odrep

I'm seeing Ghost live again tomorrow and thought it was about time this brilliant band got their own thread on the forum. I've followed Ghost since the release of their debut single Elizabeth, and I've enjoyed every release since then. Ghost is a big fucking circus with great music, and live they're a force of their own. Few bands can match the live shows of Ghost in 2016. As far as their live shows goes the most natural comparison would be Rammstein, rather than bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Foo Fighters.
 
 
I think all three albums are top quality, but if I had to rate them:
 
1. Infestissumam
Ghost goes pop-rock. Infestissumam sounds like a mix of Abba, Roky Erickson and with very little hard rock and heavy metal. Catchy as fuck. Only flaw is the weak production. Too polished and over-produced, but the brilliance of everything else makes up for it. Hightlights: Year Zero, Ghuleh / Zombie Queen and Monstrance Clock.
 
2. Opus Eponymous
A hard rocking mix of Blue Öyster Cult, Black Sabbath and Mercyful Fate, though Mercyful Fate is named more or less only because of the atmosphere and feeling of the album. Highlights: Ritual, Elizabeth and Stand by Him.
 
3. Meliora
By far their heaviest album IMO. An adventurous dig into progressive rock, heavy metal and hard rock. Sounds like a mix of Genesis, The Beatles and Blak Sabbath. Highlights: From the Pinnacle to the Pit, He Is and Absolution.
 
 
I also think their covers of Abba's I'm a Marionette, Roky Erickson's If You Have Ghosts and The Beatles' Here Comes the Sun is as good, if not better, than the original songs.
 
I also really like their cover art, even though the execution of Infestissumam is poor. But the film refrences of their cover art is nice and a cool touch to it all.
 
Opus Eponymous - Salem's Lot
Infestissumam - Amadeus
If You Have Ghost - Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens
Cirice - The Silence of the Lambs
Meliora - Metropolis
Year Zero - Paradise Lost (not a film, but still cool)
 
 
They also have two tour shirts refrencing A Clockwork Orange and Jaws. Both looks sweet as fuck.

Piracy is universal and knows no borders. People stlil pirate in Japan they just have to be less obvious about it.
 
America (the country) is vast and largely empty. Europe (the continent) is small. It's roughly the size of half of America. Touring Europe is easy because you can visit one country and fans can visit from the surrounding country for a day or two because the trip is only a few hours. Touring Mexico and South America is a little more challenging, but the population there isn't spread so thin so it's easier to target fans by hitting major cities. Not so in America. We're technically spread across six time zones. I can drive for a few hours and not leave my state, much less the country. From my current location, it would take 10 to 11 hours of driving to reach Canada. It would take me near 20 hours by car to reach @CAT5 (trains are worse and planes are super expensive)! In the midwest, it can take hours to go from a small suburb to a decently sized city where a band might perform. If the show isn't somewhere within a few hours drive, I can't go.
No matter where they go or what city they perform in, 95% of American fans would have to "break the bank" or organize a trip out of a concert in order to go see them. This is why most (not all tho) Japanese bands that tour North America always hit the same cities. The GazettE may have a lot of fans overall in America but probably not enough to fill up venues consistently and make that money back. In addition they have to go from city to city and that's expensive too. It's not uncommon to hear of a Japanese "world tour" which totally skips North America.
We're lucky the GazettE even goes to Europe. There's a lot more to touring abroad than geography at play like work visas, working with promoters who can secure your venues, money, etc. I've heard of a lot of failed EU tours from visual bands after thousands of fans rallied together to bring UnsraW to Europe but only 100 showed up to the live house because "it was Wednesday and mom won't let me go to concerts on Wednesdays". I also vaguely remember the GazettE saying they hate touring America and won't come here but don't quote me without sources. But if I were to think of one good reason as to why Japanese bands run like hell from America, it's that it's so big it's difficult to tour.
 

achievement unlocked 

Check out my beasty quiff

^ omy jelly. been wanting to visit the us for quite some time.
 

 
I want to buy new glasses ;-; I want to pierce septum piercing as well. Do you think it would fit me?

Me embracing getting in the way of the Grand Canyon last weekend.

First time showing my face properly here. I planned to do a vk inspired look, but it turned out all black   



 

I take selfies like two per year
 

 
and generally I'm not shaved and wearing glasses.

Thank you =)
Here's a Plastic Tree cover I did a while ago. Wasn't too active over here so I didn't share any of those~
 

New Vocal Cover
The Gazette - DOGMA
 

I take selfies like two per year
 

 
and generally I'm not shaved and wearing glasses.

I take selfies like two per year
 

 
and generally I'm not shaved and wearing glasses.

I take selfies like two per year
 

 
and generally I'm not shaved and wearing glasses.

I take selfies like two per year
 

 
and generally I'm not shaved and wearing glasses.

And Taylor Swift has joined DIR EN GREY.

Cant wait to hear Pink Killer (Jazz-Funk Mix) as the new single b-side

DIR EN GREY announced on ARCHE at BUDOKAN day 2 (2016-02-06) several news for 2016.
 
They will release the ARCHE at BUDOKAN live performances "ARCHE AT NIPPON BUDOKAN" on DVD/BD in June 2016
 
A new single has been announced for release on 27 July 2016. The single is entitled "Utafumi" and will be released in four different types, with a CD containing three tracks.
 
Also, a new domestic tour: TOUR16-17 FROM DEPRESSION TO ________
[mode of VULGAR] 6/3(金)【愛知県】Zepp Nagoya [★]
6/4(土)【愛知県】Zepp Nagoya [★]
6/11(土)【宮城県】仙台PIT
6/12(日)【宮城県】仙台PIT
6/16(木)【大阪府】なんばHatch [★]
6/17(金)【大阪府】なんばHatch [★]
6/19(日)【岡山県】倉敷市芸文館
7/1(金)【東京都】新木場STUDIO COAST [★]
7/2(土)【東京都】新木場STUDIO COAST [★]
[mode of DUM SPIRO SPERO] SEPTEMBER 2016 - dates TBA- [mode of 鬼葬] NOVEMBER 2016 - dates TBA- Also, an new promo picture has been revealed

2016/2/5(金) 日本武道館
 
01. Intro
02. Un Deux
03. 咀嚼 / Soshaku
04. 鱗 / Uroko
05. Phenomenon
06. Cause Of Fickleness
07. 濤声 / Tousei
08. 輪郭 / Rinkaku
09. Chain Repulsion
10. Midwife
11. 禍夜想 / Magayasou
    INWARD SCREAM
12. And Zero
13. てふてふ / Tefu Tefu
14. 懐春 / Kaishun
15. Behind A Vacant Image
16. Sustain The Untruth
17. 空谷の跫音 / Kukoku No Kyouon
    Encore
18. The Inferno
19. Revelation Of Mankind
20. THE FINAL
21. 朔-Saku-
22. 【KR】Cube
23. CHILD PREY
 
【KR】Cube was played for the first time since Jan. 11th, 2003.

Not sure where to put this, but Merry just announced that they'll be broadcasting their tour final this Sunday live on nicovideo. Tetsu is making a comeback as well!
 
So if you're starved for some live Merry, here: http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv251251670

the topic of lyrics has been discussed a lot on here, whether they're important or not etc its all subjective lalala.
for those of us that take them heavily into consideration/find them important, who are your favourite lyricists?
a lot of my honmei bands are distinguished by brilliant lyrics, thats the way i can latch onto a band. if the vocal is expressing themselves in a way that i can relate, their music and words take on a new, more sentimental value. of course, the lyricists mentioned wouldn't have resonated without a decent western following who translated lyrics, interviews, other material; so im sure there are a few artists who are equally brilliant but not mentioned similarly in the western fandom as there simply aren't resources to understand what they're saying.
none of these translations are mine
 
mako (ex. deadman, kein)
 
temari (ex. amber gris, ruvie)
 
hitomi (ex. moran, fatima)
 
daisuke (ex. kagerou, the studs)
 
tsuzuku (mejibray)
 
ryo (keel)
theres a bunch more great lyricists (nigu, kazuma, yuuki, ruki, kyo etc), but these are my favs tell me yours!
i swear im not that big of a sap

I'm in Japan at the moment to see a downy concert and while I was here I decided to go check out the Budokan since I was in the area. Actually had no idea the ARCHE lives were this weekend, so I was pretty surprised when I found myself surrounded by fans queuing up so early in the day xD
 

 

 

Imagine if you will they combined their last three albums together with David Bowie's last album Blackstar. As in the jazz and electronica aspects and then add the traditional folk instruments.

bumping up this thread to spill some tea on recent discoveries
eleventh he reaches london - stupid underrated, listen to their first album and see the face of GOD. its proggy post-rocky post-hardcore with insane vox that remind me as much of sludge as they do screamo and a touch that reminds me ALOT of funeral diner--not that shiney glittery new post shit benton falls - ol twinkly emo, makes me cry; lyrics are shit but i really really find it endearing (also insanely underrated) saosin - wrote off as shit bc i thought it was bad mid 2000's post hardcore angry white kid but their first ep is excelled post hardcore angry white kid--spastic and awesome. not underrated by any means, but i would have overlooked them entirely had it not been for a lot of good word about their first ep and the thursday comparisons athletics - more eits-y post-rock emo, i actually love it. sounds a bit too twinkly, but their peers make the combination a total shit show so how they keep it classy is beyond me a bunny's caravan - legendary band that put out a gorgeous post-rock/emo (more post-rock) ep, never played a show, broke up right after and everyone associated with the project basically dropped off the face of the earth. this sounds like a band who have been playing for years, i love the urban legend behind it anyway. great stuff.