TheStoic

NB typically always releases good singles. The last album was enjoyable, but not at the same bar that I hoped for. Either way - it will be a release worth hearing. I just hope their management is not burning them out.

These samples are very cool. The lyrical build up to the scream and breakdown in Oetsu was the best part of it all. I'm looking forward to this.

With this new theme and concept, can The GazettE plunge into the depths of darkness that forged the likes of DIM? Even just listening to the atmospheric tracks on the DIM album painted the bleak, frightening, and hopeless feeling that record was able to translate. I have enjoyed recent GazeRock (despite all the criticizm they get), and really liked Division (but was not crazy for Toxic - Beautiful Deformity was better than that one in my mind), and know that this band still makes music I usually like. Their style is fairly predicable, just as the new snippet showed. I felt like that was nothing new from them, but it still sounded good. I am hoping that they continue the use of mixed acoustic/electric guitar tracks seen in Reila or Without a Trace, or are able to harness the heavy darkness heard in 13Stairs[-]1. I'm happy about this news.

Please make this more than a one off group. I miss meth. too much.

Rose was the last track that hooked me by Lycaon. Royal Order was an outstanding album and was what drew me into their sound. I will miss them, but can digest this better than when bands like Code Rebirth and D'espairsRay ended.

I don't go out of my way to make a sex playlist or anything, but I have had sex with music on several times, and often it was some sentimental white-guy and a guitar acoustic music that my wife enjoys. More than anything, instead of the music affecting the sex, the sex affects the music for me later, as now I have an emotional connection to many of those songs as they bring me back to those blissful moments. I don't think I could have meaningful sex to the music I typically like, as it makes for better workout music than music to set the mood. But to each their own ~ as long as love reigns and consent and pleasure are shared, if music is a catalyst that drives the passion - all the better.

Focus is my favorite sukekiyo track by far. The chaotic shift near the end, the acoustic flourishes, and atmosphere make the track very memorable, and the chorus is very powerful in my mind. 雨上がりの優詩 (Ameagari No Yuushi) is also a second place favorite of mine. It has a very eastern vibe when I listen to it, which I love. I also love the jazzy, yet haunting vibe of Foster Mother - Dot sets the tone of the song very well. It feels jazzy without being corny - which is a rarity in most J-Rock/VK bands that try to make a jazzy track. I liked this EP much more than the LP. Elizabeth Addict still holds a lot of clout, but in all, I was interested through this entire EP. Well done; I will be listening to this one more for certain.

I loved Satoshi's style and compositions. I can't imagine D.I.D without him. And their sound has always been driven by two guitars. Having to compress performances and compositions to one is going to change the music, without a doubt. However, the band has always been one I love listening to, so I know that as long as they are releasing and making music, I will be along for the ride.

I have no ill-will towards Arlequin. Even if they are somewhat formulaic, I have enjoyed their releases and like that they bring the heavy sound with their efforts. As I have said before though, I hate chorus only previews, and this didn't get me excited because of that. Show me the other parts of the song that give it some character.

That looks like a great quality live with good performances. It's too pricey for me - but i will continue to wait for the announcement of new music.

I learned about Dir en grey through visiting a few J-Rock blogs in 2001 while living in Okinawa. "Ain't Afraid to Die" was listed as the top song of the week at a site called "Shiroi Heya / J-Rock Pitas" when I first starting researching J-Rock/V-系 online, and as a result I went on Audiogalaxy to listen to it. I liked it, and as a result walked down to my local Tsutaya music store and bought 鬼葬-kisou- which was just recently released. I adored that album and connected with it so intensely. From there, I bought everything Dir en grey that I could get my hands on. Every other artist I discovered from the V-K scene in my early J-Music discovery years was through looking through Shoxxx, Cure, and Fool's Mate magazines in department store book shops in Japan. After hearing Dir en grey, I yearned for that dark, heavy, and passionate sound that could not be captured by the other bands I listened to, like Bump of Chicken, Siam Shade, Janne da Arc, and others. As a result, when I found an artist that had a "Dark" look in the magazines, I would memorize the name, go Tsutaya, and buy any record that they had from them. That is how I discovered Mucc, D'espairsRay and The GazettE. After that, I returned to the U.S. in 2004 and used CD Japan and the now defunct Dir en grey fan forum "Tsukiyo" to learn about more artists, then used YouTube, Ehdosama, and forums like this to get to the point I am today. --- For non-Japanese music ------ Silverchair is a favorite English-speaking band of mine, and that is because of the "Neon Ballroom" album. I saw the music video for "Ana's Song" in 1999 on MTV's total request live and loved it. I bought the album soon after that at a bookstore and was forever changed by that record. The sense of darkness and melancholy that bellowed from that album was the perfect thing to feed my teenage angst and feelings of sadness, guilt, and alienation during my youth. That record gives me chills to this day, and it is one of my favorites of all time. Nirvana was a favorite of mine in my teen years too. In 1992 - it was impossible not to hear "Nevermind" on the radio, and my uncle gave me his cassette of Nevermind to listen to when I was camping at the beach one weekend in San Onofre, CA. After that, Nevermind was the first CD I bought with my own money. (And yes, I feel old writing all of this)

I like SE's like that. I blast them outside during Halloween to scare the trick-or-treat kids that come by. They create the perfect uneasy atmosphere. Regarding the preview, Focus was a good lead single choice. Based on the previews, I thought it was the strongest song. I love all the acoustic flourishes used on this record. It creates a more organic sound that is cool.

This is terrible news. I really got into their latest offerings, especially the 賛成の反対 [sansei no Hantai] Mini-Album. I hope that they will find the right replacement to continue on. They make solid music.

I really hope that they release something I can purchase online in 2015. With this band becoming more active and all of the new "super group" formations, like far east dezian, happening in 2015 - I'm excited for the year!

I think one of the most interesting things about hearing people talk about this album is the different consensus on what favorite tracks are. My personal favorites are 濤声 [Tousei], 鱗 [uroko], and Phenomenon - but other likes and dislikes are all over the map - so it shows just how varied this album is and how it connects with different tastes and people's expectations. I just find it cool to hear.

So glad that Sel'm are releasing music again. I liked this band when Tora was the vocal, but learned to love the band when Ryuga joined - I have really enjoyed all of their releases since their new vocalist reboot, and to know that despite losing a key member John, that they are going to continue on. I feel the reason it is an "experiment CD" might be to see what reaction they get minus a guitarist. I liked the preview, and really hope that they do well and grow in popularity.

This is the best news I've heard this year...

I dig this - I'll get behind it. I love that look!

Plastic Tree releasing anything is reason to be excited. I cant wait to hear the previews. Mime was a great single, and I am sure that this will not disappoint either.

After more listens - I take back all I said earlier - the vocals fit well. And the music is just enthralling and beautiful. That chaotic twist right before the cuttoff was so cool! I still haven't given Immortalis enough listens to truly grow on me, but I think I will give it another shot to hype myself for this release. I want to love it, but I can't say it connected with me in the same way Arche did upon first listen. Nonetheless - this group has so much talent, and their sound is fresh and very distinct. I feel this release is going to be solid.

Once again, Wagakki Band proving they can kill it! That was an amazing track - and the Costumes!!! Nothing short of amazing. I loved the kusarigama action they placed in the video too. Buying this for sure. This band never fails to amaze my senses.

As someone who lived in Okinawa, I have a strong love for this band as they played music at many of the live venues on the island I would normally visit, like the "7th Heaven" club - Mind of the Sun was a great album, but since then, they have gone on a downward spiral. It is sad really. Nevertheless, I will always give them another shot as a hometown act.

So I had a small interest in listening to AvelCain after sampling their single Psycho, but nothing that made me jump to explore them more. So yesterday, on a whim, I listened to the eponymous debut and LOVED it! I am now wishing I took more time to listen to this band - their sound reminds me of Lycaon in the best of ways, and they have earned a new fan for the sound they were able to capture in their album.

Thanks Kles - I got the chance to listen to it earlier and am a fan. I really wanted to hear the full single Rebirth that is in one of their videos, but without all the video background noise.

I have always been lukewarm in my feelings about LOKA - I don't hate the music or sound, but it has never been something that I adore. It is very Americanized in sound, and I think that is one of the main reasons I have a hard time embracing it, because it doesn't have those elements of J-Rock that make the sound of the music different from mainstream American rock. Does anyone feel the same?