YuyoDrift

Shit, this song takes you for a ride alright.
 
Place me into the group that would call this Vanitas 2.0, as that artistic approach has been kicked up a notch, making the entire track sporadic.
It's hard to put it into words but the song is so close to not being listenable due to the amount of ideas thrown into it. I agree with many others here that they need to take it easy considering how well they are doing right now in the VK scene. If its a rival thing with NAZARE then please let us know.
 
I really feel my thoughts have already been mentioned by others but their work really does make everything else out in the VK world right now pale in comparison.
There, I said it.

The discussion has already started and finished bruh

The solo saved the song to be honest. 
 
It sounds like leftover ideas from the Chedoara sessions, and as I’ve said before I’m getting a little tired of the tapping gimmick. At least go somewhere else on the guitar neck, dudes. 
 
Sudden ending with no climax is cute, but it was cuter in Grotesque. 
 
It’s fine, but last summer’s singles it is not. 

yo this is actually legit really, really good & it's p fucked up how thoroughly mediocre this makes like the majority of the contemporary vk scene look by comparison 
 

I take it you weren't around the scene during the 2005+ years? LOL this was going on constantly. Don't even get me started on the blog posts online during this time.
 
The lines were cringe for sure, but like @Gesu has stated, we were all those people at one point so we should be a bit more positive about it since those fans are there to support the band just like we are. So long as the GazettE don't shift their music to please the anime otakus/weebs and focus only on anime OPs then we are ok haha.
 
That photos/video thing, it will get old fast since some fans are seeing them for the first time. Next few shows and I'm sure the numbers will go down.
I never looked at it from this perspective but after realizing that the Japanese get to see 90% of their performances constantly, they don't feel compelled to whip out their devices and sherish the moment like the rest of us internationally (plus the Japanese are respectful and courteous I know I know).

@platy and I were just discussing this observation as well not too long ago.
Albeit a known issue within the GazettE fandom, Aoi's lack of fulfillment in the band when it comes to contributions musically or simply pitching ideas have really shown this time around. Our M&G, while amazing (I accidentally didn't attend the last M&G in 2016) it was to meet them, you could tell who was showing face for the fans, and for me it was Aoi.
 
This discussion could go on for hours but to keep it short, there has to be room for expression and creativity for all the members, otherwise we may see things turn DEG style where the members don't even sit in the same room at times. They've more than earned the right to breathe easy after so long, so why not actually go back to basics and let creativity fly? NINTH is a great example of this and I hope they continue in this direction in the future.
 
Getting back to the live itself, I also mentioned this to @platy but was the soundcheck somewhat shit for anyone else? Don't mean to sound like an ass but I noticed that Reita's bass was a tad overwhelming for the NYC stage, so the guitars sat far too back, sound-wise, for my tastes. Ruki's vocals were also slightly muddled but clear enough where no one cared. I think Kai's drums were the only somewhat "tuned to spec" instrument there. Keep in mind Kai doesn't have to switch guitars or anything but this poor soundcheck was not corrected until the encore. That's when the concert became waaaaaay more tolerable for me, and only because the techs came out to prove my suspicions and tweak things.

@platy and I were just discussing this observation as well not too long ago.
Albeit a known issue within the GazettE fandom, Aoi's lack of fulfillment in the band when it comes to contributions musically or simply pitching ideas have really shown this time around. Our M&G, while amazing (I accidentally didn't attend the last M&G in 2016) it was to meet them, you could tell who was showing face for the fans, and for me it was Aoi.
 
This discussion could go on for hours but to keep it short, there has to be room for expression and creativity for all the members, otherwise we may see things turn DEG style where the members don't even sit in the same room at times. They've more than earned the right to breathe easy after so long, so why not actually go back to basics and let creativity fly? NINTH is a great example of this and I hope they continue in this direction in the future.
 
Getting back to the live itself, I also mentioned this to @platy but was the soundcheck somewhat shit for anyone else? Don't mean to sound like an ass but I noticed that Reita's bass was a tad overwhelming for the NYC stage, so the guitars sat far too back, sound-wise, for my tastes. Ruki's vocals were also slightly muddled but clear enough where no one cared. I think Kai's drums were the only somewhat "tuned to spec" instrument there. Keep in mind Kai doesn't have to switch guitars or anything but this poor soundcheck was not corrected until the encore. That's when the concert became waaaaaay more tolerable for me, and only because the techs came out to prove my suspicions and tweak things.

Hey welcome to the forum!
 
I went to the GazettE live here in the States and if the setlists are the same overseas (from what I can see) then you're gonna have a great time.
Make sure to move around with the crowd if you're gonna be close to the stage though, otherwise its a bad time lol.
 
Chat with you on the forum soon!

Just taking a moment here to mention how mind-blowing the backing guitar chords are in their album Disorder.
I noticed them during the song "7月8日 (Shichi Gatsu Youka)", but the other songs have these nuances to them as well.
I never took the time to listen to this album as intimately as I did this weekend, and finally noticed how the chords speak on their own, almost as if they are the hidden force being driven here.
 

Professionally, it'd be FUKI from Unlucky Morpheus. I just can't fathom how productive her day-to-day life is and so I'd wanna see it for myself lol.
 
Casually, it would have to be either Byou from Khryst+ or Hazuki from lynch. Guys are just really into their careers and very chill from what I hear.
Plus Hazuki can teach me fishing and take me with the gang to fish one morning lol.

Just taking a moment here to mention how mind-blowing the backing guitar chords are in their album Disorder.
I noticed them during the song "7月8日 (Shichi Gatsu Youka)", but the other songs have these nuances to them as well.
I never took the time to listen to this album as intimately as I did this weekend, and finally noticed how the chords speak on their own, almost as if they are the hidden force being driven here.
 

A lot can be said, positive and negative about the legacy of MALICE MIZER, whether it's the abrupt departure of Tetsu after just one year, the GACKT years, the untimely death of Kami or the rise and fall in the Klaha years. There's no better way to understand how MALICE MIZER went from unknown to legends of Visual Kei than to start in the beginning.
 
In the Beginning: The Era of Tetsu

 
MALICE MIZER was formed in August of 1992 when former guitarist of Matenrou, Közi joined forces with the support bassist Mana and the two recruited the former Ner-vous vocalist Tetsu, former ZE:RO bassist Yu~ki and former DATURA (not to be confused with DatuRΛ) drummer Gaz to form MALICE MIZER (a postmanteau of Malice and Misery) with a concept based on the darker side of human nature. MALICE MIZER immediately began activities and released their first demo tape SANS LOGIQUE which had foregone vocals and released Speed of Desperate on the compilation album Brain Trash which featured acts such as ALUCARD, DIE=KÜSSE, THE PIASS and Gazelle. Shortly after Brain TRASH, Gaz departed and Kami joined; Kami being the only other drummer for the band until his untimely death. MALICE MIZER released a few more demos before releasing their debut album memoire on Mana's newly founded label Midi:Nette. Tetsu then left the band at the end of 1994 with a live performance titled Cher de memoire II on December 27th.
 
Taking a Different Route: It's Gackt Time

 
MALICE MIZER went into 1995 without a vocalist, but they didn't let it stop their surge as they performed without a vocalist for a sponsored event titled Dai Goya Higeki no Bansan Vol.5 (第五夜 悲劇の晩餐 Vol.5) before Gackt officially joined the band as the new vocalist with his first performance on October 10th Karei naru Fukkatsugeki. The music of MALICE MIZER took a drastic turn and was the catalyst for the rise of Gackt as a performer and set the stage for his continued success after leaving the band as the band went from a Gothic sound to a more upbeat sound; something that became a signature of Gackt's solo career. In 1996 MALICE MIZER released their second album Voyage sans retour and underwent a nationwide one-man tour culminating in a show titled Sans retour Voyage deux 1996. MALICE MIZER continued their stride in 1997 when they signed a contract with major label Nippon Columbia, a subsidiary of Columbia Music Company as well as undergoing a sold-out nationwide tour with STANDING TOUR '97 Pays de merveilles ~空白の瞬間の中で~ and a regularly broadcast radio show MALICE MIZER no Mayonaka no s'il vous plaît on CBC Radio. Merveilles, MALICE MIZER's third album and second featuring Gackt as vocalist is released in March of 1998, the band announced merveilles ~Shuuen to kisuu~ in which the tickets sold out in just two minutes as well as undergoing a new radio show MALICE MIZER no shisetsu hisho no chojutsu on Chiba's renowned bay-fm radio station. However, things would take a turn when in January Gackt decided to leave the band at the peak of their popularity to form own solo project that he continues to this day, simply called GACKT featuring a backing band appropriately titled GACKTJOB. 
 
As if losing their vocalist wasn't bad enough tragedy struck when in June beloved drummer Kami passed away suddenly from a subarachnoid hemorrhage, more commonly referred to as a brain hemorrhage. With the world crashing down around his shoulders, Mana underwent damage control and returned MALICE MIZER to his own label. Malice Mizer went on to release one song after Gackt left, a piano song called Saikai no Chi to Bara. Little did they know that their fortunes were about to change as their savior was right around the corner.
 
From Rebirth to Climax: The Year of Klaha

 
PRIDE OF MIND former vocalist Klaha joined MALICE MIZER on vocals on August 31st and would be the third and final vocalist for the group. MALICE MIZER proceeded to get back to making music right away with the release of their fourth and final album Bara no Seidou and Klaha had his first live performance one week later with Bara ni irodorareta akui to higeki no makuake - Dai icihiya saikai no bara. Sadly, nothing lasts forever and after several singles, a feature length, albeit silent film Bara no Konrei ~Mayonaka ni Kawashita Yakusoku~ and even a concert DVD in 2001, MALICE MIZER went on an indefinite hiatus at the end of the year. Each member releasing their own respective personal messages regarding the hiatus on the bands official website.
 
Post Mortem: An Uncertain Future

 
After MALICE MIZER went on an indefinite hiatus the respective members were quick to move on to other projects, except for Yu~ki who's only activity since the hiatus was contributing to a song on Közi's solo project. The aforementioned Közi went on to be in a managare of bands, first with HARUHIKO ASH in Eve of Destiny, then started a solo project as well as XA-VAT, ZIZ, VAMQUET and joined Ryo from 9Goats Black Out to form a nu-goth band called DĂLLE. Mana quickly formed his own solo project that is still running strong today called Moi dix Mois and launched his own fashion label Moi-même-Moitie as well as becoming a producer for the band Schwarz Stein and cellist Kanon Wakeshima. Tetsu formed several bands of varying styles of music after leaving MALICE MIZER with the most notable being ZIGZO and Nil. Gackt has been active as a solo artist since leaving MALICE MIZER and subsequently ventured into film and television while Klaha released a solo mini-album and full length album before disappearing from the scene in 2004, not to be heard from again.
 
MALICE MIZER may be no more, but the pieces have come together several times since the hiatus, Közi joining Mana's Moi dix Mois in 2008 at Dis Inferno Vol.VI ~Last Year Party~ and again in 2009 for a two stop tour Deep Sanctuary; Deep Sanctuary becoming a staple event for Moi dix Mois from then on. Moi dix Mois and Közi went on another, longer tour in 2010, six shows aptly named Deep Sanctuary II which featured the return of Yu~ki on bass; the three reuniting on stage for the first time in nine years. The show featured MALICE MIZER classics such as Saikai no Chi to Bara and Beast of Blood as well as a cover of shock rocker Rob Zombie's What Lurks on Channel X. Moi dix Mois then held a tenth anniversary concert Le dixieme anniversaire Live 2011~2012　~Tetsugaku no Hahen Dainana Shou Shinen naru Seiiki Deep Sanctuary III~ which saw Közi performing with his new band ZIZ with Yu~ki returning on bass. Sadly the original drummer Gaz passed away on December 22nd 2017, one year before the bands 25th anniversary and the subsequent reunion show last year Deep Sanctuary Ⅵ MALICE MIZER 25th Anniversary Special which featured the return of the trio as well as former roadies for the band performing their own renditions of classic songs, such as former LAREINE vocalist KAMIJO joining for his own take on the Gackt era songs APRES MIDI and Bel Air ~Kuuhaku no Shunkan no Naka De~, cali≠gari's Shuuji with a riff on the Tetsu era's Kioku to Sora and ILLUMINATI as well as Moran former vocalist Hitomi with Gackt's Madrigal and N.p.s.N.g.s. The show featured ZIZ and Moi dix Mois performing their own songs and MALICE MIZER covers with the show ended with a tribute to the departed Kami and all of the guest vocalists singing together for Ma chérie ~Itoshii Kimi E~.
 
There have been teases for years and the band have come back in several shapes, but whether they will return with the likes of any of their three former vocalists is unlikely or at best up in the air with all of them seemingly content with their careers and lives and consider MALICE MIZER a part of their past. The future of MALICE MIZER is uncertain, but it's safe to say that the Visual Kei scene would be shaken to the core if the stars aligned and the malice and misery rose like a phoenix for a second time.
 
Member History
Current Lineup
Mana - Guitar (ex-Matenrou, Moi dix Mois) 
Közi - Guitar (ex-GIRL, ex-Matenrou, ZIZ, XA-VAT, DĂLLE, Solo, VAMQUET) 
Yu~ki - Bass (ex-ZE:RO)
Former Members
Gaz - Drums (ex-DATURA, deceased  2017)
Tetsu - Vocals (ex-Ner-vous, ZIGZO, Nil, THE JUNEJULYAUGUST) 
Kami - Drums (deceased 1999)
Klaha - Vocals (ex-PRIDE OF MIND, Solo, retired)
Gackt - Vocals (ex-Cains:Feel, Solo, YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz)
Support Members
Shue Sakai - Drums (ex-JACK BLUE, N.S.D.P., Everlasting-K)
Kazune - Keyboard (Brain Hacker, Art Cube)
Staff Members
Hitomi - Roadie (ex-Moran, UMIYURI) 
MAYU - Roadie (ex-LAREINE, ex-NEW SODMY)
MACHI - Roadie (ex-LAREINE, Chanton L'amour) 
Masanori Yabuki - Roadie (Datenshi Tokyo, Ant1nett) 
KAMIJO - Roadie (ex-LAREINE, ex-NEW SODMY, Versailles, Solo)
Shuuji Ishii - Roadie (cali≠gari, goatbed, EX-ANS)
 
Discography
 
Albums
(1994.07.24) memoire
(1996.06.09)Voyage ~Sans Retour~
(1998.03.18) Merveilles
(2000.08.23) Bara no Seidou (薔薇の聖堂)
Mini-albums
(2000.02.01) Shinwa (神話)
Demos
(1992.10.31) Sans Logique
(1993.04.05) Sadness
(1993.10.12) The 1th Anniversary
(1996.00.00) Après Midi
(1999.11.03) Saikai no Chi to Bara" (再会の血と薔薇)
Singles
(1995.12.10) Uruwashiki Kamen no Shoutaijou
(1996.10.10) Ma Chérie ~Itoshii Kimi E~
(1997.08.06) Bel Air ~Kuuhaku no Shunkan no Naka De~
(1997.12.03) Au Revoir
(1998.02.11) Gekka no Yasoukyoku
(1998.05.20) Illuminati
(1998.09.09) Le Ciel ~Kuuhaku no Kanata E~
(1999.11.03)Saikai no Chi to Bara
(2000.05.31) Kyomu no Naka de no Yuugi
(2000.07.26) Shiroi Hada ni Kuruu Ai to Kanashimi no Rondo
(2001.05.30) Gardenia
(2001.06.21) Beast of Blood
(2001.10.30) Mayonaka ni Kawashita Yakusoku
(2001.11.30) Garnet ~Kindan no Sono E~
 
OHP
Moi dix Mois 
Közi
Moi-même-Moitie
 
-A huge thanks to @inartisticand the great team over at vk.gy for a wealth of information that without, this would not have been possible.
 

Just taking a moment here to mention how mind-blowing the backing guitar chords are in their album Disorder.
I noticed them during the song "7月8日 (Shichi Gatsu Youka)", but the other songs have these nuances to them as well.
I never took the time to listen to this album as intimately as I did this weekend, and finally noticed how the chords speak on their own, almost as if they are the hidden force being driven here.
 

@YuyoDrift I ended up getting the JBL TUNE600BT's (an upgrade from my initial request since these have noise cancellation as well) and they're a perfect fit. I have pretty small ears and a small head so these are great in a sense that they don't look bulky on me, which is what I was going for too. They also stay comfortable with glasses which is good! 
 
The sound is gorgeous for the music I'm listening to so I'm very happy with them. 

I mean even if sales are falling, in a country where schools still utilize fax machines I have a hard time imagining the death of CDs any time soon.

they're already quite known lol streaming is the worst from environment standpoint bc. data-storage and infrastructure run 24/7 and not just when Becky wants to stream her katy perry classics, 
 
and there's history of services changing ownership and nuking their content libraries in what is later excused as a technical issue ( = myspace, tumblr probs next) because maintaining legacy low-usage libraries also costs money 
 
oh and also this part - 
I actually think Japanese market would rather invent a new physical format that will be pushed by the major labels (they already have m-card no one else is using) than lose physical media sale numbers and sales mark-ups to streaming
 
if sony forced gamers to install 40+ gigs of bluray media before launching tha games and kept a mandatory disk-in game launch on ps4, they'll do it with music CDs once retail sales dive enough, and honestly as long as it's done sensibly I'm hft (make walkmans gr8 again etc)

Fuck me, why is it that I am always stuck in the same situation regarding work? 😫
I just wanted to do some small/easy contract work for the first couple years in my field wtf.

.... and it was at this moment that Yuyo understood the importance of getting the fuck out of his current contract with a dying company .....

.... and it was at this moment that Yuyo understood the importance of getting the fuck out of his current contract with a dying company .....

So I've been watching La:Sadie's videos on Youtube, and I couldn't help but notice all of the KISAKI vs Toshiya comments. Many people over there really do not like KISAKI and the two bassists are often compared (obviously in Toshiya's favor). 
 
I chose to write this thread because I was genuinely curious whom the community feels is a better bassist over a medium where I could more hopefully gauge productive conversation. We all know that KISAKI is a shit person, and that's not what I'm aiming to talk about in this thread. I'm simply curious to know which La:Sadie's/Dir En Grey member is better on a technical and creative level, or any other relevant metric to discern proficiency. 
 
Now first of all, KISAKI has been a professional bassist since the early 90s, and has played bass consistently. I believe he is quite good on a compositional level, I've always enjoyed his style of visual kei. I think he is a good example of what you look for in a visual kei bassist, loud and harmonic playing. He plays the bass like a bass, not like an electric guitar, and he wants you to hear him. 
 
Toshiya plays a completely different style of music - although I have to to admit, I haven't really listened to much of Dir En Grey's recent stuff so I can't offer much of my own opinion on Toshiya's playing, but I hear he's gotten real good over the years (which of course makes sense, given that he's been playing bass for such a prominent band for over two decades now). KISAKI on the other hand probably hasn't dramatically improved in quite a while.
 

There is no need to get this offended if you open up a discussion about talented musicians with shitty personalities. People are going to say what they want, it's their opinion, and anything you say will not change that. Opinions are like assholes; everyone has one. It's all part of having a good discussion or debate. It's normal.
 
Whether you like it or not, everyone thinks their own way and nobody needs to cater to your needs or sensibilities. Let people think what they want; you're the one who invited this discussion in the first place.
 
edit: I saw that you requested this thread be deleted, and this isn't the first time you've made such a request with a thread you made which didn't turn out as you so wanted. This further shows that you are unwilling to have a real unbiased discussion with anyone about things you may disagree with. The thing about this forum is that it's open to everyone, whether it be casuals or longtime diehards, and any discussion is welcome. What you need to realize is that not all people think alike, and they are not gonna adjust their way of speech or thinking just to cater to feelings of other people. This can also be applied to real life, and as you grow up, you will encounter more people like this who are not just gonna change in the flip of a dime because you said so. You don't have to like it, but you must accept it as it will help you grow later in life.

Was going to say Kisaki, Phantasmagoria was great, Matina and Undercode were cornerstones of the industry as far as labels go; gotta give the devil his due.

Oh, definitely, sis. It's perfectly possible to separate the two. In fact, it's pretty easy. Plenty of people do it, and I've done it in the past too. But I just don't think it's a good idea to separate the two. And just because plenty of people do it and things seem fine on the outside, that doesn't necessarily make it functional.
 
Like, let's look at it. What's the end goal of lust? To basically "get off", to "bust a nut", to "feel good",right? Ok. Well then what's love? We could say that it's investing in someone else as you would yourself. Caring for someone else as you would yourself. Doing right by someone else regardless of how you feel. I think those are pretty sound definitions.
 
So you can imagine if you remove love from sex and you simply engage in it for lust's sake, well then you open up the door to all manner of dysfunction. Because if you're operating under lust, then feeling good becomes your highest priority. There's nothing wrong with feeling good, but it's immature and irresponsible to treat sex as if it isn't connected to all of those other things, especially love.
 
If you want a prime example of what happens on a large scale when love is removed from the act of sex, all you have to do is examine the so-called black community here in the United States. Our culture has become one that promotes and pedastalizes promiscuity and whoredom, and our family structures have been utterly destroyed because of it. In 1960, something like 22% of black children were raised in single parent families - now OVER 70% of black children are raised in single parents families. That's fuckin crazy. And don't even get me started on the abortion stats.
 
Why is all of that that relevant tho?  Because family is essentially the building block of society itself - so if the family is destroyed, well then so is the broader community. Likewise the individual is also impaired because they're raised in these destroyed families and further effected by these destroyed communities. When it comes to human relations, nothing ever truly happens in a vacuum - and so you can begin to see the far-reaching effects that the decisions of just one individual can have - for better or worse.
 
 
So yeah, I think divorcing "love" from sex is a horrible idea, because I've seen and experienced the catastrophic effects that it's reaped upon the lives of many people. I've seen what it does to people when they make "feeling good" their highest priority - consequences become completely irrelevant, or an afterthought at best. For instance, I have five nieces and nephews who haven't seen their father in over a year simply because their mother decided she wanted to "live her best life" and chase strange dick. And this was an instance where both the children and the mother were properly being cared and provided for - hell, the kids wanted stay with their father. So just like that - BOOM! instant trauma inflicted upon 5 children and perfectly sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Likewise, I know plenty of single mothers who were impregnated by irresponsible men that decided they were worth busting a nut in, but not sticking around and caring for. There was no love present in any of these decisions. Here are some staggeringly tragic stats on the effects of fatherlessness if you're curious as to why this is such a big deal.
 
All of the heartache, the pain, and the misery caused by reckless, impulsive, lust-based sexual decisions could simply be avoided it people knew how to integrate sex into their life in a functional manner that doesn't have these resoundingly negative effects. Sadly, we don't know how to do that. And society is quick to tell you "do whatever makes you happy/feel good", but they don't tell you all the pain and misery that you bring upon yourself and others when you make that your highest priority/value.
 
So anyways, I hope this explains my stance on it.  Obviously, ppl are free to do whatever they want, but I think going about sex like that is a bad idea.

@CAT5 I totally agree with you with everything you said and it's even that much more crazier when you move abroad and people's main focus for wanting to talk to you or meet you on chats or in person is just because they want to have sex with foreigners. Totally not anything I'm looking for so I stay clear but it is the driving force for why people want to meet you in a country you are not from, especially if it's dominated by only a single race and there is stereotypes too....
 
But I feel like a majority of people are only after one thing and being abroad I felt it actually more than being at home. I mean to each their own but a majority of people don't want to put a label on anything and just want to have a lot of sex with a lot of people and may keep you around if you're good but don't want to move any farther then that. That does crate problems in the minds of others because they assume everyone is the same.  Based on my looks people just think I've had sex with a lot of random people and I'm like that is not true actually. That is not my thing but it creates so many different mind sets when people don't do it for love and only for lust. And then there is the act of finding someone who isn't like that which can be that much harder too. The likelihood of finding someone who just wants sex is way higher than finding someone who actually wants to care for you. The worlds so messed up in my opinion and lots of people don't care about how their actions can affect others and is just after personal gain.