Visutox

Monochrome Heaven's Top 25 Tracks of 2014

Presenting The Top 25 Tracks of 2014 as voted by our Official Reviewers and staff members. Any Japanese song released in 2014 was eligible, although our primary focus was on J-rock.

25.
TAMTAM - "シューゲイズ"

24.

宇宙コンビニ (uchu conbini) - ­ 光の加減で話した (Hikari no Kagen de Hanashita)

23.

シナリオアート (Scenarioart) ­- "アオイコドク" (Aoi Kodoku)

22.

DIR EN GREY -­ "懐春 (kaishun)"

21.

LLLL -­ "Oddness"

20.

BACK­-ON -­ "セルリアン (cerulean)"

19.

101A ­- "Forbidden Sky"

18.

DIV ­- "漂流彼女 (hyouryuu kanojo)"

17.

PLASTICZOOMS ­- "Sleepwalker"

16.

ねごと (NEGOTO) -­ "黄昏のラプソディ (tasogare no rhapsody)"

15.

sow ­- "to growth, for growth"

14.

TK from 凛として時雨 (ling tosite sigure) -­ "unravel"

13.

DIR EN GREY -­ "輪郭 (rinkaku)"

12.

tayuta ­- "夢見た 蒼 (yumemita ao)"

11.

八十八ヶ所巡礼 (88kasyo junrei) -­ "攻撃的国民的音楽 (kougeki teki kokumin teki ongaku)"

10.

Mono -­ "Recoil, Ignite"

9.

和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band) -­ "千本桜 (Senbonzakura)"

8.

DIR EN GREY ­- "phenomenon"

7.

la la larks -­ "end of refrain"

6.

黒百合と影 (Kuroyuri to Kage) - "「浴槽」 (yokusou)"

5.

アルルカン (arlequin) ­- "墓穴 (hakaana)"

4.

mothercoat - "trickster"

3.

Boris -­ "雨 (ame)"

2.

THE NOVEMBERS -­ "Rhapsody in beauty"

1.

sukekiyo ­- "Aftermath"

waiting

Solefald - World Metal. Kosmopolis Sud
 
Solefald follow up the prog rocky Norrønasongen. Kosmopolis Nord with a "world metal" album. What is world metal? Well, I don't know. But this is an album where the foundation is black metal, and where all the topping is all kinds of different genres. Traditional music from lots of places on earth, electronica and god knows what. This is probably the most special metal album I have ever heard, and the title to the opening track descrives the song very well: World Music with Black Edges. That's what it is. All the song are different, not only from eachother, but frome verything you've ever heard, yet they manage to keep it SOlefald and they manage to keep it black at the very bottom. I've only given it one spin which isn't nearly enough to have an actualy opinion on the album. There's just way too much to chew around here. However, what I do not is that I really enjoyed the first spin and I can't wait to give it more time later on.

ex-Aldious Vo.RAMI new band "Raglaia" new maxi single (title not yet finalized) will be released, although other member details have not yet been announced

Not sure if I'm late, but here's the tracklist for the new Vektor album dropping July 2015.

Then it's the band I am thinking about. Good stuff, but the fucking german, man. I see german as a great language for black metal, and for Rammstein, but outside that I am not really a huge fan. Not too annoying or anything, though. But I'd like it better if it was in English or something.
 
 
 

 
Not as good as the first song they posted off the album, but I am really looking forward to this album. Should be great.

Highly influenced by Moonsorrow for sure, yeah. And concerning the language, even if it's a matter of taste, I actually enjoy Finsterforst music. I don't like German and I consider that there are a lot of bands which music would sound better if it was sung in another language. But it doesn't bother me at all with Finsterforst, actually the language gives a little more to their music imo.

I have nothing to add to this thread other than this:

Finsterforst is that old scool Moonsorrow-clone band, right? Heard some of their earlier stuff and was impressed, even though it wasn't quite as good as the band they look up to aka Moonsorow. My main "problem" with the band though, beside them not being nearly as good as Moonsorrow, is that they sang in german. I don't have anything against german, but it isn't really the kind of language that suits this type music the best. The language just sounds way too agressive IMO.

Some awesome news for fans of old Behemoth aka the best Behemoth:
 

Thy Winter Kingdom / From the Pagan Vastlands...
 
 
 
 
This will be released on double CD and two single LPs. I'll ty to get my hand on both LPs. Sounds awesome as fuck!

Favorite PV`s:
SuG – Missing
SuG – B.A.B.Y
VAMPS – Vampire`s Love
BORN – SON OF A BITCH
Uwakimono - HELL YEAH
 
Favorite Production:
SuG - MISSING
SuG - Cry Out
MuCC – The End of the World
SID – OUTSIDER
Girugamesh - gravitation
 
Best Value:
Resistar Releases (all three tracks and karaoke on one cd for regular price)
Miyavi – Real (two tracks, and five live tunes for a low price)
 
Biggest Money Stealers:
VNeu (so many versions)
SuG – Cry Out (three versions, one bonus track, although 2 come with a DVD, but no trading card)
 
 
Most Shocking Moment:
Aki is Danger Crue`s mystery artist.
Akane is in and out of retirement in record time.
 
Favorite Live`s:
Stylish Wave
Resistar Three-Man
 
Favorite Label:
Resistar
 
 
P.S. I removed a lot from my lists as they were even huger, you can probably guess what would have made the honorable mentions list.
 
P.P.S. Pardon the format issues like pics of every size and so on... hehe.

FAVORITE ALBUMS:

MEJIBRAY - THE ”420” THEATRICAL ROSESThe youthful atmosphere of this album attracted me most on the first few listens. It captures a distinct emotional range, and although the tracks start to vary greatly, it is the most cohesive sounding Mejibray release to date, in my opinion. A melancholy runs through it.

アルルカン–ニア・イコールAt first it seemed very similar, then the hooks and differences in the songs started to come to mind. A very dark album that still has a lot of energy.

Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas – PHASE 2
A very, very diverse album, where one track can have more variety than entire albums recorded by other bands. This is the album that made me a big fan of the band, and is the one I can play all the way through, then let play again. High energy, and musical adventure.

ギルガメッシュ– LIVE BEST
This one really had to grow on me, I am a huge fan of newer Girugamesh, since Incomplete, and the sound of every track except Evolution had to grow on me, but it did. Lately Girugamesh has been releasing music that I just can`t get enough plays or volume out of.

ViViD – THE PENDULUM
Although different than the original ViViD many fell for, I found this album full of beautiful tracks, some good heavier tunes, the usual interesting guitar parts, lots of hooks, and a long list of great tracks.

UVERworld – 0 CHOIR
Another album that I love by the band. More laid back with a little less attack than other releases, but full of great tracks that you groove to more than rock or bounce along with as you would with previous releases.

VAMPS – BLOODSUCKERS
A great distinct, nostalgic sound, as well as lyrics that long for the past and look back at things people wish they could change. As usual for me, I start favoring certain tracks much more than others, and then those `skippable` tracks start to grow on me.

ムック– THE END OF THE WORLD
An album that is diverse in true current MuCC fashion, but much more grounded to a certain atmosphere than their two previous full length works. This one is darker, heavier (one of the best rock albums to pitch the sale of a super-woofer with), and more serious. The sound of the band, the vocalist`s voice, and the production are really amazing on this.

コドモドラゴン – CHILDREN`S DOPE
Really surprised by this one. I started to be a big fan with RIGHT EVIL, yet when I first listened to the album it didn`t fully set in yet, and I am not always the biggest fan of sharper sound, or things rough around the edge`s in terms of tone. But the album really became one of my favorite`s, until it shot up to being one of my top favorites. The singles don`t really give a clear enough description of the band and their album really is something else, in my opinion.

Royz – CORE
The main soundtrack of my summer. This was full of great rock tunes with a lot of attitude, and ballads that were very well done and delivered emotionally. They have a dialed in sound, and the vocals are great, it plays like an album comprised of singles, really.

ALSDEAD – IDEA
Every album by them plays out like it has a whole new concept. Seperator was more about imbedded sorrow, and this one was more about standing up and doing battle with whatever is haunting you, or holding you down. I love the attitude, the strong lyrics, and the great musicianship. The whole thing plays out like it is winding up to one big attack, with a some short breaks for softer songs along the way. Tracks like Kill the King and Behind The Pride pull off the theme of rebellion without coming from a childish angle, and describe something many can relate to.

シド– OUTSIDER
Another beautiful album by SID. As always a mixed bag in content but not in quality. It doesn`t have any of their harder tunes on it, and it isn`t the album I listened to most, but there`s just a certain quality to it that makes me think highly of it.

FAVORITE MINI – ALBUMS:

BORN – THE STALIN -666-
Rocked hard, plain and simple.

REDMAN – Flame Of Life
Well made and unexpected. A completely softer yet still strong kind of rock from what we are used to from Satoshi.

LM.C – Perfect Rainbow
Great release after one I did not enjoy as much (Perfect Fantasy). This features LM.C at a medium setting between their most straight-forward work, and their most `quirky`.

FANG – evolutionary Process
Not sure if this is a mini, or full album, but it is short so I will put it in this category. Didn`t know of this band until someone introduced me to their music. Really great youthful feeling and catchy tunes.

Kra –サタヒナト
Really different work featured in this concept album, with a huge emphasis on piano, while retaining lots of the band`s known amazing playing and vocals. Deep and dark atmosphere, which I loved, though the hidden track steals the show.

girugamesh – gravitation
Absolutely awesome album that rocks hard. Heavy and dark atmosphere, but is hard to find any negative vibe in it due to how much headbanging it induces and how much the catches get stuck in my head.

Hello,
 
List goes in descending order until my top-favorite at the bottom of each section. Instead of filling the pages up with stars, just think of the lists starting with albums in the 4 star range, and heading towards a possible 5 at the end. I made the write-ups real short, as it is a long list (still had to cut a lot of favorites though) and hope you get the jist of what I liked about the album, and, (if you haven`t heard it) if you`d like it too. Thanks for reading.
 
FAVORITE SINGLES:

Moran – but Beautiful
Very nice, potent title-track with a weightless yet emotional atmosphere.
 

葵-168-  – 必要惡
Well made, laid-back tunes. One of his softer releases.
 

L’Arc～en～Ciel – EVERLASTING
Awesome atmosphere and sound, an otherworldly tune that calls on their old sound while mixing together their more recent approach.

BugLug – 骨
Three great tracks with very different directions, as usual for the band. The punk sound on the second track was really my favorite.

Royz – Supernova
More great tunes from Royz, one of their softer sounds on the title track, yet all tracks still rock regardless.

BORN – Son of a Bitch
Another bad@ss tune from BORN, one of the tracks that rocked me the hardest this year. They pulled off the electronic breakdown better than most.



NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST – Strike in fact, DESPERATE, Libra
Great releases from the band, which has taken a direction I prefer more, putting their heavy sound together with more melodies and hooks. Strike In fact is the catchiest, DESPERATE is the heaviest, and Libra is the more heartfelt.

DOG inTheパラレルワールドオーケストラ – TOKYOエレクトリックパレード
Amazing single that puts DOG`s current sound together with a Disney atmosphere for this single. On another level than their work in 2013, in my opinion.

ムック – 故に、摩天楼
Quite different from their last album, the title track has a nostalgic and emotional sound without going down a depressing route. Beautiful and catchy.

シド – ENAMEL
Not much to say, as awesome as every other SID single. More of a rock feel than their previous album, and more of a `Visual` delivery.


 
Shounenki – Gazelle, BANG ME
Two singles with a great rock sound, and some of the best melodic hooks I have heard in a while. Really surprised by this band, and anyone who likes soaring vocals and lots of hooks should have already heard it.

ユナイト– レヴ/ice
After my least favorite album from them they came back with what I love from them:  Diverse tracks and songs that leave an impact through amazing playing (guitar esp. for me), amazing vocals, lyrics, and a distinct approach to making music. The way they come out with so many different sounds without it seeming amateur or like they just threw in elements of other musical styles reminds me of SID.




 
DIV - You, Butterfly Dreamer, 漂流彼女, Point of view
Very different singles, and I enjoyed them all. POV is one of my favorite up-beat tunes of the year, Hyouryuu one of my top atmospheric songs, and Butterfly Dreamer is one of my go-to songs when I want to rock.


SuG – Missing, CRY OUT
Amazing singles that did something very different from everything else in 2014. Both are more serious and emotionally driven than what many expect of SuG. The production is also top notch.

DOG inTheパラレルワールドオーケストラ  – 魁!! 祭izm
One of my favorite singles ever. Listening to it the first time, I said `this is why I listen to music `. Hard to think of anything that expresses itself so well to me. I hold this one close.

This album is a nice album to bump if you want some solid in your face metal goodness. That's pretty much where it only delivers. Besides GENESIS and DESPERATE, I really don't have any other song besides maybe PUNCH ME IF YOU CAN that I can point out as an outstanding track. What you've heard on one song is pretty much what you'll hear in another or something the band has done before. This is no way a bad album though. I'll still bump it. It just lacks variation and creativity.  I will say this though, this is light years better than their first Full length which was a total snooze fest.
 
6.5/10
 
Try harder next time, NB.

Some metal albums I recently dl'd and gonna check out in the next couple of days~
 
 - Fördärv - Between the Eternities (seems like decent Swedish black metvlz)
 - Hooded Menace - Gloom Immemorial (horror-themed death/doom, should be nice)
 - The Crown - Death Is Not Dead (always wanted to check 'em out, now is the time I guess)
 - Desolate Shrine - The Heart of the Netherworld (dunno them but sounds promising)
 
Anyone already familiar with these bands/albums? What's your opinion?

Oh fucking yes, this sounds good. Very promising for the new album.

Glaciation - Sur les Falaises de Marbre

1994 is fantastic, så I'm really looking forward to this. Black metal with Neige, Winterhalter, Indria Saray, RMS Hreidmarr and a couple of more guys. What an insane line-up this band has, especially now that both Hreidmarr and Indria has joined the team as well. Mmmmmh! I can't wait!

I should buy a Wii U asap. 

I NEED a Wii U for the new xenoblade, might actually go back and replay the first on a completely new save file. Playing on a new game plus was pretty fun after a few months of not playing but everything went by so fast because of everyone being such a high level xD I remember my first play through taking almost 200 hours to beat so hopefully the new xenoblade has just as much content.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm super hyped for Xenoblade Chronicles X. The original was already fantastic and one of the best all-around JRPGs of the previous console generation, and X seems to be taking everything that was great about the original and amplifying it (although the soundtrack probably wont be as good with Sawano as the sole composer, in my opinion). Just look at that world design! 
 

I want to play this little game.
And Splatoon is coming in may, and Majora's mid-feb, yiipii !


 
Well, you'll not regret it, there are plenty of good games on this console (sadly people love to bash the WiiU). i'm amused when people say "ITS NOT 4K 100FPS 500GO  ITS SHITE". Excuse us but while we're actually playing games, you're still complaining for hours about the hardware and appearances lmao. :')

*Does the Kilroy and looks around*
 
Alright,
 
I am not the one to talk about metal releases I look forward to and hodgepodge like that on a regular basis, but I am highly intrigued about upcoming Ghost Bath (Chinese DSBM band) album, "Moonlover"
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg530raHyuo
(don't mind the random "uplifting" solo in the beginning...)
 
Earlier repertoire (as a case in point, their 2014 album
) was not that astonishing from a DSBM band avec a tinge of "atmospheric", but band's latest promo sorta screams out "Alcest on steroids" (if I were to describe it with my unfortunate knowledge of anything metal-related) - "hyena cries" are still there though, lol.

DELUHI best album "VANDALISM [Σ]" will be (re-)released at 2015/03/25 (3,996yen), which will include CD (including remastering songs)+DVD+lyrics booklet (44 pages) and will be in 2D wide jewel case, and first press will further include bonus CD
 
[CD track list]
01.HYBRID TRUTH
02.Two Hurt
03.G.A.L.D
04.REVOLVER BLAST
05.シェイド(shade)
06.LORELEI
07.黄泉の譲り葉(yomi no yuzuriha)
08.Vivid Place
09.Rebel:Sicks, Shadow:Six
10.Baby play
11.s[K]ape:goat
12.Orion once again
13.砂の泉(suna no izumi)
14.Frontier
15.The farthest
16.Departure
 
[first press bonus CD track list]
01.NO SALVATION '09
02.Recall(2009 Re-Recording ver.)
 
[DVD track list]
01.HYBRID TRUTH
02.s[K]ape:goat
03.Two Hurt
04.REVOLVER BLAST
05.Frontier
06.The farthest
07.Departure

Here's my end of the year list. I quickly realized I only listen to cross-dresser crap and don't follow many western bands closely enough to pay attention to new releases. Oh well~~~. 
 
Now with working mp3s

Albums:


 
Kamijo : Heart
 
Kamijo graced us this year with not one, but two albums. As this was his only full release, I’ve included it in my list here (although Symphony of the Vampire was equally as good, just for different reasons). As many other reviewers have said before me, this album truly showcased what aspects of Versailles Kamijo really had contributed. Ripe with a mix of classic tropes from his past bands, Heart brings the best of several worlds together in a one gilded soundscape. In it, he has some Versailles-esque neoclassical tracks (“(闇夜のライオン”),  some Lareine-ish melodic songs (“Romantique” and “抱きしめられながら”), and even an epic-length track (“Heart”).  In spite of the many critiques his previous band received about becoming stagnant after exhausting their classical influences, Kamijo has managed to keep his signature style while revitalizing it just enough to keep things fresh and interesting.  If this year is any indication of how things will go for Kamijo, it looks like the King of Rose-kei will keep his throne for years to come.
 
闇夜のライオン:



 
己龍 :  暁歌水月
 
One more first album of their career!! Just kidding: if there’s one thing the Kiryu is good at, it is releasing an absurd amount of CDs with very little time to breathe. 暁歌水月 is their 4th full-length in their discography and is one of their stronger albums to me. While their crazy take on Japanese folk-metal may get tiresome to some, their formula works exceptionally well for them and clearly stick to the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Here you’ll find a good mix of their dark and chaotic songs, as well as their melodic and softer ones, all held together by their signature use of traditional Japanese instruments. As this album showcases more than ever, The Kiryu have some of the best riffage in the scene and do not let stereotypical visual-kei earmarks get in the way of their progressive individuality. 
 
愛怨忌焔:



 
Azealia Banks : Broke with Expensive Taste
 
Another year of firsts for this artist—Azealia Banks dropped her long awaited full length album late this year. After originally announcing to come out in the spring of this year, the release date kept getting pushed further and further back. Thankfully, the wait was well worth it. Filled with her typical poignant disposition and clever lyrics, Broke With Expensive Taste offers a smattering of musical styles all over the spectrum that work well together and do not fall victim to tokenism. Her claim-to-fame track “212” made yet another appearance, as well as other singles “Yung Rapunxel,” “Heavy Metal And Reflective,” and “Chasing Time.” If you’re looking to try out an album that goes from playfully singing in Spanish, to a song called “BBD” (which stands for “Bad Bitches Do It”), and a surf rock song about a rebellious teen that goes to a nudist beach, this album is a must-try. 
 
https://soundcloud.com/azealiabanksweb/azealia-banks-heavy-metal-and-reflective-explicit



 
Lana Del Ray : Ultraviolence
 
Lana Del Ray once again leads the sadcore pop scene with her second album, Ultraviolence. Lana is an artist I tended to shy away from for a while, but this album seems to have won me over. It’s disposition is much more melancholic than what I’ve heard from her first album, and its lyrical content are more about coming out of tight spots in her life, such as abusive relationships. The musicianship here is top-notch, and her voice, hell, her whole persona, fits the album’s 70’s revival vibe so well. If you’re in the mood to watch the rain with flowers in your hair while Facetiming with a sepia filter, this is the perfect album to do that to. Definitely recommend checking out “Cruel World,” “Shades of Cool,” and “West Coast.”
 
West Coast:




 
Sukekiyo : Immortalis
 
Already wrote a bit about this on the Christmas list, but basically this is what Arche is derived from and I like this better. While I don’t necessarily like most of their members, when they put their heads together they really do come up with some wonderful ideas.
 
斑人間:



 
ギャロ : NERO
 
Completely out of left-field for me this year, I tried their split single with AvelCain and had to have more. Kind of quirky, but doesn’t use that as a crutch to base their musical decisions on, The Gallow are truly a band to keep an eye on. In a way, they kind of remind me of Cali Gari but more aggressive. Do not let this band stay under your radar!
 
帝都四号魔水路:



 
DEZERT : 「タイトルなし」
 
Another branch of the homage-kei trinity, DEZERT finally managed to put out a full-length album this year after releasing quite a large discography before doing so. Miraculously, nothing on here was from their previous singles (which is unheard of in visual-kei????) .  Hard-hitting and fast paced, 「タイトルなし」 serves up some cool nü-metal influenced tracks as well as some metal-core ones. Compared to their earlier discography, this was probably their most accessible release to me and a strong step in the right direct for this band. My favorite tracks include “Doze,” “「擬死」,” and “胃潰瘍とルソーの錯覚.” While they’re not exactly similar, per say, if you’ve enjoyed AvelCain’s album odds are you will also enjoy this one. Cake, anyone?
 
胃潰瘍とルソーの錯覚:

 


 
AvelCain : AvelCain-アベルカイン-
 
AvelCain released their first full-length as this year, self-titled “AvelCain.” This album falls under the homage-kei umbrella, giving praise to many different acts from the late 90’s and turn-of-the-century visual-kei. Here we find a return to motifs about psychosis, darkness, and ball-jointed dolls in a more modernized fashion. From hard hitting singles like “Psycho” and “ID,” to equally as powerful (and slightly deranged) tracks like “操り人形,” this album brings back all of those feelings of not quite fitting in and teen angst right back. The band does show their softer side with songs like “千羽鶴.” There’s even a Puppet Mammy cover song, as most likely suggested by their drummer and producer who was a part of that band. This is a great album to start with when trying to get into AvelCain. My only complaint with it is that they used quite a lot of rereleased material here and it could have benefitted from a larger repertoire of new songs.
 
PSYCHO-サイコ-:



 
Buck-Tick : 或いはアナーキー
 
Visual-kei legends Buck-Tick released their millionth album this year. While I haven’t really followed them for too long, it seems as though their sound has evolved at every step in their career from all different genres. According to Wikipedia, they are currently in their “straight rock” phase, although I’m not sure how true that holds when descripting 或いはアナーキー. This album has many different influences in it, spanning different genres they’ve already covered at some point in their career like post-punk, new wave, gothic rock, and quirky punk. Even with the massive genre shifts from the start to the end of the album, it all somehow works. A surprising favorite of mine is “Survival Dance,” which is one of the most fun songs released this whole year. Even if you’re afraid of Buck-Tick’s gigantic discography, this album is a good place to dive in (it’s actually the first full album of theirs that I tried out, myself). Oyaji rock has never sounded so fresh. So what?! So What?!
 
Survival Dance:



 
UNDEAD CORPORATION : 神速
 
This album is actually my first time listening to Undead Corporation. As you could probably tell by the album art, they’re a Touhou group. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect on my first listen, but what I got was a donkey kick in the stomach because this album goes hard real fast. As much I hate to use “brvtal” to describe something, even ironically, that’s basically the most succinct way to describe what this album has to offer. However, there is enough craftsmanship to this album’s music that it isn’t heavy for heavy’s sake—each song seems deliberate and thought out, even if those fleshed out ideas are pants-on-your-head crazy. This album spans a few genres, mostly hovering around metal-core + death-core, dabbling a bit into technical death metal and even pop, and it makes use of beauty and the beast vocals without being grating or trite. Another interesting point about this album is that there are really only 8 songs and then the rest are reinterpretations or remixes. Off the top of my head, I know that there is at least one song that was redone without any harsh vocals, for example. Even if you aren’t really a follower of the touhou scene, or don’t quite “get it” (trust me, I do not fall under either of those), this album is great ear bleach to cleanse all of those no-name bands trying to do the same thing and failing. 
 




八十八ヶ所巡礼 : 攻撃的国民的音楽
 
This band is bizarre in one of the best ways possible. They’re like looking at a modern art gallery and instead of being like “uggghh this is sO DUMb” you feel “wait…I actually…get this?” Maybe there really is some deeper meaning behind the unsettling egg men, only found when meditating to the cascades of arpeggios and bends oozing out of 88’s 4th mini-album. Keeping their spot as one of Cat5’s most favorite indie bands, this album still retains all of the technical goodness and androgynous multitasking that all of their previous works had to offer, but this time around it is presented in a way that is somehow more accessible. While I do love crazy key changes and time signatures, there was always this layer to 88’s music that I found somewhat draining, with the exception of a few songs. Don’t get me wrong, I think they’re fantastic, but I could never listen to them for extended periods of time.  攻撃的国民的音楽 fixed this issue and has allowed me to sink into their vibrant world again and again. “赤い衝動-R.I.P-“ is like a religious experience for me, and “都会の魔界” some of the coolest bass walks ever.
 
赤い衝動-R.I.P-:

 
Singles:



 
アルルカン : 墓穴
 
Arlequin started off as what I thought would just be a guilty pleasure for me. Now they’ve grown into a legitimate pleasure and one of the best vkei bands currently active (even if their full-length was a bit lackluster). This single here is their best release to date, imo. The chorus of the title track is phenomenal and I love how the guitar solo mimics the main melody of the song, then transitions into a rehash of the same theme seamlessly. We all have classics that we will love for forever, and I feel that this single will be one of those classics for me. A+ beep-boop-core clown music.
 
墓穴:



 
Scapegoat : 赤いバスルーム
 
Scapegoat are like the D’espairsRay of today: a lot of people like them, but we just keep forgetting they’re around. I discovered this single by watching their music video and was total blown away. While they are beep-boop core as well, they put more emphasis on the –core than the bloops (I’m so good at writing, omg). The title track is dark and moody in the best way possible, and the rest of the single has better wubs than whatever the fuck the gazette have been trying to do since 2010. Hell, even Cat5 liked this single. This is a band I have to keep reminding myself to check out because they are tight.
 
赤いバスルーム:



 
少年記 : Bang Me
 
Hyped to kingdom come, the title track of this single was actually really good. I love the 90s boyband harmonization going on here, and the vocalist can actually sing well. While the musicianship isn’t anything ground breaking, it is good at what it needs to do and “Bang Me” is so catchy that it really doesn’t matter if the guitars are bland or not. I don’t consider myself to be a fan of this band, but I’ll be there for them if they keep releasing catchy pop rock songs like this and their previous single. Originally I tried this out to see what all the hype was, expecting to roll my eyes. Then I ended up really liking it, hue. Para + Mi’hen: 1, Me: 0.
 
Bang Me:



 
Ru:Natic : 「M」/ foggy night
 
The OG homage-kei band that never quite made it. This is their first single that was released since they decided to become self-produced (and quite frankly, much better. Good move on their part) and it takes a break from the La:Sadie’s worship to experiment in some more melodic aspects of late 90’s vkei hallmarks. Unfortunately, and fortunately all at once, they’ve traded in the dolphin noises to channel the ghost of Mana’s past. Truly a fantastic single, and hopefully not their last.
 

 

 
Penicillin : SOL
 
Penicillin are one of the oldest vkei bands ever, and technically have been active for longer than both Kuroyume and Luna Sea (as they didn’t take a break for 10 years and then decide they ran out of money). This year marked the release of their 200522nd album, which was more or less super bland, as well as their 3004000101st and 3004000102nd singles. While the previous single of this year, “幻想カタルシス”, was also great, the b-sides weren’t strong enough to place it above SOL. Not sure what “SOL” is supposed to mean (“Shit outta Luck??”), but the title track is a great post-Ultimate Velocity pop rock song, and the songs they chose to cover as b-sides were superb. Their covers also didn’t smother the original integrity of the songs and actually sounded like Penicillin trying to cover them, not butcher them. Awful album art though, jfc
 
北ウィング -PENICILLIN ver.- :

Honorable Mentions:


 
Kylie Minogue : Kiss Me Once
 
Kylie is an artist that I didn’t know I knew, but after listening to more of her stuff I realized I knew who she was (lmao). This album here is a good mix of different flavors of pop, like the dub-steppy “Sexercise,” the catchy “Les Sex,” and the softer “I was gonna cancel.” To be honest, this sounds more like Madonna than anything Gaga has ever done, but internet stan wars are for the mentally ill. My favorite track is actually the weird-ass b-side “Mr. President.” Apparently I’m the only person who likes it, so I’m just going to consider it written specifically for me.
 
Mr. President:



 
D機関  : 羅刹國
 
羅刹國 is the first album by D機関 , which is like the same thing as 黒夜葬 but different enough to warrant making a different band for. Idk, all I know is that is the same kind of gawfy Moi Dix Mois Castlevania nonsense that people here dig, but ignore because they don’t wear dresses. Good album nonetheless, just didn’t make my top list because nothing stood out enough on it to really floor: it’s merely a solid album. Definitely an improvement over his first mini-album under this name as well, which showcased some good ideas with very poor execution. 
 
Variant Cell→Apotosis (索敵機、発艦始め！):



 
グリーヴァ :  黒イ百合ノ花ト×××
 
グリーヴァreleased their first mini-album this year. To my dismay, it was only 1.75 new songs and the rest were all rerecordings. Thankfully, those rerecordings are great and were not just “remastered” (read: copied and pasted onto this album). It contains a great smattering of their early tunes, as well as early-like tunes, that are more aggressive than what can be found on their 2nd album. Thankfully the left off that god awful song “無常成ル世界ノ解答.” The unplugged and acoustic versions of their songs are surprisingly good as well. This didn’t make my top list because it could have used more unreleased material, although it was good for what it was.
 
相剋ノ[baiser] -黒イ百合ノ花ト×××version-:



 
Gwen Stefani : Baby Don't Lie
 
I’ve always liked Gwen, even when No Doubt were first starting to become popular in the early 90s when I was a little kid. Always dug her solo work too, even if I didn’t like the hyper exposed song “Sweet Escape” which still plays all the time on mom radio stations. This is her comeback single, and honestly I liked it a lot. It has enough catchy aspects and oomph to both make me remember it and want to listen to it again. The reason this is on the “honorable mentions” instead of the real list, however, is because of the embarrassing part in the middle. The music video is super vapor-wavy too, which is awesome.