TheStoic

Man - Tomotaka's voice always hits a nerve in my chest when I hear it - I don't understand why, but the quality of his voice puts me in this transcendent state of mind.  It creates a connection to the music that I have always appreciated in this band, which is why they are one of my favorites.  I got into them when I was at a crossroads in my life, preparing to change careers and move from Seoul back to the U.S.A.  I spent a lot of time in the subways and on the city streets in Korea wandering and listening to them while I went about my day.  They are etched in that moment of my life, and the songs create this sense of calm and optimism when I listen to them.
 
This track, Shadow, is stellar in my opinion.  I loved it first listen!
 
I'm going to buy this one right now.

So, being the good Dad I am, I do all I can to ensure my 4 Year Old daughter is exposed to stellar music so that she doesn't grow up listening to the Abomination that is American Pop music. 
 
In my pursuit of this, I recently turned on 猫又 [Nekomata] by AvelCain, knowing that she would probably love the "Meow" sample in the song intro.  She loved it so much that she asks me to play it every time we go for a drive in the car, and she seriously shakes, moves, and head-bangs to the music as soon as that "Meow" sounds.
 
I shall continue this experiment to ensure that she not only learns to enjoy Rock music, but Japanese Rock music.

So, being the good Dad I am, I do all I can to ensure my 4 Year Old daughter is exposed to stellar music so that she doesn't grow up listening to the Abomination that is American Pop music. 
 
In my pursuit of this, I recently turned on 猫又 [Nekomata] by AvelCain, knowing that she would probably love the "Meow" sample in the song intro.  She loved it so much that she asks me to play it every time we go for a drive in the car, and she seriously shakes, moves, and head-bangs to the music as soon as that "Meow" sounds.
 
I shall continue this experiment to ensure that she not only learns to enjoy Rock music, but Japanese Rock music.

I don't know much about vocaloid, but Hanabi was promoted as original work, so I'm pretty sure this single is too.
Edit: I just checked the credits, it's definitely original.

I am drinking the Kool-Aid.  This band is superb!  It is a feat just to be able to seamlessly blend all of those musicians and instruments at once, but they do it so effortlessly that it is a really amazing feat.  I love when artists mix the traditional with the modern, and was a fan of bands like Crow×Class ～黒鴉組～, Kagrra, and composers like Noriyuki Asakura before Waggaki Band hit the scene. 
 
I feel like the potential to break up is high since one member calling it quits might tumble the House of Cards to the ground.  However, I hope that never happens.
 
I'm on board, but really would like to see them write some original material and maybe branch out a bit and try to write a darker song.  I think once they break the tried and true formula of vocaloid covers and can execute just as flawlessly, they will hit it big.  They are already making waves.

So, being the good Dad I am, I do all I can to ensure my 4 Year Old daughter is exposed to stellar music so that she doesn't grow up listening to the Abomination that is American Pop music. 
 
In my pursuit of this, I recently turned on 猫又 [Nekomata] by AvelCain, knowing that she would probably love the "Meow" sample in the song intro.  She loved it so much that she asks me to play it every time we go for a drive in the car, and she seriously shakes, moves, and head-bangs to the music as soon as that "Meow" sounds.
 
I shall continue this experiment to ensure that she not only learns to enjoy Rock music, but Japanese Rock music.

Me and your 4 year old both, manee. Gave it 5+ plays before coffee was even done!

So, being the good Dad I am, I do all I can to ensure my 4 Year Old daughter is exposed to stellar music so that she doesn't grow up listening to the Abomination that is American Pop music. 
 
In my pursuit of this, I recently turned on 猫又 [Nekomata] by AvelCain, knowing that she would probably love the "Meow" sample in the song intro.  She loved it so much that she asks me to play it every time we go for a drive in the car, and she seriously shakes, moves, and head-bangs to the music as soon as that "Meow" sounds.
 
I shall continue this experiment to ensure that she not only learns to enjoy Rock music, but Japanese Rock music.

So, being the good Dad I am, I do all I can to ensure my 4 Year Old daughter is exposed to stellar music so that she doesn't grow up listening to the Abomination that is American Pop music. 
 
In my pursuit of this, I recently turned on 猫又 [Nekomata] by AvelCain, knowing that she would probably love the "Meow" sample in the song intro.  She loved it so much that she asks me to play it every time we go for a drive in the car, and she seriously shakes, moves, and head-bangs to the music as soon as that "Meow" sounds.
 
I shall continue this experiment to ensure that she not only learns to enjoy Rock music, but Japanese Rock music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BusFz89rcxk

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.

That is a marathon of a setlist!  I wish I could get the chance to see it live.
 
I'm also glad that this is a 10th Anniversary Release compilation and not the "We are about to disband" compilation that is all too common, especially in recent years.
 
Despite the mix of love and hate they got for the Gallows LP and Exodus EP, I loved both releases and can't wait to hear new material from them.  I really liked their recent Singles and B-Sides too - one of my staples I always look forward to.

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.

Most yt comments under vk videos are dumb fangirling, maybe that's why.

Artist: sukekiyo Album: VITIUM Score: The essence of sukekiyo, molded into perfection. sukekiyo has managed to slowly convert me from being a mildly disinterested bystander to a casual listener who's always on the lookout whenever something new pops up concerning the band. Their first full-length IMMORTALIS proved to be a slow-burning behemoth of many faces (and facets), and their latest offering VITIUM isn't too far off from that impression either. Kyo and co. don't seem to be in a hurry, as evidenced by the size of this new 'mini' album which is still longer than most bands' albums. Throughout these 37 minutes, they present their compositions in typical sukekiyo fashion: sprawling, mysterious, unpredictable. This time around, however, it seems they were able to craft a more unified sound for themselves (as if they weren't already unique enough), with a concentrated approach to boot. Each song sounds more coherent in and of itself, while still retaining the "expect the unexpected" avant-garde quality they've come to be known for.
VITIUM starts off powerfully and majestically with "leather field" – a dark flower blooming and branching out in sukekiyo's aural grotto. Hints of manic aggression and weirdness also rear their heads, prefiguring what's to come in the second track "dunes." This song introduces a demented vibe with its jittery guitars and drums, the band's interpretation of violent jazz-metal. Surprisingly, we are treated to an interlude next ("dot") that doesn't do much in itself but it serves as a fitting ambient intro to the following "foster mother." Kyo's deep croons drift onto a hypnotic beat complemented by beautiful guitar flourishes and keyboards that evoke an ambiguous atmosphere, on the edge of tranquility and uneasiness. One of the standout tracks for sure!
As VITIUM's centerpiece, "雨上がりの優詩 (Ameagari no yuushi)" pales in comparison to "foster mother," although it is a decent slower number complete with some fantastic textures and a soothing, airy outro. The atmosphere continues through "maniera," but it quickly turns into a quirky explosion of psychedelic metal tinged with calmer acoustic noodling. If DIR EN GREY drove out to the desert high on mescaline, this is what they would jam out. If "maniera" was the hallucinatory freak-out, the second interlude "白露 (Hakuro)" serves as a soundtrack to expulsion – not as fun but still necessary. All the more so, it heightens the magnificence of the follow-up, "celeste." Switching between tumbling piano sludge and schizophrenic episodes, it's a strong indicator of what sukekiyo is capable of. Naturally, after all of this there's no other way to go but softer, as "focus" closes the record with ethereal floaty melodies... or so it seems until the flamenco bit kicks in, segueing into one last creepy look into the abyss.
As you can tell, this mini album is quite a trip from start to finish. Whereas IMMORTALIS seemed overly long and drawn-out at times, VITIUM manages to capture the band's perfected essence, more powerful and twisted than ever. It is clear that sukekiyo has finally found its own voice. Let's just hope we'll get to hear that voice more in the future as well!

Vocals are just another instrument to my ears. I listen to plenty of bands both with and without vocals. And just as with drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and whatnot, if it's done poorly it can ruin the whole song, but it doesn't necessary have to ruin it either. What's important is that it is interesting as a whole. If a song has nothing beside good vocals, good guitars, good bass, good drums OR good keyboards it won't be enough to keep me interesting. Not even close. If there's only one element in the music that's good, then it really isn't good. Ya? Ya.

Vocals are just another instrument for me. Can you have a nice without a flute? or piano? or drums? Yes.  I don't see it as if I had to choose between them.  All music is instrumental for me regardless of if they use vocals or not.

Here we go. Lycaon's new album. I've been following them since 'Ambrozia'. I've always considered them the GazettE's sister. Yuuki is like a whinier Ruki (if that was even possible). Their music, while nothing groundbreaking, is still fun and energetic. I remember when 'Royal Order' came out it was all I listened to for weeks on in heading to work and university classes. It's such a solid release and still, til this day, their magnum opus - mainly due to it collecting a lot of their solid singles. 
 
Then 'Jouyoku no Akume' came out. Lycaon was in the early stages of bringing out their "erotic era" which didn't get them anywhere. Sure, Jesus was a good track but everything was lackluster. This led to their release of their "erotic album" (long Japanese name can't remember). It was a little more solid thanks to Jesus and the re-recordings of past songs but nothing to the point where i'd want to sit back and listen to again.
 
I was afraid Lycaon lost it. They were quiet for a while until 2013 when they finally released a new mini album. Another long Japanese name but we'll just call it 'Masochist Red Circus'. What was included was a bunch of half-assed dubstep (I mean, it wasn't even GazettE cringe dubstep worthy) and cringe-worthy tracks that aren't even worth listening to again. The album as a whole was a mess. I could only listen to it once. 
 
I gave up on ever getting anything remotely decent. Hoping for another 'Royal Order' was not even a distant memory anymore. When Lycaon announced 'Camera obscura' I wasn't hopeful. I figured it would just be another MRS (please god no). I was pretty much wrong. The intro track sets up the whole album pretty well. Once the laughing starts, I was kind of nervous. Then the "dubstep" starts up.. Oh god... another MRS... Then 'tsuioku' starts blaring in my ear. What the hell is this? Some cheesey Malice Mizer piano? I'm in love. Yuuki is actually not slutty-singing. Everyone does their part to set up a decent song. 
 
Then 'Dark Night' comes in. The guitars start kicking - reminiscent of an older Lycaon from long ago. Along with cheesey string. So far, this album is doing well. When I first heard' shadow', I was crying. Lycaon's GazettE-ish ways are back. Yuuki's screams are back. Hands down my favorite track. Good chorus and fun verses. 'marionette' is an interesting song. I don't believe Lycaon has ever made a song like this. Kind of reminds me of 'This is Halloween'. I'm okay with this.
 
I could go on and on about the other tracks but I want to wrap this up because I am tired of typing. It's not a great album. Granted it has a lot of diversity - you get the jazz (Rouge), the GazettE (shadow), the Lycaon (ILLUSION), the Alejandro of the album (Gypsy), the heavy (melancholic). I really just wanted this to be a return to 'Royal Order'. However that dream is definitely long gone. This will do. I just know now that their erotic era is done and over with - and that's a sigh of relief. 
 
All in all, Lycaon really did step up their game with the album. It shows a sign of maturity. They left their faux-jazzy-slutfest behind and went back to doing rock again. I am pretty excited about what they could come up with next if they continue with this route. 
 
6.5/10

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.

"Mini" Album.
6 Tracks pretty standard, no complaints here.
Plus, even SE's are worth looking forward to when its Sukekiyo.

I always felt Keita's voice was too "nice" sounding to really be compelling in a straight up VKore band, I think this lineup has the potential to compliment him better.
 
Based on the band name though, my mouth is watering a bit for ethnic instrumental experiments a la Arkhelism. <3
 
 
 
Unfortunately, you couldn't pay me to care about Undivide or Loka, but with Sujk involved I'm not really worried..

I also really liked Gallows - and I was surprised to see the level of dislike it garnered.

Wasn't familiar with the vocalist but I just checked some samples and HELL YES. Down for this!