Jigsaw9

We're liiiive~

10 new songs out of 13, I'm down with that. Hopefully the quality will be consistent~

I might be available from about 2-3 hours from now (but not for a long session).

I voted EP and album. I grew up as an "album person," so I prefer that format ultimately. Even today, I listen to full albums all the way through 95% of the time, even if some of the songs aren't that good. I like to think that the artist made that album so it has his/her own complete "vision" that should be listened to all the way through, in the order as intended. EPs are okay too tho, especially for younger bands or in some specific genres.

^ I feel ya there. I'm infinitely underwhelmed with what HOLLOWGRAM has been putting out so far, especially considering their lineup of amazing musicians. (same goes for Femme Fatale btw, but that's another topic XD)

Man, it always has to be with DEG, huh... what a magical band. (don't mind me XD)

NAISU. I love how they already played one of the new single songs at the gig!

Szia, fellow Hungarian~ Nice taste~

Oh wow, can't wait!

This is... like... OMG. yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssss

Not gonna write up a whole review on this release, so I'll just say: my thoughts exactly (tho I'd give it more like 2.5 out of 5 prolly).

New PV:

I must admit, I sat down to listen to DIR EN GREY’s latest full-length ARCHE with a mixture of slight fear and lowered expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed the dark and sprawling nature of their previous album DUM SPIRO SPERO and it seemed to me that they were on a somewhat logical track with their subsequent singles. Despite this, I found myself caring less and less about those one-off songs, and the promo tracks for ARCHE didn’t exactly rile up my attention either. As soon as I pushed play, however, I remembered the band’s greatest strength – making cohesive, strong albums. This time around it sounds like DIR EN GREY stayed with the overall mystical atmosphere of their previous full-length but managed to craft songs that are far more accessible and compact. This accessibility coupled with the band’s taste for the eclectic proves to be a winning combination, as they manage to hit us with some truly impressive (and even catchy) segments. Far from being predictable, songs like the menacingly lingering “Phenomenon” or the kaleidoscopic whirlwind of “Behind a vacant image” are sure to cause a – hopefully pleasant – surprise for old and new listeners alike. Even the tracks previously released as singles are planted effectively into ARCHE’s framework, strengthening the album and vice versa. Accordingly, the dark and gorgeous “輪郭” provides a smooth transition from the somewhat lighter “濤声” to the catchy aural stampede of “Chain repulsion,” one of the simpler offerings of the album, executed with perfect musicianship nonetheless. Speaking of performance, the whole band is in top form, from the reliable and smart grooves of Toshiya and Shinya’s rhythm section to the multi-faceted guitarwork that warrants extra praise. We get a lavish treatment from axemen Kaoru and Die who often resort to outright badass solos and unexpectedly well-composed atmospheric segments that border on post-rock brilliance. We must not forget Kyo either, who does an excellent job at painting the scenery with his vocals – whether possessed by spheric or demonic beings at any given moment. With the five of them, the DIR-EN-puzzle fits together perfectly, yet again. DIR EN GREY’s newest album ARCHE feels like a strong contender for album of the year, at least it certainly mesmerized me. Almost all the tracks work well with each other, intertwined to make a lasting listening experience that might feel a bit long at times but is ultimately satisfying. They manage to do what very few can accomplish authentically, that is to evolve their sound constantly without abandoning their core characteristics. And if this process results in actually worthwhile and meaningful compositions, like here – all the better!

Damn, San must be an asshole to work with, heh.

I love the song but lol this is so bad. xD

This is prolly the most entertaining Merry vid since... I don't even know when. XD

^ Oooh~ interesting~

^ It appears that before Dué le quartz, bassist Kikasa and drummer Kazuki were part of the Key Party band Rapture for a while (Kikasa only as a support member). http://www22.big.or.jp/~yunisan/vi/rapture.html Anyway, yay for DLQ! Been a long time since I last listened to them! Among my very first J-music purchases (about 10 years ago) I managed to get their 'best album' so they'll always have a special place in my heart~ ;w;

"I don't know what the fuck this means" ...I know dat feel, NB. xDDD Decent song btw.

UNGLOUD ROCK is not dead!!! ;w; Well, can't say I didn't see this coming... Would've liked to hear more music from them tho. xD

Oh man, I totally forgot to listen to Gekitetsu's album! XD I remember liking one of their previous releases... I was just too lazy to check the kanji what band this is (the cover art looked like some boring indie snooze-pop lmao).

Jigsaw's favorite non-Japanese releases 2014 The Necrotic Manifesto by Aborted Following their impeccable album Global Flatline, Aborted's new sensory attack The Necrotic Manifesto provides more of the same razor-sharp death metal brutality laced with grindcore elements. Blastbeats, breakdowns and killer solos are executed precisely like clockwork, making this a formidable entry in modern extreme metal. Sample: The Extirpation Agenda / Coffin Upon Coffin Hellish by Apey & the Pea Although their name is kind of ridiculous, Apey & the Pea are no laughing matter. In their latest full-length Hellish, this stoner/doom power trio drops gargantuan riffs and sweet grooves one after the other like it's nobody's business. If you crave some metallic heaviness tinged with grungy vocals, this should soothe your appetite. Sample: Abraham / Reverend Green Broke with Expensive Taste by Azealia Banks The self-proclaimed queen of "witch hop" (whatever that might be) finally serves up her first album, and it comes with a bang! Broke with Expensive Taste is a colorful playground of cool samples, versatile beats, dance-pop bangers, plus a machine-gun rap or two. Perfect music to (get drunk and) shake your ass to. Sample: Chasing Time / Heavy Metal and Reflective The Flesh Prevails by Fallujah The evolution of Fallujah is quite impressive, considering they started out as an unremarkable deathcore quintet that have now become a progressive tech-death force to be reckoned with. Continuing where they left off on their previous EP, The Flesh Prevails is a gorgeous powerhouse of crushing brutality and ethereal grace, so perfectly illustrated by the cover art. Fallujah has prevailed! Sample: Starlit Path / Sapphire Commune by Goat The band name might conjure up images of occult retro-metal clichés but Goat is an entirely different beast. Their music sounds somewhat nostalgic and timeless at the same time, blurring together krautrock minimalism, pulsating afrobeat and freaky but gentle psychedelic rock tendencies into an exotic mixture. This is one commune I'd gladly join any time! Sample: Hide from the Sun / Words At the Idyll's End by Gustave Tiger Gustave Tiger immediately won my heart with this charmingly kooky and hectic art-punk attack somewhere on the crossroads of White Lung and the Pixies. In a handful of short bursts they go from calm to manic while weaving a grungy wall of noise into the mix and not forgetting about catchy hooks either. One of the more intriguing sounding bands I had the pleasure of listening to this past year. Sample: Gourgandine Simaitha / Lady Into Fox Spectre by Laibach Martial industrial/EBM masters Laibach cooked up one of their most accessible albums to date, and they did it quite effectively. With some of the tracks bordering on tame synth pop but still retaining their signature darkness (plus cynicism and deadpan humor), Spectre seems like a good introduction for newcomers and a nice change for hardened old-time listeners too. Sample: The Whistleblowers / Eurovision Elddop by Martyrdöd The title of Martyrdöd's latest translates as "baptism of fire" and it sure is a fiery blaze in our ear canals. Blackened crustcore is the name of the game, and the guys are in top shape to deliver some well-deserved kicks in the balls. Sweeping, aggressive but also melodious. A rock-solid entry in the band's crusty catalogue. Sample: En jobbig jävel / Elddop Gay Dog Food by Mykki Blanco Always one to shock people, Mykki Blanco's new mixtape is a colorful mish-mash of styles and influences ranging from trippy hip-hop to noisy industrial sounds and lo-fi electro-minimalism. Despite the initial quirkiness and weirdness of the tracks (not to mention the hilarious interludes), it's a fun and addictive musical journey if you have a thing for unconventional and out-of-the-box rappers. Sample: Fulani / Moshin in the Front Hanyatlás by PETOFI Relative newcomers PETOFI knocked me off my feet with their debut EP. With a venomous cocktail of anguished screamo and breakneck melodic hardcore, these guys know how to make one hell of an entrance! Their hectic style is elevated by poetic lyrics that add extra pathos and fury to PETOFI's brand of hardcore. Sample: Holttestemen át / Süket füledre talál a vallomásom I Cannot See For Miles & Piresian Beach/Matthias von Stumberger by Piresian Beach The Hungarian queen of lo-fi pop has been quite active as always, delivering a new stand-alone EP and another bundle of songs in collaboration with fellow Slovenian noise-maker Matthias von Stumberger. Both releases are jam-packed with good ol' overdriven guitar noise and '60s inspired garage/psych-rock licks, complemented by excellent crooning female vocals. Sample: Blood in the Gutter / Digging for Gold St. Vincent by St. Vincent I have completely fallen in love with the self-titled album of art-rock princess Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent. It's a record with a peculiar vibe. It sounds as artificial as it is organic, and this strange duality is further strengthened by the overall variety of the songs. From danceable tunes to melancholic meditations, this release has it all! Sample: Birth in Reverse / Digital Witness To Be Kind by Swans Swans' latest output is a gigantic double album clocking just over two hours. Noisy, experimental and completely heavy in atmosphere, this strange post-rock monolith perfectly encompasses what current Swans is all about. It's a menacing aural trip with repetitive, tribal (and outright primal) stylings that shouldn't be missed. Sample: Oxygen / To Be Kind (live) Melana Chasmata by Triptykon Melana Chasmata, "deep black chasms" is one towering behemoth of a record! Tom Warrior (of Celtic Frost fame) and his partners in crime sculpted a beautiful ebony-black slab of avant-garde metal with doomy and extreme overtones. The result is so breathtaking that this just might be my absolute favorite metal album of the year. Tortured and beautiful, highly recommended! Sample: Tree of Suffocating Souls / Aurorae

Not disappointed in the song titles, lol.

Jigsaw's favorite Japanese releases 2014 或いはアナーキー by BUCK-TICK Ever since 2009's memento mori there hasn't been a BUCK-TICK album that was as much fun as this latest gem, fittingly titled Arui wa Anarchy. From the rowdy tounge-in-cheek opener to the ethereally beautiful closing track, this is Atsushi & co. at their surreal, sensual best, delivering one catchy pop-rock hook at a time. Sample: Devil'N Angel / ボードレールで眠れない DIStopping by Charisma.com Charisma.com came, saw and conquered me with their ridiculously catchy mash-up of electronic, pop and hip-hop elements. Infectious beats and clever raps are on the menu here that will surely please even the most jaded pop fanatics. If you just want something fun and cool to listen or dance to, look no further. Sample: イイナヅケブルー / ハッピーターン ARCHE by DIR EN GREY DIR EN GREY take no prisoners as they unleash one of their most eclectic albums to date, ARCHE. Spiritually continuing on the path of its dark and proggy predecessor, the songs are tailored to regular rock listeners' taste this time. The outcome, however, is far from being regular. It's an atmospheric, kaleidoscopic ride with enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Sample: 空谷の跫音 / Revelation of mankind NERO by ギャロ I'm only a recently converted THE GALLO listener but even so, it's not hard to see why their 2nd full-length NERO is so wonderful. The band takes cues from all over the visual kei spectrum to construct their own quirky style where nostalgic melodies and sheer aggressivity are good neighbors (and then there's Jojo's ridiculous vibrato). A nice colorful surprise coming from the indies-VK scene. Sample: 夢葬 / 大日本黒鶏主義者聯盟行進曲イ短調 終焉 by グリーヴァ Grieva is like a machine pumping out release after release, but thankfully this doesn't show much in the quality of their catalogue. Shueen is another proof of why I consider them to be the premiere "nostalgia kei" act. It's got attitude, mystical atmosphere and songs coming at you like a kote-kei rollercoaster. Sample: Lost tears / 罪 HER NAME IN BLOOD by HER NAME IN BLOOD HER NAME IN BLOOD's eponymous second album is a no-nonsense kick in the teeth (or ears?), and you're guaranteed to be grinning when it's over. Their caveman-like explosive aggression is close to being unrivaled but at the same time they haven't forgotten to include some melodic bits either. Just an all-around badass record. Sample: HALO / ZERO (FUCKED UP WORLD) ABSOLUTE SENSES by HONE YOUR SENSE The debut album of HONE YOUR SENSE is simply a beast. If you want to know what it's like to be torn to shreds by a whirlwind of metalcore, death metal and melodic extreme metal, then this is your poison. This relentlessly heavy and unexpectedly catchy full-length is a true diamond in the rough in the underground J-metal scene. Sample: BLACK LOTUS / THE LAST MAN STANDING Heart by KAMIJO KAMIJO, the uncrowned king & queen of cheese starts off strong with his debut album Heart, leaving former bandmates Jupiter in the dust. This album is packed with the stuff you expect from the vocalist: epic melodies, fluffy piano and synth flourishes and some symphonic rockin' too, of course. It has just enough variety to keep your interest, making this quite a smooth (and fun!) listen. Sample: 闇夜のライオン / Moulin Rouge LOST by Lillies and Remains As soon as I heard LOST, I knew it would be the staple Lillies and Remains release for me, and that hasn't changed throughout the whole year (not even with their subsequent full-length). Six tracks of expertly crafted pop-rock with touches of new wave, post-punk and even some gothic influences. Simply beautiful! Sample: This City / You Stand Alone SOVILLETTA & SEXIVIA by SPEECIES What a treat to able to listen to two albums by SPEECIES within a few weeks' time! Mastermind Sadie Pink Galaxy continues where he left off on his first record, that is delivering oodles of fun and weird lo-tech jams. It's like the '80s never left – rather, they hid out in a dingy basement to make new-wave electrojunk tunes for the initiated. Sample: MUZIK / HARDCOWALSKI IMMORTALIS by sukekiyo sukekiyo's debut is typically one of those albums you might be confused by on first listen but then you have an urge to come back to it, to re-discover its every corner. And boy, there's sure plenty to discover here! Kyo and his band of merry men concocted a curious mixture of avant-garde rock coupled with proggy and folksy bits that sneaks up on you. Before you notice, you're hooked! Sample: in all weathers / hidden one 賑やかな食卓 by the god and death stars the god and death stars, being a band fronted by aie, is a project I'll always hold dear to my heart. I was somewhat disappointed with their first full-length, but none of that feeling is present on their latest mini album. Nigiyakana shokutaku is a wonderful display of the band's usual grungy, melancholic garage-rock style woven into hypnotic songs that will burrow their way into your ears. Sample: 出来事と偶然の為の媒体 / 隣人林 晩成 by THE HAKKIN As I love that typical '80s new wave sound, THE HAKKIN were like a godsend for me. Their first relatively longer offering Bansei (or "Bansay") is only a mini album but it delivers in spades! Addictive emotional vocals fuse with catchy synth sparkles and guitar lines that evoke old affairs like COMPLEX and newer acts like cali≠gari at the same time. Perfect listening for misty-eyed nostalgia enthusiasts. Sample: NO NO モチベーション / Tokyo Lung