TheStoic

蟲 is very beautiful. The original version of Undecided is also as good as the acoustic version (>_<)
From your suggestion's I feel something like 'an acoustic line pattern'. I wonder if it's because I put Rentrer en Soi's Ushinawareta Fuukei no Yume or it's a distinct pattern of Dir en Grey, but they surely have great acoustic tracks.
Thank you for your suggestions!
 
Thank you for the suggestions! 傷 by ALSDEAD has gooooooooooood acoustic melody,
but somehow, at some parts, I feel the vocals like 'disconnected' from the instruments.... mmm... how to say it...
it feels like the instruments and vocals were recorded separately for two different-but-similar songs, and then they were just mixed together
But please don't mind about it, 傷 by ALSDEAD is a good track anyway.

I have given up on A9 - not intentionally, but because once this sound was gone:
 
 
... my interest faded.  絶景色 [Zekkeishoku] was their PSC Zenith for what I loved about them - but as they got bigger and poppier, I hoped that it was due to label pressure and not musical desire and taste.
 
There is an ounce of me that hopes their sound will change with the future - but either way - I'm one of those annoying fans stuck in nostalgia over "the old" A9.

I remember you saying early you are just starting to explore the VK/J-Rock scene, so I'll try to give you some big names that usually have a big following in J-Music circles.
 
For me personally, I would like to recommend to you Dir en grey's Undecided -glass skin vers.-.  This was a B-Side off the Glass Skin single, but the original is also amazing - but not all acoustic.  It has the same melancholy sound as the RES track you mentioned.
 
 
Diru has many other great acoustic tracks too - if you are interested I'll recommend more from them.
 
Gackt also featured a lot of acoustic arrangements in his career, even an entire acoustic album, "The Seventh Night".  However, I always like the track Tsuki no Uta from his acoustic offerings most.
 
 
The GazettE have featured some acoustic tracks too - Last Heaven from their latest release is a good example of that, although I prefer the partial acoustic track by them, Reila. or the song DLN:
 
 
If you like any of these, let me know and I can try to look up even more.

^ Great!  In that case, try the following from Dir en grey:
 



 
... and some semi-Acoustic songs from them that have a similar vibe:
 



 
You can also try Without a Trace by The GazettE, 壊れていく世界 (Kowareteiku sekai) by Girugamesh, and one of my favorite acoustic instrumentals, Zero by Janne da Arc (a disbanded J-Rock band).

well if that is true then Jin(assuming he's the great mastermind there) deserves The Savior of VK title.
what could be better than telling some retarded bangya's in their faces to fuck off? right, only kicking them in their faces

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^. THE BLACK SWAN forever.
 
Forever
 
and
 
ever

I started in 2001 after moving to 沖縄 [Okinawa].
 
My best friend was half Japanese, Half American (We called him the "Cracker Jap" - which yes is terribly offensive, but he came up with it) and introduced me to Japanese music through countless hours of playing Guitar Freaks and Drum Mania at our local Game Center.
 
From that game I got hooked on Train-Train by the Blue Hearts, Hide's Rocket Dive, 天体観測 by Bump of Chicken, and ロマンス by Penicillin.  From there I found out about the bigger named Japanese bands, like X-Japan, Luna Sea, Siam Shade, L'arc~en~ciel, Janne da Arc and Gackt and starting visiting the now defunct blog http://jrock.pitas.com (Shiroi Heya) [if you want a moment frozen in time - visit that page) and learned about the world of J-Rock through their recommendations.  I remember that Ain't Afraid to Die by Dir en grey was their top song of the week - and due to that I bought 鬼葬 and my world was changed by that album.
 
After that I just wandered Tsutaya, searching for dark J-Rock bands and scoured VK magazines like Cure, Shoxxx and Fool's Mate to learn about band names, then would buy their CDs if I liked their look - without hearing a single sample song.  I did this for years.  This was how I found out about The Gazette (I bought 犯行声明文), Mucc (I bought 我在るべき場所), and Nightmare (I bought 茜) I even recall literally driving two hours to Naha to buy Born by D'espairsRay after seeing it during a school field trip, but not having the money to buy it.
 
I miss those days and memories.  J-Rock has evolved so much since then, and I love it all the more.

I voted for Vulgar - but that was a very difficult vote to cast.  While Kisou was the first album I bought by them and really made me love them, my obsession with Dir en grey was at its peak when Vulgar came out.  Kasumi, Drain Away, and Child Prey were the perfect buildup singles that flooded my ears that year before the release, along with Six Ugly EP and the 5 Ugly Kingdom DVD.
 
I remember clearly freaking out the day before it released, because the ultra powerful Typhoo Maemi was rolling towards the Ryukyu Islands and I thought I wasn't going to be able to pick up my order due to the weather.  I went early and it was already on the shelves, and I bought it.  The Typhoon locked me in the house for nearly a week, and all I did the entire time was listen to Vulgar and play Soul Calibur II (which released a week before for PS2).   When I go back to that album now, the rush of nostalgia hits me like a tsunami.  I can't ignore it.

I started in 2001 after moving to 沖縄 [Okinawa].
 
My best friend was half Japanese, Half American (We called him the "Cracker Jap" - which yes is terribly offensive, but he came up with it) and introduced me to Japanese music through countless hours of playing Guitar Freaks and Drum Mania at our local Game Center.
 
From that game I got hooked on Train-Train by the Blue Hearts, Hide's Rocket Dive, 天体観測 by Bump of Chicken, and ロマンス by Penicillin.  From there I found out about the bigger named Japanese bands, like X-Japan, Luna Sea, Siam Shade, L'arc~en~ciel, Janne da Arc and Gackt and starting visiting the now defunct blog http://jrock.pitas.com (Shiroi Heya) [if you want a moment frozen in time - visit that page) and learned about the world of J-Rock through their recommendations.  I remember that Ain't Afraid to Die by Dir en grey was their top song of the week - and due to that I bought 鬼葬 and my world was changed by that album.
 
After that I just wandered Tsutaya, searching for dark J-Rock bands and scoured VK magazines like Cure, Shoxxx and Fool's Mate to learn about band names, then would buy their CDs if I liked their look - without hearing a single sample song.  I did this for years.  This was how I found out about The Gazette (I bought 犯行声明文), Mucc (I bought 我在るべき場所), and Nightmare (I bought 茜) I even recall literally driving two hours to Naha to buy Born by D'espairsRay after seeing it during a school field trip, but not having the money to buy it.
 
I miss those days and memories.  J-Rock has evolved so much since then, and I love it all the more.

Zekkeishoku is a thing of beauty, but I agree with nekkichi that I don't think they ever wanted to use a heavy sound full-time. Every softer band was doing it around 2004-2006 for the attention (remember Plastic Tree with "Ghost"?). "Yami ni chiru sakura" is probably just a product of some nostalgia from their Givuss days (even more so given how "Byakuya ni kuroneko" was the b-side of the single).
 
But yeah, my interested peaked with Zekkeishoku too and disappeared some time before Alpha.

I started in 2001 after moving to 沖縄 [Okinawa].
 
My best friend was half Japanese, Half American (We called him the "Cracker Jap" - which yes is terribly offensive, but he came up with it) and introduced me to Japanese music through countless hours of playing Guitar Freaks and Drum Mania at our local Game Center.
 
From that game I got hooked on Train-Train by the Blue Hearts, Hide's Rocket Dive, 天体観測 by Bump of Chicken, and ロマンス by Penicillin.  From there I found out about the bigger named Japanese bands, like X-Japan, Luna Sea, Siam Shade, L'arc~en~ciel, Janne da Arc and Gackt and starting visiting the now defunct blog http://jrock.pitas.com (Shiroi Heya) [if you want a moment frozen in time - visit that page) and learned about the world of J-Rock through their recommendations.  I remember that Ain't Afraid to Die by Dir en grey was their top song of the week - and due to that I bought 鬼葬 and my world was changed by that album.
 
After that I just wandered Tsutaya, searching for dark J-Rock bands and scoured VK magazines like Cure, Shoxxx and Fool's Mate to learn about band names, then would buy their CDs if I liked their look - without hearing a single sample song.  I did this for years.  This was how I found out about The Gazette (I bought 犯行声明文), Mucc (I bought 我在るべき場所), and Nightmare (I bought 茜) I even recall literally driving two hours to Naha to buy Born by D'espairsRay after seeing it during a school field trip, but not having the money to buy it.
 
I miss those days and memories.  J-Rock has evolved so much since then, and I love it all the more.

I found plenty of great releases in 2014 to enjoy, and have mostly been happy with the return to form of many older bands that have produced great efforts, such as 12012, Mucc, Lycaon and Girugamesh.  New talent also looks promising as a new wave of Darker, heavier artists are making their way in the scene.  I'm excited to see what will unfold in 2015.  So without further adieu:
 
Best Album: Arche by Dir en grey
Honorable Mentions: ボカロ三昧 [Vocalo Zanmai] by 和楽器バンド [Wagakki Band], Symbosis by HaKU
 
Best EP: Gravitation by Girugämesh
Honorable Mentions: XII by 12012
 
Best Single: Libra by Nocturnal Bloodlust
Honorable Mentions: The Hopeless by The Black Swan, Shadow by Lycaon, Suicidal Diva by Biosphia
 
Best Rookie: The Black Swan
Honorable Mentions: My Bacteria Heat Island, Dadaroma

That's the consensus.
 
And they're about to do a tour with Girugamesh soon.
 
As much as I don't like them atm, I gotta admit that this is pretty cool.

I found plenty of great releases in 2014 to enjoy, and have mostly been happy with the return to form of many older bands that have produced great efforts, such as 12012, Mucc, Lycaon and Girugamesh.  New talent also looks promising as a new wave of Darker, heavier artists are making their way in the scene.  I'm excited to see what will unfold in 2015.  So without further adieu:
 
Best Album: Arche by Dir en grey
Honorable Mentions: ボカロ三昧 [Vocalo Zanmai] by 和楽器バンド [Wagakki Band], Symbosis by HaKU
 
Best EP: Gravitation by Girugämesh
Honorable Mentions: XII by 12012
 
Best Single: Libra by Nocturnal Bloodlust
Honorable Mentions: The Hopeless by The Black Swan, Shadow by Lycaon, Suicidal Diva by Biosphia
 
Best Rookie: The Black Swan
Honorable Mentions: My Bacteria Heat Island, Dadaroma

This. I think Immortalis is a pretty solid album. Just solid. It has some key tracks that I love but nothing really "omg" worthy. Honestly, the first half of the album is nice but the second half, is meh besides In all weathers and kugui (鵠) To say that one album" surpasses everything DIR EN GREY has done", Imo is a stretch. A really bad one at that.

Kakeru's session should just be a real band.

Artist: 12012 Mini: XII Score: After years of uncertainty, 12012 finally leave their fans a release that shines with confidence.
12012 have been struggling to find their sound for quite some time now. Throughout the years they have had a number of stylistic changes, jumping between gothic hard rock tunes and gentle pop melodies before settling on dark chugfests. It’s ‘Deicida of Silence’ and ‘The Swan’ which grabbed my attention, with new guitarist Saitou embellishing the band’s sound with the technical skill missing from their lacklustre self-titled album. With the announcement of their final EP before an indefinite hiatus, I was expecting 12012 to leave with the same deafening roar they displayed with their latter EPs. On the contrary, ’XII’ signals another sonic change for the band. Rather than creating more confusion for fans, 12012 seem to have found their identity.

What hits you about ‘vicious of absolution’ is how calm it sounds in comparison to ‘The Swan’. The downtuned riffs and thunderous drums have been given less precedence, instead running in tandem with audible basslines and gentle piano tones. Although lacking in sheer volume, the opening track is a brilliant showcase of Wataru’s vocal skill. The poor engrish and harsh vocals that hampered previous releases are gone, leaving us with a strong and emotive voice which has been missing since ‘Seven’. Although a quiet track, the intricate bassline, tinkling piano, and complex drumming in the background perfectly complement Wataru’s voice, creating a dark and despondent atmosphere fitting for the band’s potential final release. Devoid of chugging, screaming, or deafening blast beats, the song sets the tone for the majority of the EP.

‘story of a different dimension’ leads into more familiar territory, sounding like an experiment between ‘Diamond’ and ‘The Swan’; catchy and instrumentally balanced, yet dark and with a killer riff you’ll be humming for days. Again, Wataru’s vocals are impressive here, perfectly matching the energy of the song without going overboard. The chorus in particular highlights this, as well as the foregrounding of the bass guitar on ‘XII’, which allows the whole EP to sound more atmospheric than previous efforts. Saitou’s guitar work is also given a larger role in this song, infusing it with some much needed energy after the previous solemn affair. Due to its catchiness, infectious rhythm section, and frenetic opening riff, this is easily the strongest song on the EP and one which best shows the band’s newfound confidence.

This leads into ‘the red’, which is reminiscent of 12012’s latter EP. The sludgy guitar is back along with the guttural growling and desperate shrieking. Although out of place compared to the rest of the EP, the song is a perfect fusion of their pop and death metal sounds, with clean vocals and melodic instrumentation placed in parallel next to their binary opposites. Although the weakest song on ‘XII’, it displays a successful amalgamation of 12012’s previous sounds. Although this fusion is explored in every track on the EP to some degree, it’s this song which makes it the most apparent due to the ever-changing musical atmosphere.

In sharp contrast to this, ‘alone’ is taken straight out of 12012’s poppier back catalogue, making it a less challenging track. From the guitar tones to Wataru’s softer crooning, the song could have easily been slotted into ‘Mar Maroon’. Initially I couldn’t bear it; the mildness of the track detracting so much from what I was now used to from the band. However, repeat listens revealed the track to be one of the most musically balanced, with each member being easily audible. Due to this, the song is fuller than ‘the red’ in terms of its sound and allows each member to stand out in their own way. Not only does this make the song pleasant to listen to, but it also helps to convey the sound of ‘XII’ through its rich instrumentation. Complemented by basic guitar chords and beautiful piano, this song shows how 12012 can write a good pop song without deviating from the gloomy theme of the EP.

This skillful mix of genres is also apparent with the EP’s closer, ‘aqua’. The longest track on ‘XII’, this song starts with a simple electronic backing tune and piano. Once again, Wataru’s vocals take centre-stage here alongside a sombre bassline. It takes a while for the song to gain pace but as soon as the drums kick in, ‘aqua’ is given real weight. Matched perfectly by the louder, more insistent vocals, a true sense of closure is given to the EP. Wataru’s plaintive cries also convey the sadness behind the band’s hiatus which makes the song much more emotive. Sadly, this climax is followed by a clumsy guitar solo which sounds like a collection of odd notes thrown together. Unlike the bass solo preceding it some minutes before, it doesn’t seem to match the key of the song and stands out in the wrong way. The song’s length is also a drawback, weakening the effect of ‘aqua’’s impact through its meandering middle section. In spite of this, ‘aqua’ is an emotional piece and a fine way of ending ‘XII’.

I was disappointed with this EP at first. I hated that the band had changed their sound despite creating something unique with ‘Deicida of Silence’ and ‘The Swan’, flippantly disposing a genre that suited them well. Despite its lack of initial impact, I found myself listening to this EP over and over again, realising each track was as infectious as the last. As a result, ‘XII’ isn’t a step backwards at all, but a display of maturity caused by a fusion of everything that makes the band great. The EP is heavy but in a different way; with nothing used to excess. Every track demonstrates each member’s technical skill with darker, heavier material, but also an awareness of the fans and what they’ve wanted since ‘Seven’ or even ‘Play Dolls’. Due to this, they leave the scene with their most memorable release to date, covering all past soundscapes in a fusion that is a pleasure to listen to. If they ever come back - and I truly hope they do - this is the 12012 I want to listen to. This is 12012 at their finest.

Artist: girugamesh EP: Gravitation Score: After a few years of borderline radio-friendly stagnation, Girugamesh have hit back with quite possibly their best release yet.
After a few years of borderline radio-friendly stagnation, Girugamesh have hit back with quite possibly their best release yet. Last year's Monster symbolised a beacon of hope for both fans and the band. The aggression was back, the heaviness was back, Girugamesh was back. Although steeped in pop-sensibilities at times, the album took a 180 from pop to electronic metalcore, leaving the burning wrecks of Now and Go far behind.

It's been a year since their last full-length Monster, and Gravitation not only keeps this reclaimed heaviness in place but polishes it to perfection. Kicking off with their hardest song to date, 'Go Ahead' lures you in with gentle tones before ripping your head off. Satoshi's transition from gentle crooning to terrifying growls, for example, are nothing short of frisson worthy. Having the rawest vocals, the hardest breakdown, and the most memorable chorus, this song characterises the EP and spearheads their new sound. As a song that can only be described with superlatives, 'Go Ahead' highlights how Gravitation has led the band to a new level of heaviness. This permeates throughout the EP. While 'Reflection' displays a hard metalcore influence, for instance, 'Vortex' goes beyond that, opting for a thrashy deathcore vibe; a massive departure from Go in many respects.

I thought it would let up at some point but the whole EP is like this; every time a lull in the intensity is expected, it continues its bombardment of chunky riffs and pleasantly incessant drumming. This is exemplified best in 'Reflection' where Satoshi tries to do some severe damage to his throat...in the best possible way. They could have included a slower, gentler track to give the listener a breather, but instead they opted for five heavy songs varying in loudness and intensity. The infectious electronic elements and catchy vocals which have characterised their more recent efforts are used to full effect here, modernising their previous sound and making each track as memorable as the last. All of these elements culminate in 'Vortex' which, replete with screams, riff-heavy guitar work and double-bass pedaling, is the best way to end Gravitation: in the same loud and exciting way in which it started, exuding a confidence not found on their older material. This is the Girugamesh we wanted after Music and the band sure as hell knows it.
 
By cramming everything their fans love about them into one neat package, Girugamesh has created their best effort yet. Contrary to more recent releases, the intensity and loudness of their old sound is back and better than ever. While taking a new form reflective of some current "-core" genres, classic Girugamesh permeates to the point where they might win their older fanbase back.

Upon listening to Gravitation it's clear that Girugamesh are back and louder, heavier and better than ever!

I have really grown to love this band in recent years.  That last promotional single was just "OK" in my opinion.  The downtuned intro riffing with female vocal samples reminded me of an attempt to mimic the GazettE, which can work, but felt like a cheap and less catchy recreation in my mind.  Zero One and the other singles were solid releases by them - so I will check it out. 
 
On the other note - I agree that Chisa is not looking his best in this style - kill that hair (keep the color).

I don't think I could write a full review on Arche, maybe in the coming weeks I will; but for right now all I can really say about the album as a whole is:
 
Lots of "window dressing", questionable orchestration, Rinkaku is the best track on this album.
 
By "window dressing", I am referring to what is being called "through-composed"; but realistically amounts to nothing more than glorified bridges between repetitive sections. This album gives the illusion that it has progressive intents from the beginning with verses, bridges, and choruses rapidly being thrown at you with Un Deux; but it's only when you take a step back and realize the overall structure of individual songs that it's nothing special. A new section will appear for a measure, then lead into the next verse or chorus -- same as the previous one. This is a trend that seems to have arisen from Sustain the Untruth where these sections carry the same affect, albeit in a far more simple form and not as fully realized here. This is something notable and a breath of fresh air from the wooden structure of verse-chorus-verse. Verse-chorus-verse is still existent throughout; but its form is modified in key parts which largely prevents repetition. Oddly enough this was one of my favorite aspects of the album as it is a tiny step away from rock conventions; but at the same time it's deceptive in doing so.
 
Questionable Orchestration for a rock ensemble has been the bane (...Bane???) of Dir en grey's recent efforts. The fascination with drop tuned riffs lower on the neck has not left the band as they're dished out in spades over the course of the 14 tracks. The issue with this, is that rarely do the other instruments have room to breathe. People have been incorrectly blaming Madsen's mixing; but they couldn't be further from the truth. It is the band's lack of awareness when it comes to orchestration that is at fault. With that said, some of these heavier riffs are really cool, with only one instance of it being ruined by the lead guitar (Midwife) in the beginning.
 
Rinkaku is arguably the best track on this album with the points above kept in mind. The riff is very simple and straight forward; but it's what the band does with the material that warrants recognition. The dense opening (even with the distorted-to-shit guitars), the distinct guitar sections adding effects and clarity to the verses, the climax, and the coda are all highlights that shows a band that knows how to write very good music with distinct and evolving sections. Instead of "window dressing" bridges, we're given actual musical development.
 
No score, these are just impressions after a second listen. Maybe a score will follow in the future.

Also: someone posted the list of original composers (based on their song-by-song analysis in niconico stream)
 
1. Un deux -  薫
2. 咀嚼 Soshaku - 薫
3. 鱗 Uroko - 薫
4. Phenomenon 薫
5. Cause of Fickleness - Shinya
6. 濤声 Tousei - Die
7. 輪郭 Rinkaku - 薫
8. Chain Repulsion  - 薫
9. Midwife - Toshiya
10. 禍夜想 Magayasou - Dir en grey
11. 懐春 Kaishun - Dir en grey
12. Behind a Vacant Image - Dir en grey
13. Sustain the Untruth - Dir en grey
14. 空谷の跫音 Kuukoku no Kyouon - 薫
15. The Inferno - 薫
16. Revelation of Mankind - Dir en grey
and Zero - 薫
てふてふ Tefutefu: - Die
 
* "Dir en grey" = composing roles of the said song were not discussed in detail during the stream (even though chat room swarmers are speculating that "Kaishun" is Die's song too...)
(*薫 = Kaoru)
 
Kaoru dominating that songwriting (He should be ashamed for writing "The Inferno" though)

I got to listen to the single last night and loved it - the title track is very catchy and the tapping fury in the guitar riffs is stellar.  The B-Sides are also fairly solid!  A great release in my opinion.  It is a real disappointment that they are disbanding as their releases seem to get better with age!

also
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sYIKD4hWMI

on sale.


 
thanks kyotakumrau.

Indeed, I liked DSS but these songs are way much easier to get into.