Visutox

It's keyboardist Tooru Yoshida.

VIP-limited edition : 5000 yen + taxes
CD : 
01. 壊れたピアノ(Kowareta piano) 
02. サイコ(Psycho) 
03. アイリス(Iris) 
04. ヴァンパイア(Vampire)
05. In the shadows
06. 積想(Seki sou)
07. 百合と翼(Yuri to tsubasa)
08. カウントダウン(Countdown)
09. Living Dead
+ Special booklet ( live pictures from their tour 『壊れたピアノとリビングデッド』(Kowareta piano to living dead) and  『壊れたピアノとリビング デッド feat. 殺シノ調ベ』(Kowareta piano to living dead feat koroshi no shirabe)
 
Regular edition : 3000 yen + taxes
CD : 
01. 壊れたピアノ(Kowareta piano) 
02. サイコ(Psycho) 
03. アイリス(Iris) 
04. ヴァンパイア(Vampire)
05. In the shadows
06. 積想(Seki sou)
07. 百合と翼(Yuri to tsubasa)
08. カウントダウン(Countdown)
09. Living Dead

Thank you for this insightful announcement.

I guess this is my best of list for 2018 for now. Probably won't change anything to it. Let's go full force into 2019! 
 

 
Apostasy - The Sign Of Darkness
Argonavis - Passing The Igneous Maw
Cân Bardd - Nature Stays Silent
Chaos Echœs - Mouvement
Deadly Carnage - Through The Void, Above The Suns
Distillator / Space Chaser - Split
Extipicium - Through The Entrails Of Darkness... To The Cosmic Awakening
Horizon Ablaze - The Weight Of A Thousand Suns
Hissing - Permanent Destitution
Kwade Droes - De Duivel En Zijn Gore Oude Kankermoer
Medenera - Medenir
Obliteration - Cenotaph Obscure
Old Tower - Stellary Wisdom
Shakma - House Of Possession
Teleport - The Expansion
Unreqvited - Stars Wept To The Sea

Saw Ghost two weeks ago and had a great time. Tobias had like 12 outfit changes

Can't wait to see what they'll call the 'other' Batushka... Batushka A.D., The True Batushka, Ba2shka, Христофор & The Babushkas...

We've got some Batushka drama on our hands.
 
 
 
As far as I know, Христофор is the actual creator of the band and the one who's written 100% of the music and so on.
While Варфоломей is merely the vocalist and nothing more. He's also a known rip-off whom people within the community really dislike.
 
Even without knowing the actual story behind this it's hard not to take the side of Христофор.

Holy shit. 

Famine sure is himself alike. Clearly doesn't give a fuck about anything anymore. People gonna be mad.
 

 

 
"Mastered in France by Nate Higgers."

I had a dream where I attended to a random Gaming Con and I was lucky to discuss with Hideo Kojima, I don't remember a thing of what he told me nor do I remember what I told him. What I clearly remember is when he said "see you soon" and then said my name. Damn, that was such a cool dream. 

Mildly curious about that new Sodom stuff, tho not having high hopes (but might make for a fun listen).
 
Just got through my first spin of the new Bloodbath album, excellent and catchy brutality! I really love the thick production too.
Already have the new Outre and Devouring Star lined up next~

A few years ago I missed out on seeing Gackt and I still feel horrible about it. I can’t even remember why I didn’t go as I don’t recall any conditions being unfortunate for me to go. I still really, really regret it as he is likely not going to tour like that again (or even release new music at all). 

Lol, new Behemoth is such a damp squib, and I put the blame on Nergal.  
This basically sums up what I think of the album. But for me though, the singles that dropped before the release (except for Bartzabel, which is my favorite from ILYAYD) were basically warning us not to expect more than that. I had hoped that they would be the weakest from the album, but actually they are in the image of what ILYAYD has to offer (and vice versa).

The Russian band Second to Sun have published a new clip called "The Train 1702". 
Their new album 'THE WALK' is scheduled to be released on 2018.11.25.
 
Tracklist :
 
1. We Are Not Alone
2. Black Lines 
3. Home
4. From Outer Space
5. The Train 1702 vidéo
6. The Owls
7. New World Order
8. To Live 
9. We Are Alone
 
From the band : "This song is based on the urban legend of the North of Russia. It is about the freight train number 1702, which travels through the deep forests of Northern Europe. According to legend, during the journey, the crew meets an alien object that first surrounds the train, and then picks up the train and moves it with a giant speed."
 

 
 

Napalm Death! Some really old pictures. I think they were 12 years old on the picture where they're holding the punk zines. Cool shit.

Guess the band without cheating (=looking at the URL or use the google search thing):
 




 

I am currently listening to the album, and I can see where the people who generally do not swerve towards western metal can find this innovative or refreshing, as it is different from your usual visual kei oeuvre. But when especially black metal (they're selling it as black metal, right?) is your daily consumption, this feels like it is nothing more than entry level gothic/black names like Cradle of Filth and late Dimmu Borgir esque releases, lacking originality and creativity, and pandering to the masses with a more approachable sound. So perhaps it is a matter of perspective. To one they can sound like a completely new thing, and to others it may indeed appear as what is almost a parody-band.
 
Very enjoyable as a visual kei release, not so much as a metal release.

I already posted it in the news forum, but since the new album is now out and streamable on Spotify I am really curious what everyone thinks.
In my opinion this is just stellar, both as a metal album and as a visual kei album. All bias aside, probably my favorite album of the year. So I will definitely write a detailed review later on. 
 
BTW the Japanese edition "無意識の意識化" will be released later this month through the same label that mamireta and KRAD are currently in. I already saw it for preorder in Like an Edison and CDJapan and curiously all the titles have been translated to Japanese...

| One of the best GazettE albums in recent memory.

I can't believe it's been three years since DOGMA. It feels like I just finished roasting it for being the "most underwhelming album of the year" and "ARCHE, Iowa-era Slipknot, and a quarter of DIM shoved in a blender and served cold". To be fair, most of my criticisms came from how stale and similar all the songs felt; the result of going a bit too far in the metalcore direction. Ever the perfectionists, it seems that the band actually addressed all of my complaints with NINTH. By combining the dark and heavy nature of DOGMA with the electronic rock explored with TOXIC and DIVISION and the retro "Gaze-rock" style of BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, The GazettE have succeeded in delivering an experience that mixes old and new sounds. NINTH won't win you over if you don't like the direction of the last four albums. If you took more of an issue with the execution of those concepts, than this is what you've been waiting for since DIM.
 
It's been a while since I feel comfortable recommending an album of theirs. NINTH is an easier and more engaging listening experience than DOGMA, with smooth, slick, and balanced production. I don't understand the criticisms of "muddy production" because I don't hear it. I even pulled out my good headphones - the Sennheiser HD600s - and plugged them straight into my Logitech speakers to pluck out minor grievances with the mix and it sounded better that way. This reaches a level that visual kei music can rarely afford to reach. Ruki has advised fans to get great audio equipment to experience each album to the fullest, but I think it's more true now than before. The songs are also arranged very well and flow into each other, and I can't recall a single jarring stylistic transition. All of these elements together makes every song an attractive listening experience. There's also the absence of several elements which used to drag down prior releases: the lack of standout tracks, filler, and clumsy Green Day-ish all English punk songs that stick out. The GazettE cut the fat out of this album in a way I wish Dir en grey could.
 
An album can still have highlights even when it's consistently good. I can't end this review without naming my favorite tracks. The first would be "その声は脆く", a rock ballad which starts on an unassuming note before effortlessly sliding into a thick, melancholic atmosphere. It even has a (short) twin guitar solo, a staple of rock songs I've been missing from their music lately. The follow-up track, "Babylon's Taboo", creates the best one-two punch on NINTH. I could be convinced that this is a heavier take on an unreleased 9GOATS BLACK OUT song. "Falling" is the de facto single of the album, receiving the first music video to push the album, and there's a damn good reason why. "The Mortal" is another track that deserves a shout out for mixing some of NIL-era flavor in the chorus with DOGMA-style riffs in the breakdown, and serves as a great summary for the journey the album takes us on. If The GazettE were still releasing singles, this would have been the second one.
 
NINTH makes a strong argument for keeping a low profile until an album is complete. Visual kei bands can capture my attention with rapid fire single releases, but that makes it harder to impress me with an album of familiar content. NINTH wouldn't be as impressive if they gave us previews and teasers months or years before it was done. I hope other bands are taking notes. If you haven't already, put some cash towards this worthy album. It will be favorably remembered for years to come.
 

Support the artist!
iTunes

That video seems to be inspired by this:
I guess he likes some old mucc

Kyo, if you’re reading this, I hope you leak The Insulated World and PM me the link. Thanks. 
 
Its all set, guys, they’ll read this and get right on it!

🙋‍♂️
 
That new song is solid as hell, as expected from Architects to be honest. I've been wondering if they were going to announce an album anytime soon and that is exactly what they do, what a timing! Hahaha. I'm so looking forward "Holy Hell". 
 

Any Architects Fans here?
 
After the tragic passing of guitarist Tom due to cancer, the band has had the attention of many to see what they'll do next. They've released one single since then. DOOMSDAY and today the follow up track Hereafter. The band has now annouced the release of a full length album out in November.
 
If you guys dont know them please check them out:
 
 

So, Ninth is out and what I've mostly read online is that it is not at the same level as Dogma, it's generic, it's been heard before, bla bla bla... so I tried it out asap and wrote an overall review, (don't expect a song-by-song musical analysis).
 
I have to agree on one thing with the negative critics: Dogma was the shit on a technical level, but the more I play it the more it feels like a single long song. I distinctly remember playing it for the first time and asking myself "when is this song ending, sounds like a freakin' Versailles song", only to check the iPod and realize it was already on track three.
 
Sure, Ninth sounds like "shit we've heard before", but the album on it's own is more diverse, soundwise, and has ups and downs. I rated songs while I went through it with 4 stars and others with 2, 3's and a 5 along the way. Dogma was a flat three. All the way. For Dogma, none of the tracks sucked but none was outstanding for me either. Which is not a good thing because I honestly never even remember what the album sounds like (the album and the singles related to the concept). And every time I play it to see if I magically start liking it I get bored and switch to something else halfway.
 
Ninth, however, felt more... Complete? Catchy? Memorable? Your pick. It was definitely something else.
I can distinctly remember which tracks stood out for me and which ones I disliked. Whereas for Dogma I cannot even tell them apart. Sure, it's generic GazettE, it's stuff we all know, it's familiar. But more importantly: it works. Structures work together to make songs memorable, in good or bad ways. And, tbh, I feel if any other band would have released this it would have been probably praised. But since it's Ruki's distinct voice attached to those riffs people get a "déjà vu(heard)" feel. And, being the popular band it is, the bar is always high when it comes to them.
 
While Dogma was a good dive into darker, heavier waters, I always felt their execution of it was not as proficient or distinctive as it could have been. While, for me, Ninth nailed it. You can always try new things, and I'm all for bands attempting new styles, but sometimes it can be better to go back to a safer zone and kill it than keep attempting at something new and do it halfway. And Ninth is good proof of it. I get the more versatile feel I got from albums like Nil and Stacked Rubbish, in a more mature, polished and 2018-ish way.
 
The tracks that stood out for me were Falling, Utsusemi, Sono Koe wa Moroku and Unfinished (a banger, way to finish an album). 
I did not pay attention to the first version of Falling and I will certainly not do it now, but this version gave me a better impression (it could be the transcode-decent bitrate difference rather than the mixing itself). It's catchy and modern enough for a PV and the composition has Ruki all over it. I'm a sucker for good rock ballads and Sono Koe wa Moroku was melodic enough without going on a chopped-onion level of cornyness. Utsusemi and Unfinished were just straight up my alley; strong yet not overly harsh on the voice.
Ninth Odd Smell and Gush sadly blend together a bit too much for my taste yet both are solid tracks that will most likely grow on me and Babylon's Taboo was barely... bearable. The SE track was terrible, but their SE's rarely are my taste at all. The Mortal has a mystic feel to it and to me it carries on the atmosphere from the previous releases, with a pleasant twist. Abhor God is powerful and thankfully short, otherwise I'd feel it drags on more than necessary. I feel it will be a great song live. Two of a Kind felt like a "fresh old Gazette" and Uragiru Bero fitted the album nicely to, but didn't catch my attention that much, felt like a filler track.
 
The album showed both a heavier side yet was kept melodic and reminded me a lot of Division, one of their best releases imho. Like it, it was packed with both harsh and softer aspects and shows maturity and improvement.
Overall I give it a 4/5, and I will most likely buy it in Japan in a few months. Otherwise I'll get the iTunes version. It's a great release and if you felt lately that GazettE was getting stale you should definitely try this album. It is unmistakably The GazettE, yet fresh and modern.

Would like to take a small moment to promote my boyfriend’s and friends’ band’s first demo. Atmospheric black metal from the Netherlands, female vocals (lyrics all in Dutch). Enjoy!