...

    Looking forward to this! They're a pretty promising new band.
  22. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to ShanethVarosa in #86: Versailles - The Greatest Hits 2007 - 2016   
    | I couldn't imagine a more amazing return for one of my favorite bands!
     
    August was a month of beginnings for our favorite band of Visual Rock Royalty. Hizaki had his solo album come out after being highly anticipated for quite some time and Versailles themselves reunited for a magnificent show on the 7th! This could only be the harbinger of something great to come. 
     
    In lieu of coming straight back with an album or EP of new material, the boys decided to do a self-cover album featuring two new songs. This is astounding because most visual rock artists historically have done vaguely remastered versions of their classics and stuck a couple new songs on there as an afterthought. Versailles obviously put a lot of thought and effort into this release and made it quite clear that they had their je ne sais quois back after a 4 year hiatus (and a string of releases that lacked their 'it' factor).
     
    In all honesty, the release has left me with a certain level of confusion. First of all, where was this passion on Holy Grail and Versailles? Because honestly I'm not certain I've ever heard such amazing music played as though the artists were just going through the motions as I've heard on those albums. Here, we have the boys playing their old songs gracefully (e.g. Zombie, Aristocrat's Symphony, After Cloudia) and their newer songs played with a passion insurmountable (e.g. Masquerade, Phillia, Destiny). Part of me wants to know what they did in the studio to make these songs sound inexplicably 30x better than the originals, part of me doesn't care because I'm glad I have them back.
     
    Even with all of Kamijo's practice writing and pronouncing English words, he still seems to have a hard time. Without Zeus's help, I still would have no idea that he's saying "Raise a living corpse" about halfway through "Zombie." Not to mention "Shout & Bites" has all those growls that seem to have not improved at all. Sure the songs are still bangers either way, but one would think he could've gotten a little more used to the  "mouth feel" of the English language. In any case, none of that is as baffling as how we manage to now have a third unique version of "The Love From A Dead Orchestra." Not as though I'm complaining, however, this song is an unparalleled masterpiece.
     
    Finally, after all the confusion, one must admit the new songs are a brilliant example of two sides of the same coin. Versailles' ability to create a head-banging symphonic rock opera like "Melodic Thorn" and a romantic power-ballad that isn't entirely depressing a la "Chandelier." 
     
    Opinions may vary on whether they're better together or apart and I think all those opinions have truth to them, but ultimately one must recognize that these musicians are geniuses and really know their way around creating pieces of music that generate discussion.
     
    Full marks.
     
     
    Support the band!

    CDJapan
  23. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to indigo in THE JAPANESE INDIE THREAD   
    I always associated (Japanese) city pop with these bands with young male members with trendy clothes, colorful caps or beanies and guitar straps adjusted a bit too tight. And chill chunez.
     
    jk but not rly
     
    ...So bands that have already been mentioned like yogee new waves, the fin., never young beach (notice the marine theme, maybe it should be sea pop? beach pop?)
     
    I have to agree with the blog post on city pop being more about the certain vibe and aesthetic rather than a similar sound.
  24. Like
    fitear1590 reacted to beni in THE JAPANESE INDIE THREAD   
    I'm finding it kind of funny because apart from certain acceptations, such as the fin., Winnie and Special Thanks, I find very few such groups to be Western sounding. Even outside of this case. If anything ones that are obvious such as Jin Akanishi and I Don't Like Mondays are clearly influenced by it. And that's only because I end up associating them to like the Asian equivalent of Western bands (the fin. with the 1975, Special Thanks with sum 42 e.c.t). I actually find the big Jpop names such as Utada and Namie Amuro most Western, anything smaller I just can't hear it. So I'm in an agreement with fitz.
     
    I obviously am no expert on this. I also always thought the term "City Pop" was a way to group these indie acts of a similar sound together. Also am surprised that acts like (((Sssurrounddd))) weren't mentioned. But again my reasons for including them isn't because I think they're Western sounding, but similar to Awesome City Club and such. Like I brought up with I Don't Like Mondays, there's more obvious Western sounding bands outside of this, so I'm a bit confused with it.
     
    It's definitely nice there's a label for these bands, but explaining it as Western, I can't get behind. Save for a few of them, sure. But only because of little things, when there's others that have a much more obvious Western influence. 
     
    Now I get the club joke... lol.
  25. Like
    fitear1590 got a reaction from Suuu in Rides in ReVellion   
    Yay, glad you guys had a good time! Hopefully, the band enjoyed the experience and will do more overseas shows in the future!
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