tetsu_sama69

sigh *unzips*

Joke's on them - I've been simulating loving them for years now!

limited edition (2,160yen) will include CD+DVD (including "Imperial City" PV & PV making), and regular edition (1,296yen) will include CD only
 
Sadie Ba.亜季(aki) will act as their recording support Ba.

Both V STAR PROMOTION and Rides In ReVellion are aware that it's very difficult for foreign fans to attend concerts in Japan.
Cost alone is huge issue.
So our aim is to help those who have an interest by helping organise the "small things"

Them previews! I cannot get enough of this band!

Tracklist:
1. 「howling」
2. Lily
3. Royal Order
4. Declaration of war
5. Cordyceps sinesis
6. A Box In Beautiful
7. Miss.EVIL INSIDE
8.「flowing」
9. Chains of collar
10. Who's bad psycho party
11. pAIN kILLER
12. 緋雨
13. 結晶華
14. **88**
15. REDRUM（album edit）



| The royal order loses its luster
  Like them or hate them, Lycaon cemented their place as one of the most influential post-2000's visual kei bands. Another thing they've managed to do successfully is to get their fans to debate which album is their best. Depending on who you ask, the most likely answer would be their first album Royal Order or their last album camera obscura. Royal Order was one of my favorite visual kei albums for many years. If you asked me five years ago for a list of my favorite visual kei albums of all time, Royal Order surely would have made the list. Now? Not so much. I've now come to officially throw my ring into the hat and make this endless debate even more complicated.

It's always bothered me that so much of this album was released as singles, but it pisses me off to no end that they decided to include all of them on this album. "Cordyceps sinensis", "Declaration of War", and "A Box in Beautiful" get a pass, but each single leading right into the next unbalances the album. "Declaration" is probably the weakest song with "A Box in Beautiful" as the strongest of the three, but that could be my preferences talking. Then there's "chains of collar"; one of their more iconic singles but was a bit aged by this point in time. "結晶華", "RED RUM", and "緋雨" are previously released tracks  to pad the run time. Stick two SE's in there and you will realize that I just I covered half of the album in one breath. That's not a good look.
 
What else sucks is that "Plug > into the > Socket" was a great, energetic rock number that would have fit anywhere, but they decided to release that on a cassette tape instead. If they absolutely must have included older tracks to fill out the album, both "「琥珀彩」～コハクイロ～" and "The[1st] degree genocide holic" are much better options (they had already pimped the latter out for the さわやか3組 2009 omnibus).  I would have been happy with a remaster of "The Death Game" at least! Note that I stress they do something with their older songs. They changed up "RED RUM" a bit but didn't even bother to touch "緋雨" so Yuuki's unpolished, brusque vocals and rougher production stick out like a sore thumb against the crisper production of the newer tracks. However, there is no reason why a band must include anything from their oldest singles at all.

So what about the rest of the album @Zeus? The tone of my paragraph above suggests I would have preferred more new tracks, but the records show it took the band six months to come up with the rest of the album and the new additions weren't as solid as the singles. "Miss DEVIL INSIDE" is our first introduction into the genre-hopping that Lycaon hadn't fully embraced by this point. I can appreciate the unexpected double bass rolls into the screaming chorus but at it's best it's budget System of a Down worship. "**88**"" is a clone of "Miss DEVIL INSIDE" with even less polish and a scream so harsh at the end it can blow out eardrums. Finally, the title track "Royal Order" is weak sauce; it bounces between those burpy harsh vocals and that cavity-inducing saccharine chorus but the rest of the song is forgettable. I can't believe they actually named the album after this...
 
Now that I got all my complaints out of the way, what little is left is why anyone should give Royal Order the time of day. The album should have jumped straight into "Lily". Excellent music writing and experimentation with some new sounds and a catchy, almost Gazette-ish chorus makes for one of the better new tracks. "who's bad psycho party" is actually a lot better than it's title lets on. With a four to the floor disco beat nesting lovely with some electronic effects, this and "pAIN kILLER" are the best out of the newer tracks - it's just a shame that the former isn't included on the limited edition. It took me a while to warm up to both tracks but now I see the value they bring towards the end of the record as well as why they follow one another. "結晶華", shamelessly lifted from Ambrozia, is also a wonderful breath of fresh air. A ballad needed to be present and this was their best one to date. They did everyone a favor too by removing the obnoxious minute and a half of silence at the end. It's a good song, but it doesn't leave me breathless. The re-recording of "RED RUM" is a nice touch to finish off the album, although I think it would have been even more effective if "**88**" wasn't included at all and "結晶華" and "RED RUM" swapped positions. I also miss the scream at the beginning but the harsh vocals at the end make up for it.

So Royal Order is a mixed bag. I still enjoy listening to it to this day, but five years with an album gives you a new perspective on it. I enjoy this album a lot more because I enjoy Lycaon's discography and all the songs I like are mostly songs I've heard before. It has a few surprises here and there, but it's got a few duds as well (well actually, more than a few if you count the instrumentals as music). I recommend it as an overall good album to listen to, but it's not the be-all end-all post-2000's visual kei release I once thought it was.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
...but @Zeus, you didn't answer the question! Which Lycaon album is the best album?
 
*sigh*
 
You can infer that Royal Order wins because my >score for camera obscura was only a hair lower and as far as I'm concerned 嘘と女と『　　　　』 never happened, but that would be missing the point. A star doesn't mean much in the long run. Lycaon has great songs and poop songs from every era. Some of their best songs are on their worst releases and some of their worst songs are omnipresent. Even the "erotic" era I'm notorious for disliking has "Mary" and "MAD NEUROSIS CHILD"! As a band, Lycaon were all over the place because they were always changing their concept. This is one of the few times that a best-of album would have been very welcome, but that raises the sticky question of how to blend all their eras together with a nice flow. Settling on a style is an issue they never quite worked out before disbanding, and I personally believe the departure of eve and 美央 only made this problem worse because it left the other members to experiment freely. "Experimenting freely" is how you end up with releases like Masochist Red Circus.
 
If you want an answer to the most consistent Lycaon release, Ambrozia is a safe bet. That's all you get for free. 

it is announced at ViV one-man live at Shinjuku ReNY at 2016/02/20 that their new maxi single "anagram / EMOTION" released at 2016/04/27 (3 TYPE)
 
limited edition TYPE A (1,800yen) will include CD+DVD (including "anagram" PV), limited edition TYPE B (1,800yen) will include CD+DVD (including "EMOTION" PV), and regular edition (1,500yen) will include CD only
 
[CD track list]
01.anagram
02.EMOTION
03.完全無欠のスーパースター(kanzenmuketsu no superstar) (included in regular edition)
 
 
btw they will hold their presents live "SUPER EMOTIONAL TOUR 2016" since Shinjuku RUIDO K4 at 2016/04/28 and up to tour final at Shinjuku ReNY at 2016/06/10
 

聖飢魔II(SEKIMA II) has returned to makai (5th disbandment) after their one-man live "地獄の再審請求「上告」" at Nippon Budoukan at 2016/02/20, and their new maxi single "荒涼たる新世界(kouryoutaru shinsekai)" will be released at 2016/04/13 (2 TYPE - regular edition / limited-period edition with different cover, 1,296yen each), for which title track will be theme song of TV anime "テラフォーマーズ リベンジ(terraformars revenge)"
 
[track list]
01.荒涼たる新世界(kouryoutaru shinsekai)
02.PLANET / THE HELL
03.荒涼たる新世界(kouryoutaru shinsekai)(instrumental)
04.PLANET / THE HELL(instrumental)
 
 
their 黒ミサ大教典(live album) "全席死刑 -LIVE BLACK MASS 東京-" will be released at 2016/04/13 (3,564yen), which will include 2CDs (including songs from their one-man live at 2015/10/19)+photo booklet

As I tried to say before this was officially published
 
 
I liked this mini. There's something oddly nostalgic about them, but I don't mean to imply that they sound like a late-90's revival band at all. It's more of the feeling I got when I was first getting into vkei and listening to what UCP had to offer in 2007 (like CleariVeil and Mago). Thus far, they aren't really anything to write home about but they'll be nice to check in on from time to time.

Tracklist:
1. Everlasting
2. BLACK ROSE
3. Collapsed Connection
4. Enough.
5. THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE
6. Maladjusted Child
 

   | A rush of energy spiced with a hint of chaotic undertones that barely falls short
 
THE EGOIST was formed from the members of a live-limited band by the name of Limited「E=」featuring members from LiLiCAL and @NNIVERSARY on the 10th of October 2015 and are currently signed to ROCKSTAR RECORDS. Some are already familiar with the Vocalist Rouis who came from a band of a similar name エゴis≒徒 (Egoist) and guitarist セツナ (Setsuna) from LiLiCAL. They announced soon after that they were releasing their first mini-album and debut release EMBLEM which came out on the 12th of December 2015. With the experience of their line-up does this mini-album express their style and sound well? There's only one way to find out!
 
The opening track "Everlasting" starts with a cascade of solid drumming and a slight ethereal guitar riff mingled with a nice bass line that carries the song along before the vocals kick in and it melts in a very solid song with Rouis giving a nice sample of his vocal range; especially the mixed in whispers throughout which I feel melt in with the song quite nicely. The track isn't extremely heavy even with a taste of screams thrown into the bridge before bringing you along on a trip with a tasty guitar solo and taking you to your stop back to the chorus. I feel this song is a great opener and leads you in the next song smoothly. The next track "BLACK ROSE" starts with another great guitar riff and the slightly rough vocals that explode into a nice scream which leads into the great energy that keeps on strong. The bass throughout is amazing and even the drumming remains strong until the mid-point of the track. It then melts into another fantastic guitar solo with a heavy breakdown that carries you back to the chorus. "Collapsed Connection" is a bit heavier and it makes that quite obvious right at the start with the slightly chaotic guitar mingled with heavy bass and drumming. The vocals kick in and through the song they occasionally add a nice filter to it and I never feel overwhelmed by as it's not overused. The pace of this song fits with the chaotic style of the music and it keeps up the strong energy of the mini-album.
 
The next song on the album does not disappoint with "Enough." opening with a clapping beat and a similar filter on the vocals as the previous track. That is soon taken over by an extremely lively bass line that explodes into a charging heavier tone of screaming vocals and music. It dips into a jazzy beat with more of the filtered vocals which go back the nice rough whispered tones that Rouis does so well and transitions you into the chorus spiced so nicely with sweet bass lines. I feel this song stands out in a very solid and energetic mini-album and shows off the musical talent of the entire band especially after Rouis sings "You're asking for it" and it explodes into an even heavier breakdown until the end of the song smoothly transitioning you into the next track, "THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE". The song keeps up with the high energy of the album and continues to follow the even heavier pace that was started with the previous track. There are more robotic filters used with the vocals throughout but it never feels overused as it's only sprinkled into just the right places. I mostly enjoyed the song up to the point where Rouis lets out an insane laugh and it roars into another chaotic breakdown but then falls short when it transitions back to the chorus. The chorus doesn't stand out well in this song as it's mostly just "the agency of providence~" over and over again and feels like cookie-cutter clean vocals that you hear from most current visual bands.
 
With the last track "Maladjusted Child" I was worried it was going to be an obligatory ballad-type song but it surprised me. It doesn't follow the same chaotic style featured through the rest of the album and is a great closer. The smooth bass line sets the mood for the song and is partnered with great drumming that keeps up the calmer pace. The vocals emit the darker emotion of the entire track, especially the rough crooning that picks up during the chorus and fits in perfectly, carrying you to the end of the album.
 
THE EGOIST came out of the gate with a very solid and energetic debut release. Even though there was a very slight shortcoming in the latter half of the album it wasn't enough to ruin the release for me. It does a very good job of showcasing the band's talents and I was happy it wasn't overtaken with excessive filters and the complete lack of djent "bleep-bloop" left me with a very good taste in my mouth. It also didn't get stuck into trying to be super metalcore but instead feels like the direction some Visual-Kei bands need to take a step in. If you're looking for some heavier styled high energy music, then EMBLEM is definitely what you're looking for.
 

 
-Support the artist! Buy it here!-
    Brand-X CD Japan    

their members have changed (back) their stage names (and thus they have departed for their previous stage names), and Gt.玖(kuu) & Dr.色梛(shikina)(ex-De/Ash-->MoЯGuE-->黒い林檎(kuroi ringo)) have joined the band at 2016/02/19
 
VRZEL current line-up:
Vo.Cion-->紫音(cion)
Gt.燎夜(ryouya)-->Яyoya
Gt.玖(kuu)
Ba.KiRa-->綺羅(kira)
Dr.色梛(shikina)
 
 
title of their 3rd anniversary one-man live at Takadanobaba AREA at 2016/04/01 will be changed from "怨(en)" to "Re:Start", and they will hold 綺羅(kira) birthday free one-man live at HOLIDAY SHINJUKU at 2016/04/28
 

 

currently working on
Rides In ReVellion live photography (17th February)

Well that was unfortunate with the timing and the name...
I guess the live...
...
 
was bittersweet
 
 
I'll see myself out now... Me and trying to be cheeky... fuckin hell...
This is a new low now... My avatar must be takin the piss because he still starin at me
with those giant fookin sunglasses. *starts to go full scouser* /s

it is announced at GLAM GRAMM@R one-man live "バンギャル超会議♡2016" at Yotsuya LOTUS at 2016/02/14 that their new mini album " "私"じゃないもう一人の"私"の見つけ方("watashi" janai mou hitori no "watashi" no mitsukekata)" will be released at 2016/06/01, although details have not yet been announced
 
 
btw they will hold their one-man live "バンギャル超会議♡2016 SUMMER" at Shinjuku RUIDO K4 at 2016/08/14
 
 
SET-LIST at 2016/02/14:
 
SE
01.モノクロニクル
02.憧れの整形美人～beauty cyborg～
03.Four Dimensions
04.Spider's silk play
05.独裁ラヴァーズ
06.零れ落ちたその夢に名前を付けよう
07.夢想色～Release of individuality～
SE.Interlude
08.Canon Rock
09.東京名無しちゃん♀
10.世界終末時計
11.キミが描く「自由」という名の「不自由」
12.MONSTER
 
EN1
01.四次元オーケストラ
02.夢のつづき
 
EN2
01.少女A

holy shit this is good
esp. それぞれの孤独
 
Umm..
Can someone clarify what this entry says? http://ameblo.jp/nias-re-ta/entry-12113193118.html
It unfortunately looks as if the band is disbanding after the Shinjuku club SCIENCE live on the 20th.
(the decision made by all 5 members due to the condition of a member (?))
It also looks like this mini-album is going to be mail-order as well...
 
 
*screams internally*

Tracklist:
1. Everlasting
2. BLACK ROSE
3. Collapsed Connection
4. Enough.
5. THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE
6. Maladjusted Child
 

   | A rush of energy spiced with a hint of chaotic undertones that barely falls short
 
THE EGOIST was formed from the members of a live-limited band by the name of Limited「E=」featuring members from LiLiCAL and @NNIVERSARY on the 10th of October 2015 and are currently signed to ROCKSTAR RECORDS. Some are already familiar with the Vocalist Rouis who came from a band of a similar name エゴis≒徒 (Egoist) and guitarist セツナ (Setsuna) from LiLiCAL. They announced soon after that they were releasing their first mini-album and debut release EMBLEM which came out on the 12th of December 2015. With the experience of their line-up does this mini-album express their style and sound well? There's only one way to find out!
 
The opening track "Everlasting" starts with a cascade of solid drumming and a slight ethereal guitar riff mingled with a nice bass line that carries the song along before the vocals kick in and it melts in a very solid song with Rouis giving a nice sample of his vocal range; especially the mixed in whispers throughout which I feel melt in with the song quite nicely. The track isn't extremely heavy even with a taste of screams thrown into the bridge before bringing you along on a trip with a tasty guitar solo and taking you to your stop back to the chorus. I feel this song is a great opener and leads you in the next song smoothly. The next track "BLACK ROSE" starts with another great guitar riff and the slightly rough vocals that explode into a nice scream which leads into the great energy that keeps on strong. The bass throughout is amazing and even the drumming remains strong until the mid-point of the track. It then melts into another fantastic guitar solo with a heavy breakdown that carries you back to the chorus. "Collapsed Connection" is a bit heavier and it makes that quite obvious right at the start with the slightly chaotic guitar mingled with heavy bass and drumming. The vocals kick in and through the song they occasionally add a nice filter to it and I never feel overwhelmed by as it's not overused. The pace of this song fits with the chaotic style of the music and it keeps up the strong energy of the mini-album.
 
The next song on the album does not disappoint with "Enough." opening with a clapping beat and a similar filter on the vocals as the previous track. That is soon taken over by an extremely lively bass line that explodes into a charging heavier tone of screaming vocals and music. It dips into a jazzy beat with more of the filtered vocals which go back the nice rough whispered tones that Rouis does so well and transitions you into the chorus spiced so nicely with sweet bass lines. I feel this song stands out in a very solid and energetic mini-album and shows off the musical talent of the entire band especially after Rouis sings "You're asking for it" and it explodes into an even heavier breakdown until the end of the song smoothly transitioning you into the next track, "THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE". The song keeps up with the high energy of the album and continues to follow the even heavier pace that was started with the previous track. There are more robotic filters used with the vocals throughout but it never feels overused as it's only sprinkled into just the right places. I mostly enjoyed the song up to the point where Rouis lets out an insane laugh and it roars into another chaotic breakdown but then falls short when it transitions back to the chorus. The chorus doesn't stand out well in this song as it's mostly just "the agency of providence~" over and over again and feels like cookie-cutter clean vocals that you hear from most current visual bands.
 
With the last track "Maladjusted Child" I was worried it was going to be an obligatory ballad-type song but it surprised me. It doesn't follow the same chaotic style featured through the rest of the album and is a great closer. The smooth bass line sets the mood for the song and is partnered with great drumming that keeps up the calmer pace. The vocals emit the darker emotion of the entire track, especially the rough crooning that picks up during the chorus and fits in perfectly, carrying you to the end of the album.
 
THE EGOIST came out of the gate with a very solid and energetic debut release. Even though there was a very slight shortcoming in the latter half of the album it wasn't enough to ruin the release for me. It does a very good job of showcasing the band's talents and I was happy it wasn't overtaken with excessive filters and the complete lack of djent "bleep-bloop" left me with a very good taste in my mouth. It also didn't get stuck into trying to be super metalcore but instead feels like the direction some Visual-Kei bands need to take a step in. If you're looking for some heavier styled high energy music, then EMBLEM is definitely what you're looking for.
 

 
-Support the artist! Buy it here!-
    Brand-X CD Japan    

I wish the piass would fucking do something jfc

Tracklist:
1. FRONT
2. WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL
3. 少年ワルツ
4. Believe
5. Here I am
6. Jesus phobia
7. 素晴らしい「教育」
8. 二面相シンデレラ
9. テツキズ
10. 冬唄
11. 踏切迷子
12. デジャヴパニック
13. 勘違い革命


| Spoopy down for what?

 For those of you who may be new to ペンタゴン (pentagon), the band was established on December 14th of 2014 by Chizuru and Minpha of Call Me. The band completed their line-up with members from bands such as METEOROID, LucaRia, and Vared. The band, as young they are, have been quite impressive over this past year. ペンタゴン is notable for having a consistent visual appearance and prominent themes in their releases that go very well hand in hand and in their short career , they've already released a full album and 2 singles that come in various types. While 2015 was a significant year for them, they have yet to slow down and have hit 2016 in full speed. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] hit the shelves on January 27th and is the band's second full-length album with an impressive track-list of 13 songs.

[WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] states its theme clearly from the start with the intro title "FRONT". Though it's more of an SE track, it's almost an asset in setting the mood for such a theme. Envision yourself coming across an abandoned mansion or house. You approach it curiously, but there's a sense of uncertainty mixed with your eagerness to explore such a sight. From the light music box and thunder to the anticipation that the strings build up, you wind up at the entrance of Ghost Hotel, and with a creak of the door, the album takes off in to our titled track "WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL". A seamless transition from the intro jumps into an upbeat and somewhat heavy set of guitar riffs accented with a unique accordion tune and chanting. It's a mildly chaotic song that makes a big entrance for the story they seem to have for this theme. We've heard "少年ワルツ" (Shounen Waltz) before from the single, but it fits right in with the on-going theme. Ghosts and spirits are remnants of a past time, so the vintage distortion to the vocals in the beginning add a nice touch. "Believe" is a rather confusing song, both placement wise and the way it was written. Aside from the somewhat spooky techno in the beginning, it's made up of very common VK riffs. Though the vocal melody is somewhat solid, the key change takes the setting in a different direction that pulls away from the creepy and spooky theme they started with. While it may not exactly fit the theme, it does seem to be a song that may have been composed with live shows in mind. "Here I am" is also a song that doesn't give the same feeling as the beginning of this album, though it transitions well from "Believe". This song is a lot lighter and lifting, which is quite the opposite of what is expected from this release. However, it serves justice as a nice power ballad with strong vocals. Another rough transition brings us to "Jesus Phobia", a sort of circus-y sounding song with powerful screams, a signature music box in the background, and a relevant key change.

Once "素晴らしい「教育」"(Subarashii 「kyouiku」) drops, the setting changes to a waltzing ballroom dance. The setting of the album was consistent enough to transition into this song and it almost fools one with its mellow intro. This song is full of psychedelic guitars, synths, and even a nifty drum solo that leads into a distorted guitar solo. The next song, "二面相シンデレラ" (Nimensou Cinderella), is another upbeat song with a prominent bass line and feels like a solid continuation of the previous track. These last two songs combined creates a new, playful and devious side of the album. Earlier we imagined entering ghost hotel and discovering the wonders inside, but those songs didn't exactly give a sense of direct contact with what presented itself. The combination of the previous two tracks represent that interaction in a playful ballroom dance where whatever malicious being or figures do show themselves and, for lack of a better word, toy around with their visitors to humor themselves perhaps.

"テツキズ "(Tetsukizu) transitions well, but doesn't quite hit home with the theme or its generic alternative riffs backed up with drumming on the offbeat. However, the piano is a nice touch. It's not a bad song, but it's forgettable. "冬唄" ( Fuyuuta) is a slower song that fits better with the vibe this album should have, but it feels more like an ending song. Even though this track is most reliant on piano,ペンタゴン do quite well at enhancing the build up to a piano and vocal melody duet. The build and anticipation in this song is favorable with the contrast of soft verses and phrases that have more prominent guitar, bass and drum work that makes the track swell with power. "踏切迷子 "(Fumikiri Maigo) starts strong and follows the last track well until the chorus key change. Something with the instrumentals and key that the vocals are in sounds off ever-so slightly. Other than that, every other element in this song fits well with the concept and offers probably the most pleasing guitar solo on the whole album. "デジャヴパニック" ( Deja-vu Panic) starts to wrap up the album as it revisits a few similar instrumental motifs from previous tracks in the beginning of the album. Don't let the intro fool you though, because this track certainly excels into the danger zone (IN A GOOD WAY!) and lives up to its name. The guitar work beautifully contrasts with the chorus' vocal melody, and when the growls and shouting happen, the double bass is tastefully used. If you like songs that have a fast paced break down at the end, this is the song for you. "勘違い革命" (Kanchigai Kakumei) doesn't feel like a goodbye song. This song feels more like an 'until next time' and doesn't give a sense of closure and may have worked better as the second to last song. The door creaking back shut at the end is a cute reference to the beginning, which brings the album full circle.

To sum up the album, it had songs that clearly worked together to paint out a sort of story, but it had inconsistencies in keeping it flowing smoothly. There were songs that didn't transition well with others, but the songs on the album itself were quite good. Having a type of horror or creepy theme is difficult to maintain in 13 tracks without having to stray away to create some sort of contrast, but otherwise it could have ended up having too many songs that sounded too similar. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] is certainly a good release from ペンタゴン and though it's a little rough around edges, it shows potential for even stronger releases in the future.



CDJapan | HMV

Tracklist:
1. Everlasting
2. BLACK ROSE
3. Collapsed Connection
4. Enough.
5. THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE
6. Maladjusted Child
 

   | A rush of energy spiced with a hint of chaotic undertones that barely falls short
 
THE EGOIST was formed from the members of a live-limited band by the name of Limited「E=」featuring members from LiLiCAL and @NNIVERSARY on the 10th of October 2015 and are currently signed to ROCKSTAR RECORDS. Some are already familiar with the Vocalist Rouis who came from a band of a similar name エゴis≒徒 (Egoist) and guitarist セツナ (Setsuna) from LiLiCAL. They announced soon after that they were releasing their first mini-album and debut release EMBLEM which came out on the 12th of December 2015. With the experience of their line-up does this mini-album express their style and sound well? There's only one way to find out!
 
The opening track "Everlasting" starts with a cascade of solid drumming and a slight ethereal guitar riff mingled with a nice bass line that carries the song along before the vocals kick in and it melts in a very solid song with Rouis giving a nice sample of his vocal range; especially the mixed in whispers throughout which I feel melt in with the song quite nicely. The track isn't extremely heavy even with a taste of screams thrown into the bridge before bringing you along on a trip with a tasty guitar solo and taking you to your stop back to the chorus. I feel this song is a great opener and leads you in the next song smoothly. The next track "BLACK ROSE" starts with another great guitar riff and the slightly rough vocals that explode into a nice scream which leads into the great energy that keeps on strong. The bass throughout is amazing and even the drumming remains strong until the mid-point of the track. It then melts into another fantastic guitar solo with a heavy breakdown that carries you back to the chorus. "Collapsed Connection" is a bit heavier and it makes that quite obvious right at the start with the slightly chaotic guitar mingled with heavy bass and drumming. The vocals kick in and through the song they occasionally add a nice filter to it and I never feel overwhelmed by as it's not overused. The pace of this song fits with the chaotic style of the music and it keeps up the strong energy of the mini-album.
 
The next song on the album does not disappoint with "Enough." opening with a clapping beat and a similar filter on the vocals as the previous track. That is soon taken over by an extremely lively bass line that explodes into a charging heavier tone of screaming vocals and music. It dips into a jazzy beat with more of the filtered vocals which go back the nice rough whispered tones that Rouis does so well and transitions you into the chorus spiced so nicely with sweet bass lines. I feel this song stands out in a very solid and energetic mini-album and shows off the musical talent of the entire band especially after Rouis sings "You're asking for it" and it explodes into an even heavier breakdown until the end of the song smoothly transitioning you into the next track, "THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE". The song keeps up with the high energy of the album and continues to follow the even heavier pace that was started with the previous track. There are more robotic filters used with the vocals throughout but it never feels overused as it's only sprinkled into just the right places. I mostly enjoyed the song up to the point where Rouis lets out an insane laugh and it roars into another chaotic breakdown but then falls short when it transitions back to the chorus. The chorus doesn't stand out well in this song as it's mostly just "the agency of providence~" over and over again and feels like cookie-cutter clean vocals that you hear from most current visual bands.
 
With the last track "Maladjusted Child" I was worried it was going to be an obligatory ballad-type song but it surprised me. It doesn't follow the same chaotic style featured through the rest of the album and is a great closer. The smooth bass line sets the mood for the song and is partnered with great drumming that keeps up the calmer pace. The vocals emit the darker emotion of the entire track, especially the rough crooning that picks up during the chorus and fits in perfectly, carrying you to the end of the album.
 
THE EGOIST came out of the gate with a very solid and energetic debut release. Even though there was a very slight shortcoming in the latter half of the album it wasn't enough to ruin the release for me. It does a very good job of showcasing the band's talents and I was happy it wasn't overtaken with excessive filters and the complete lack of djent "bleep-bloop" left me with a very good taste in my mouth. It also didn't get stuck into trying to be super metalcore but instead feels like the direction some Visual-Kei bands need to take a step in. If you're looking for some heavier styled high energy music, then EMBLEM is definitely what you're looking for.
 

 
-Support the artist! Buy it here!-
    Brand-X CD Japan    

Tracklist:
1. Everlasting
2. BLACK ROSE
3. Collapsed Connection
4. Enough.
5. THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE
6. Maladjusted Child
 

   | A rush of energy spiced with a hint of chaotic undertones that barely falls short
 
THE EGOIST was formed from the members of a live-limited band by the name of Limited「E=」featuring members from LiLiCAL and @NNIVERSARY on the 10th of October 2015 and are currently signed to ROCKSTAR RECORDS. Some are already familiar with the Vocalist Rouis who came from a band of a similar name エゴis≒徒 (Egoist) and guitarist セツナ (Setsuna) from LiLiCAL. They announced soon after that they were releasing their first mini-album and debut release EMBLEM which came out on the 12th of December 2015. With the experience of their line-up does this mini-album express their style and sound well? There's only one way to find out!
 
The opening track "Everlasting" starts with a cascade of solid drumming and a slight ethereal guitar riff mingled with a nice bass line that carries the song along before the vocals kick in and it melts in a very solid song with Rouis giving a nice sample of his vocal range; especially the mixed in whispers throughout which I feel melt in with the song quite nicely. The track isn't extremely heavy even with a taste of screams thrown into the bridge before bringing you along on a trip with a tasty guitar solo and taking you to your stop back to the chorus. I feel this song is a great opener and leads you in the next song smoothly. The next track "BLACK ROSE" starts with another great guitar riff and the slightly rough vocals that explode into a nice scream which leads into the great energy that keeps on strong. The bass throughout is amazing and even the drumming remains strong until the mid-point of the track. It then melts into another fantastic guitar solo with a heavy breakdown that carries you back to the chorus. "Collapsed Connection" is a bit heavier and it makes that quite obvious right at the start with the slightly chaotic guitar mingled with heavy bass and drumming. The vocals kick in and through the song they occasionally add a nice filter to it and I never feel overwhelmed by as it's not overused. The pace of this song fits with the chaotic style of the music and it keeps up the strong energy of the mini-album.
 
The next song on the album does not disappoint with "Enough." opening with a clapping beat and a similar filter on the vocals as the previous track. That is soon taken over by an extremely lively bass line that explodes into a charging heavier tone of screaming vocals and music. It dips into a jazzy beat with more of the filtered vocals which go back the nice rough whispered tones that Rouis does so well and transitions you into the chorus spiced so nicely with sweet bass lines. I feel this song stands out in a very solid and energetic mini-album and shows off the musical talent of the entire band especially after Rouis sings "You're asking for it" and it explodes into an even heavier breakdown until the end of the song smoothly transitioning you into the next track, "THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE". The song keeps up with the high energy of the album and continues to follow the even heavier pace that was started with the previous track. There are more robotic filters used with the vocals throughout but it never feels overused as it's only sprinkled into just the right places. I mostly enjoyed the song up to the point where Rouis lets out an insane laugh and it roars into another chaotic breakdown but then falls short when it transitions back to the chorus. The chorus doesn't stand out well in this song as it's mostly just "the agency of providence~" over and over again and feels like cookie-cutter clean vocals that you hear from most current visual bands.
 
With the last track "Maladjusted Child" I was worried it was going to be an obligatory ballad-type song but it surprised me. It doesn't follow the same chaotic style featured through the rest of the album and is a great closer. The smooth bass line sets the mood for the song and is partnered with great drumming that keeps up the calmer pace. The vocals emit the darker emotion of the entire track, especially the rough crooning that picks up during the chorus and fits in perfectly, carrying you to the end of the album.
 
THE EGOIST came out of the gate with a very solid and energetic debut release. Even though there was a very slight shortcoming in the latter half of the album it wasn't enough to ruin the release for me. It does a very good job of showcasing the band's talents and I was happy it wasn't overtaken with excessive filters and the complete lack of djent "bleep-bloop" left me with a very good taste in my mouth. It also didn't get stuck into trying to be super metalcore but instead feels like the direction some Visual-Kei bands need to take a step in. If you're looking for some heavier styled high energy music, then EMBLEM is definitely what you're looking for.
 

 
-Support the artist! Buy it here!-
    Brand-X CD Japan    

This was too damn hard for me. Almost like I should have done a western list and then an Asian list....
 
In no particular order...
 

 
L'Arc~en~Ciel - True
blink-182 - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
Aliene Maφriage - Les Soiree Les Soirée Yoru no Butoukai-Danzai no Shou～Shinbatsuhen
Kuroyume - Corkscrew
Nega - Grave of the Sacrifice
Kagerou - Rakushu
Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
Phantasmagoria - Splendor of Sanctuary
Luna Sea - Style