Ito

Thanks Deathtopi4! As long as people are liking them, lets keep this train running.
 

Couple of new shots

Ito's quick unfiltered thoughts! Watch as I lose my ability to think and describe!
 
Green = mhmm
Yellow = hmmm
Orange = uhhhhh
Red = uuuugh
 
VK
A9 - "流星群 (Ryuuseigun)"
I haven't listened to Alice Nine is ages...in fact, it's probably been about a decade or so. Vacalist is still kind of off putting with 'dem nasally VK vocals. Other than that, pretty enjoyable. Nothing I would celebrate, but pleasant none the less.
 
Antic Cafe - "千年DIVE!!!!! (Sennen DIVE!!!!!)"
And another blast from the past. Last time I listened to them in any capacity was 2008 according to last.fm. I could honestly keep it that way, this track is a bit too sugary for me. I think I would like it alright without the sparkly layer of electronics on top.
 
JILUKA - "Parasite"
I downloaded this but have yet to listen to it. Seems like I made a good decision. Guitar tone remind me a lot of Deluhi, which isn't a bad thing. Heavy but without being messy. Chorus is poppy without taking it too far (in a similar style to some of my favorite despairsray stuff). We have a winner.
 
KEEL - "パレード (parade)"
I'm a sucker for nagoya kei. I found Hollowgram to be a total disappointment for Ryo after 9GBO. This feels like the successor that we deserve. Also, aie is awesome. I have yet to listen to anything other than this track, but now I'm excited.
 
lynch. - "EVOKE"
Am I seriously gunna do three greens in a row? I should be to old, cynical, and jaded for that to happen! But I can't help it, lynch is doing what they do best in this track and it is awesome.
 
StrangerSaid. - "saw.[ss_ver.]/takumi_mix"
I think the song beats around the bush for a bit too long before it hits it's stride, but when it does, man, it's nice. Rarely do I feel the need to be in between, but flgkdag;dfg.
 
The GazettE - "OMINOUS"
This is literally the only track you need of of DOGMA. Feels like it is straight off of DIM, which is a damn good thing. LEARN FROM THIS, GAZETTE.
 
 黒百合と影 (Kuroyuri to kage) - "ぺど。(pedo.)"
Feels promising, but also a bit too messy.

 
 
Rock/ Metal/Punk
Aqua Timez - "最後までII (Saigo Made II)"
Really not feeling the vocals. Song felt pretty snooze worthy tbh. No major sins though.
 
Bird In A Cage - "岩窟の聖母 (Gankutsu no seibo)"
The song feels a little flat to me. It's like there is something missing. I dig the the guitar tone, but that's about it. Could possibly be the production that leaves this one feeling a little lifeless.
 
coldrain - "Words Of The Youth"
I really wish their vocalist sang in something other than English cause I can't stand most of his lyrics. It's so fucking basic that it drives me nuts. "Never again, This is the end, Not going to lay down like we're broken." That some linkin park level shit. I like their music decently enough though. 
 
Crossfaith - "Devil's Party"
Nah, bro.
 
LAST CALIX - "Before My Hands Become Stained With Blood"
I set my rating system so I have to pick positive or negative and I can't be neutral. This song makes it hard. I feel like this song is a grower. It feels a bit messy, but I think I just need to wrap my head around it a bit more. I want to rate this negatively, but I feel like it will turn after a couple of listens.
 
MAGNETIC NORTH - "Animus"
Feels like these good be solid after a year or two. Right now things are just too sloppy and disjointed.
 
MY FIRST STORY - "ALONE"
Sounds like the One Ok Rock style of rock that has been scrubbed so clean that it lack any personality. Like man, how do you get to this point? It same some hints of fun hiding, but it's too bland overall to make it worth the effort.
 
THE TEENAGE KISSERS - "シャーロットの森 (Charlotte no mori)"
Didn't do much for me, but not bad.
 
WANIMA - "いいから (ii kara)"
Fun, summery, upbeat, not for me.
 
それでも世界が続くなら (Soredemo Sekai ga Tsuzukunara) - 解離と労働 (kairi to roudou)"
I gave up halfway through. There just isn't enough here to hook me. I feel like I need to be in the right mood to really dig drone though, and that isn't how I am right now, so that could be part of it.
 
ヨモギ|イ|チヨウ (yomogiichiyou) - "ドミナント (Dominant)"
Weird but interesting. Unsure how I feel about the vocals though...some of the most unusual vibrato I've heard.

 
 
Alt/Indie
androp - "Letter"
Cool, smooth, and something I could dig as a background track while working on something.
 
Language - "Moonlight"
Could have done without the vocal filter, but other than that, yes please.
 
mothercoat - "u.n.o"
huh. I don't know. leaning towards liking it, but I'm unsure.
 
PELICAN FANCLUB - "Chilico"
Shoegaze with some refreshing vocals and some intermingled clean guitar tone. I like-y.
 
Praha Depart - "Sweet Wave"
I liked it. I'm running out of brain power.
 
Ropes - "Drive"
I REALLY like the vocals there. I felt like I might like it a bit more if there was something a bit more going on with the instruments though.
 
井手健介と母船 (Kensuke Ide & His Mothership) - "幽霊の集会 (yurei no shukai)"
I think that this would hit just right if I was in the mood for a song like this. Really only thing hold it back is me, if that makes any sense.
 
八十八ヶ所巡礼 (88Kasyo Junrei) - "銀河の恥・・・ (ginga no haji...)"
88Kasyo has never really clicked for me and this doesn't change that opinion.
 
浮遊スル猫 (fuyusuru neko) - "mana"
Nothing particularly mind blowing here, but everything is just so solid that I can't help but like it.

 
 
Pop / Idol / Electronic / R&B / Hip-Hop / Other
CHiCO with HoneyWorks - "プライド革命 (Pride Kakumei)"
Solid for an anime opening, but too poppy and sugary for me.
 
la la larks - "Q and A"
It's a solid SFP song
 
Menoz - "遥・i m a (haruka i m a)"
To lazy to write something anymore...
 
phatmans after school - "FR/DAY NIGHT"
A case of crappy electronic bleep bloops ruining a decent song
 
SHISHAMO - "生きるガール (ikiru girl)"
Cute female pop rock that feels sincere instead of sugary. Take note.
 
サカナクション (sakanaction) - "years"
Brain is now mush
 
大野由美子 (Yumiko Ohno) - "Escalator Step"
MAn, and I thought we were going to get away this time without a song that I actively disliked! Guess not. Sounds like an infectious tune you would hear at a theme park that you would want to take a drill to your temple to get it out of your head.

 
This month seemed pretty solid! Lots of great tracks - at least far more than last year's when I started my quick thoughts. Also, I'm shocked at the amount of VK tracks I dug.

Most recent edit:

 
 
Also, here's a quick preview I posted of some unedited shots from Otakon:

Couple of new shots

Just gunna keep postin... XD
 

 

Wow, these all look gorgeous! 

Ito's quick unfiltered thoughts! Watch as I lose my ability to think and describe!
 
Green = mhmm
Yellow = hmmm
Orange = uhhhhh
Red = uuuugh
 
VK
A9 - "流星群 (Ryuuseigun)"
I haven't listened to Alice Nine is ages...in fact, it's probably been about a decade or so. Vacalist is still kind of off putting with 'dem nasally VK vocals. Other than that, pretty enjoyable. Nothing I would celebrate, but pleasant none the less.
 
Antic Cafe - "千年DIVE!!!!! (Sennen DIVE!!!!!)"
And another blast from the past. Last time I listened to them in any capacity was 2008 according to last.fm. I could honestly keep it that way, this track is a bit too sugary for me. I think I would like it alright without the sparkly layer of electronics on top.
 
JILUKA - "Parasite"
I downloaded this but have yet to listen to it. Seems like I made a good decision. Guitar tone remind me a lot of Deluhi, which isn't a bad thing. Heavy but without being messy. Chorus is poppy without taking it too far (in a similar style to some of my favorite despairsray stuff). We have a winner.
 
KEEL - "パレード (parade)"
I'm a sucker for nagoya kei. I found Hollowgram to be a total disappointment for Ryo after 9GBO. This feels like the successor that we deserve. Also, aie is awesome. I have yet to listen to anything other than this track, but now I'm excited.
 
lynch. - "EVOKE"
Am I seriously gunna do three greens in a row? I should be to old, cynical, and jaded for that to happen! But I can't help it, lynch is doing what they do best in this track and it is awesome.
 
StrangerSaid. - "saw.[ss_ver.]/takumi_mix"
I think the song beats around the bush for a bit too long before it hits it's stride, but when it does, man, it's nice. Rarely do I feel the need to be in between, but flgkdag;dfg.
 
The GazettE - "OMINOUS"
This is literally the only track you need of of DOGMA. Feels like it is straight off of DIM, which is a damn good thing. LEARN FROM THIS, GAZETTE.
 
 黒百合と影 (Kuroyuri to kage) - "ぺど。(pedo.)"
Feels promising, but also a bit too messy.

 
 
Rock/ Metal/Punk
Aqua Timez - "最後までII (Saigo Made II)"
Really not feeling the vocals. Song felt pretty snooze worthy tbh. No major sins though.
 
Bird In A Cage - "岩窟の聖母 (Gankutsu no seibo)"
The song feels a little flat to me. It's like there is something missing. I dig the the guitar tone, but that's about it. Could possibly be the production that leaves this one feeling a little lifeless.
 
coldrain - "Words Of The Youth"
I really wish their vocalist sang in something other than English cause I can't stand most of his lyrics. It's so fucking basic that it drives me nuts. "Never again, This is the end, Not going to lay down like we're broken." That some linkin park level shit. I like their music decently enough though. 
 
Crossfaith - "Devil's Party"
Nah, bro.
 
LAST CALIX - "Before My Hands Become Stained With Blood"
I set my rating system so I have to pick positive or negative and I can't be neutral. This song makes it hard. I feel like this song is a grower. It feels a bit messy, but I think I just need to wrap my head around it a bit more. I want to rate this negatively, but I feel like it will turn after a couple of listens.
 
MAGNETIC NORTH - "Animus"
Feels like these good be solid after a year or two. Right now things are just too sloppy and disjointed.
 
MY FIRST STORY - "ALONE"
Sounds like the One Ok Rock style of rock that has been scrubbed so clean that it lack any personality. Like man, how do you get to this point? It same some hints of fun hiding, but it's too bland overall to make it worth the effort.
 
THE TEENAGE KISSERS - "シャーロットの森 (Charlotte no mori)"
Didn't do much for me, but not bad.
 
WANIMA - "いいから (ii kara)"
Fun, summery, upbeat, not for me.
 
それでも世界が続くなら (Soredemo Sekai ga Tsuzukunara) - 解離と労働 (kairi to roudou)"
I gave up halfway through. There just isn't enough here to hook me. I feel like I need to be in the right mood to really dig drone though, and that isn't how I am right now, so that could be part of it.
 
ヨモギ|イ|チヨウ (yomogiichiyou) - "ドミナント (Dominant)"
Weird but interesting. Unsure how I feel about the vocals though...some of the most unusual vibrato I've heard.

 
 
Alt/Indie
androp - "Letter"
Cool, smooth, and something I could dig as a background track while working on something.
 
Language - "Moonlight"
Could have done without the vocal filter, but other than that, yes please.
 
mothercoat - "u.n.o"
huh. I don't know. leaning towards liking it, but I'm unsure.
 
PELICAN FANCLUB - "Chilico"
Shoegaze with some refreshing vocals and some intermingled clean guitar tone. I like-y.
 
Praha Depart - "Sweet Wave"
I liked it. I'm running out of brain power.
 
Ropes - "Drive"
I REALLY like the vocals there. I felt like I might like it a bit more if there was something a bit more going on with the instruments though.
 
井手健介と母船 (Kensuke Ide & His Mothership) - "幽霊の集会 (yurei no shukai)"
I think that this would hit just right if I was in the mood for a song like this. Really only thing hold it back is me, if that makes any sense.
 
八十八ヶ所巡礼 (88Kasyo Junrei) - "銀河の恥・・・ (ginga no haji...)"
88Kasyo has never really clicked for me and this doesn't change that opinion.
 
浮遊スル猫 (fuyusuru neko) - "mana"
Nothing particularly mind blowing here, but everything is just so solid that I can't help but like it.

 
 
Pop / Idol / Electronic / R&B / Hip-Hop / Other
CHiCO with HoneyWorks - "プライド革命 (Pride Kakumei)"
Solid for an anime opening, but too poppy and sugary for me.
 
la la larks - "Q and A"
It's a solid SFP song
 
Menoz - "遥・i m a (haruka i m a)"
To lazy to write something anymore...
 
phatmans after school - "FR/DAY NIGHT"
A case of crappy electronic bleep bloops ruining a decent song
 
SHISHAMO - "生きるガール (ikiru girl)"
Cute female pop rock that feels sincere instead of sugary. Take note.
 
サカナクション (sakanaction) - "years"
Brain is now mush
 
大野由美子 (Yumiko Ohno) - "Escalator Step"
MAn, and I thought we were going to get away this time without a song that I actively disliked! Guess not. Sounds like an infectious tune you would hear at a theme park that you would want to take a drill to your temple to get it out of your head.

 
This month seemed pretty solid! Lots of great tracks - at least far more than last year's when I started my quick thoughts. Also, I'm shocked at the amount of VK tracks I dug.

Not my bedroom and this is a couple months old now (from around Christmas), but here is my living room:

Can we talk about how terrible the name "D" is? If you couldn't get past the first letter of naming your band, you should re-evaluate your life.

Can we talk about how terrible the name "D" is? If you couldn't get past the first letter of naming your band, you should re-evaluate your life.

Any band names that don't abuse apostrophes, tildes, or math, suck.
 
 
Also, "Dog in the Parallel World Orchestra" makes me irrationally angry.

According to Last.fm going down, I should back up fun facts I wrote about Girugamesh here.
Some of you may have read it already from my group there.
 
GIRUGAMEME
- Every Girugamesh release until "volcano" was always written "Very special Thanks to : 蜉蝣 (Kagerou)" or something similar on the credit page.
- If you're listening to 不純愛(L), it will show up as 不純愛♥ with a big red heart on MSN. Not sure if it's the band's intention.
- The song "Bombshell" by Powerman 5000 had been often used as the opening song of their live concerts in 2004-2006.
- The bassline in Sel'm's オリエンタルリリー sounds very similar to ミッドナイト at the intro.
- The correct romanization for the song 枯咲き歌 is "Karezaki Uta".
- Sadie's 迷彩 (meisai) and Girugamesh's 【獄】 (Goku) have the same intro. (Goku was released first.)
- 拒絶された机 (kyosetsu sareta tsukue) is the only song that's still unknown who composed it.
- The shortest track ever is 男魂 (Otoko Tamashii) which is just 3 seconds length.
- The live dist. DVD 千名阪ツアー配布DVD is one of their secret releases.
- The speech "An Appeal to the Red Army" by Vladimir Lenin was used in 亡者ノ行進 (Mouja NO Koushin).
- The single 零-ゼロ- (Rei-ZERO-) was sold in advance at the live concert on March 22, 2006 (which was also the date GLAMOROUS SKY was distributed).
- The live dist. CD "jelato" had been rare for over two years until it was leaked in September 2006.
- The live dist. CD ミッドナイト (MIDNIGHT) had been a secret release of theirs until it was discovered in 2006 and leaked in mid 2007.
- 零-ゼロ- (Rei-ZERO-) was co-written by the two members of the band, Nii and Ryo.
- DEATHGAZE's abyss PV was probably shot at the same location as 終わりと未来 (Owari to Mirai) PV. (Girugamesh was first.)
- Their first oversea live was held at The Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles on May 26, 2007 (J-Rock Revolution Festival day 2).
- The lyrics on Reason of crying regular edition booklet are handwritten by Satoshi.
- The self-titled album "Girugamesh" was released on Shuu's 23rd birthday (December 26, 2007).
- ROCKER'S from the limited edition is sightly different from the regular one at the end of the song.
- The song "stupid" doesn't have lyrics written on the booklet.
- The Girugamesh logo on MUSIC CD looks similar to Metallica's.
- Mariko Goto (ミドリ Vo.) is the guest chorus in the song evolution.
- No even a single or an old song included in the self-titled album and MUSIC.
- From the album MUSIC onwards, the whole band has been given credits together as the music composers on the booklets.
- If you don't know this guy, you're not a die hard Girugamesh fan.
- ALIVE was the first single in 3 years since 2006.
- They used the photo of a 5 year old boy as NOW album art which referred to the years that the band had been active so far at that time. (And also their mental age? XD)
- NuTz (Fly Sleep Fly Vo.) is the guest chorus in the song BEAST.
- In DIRTY STORY PV, Satoshi sings "I wanna be a sincere man, SAY!!" which sightly differs from the audio track on CD.
- In July 2010, tons of the people on Last.fm were fooled by the fake song the foolish mindcore. (Me included.)
- The title of the album GO could also refer to their fifth album. (Go = 5 in Japanese)
- The previous singles, COLOR and Inochi no Ki, included in GO were left untouched unlike the ones in their other studio albums which were at least re-recorded.
- ShuU is the collaborating bassist in the song 翻弄(Honrou) on Daisuke's last album.
- They released a song titled "pray" as a charity song via iTunes Store on April 13, 2011 to help the tsunami victims.
- On October 19, 2011, their OHP had become a blank page with the number 13. Later, it was revealed on October 23, 2011. (Which was the announcement about their new tour and a new live DVD to be released in February 2012.)
- Satoshi is the guest vocalist as the screamer in the song No Reason in the Pit by ROACH. More info
- They had a song tribute to Tatsurou (ムック) called たたたつろー！！. It later became 絶頂BANG!! with alternate lyrics.
- 斬鉄拳 (zantetsuken) released in 2012 was a one-type single in ages since 零-ゼロ- in 2006.
- In late 2012, the band had paused all activities and stayed quiet for almost a year in order to focus on practicing to improve their musical skills, and they made a comeback on July 22, 2013 (Which was also Nii's 29th birthday.)
- Satoshi joined another band named REDMAN as the vocalist in late 2013.
- If you order the album titles they have released so far, it's gonna be "Girugamesh MUSIC NOW GO MONSTER".
- They had two distinct songs with the same title: Intro. One is from the self-titled album, and the other is from MONSTER.
- On February 20, 2014, Nii and Ryo opened a joint Twitter account, and Ryo clarified that they both were actual blood-related brothers. This was kind of a big shock to all Girugamesh fans. It had been 10 years they kept it a secret.
- The LIVE BEST tracklist order resembles a setlist they could have played live.
- gravitation was the first one-typed album ever.
- They had a live distributed album containing 25 pre-13's reborn songs (2 CDs) titled "CORE BEST" released on October 11, 2014. This was the first live distributed CD in over 8 years since Omae ni Sasageru Minikui Koe in 2006.
- In May 2015, Shuu joined the band named KEEL as the bassist.
- 2015 was the first year the band had no releases.
- On May 2, 2016, they announced their disbandment ending their 12-year music career, and the last live would be held at Zepp DiverCity on July 10, 2016. (BORN and SCREW also disbanded on the same day. Coincidentally, it was on hide's 18th death day. )
- 希望ト夜 (Kibou to Yoru) by グリーヴァ is a 【獄窓】 (Gokusou) rip off.
- ラストダンス (Last Dance) by ザアザア (Xaa-Xaa) is a Dance Rock Night rip off.
- Their last song titled "period" was distributed at the last live and available to purchase online later on; unfortunately, it was never played live.
- There is a small typo on the last live DVD booklet. 縁enishi became 緑enishi which the latter is read "midori". lol

I already figured out how I'm not going to be disappointed I didn't see Dir en grey.
holyfuckthisismyfirstenvyshow.

Make up result after listening to Dead Childrens' Haunted Vox
I expected myself to do something heavier..never thought these songs would make me choose something ''light"
 
 
Thanks to Elazmus for helping me choose the pic :]

great shots from the lasts posts.
that girl receiving water was funny, I never expect this to happen.

That's so funny! Amazing results though!

And this is how you do it XD

Just gunna keep postin... XD
 

 

I was out of town five years ago the last time MONO made it to Wisconsin and I have been kicking myself ever since. I thought that the likelihood of them making it back to my tiny midwest state was slim to none. Well, let’s just say that my excitement was palpable when I found out that this band would be making the trip to a venue only about 15 minutes from my home.
 
I am not sure about everyone else, but I always find it more fun to have someone else to chat with in the downtime between bands (and also to laugh at my hilarious headbanging). Since tickets were very cheap and the venue was so close, it was easy to convince my girlfriend as well as a couple of other friends to join me. The three of them aren’t exactly as in to post rock as I am (to put it lightly), but all of them enjoy MONO to some extent. Besides, I knew they were in for a treat.
 
The show was at one of the most well known venues in Milwaukee,: The Rave. I have been there several times before and I have never really enjoyed the location, but I had only really seen shows on the main stage. MONO was set to play on their smallest stage, which was downright tiny. The disappointingly low attendance - maybe 100 tops - made it understandable, but it’s kind of funny to see a band you have loved for a long time relegated to such a small stage. Also, it was very low, almost abnormally low...the kind of stage height that would would work great for a sitting show, but not a bar venue.
 
We walked in maybe a couple minutes after the opener, Holly Hunt, had started playing. According to their Bandcamp, this guitar and drum duo “...capture the meditative power of repetition [and] the ecstatic joy of tempered variation.” I’m not sure about that. but what I can say is that I have never experienced something so boring yet so loud. To put it bluntly, this opener was bad. Sludge/drone/doom isn’t something I spin every day, but I do enjoy it on occasion...but not this time. I know the point is to be repetitive in this style of music, but your repetition still needs to be interesting. I heard some of the most bland riffs that long overstayed their welcome. 
 
A single song seemed to span about 10 minutes with no breaks in between. And it was Loud. Offensively loud. I thanked god I had earplugs, as the droning guitar still felt loud even with them on. Now let’s talk about the charisma of the band... Nothing says excitement like playing more than half of your show with your back towards the crowd looking at your amp...   Perhaps all of this wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a quieter place I could retreat to and talk to my friends, but the only choice was to endure. About 40 minutes later, the noise finally broke, a few people clapped and cheered, and I was finally able to remind myself as to why I came here.
 
MONO took the stage with decidedly little fanfare. No talking, no hyping - nothing. It is about the music. They launched right in to “Recoil, Ignite” off of Rays of Darkness, which is perhaps my favorite song of theirs and a hell of a way to start. While little was going to getting in my way of enjoy this epic song, suddenly a huge problem became apparent - the low stage. If you have seen MONO before, you know that a good deal of the time the guitarists are playing sitting down. Well, once you mix this with a low stage it makes for a very difficult viewing experience unless you are one of the few pressed up against the stage. Due to this “difficulty,” I eventually gave up trying to peer through gaps in shoulders and heads and spent my time with my eyes closed just soaking it all in. Considering I always enjoy closing my eyes at shows and letting the sound wash over me, perhaps this wasn’t a terrible thing (even though I was pretty damn irritated at the time).
 
Mono followed  with “Unseen Harbor.” I found the first half of the song to be a little lacking without the orchestra that accompanies the band on the recorded track, but that ending climax was just as lovely as ever. It is mind blowing how calm a beginning on a track can be, almost a little boring for me to be listening to a music venue, only to be devastated with the pure intensity of the later part of a song. It’s hard to put in to words, but I think that juxtaposition just brings a certain power to the music that really makes it emotional.
 
“Kanata” brought some relief with a somber piano after the ending climax that came before. Then in to “Where We Begin,” which I must admit, I don’t find to be an overly interesting track. The band rounded out the night with two tracks from “Hymn to the Immortal Wind,” “Ashes in the Snow” and “Everlasting Light.” I kind of wish they have switched the two song as I feel like the ending to “Ashes” would leave much bigger final impact to the show and allow me to leave with my skin crawling with goosebumps.
 
While I had hoped they would played more from “Rays of Darkness,” the concert was spectacular. Mono’s playing was nearly flawless and the band has such a great chemistry, which is amazing to behold as their interactions are so subtle and without word. Only a few things kept this concert from perfection...with a slight shifting of the track order and different venue, I think the goosebumps would have never left my skin. If you ever have a chance to see MONO live, do it. While I love their studio releases, it’s hard to emulate the pure force exuding from their live performance.

I was out of town five years ago the last time MONO made it to Wisconsin and I have been kicking myself ever since. I thought that the likelihood of them making it back to my tiny midwest state was slim to none. Well, let’s just say that my excitement was palpable when I found out that this band would be making the trip to a venue only about 15 minutes from my home.
 
I am not sure about everyone else, but I always find it more fun to have someone else to chat with in the downtime between bands (and also to laugh at my hilarious headbanging). Since tickets were very cheap and the venue was so close, it was easy to convince my girlfriend as well as a couple of other friends to join me. The three of them aren’t exactly as in to post rock as I am (to put it lightly), but all of them enjoy MONO to some extent. Besides, I knew they were in for a treat.
 
The show was at one of the most well known venues in Milwaukee,: The Rave. I have been there several times before and I have never really enjoyed the location, but I had only really seen shows on the main stage. MONO was set to play on their smallest stage, which was downright tiny. The disappointingly low attendance - maybe 100 tops - made it understandable, but it’s kind of funny to see a band you have loved for a long time relegated to such a small stage. Also, it was very low, almost abnormally low...the kind of stage height that would would work great for a sitting show, but not a bar venue.
 
We walked in maybe a couple minutes after the opener, Holly Hunt, had started playing. According to their Bandcamp, this guitar and drum duo “...capture the meditative power of repetition [and] the ecstatic joy of tempered variation.” I’m not sure about that. but what I can say is that I have never experienced something so boring yet so loud. To put it bluntly, this opener was bad. Sludge/drone/doom isn’t something I spin every day, but I do enjoy it on occasion...but not this time. I know the point is to be repetitive in this style of music, but your repetition still needs to be interesting. I heard some of the most bland riffs that long overstayed their welcome. 
 
A single song seemed to span about 10 minutes with no breaks in between. And it was Loud. Offensively loud. I thanked god I had earplugs, as the droning guitar still felt loud even with them on. Now let’s talk about the charisma of the band... Nothing says excitement like playing more than half of your show with your back towards the crowd looking at your amp...   Perhaps all of this wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a quieter place I could retreat to and talk to my friends, but the only choice was to endure. About 40 minutes later, the noise finally broke, a few people clapped and cheered, and I was finally able to remind myself as to why I came here.
 
MONO took the stage with decidedly little fanfare. No talking, no hyping - nothing. It is about the music. They launched right in to “Recoil, Ignite” off of Rays of Darkness, which is perhaps my favorite song of theirs and a hell of a way to start. While little was going to getting in my way of enjoy this epic song, suddenly a huge problem became apparent - the low stage. If you have seen MONO before, you know that a good deal of the time the guitarists are playing sitting down. Well, once you mix this with a low stage it makes for a very difficult viewing experience unless you are one of the few pressed up against the stage. Due to this “difficulty,” I eventually gave up trying to peer through gaps in shoulders and heads and spent my time with my eyes closed just soaking it all in. Considering I always enjoy closing my eyes at shows and letting the sound wash over me, perhaps this wasn’t a terrible thing (even though I was pretty damn irritated at the time).
 
Mono followed  with “Unseen Harbor.” I found the first half of the song to be a little lacking without the orchestra that accompanies the band on the recorded track, but that ending climax was just as lovely as ever. It is mind blowing how calm a beginning on a track can be, almost a little boring for me to be listening to a music venue, only to be devastated with the pure intensity of the later part of a song. It’s hard to put in to words, but I think that juxtaposition just brings a certain power to the music that really makes it emotional.
 
“Kanata” brought some relief with a somber piano after the ending climax that came before. Then in to “Where We Begin,” which I must admit, I don’t find to be an overly interesting track. The band rounded out the night with two tracks from “Hymn to the Immortal Wind,” “Ashes in the Snow” and “Everlasting Light.” I kind of wish they have switched the two song as I feel like the ending to “Ashes” would leave much bigger final impact to the show and allow me to leave with my skin crawling with goosebumps.
 
While I had hoped they would played more from “Rays of Darkness,” the concert was spectacular. Mono’s playing was nearly flawless and the band has such a great chemistry, which is amazing to behold as their interactions are so subtle and without word. Only a few things kept this concert from perfection...with a slight shifting of the track order and different venue, I think the goosebumps would have never left my skin. If you ever have a chance to see MONO live, do it. While I love their studio releases, it’s hard to emulate the pure force exuding from their live performance.

I was out of town five years ago the last time MONO made it to Wisconsin and I have been kicking myself ever since. I thought that the likelihood of them making it back to my tiny midwest state was slim to none. Well, let’s just say that my excitement was palpable when I found out that this band would be making the trip to a venue only about 15 minutes from my home.
 
I am not sure about everyone else, but I always find it more fun to have someone else to chat with in the downtime between bands (and also to laugh at my hilarious headbanging). Since tickets were very cheap and the venue was so close, it was easy to convince my girlfriend as well as a couple of other friends to join me. The three of them aren’t exactly as in to post rock as I am (to put it lightly), but all of them enjoy MONO to some extent. Besides, I knew they were in for a treat.
 
The show was at one of the most well known venues in Milwaukee,: The Rave. I have been there several times before and I have never really enjoyed the location, but I had only really seen shows on the main stage. MONO was set to play on their smallest stage, which was downright tiny. The disappointingly low attendance - maybe 100 tops - made it understandable, but it’s kind of funny to see a band you have loved for a long time relegated to such a small stage. Also, it was very low, almost abnormally low...the kind of stage height that would would work great for a sitting show, but not a bar venue.
 
We walked in maybe a couple minutes after the opener, Holly Hunt, had started playing. According to their Bandcamp, this guitar and drum duo “...capture the meditative power of repetition [and] the ecstatic joy of tempered variation.” I’m not sure about that. but what I can say is that I have never experienced something so boring yet so loud. To put it bluntly, this opener was bad. Sludge/drone/doom isn’t something I spin every day, but I do enjoy it on occasion...but not this time. I know the point is to be repetitive in this style of music, but your repetition still needs to be interesting. I heard some of the most bland riffs that long overstayed their welcome. 
 
A single song seemed to span about 10 minutes with no breaks in between. And it was Loud. Offensively loud. I thanked god I had earplugs, as the droning guitar still felt loud even with them on. Now let’s talk about the charisma of the band... Nothing says excitement like playing more than half of your show with your back towards the crowd looking at your amp...   Perhaps all of this wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a quieter place I could retreat to and talk to my friends, but the only choice was to endure. About 40 minutes later, the noise finally broke, a few people clapped and cheered, and I was finally able to remind myself as to why I came here.
 
MONO took the stage with decidedly little fanfare. No talking, no hyping - nothing. It is about the music. They launched right in to “Recoil, Ignite” off of Rays of Darkness, which is perhaps my favorite song of theirs and a hell of a way to start. While little was going to getting in my way of enjoy this epic song, suddenly a huge problem became apparent - the low stage. If you have seen MONO before, you know that a good deal of the time the guitarists are playing sitting down. Well, once you mix this with a low stage it makes for a very difficult viewing experience unless you are one of the few pressed up against the stage. Due to this “difficulty,” I eventually gave up trying to peer through gaps in shoulders and heads and spent my time with my eyes closed just soaking it all in. Considering I always enjoy closing my eyes at shows and letting the sound wash over me, perhaps this wasn’t a terrible thing (even though I was pretty damn irritated at the time).
 
Mono followed  with “Unseen Harbor.” I found the first half of the song to be a little lacking without the orchestra that accompanies the band on the recorded track, but that ending climax was just as lovely as ever. It is mind blowing how calm a beginning on a track can be, almost a little boring for me to be listening to a music venue, only to be devastated with the pure intensity of the later part of a song. It’s hard to put in to words, but I think that juxtaposition just brings a certain power to the music that really makes it emotional.
 
“Kanata” brought some relief with a somber piano after the ending climax that came before. Then in to “Where We Begin,” which I must admit, I don’t find to be an overly interesting track. The band rounded out the night with two tracks from “Hymn to the Immortal Wind,” “Ashes in the Snow” and “Everlasting Light.” I kind of wish they have switched the two song as I feel like the ending to “Ashes” would leave much bigger final impact to the show and allow me to leave with my skin crawling with goosebumps.
 
While I had hoped they would played more from “Rays of Darkness,” the concert was spectacular. Mono’s playing was nearly flawless and the band has such a great chemistry, which is amazing to behold as their interactions are so subtle and without word. Only a few things kept this concert from perfection...with a slight shifting of the track order and different venue, I think the goosebumps would have never left my skin. If you ever have a chance to see MONO live, do it. While I love their studio releases, it’s hard to emulate the pure force exuding from their live performance.

I was out of town five years ago the last time MONO made it to Wisconsin and I have been kicking myself ever since. I thought that the likelihood of them making it back to my tiny midwest state was slim to none. Well, let’s just say that my excitement was palpable when I found out that this band would be making the trip to a venue only about 15 minutes from my home.
 
I am not sure about everyone else, but I always find it more fun to have someone else to chat with in the downtime between bands (and also to laugh at my hilarious headbanging). Since tickets were very cheap and the venue was so close, it was easy to convince my girlfriend as well as a couple of other friends to join me. The three of them aren’t exactly as in to post rock as I am (to put it lightly), but all of them enjoy MONO to some extent. Besides, I knew they were in for a treat.
 
The show was at one of the most well known venues in Milwaukee,: The Rave. I have been there several times before and I have never really enjoyed the location, but I had only really seen shows on the main stage. MONO was set to play on their smallest stage, which was downright tiny. The disappointingly low attendance - maybe 100 tops - made it understandable, but it’s kind of funny to see a band you have loved for a long time relegated to such a small stage. Also, it was very low, almost abnormally low...the kind of stage height that would would work great for a sitting show, but not a bar venue.
 
We walked in maybe a couple minutes after the opener, Holly Hunt, had started playing. According to their Bandcamp, this guitar and drum duo “...capture the meditative power of repetition [and] the ecstatic joy of tempered variation.” I’m not sure about that. but what I can say is that I have never experienced something so boring yet so loud. To put it bluntly, this opener was bad. Sludge/drone/doom isn’t something I spin every day, but I do enjoy it on occasion...but not this time. I know the point is to be repetitive in this style of music, but your repetition still needs to be interesting. I heard some of the most bland riffs that long overstayed their welcome. 
 
A single song seemed to span about 10 minutes with no breaks in between. And it was Loud. Offensively loud. I thanked god I had earplugs, as the droning guitar still felt loud even with them on. Now let’s talk about the charisma of the band... Nothing says excitement like playing more than half of your show with your back towards the crowd looking at your amp...   Perhaps all of this wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a quieter place I could retreat to and talk to my friends, but the only choice was to endure. About 40 minutes later, the noise finally broke, a few people clapped and cheered, and I was finally able to remind myself as to why I came here.
 
MONO took the stage with decidedly little fanfare. No talking, no hyping - nothing. It is about the music. They launched right in to “Recoil, Ignite” off of Rays of Darkness, which is perhaps my favorite song of theirs and a hell of a way to start. While little was going to getting in my way of enjoy this epic song, suddenly a huge problem became apparent - the low stage. If you have seen MONO before, you know that a good deal of the time the guitarists are playing sitting down. Well, once you mix this with a low stage it makes for a very difficult viewing experience unless you are one of the few pressed up against the stage. Due to this “difficulty,” I eventually gave up trying to peer through gaps in shoulders and heads and spent my time with my eyes closed just soaking it all in. Considering I always enjoy closing my eyes at shows and letting the sound wash over me, perhaps this wasn’t a terrible thing (even though I was pretty damn irritated at the time).
 
Mono followed  with “Unseen Harbor.” I found the first half of the song to be a little lacking without the orchestra that accompanies the band on the recorded track, but that ending climax was just as lovely as ever. It is mind blowing how calm a beginning on a track can be, almost a little boring for me to be listening to a music venue, only to be devastated with the pure intensity of the later part of a song. It’s hard to put in to words, but I think that juxtaposition just brings a certain power to the music that really makes it emotional.
 
“Kanata” brought some relief with a somber piano after the ending climax that came before. Then in to “Where We Begin,” which I must admit, I don’t find to be an overly interesting track. The band rounded out the night with two tracks from “Hymn to the Immortal Wind,” “Ashes in the Snow” and “Everlasting Light.” I kind of wish they have switched the two song as I feel like the ending to “Ashes” would leave much bigger final impact to the show and allow me to leave with my skin crawling with goosebumps.
 
While I had hoped they would played more from “Rays of Darkness,” the concert was spectacular. Mono’s playing was nearly flawless and the band has such a great chemistry, which is amazing to behold as their interactions are so subtle and without word. Only a few things kept this concert from perfection...with a slight shifting of the track order and different venue, I think the goosebumps would have never left my skin. If you ever have a chance to see MONO live, do it. While I love their studio releases, it’s hard to emulate the pure force exuding from their live performance.

Cool report! I saw them a few nights later (6/24) in Seattle.... so I'll respond with some thoughts from that show if nobody minds.
 
I had no time to get excited for the Mono show because it happened very last minute for me. A few friends and I were in town visiting and the day of the show I was on my phone at lunch looking for something fun to do that evening and exclaimed "holy shit, mono is playing tonight!" (Of course they had no idea what I was talking about... I could only convince one to go with me after describing what kind of music they played).
 
The show in Seattle was at Neumos in a pretty cool/young part of town. Seemed like a good place for live music, though a couple of the bars and the balcony were inaccessible because the turnout (while not as low as in Milwaukee apparently) certainly was nowhere near capacity.
 
 
Pretty much sums up the band right before Mono (I don't have a lot of thoughts on the local opener, they weren't bad but they didn't leave a big impression). It only took about four minutes of that band before we ditched the club to find some margaritas at a nearby bar for about an hour. Luckily the re-entry rules at Neumos were really laid back.
 
As for Mono themselves:
 
I really enjoyed hearing some of the new record(s) live. Their live CD with the orchestra is probably my most listened to Mono album, so I was worried it might feel a little hollow with just the four of them trying to recreate all the noise they make, but I didn't find myself missing the string sections during the show.
 
I didn't enjoy the fact that the two guitarists sat down for almost the entire show. I'm pretty tall (6'4") and the stage was a pretty average height at the club I watched them in... and I still couldn't see much of those two except for the tops of their heads as they stared at the floor/their guitars. The drummer was really the only person on stage making any sort of attempt to connect with the audience.
 
 
I definitely don't enjoy doing that so their sitting down was a big buzzkill for me. It all sounded really good (wasn't too loud where I saw them... which I was thankful for) but I didn't really leave thinking I would tell anyone "oh you have to see them live!". I'd recommend you go see Mono, but I'd warn you that you won't feel more connected to the band afterwards... you'll just have had the experience of listening to their songs on a scale you can't at home.
 
I chose Ashes in the Snow in the poll because I'm a sucker for that glockenspiel and it was very powerful in person. I thought the set-list was pretty well chosen; I mean I selfishly really wanted them to play Halcyon (Beautiful Days) but I can't be too upset they left an over 10 year old track off the list.
 
I've seen post-rock shows where the band literally didn't say a word, so I was happy one of the members did pick up a mic at the very end of the show and thank everyone for coming in (frankly adorable) inexact English.
 
My friend I dragged along on the Uber ride back to where we were staying: "You could tell me they played 3 songs or 25 and I'd believe either one."
 

I was out of town five years ago the last time MONO made it to Wisconsin and I have been kicking myself ever since. I thought that the likelihood of them making it back to my tiny midwest state was slim to none. Well, let’s just say that my excitement was palpable when I found out that this band would be making the trip to a venue only about 15 minutes from my home.
 
I am not sure about everyone else, but I always find it more fun to have someone else to chat with in the downtime between bands (and also to laugh at my hilarious headbanging). Since tickets were very cheap and the venue was so close, it was easy to convince my girlfriend as well as a couple of other friends to join me. The three of them aren’t exactly as in to post rock as I am (to put it lightly), but all of them enjoy MONO to some extent. Besides, I knew they were in for a treat.
 
The show was at one of the most well known venues in Milwaukee,: The Rave. I have been there several times before and I have never really enjoyed the location, but I had only really seen shows on the main stage. MONO was set to play on their smallest stage, which was downright tiny. The disappointingly low attendance - maybe 100 tops - made it understandable, but it’s kind of funny to see a band you have loved for a long time relegated to such a small stage. Also, it was very low, almost abnormally low...the kind of stage height that would would work great for a sitting show, but not a bar venue.
 
We walked in maybe a couple minutes after the opener, Holly Hunt, had started playing. According to their Bandcamp, this guitar and drum duo “...capture the meditative power of repetition [and] the ecstatic joy of tempered variation.” I’m not sure about that. but what I can say is that I have never experienced something so boring yet so loud. To put it bluntly, this opener was bad. Sludge/drone/doom isn’t something I spin every day, but I do enjoy it on occasion...but not this time. I know the point is to be repetitive in this style of music, but your repetition still needs to be interesting. I heard some of the most bland riffs that long overstayed their welcome. 
 
A single song seemed to span about 10 minutes with no breaks in between. And it was Loud. Offensively loud. I thanked god I had earplugs, as the droning guitar still felt loud even with them on. Now let’s talk about the charisma of the band... Nothing says excitement like playing more than half of your show with your back towards the crowd looking at your amp...   Perhaps all of this wouldn’t have been so bad if there was a quieter place I could retreat to and talk to my friends, but the only choice was to endure. About 40 minutes later, the noise finally broke, a few people clapped and cheered, and I was finally able to remind myself as to why I came here.
 
MONO took the stage with decidedly little fanfare. No talking, no hyping - nothing. It is about the music. They launched right in to “Recoil, Ignite” off of Rays of Darkness, which is perhaps my favorite song of theirs and a hell of a way to start. While little was going to getting in my way of enjoy this epic song, suddenly a huge problem became apparent - the low stage. If you have seen MONO before, you know that a good deal of the time the guitarists are playing sitting down. Well, once you mix this with a low stage it makes for a very difficult viewing experience unless you are one of the few pressed up against the stage. Due to this “difficulty,” I eventually gave up trying to peer through gaps in shoulders and heads and spent my time with my eyes closed just soaking it all in. Considering I always enjoy closing my eyes at shows and letting the sound wash over me, perhaps this wasn’t a terrible thing (even though I was pretty damn irritated at the time).
 
Mono followed  with “Unseen Harbor.” I found the first half of the song to be a little lacking without the orchestra that accompanies the band on the recorded track, but that ending climax was just as lovely as ever. It is mind blowing how calm a beginning on a track can be, almost a little boring for me to be listening to a music venue, only to be devastated with the pure intensity of the later part of a song. It’s hard to put in to words, but I think that juxtaposition just brings a certain power to the music that really makes it emotional.
 
“Kanata” brought some relief with a somber piano after the ending climax that came before. Then in to “Where We Begin,” which I must admit, I don’t find to be an overly interesting track. The band rounded out the night with two tracks from “Hymn to the Immortal Wind,” “Ashes in the Snow” and “Everlasting Light.” I kind of wish they have switched the two song as I feel like the ending to “Ashes” would leave much bigger final impact to the show and allow me to leave with my skin crawling with goosebumps.
 
While I had hoped they would played more from “Rays of Darkness,” the concert was spectacular. Mono’s playing was nearly flawless and the band has such a great chemistry, which is amazing to behold as their interactions are so subtle and without word. Only a few things kept this concert from perfection...with a slight shifting of the track order and different venue, I think the goosebumps would have never left my skin. If you ever have a chance to see MONO live, do it. While I love their studio releases, it’s hard to emulate the pure force exuding from their live performance.