Shmilly

Wow, that's a shocker. Gutted about the hiatus but grateful to be attending possibly their last shows. All the best to Yusuke for his treatment and recovery.

Sounds decent, looking forward to something recorded in a studio and not a live house.

That's a shame, they were really promising. Still missing colaps vision too...

Nice review. While it would be accurate to say that this album reminds me of many past albums at once, I think it would be doing an injustice to NINTH not to credit it as its own 'era' of Gazerock. The band hasn't just thrown in callbacks to their lengthy discography, they've evolved and grown in a way I didn't think was possible this late in their musical career. With Reita himself admitting in an interview that it was hard to get out of the 'dark' phase they found with DOGMA, and some interesting comments in the interviews and liner notes of the album (these can be found in the 'Reference Book' for those who can read 日本語 until someone other than me can be bothered to make a translation), I think the band surprised even themselves with some of the compositions on this album. Falling was always an excellent track and remains possibly the only real stand-out, but that by no means discredits the rest - in fact, this is one of the most consistently pleasing albums we've had from the GazettE in a long time. NINTH ODD SMELL was made to be headbanged to live; THE MORTAL has a gorgeous juxtaposition of an oppressive instrumental atmosphere and Ruki's soaring vocals; BABYLON'S TABOO, while not my personal favourite, is one of the most alternative, industrial-sounding experiments we've heard from the band; and the old-school vibes of 裏切る舌, which the members wondered if newer fans would catch on to or applaud as something new and original, were a fun shake-up towards the back end of the album. TWO OF A KIND is possibly my second top track, it hits hard and the ending is to die for, and UNFINISHED brings things to a close in a nostalgic way very reminiscent of truly old-school GazettE 春雪の頃 (shunsetsu no koro). The fact that I have something to say about pretty much every song should speak volumes about the album as a whole. It's varied but consistent, a quality somewhat lacking in recent efforts, and one of my easiest recommendations for getting into this now almost legendary band.

Coming from a superfan I don't think I'm going to change any opinions here, but: 1) DADAROMA's style has been largely consistent since their formation with a balance of alt-rock, deathcore, 'dark pop' and jazzy numbers. People picking and choosing tracks they don't like as an argument for a change in musical direction have clearly not listened to very much of the band's work thoroughly. 2) Judging a new release from a 30-second clip is, and has always been, a waste of time because you can never tell what the full track will be like. Case in point from this very band, zouka to kalashnikov chose a section near the end of the song with only clean vocals for the preview, but it turned out to have brutal breakdowns and screams too. TLDR, nothing so far is a 'departure' from DDRM's established style, and don't judge any music before hearing the whole thing.

Knew this was coming since they teased it on the FC site immediately after the live, but I'm glad it's coming soon. (Release date is the same as their new single).

With the first half of the year (almost) over, I thought it would be fitting to look at 6 albums and 6 singles that I have enjoyed so far. I'm going to include mini-albums in the former category. If you discover something new here, that would be cool. If you have a different opinion and would like to leave that in the comments, that would be cool too. To make it simple, I'm just going to cover them in release order. ALBUMS 03.07 DADAROMA - 「This is “LIVE”」 It's surely no surprise that possibly my favourite active band in the VK scene steals a spot with their latest mini-album. I'll be honest, this one didn't quite hit me on the first listen like a lot of their other releases, but after several listens it quickly became one of my favourites. The energetic and fast-paced dark pop opening of ファントムペイン (phantom pain) serves as an excellent opener to an EP that is overall quite dark in overall tone but with a ray of light in the surprisingly raw ある日、世界は美しいと思った。 (aruhi, sekai wa utsukushii to omotta.). The divisive 「THE KINKY」 nevertheless remains in your head longer than you might like, and of course we finally got a studio recording of live favourite KIDS' WAR. My personal top pick this time though is イノセント・ホリック (innocent-holic) for its energetic and ridiculously memorable chorus. 03.28 MY FIRST STORY - THE PREMIUM SYMPHONY This one might seem like a surprising choice considering there are no new songs here, but the concept of bringing an orchestra to a rock concert has always been one that is very attractive to me (Bring Me The Horizon were also very successful with this recently in my opinion). MFS have done a great job of picking some of their best recent tracks and giving them a more epic makeover. I honestly don't really have a lot more to say since we know these tracks already, but for anyone with a similar disposition to yours truly, I think this is well worth a listen. 04.25 21g - GENORATION 2 This second album from 21g outdoes their first in both variety and maturity and comes off as a far more memorable release for it. 21g always had a certain element of whimsy to their writing and song topics, from songs about cats and chocolate to the common use of the soul (supposedly weighing 21 grams) and even the bands' own name in their lyrics, but toning that down a little and focusing more on memorable composition and trying some new things makes this album far superior to its predecessor. Other than outstanding singles 魂ノ歌 (tamashii no uta; one of my favourite songs ever) and 1st FINGER capping off each end of the album, HEAVY RAIN also gets a beautiful acoustic treatment highlighting Geno's gorgeous husky vocals and Miyako's guitar. Standout new tracks for me were catchy サイコパス (psychopath), kooky but powerful 頭文字G (kashira-moji G) and surprisingly raw engagement. If you haven't checked out 21g before, this is a great place to start. 05.02 零[Hz] (zero hertz) - 零聖戦 (zero seisen) I can't find the comment right now, but someone here said that this is the best 'generic kei' album in recent memory. However, I think that doesn't do it justice. This is a rare case of a release that wasn't really on my radar impressing me so much that I went out and bought it (99% of the new music I buy these days I am aware of well in advance). The vocals are great, the instrumentals are tight and often surprisingly heavy, and the album is just a blast all the way through, if a little on the long side. ZIHARD opens with a sense of urgency and immediately ramps up the energy, lead track AZUL is incredibly catchy, and it's just a parade of energetic synth-happy visual kei from there on out. It's not just really listenable, but at times genuinely great and one of the biggest surprises this year for me. 06.06 LOVEBITES - BATTLE AGAINST DAMNATION From the bottom of my heart (and maybe also somewhere a little lower *ahem*) I truly believe these girls are the new vanguard for old-school power metal in Japan. Some might knock them for their lustrous costuming and all-girl lineup, but give any single song from LOVEBITES a listen and you will understand immediately that they know how to rock. Inspired by the best of 80s metal from Iron Maiden to Helloween, lyrics all in good but sometimes slightly incoherent English, and lengthy duelling guitar solos, and you have all the basics for a good time. The members are all talented, the performances are tight, and the composition is rock solid. The girls even won the Best Newcomer Award at the Golden Gods Award Show this month for this very release. If you're not put off by female vocals in your power metal, LOVEBITES are absolutely one to watch. (Also props to my bae Miyako for being in not one but two bands with top six releases this year). 06.13 the GazettE - NINTH Well, here we are again. The GazettE have put out a new album, which means the fandom has been split once again; I for one am on the side that very much enjoyed this one. As others have said before me, I think the bar is set so high for this band after their lengthy career that it's less a matter of sub-standard music and more a case of unreasonable expectations. Had any of a number of less well-known indies visual bands sent this album out into the world, we would be singing their praises. But it's the GazettE, so again those wanting more of the same are disappointed, while on the other side who encourage trying new things are criticizing the band for doing just that. Following their metalcore-inspired DARK AGE project, the GazettE have refined a more gritty sound that retains those heavy elements like chugging riffs and breakdowns but incorporates more alternative songwriting and a more diverse composition than their last album. It's a difficult one to rate for me because at first there were not a lot of standout tracks; instead the album as a whole is very pleasant to listen to with a shorter runtime than usual and less filler too. Of course lead track Falling is a strong, memorable opener, and UNFINISHED cleverly fades out the album with a much more old-school GazettE vibe and a riff reminiscent of a more mature 春雪の頃 (shunsetsu no koro, which is also one of my favourite older tracks). I also really enjoyed TWO OF A KIND with that looped ending vocal sample over the heavy instrumental as well as the more experimental composition in THE MORTAL. The two softer tracks in the middle were both solid and NINTH ODD SMELL grew on me surprisingly quickly considering how bland it is composition-wise. It's a testament to how difficult it is to talk about the GazettE these days that this is already the longest comment on this list so let's leave it at that for now. SINGLES 03.01 abstracts - Nocturne After starting out without a vocalist and still pulling off one of the best djent EPs I've ever heard (with some guest help of course), skip forward three-and-a-half years and abstracts have recruited a vocalist who brings something a little different to their brand of technical metalcore. Their 'street' EP MODE, once I was able to get my hands on it, proved to be a great showcase of the style they have settled into, with even a little urban influence in some of their tracks like Monologue. I'm convinced though that Nocturne might be their best song to date, or at least in their current lineup. From the brutal technical riffs to the way the chorus slowly builds up to a kind of release, this is a headbanger for sure. Do yourself a favor and hit it up on YouTube. 03.07 NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST - WHITEOUT I know they call this one an EP, but it just isn't. Three songs and an instrumental is just a maxi single. With that out of the way, I love all three of the widely different tracks presented here. The lead track seemed at first like a hot mess when the PV came out, but it grew on me after multiple listens and I respect the band trying something a little unusual with the sax. LIVE TO DIE is one of my favourite NCBL songs in recent memory; it just hits so hard but with such a memorable chorus that this was my jam for a long time. To wrap things up, 無義道 (mugidou) is a beautifully melancholic track that slows things down again. A really solid single in my opinion. 03.13 キズ (kizu) - 傷痕 (kizuato) For me, Kizu is a band that has just been going from strength to strength. It bothers me slightly that to collect all of their songs, you have to buy both types of every single, but at least that's a sensible way to divide types, unlike what many other bands are doing. The djent-inspired composition is just my jam, and the instrumentals are tight. For me, Lime's vocals are not just tolerable but impressive - even more so on this release, which showcases his range a lot better (in terms of style, not just pitch). 怨ミ節 (uramibako) suprised me with almost operatic, enka-like notes in a very powerful and memorable performance. EMIL also has that same energy Kizu always displays, but in a more melancholic style. Another really good single. 04.15 SARIGIA - DECAYED Thanks to some kind soul on YouTube we are able to hear this live-limited release from promising new band SARIGIA. (Still looking for a copy to buy, anyone...) After their solid first release RUIN, this continues to build up the hype. Beginning with a surprisingly solid instrumental track, both of the full songs on this single are excellent, with the band starting to really form an image for themselves and a certain atmosphere in their composition. Until such a time as it is widely leaked or I can get hold of a copy, I urge you to hit this one up on YT while you still can. 05.08 BABYMETAL - Distortion I feel like I've never really had an opportunity to explain my relationship with BABYMETAL. Like so many others, when this group was first announced, I wrote it off as a bizarre excuse to stick underaged idol schoolgirls on another genre of music. However, after the release of their second album, I happened to get a lift one day from a friend who I know is a massive fan, who was playing it in his car. I was so impressed with the composition and surprisingly catchy mix of metal and pop elements that I asked who it was, and found a new respect for BABYMETAL. In addition to arguably one of the best touring bands in metal, featuring none other than Leda of my ex-top band DELUHI, I started to take this group seriously. Distortion is, if repetitive, another good showcase of intense but catchy songwriting, and the other new song they have been playing live is solid too. I'm really looking forward to another album announcement. 05.23 breakin' holiday - LILITH This one makes it onto the list over a couple of others due to the sheer number of times I've rocked out to the title track. After the confusing mess that was ZERO MIND INFINITY, Juri and co. seem to have found a solid formula with their current lineup and LILITH took me completely by surprise when it was first released on YouTube. It has that old DELUHI sound that I forgot I missed so much (in part because of Juri's vocals, for obvious reasons), but LILITH is just so damn intense and gets my blood pumping every time. It has a pace to it that makes even loop listens satisfying. Let's not talk about the second track though... Edit: Might have jumped the gun slightly by not waiting until the end of the month because new DEXCORE is sounding tight.

I agree that this single isn't their finest work, but I don't think you're giving them enough credit for variety in their music. For stripped down elements, try their softer songs like ネイキッド. Being more adventurous with genres? How about イノセンス or even PINOCCHIO on this single? Songs that go directly into the chorus? The last two singles were exactly that. I think RAZOR have found a sound they want to go with, which is why some of their choices of lead tracks recently seem a little stale, but if you take the rest of their work as a whole I think there is a reasonable amount of experimentation for the length of their career and the size of their discography.

Legitimately one of the most underrated releases this year. Looking forward to more from them.

So um, anyone else wondering what the deal is with 'Falling -NINTH MIX-'? The original hasn't even seen a release other than the PV, were they just not satisfied with it or what?

The cover is awesome.

I don't get all the hate. The singer's not terrible and the preview was a lot better than some of the crap coming out of the VK scene these days. ... OK, I get all the hate.

Excellent news! I hope the new releases include the 2 songs they distributed recently at lives, I've been looking everywhere for those.

As someone who picked up their album when it was only available on the webshop, I hope they release some more material soon!

Hard of hearing maybe

That's a very dark PV for such a bright song. Vocals are decent but not for me I think.

I'm sure I'm not the only one disappointed to see their comeback turn into a cancelled album and a disbandment. Let's make a thread to discuss this underrated band. llll-Ligro- Years Active: 2010-2013, 2017-2018 First live 2010.12.19, went on hiatus 2013.12.19 Side project 時限式:uadjet (jigenshiki:uadjet) active 2014-2017 Returned from hiatus 2017.12.01, officially disbanded 2018.05.18 Members Vo. ヒナタ (hinata) Gt. kazari Former members Gt. anki [left 2013.12.19] Dr. ヒロ (hiro) [left 2013.12.19] Gt. shin [left 2011.07.26] Ba. chiaki [left 2011.07.26] Discography* 2010.12.19 露草色の、 [無料配布] 2011.02.13 モノクロのカナリア [無料配布] 2011.02.27 虫籠／露草色の、 [無料配布] 2011.06.23 Useless repentance/亡目 [無料配布] 2011.08.19 DEFECTIVE IN PRODUCT(cease exist.ver) [無料配布] 2011.11.05 R sight [無料配布] 2011.12.16 両極の天秤 2012.01.29 HOLLOW 2012.04.22 INVITE [無料配布] 2012.05.11 保心と嗤う 2012.08.15 GRAVE MARKER [通常版/限定版] 2012.10.17 不羈 [通常版/限定版] 2012.11.13 INVITE (rerecording,remaster ver.) [無料配布] 2012.XX.XX NOT WORTH A D__N (rerecording,remaster ver.) [HPにて無料ダウンロード] 2012.XX.XX 不羈 (rerecording,remaster ver.) [HPにて無料ダウンロード] 2012.XX.XX INVITE (rerecording,remaster ver.) [HPにて無料ダウンロード] 2013.05.22 IDEOLOGICAL SUICIDE 2013.11.06 彼岸花 2015.12.29 在る空に傀儡 [as 時限式:uadjet] [無料配布/30枚限定発売] 2016.12.29 碧落の暁り [as 時限式:uadjet] 2017.12.01 INVICTA [YouTubeにて配信] 2018.03.01 INVISIBLE INDIVIDUAL [YouTubeにて配信] 2018.03.04 basket case [無料配布] 2018.05.30 弔 [発売中止] その他 2012.01.29 ドグマ [無料配布] 1. ギア／Golbeza 2. 瞞しに凪／llll-Ligro- 2013.04.23 Blame the Redemption [無料配布] 1.INVITE [llll-Ligro-] 2.INVITE 人を捨てたモノver. [Vo.ZAKU from RedruM] 3.MurdeR [RedruM] 4.MurdeR ATMから下ろせないver. [編曲：llll-Ligro-] 2017.12.01 時限式:uadjetの墓標 [入場特典] A gift to fans who attended the live on this date. This appears to be a clear gravestone-shaped object with the 時限式:uadjet logo and some other words inscribed on it. My best guess is that this is meant to mark the end of 時限式:uadjet and the return of llll-Ligro-, as this live was also where they announced their comeback and the day they released the PV for INVICTA on YouTube. *Appendix to discography 無料配布 (muryou haifu) is a free distribution. 通常版 (tsuujou-ban) is regular edition; 限定版 (gentei-ban) is limited edition. Both GRAVE MARKER and 不羈 (fuki) were released in two types. The band released three rerecording,remaster ver. songs on their homepage for free download in late 2012. It appears these are still accessible using the Wayback Machine. 在る空に傀儡 (aru sora ni kugutsu) was released in two types: it was distributed to attendees of the live as a signed CD with a member comment/lyrics card, and also sold at that same live as a limited edition of 30 copies for 500 yen apiece (hence the name 'one-coin single').

Just got my order cancellation email from Amazon. Looks like that's the end of Ligro.

They have at least two unreleased songs that I'm aware of, but that's still only 14 songs max after their latest single.

This! Shame my company doesn't give me the day off even though it's a holiday, I'd love to go... Also for what it's worth, I'm not sure how true it is but the poster says that one man sold out in one second!