I could honestly admit that Uroboros seems to be the most "possible" album in terms of actual live renditions/performances. Even ARCHE (which *was* supposed to be the "live vibe" release in the first place) suffers from various, unconveyable matters in the eventual live context:
- Kyo has severe difficulties to keep up with his original tempo during faster tracks a la "Revelation"
- "Uroko" sounds very tragic in the vocal and drumming department. MEOWMEOWMEOWMEOW (Kyo had 3 manipulated vocal tracks during "Kyoperas") and lots of wasted potential with those tom rolls. Kinda unbelievable that fans attempt to sweep this issue under the carpet...
- Why is none of the guitarists playing the rhythm part on "Behind" during lives? And yeah, at least double-track Kyo during lives, please.
- Some MH users said that they heavily compress guitars and other instruments during DVD recordings...well they don't! Even the most pro-shot-ish footages showcased that their live mixing does not match their current 7-string/5-string setups (whereas random oldies sound better when done so)
- I have addressed Rinkaku earlier already, no need to delve back.
In that sense, merely "Un Deux", "Tousei", "Midwife" (from what I've heard idk), "Sustain the Untruth" and "The Inferno" were such numbers which they had no major nor noticeable difficulties with.
Passion?
Technique is a prerequisite for being able to project passion or any other feeling. And from what I've witnessed, they do not utilize their possibilities to project the said things well. E.g. Kyo definitely has no professional idea about how his voice truly works in a variety of circumstances, nor does Shinya have any specific interest in realizing whether his e-drumlines make sense in a realistic scenario. Inter-bandmate relations are not my field of interest but I am seriously suspecting that their lack of specific interest towards each other and their expertise is starting to show up too much. Go figure.
....but by the sound of his covers and the fact he was Giru's main composer, I doubt he will turn his back on Rock.
Satoshi's dirty and melodic vocals are so powerful though - it sucks thinking that he will abandon them since REDMAN was not an aggressive style side project.
I will have faith in Ryo. You never know - maybe all these disbandments will lead to a super-group.
I don't think even the most critic voices would dare to say anything negative about them at this point seeing as they played a huge role (along with other acts) in this 00s-10s VK wave or w/e you name it (i.e. how we, 20-somethings and prolly 30s know VK in its glory).
Satoshi had REDMAN which was a glorified solo project to me. But it's been silent for the last 2 years, that's not to say they couldn't pick it back up. He has such a great scream tho, I'd be sad to see him go 100% into the pop market.
I wasn't kidding when I said it reminded me of them. Just solid great visual music to listen to. BLESSCODE has the potential to be a long lasting band if they keep this up. Also you should definitely try Neverland. They're pretty great as well. I feel like they go under the radar because they're not doing the metalcore thing.
Reading this was unexpected and genuinely painful and saddening. I have been along for the ride ever since 2006 when the PV for Owari to Mirai was released and made me fall in love with their sound. Their recent revival blew me away and made me excited for their future, which made this announcement hit all the harder. Much like the announcement when D'espairsRay disbanded, it will take me a while to accept and come to the realization that one of my favorite bands in the scene is no longer creating music together.
I really hope Satoshi is brought back into D.I.D. - I love his style of playing and really hope D.I.D could get back on track to be consistent (but they always seem to be on shaky ground). Nonetheless, while I was not into the demos that much, it is always unfortunate to hear of a group of beloved veteran musicians in the scene calling it quits.
Happy to hear you enjoyed them! Anemone was what sold me on them too. As far as I know they only have the 2 singles available so I can't see what happens when they finally make a full album.
@doombox Thank you for introducing me to Last Calix! Hopeless is an amazing track - so when I looked deeper into what was on this page for them, Anemone blew me away! I love the band - and did not even realize that their vocalist performed melodic vocals for the Misanthropist until it was reiterated. Love it.
@tetsu_sama69 I have never listened to Blesscode - but that track was on point. It gave me some crazy DuelJewel vibes - which was a great surprise. I also never listed to Neverland, but the recommendation has piqued my interest in more. Thanks!
I really hope Satoshi is brought back into D.I.D. - I love his style of playing and really hope D.I.D could get back on track to be consistent (but they always seem to be on shaky ground). Nonetheless, while I was not into the demos that much, it is always unfortunate to hear of a group of beloved veteran musicians in the scene calling it quits.
Recommended Tracks: April 2016
Welcome back to our monthly digest of rockin' new tunes. Our review team has been hard at work trying to bring you the best of the best this month. We hope you enjoy! And we'd also like to send a huge thank you to @CAT5 for doing such an excellent job posting the BNT and RT threads in the past, we'll do our very best to keep up with the standard of quality he set. Now onto the picks!
@Seimeisen's picks:
"UNDYING" by the GazettE
As the GazettE head towards the end of PROJECT DARK AGE, they give us a song that serves as a prequel to DOGMA (which is fitting, as the artwork is the far left of the DARK AGE tapestry). I’m not gonna map out the entire song, but there’s quite a lot going on: tempo changes, key changes, soft and slow parts, fast and heavy parts. The band does a great job at arranging all of the different elements without making the song sound disjointed. We see the band getting heavier and softer in the same song. "UNDYING" beautifully captures the entire essence of PROJECT DARK AGE.
"RUVISH" by THE BLACK SWAN
A little background info: "RUVISH" is about "being raped and thrown away" and was inspired by the concept of rape trees (source). Maybe it's just knowing the lyrics' subject matter that makes the song so disturbing and creepy. You don't know the exact lyrics, but you feel the pain and torment in 儿's (JIN) whimpers and wails, the agony in his screams through the fastest parts, you sense danger during the quiet break with the creepy guitar line. It's not only sad, it's also discomforting. It's quite amazing how the band could take 樹's (ITSUKI) composition and make it so intense.
"鬼ト邪吼 (oni to jakou)" by Royz
If you like your Royz fast and heavy, then this is the track for you! This song is fast, aggressive, and triumphant. 智也 (Tomoya) really shines in this track with the constant fast-paced drumming that only slows down for a short guitar solo in the middle. 昴's (Subaru) harsh vocals have been greatly missed, and this track shows that he can still screech and growl, and the clean vocal melodies are great, though not as dramatic as a typical Royz song. Great soundtrack for evil rituals.
@fitear1590's picks:
"movie" by 吉澤嘉代子 (Kayoko Yoshizawa)
Kayoko Yoshizawa started off as a brilliant fresh face in the Japanese pop scene in 2013. Unfortunately, due to a non-stop release schedule (mini-albums and full-albums every few months), her creativity slowly tapered off and her songs became a bit uninspired. "movie," the opening track off of her recently released second album 東京絶景 (tokyo zekkei), is a subtle, but gorgeous number with acoustic elements. It might not be the quirky retro Kayoko we started off with, but it's a step in a new direction that I'm very much enjoying.
"ネバーエンド(never end)" by グリモア (GRIMOIRE)
You can fight me, but one of the most underrated new bands in the visual scene is GRIMOIRE. In fact, do yourself a favor and just let them replace your ペンタゴン (pentagon) discography. Well-executed conceptual visuals and decently high PV production values are the perfect vehicles for the band's eerie graveyard-carnival sound (let's just establish that this is a real style). Perhaps the only thing holding them back is their nasal vocalist RyNK (ex-Diement.), but this is visual kei after all! I'm pretty sure we're used to these kinds of vocals by now!
@Zeus's pick:
"VAMPIRE" by NoGoD
Talk about a surprise out of left field! NoGoD is finally able to break out of their stagnation with a banger. The album title Renovate hinted at long-overdue changes to their formula, but "VAMPIRE" is the first NoGoD promotional track that reminds me of the attitude and energy of their indie days. Equal parts catchy and engaging, with a sinister riff to kick things off and a rousing chorus, "VAMPIRE" is good fun. Vocalist Danchou is the center of attraction as usual, using his full range over the course of the song, but it's the guitar work between Shinno and Kyrie that elevates this above most of their other similar singles. It's good to see this band find their inspiration once again.
@staegermeister's pick:
"LAST DAY" by HER NAME IN BLOOD
"Last Day" is the opening song to the band's newest EP Evolution from Apes, which was released on April 27th. The song is very upbeat, fast-paced, and offers a wide range of guitar work. It starts off with a quick and precise yet chaotic riff that would suit for a great live song. Normally we'd get a lot of screaming and growling from Ikepy but this song is a great example of the bands transition towards more melodic vocal phrases. Aside from the change in vocal direction, the production shows a new approach on their sound. If you're just checking the band out, I'd say "Last Day" is decent to start with.
@emmny's picks:
"白夜二燃ユル花(byakuya ni moyuru hana)" by Dio -distraught overlord-
Yes, Dio, the queens of all things dramatic, heavy and cheesy from the late 2000's came back during the month of April for a series of revival lives, and with them brought a live-distribute single, 白夜二燃ユル花 . As much as Dio don't entirely need a description, I'll try to fill in the new fans or (god forbid) people who've never heard of Dio. I'd say they were split between good ol' melodic vk and a really primal nu-metal/metalcore hybrid. The result was a solid sense of heaviness and melody with a healthy dose of chaos and mess. Looking back at the era, they were some of the best composers of the period within their niche. The ease with which they wrote is still evident seven years later with "Byakuya", the conclusion to the Byakuya single trilogy. The 7-string guitars take on a riff closer to melodic death-metal than their usual metalcore before proceeding into the usual nu-metal crawl during the verses. It wouldn't be a Dio rocker without an anthemic chorus, and Mikaru kills it with his vocals--a marked improvement from when Dio were active. It's a shame that the last we'll ever likely hear of Dio proved to be so amazing; I'll be praying for these vampires (cue eye roll) to come back again one day. Guilty pleasure or not--visual kei is missing something without 'em.
"Faizh" by JILUKA
One of the biggest surprises of 2015 for me was JILUKA, who by all intents and purposes are to Deluhi what Grieva are to 90's Dir en grey; calling 'em a cover band is a little harsh--let's just say they're 'heavily inspired'. JILUKA deviate a little bit (thank god) from the Deluhi-centric sound by adding deathcore and djent influences here and there--going so far as to label themselves as having a djent sound. Just like Far East Dizain! Oh... no wonder. While they've basically done the same thing for the past half-year, there's something magnetic about their formula: blistering, thrashy riffage during verses, an obligatory breakdown somewhere, some Leda-wankery solo and a glittering chorus to cover up their sins. "Faizh" is all of the above, of course, and while it sounds predictable on paper, the instrumentalists are sharp enough to rise above the Deluhi comparisons sometime in the future. The future isn't anytime soon though, so let's mosh along to this hot mess. \m/
"流声、相剋の廃と(ryuusei, soukoku no hai to)" by THE BLACK SWAN
Alas, the final form of OUSIA, THE BLACK SWAN's debut album rears its head. While the majority of the tracks debuted in earlier singles or on the prototype, OUSIA -dispersed-, "Ryuusei" was born in the sessions following their releases. There's a hypnotic and almost ritualistic quality that's been hinted at in TBS' live introduction which finds itself fully realized in "Ryuusei". The song melts in its own atmosphere during the first half before bringing out the strings, moody breakdown and tapping-solo towards the end. It's not without some rough moments, but of all the acts attempting this sound in the post-UROBOROS landscape, THE BLACK SWAN handle it with the most ease. It's especially rewarding to see Jin, who's been tackling this sound since NEGA's VANITAS, slowly pushing his ambitious atmospheric metalcore compositions closer and closer to a more polished, sharp and progressive direction.
@nullmoon's pick:
"BERSERKER" by Satsuki
Until recently, I hadn't bothered with Satsuki's solo venture in years... as in since 'La Lune'. Everything was too slow and light and NOT Rentrer En Soi. For some unknown reason I decided to check out APOCALYPSE and ECLIPSE and I was shocked beyond belief. Satsuki absolutely nails it in these releases, covering a wide range of genres and vocal styles, all with a surprising earnestness and energy. Granted, this song is nowhere near RES-level brilliance, but hearing Satsuki growl his way through most of the song is incredible. This is especially the case considering how poor his harsh vocals were in RES (to those shouting blasphemy, take off those rose-tinted glasses). With newfound aggression, both vocally and in the music itself, this is one of the many songs from Satsuki's recent output that made me seriously interested in his work again.
@tetsu_sama69's picks:
"Dummy" by Neverland
There really should have been a lot more hype for this album (and the band in general) honestly it was hard to chose my favorite because it's very strong release overall. But after a few listens and in addition the fact that I like the album as a whole I was really taken in by "Dummy". The bass is so strong and consistent that I just let it carry me through the entire song and it keeps bringing me back to it. The haunting and extremely catchy synth gives some darker taste to the song all around and it feels like a mix of heavy rock with some light gothic vibe. Also Rouyta's rough vocals (which are very addicting and enjoyable) come out more during this song and I like that he's able to showcase his singing talents through the album all together.
"毘紐天 ‐vishnu- (bichuuten -vishnu-)" by Royz
Royz has always been a pretty damn consistent and great band in my opinion, and always blow me away especially when it comes to their albums. S.I.V.A overall was a much heavier album but I think it's a step-up they needed to make. My favorite track from this album "毘紐天 ‐vishnu-" has a more 'cult' vibe to it and that's perhaps why I like it so much. I know Royz is capable of a rougher sound and this definitely brings it to the table. The trippy and chilling strings mingled in with the heavy instrumentals are only enhanced by the layered vocals of screams and amazing range. I didn't expect this kind of song from Royz and that's mostly what makes me enjoy this track so much.
"Imperial City" by BLESSCODE
BLESSCODE is a band that I've enjoyed from their first mini-album THE BEGINNING CODE (which is still available for free on their site) and since then they've evolved into stronger band with every release since then. "Imperial City" is only further proof of that and has already placed itself on my list of best songs of the year, seriously expect it when I post my list for 2016. The opening riff sent chills down my spine and when the vocals kicked in I couldn't help but be sucked into their new song from start to finish. The track itself almost reminded me of DuelJewel and their solid rock style. If BLESSCODE keeps up with music like this I'm sure they'll be more than capable of leaving their mark on the visual scene.
"2度目の絶望とSucide ceremony (nidome no zetsubou to Suicide ceremony)" by VIVALET
This song is such a mess and dear lord do I love it so much. VIVALET has always had some pretty chaotic music and that's why I like them. Something about them makes me think of older visual bands and perhaps it's their sporadic, heavy style that has their hooks sunk so deep in me. Much like BLESSCODE, VIVALET is another band that seem to be improving with every release. Mary's imperfect vocals take you on this insane roller coaster ride of fast, lovely chugging instrumentals and dark themed heavy rock. VIVALET is definitely a band coming into their own and I really hope they stay strong with their style of music especially if it's a wreck of awesome such as this track.
"アスモデウスの槍(Asmodeus no yari)" by THE BLACK SWAN
I cannot with all the space I have here explain why I love THE BLACK SWAN so much but I would use OUSIA as a great example to present to those who haven't give them a try yet. I got a great early taste of the album via OUSIA -dispersed- and I was anticipating this every single day up until it finally surfaced. The waiting was worth it because not only did it include the remastered/re-recorded versions of their single tracks it also came with a few unheard songs thrown in the mix. My favorite of the new songs is definitely "アスモデウスの槍" as it's a chaotic, heavy, insane, blast to the face of what their sound is as a whole. The ever varied raw vocals with instrumentals that pack a punch of pure metalcore along with a bass line that stayed in my head so strongly that I had to put the song on repeat a number of times. I'm sure you'll have a similar experience with this track if you're a fan of them.
@doombox's picks:
"WIDE EYED (The Ghost Inside cover)" by CRYSTAL LAKE
I don't think this pick will be a surprise, but it's really important to me to recommend it this month because it's about more than just a song. Crystal Lake get a lot of comparisons to The Ghost Inside ever since their change in vocalists. This song is a strong confirmation of that, not only with the music, but the heartfelt personal message left for TGI in the bridge. All the profits from "WIDE EYED" will be donated to TGI to aid in recovering from their horrendous bus accident late last year. The cover itself is fairly straightforward until the second half when the distortion takes a back seat in favor for a cleaner, acoustic vibe. Yosh (Survive Said The Prophet) shows up for clean vocal duty in place of Jason Butler's feature on the original version and positively crushes it. That is saying something considering I love Jason's vocals with a serious bias. So if you're a fan of Crystal Lake, SSTP, or TGI, you will have no regrets scrounging for spare change in your couch cushions and buying this song.
"Hopeless" by LAST CALIX
I have to thank @beni, first and foremost, for recommending these guys previously and succeeding in getting me hooked on their brand of emotional and melodic metal. The guitar riffs steal the show at first but with a key element of restraint they stop short of making the track all about them, which is wonderful because the song continues to grow from simply cool and catchy to a delicately calculated tidal wave of intensity that this band looks considerably young to be quite that good at. So good in fact, it's one of my favorite tracks so far this year.
"絶望論。(zetsubouron.)" by コドモドラゴン (Codomo Dragon)
This is one of those songs that has multiple addictive elements layered over each other from the clap-along inciting drumbeat to the brain-burrowing "yannacchata yannacchatanaa" chorus, and a headbang inducing post-chorus. All of them compete for which segment is the catchiest. This composition is a great direction for Codomo Dragon proving things don't always have to be overly technical or extremely heavy to be memorable in the current visual scene.
From some songs that I've heard from the list I agree with NoGod, The Gazette and The Black Swan but I think that Nocturnal Bloodlust's - Malice Against deserves at least a mention. The song (and mini album) were an improvement on their past single.
I really hope Satoshi is brought back into D.I.D. - I love his style of playing and really hope D.I.D could get back on track to be consistent (but they always seem to be on shaky ground). Nonetheless, while I was not into the demos that much, it is always unfortunate to hear of a group of beloved veteran musicians in the scene calling it quits.
it is announced at Sel'm one-man live "欲望と屈辱は音と化す" at Shibuya CHELSEA HOTEL at 2016/04/30 that their new full album (title not yet finalized) might be released in 2016/09, although details have not yet been announced
btw they plan to hold their 2-man live in 2016/08-09 and their one-man live in 2016/10
I really hope Satoshi is brought back into D.I.D. - I love his style of playing and really hope D.I.D could get back on track to be consistent (but they always seem to be on shaky ground). Nonetheless, while I was not into the demos that much, it is always unfortunate to hear of a group of beloved veteran musicians in the scene calling it quits.
Reading this was unexpected and genuinely painful and saddening. I have been along for the ride ever since 2006 when the PV for Owari to Mirai was released and made me fall in love with their sound. Their recent revival blew me away and made me excited for their future, which made this announcement hit all the harder. Much like the announcement when D'espairsRay disbanded, it will take me a while to accept and come to the realization that one of my favorite bands in the scene is no longer creating music together.
What a synchronicity that both them and girugamesh announce their disbandments. At one point both were those bands that I couldn't believe were still around. Screw was like a car gassing it on the driveway without going anywhere and girugamesh had gone through such stylistic amalgamations that one didn't know what to think. It is only recently that Girugamesh seemed to have gotten their groove back and Screw started showing some signs of life as well: and then they both disbanded lol. If this had happened like, two three years ago I wouldn't have been surprised at all, but now it caught me a bit off guard with the recent surge of activity from both of them. Screw especially I have been expecting to disband for such a long time that I kind of got comfortable with the idea they were just going to stick around forever ( much what I thought of BORN as well before they disbanded ).
I moderately liked a bunch of the indies stuff, however the one time I saw them live they were so good that I have quite a bit of nostalgia for everything thing they played that night. rip
For V.I.P., we got a free t shirt, early access to the venue, and the meet and greet after the show! ....which was more of a meet and farewell!? XD
It was just a handshake with the band and "thanks for coming" type thing. I recorded it, but security was rushing us along so I didn't get a good shot of everyone. lol You can see the videos I got on my instagram (shameless plug I know):
instagram: @ fraeofficial
I took some small videos after the show. None was done during the actual performance.
The NYC was show was everything I wanted and more. The setlist was a nice balance of DOGMA and older material so everyone's fancies could be tickled. Ok lets get back to the DOGMA songs for one sec. @emmny said it best, those songs are something else live. As much as i loved the earlier songs, those were my highlights, especially DOGMA , and OMINOUS. Holy crap. The band seemed to enjoy themselves, and nailed the tracks flawlessly. The crowd, despite a few minor incidents that I wont bother speaking of, was well behaved for the most part. I feel like this US leg was a test run and we passed. Ruk kept saying "WOW, YOU GUYS ARE CRAZY!" haha And that they will come again. This was a dream come true and also, I got to meet @jduv86 who's a super cool guy in person (Best of luck on the album man and sorry if i was a lil too rowdy haha).
Maybe this is old news, but I just noticed that Dogma and Toxic are both available to stream on AmazonPrime Music.
Their other full albums (well the digital mp3 versions) are also priced like American CDs at $8.99 on Amazon. Nice!
Have they always been up there and I didn't notice or is this a new thing because of the world tour??
Related question: Were they selling CDs at the merch table at their shows / for how much? (I didn't check out the merch as I got to the show barely on time and didn't want to fight with the huge crush of people there after the show ended.... s/o to @TheStoic for telling me how much T-Shirts cost so I didn't have to bother with that crowd for another band tshirt I'd rarely wear )
Glad to hear of another GazeRock fan that adores 蜷局 [Toguro] as much as I do. I also was a huge fan of the song when it was released.
I like the review you put up as well - it is cool to hear your take on the songs and artists.
I honestly find a lot of great songs tucked away in the B-Sides of all of the auditory impression version singles from the Gazette. Uncertain Sense, Without a Trace, The True Muderous Intent, and Hesitating Means Death are just a few songs that I like tucked into B-Side singles that don't get their due love.
TheStoic reacted to peffy in SCREW will disband
TheStoic got a reaction from Chikage in Girugamesh will disband
TheStoic got a reaction from zombieparadise in Girugamesh will disband
TheStoic got a reaction from itsukoii in DOAK will disband
TheStoic got a reaction from doombox in Recommended Tracks: April 2016!
TheStoic got a reaction from nullmoon in DOAK will disband
TheStoic got a reaction from Aferni in DOAK will disband
TheStoic got a reaction from The Reverend in [Review] The Gazette - Cassis