Ito
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Posts posted by Ito
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Day 14: Hologram by Abstracts
Release Date: 2016-03-09
Label: GO WITH ME RECORDS
Genre: Metalcore
Impressions from @doombox:
QuoteDjent done right! It took 2 years for abstracts to come back with a new album, but the wait was more than worth it. I knew HOLOGRAM would be one of my favorite releases of the year the moment I heard it. It's not a metalcore album that relies on its heaviness or insane breakdowns to get your attention. Since the backbone of the album rests on the emotional core of the compositions, the songs don't always need vocals to carry them. Some, like the densely atmospheric "Gemini," are completely instrumental, while other previously released tracks were updated with vocals. "Ancient" was already a pretty damn epic tune before, but the new version with vocals reinvigorates it to be one of the album's most memorable tracks. HOLOGRAM is also conceptual, and you'll find interludes scattered throughout the track list to break it into three segments- complete with their own moods and stylistic differences. There's a lot to love about HOLOGRAM as it offers something new to uncover every time you listen.
Highlights: Hologram, Mirror, Ancient, Gemini
Impressions from @togz:
QuoteI only discovered abstracts this year just before the release of this album. In my eyes, they were pretty mediocre sounding and the change in vocals only made me feel that they were inconsistent. However, this album is a complete turn-around which is why it made my top album list, not because it was the most amazing thing I have heard, but it showed significant growth for the band and their direction. Not only is the music tasteful, the vocals both match and contrast very well. There's no element that is over-used in this album, unlike their self titled which was familiar and safe. "Ancient" is a great example of change as it was an instrumental track on their self-titled; this works fine but it's nice to hear a nice vocal melody over it. There's more of an artistic sense to this album as well with transitional and instrumental tracks to bridge it all together. After this Hologram, I'm definitely keeping a closer eye on them!
Highlights: Hologram, Mirror, Ancient
Impressions from @Ito:
QuoteIt's hard to express as to why Hologram made it as one of my top albums of the year. It isn't anything mind blowing - you won't leave the experience saying 'holy shit' or any other expressive phrase of your choice. The album is very solid, but being solid doesn't earn you a spot on a list of the best albums of the year. What abstracts have managed to do is to create a collection of djent tracks that just feel 'right.' They strike that balance between bands like Meshuggah, who's work comes across as putting all its emphasis on being heavy to the point that it just feels stales, and Animals as Leader's most recent album which feels complex for complexity's sake. Hologram is an album that just somehow feels like home in that odd way, where you can be engrossed while also relaxing back. It never overstays its welcome and begs to be put on again as soon as it hits its end. Hologram is an album best enjoyed as a complete package, and while I don't expect this to be anyone's favorite album of the year, I think it still is quite a pleasant surprise.
Highlights: Hologram, Mirror
Sample song:
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Day 13: 不完全な音楽 (Fukanzen na ongaku) by chanty
Release Date: 2016-09-14
Label: Manpaku Records
Genre: Visual Kei/Indie Rock
Impressions from @emmny:
QuoteSoan-managed J-indie/visual kei crossover darlings Chanty come back to dazzle us all in 2016 with Fukanzen na ongaku. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who actively dislikes them, with their distinct visual kei flair morphed with an angular, alt-rock sound. Don't be thrown off by their pretty, kirakira looks; if you close your eyes, it's not hard to imagine the band as bunch of black-clad, art school rockers with long wavy hair freaking out on their jazzmasters. Chanty remind me a lot of Belle if their members were, let's say, 9mm stans instead of oshare archivists. Interlocking guitar lines, charismatic vocals and a furious sense of rhythm underpin their sound. If this description is something you've been beaten over the head with a few too many times, you'll have to excuse me, Fukanzen... has been my introduction to Chanty. What's taken me so long? God knows, spare yourself the regret and get to following these trailblazers as soon as possible.
Highlights: "今夜未明" (Konya mimei), "滅菌、消毒、絆創膏。" (Mekkin, shoudoku, bansoukou), "世界に見捨てられてもきっと音は鳴り止まない" (Sekai ni misuterarete mo kitto oto wa nari yamanai)
Impressions from @tetsu_sama69:
QuoteWhen it's time to take the gloves off and blast back into the scene with musical greatness chanty doesn't hold back. I tried to count how many times I've listened to this release and it's somewhere in the realm of TOO MUCH. 不完全な音楽 (Fukanzen na Ongaku) proves that the visual kei scene is far from becoming stale and repetitive especially with artists like chanty at the wheel. You know a band has done something right when they leave you wanting so much more. My only complaint about the mini-album is that it gave me such a dark desire to get more songs packed with sweet groovy goodness that five tracks just aren't enough.
Highlights: ねたましい, 無限ループ, 世界に見捨てられてもきっと音は鳴り止まない
Impressions from @fitear1590:
QuoteWith numerous singles and an album in 2015, Chanty took it relatively easy in 2016. As the premier face of the fledgling strain of 'VK-goes-indie-rock,' we were all excited for their September mini-album this year. Other than being too short, it does not disappoint! It's got more uplifting numbers like "世界に見捨てられてもきっと音は鳴り止まない (sekai ni misute rarete mo kitto oto wa nari yamanai)", but also more somber and/or aggressive work, like "今夜未明 (konya mimei)." Plus, I have to wonder about the word '不完全 (fukanzen)' in the mini's title which can mean 'incomplete.' I wonder if this refers to the fact that the songs on this release are very stripped down--no backup arrangements or canned strings here. This allows the rock instrumentation, particularly dat bass, to really shine. In any case, Chanty is one of those rare bands that a variety of us in ORZ and staff (beyond those of us writing about them here: CAT5, beni, fictioninhope, etc.) are fans of, despite music tastes that otherwise don't exhibit much convergence.
Highlights: 世界に見捨てられてもきっと音は鳴り止まない , ねたましい (netamashii), 今夜未明Sample song:
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Day 12: EDR TOKYO by DIV
Release Date: 2016-03-16
Label: Danger Crue
Genre: Visual Kei
Impressions from @fitear1590:
QuoteSince their debut, DIV have been toying around with synth arrangements, though they were just background flourishes in the beginning. Flash forward to four years later, the band is fully electronic on EDR TOKYO to the point where the more traditional rock instruments aren't even audible at certain points. It takes some getting used to knowing the band's earlier material, but the arrangements are very well done. Listening to a track like "東京、熱帯夜につき (tokyo, nettaiya ni tsuki)," the best compliment I can give is that it sounds like it could have been on the Tekken Tag Tournament 1 OST. Though EDR ('electronic dance rock') seems to be a bit of a misnomer with this release (I'd sooner attribute that sound to a track like their masterfully crafted “漂流彼女 (hyouryuu kanojo)”), turning the electronic dial up to 11 was a ballsy move. I may have had a rocky relationship with DIV over the years--we've had our highs (ZERO ONE and various excellent a-sides) and lows (SECRET and some weak-ass b-sides)--but ultimately, their disbandment this year is a huge blow. I know not everyone appreciated the full embracing of their electronic sound, but I'm really disappointed that they pulled the plug before letting us hear which direction they would have taken next.
Highlights: 東京、熱帯夜につき, Relic Snow
Impressions from @ShanethVarosa:
QuoteA truly spectacular idea for an EP, but exceptionally upsetting that it will be their final one... As DIV anyway. My personal view is that Chobi and Satoshi likely got tired of being criminally underutilized. In any case, the EP itself was a blast to listen to and birthed my most played VK song of 2016: "東京、熱帯夜につき." The greatest part about EDR TOKYO is that it wasn't just a thrown together idea of electronic music interpolated with heavy rock beats and riffs; on the contrary the songs all had their own unique thoughts and compositions.
Highlights: 東京、熱帯夜につき, サクラユメ, Relic Snow.
Impressions from @tetsu_sama69:
QuoteDIV's lifetime as a band has been a roller coaster ride of musical variety and none stands out more amongst their colorful discography than EDR TOKYO. Typically I'm not a fan of heavy electronica music, but this one came out of nowhere blowing the minds of fans and non-fans alike. Electronica blends so well with Chisa's hypnotic vocals and is a pure pleasure to anyone's ears in listening distance. Every time I listen to it I find it difficult to not start dancing and grooving along with the entrancing beats and sweet synths infused throughout all the songs.
Highlights: 東京、熱帯夜につき, サクラユメ, Relic Snow
Sample song:
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Always hyped for more music from KEEL
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Day 11: after the addle apple by the god and death stars
Release Date: 2016-04-20
Label: david skull no records
Genre: Nagoya Kei
Impressions from @Ito:
QuoteIn 2011 the god and death stars put out their first release, addle apple, and with that fully solidified in my mind that aie was a master of his craft. Addle apple took that same guitar tone and feel that I have known from aie's work for years and somehow still made it fresh. Fast forward 5 years and we have the band's attempt to 'remake' that wonderful mini-album. And while technically that what it is, a 'remake,' I have a hard time calling after the addle apple that. While the song names are the same, sonically this transformation like that of when a caterpillar builds a cocoon and comes out of it a whole different creature. When you listen closely, you can pick out some of the riffs, textures, and lyrical homages to the original work, but other than those small bits this mini is something completely new. There is an air of complexity to the band's flavor of Nagoya Kei that gives me that same feeling of freshness that addle apple brought with it in 2011. The drum patterns are some of the most interesting I have heard out of the band, such as in "Roca," and the guitars riffs from songs like "after the addle apple" are as memorable as anything they have done before.
It's a bold claim to say that this is the band's best release, as I feel that the god and death stars haven't ever put out any weak material, but I think that it might just edge out its way to the top of their discography. Every song feels just as important as the last and there are never any dead spots. Add in that aie's vocals sound as good as they ever have and you have a recipe for one of the best releases of the year.
Highlights: Roca, after the addle apple, elephant in the room
Impressions from @emmny:
QuoteRemakes are a tired visual kei concept. A lot of times, to pad out a single, mini-album, or full-length, bands will throw in a few re-recordings of old songs. Usually, it shows off a band adapting their older sound to their current style with few relevant changes--mostly an upgrade in recording quality. However; in a few rare circumstances (DIR EN GREY I'm looking at you), bands manage to push the creative boundaries with remakes in a way that can allow them to stand independent of original tracks. A huge fan of this concept is aie, the Nagoya kei mastermind behind deadman's awesome remake album 701125+2 and a handful of other remakes. But he doesn't just stop at a remaster, he butchers the past material beyond recognition. On after the addle apple, a remake of the god and death stars' debut release addle apple, the songs are heavily altered compared to their reference material--outside of their titles. The new compositions often take a musical motif from the original and spin an entirely new song based off that little thread. Listening to the tracks one after another, comparing original to remake reveals what elements were borrowed and which were discarded. Outside of that context though, they're all basically brand new songs. I call aie a wizard a bit too often, and after the addle apple in creativity alone is notable, but the fact that the songs are also incredibly well written and textured is what pushes it to straight up witchcraft. Bravo.
Highlights: "after the addle apple", "濾過" (Roka), "elephant in the room"
Sample song:
Buy the album:
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Day 10: Fire Bird by MIYAVI
Release Date: 2016-08-31
Label: Universal Music
Genre: Rock
Impressions from @doombox:
QuoteIn recent years MIYAVI has been positively fearless to cross genres, experiment, collaborate, and broaden every inch of his musical horizons as much as possible. His evolution may not always be in the direction fans wish, but it's always a thrill to see where he goes with it. And while I found his last handful of releases enjoyable, they weren't as cutting edge as we know the man can be. Fire Bird finally finds the right recipe to feel globally contemporary without falling into outdated neo-world music or being too pretentious in its pandering to audiences outside of Japan. Fire Bird is MIYAVI finding his own color once again with a unique sound where he finally gave up trying to fit in anyone's figurative box and just had fun with music. Which is precisely the MIYAVI I think everyone fell in love with in the first place. The genres and visuals may have changed, but this album is as big and intrepid as any of his early works.
The album is laden with super saucy guitarwork, built up by electronic beats and MIYAVI's trademark simplistic vocals that let the instrumentation shine. At its core, Fire Bird is a party that slowly builds up in the opening track, "Another World", and doesn't let up. Of course, the album spiderwebs out into a few different genres as any self-respecting MIYAVI release should. "Dim It (feat. Rosie Bones)" is a dirty, sexy, grungy banger that could be confused for a BONES song entirely (though it's painted with MIYAVI's penchant for wide blues-y brushstrokes), and shows once again Meev can hold his own musically with anyone, anywhere, any time. "You Know It's Love" is a hard hitting electro-rock tune that is one of the best examples of MIYAVI's exceedingly minimal approach to lyrics on this album that allows the thick, lavish atmosphere of the songs to take you away. Then there are surprisingly radio friendly jams like "Long Nights" that somehow splices MIYAVI's old Kabuki Rock visual days with a giant pop gang-vocal chorus that is live-ready, practically begging for crowd participation. It really is one of the best, most well-rounded rock albums of the year for me.
Highlights: Dim It, You Know It's Love, Afraid to Be Cool, Long Nights
Impressions from @Original Saku:
QuoteEvery year there is at least one unexpected release that creeps up to take a spot on my favorites, sometimes it's an album that I overlooked or a new discovery that I stumbled upon by chance. This year is no different in that regard, except this year it was something I never knew I wanted until I heard it. Fire Bird is quite possibly the biggest surprise of the year for me, I had long ago written off MIYAVI as 'washed up' and 'uninteresting'. Only on a whim did I decide to check out his newest album due to the positive chatter I had caught wind of here in the community, and I'm so glad I did.
Fire Bird is unlike anything I've ever heard from this artist, I don't have the faintest clue as to what MIYAVI's style has been like the past few years, but it's as if he decided to go all in on something new and succeeded with this album. Every song has this peculiar energy about it that pumps you up and keeps the adrenaline raging. Distorted guitar effects are aplenty and it reminds me of how good a guitarist MIYAVI really is; it adds to the overall 'loudness' of the songs and I'm a sucker for this type of distorted synth-y sound. Songs are predominantly sung in English and I really couldn't care less, his command of the language is so well done that it's hard to notice it's not his native tongue. English fits really well for this type of music and sound; it just works.
I can't really offer too much insight into how this compares to past albums or what it means for future albums, but I will say that I will definitely be checking out his next album after this. As long as there are bangers like "Afraid to be cool" and "She Don't Know How to Dance" then I will be the first one there, I guess that's all that really matters in the end.
Sample song:
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Day 9: The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 by Versailles
Release Date: 2016-09-14
Label: Warner Music Japan
Genre: Visual Kei/Neoclassical/Power Metal
Impressions from @fitear1590:
QuoteWith The Greatest Hits 2007-2016, consistent production and vocal style unify songs that were released over a span of years and various albums. The tracks from Versailles's 2007 mini-album Lyrical Sympathy ("Shout & Bites","The Love from a Dead Orchestra") get the most notable overhaul. A rerecording of "God Palace -Method of Inheritance-" from JUBILEE is sorely missing from an otherwise tight tracklist. The self-titled 2012 album which effectively guillotined my Versailles fandom thankfully has no representation on here. Even the band realized that the album was a flop! Fortunately, this anthology (perhaps more accurately The Greatest Hits 2007-2011;2016) has resurrected the band and the two new tracks are also welcome additions to the band's discography. Looking forward to seeing what they can deliver this coming year!
Highlights: Shout & Bites, Melodic Thorn ~美の暴力(bi no bouryoku)~Impressions from @Zeus:
QuoteOne of the greatest visual kei power metal bands of all time makes a glorious return with a shining example of how self-covers are done! The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 features ten re-recordings with the style turned up to eleven and two new tracks that fit so seamlessly I don't know if they are entirely new compositions or old ones that never made the cut. Versailles chose excellent tracks to tackle; many fans have been clamoring for new versions of "The Love From a Dead Orchestra" and "The Revenant Choir" for ages. "Destiny" and "Philia" didn't have as many immediately noticeable flourishes to it, and some tracks felt a little strange since I'm used to hearing them a certain way for many years, but given some time I will come to accept these as the definitive versions of many of their songs. KAMIJO's performance was by far the most impressive singular aspect of the album, often granting older tracks the power they needed to reach new heights. I was left impressed by the quality of this release, but it's hard to swing and miss wearing your Sunday best. The new songs were good, but not ground breaking material, and no songs from their self-titled are present, implying that the band knows those songs can't be saved. Only time can tell if Versailles can capitalize on their former momentum and regain the glory of their JUBILEE-era, but the future looks bright.
Highlights: The Love From A Dead Orchestra, Aristocrat's Symphony, ChandelierImpressions from @ShanethVarosa:
QuoteMy review, which you can read in-full here, pretty much said it all from a long-time hardcore fan's perspective. The original songs are truly amazing, but they somehow managed to expand upon them and give them a new vibe. Post-Jubilee songs got even better than the originals because it felt like the band has their spark and soul back. They needed a break from each other and they needed to know who needs who to make it interesting, and the succeeded tenfold. "The Love From A Dead Orchestra" alone is a masterpiece of Versailles' overall creative talent, and they breathed a new life into it.
Highlights: The Love From A Dead Orchestra, Chandelier, Melodic Thorn ~美の暴力~
Sample song:
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This is great! Thanks for the work on this.
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Day 8: TAXIS by 中島孝 (Nakashima Koh)
Release Date: 2016-04-27
Label: Bermuda Entertainment Japan
Genre: Pop/Electronic/Alternative
Impressions from @CAT5:
QuoteOutside of a few token acts like Suiyoubi no Campanella, BOMI, Aimer, and a few others, the Jpop sphere has been rather dull for me in the last few years. Unfortunately, I REALLY can't stomach most of the stuff international Jpop fans are drooling over these days - all of the alternative/anti-idols, and Seiko Oomori and her countless offspring. Things have been even more dire for me in terms of male-oriented Jpop, as so much of it comes off as either incredibly cheesy (think Arashi) or just insanely pedestrian (like Gen Hoshino). Thankfully there are a few male-fronted acts out there with a forward-thinking palette - Sakanaction for one, and even the fledgeling Ame no parade (if they can get their act together). I like to think that Koh Nakashima is another budding 'aural anarchist' of the Jpop world.
He debuted early this year with his first EP RAFT, and followed it up a few months later with the lovely TAXIS. Nakashima's music incorporates a fairly diverse mix of sounds and styles from house, city-pop, uk garage, jazz and more. It's all very cohesive, though. The EP plays like a natural coagulation of different influences - nothing sounds forced or out of place. Nakashima's casual, yet super-smooth delivery also helps to tie things together. TAXIS is definitely a highlight of my year and a very welcome release in such a stale Jpop atmosphere. If you're in need of some Jpop that's nostalgic, yet fresh and all-around groovy, then this is it!
Impressions from @beni:
QuoteNakashima Koh is an instant love from the very first listen, and now a necessity to my daily music needs. Koh is full of individuality, creativity and promise, fusing together a whole blend of sounds into a compact EP of six songs. Not a single track on this gem of an EP misses a beat. And that's a heck load of beats, let me tell you. The artist is new to the scene, having just released his solo debut RAFT in January, just three months before TAXIS came out. What makes TAXIS such a hit is its confident and masterfully done creation of all these sounds coming together. Not only do they play off one another wonderfully, but each and every track stands strong all on its own. There's city pop, house, jazz, pop, and plenty more to be discovered and enjoyed. From the gorgeous, fun fluidity of track four "OYOGU", to the jamming lead track "INAZUMA" and my personal favourite "painter", with truly artistic lyrics and delivery, it's a crime for Nakashima Koh to stay unknown. If you're looking for some indie goodness from this year, then look no further than TAXIS.
Sample song:
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I really got in to the Summer one this year. I didn't have all that much time to watch it, but damn if I didn't get sucked in on occasion. I loved the runner's Grandma in this one XD
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Day 7: Karma no Kusari by Kiki Hitomi
Release Date: 2016-08-26
Label: Jahtari
Genre: Reggae/Dub/Electronic
Impressions from @ghost
QuoteKiki Hitomi was a surprise discovery for me this year. Her new record "Karma no Kusari" (Chain of Karma) was promoted in a newsletter from one of my favorite UK music shops (boomkat) and I would have never guessed to find a Japanese artist featured there. Immediately I was intruiged by the album cover art which had me trying to guess what the music might sound like. It's a unique mix of dub/8-bit electronics, reggae, and even some enka.
Starting off the album, "Tabidaichi (Departure)" draws us in with a spacey, dreamy set of synth notes that lead into the sirens and beatbox of the reggae and dub fused "Nightwalkers". "Yellow Story" continues off the Caribbean vibes with a more grungy bassline and punk-like energy that mirrors the attitude of Kiki's racially charged lyrics.
"Pink no Kimono" and "Yume no Hana" take you back to the 70's blending poppy enka melodies with 8-bit synth notes and wonky organs. Tracks like "Karma No Kusari" and "Samurai Spoon" are more atmospheric and evoke a cosmic or even transcendent feeling while Kiki sings in her haunting spritely voice.
The album is presented in a lo-fi analog quality that adds a warm charm to its sound. I always find that the end of each listen comes too soon and end up listening to it a second time. It's lush with sonic energy and sometimes a bit strange, but all together Karma no Kusari is a record that stands against space and time and succeeds.
Sample song:
Buy the album:
Jahtari | Amazon | iTunes | Spotify | Google Play
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Day 6: Butterflies by BUMP OF CHICKEN
Release Date: 2016-02-10
Label: Toy's Factory
Genre: Alternative Rock
Impressions from @beni:
QuoteBlame it on the hype due to the bands' digital single output throughout 2014, namely "Fighter", "Parade" and "You Were Here", as to I was so excited for this album. The emotional, story-telling lyrical work and beautiful vocal delivery of Motoo Fujiwara is what made me fall head over heels with BUMP OF CHICKEN in the first place, and they manage to do this all over again this year with Butterflies. The fact that Butterflies is now the album that comprises of the majority of my favourite BUMP OF CHICKEN songs should be saying enough!
"Fighter" was instantly a hit for me because of how passionate it is, further expressed by the stunning PV of it being a collaboration between the mangaka Umino Chika's "3-gatsu no Lion" and the band. It's even the ending theme to the anime adaptation of the series airing this year. Other anime themes include the insanely catchy and memorable rock number "Hello, world!", the opening to Kekkai Sensen, and the album's theatrical, adventurous opener being the theme to Granblue Fantasy The Animation. There's so much to enjoy and appreciate with this album. There's the techno "Butterfly", the festive, playful "大我慢大会", and their usual hidden acoustic track, a usual in their albums that always send us off with a smile.
BUMP OF CHICKEN doesn't disappoint, and being my first perfect scoring release of this year, you can't miss this one!Impressions from @doombox:
QuoteThere is so much to be said for Butterflies, but the first word that really comes to mind is 'beautiful'. The album is simply stunning from start to finish. Fujiwara's emotional vocal prowess, immensely atmospheric arrangements, and penchant for making it all feel effortless make their albums an absolute joy to listen to. And over their 20+ year career span they only seem to be getting better with age. The leading singles of "Hello, world!" and "パレード (Parade)" do well to pepper the album with spurts of energy, but it's the ballads "流星群(Ryuuseigun)" and "You were here" that drive home how less can be so much more when it comes to the warm, heartfelt delivery BUMP OF CHICKEN truly excel at.
Highlights: パレード, 流星群, 孤独の合唱, You were here
Sample song:
Buy the album:
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Still loving the format for these! Can't say I have listened to the band at all, but since they are on Spotify that's easy enough to check out.
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Well...that certainly was something.
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Day 5: Program Music II by 柏大輔 (KASHIWA Daisuke)
Release Date: 2016-04-23
Label: Virgin Babylon Records
Genre: Classical/Electronic
Impressions from @Original Saku:
QuoteKASHIWA Daisuke, genius composer and songwriter, has once again released a marvelous record in Program Music II. I'll start off by saying that my opinions of this album are in no way influenced by the first Program Music, however I will be drawing several parallels throughout this write up as examples. This is a album that deserves to be seen for it's own merits and not compared to a one hit wonder, and thus lies our crux. Since the first installment was so prolific, it will be hard at times for me to separate the two in a way that seems appropriate. I will try my best to not bring unneeded views into the fold.
It wouldn't be wrong to state that Program Music II was my most anticipated album coming into the new year, Daisuke has long been one of my favorite composers and songwriters, his compositions are so lovely and soft that they just grab you and drag you into a totally different world at times. I often marvel at the notion that purely instrumental music can relay greater emotion than music with vocals and all, but his works does just that more often than not and this album is no exception. While the first Program Music was a monster hit that came out of nowhere and blew everybody away with it's blend of electronic neo classical glitch sounds, but that was way back in 2007. It has been nearly a decade since the release of that album and some things have changed, most notably is Daisuke's use of piano and electronic beats and with the focus of his last few albums being more piano driven it is no surprise that PMII follows suit in the same direction.
Overall the album is not nearly as dark and distorted as it's predecessor with most of the glitch elements being almost non existent. Instead it paints a lighter landscape due to the lovely piano and violin that has taken the forefront. The music lends itself to beautiful imagery that can only be imagined individually - thus each persons view of the music will be different from one another, that is what's so great about this album. When music can evoke these sorts of emotions in the listener and can take them on a journey of the imagination, I would say that is truly 'program music'.
Sample song:
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The Nu metal 00's in Visual kei
in General
Posted
Oh man - why am I so late to this thread? I feel at home here XD
MH (Tainted World at the time) was birthed in the middle of VK's new metal phase, and when I look back at my favorite VK bands of that time period, most of them had a heavy nu metal sound. Let's see if can anything that might have been missed band wise.
More Mucc because that kid is awesome lol
Born before Born
The one good song by this flash of a band (though the nu metal influences are fairly light on the lighter side)
The Rudie Satan Park...because the lolz. Those that were around TW at the time will know why.
@DisposableThis one is for you and Google
God Zodia was waaaay too short lived.
@TokageMan, I really wish Zilch could have been something that developed more. It's no secret that I am a hide fanboy, but man I feel like that group had a lot of promise.