Atreides

Black Gene For the Next Scene, Develop One's Faculties, My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND (sorry/not sorry Tenten...)
 
A cool one is "Luinspear" and pretty much any 90s vk band (i can't hate them). 

Atsushi from BUCK-TICK has a pretty cool new band called THE MORTAL. 
 
 

As I've been getting older, I've been losing interest in newer VK.  However, I'm not saying all new bands aren't good it's just that most lack a certain finesse the older bands had.  I mainly like 90's vk, and there's quite a few good bands from 2000-2010.  Another thing is I don't have time to keep up with all the new releases etc..  Eitherway though, the VK classics will never die for me.

I was waiting for your input Bio (based this topic off of your, and a few other's statuses), and agree that it's a hard question to answer. That's why my questions are so vague.
 
As for what the fuss is all about with meh bands, I couldn't tell you. We're in the same boat haha. Could be the age, could be our experiences over the decade (for better or worse), but I'd take it as good sign that you are listening to the music with more than just the intention of saying yay or nay.
 
I sometimes have my earbuds put on for the sole purpose of listening to the silence. There's a beauty in it, but you have to reach that point and come back to know what I mean.

Interesting question!

I was into visual kei for many years. I witnessed the bumpy transformation from 90's visual kei to 00's visual kei (although it wasn't as prominent and 9 year old me didn't really know what was going on...I was just in it for what free tunes I could get) and one noticeable part of this transformation was how many online fans didn't move with it. Those that loved the old goth style of the 90s continued to but as the scene moved away from that sound and style they found less and less artists that appealed to them until they quit the scene entirely. This transition seems to happen every ten years because I'm witnessing it again. There's another transition occurring but lots of bands are going in many different directions. I bet in a few years we'll see the birth of new sub-scenes again like oshare-kei that we use informally to describe the new sounds that form (and I can see them forming around bands that use dubstep influence, alt-rock bands, "traditional"-influenced bands, etc.).

As for me, I haven't cared about visual kei in years. There's an undeniable sound associated with it that appeals to all of us somewhat but the scene is saturated with a lot of bands that play very similar music. After ten or so years of listening to the same bands play the same kind of music and watching the progression of visual kei slow to a glacial pace, I got bored. @CAT5 at the time helped me to get adjusted to the other side of Japanese music, which in turn helped me to appreciate different artists in the visual kei scene which were doing things a little differently but we're still pretty cool. It also gave me perspective on just how small this scene really is. In a way, I came full circle back into visual kei but the artists that I enjoy and the amount I'm into it certainly has changed. Now I'm really into a lot of the alternative rock visual kei bands, nagoya-kei bands, or otherwise visual kei oddities that don't fit into the metalcore spectrum.

After thirteen years I can say that there's always bands in visual kei that sound different from the rest of the competition. @emmny mentions deadman and how influential they are as an "old band" but remember that deadman and Aliene Ma'riage were contemporaries! At the time, deadman was playing music completely new to the scene and look where it's got them. It's always easy to look back and say that yesterday's bands are better than today's bands because of x reasons but hindsight is always 20-20 and time has a way of preserving only the best. I feel like we won't really know if the scene's improving or dying for the next few years but I have more hope for the future of the scene now than I did a few years ago. 
 
It's really about how far you want to dig to find it and how willing you are to give new things a chance. And this is coming from someone who barely listens to any new visual kei.

My very first love, and one of the first bands I discovered when I was exploring visual kei for the first time, was Due le quartz. I loved their look and their costumes, and I remember watching their PVs all the time. I think they really embodied what attracted me to visual kei at the time, especially in terms of visuals (so I do find it sad that there isn't so much of that to be found these days). I liked their sound, too, of course; it's hard to pick among their discography, but I think Re:plica is probably my favorite song.
 
D'espairsRay gets a special shoutout for writing amazing music and always being a wonderful live experience. I liked their music a lot even before seeing them at a show for the first time, but seeing them live kicked my love for them up to a whole new level. They really held a special place in my heart for many years because of that, and I was very sad to see them go because I won't get a chance to do that again.
 
I love the entire discography of the GazettE, and I don't care what anyone else thinks about them.

Bringing this back since the 'Official Music Hate Thread' had been brought back, I'll just leave yet another shout out to BUMP OF CHICKEN for being so indescribably flawless. I have no idea why I love them so much or what makes them so amazing to me but they're just so precious and pure.

I'm pretty sure there isn't a thread for this. Being a lover of instrumentals and ost's in general, I tend to love SE/instrumental tracks just as much the band's usual material. And by SE/instrumental tracks I am referring to bands who sometimes slip in SE tracks at the beginning of an ep or album to set the mood, or lengthier instrumental tracks with no actual lyrics, or minimal vocals that bands don't usually do. Obviously, this is not a thread for bands who mainly write instrumental tracks. ^^
And this is not limited to VK bands only. With that being said, I'll start off with a few of my favorites.
 
AvelCain - Sonzai Riyuu
I'm a huge sucker for pianos, and even more when it's a dark and melancholic tune.
 
Lycaon - into the dark
This feels sort of like a nice reverie. More lovely pianos come into play.
 
DEZERT - 26ji no reitouko
Another really good piano track, I told you I'm a sucker for pianos, haha. Calm and soothing with the raindrops in the background.
 
Plastic Tree - ―――Anten。
This sounds like a really nice post-rock song.
 
NoGod - Aozora
A lengthy instrumental track with sick guitars.
 
the piqnic - Unheard
Downright creepy, but awesome at the same time.
 
What are some of your favorite SE/instrumental tracks?

I have two.
Sigh was always an eclectic band. They started off as a black metal band and slowly began including more and more avant-garde influences. On some albums, the result of all their experimentation was cheesy but on their last full-length, In Somniphobia, they went all out and created a really good album.
Onmyo-za is another band that's been around for forever and keeps improving on their craft. Their last effort Kishibojin was a combination of all of the things that made their early works great and none of the cruft that seeped into their last few works that lowered the awesome. Not many bands could pull off a concept album that well.

Patient: Awoi.
Diagnosis: Disbanded.
Prescription: GET THE FUCK BACK TOGETHER AGAIN ON THE DOUBLE. (IT'S A CRIME YOU EVER EVEN DISBANDED, I HATE THAT I LOVE YOU.)

This mess of a band...
 
 
Found them a little while before I noticed they were actually going to have their first official single release with one of the songs for the new DRRR anime season. Vocalist is part of a drama/music CD kind of project around bands.

I'm sure this has been done before but I'm curious to see what the people on this forum think.  They don't have to be in particular order.
 
For me, in order:
 
1. Luinspear
2. D
3. Due'le Quartz
4. Gilles de Rais
5. Aioria
6. Sectma
7. Velvet Eden
8. Anonymous Confederate Ensemble
9. Megaromania
10. PIERROT (mainly because I LOVE Kikurui Pierrot and Pandora no Hako)
 
 
 
Anyway, interested to see what everyone here likes for visual music!   Also, feel free to post your favorite albums by your favorite bands if you wish. I didn't, except with the nod to Pierrot, because I like basically everything they put out.

^ Totally siding this. I find Ryhuichi Sakamoto to be a very attractive man, moreso than when he was young.
 
Btw I forgot to mention Gara. He just has this sort of elegance to him, no matter how he looks. I don't know how to explain it.
 

Gay bastard reporting in. I have a flair for the past I suppose.  Even though he's old in the last picture, I love Sakamoto.

Jupiter is ...zzZZzzzzZZZZzz... with an ugly guitar sound.
 
MEJIBRAY is ...ZZzzZZzzZZzz... with ugly everything.
 
Since the "newness" has worn off, ARCHE from DIR EN GREY is now ...zzZZzzheylistenit'surokoandphenomenonZZzzZZzzZZzzZZheyit'srinkakuzzZZZzzZZzz...

Agreed, again, their cd's are like 2 different songs... I think Hizaki and Teru's stuck in a rut When Kamijo left it relly showed he was a big part of Versailles creativity.

I'm not sure if it's unpopular,but I think Jupiter is junk.  I miss Versailles :,(
 
Also, at least amongst my friends, I think M-Flo is severely underrated, they were way ahead of their time.
 
Again amongst my friends, they all hate Zazen Boys.  I think they're genius.
 
Dead End is a hundred times better than X-Japan.
 
Dir En Grey always was horrible.
 
Zeus is the best album by La'Cryma Christi.

now bear, he's a super Sigh fan
 
me, I'm just an obsessive Sigh fan
 
 
and yes Imaginary Sonicscape is amazing! something from the next dimension.
first track, and I knew that album was going to be great!

Fans of japanese metal and vinyl beware, The Crypt is releasing something good in the comming time:
 
SIGH (Jpn): Infidel Art STANDARD EDITION Official DLP Re-issue - NEXT
SIGH (Jpn): Ghastly Funeral Theatre + Tragedies Demo STANDARD EDITION Official LP Re-issue - NEXT
 
SIGH (Jpn): Scorn Defeat STANDARD EDITION Official LP Re-issue - TBA
SIGH (Jpn): Hail Horror Hail STANDARD EDITION Official DLP Re-issue - TBA
SIGH (Jpn): Imaginary Sonicscape Official Reissue Gatefold 2LP set - TBA
SIGH (Jpn): The Eastern Force Of Evil Live '92-'96 / To Hell and Back: Tribute to Venom '95 Official Gatefold 2-LP set - TBA
 
TRANSGRESSOR (Jpn): Ether For Scapegoat + Bonus Tracks Official DLP - TBA
 
I am very much looking forward to all these releases, and I'm probably gonna get one version of each colour of all the releases, being the fanboy I am and all that. The Crypt releases holds the highest possible standard for vinyl releases, so these are a must for collectors.
 
Infidel Art and Ghastly Funeral Theatre should be out any moment now, while these others will be released later this/next year or something. I am excited as fuck.

I need this album in my life, leak already

1: Lareine
2: Versailles
3: Malice Mizer
4: Syndrome
5: Moi Dix Mois
6: Mirage
7: Zi:Kill
8: Madeth Gray'll
9: Deshabillz
10: Aliene Ma'riage
 
For the time being i guess its something like this. 

I'm loving how no two lists here are alike. It's interesting how such a small and homogenous scene has garnered such a diverse fanbase. I can dig it! ; )

Thanks for mentioning about Ichiko Aoba and the Fairies. I've been a huge fan of YMO for years but haven't listened to them in awhile. I was wondering what happened to Harry Hosono

Not ranked
 
artist - album
 
LuLu - nippon iryou kakumei
 
I love their theme and the music accompanying it.
 
Versailles - Holy Grail
 
Extreme aesthetics are wonderful and the symphonic nature of their songs is addictive
 
Calmando Qual - BLACK SHEEP
 
Love their dark sound and Black Sheep was the first album that me hooked on them so it is my favourite.
 
Phantasmagoria - Wailing Wall
 
One of the first bands that I really liked but didn't really follow them while they were active. I loved listening to their lives in youtube so I don't really have a favourite album but the large compilation of Wailing Wall is sufficient I guess.
 
Mejibray - Emotional【KARMA】
 
Each one of the band members have a unique character individually and it passes on in their music having such a cool blend of ideas.
 
X - Vanishing Love
 
Love the metal sound and an effortless transition to ballad/emotional ensemble.
 
Signal - CHAIN
 
This band just had fresh sound to typicaly VK bands and I liked every one of their songs.
 
The GazettE -  NIL
 
I love love the multitude of songs with a deep/deeper meaning to them made by this band. They have an uncanny ability to make me groove to subject matter that I normally wouldn't.
 
Yazzmad - Yazzmad
 
One of my new favourites, loove the vocals and instruments. I guess music jumps out to me first from this band not their music.
 
JUKA!!!!
 
Everything and anything with this guy in vocals, I absolutely love his vocals and compatibility with different genres. Moi dix Mois has him in a gothic type of music, Hizaki Grace Project was basically metal, his solo works tries out different rock-infused genres but the ballads are the best at this time, XOVER sees him with light rock and finally VII Sense has a typical VK sound although a hot mess musically. This dude is so fun to listen especially if you mix all those bands' songs and works together for a master mix of Juka vocals.

If pasting the link doesn't work, try writing it between [ media ] and [ / media ] tags (without the spaces), that works for me.