indigo

It ain't free anymore

Great! Looking forward to it

Holy shit that's great news!!

Finally found this gem on vinyl! Sounds great.

Since it's the month of the THE NOVEMBERS, I decided to make a little list dedicated to the music of THE NOVEMBERS (and also tried to revive this thread) This is my..... TOP 20 FAVORITE MOMENTS OF THE NOVEMBERS 20. 愛はなけなし (2016, Hallelujah) "Kobayashi's nagoya kei moment" For some reason, Kobayashi's singing style and melody during the verses remind me of nagoya kei. Maybe in some other dimension he could've been a vocalist in a nagoya kei band. 19. 出る傷を探す血 (2015, Elegance) "Reminder" I'm gonna go ahead and reveal that Elegance won't be getting much love on this list. Since it's not among my favorite releases even though there are some good tracks on it. But I felt a bit bad about that so I decided to include one "moment", even though it's an odd one. As the EP's title can already tell, it's filled with chill music. But: 出る傷を探す血 breaks the fantasy that is Elegance. It's a black sheep. Noisy and arrogant. Some people hate that it's included, some people may even like that it's included. As a song, I'm sure many fans like it but if we think in terms of a coherent album, it doesn't really fit. And that's the reason why I love it. As a last song, it's like a reminder: "don't worry, we haven't forgot our noisy, abrasive, rocking side." 18. BAD DREAM (2019, ANGELS) "The vibe" I'm not an industrial music fan by any means, but I really dig the industrial influences in this song. Especially the synths sound sick. 17. Figure 0 (2010, Misstopia) "Freakout" One of the standout tracks on Misstopia, Figure 0 is filled with great riffs and engrish. But the short breakdown in the middle, where everybody go just nuts, is moment #17. 16. 37.2° (2011, To (melt into)) "Intro & outro" My favorite moment in 37.2°, the intro and outro, showcase the more dreamy side of The Novembers. The vibe is just simply put... tranquil. The steady drumbeat, beautiful guitar and soft humming. Sounds like heaven to me. 15. Sturm und Drang (2014, Rhapsody in beauty) "Intro / Breakdown part" The first "proper" track on Rhapsody in beauty, after the drone intro, is Sturm und Drang. I couldn't simply pick one moment so I picked two. For starters, the intro. What a way to suck you in. The drums, the riffs, the high pitched scream. But the real surprise happens when the song slows down and breaks down into a noisy, near psychedelic guitar solo. Amazing! 14. dumb (2014, Rhapsody in beauty) "Spoken word" The Novembers truly are masters at evoking dark, distressing atmosphere. My favorite moment here is the (almost) spoken word parts that Kobayashi does (at 1:25 for example). Really add a nice flavor to the song.They actually remind me of some visual kei songs. And it doesn't hurt that Kobayashi uses such a deep and sexy voice. 13. Dnim (2009, Paraphilia) "Chorus screams" Dnim has the honor to be the oldest entry on this list. I have said it before but Dnim was most likely the first The Novembers song I liked. The aspect that peaked my interest back then was the screamed chorus. Part of the reason they ended up on this list is nostalgia but I can't deny those screams don't still sound damn good. 12. 鉄の夢 (2013, zeitgeist) "Rhythm section" I feel like when talking about The Novembers, Kobayashi Yusuke gets most of the praise, sure for a good reason since he's the main songwriter etc. but now it's time to thank the rhythm section. Hirofumi Takamatsu and Ryousuke Yoshiki, on bass and drums respectively, lay down a beat that just goes on and on like a road roller. 鉄の夢 is a flawless song, filled with great moments. To mention a few others, Kobayashi's insane screams and the part (3:43) where Kobayashi's vocals go hand in hand with the guitar. So this blurb ended up being about Kobayashi too, after all. 11. Observer effect (2013, Fourth wall) "Weird vocals" This is a kind of a wild pick, since I don't really listen to this track that much. I guess because I usually listen to the full-lenght albums. These "favorite" moments often revolve around either vocals or guitar and this song is no exception. The part starts around 1:46. The guitar tone is pretty sick here and then Kobayashi does some really cool vocals on top of it. The production/filter makes it sound like he's yelling in a well or a cave with a megaphone. 10. 瓦礫の上で (2011, To (melt into)) "Guitar melody" This pick was one of the most obvious ones to me when I was planning this list. The part is just burned into my mind. And the part is the guitar melody at 1:23 that comes pretty much out of nowhere. It's like a anti-climax even though it isn't if you know what I mean. The way Kobayashi is singing, getting more intense, you are expecting him to go off into a wild scream or something but then the guitar intervenes. But when that similar part comes up again, at 2:23, this time Kobayashi does get his moment to shine vocal-wise and that's also a fantastic moment. 9. いこうよ (2016, Hallelujah) "Trumpet" The closing track of Hallelujah really makes me shout "Hallelujah" when I hear the trumpet. It's crazy how well it fits into the song. Among their more shoegaze-y songs, in which category "いこうよ" also belongs, it is not really top-tier but the trumpet more than makes up for that. 8. Flower of life (2013, zeitgeist) "Whole song" I can't really pick a certain moment in this song. It's a sum of its parts, it's a whole vibe. The synthline, the bass, the vocal melodies, the drums, the chorus, the production. 7. 永遠の複製 & 彼岸で散る青 (2011, To (melt into)) "Just being awesome" I decided to include the first two songs of To (melt into) as one entry. They're even the same duration! Together they make for one hell of an album opening. The reasons for that are quite similar. Both songs have intense choruses and the mood in general is very intense. When I hear the background sound during the chorus of "永遠の複製" I can't help but think of a whip. The chorus of "彼岸で散る青" is more explosive than the former. If I had to pick which one's better, I would go with "彼岸で散る青". 6. Moiré (2012, GIFT) "Great opening track" Talk about a jaw-dropping opening to an EP. Moiré is whopping 8 minutes and 18 seconds long track. And when the The Novembers do long songs, they're not really bangers but instead they're slow-burning epics. This is one of my favorites of their longer songs. The trumpet (back to the trumpet!) is a great addition and bit of a surprise too. 5. ただ遠くへ (2016, Hallelujah) "Guitar riff" My go-to driving song. Once again, such a perfect song without flaws but the part I picked is the... you guessed it, guitar part that you can hear in the intro and it also serves as the chorus kind of. But my favorite is specifically the extended version that starts around 2:38. Such a jam! 4. Meursault (2013, zeitgeist) "Kobayashi's high notes" "Meursault" features a prominent, rumbling bassline, repetitive guitar riff and haunting vocal melodies. The atmosphere is fantastic. Near the middle of the song happens one of my favorite moments.. First off, the guitar riff (1:48 mark) and then then the high notes Kobayashi does (2:12 mark) that are among the best he has ever put on tape. They're remisniscent of something that downy's Robin Aoki would do. 3. Rhapsody in beauty (2014, Rhapsody in beauty) "The high notes and guitar blending together" The titular track of Rhapsody in beauty is really the highligh of the album, placed strategically in the middle of the album. My favorite moment happens when the chorus kicks in (1:52) and Matsumoto's siren-like guitar wail and Kobayashi high notes blend together and as an result, eargasm is unavoidable. That must be one of the best sounds known to mankind. 2. Wire (Fahrenheit 154) (2013, zeitgeist) "The main guitar riff" Another track off the "zeitgeist" album, Wire has been among my favorites for ages. The driving force of the song and my favorite moment #2 is the massive guitar riff. They first tease it at 0:44 seconds but when it comes back around at 1:30 I find it hard to stay still. To give the song the justice it deserves, play it _very_ loudly. 1. 再生の朝 (2011, (Two) into holy) "The build-up" "再生の朝" has been my favorite Novs song for a while now. My favorite moment is interesting, since it's the whole build up of the song. The song starts off leisurely but almost inconspicously the song picks up pace. Sure I could pick a mark where the drums kick in but it wouldn't work so well. You need to listen to the song from the beginning so you get the whole experience and magnificence of the build up. One of the main reasons I love this song so much is the journey it takes me on to. So that's it! Do you agree / disagree on any of the picks? What are your favorite moments? I spent quite some time writing this so I hope someone reads it!

Great news!

Great way to start off your day. One of the best Japanese songs ever!

Not sure if you're looking for VK bands but unless not.. One of my favorites: Yellow Studs. They're like jazzy garage rock. If you don't mind the raspy vocals, personally I love them.

This first one is definitely one of my all time favorites. It's very cathartic moment for the song, the solo comes in at a perfect time, In a perfect way. It's loud, great tone and lots of emotion. The solo starts at 2.38 My second favourite consists of similar elements. Again very loud, no frills, no bullshit just a badass solo. Starts at around 1.50 The last one is interesting, because I don't listen to X Japan but this solo has Been among my favorites for ages. When I think of Best solos, this always comes To my mind first. It's different compared to the stuff I usually dig but I can't help but smile whenever I hear this solo. Starts at 3.44

New album sounds pretty good and fresh. I definitely enjoy the rawer songs more than the synth-heavy tracks. My favorites are Bad Dream, Down To Heaven and Ghost Rider. But the rest of the album Will grow on me, I'm sure of it.

Envy's Chain Wandering Deeply and Distress of Ignorance. The first two tracks on their A Dead Sinking Story album. The transition between these two is seamless. They're the best songs on "A Dead Sinking Story" and also among the best in general when it comes to Envy's music.