YuyoDrift

C'mon man what's with the fucking names these days? Do they just draw words from a hat or something?
 
x3 on the shittiest teaser I've heard. HAHA. Was that 5 seconds each track?

C'mon man what's with the fucking names these days? Do they just draw words from a hat or something?
 
x3 on the shittiest teaser I've heard. HAHA. Was that 5 seconds each track?

This, really. I've been going to concerts for the past 10 years and I've seen it evolve. Personally I find it one of the most annoying things when the first few rows of a venue are just people standing there with their phones up. It obstructs the view from people behind them + they get mad at you when you accidentally hit them because of a pit or a rowdy crowd. I've seen people literally watch the shows through their phones and cameras while the band's performing right in front of them. Like, go home and watch a live DVD instead? I understand the need to record at least something to make it feel like you've been there. A lasting memory. But full shows? I'm usually in the middle of crowds when I go to gigs, and I'd rather not have to watch out for someone's iphone crashing to the floor, or someone's nasty stares when they can't keep their phones still.
 
 
I'm fairly sure that's just called "setting the atmosphere" rather than "shut the fuck up, don't move, and fucking listen to mmmeeeeee." It's a type of respect to go along with what the band asks you to do for certain songs. Screaming and yelling is ridiculous imo too. Reminds me of when Dir en grey "demands" the crowd to be quiet for Kyo's acapella parts and every now and then there's this bunch of screaming fangirls who can't read situations. It ruins the moment. It really does.
 
Singing along to songs? Now that shows something.

So many shots fired in all directions. Haha.
 
OR perhaps the respectful thing to do while at a concert is to listen to their music and enjoy seeing the band in person.
 
I can see/respect if this information about them is verified. Our generation has reached the point where mobile devices take over our lives.
Instead of seeing the band with your OWN eyes, you're looking at them through a camera?

C'mon man what's with the fucking names these days? Do they just draw words from a hat or something?
 
x3 on the shittiest teaser I've heard. HAHA. Was that 5 seconds each track?

I gotchu homie.
 
http://alexfair.tumblr.com/post/133435626355/the-gazette-ugly-pv
 
 
KAI IS A FUCKING DEMON WITH THOSE DRUMS

I knew their vocalist/guitarist sounded a bit familiar. haha.
 
They sound like a great combination from the teaser's I've heard. Lets hope their album does well.

I gotchu homie.
 
http://alexfair.tumblr.com/post/133435626355/the-gazette-ugly-pv
 
 
KAI IS A FUCKING DEMON WITH THOSE DRUMS

Satoshi just needs to come back.  Those riffs he created are not the easiest to replicate, and I always liked his style.

What the above people said.
 
Honest answer will be that only YOU can determine what appeals to you.
Perhaps later the bands you thought were stale might actually become your faves as you grow wiser (I'm not saying you're immature).
 
edit: Or am I?

I'm trying to figure out how to tell you that:
 
You're burning yourself out by trying to catch up for lost time (I'm assuming you took a break?) You're rushing to conclusions (If you DID take a break) We all agree with you Tough it out You're having a VK mid-life crisis but I'm lazy today

Must. Resist. Clicking.
 
 
Damn you region lock bastard!!!!!

can't agree more


it's on FB as well

Must. Resist. Clicking.
 
 
Damn you region lock bastard!!!!!

Must. Resist. Clicking.
 
 
Damn you region lock bastard!!!!!

That's exactly the message I perceived when I first glanced at this photo. From the comment videos/backstage footage of shows that I've seen, that's how Jrockers deal with humor, by putting on a pokerface (or in Kyo's case, turning around).
 
Hell, I'd look away too. Kyo is probably embarrased to be seen on camera with these losers haha.

That's exactly the message I perceived when I first glanced at this photo. From the comment videos/backstage footage of shows that I've seen, that's how Jrockers deal with humor, by putting on a pokerface (or in Kyo's case, turning around).
 
Hell, I'd look away too. Kyo is probably embarrased to be seen on camera with these losers haha.

Artist: lynch. Album: D.A.R.K. -in the name of evil- 1. INTRODUCTION 8. FALLEN 2. D.A.R.K. 9. BEAST 3. ANTARES 10. INVADER 4. EVOKE 11. COSMOS 5. GHOST 12. MELANCHOLIC 6. ILLUMINATI 13. MOON 7. ETERNITY
Rating: | DARK is a breath of fresh air for this great band!
 
lynch.'s last studio album GALLOWS is what brought me back out looking for my VK renaissance. By falling so short of expectations creatively, it reminded me what made me so avid about listening to these bands almost ten years ago. Since then I have come to MH, and delved far deeper into the scene, creating healthy distance from such established names as lynch. and the GazettE. By late 2015 I was more than ready to get back into what lynch. had to offer, but following the EVOKE and ETERNITY singles I was concerned whether I would be even further disappointed by their strict, uniform sound.I was happily proven wrong as the new album is well laid out and shows commendable creative efforts. "INTRODUCTION", a piano based SE, serves to at least be stronger and more ominous than "GALLOWS". At less than one minute, it sets a suitable atmosphere but does little more than that.

Deep, rhythmical guitars usher in a true example of what the album means by 'DARK'. Appropriately spooky synth sounds accompany the stark guitar/piano combination of "D.A.R.K". while Hazuki lays out safe but still impressive vocals. A decent chorus keeps this title track among my top played for this album. The first experiment on D.A.R.K. is "GHOST", which opens up very smooth and relaxed. The main guitar riff is energetic without losing a swing quality which is more playful than the band usually allows. Mostly for Hazuki, I see this is a bit out of the comfort zone of current lynch.. It's quite interesting and entertaining and I hope they do more with this influence in the future. The creepy, carnival sample at the beginning of "ILLUMINATI" was immediately one of my favourite sounds from the album. Sporting of course an eerie and topical title to live up to, it pops out another very standard lynch. riff. The harsh vocals here remind me much more of those heard on INFERIORITY COMPLEX, which is nice to have present on the album. I love that the song breaks back to the same sample from the opening and the subsequent breakdown section is reinvigorating. The chorus hampers the evil on this one, not to say it won't get stuck in your head.

Our feature track and PV for the album itself, "BEAST" is high energy and old school lynch. harsh vocals. When the full version of the song was released prior to the album, I was underwhelmed. In the context of the full album however, it comes in at a welcome time following softer tracks. A heavier section before the final chorus provides a bit of garnish but nothing to drastically change the nature of the song.

"FALLEN" is one of my immediate favorites on this album, it baffles me why they would choose to dwarf the impact of the previous song even more by following it with a much more emotionally impactful ballad. I got a little emotional with this one. It's among my most repeated songs on the album. Thundering bass drum and resonating signature guitar work with the vocals retaining the same or similar melody throughout the track giving it an intimate appeal. I appreciate the simplicity of "FALLEN" similarly to "BE STRONG" (from EXODUS), but surely even more so. "FALLEN" proves to be one of my favorite lynch. songs in recent memory (even recalling such former releases that "ETERNITY" failed to live up to). "INVADER" starts off with a quick, twangy bass line kicks off what is sure to be a live favourite in years to come. It also consists of mostly spoken lyrics and aggressive instrumentals one can liken to the revving engine of a muscle car. A very simplistic chorus is framed by shout-and-response energy and closes out as suddenly as it began. @Shir0 complained to me endlessly about the short track length of this one, and I feel her pain. However lynch. is known to include such short numbers in their full albums ("EXODUS" or "TIAMAT" being prime examples). The faded, far-off chorus preview effectively sets up the intensity of "COSMOS". Marching to the rhythm of a powerful breakdown. I was initially concerned that D.A.R.K. wouldn't feature anything dynamic enough to compare to title tracks "EXODUS" and "GALLOWS". "COSMOS" does so much more during the first harsh vocals, the instrumental stays relentless and offers varying riffs before returning to an admittedly powerful chorus. I do like and appreciate how the final chorus tapers out into something quite dainty with a falsetto note only to be followed by an uncompromising roar from Hazuki while once again blasting what is likely the band's strongest breakdown.

Then there are tracks that didn't resonate with me as well as I wished. "ANTARES" is a song which I, for some reason, was expecting to be heavier - perhaps due to a misleading preview. The guitar work is strong, but the progression lacks the punch I was truly hoping for out of the faster songs lynch. produces and a decidedly weak chorus shows itself within 30 seconds. The latter half of this song features a pleasing heavy section but nothing lynch.'s followers haven't already heard. Thus far, it still hasn't called for repeat plays and is usually skipped. Upon its release, I was quite apathetic toward the album's first single "EVOKE". However, placed next to a similarly mid-range song like "ANTARES", it has a chance to shine as a strong example of typical lynch. On the flip side of these featured singles, we have "ETERNITY", a song that I literally forgot to type in the track list of this review. There's a little insight into my experience with the second featured single on D.A.R.K.. There is nothing technical to critique, only that it seems like a strained effort. The solo Hazuki PV was not what one expects from lynch., I have followed the band through similar featured singles like "MIRRORS". There is just very little to talk about. It's a song I may have appreciated more had I not already been an avid listener.

The intensity of "COSMOS" warranted the most relaxing ballad track possible, making "MELANCHOLIC" a success. Soft, chiming guitar strokes create a cascading sound akin to the visual of falling water. It comes off very well written, but in comparison to "FALLEN" it does not endear itself so soon. In the third minute, the melodies become emotionally deeper, certainly worth waiting for by the track length. Surprisingly, despite being longer than either one, this song seems to come and go more quickly than "FALLEN" or "ETERNITY". This is not entirely a bad thing as I chalk this up to its position on the album and purpose in its progression. It's an honest, fun but disdainfully lighthearted finale to the album. I hear a lot being packed into the sound of the intro of "MOON" but everything subsequent feels quite basic in its catchiness. Like many of the mid-range songs on this, there is a banging heavy section late in the track but at this point in the album there is unfortunately nothing new here. It's not a bad song by any means, but as a memorable album closer, I see "MOON" as a misfire.

Coming out of D.A.R.K., I find myself far more satisfied than with my experiences with the band's last few albums. It offers the dynamic focus of GALLOWS while providing enough intrigue per song to make them distinct, something that's infinitely valuable to lynch. who sport waning Nagoya visuals and often seem far removed from the Visual Kei fan base in which they were born. I would certainly recommend D.A.R.K. not only to those looking for renewed hope in the potential of lynch. but even to those open-minded metal fans in an effort to show something agreeable, interesting and undeniably talented. Being exactly a month old to this date, it has already proven its shelf life beyond my personal expectations.

Support the band! Purchase D.A.R.K. on CDJapan!

Ito's quick unfiltered thoughts! Watch as I lose my ability to think and describe!
 
Green = mhmm
Yellow = hmmm
Orange = uhhhhh
Red = uuuugh

 
 
VK
Chanty - "m.o.b."
Instrumentally I really dig this track - probably a green. The bass lines are especially fun. The chorus is a little weak, but the vocals are the main thing holding it back for me. Just a bit too much on the nasally/squeaky side. Still good enough of a track that I want to check out more of their stuff.
 
DIV - "イケナイKISS (ikenai KISS)"
DIV's appeal is lost on me . This is perhaps one of the better songs I've heard from them, but it's still sounds like lots of bleep bloops places of mediocre pop rock to make it sounds more unique.
 
emmurée - "窓の外は、カァニバル。 (mado no soto wa, carnival.)"
A little bit too meandering for my tastes, but I love the drone section that is reminiscent of Boris. I wish they had stuck with a little longer or brought back the excitement again in another way across the longer run time of this track, but that doesn't stop me from enjoy this one anyways.
 
KEEL - "発火 (Hatsuka)"
This release is easily one of my tops of the year, so this one was going to be easy. Not sure if this is the track I would have pulled from R'lyeh, but either way, fantastic stuff. Only thing I can't help but feel is that Ryo's vocals are less enjoyable than I remember them being in 9GBO, but maybe I'm crazy.
 
THE MORTAL - "夢 (yume)"
Sakurai's crazy vibrato has never appealed to me and has been one of the huge things holding me back from enjoying BT - like he secretly was raised by a heard of sheep as a child. There is nothing here that changes my feeling on his vocals, which sucks since the rest of the track is pretty deceny
 
 
Rock / Metal / Punk / Indie / Alt.
Crystal Lake - "Prometheus"
Pleasant dject metal - Nothing all that special put still manages to tick a lot of boxes for me. The vocalist's attempt at doing the deep guttural screams just falls totally flat though. I really like the unique flare that they added to the breakdown though.
 
Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas - "Party Boys"
I couldn't make it through this one...no thank you
 
NETWORKS - "Phoenergy"
Perhaps this one is a grower, but on the first listen this just sounded more like a repetitive mess than a cohesive song. Some bright stops here and there were hints of interesting texture and melody shone through save this one from res status.
 
the cold tommy - "リュカの黒髪 (ryuka no kurokami)"
Nothing super here, but it's got a nice groove that I am throughly enjoying. The biggest downside are the vocals which register a tad on the annoying side for me - I can only handle so much nasal.
 
THE NOVEMBERS - "きれいな海へ (kirei na umi e)"
This band is incredibly hit or miss for me - I found myself zoning and tapping my foot halfway through this one, so I'll count this one as a hit. Perhaps a little too mellow, but that bass line is just great and there is just enough unique things here to help this one stand out.
 
the piqnic - "ZyouK"
I wish I liked this track - by all means I should with it's darker post rock/noise vibe. Ultimately I just feels like the song is just a little too flat and uninspired with a half-assed attempt at vocals (making me thing that this track would do better without them). The Novembers comparison is apt, but in the way that this makes me think of some of The Novembers weakest material.
 
the quiet room - "Happy End"
Kind of bland with a formula I feel like I've heard hundreds of times, but somehow with enough here to still give this song some life and fun and saving it from falling in to the totally forgettable category.
 
VELTPUNCH - "シーズンインザスリー (Season in the Three)"
This song feels out of left field - I have heard this band's name a lot but have never checked them out. I was not expecting this track to be this good, but hot damn. Hot damn, that mix of screaming, pop sensibilities, acoustic and electric guitar - man this is certainly a winner.
 
アルカラ (arukara) - "サイケデリンジャー2 (Psych Dillinger 2)"
Arukara is a band that I like - for whatever reason they have never seemed to pass that. They are consistence, unique, musically competent, and I enjoy their sound and their vocalist's unique tone. But for whatever reason there is something blocking me from really loving them. This track continues this trend with something that I really dig...maybe some day there will be something that cracks that barrier for me.
 
ドレスコーズ - "(the dresscodes) - もあ (Moa)"
I think it is hard for me to dislike a vocalist 's sound more than I do this dudes. Dear god I can't stand his high pitch nasally sound. I'd swear more of the sound is coming out of his nose than his mouth. There isn't a single thing that the rest of the song does to redeem the vocals so this one is huge nope.
 
Pop / Idol / R&B / Hip-Hop
G.RINA - "Kamakura"
I would file this song in to the category of stuff that my gf would really like and is tolerable for me. Not something I would care to listen to on purpose, but decent as a something in the background. This gets an orange because everything in this category is going to have to do a lot more for me to really be interested.
 
nowisee - "bluemoon"
A lot of my thoughts on this track carry over from the G.RINA one, but there is just something a little more to this one that pushes it a little further - it could be perhaps just how pretty this track is, or maybe the slight SFP influences in the sounds.
 
Perfume - "STAR TRAIN (single: STAR TRAIN)"
If music is everything, than I think we are screwed.
 
tofubeats - "POSITIVE feat. Dream Ami"
Catchy, but all together just way too sugary for me.
 
世武裕子 (Sebu Hiroko) - "YOU"
I really don't like the "you" section of the track, but the rest of it is really well done. Solid piano pop.
 
雨ニモ負ケズ (amenimomakez) - "安寧の音 (Annei no Ne)"
I've lost the ability to even moderately articulate my thoughts.
 

I was waiting for your input Bio (based this topic off of your, and a few other's statuses), and agree that it's a hard question to answer. That's why my questions are so vague.
 
As for what the fuss is all about with meh bands, I couldn't tell you. We're in the same boat haha. Could be the age, could be our experiences over the decade (for better or worse), but I'd take it as good sign that you are listening to the music with more than just the intention of saying yay or nay.
 
I sometimes have my earbuds put on for the sole purpose of listening to the silence. There's a beauty in it, but you have to reach that point and come back to know what I mean.

I was waiting for your input Bio (based this topic off of your, and a few other's statuses), and agree that it's a hard question to answer. That's why my questions are so vague.
 
As for what the fuss is all about with meh bands, I couldn't tell you. We're in the same boat haha. Could be the age, could be our experiences over the decade (for better or worse), but I'd take it as good sign that you are listening to the music with more than just the intention of saying yay or nay.
 
I sometimes have my earbuds put on for the sole purpose of listening to the silence. There's a beauty in it, but you have to reach that point and come back to know what I mean.

This is kind of a hard topic for me to say, either way. Lately I've been feeling some disconnect from the scene, but more on the side of the fans than the actual music. For quite some time, I felt like I was pretty "in-tune" with a majority of the fans and that we'd agree on many opinions about bands. Lately though, it seems like so many bands that everyone would have been "meh" about, they're gushing over instead and it just leaves me wondering why. Obviously people will like what they like, of course, and there's nothing wrong with that.
 
I'm just crossing my fingers and hoping that I'm just in some sort of lull at the moment, since I really do appreciate the scene... I mean I've been part of it for over 12 years now, which is definitely long enough to say that it's had a HUGE lasting impact on my life(for better or worse lol). I think in general for me, I just get "exhausted" with music sometimes. Having to rip 300+ CDs a month for my store can get so exhausting sometimes that I find myself just sitting in silence more often than not. I think that sometimes people need to step away from the scene for a little while and kinda... decompress and go back into it with a fresh point of view, since being surrounded constantly by so many mediocre bands can sort of overwhelm you and mask all of the great bands that still exist.

Yes. It has been given already that we are witnessing the birth of "visual" among new "visual kei" bands (i.e. dropping the "kei" out = becoming pretty much the same as any other BVB-y act around these corners). So it is very blatant to name newer generations "visual kei" anymore since they lack the "original face" that vk used to have among every sub-scene.Probably? I find it really hard to sympathize with newer acts - especially for reasons described above. Very cute but hollow shells with no substance or roots to the past or whatsoever. Give most of us over 10 years of this stuff (e.g. me, since 2001) and you will realize what I am about.To be really cruel and straightforward: yes. I had my statements wide open earlier and I don't think I have to provoke anyone again by repeating myself.Just lump me into the tea party club of ex-weeaboo gentlemen circa Jrocknyc-angelfire era and I can spend my days being grumpy and sobbing about vk back in its definitive, moderately varied and sincere glory. VK will be no more - I say.
/not trolling/

With the influence of the Polls of the Week in mind, I figured I'd talk about stuff this morning.
 
How much of an impact has listening to an OP/ED to an anime you've watched made to you?
 
Do you feel that the OP/ED is somewhat important in conveying a theme to the anime you are watching?
 
How about the bands that have their music promoted in the anime? Do you feel it's a great way for them to get noticed?
 
I stumbled across People in the Box - 机上の空軍 while listening to a playlist on one of my online streaming sites today, and upon searching, found/remembered that they had an ED for Tokyo Ghoul as well.
 
I had a flashback to my noobie days when the Adult Swim Network (USA) first aired in 2001 and I had watched FLCL/Cowboy Bebop/Inuyasha for the first time, and remembered that I used to find music this way.
 
The music played in the opening/during/ending of FLCL blew my mind away. I became obsessed with Japanese music for the first time, even though I was exposed to it earlier (Sailor Moon era), but it never made an impact like FLCL did. From then on, my music interests grew and became vast that it's become a definition of who I am now.
 
I always wonder what would have happened had I not watched the Anime aired back then, and had not stumbled upon the music in it. Would I eventually have listened to japanese music and have a liking to it as I do now?
 
Tell me Monochrome, did you have the same experiences as I did? If so, what Anime, and what OP/ED did you listen to that enamored you to keep listening up to this point? 

With the influence of the Polls of the Week in mind, I figured I'd talk about stuff this morning.
 
How much of an impact has listening to an OP/ED to an anime you've watched made to you?
 
Do you feel that the OP/ED is somewhat important in conveying a theme to the anime you are watching?
 
How about the bands that have their music promoted in the anime? Do you feel it's a great way for them to get noticed?
 
I stumbled across People in the Box - 机上の空軍 while listening to a playlist on one of my online streaming sites today, and upon searching, found/remembered that they had an ED for Tokyo Ghoul as well.
 
I had a flashback to my noobie days when the Adult Swim Network (USA) first aired in 2001 and I had watched FLCL/Cowboy Bebop/Inuyasha for the first time, and remembered that I used to find music this way.
 
The music played in the opening/during/ending of FLCL blew my mind away. I became obsessed with Japanese music for the first time, even though I was exposed to it earlier (Sailor Moon era), but it never made an impact like FLCL did. From then on, my music interests grew and became vast that it's become a definition of who I am now.
 
I always wonder what would have happened had I not watched the Anime aired back then, and had not stumbled upon the music in it. Would I eventually have listened to japanese music and have a liking to it as I do now?
 
Tell me Monochrome, did you have the same experiences as I did? If so, what Anime, and what OP/ED did you listen to that enamored you to keep listening up to this point?