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Tracklist: 1. FRONT 2. WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL 3. 少年ワルツ 4. Believe 5. Here I am 6. Jesus phobia 7. 素晴らしい「教育」 8. 二面相シンデレラ 9. テツキズ 10. 冬唄 11. 踏切迷子 12. デジャヴパニック 13. 勘違い革命 | Spoopy down for what? For those of you who may be new to ペンタゴン (pentagon), the band was established on December 14th of 2014 by Chizuru and Minpha of Call Me. The band completed their line-up with members from bands such as METEOROID, LucaRia, and Vared. The band, as young they are, have been quite impressive over this past year. ペンタゴン is notable for having a consistent visual appearance and prominent themes in their releases that go very well hand in hand and in their short career , they've already released a full album and 2 singles that come in various types. While 2015 was a significant year for them, they have yet to slow down and have hit 2016 in full speed. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] hit the shelves on January 27th and is the band's second full-length album with an impressive track-list of 13 songs. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] states its theme clearly from the start with the intro title "FRONT". Though it's more of an SE track, it's almost an asset in setting the mood for such a theme. Envision yourself coming across an abandoned mansion or house. You approach it curiously, but there's a sense of uncertainty mixed with your eagerness to explore such a sight. From the light music box and thunder to the anticipation that the strings build up, you wind up at the entrance of Ghost Hotel, and with a creak of the door, the album takes off in to our titled track "WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL". A seamless transition from the intro jumps into an upbeat and somewhat heavy set of guitar riffs accented with a unique accordion tune and chanting. It's a mildly chaotic song that makes a big entrance for the story they seem to have for this theme. We've heard "少年ワルツ" (Shounen Waltz) before from the single, but it fits right in with the on-going theme. Ghosts and spirits are remnants of a past time, so the vintage distortion to the vocals in the beginning add a nice touch. "Believe" is a rather confusing song, both placement wise and the way it was written. Aside from the somewhat spooky techno in the beginning, it's made up of very common VK riffs. Though the vocal melody is somewhat solid, the key change takes the setting in a different direction that pulls away from the creepy and spooky theme they started with. While it may not exactly fit the theme, it does seem to be a song that may have been composed with live shows in mind. "Here I am" is also a song that doesn't give the same feeling as the beginning of this album, though it transitions well from "Believe". This song is a lot lighter and lifting, which is quite the opposite of what is expected from this release. However, it serves justice as a nice power ballad with strong vocals. Another rough transition brings us to "Jesus Phobia", a sort of circus-y sounding song with powerful screams, a signature music box in the background, and a relevant key change. Once "素晴らしい「教育」"(Subarashii 「kyouiku」) drops, the setting changes to a waltzing ballroom dance. The setting of the album was consistent enough to transition into this song and it almost fools one with its mellow intro. This song is full of psychedelic guitars, synths, and even a nifty drum solo that leads into a distorted guitar solo. The next song, "二面相シンデレラ" (Nimensou Cinderella), is another upbeat song with a prominent bass line and feels like a solid continuation of the previous track. These last two songs combined creates a new, playful and devious side of the album. Earlier we imagined entering ghost hotel and discovering the wonders inside, but those songs didn't exactly give a sense of direct contact with what presented itself. The combination of the previous two tracks represent that interaction in a playful ballroom dance where whatever malicious being or figures do show themselves and, for lack of a better word, toy around with their visitors to humor themselves perhaps. "テツキズ "(Tetsukizu) transitions well, but doesn't quite hit home with the theme or its generic alternative riffs backed up with drumming on the offbeat. However, the piano is a nice touch. It's not a bad song, but it's forgettable. "冬唄" ( Fuyuuta) is a slower song that fits better with the vibe this album should have, but it feels more like an ending song. Even though this track is most reliant on piano,ペンタゴン do quite well at enhancing the build up to a piano and vocal melody duet. The build and anticipation in this song is favorable with the contrast of soft verses and phrases that have more prominent guitar, bass and drum work that makes the track swell with power. "踏切迷子 "(Fumikiri Maigo) starts strong and follows the last track well until the chorus key change. Something with the instrumentals and key that the vocals are in sounds off ever-so slightly. Other than that, every other element in this song fits well with the concept and offers probably the most pleasing guitar solo on the whole album. "デジャヴパニック" ( Deja-vu Panic) starts to wrap up the album as it revisits a few similar instrumental motifs from previous tracks in the beginning of the album. Don't let the intro fool you though, because this track certainly excels into the danger zone (IN A GOOD WAY!) and lives up to its name. The guitar work beautifully contrasts with the chorus' vocal melody, and when the growls and shouting happen, the double bass is tastefully used. If you like songs that have a fast paced break down at the end, this is the song for you. "勘違い革命" (Kanchigai Kakumei) doesn't feel like a goodbye song. This song feels more like an 'until next time' and doesn't give a sense of closure and may have worked better as the second to last song. The door creaking back shut at the end is a cute reference to the beginning, which brings the album full circle. To sum up the album, it had songs that clearly worked together to paint out a sort of story, but it had inconsistencies in keeping it flowing smoothly. There were songs that didn't transition well with others, but the songs on the album itself were quite good. Having a type of horror or creepy theme is difficult to maintain in 13 tracks without having to stray away to create some sort of contrast, but otherwise it could have ended up having too many songs that sounded too similar. [WELCOME TO GHOST HOTEL] is certainly a good release from ペンタゴン and though it's a little rough around edges, it shows potential for even stronger releases in the future. CDJapan | HMV

Tracklist: 1. Everlasting 2. BLACK ROSE 3. Collapsed Connection 4. Enough. 5. THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE 6. Maladjusted Child | A rush of energy spiced with a hint of chaotic undertones that barely falls short THE EGOIST was formed from the members of a live-limited band by the name of Limited「E=」featuring members from LiLiCAL and @NNIVERSARY on the 10th of October 2015 and are currently signed to ROCKSTAR RECORDS. Some are already familiar with the Vocalist Rouis who came from a band of a similar name エゴis≒徒 (Egoist) and guitarist セツナ (Setsuna) from LiLiCAL. They announced soon after that they were releasing their first mini-album and debut release EMBLEM which came out on the 12th of December 2015. With the experience of their line-up does this mini-album express their style and sound well? There's only one way to find out! The opening track "Everlasting" starts with a cascade of solid drumming and a slight ethereal guitar riff mingled with a nice bass line that carries the song along before the vocals kick in and it melts in a very solid song with Rouis giving a nice sample of his vocal range; especially the mixed in whispers throughout which I feel melt in with the song quite nicely. The track isn't extremely heavy even with a taste of screams thrown into the bridge before bringing you along on a trip with a tasty guitar solo and taking you to your stop back to the chorus. I feel this song is a great opener and leads you in the next song smoothly. The next track "BLACK ROSE" starts with another great guitar riff and the slightly rough vocals that explode into a nice scream which leads into the great energy that keeps on strong. The bass throughout is amazing and even the drumming remains strong until the mid-point of the track. It then melts into another fantastic guitar solo with a heavy breakdown that carries you back to the chorus. "Collapsed Connection" is a bit heavier and it makes that quite obvious right at the start with the slightly chaotic guitar mingled with heavy bass and drumming. The vocals kick in and through the song they occasionally add a nice filter to it and I never feel overwhelmed by as it's not overused. The pace of this song fits with the chaotic style of the music and it keeps up the strong energy of the mini-album. The next song on the album does not disappoint with "Enough." opening with a clapping beat and a similar filter on the vocals as the previous track. That is soon taken over by an extremely lively bass line that explodes into a charging heavier tone of screaming vocals and music. It dips into a jazzy beat with more of the filtered vocals which go back the nice rough whispered tones that Rouis does so well and transitions you into the chorus spiced so nicely with sweet bass lines. I feel this song stands out in a very solid and energetic mini-album and shows off the musical talent of the entire band especially after Rouis sings "You're asking for it" and it explodes into an even heavier breakdown until the end of the song smoothly transitioning you into the next track, "THE AGENCY OF PROVIDENCE". The song keeps up with the high energy of the album and continues to follow the even heavier pace that was started with the previous track. There are more robotic filters used with the vocals throughout but it never feels overused as it's only sprinkled into just the right places. I mostly enjoyed the song up to the point where Rouis lets out an insane laugh and it roars into another chaotic breakdown but then falls short when it transitions back to the chorus. The chorus doesn't stand out well in this song as it's mostly just "the agency of providence~" over and over again and feels like cookie-cutter clean vocals that you hear from most current visual bands. With the last track "Maladjusted Child" I was worried it was going to be an obligatory ballad-type song but it surprised me. It doesn't follow the same chaotic style featured through the rest of the album and is a great closer. The smooth bass line sets the mood for the song and is partnered with great drumming that keeps up the calmer pace. The vocals emit the darker emotion of the entire track, especially the rough crooning that picks up during the chorus and fits in perfectly, carrying you to the end of the album. THE EGOIST came out of the gate with a very solid and energetic debut release. Even though there was a very slight shortcoming in the latter half of the album it wasn't enough to ruin the release for me. It does a very good job of showcasing the band's talents and I was happy it wasn't overtaken with excessive filters and the complete lack of djent "bleep-bloop" left me with a very good taste in my mouth. It also didn't get stuck into trying to be super metalcore but instead feels like the direction some Visual-Kei bands need to take a step in. If you're looking for some heavier styled high energy music, then EMBLEM is definitely what you're looking for. -Support the artist! Buy it here!- Brand-X CD Japan

Artist: Kamijo Title: Royal Blood~Revival Best~ 1. Emblem 2. Imperial Concerto 3. 薔薇は美しく散る (Bara wa Utsukushiku Chiru) 4. Aristocrat's Symphony 5. 蝶の花 (Chou no Hana) 6. Audrey 7. この世で一番美しい薔薇よ (Kono Yo de Ichiban Utsukushii Bara Yo) 8. 冬東京 (Fuyu Tokyo) 9. Heel 10. God Palace 11. Royal Blood Rating: | Looking back with rose colored glasses In celebration of his 20th year performing, Kamijo released two new albums: 20th Anniversary All Time Best～革命の系譜～ (Kakumei no Keifu, a collection album of songs from his past bands) and Royal Blood ～Revival Best～. While an anniversary collection is not surprising, as many big artists do this at important landmarks in their careers, an album of songs from older bands is fairly unusual. A collection of songs from old bands that are also completely rewritten is even rarer. Royal Blood ～Revival Best～ is a gift to long-time fans in more ways than one, and it breathes new life into the classics Kamijo has written. As shown by the tracklist above, Royal Blood is a mixture of songs from Lareine, Versailles, New Sodmy, and 3 (and a half) new original tracks. All of the older songs are more than remade—they’re reinterpreted. For example, “Aristocrat’s Symphony” has been stripped down of it’s grandiose symphonic metal roots and has been turned into a slower ballad accompanied completely by orchestral arrangement, whereas “薔薇は美しく散る” was turned into a fast paced, yet flowery, metal song. The degree in which songs were reimagined varies greatly, however. For example, the new version of “God Palace” has very little different in arrangement aside from the guitar solo, which was made to sound a lot more like a solo that could be found on the Jealousy album. While much of the instrumental parts are largely the same, it is fairly obvious that the lead guitar is not Hizaki as the guitar timbre changed and the general delivery is less show-y. That doesn’t make Kamijo’s entrance after the solos are over, with a resounding “WATASHI WAAAAAAAA,” any less stupendous. Of all the reimaginations, “薔薇は美しく散る,” “冬東京,” and “Imperial Concerto” were my favorites. As mentioned above, the first has been reinterpreted to be more metallic than the orginal without really losing much of it it’s original flare. My only gripe with this song is that he removed the musical equivalent to the gaussian blur filter used in this ABBA music video that used to grace the middle of the song. I’ve also added a new favorite Lareine song to my repertoire, which is 蝶の花 (Chou no Hana). I love the gentleness of this song and its simple beauty in the chorus. After listening to the original, it is safe to say this is more or less just an updated version—no crazy metal renditions of this song were done. I will say, though, that I was floored by the new version of 冬 東京 (Fuyu Tokyo). The new introduction is just magical and the overall rendition just brings this song to life in a completely new way. These are all examples of remakes done right—what I want are old tracks remade in a new way and Kamijo gave me exactly what I was looking for. Viewing this album through a critical lens, it is possible to find several areas in which Royal Blood could have done better. For me, most of the shortcomings were in the new songs. It took a lot of thinking to determine if this was because I was just so impressed with the remakes that any of his new material just would easily be outshone, or if the newer tracks were actually just sub-par for what I was expecting. In the end, it was a fair mix of both for me. “この世で一番美しい薔薇よ” (Kono Yo de Ichiban Utsukushii Bara yo), as the first victim, left me unimpressed. The title itself was too close to as “薔薇は美しく散る” for me and thematically “the prettiest rose in the world” just seems trite at this point. This, coupled with a highly predictable chord progression in the main melody, didn’t leave me wanting to wake up and smell the roses. “Heel,” another new addition, was more ~experimental~; here, Kamijo tried to incorporate some tango elements into his normal compositional style with mixed results. What was odd about this was that the melody during the verse dragged on for way too long. This melody is a super drawn out vocal line where he bellows dangerously close to being dissident to the rest of the music before gingerly teetering back to safety, then repeating another two or three times. It’s like watching that game where people stab a knife in the space between their fingers quickly to freak out their mom. In this situation, I’m that mom and I am very concerned. Daredevil party tricks aside, this song does have a really nice chorus. I usually skip to it when listening to the song, though. The last new song is the title track of the album, “Royal Blood.” It originally starts off like some sort of epic symphonic piece, bold and bombastic like “Aristocrat’s Symphony” was (the original). To my surprise, it eventually mellows out to become the perfect balance of mixing all of his past bands together –Versailles guitar work and symphonic elements, Lareine guitar and vocal harmonies, and something from that one New Sodmy song, I guess. Did you guys know he was also in a band named New Sodmy? They were a thing for a bit and made music or whatever. Yep. So, basically, this song is this album’s version of “片手に夢を持つ少女” (Katate ni yume wo motsu shoujo) —an up-tempo hype song, probably used as an encore closing. All in all, Royal Blood was a great album solely for the excitement of waiting to hear old songs done anew. I was pretty bummed that Metamorphose got cut, and kind of surprised Fiancailles wasn’t included (unless he didn’t actually write that, but it was objectively Lareine’s best selling song). Maybe in the future we’ll get some more Revival Best songs, but for now, I am content with how this played out and fully expect a full effort dedicated to putting out new material soon.

Artist: D Single: HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY 1. HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY 2. Funny Bunny! 3. HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY (Instrumental) 4. Funny Bunny! (Instrumental) 5. レピドプテラ (Lepidoptera) 6. レピドプテラ (Lepidoptera) (Instrumental) 7. 兎角國の蟹 (Tokakukuni no Kani) 8. 兎角國の蟹 (Tokakukuni no Kani) (Instrumental) 9. HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY (Wonderland Remix ver.) Rating: | Hey, I can dig this! I'll come clean right now and say that I've never been able to appreciate D. I have listened to both VAMPIRE SAGA and Genetic World out of curiosity after noticing their popularity a while back but neither left an impression on me. As of 2015, their latest look sparked my interest for the second time. The Alice in Wonderland influenced attire went down well in my eyes because it meant a change not just in appearance, but sound too. I saw a chance and I took it. It's a welcome change for those, such as myself, who couldn't quite get into them before. The concept of the single is just the tip of the iceberg. With four out of nine of the tracks being instrumental (all types-wise), I don't find the music as noteworthy when stripped of Asagi apart from the very cool and neat parts of riffs, especially in the title track. What it does manage to do without much effort is show off this fantasy-like world they're conveying, and that's evident throughout, so kudos to the guys for keeping this concept running strong. "HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY" and "Funny Bunny!" are definitely deserving of the top spot on the single in every way. The choruses are fun, catchy, and most importantly, have replay value. They're two sides of the same coin: "Funny Bunny" has its hyperactive, SuG-like chorus while also filled with growls and aggressive, heavy playing from the whole band. It's a perfect mix. "HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY" oozes with goodness from start to end, sounding very much like disbanded Oshare Kei groups. Its flow is far more steady than the title track, and plays almost like an anime theme song because of its structure and sound. Asagi's vocals in "レピドプテラ (Lepidoptera)" are deeper here than anywhere else in the single. This really goes well with its opening sound that encourages Halloween-y imagery. The chorus has a very charming pitch. It's not as sugar coated as the previous two tracks, but the playful beat is still rather Oshare Kei sounding. The verses make the track seem to have a climactic build, almost like it's been ripped out from Disney's Notre Dame's finale. It sounds quite mismatched, starting out with spooky atmosphere that jumps suddenly to a poppier chorus. While at times it may come off as jumbled, at least it doesn't stay in one lane like "兎角國の蟹 (Tokakukuni no Kani)". If "レピドプテラ (Lepidoptera)" didn't have any of its charms I pointed out above, then it'd sound like "兎角國の蟹 (Tokakukuni no Kani)". The only welcome inclusion the track has is Asagi's high pitched vocals that I was missing. Track nine was the only song I was worried about, seeing as it's titled as a remix: "HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY (Wonderland Remix Ver.)", but even that isn't as diabolical as I was expecting. The chorus is actually double the fun from the original! You're winning me over, D. Possibly the one most obvious catch with this sound change is the lack of Asagi showing off. From what I've heard of D, his vibrato, growls and high pitched vocals are almost non-existent in this single, apart from certain sections in only two tracks. You have the operatic appeal with background group vocals here and there, so it's still D but just coated with Tinkerbell's fairy dust. While the majority may not be fond of this latest addition to their discography, think of those like myself who could never get into their music because it didn't do it for us. Now with a change of pace, this is the starting point, for myself and possibly others to finally enjoying the band. What doesn't do it for one person can be a blessing for another, and I believe this single is a fine example of this. Support the band! CDJapan Japanese iTunes

Artist: ARTEMA Album: ARTEMATE PARTY 1. Fighting Dreamer 2. Starting Over 3. Trade Off 4. TAKE ME OUT 5. FLY HIGH 6. INFINITE PARTY 7. ROLL OUT 8. To The New World 9. Stronger 10. 5:00AM 11. ONE -Let It Die- Rating: | They don't party like they used to. So far, ARTEMA have been doing a good job of retaining their pre-major label electronicore leanings mixed with melodic pop. Their debut album proved they could tone things down without losing their unique sound, and their second showed us they weren't afraid to go even heavier while they mixed it up with the big boys. I had every expectation ARTEMATE PARTY would follow a similar route and continue to build off of ARTEMA's staple "Kiracore" style. As it turns out, I was wrong about that. ARTEMATE PARTY brings us back, possibly with even more pop arrangements, to their self-titled release territory. This one offers a more mature sound, but it also feels more reserved at the same time. The problem here is that they took away aspects of themselves that stood out from the plethora of radio ready electronic rock that is overrunning the airwaves right now. It has them blending too much into their competition. And as an added side effect, it also made their new songs sound way too much like each other. "Fighting Dreamer" is an opener that's pretty typical for ARTEMA's major singles. Like the ones before it, it stays in the electronic rock field with a breakdown thrown in for added spice. The breakdown itself isn't all that neck-breaking or original, and it's awkwardly cleaved against the following guitar solo. This also keeps everything fairly tame. But the video is fun, and you do get the general idea of what ARTEMA are about. In the past, a single like this would be the lightest and most straightforward song on the album. That is not the case here. The painfully repetitious "Starting Over" along with blatant Fear, in Loathing in Las Vegas worship in "ROLL OUT" stay fairly mellow as well. I single these songs out because in the context of the album they begin to sound like unnecessary filler. One of the other issues is that they expose the melodic limitations of vocalist, Meg. He's a wonderful screamer, but his singing range is limited, and the more melodic ARTEMA become, the more he relies on extremely similar vocal arrangements. This cluster of tracks are a glaring representation of this. As well as the closing track, "ONE -Let It Die-" which is especially unmemorable, so much that it takes away from the entire album due to its placement. But don't get me wrong, ARTEMATE PARTY is not all bad, it just takes a little time to get the party officially started. "Trade Off" and "TAKE ME OUT" in succession do have a good energy about them with fun atmosphere. They also set up "FLY HIGH" to come in and finally work a nice blend of what's popular with what ARTEMA know how to do well. The catchy vocal melody is great for singing along, and it works in harmony with the punchy drum beat to get people jumping. This song is perfect to tear up a live house. "INFINITE PARTY" builds right off of that sentiment as it fuses some legit house music into electrocore and results in one of the first "big drop"/hardcore breakdowns I've ever heard out of the Japanese scene. The rest of the track may not be anything new, but the breakdown alone is worth giving it a spin. Not only did the band push a harder techno vibe with some of the songs, they even tread into nu-metal territory with "Stronger" incorporating a rap-style vocal delivery. The record as a whole has a much more modern pop feel than previous works. ARTEMA are coming to a crossroads and trying to work on expanding their arsenal of genres, but the direction of ARTEMATE PARTY suffers from being a bit lost in the process. Even with all the filler, the band doesn't sound as if they are losing any of their fighting spirit just yet. Though this might have been much stronger as an EP with leftover b-side material, in the end. I worry many old school fans won't have a strong reaction to this album, as they may be holding a candle for their heavier side much like I do. However, a few of the tunes have "grower" potential, so it's definitely an album they should give an honest chance. Support the band! ARTEMATE PARTY on CDJapan ARTEMATE PARTY on HMV ARTEMATE PARTY on YesAsia

Artist: 黒百合と影 (Kuroyuri to kage) Album: アケスケ羞恥録 (Akesuke shuuchiroku) 1. 「便所」 (Benjyo) 2. ぺど。(Pedo.) 3. ティシューの空箱 (Tissue no karabako) 4. 児童公園 (Jidouyuuen) 5. 高田馬場えいりあん (Takadanobaba alien) 6. ぼくのともだち。 (Boku no tomodachi.) 7. 花と骨 (Hana to hone) Rating: | Quantity over quality strikes again. Forming only last year, delightfully dark 黒百合と影 return with a new mini album after their last full length won over a plethora of cynics. Their style is equal parts doom and gloom musically, lyrically, and aesthetically. This time around they decided to up the ante by increasing their creepy factor and centering their concept for this release around children and the loss of innocence. アケスケ羞恥録's titles like "ぺど。", "児童公園", which translates to 'playground', and "ぼくのともだち。" meaning 'my friend' should start to bring some very specific imagery to mind. Part of what I love about 黒百合と影 is their use of nu-metal groove and sludge metal overtones to give a distinct sound in the sea of visual indies bands battling it out for your attention. Just when I thought nu-metal was getting phased out of the scene, they came and made it awesome again! So after having a great appreciation for the approach taken on the last album I was beyond pumped to take this one out for a spin. Though, when my hype settled down and I fully digested this new batch of songs, I ended up enjoying this album less with each listen. Actually, the more I listen to it, the more I hear where the band simply 'phoned it in'. This mini feels rushed and devoid of much inspiration, frankly. The opening track, "便所" felt so much like an old Coal Chamber song that it was distracting. A quick listen to "Loco" and the first minute will show you what I'm talking about. I ain't calling it plagiarism, but there are some undeniable similarities going on here underneath that layer of violin synth. I'm just sayin'. At other times, certain members' shortcomings are highlighted when they seemed much less conspicuous before. I can appreciate vocalist Karasuna Mei's drive to push his vocals in new directions, but songs like "ティシューの空箱" and "ぼくのともだち。" sacrifice vocal control for extra levels of emotion and it becomes more cringe worthy than engrossing. Both start off pleasant enough but soon lose their focus, and being part of the host of songs on this album suffering from extremely cut and paste construction doesn't help them to engage the listener, either. It all begins to blend into other songs you've already heard this band make before. That's not to say a couple of songs don't fight their way out of the murk. My favorite pick off of the album is "ぺど。", and while it doesn't reinvent the wheel, the song is one of the only ones on the album that felt thoroughly conceptualized from first note to last. It plays off of the band's signature sound, then proceeds to add a creep-tastic music box and venomous machine-gun guitar riffs into the mix. The song has fist-pumping highs and somber lows that all compliment and build off of each other. "児童公園" is also a highlight with some sexy slap bass from K that snaps it out of the same-y territory right away. The call-back style vocals are a nice, quirky addition that make the song more memorable than its comrades. It is a tad unfortunate that nothing on the album compares to 黒百合と影's previous work, though I wouldn't call any of it unlistenable, by any means. However, as much as I do love the 90s, they should consider leaving just a little more of it back where they found it. They seem to have hit the proverbial wall for creativity for now, but I will be holding out hope that it returns in the future. This is a group of talented musicians, but maybe it's time they took a break and got real honest with themselves about their own strengths and weaknesses. Support the band! Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ CDJapan Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ HMV Purchase アケスケ羞恥録 @ JP iTunes

Artist: MAAKIII Album: 兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! (Tonikaku, Genesis!!!!!) 1. TONIKAKU. JENESIS!!!!! -KAIMAKU- (兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! -開幕-) 2. ×××× 3. TRICK STAR 4. KOKONI OIDEYO (ココニオイデヨ) 5. CHO KANKAKUTEKI CHIKAKU -ZERO MIX-(超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー ) 6. kIRA◯kIRA 7. DASH!DASSHUTSU!DASSHU! (DASH!脱出!奪取!) 8. IIJAN! (いーじゃんっ! ) 9. SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!! 10. SNOWBALL EARTH (スノーボールアース) 11. TONIKAKU. JENESIS!!!!! -HEIMAKU- (兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! -閉幕- ) Rating: | HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR's ex-vocalist isn't so high and mighty anymore Mākii was the female vocalist of popular rock band HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, famous for hit songs such as '一輪の花 (Ichirin no Hana)', 'RUN☆RUN☆RUN' and 'OVER'. They disbanded in 2008, citing "musical differences" and "future opportunities" as their reasons. With Mākii returning as solo artist 'MAAKIII' after five years, this must've been a foreshadowing as to what we'd be getting from her once she came back. An SE with the same name opens 兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! with a bang. Marching footsteps, clapping and glass breaking against an electro beat do sound random, and even more so with MAAKIII's 'do, do, do, do's,' shrieks, and repeated lyrics. For how much of a hot mess it is, it does its job in getting you fired up. You can hear what direction MAAKIII was going for from just this. The closing track is titled almost exactly like the opening: '兎に角、ジェネシス!!!!! −開幕−.' I was hoping it would be different since it was twelve seconds longer but alas, the closing song is pretty much the same SE. So much for creativity! It's a neat loop if you ever want to put this record on repeat, or just the sentiment alone is pretty interesting, but still, it can't be helped how cheap of a move that comes off as. The songs are hit and miss and the track placements come under the microscope for its ups and downs. Three out of four of the singles hit a wall, sounding like the ‘been there, done that’ J-pop jam. The first culprit is ‘ﾗﾗﾗﾗ.’ MAAKIII does well in carrying the cute charm from the opening, and while it’s fitting and engaging with a climatic build up to the chorus, it’s the chorus which turns it all mediocre. Equipped with the most generic sound thanks to its typical Engrish lyrics and straightforward structure, it fails to give the song that necessary shine. However, it’s still enjoyable without suffering unlike ‘SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!!’, which is an embarrassment. This attempts to sound like a summer break hit, and is slaughtered to death by the party goers instead. The beat is obnoxiously loud with overused autotune and goes absolutely nowhere but continuously grates on your bleeding ears. 'スノーボールアース' is the saving grace. It's got that KOKIA sound in the verses thanks to its spacey sound, and its chorus finally packs the punches most of the tracks needed. While her vocals may need work in some places, the music is exactly what MAAKIII needs to stick to. 'ココニオイデヨ' can almost beat ‘SPAAAAAAAAAARK!!!’ with how much it’s in your face. I'm one for autotune, but when it's too much even I admit it wasn't a good move. I appreciate how well this track would do live because of its high energy, but the chorus is far too tiresome. It had a promising start, but with so much autotune, it comes off as lazy and not as exciting as it tries to sound. Even a whistle can be heard in it, literally calling for a time out. The songs that exhibit her new sound best are ‘トリックスター’ , ‘いーじゃんっ!’ and ‘kIRA◯kIRA’. The latter is the strongest and hardest track on the album, with a band playing much like how the best all-girl bands sound. The effect over MAAKIII's vocals exaggerates this all-girl group sound more so to give it a rough edge, and then synths come back in to greet the most melodic and fluid chorus. MAAKIII even treats us with a badass shout at the end, something we can all die happy for. ‘いーじゃんっ!’ acts as a compliment to it. This one can be known as the poppy 'kIRA◯kIRA’, and while it sounds like a downgrade of it, it’s still a very successful pop track. The diamond is the rough is definitely ‘トリックスター’. The progression of the track is gorgeous. It sounds epic, with fairy-tale like imagery. Piano dominates throughout, a feature non-existent for the most part in this album, and it really stands out for this. MAAKIII's vocals here are light and fluffy, and overall, it's memorable without trying too hard. The worst of the batch are '超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー’ and 'DASH!脱出!奪取!': All filler and dead weight. '超感覚的知覚 ーZERO mixー' might as well not have been included. It's exactly what I feared the album would be. The chorus lacks so much enthusiasm it flatlines. A more valid attempt at the dancefloor sound, but it's one that'll get me moving to evacuate the room ASAP. 'DASH!脱出!奪取!' is the EDM number which is hungry for the listener to get their groove on, and surprisingly, this autotuned, electro filled track manages to get some taps. It’s definitely the most repetitive song but it's the only electronic filled one which isn’t unpleasant. Sure, autotune is poured all over the track but this time it works. MAAKIII sounds like a cyborg here, and clearly the autotune is even more overused since it's so heavy, but the music and the voice finally have a balance which just collided together in others. It’s a more admirable attempt, albeit it's still not enough and becomes dead weight by the end. I really was expecting a miserable failure of an album. As only a few songs lived up to my expectation of how bad this was going to be, - and let's not forget the rather lame excuse to have the opening and closing track almost exactly mirror one another! - I'm pretty happy with the result. There's a lot of improvement needed, but surely this is the kind of music Mākii wanted to do from the beginning, so good on her. Support the artist! iTunes

Artist: グリーヴァ (Grieva) Album: 妄想主義者ノ背徳。(Mousou shugisha no haitoku.) 1. Type[艶] (Tsuya) (SE) 2. 自己精神殺害推進會 (Jiko seishin satsugai suishin) 3. 妄想主義者ノ背徳 (Mousou shugisha no haitoku) 4. Art play 5. 夢デ逢ウ貴女ガ削除デキマセン。(Yume de au kijo ga sakujo dekimasen.) 6. 密室104号室～暗イ部屋二僕ト君～ (Misshitsu 104-goushitsu～kurai heya ni boku to kimi～) 7. 腐『furan』乱 Rating: | No need for grievin', visual kei is not dead! Grieva sure came into their own over their few years of activity. Starting out as a glaringly obvious exercise in old-school DIR EN GREY fanboyism (pretty much producing a blueprint replica of the Gauze album), they raised lots of eyebrows but also gained an ever-growing fanbase. They've been churning out release after release like clockwork, a practice that few can pull off successfully while maintaining quality. These guys, however, not only manage to put out consistent tunes, but also seem to be slightly evolving every year. While there's no drastic change in sound (thank god for that!), they're constantly tweaking their formula and instrumentation to achieve a greater effect. Their latest mini album, Mousou shugisha no haitoku demonstrates this tendency excellently. From the kick-in-the-teeth industrial beats of the intro to the impressive sonic diversity of the closing track, Grieva presents a fine-tuned version of their vision: building upon the legacy of the old-school with youthful vigor, and a tad more than a pinch of craziness. On the one hand, compositions like the title track or "Yume de au kijo ga sakujo dekimasen" burst forth from the speakers with a mixture of yesteryears' melodic sense coupled with a truly modern (or post-modern?) approach. On the other hand, we're inevitably treated to a small number of songs where Grieva wear their hearts on their sleeves a bit too obviously. It's hard not to recall exact moments from DIR EN GREY's back catalog when you hear the intricate lead guitars of "Art play" or the jackhammering bass in "Misshitsu 104-goushitsu～kurai heya ni boku to kimi～". The difference this time (compared to, say, their debut album) is that they were able to fully integrate these parts into their songs, not sticking out like a sore thumb throbbing with plagiarism. "Misshitsu 104-goushitsu..." even has a music box interlude reminiscent of a certain DEG classic – it's hard not to crack a smile of appreciation at the homage. The arrangement and delivery of the songs deserve praise too, where it's due. Even though the mini album starts off in a rather repetitive fashion (after a surprisingly bangin' intro SE) with "Jiko seishin satsugai suishinkai", they more than make up for that later on. Tracks like "Art play" employ a wide array of styles, from metal chugging to upbeat ska-influenced guitars, resulting in nice changes of pace and dynamics. As soon as you're beginning to feel you're listening to 'just another typical Grieva tune', they change it up ever so slightly, introducing an interesting guitar tone or effect. In short, it's hard to get bored while listening to Mousou shugisha no haitoku. This statement is ultimately solidified by the closing track "furan", an ambitious composition that goes from a punky, all-out shoutfest (props to those pipes, Kyouki!) to an unexpectedly sweet melodic guitar solo, short bass and piano interludes and a driving chorus. It is a thrilling, dare I say progressive, finish to an already cool release. A year ago, with the release of their 2nd full-length album Shuuen, I couldn't imagine Grieva going any further in terms of quality, but along came this release and blew me away. Granted, Kyouki and co are still far from being the most original bunch of visual kei musicians, but who needs that when you have a reliable, constant supply of kickass tunes to rock out to? I could hardly ask for more. Support the band! Buy the mini album @ CDJapan Buy the mini album @ Yesasia

Artist: Royz Single: THE BEGINNING 1. THE BEGINNING 2. 0 3. umbrella. 4. THE BEGINNING (ins.) 5. 0 (ins.) 6. umbrella. (ins.) Rating: | The beginning of something good. Knowing very little about Royz before the release of this single, I had precious little by which to gauge my excitement. I had listened to their album, "Core," back in October and thought it was decent and showed promise. Then their single, "Supernova," and it's B-side, "Alive," really blew me away. So, I guess one could say that I was pretty excited even though I wouldn't consider myself a big fan of the band. Recently, the influences of the electronic genre have pervaded almost every visual rock band in the scene and it's been a pretty divisive issue. Nonetheless, if a band blends the perfect amount of hard rock with their electronic beats, I'm going to be a fan. "The Beginning" is an interesting one, for sure. It's quite different from not only other Royz songs, but from a lot of modern pop/rock-esque songs. It blends together a few different genres to ultimately come up with one of the catchiest rock songs of 2015 so far. This band tends to work exceedingly well as a machine of fun, post-hardcore numbers with incredible rhythm and "The Beginning" is no exception. The one possible downfall of the song is the awkward-to-annoying introduction, but once that chorus hits, you will forget about any prior mess. Oftentimes, the B-Sides make or break the single. If you didn't enjoy the song the band is promoting, well here's something else to make you feel better. For instance, "Alive" was much better than "Supernova." On this single, the B-sides were great compliments to a great promotional single. "0" was along the same lines as most of their recent work: uplifting, fun to sing along to, and great to just lose yourself in. "Umbrella" was a bit more subdued than the previous two songs. Mid-tempo ballad range, to be exact. Subaru's voice really carries well in this song, especially the chorus, where he displays a lot of personal emotion. One of their better composed and arranged tracks. The final track, "Heil," is exactly what I thought it would be. Heavy, fast-paced, and hard-hitting. The beat is incredible and the energy isn't misplaced at all. The only true con of this number is that the melodies Subaru has created aren't exactly strong. It works with the nature of the song, but he's definitely done better. All in all, I feel like if you want to check out this band and haven't already, I would start with their album "Core" and work from there like I did. It sets up expectations for their career in a much more realistic way. Support the band! Purchase Type A here Purchase Type B here Purchase Type C here Purchase Type D here

Artist: Foxpill Cult Album: 邪宗門 (Jashumon) Score: When the voices in your head provide backing vocals Better late than never! Back in January, Foxpill Cult released their latest album 邪宗門 (Jashumon – Heretic Religion, a term used to describe non-Shinto religions). Like their previous efforts, this album reaches deep into Foxpill’s bag of tricks and manages to come up with an album that is deeply varied, yet cohesive. While the variety is there, a more critical examination from someone familiar with their previous releases might yield that they are still relying on the same kinds of tricks, but the overall presentation has enough innovation and charisma to make that observation seem nitpicky. What works really well for 邪宗門 is the recurring theme of multiple presences—be it in a schizophrenic kind of way, or in a supernatural sense. Throughout the album there are interludes and outros of static noise and a very distorted girl’s laughter. In addition, many songs feature multiple layers of vocal harmonies from what sounds like people who are not the actual vocalist. Could I be reading into this too deeply? Possibly. But if this ~sing along with the voices in your head~ motif is what they really were going for, then I would say they were successful. If you’re completely new to this band, the most succinct way of describing them is basically Liphlich’s punk cabaret meets all the weird shit Buck-Tick has done (see also). 邪宗門 opens with a strong number, “サイコキャンディー" (PSYCHO CANDY), which for our intents and purposes is the “Moura” of this album in the sense that it is a playful gothic, yet new wave-inspired, song that also received a music video. This is definitely the most accessible track on the album, as well as one of the catchiest. However, it is solid enough to hold it’s own while still sounding like it belongs with the rest of the songs in the album—all to often I hear albums with strong or weak singles that end up being rather out of place when put into the context of everything else (take D’s “Tightrope,” for example). During the middle of the song there is a bad acid trip and a bit of 女王蜂 falsettos going on, which plays on my interpretation that this album is about some sort of super natural phenomenon. “サイコキャンディー” ties in well with the next song, "米を与えど、子は聞かず" (Kome wo Atae do, Ko wa Kikazu) as it is very similar in nature but with a more rock’n’roll approach. I don’t have too much to comment on with that song, but it is a “if you like one, you’ll like the other” sort of deal. Track 4, "ファウストと異邦人" (FAUST to Kotokunibito) is the second instance of strange laughter and a mysterious woman’s voice, which is used as an introduction snippet. The song itself is much less creepy, and its main theme is quite playful. This song uses a lot of distorted guitar, bongo-sounding drums, and frantic time changes between 4/4 and 6/8. What I find fascinating here is that there are a ton of influences going on all at once: at times the drum structure sounds like a march while the vocalist yells over very pretty guitar work and bizarre keyboard samples. This sort of treatment is used quite often throughout the album as well—while most of their music is technically intensive, there are many many layers of different ideas happening all at once, but somehow they all come together in way that’s enjoyable and fun. "秋霖ヒソム▲神隠し" (Shuurin HISOMU ▲ Kamigakushi(?)) s song that caught my attention at first listen: each of FOXPILL’s albums have some sort of dark-wave track and this one is it. ▲ also throws in noise, a bit of folk, and ties it together with a staticy sounding drum loop. While this song does come of as being deceptively heavy or dark based on the first few seconds, it ends up being pretty simple and sweet up until the end. The last few seconds they turn up the creep and add in the sounds of something being drilled, followed by a much more distorted and warped sound of the same woman’s laughter that has been used throughout. What I enjoyed about this song is the mix of both harsh electronic elements and the very gentle sounding chorus. Ultimately ▲ alls into middle for me: there’s enough good here to attract me back to the song, but it isn’t the pinnacle track on this album. "僕は宗教" (Boku wa Shuukyou) is the sleeper track on this album for me—a near perfect fusion of cali=/=gari and XA-VAT if both were going through a mall goth phase, FOXPILL CULT combines a lot of new wave synthesizer with female vocals backing the chorus and quirky vocals commandeering the bridges. There’s much less synth going on here than XA-VAT used, but the 80’s throw-back sound is definitely there. It is also interesting that they recycle the gang vocal melody from the album’s opening track, "鎖国した一寸法師" (Sakoku Shita Issunboushi). This song, "サイコキャンディー" and "ファウストと異邦人" would be the three songs I would recommend trying first if you are new to FOXPILL CULT. For the sake of brevity, the last song I’m going to expand upon is "啓蒙されぬ" (Keimousa Renu). This is one of the more electronic-heavy songs, but what is really interesting is that the chorus is like a gothic sea chantey (to be more than honest, I never thought that was even a possible mix of genres, but here we are… think Moi Dix Mois covering and you wouldn’t be too far off.). Quirky and innovative, "啓蒙されぬ" plays a lot to FOXPILL’s strengths and shows that even if their bag of tricks is finite, they know how to get the most out of it by mixing what they know with influences that would otherwise seem out of place.this song While not every track on this album is fantastic, overall I thought FOXPILL CULT really delivered with this album and it shows that they are well seasoned in what they do. The filler in this album is minimal and their influences range from new wave, to dark wave, to rock’n’roll, to even funk. While I prefer their more new-wave tracks, which they proclaimed their last album was focused most on, I liked a greater amount of tracks here. 邪宗門 was a like at first listen, but it was also a grower. I am still unsure if this is the top contender of album-of-the-year for me quite yet, which is why I am rating it 4 stars out of 5.

Artist: APOGEE Album: OUT OF BLUE Score: If you like to dance then OUT OF BLUE may be for you. Serendipitous moments in life are my favorite. You’ll be going about your usual way and then run into a band like APOGEE. They’re a four-man powered synth-pop group with heavy influences from New Wave and 80’s music. And, their music is very danceable. We’re introduced to the album with "Runaway Summer", a fairly slow track but exciting enough to make you tap your feet. The chorus is simple but catchy and you’ll find yourself singing along every time it plays. And, those syncopated synth chords will undoubtedly bring you back to the 80’s. Things really get down with "Tonight". It opens with a double bass and snare blast and launches you into a groove so infectious you’ll wish there was a dance floor nearby. The use of electric guitar adds a nice edgy sound to the song too. It’s a really fun track and I find myself coming back to it a lot. The only drawback for me is the rather abrupt ending. "Losing You" keeps the album’s energy going but brings a more sobering mood to the album. It features a catchy little electronic cadence and some really great vocal work in the second melody. "Out of Blue" slows the pace down but retains the groove from prior songs. It’s relaxing and the swelling synths add an otherworldly atmosphere. As a side-note, the filter used on the vocals reminds me of vocals from the band Electric Light Orchestra. The New Wave influences are a lot more apparent in "Twilight Arrow" from the wonky bass line to the various clinks and clanks of metallic electronic noises. There’s a steady rhythm set by the kick drum and in the chorus everything flows together nicely. Near the end, the song picks up into something funkier and breaks out into an exciting sequence. The synths here can be a little obnoxious though. "Fall into the Sky" is a wonderful ballad that combines a traditional Japanese sound with their electronic synth sound. It’s split into two parts, a milder soft section that focuses on the vocals and a more powerful section that emphasizes the synth and other instruments. I love the sampled voice they use in the beginning (and later throughout the song); it adds a very cute and Japonesque quality to the song without breaking the mood. After all that build up I’m ready for something upbeat. But instead, "A Boy in the river" is next. By no means is it a bad song though. It’s a laid-back track that continues off the more traditional Japanese sound. Simple and short, A Boy in the river is a nice casual listen. The album does pick up again with "Fictionalizer". It begins strong with the synth and drums and maintains a steady pace. About halfway through though, I had hoped that the song would come to some sort of climax, but the same melody and rhythm kept playing. It repeats three times and the song goes nowhere. It’s a bit of a downer to be honest. We finally come to the close of the album with "Transit". It’s another ballad but plays entirely off their electronic sound. In fact, it reminds me of the disbanded electro-rock/new wave band school food punishment. It starts with one note, held forever. It grows louder and louder, intensifying. Another note joins in. It keeps growing louder and louder until the songs starts and the note slowly fades away. When the song starts, it’s a slow and steady rhythm with a repeating keyboard cadence. For much of the song, the same melancholy beat and melody is played. But, when it gets to the chorus, the vocals become a beautiful A Capella. It’s the perfect calm ending to the album. APOGEE is a fun band. They make fun music that a lot of people can enjoy, and they do a fantastic job of mixing in different influences while staying unique. OUT OF BLUE is an album that stands well as an entire package and by its individual songs. I came upon the album by chance but it’ll definitely stay with me for years to come. Now let’s go hit dat dance floor.

Artist: Hora Album: Cocytus Score: EDM super producer, Hora, is one of the most unique figures in the Visual Kei scene today... And has been for over a decade. Where most visual rock stars compose songs that are largely based on electric guitar, bass, and drums; Hora only uses his homemade synthesizers to create some of the greatest dance music you'll ever hear in your life. While he prefers to remain as obscure and indie as possible, if he would open himself up to a more global market he would surely give acts like Tiesto and Afrojack a run for their money. /p> Over these past 13 years, Hora has composed around 45 songs for darkwave/trance duo Schwarz Stein; but a staggering 119 songs for his solo career and all while using vocals so sparingly one would wonder how he could keep it so constantly interesting.... The short answer is that it isn't always interesting, I'll admit. Being a huge fan since day one of Schwarz Stein, I also follow Hora's and Kaya's solo activities quite closely and have always listened to Hora's solo albums no matter how disappointing they ended up being. However, it seems that he managed to reignite the fire of his solo project around 2 years ago when he released Cocoon and then kicked it up about 70 notches for Desolation Beauty last year, ultimately resulting in this year's splendid Cocytus. This is the first album of material he's produced since Schwarz Stein's official return to the scene and it shows. This album is significantly darker than his last one and utilizes the same sort of synths that were featured in Schwarz Stein's most recent single "Sleeping Madness" and by that I mean the beats are hard and fast. The album opener is fairly typical for Hora, unfortunately. Very melodramatic and slow and ultimately just very repetitive. The song drags on way too long and doesn't provide the listener with much intrigue. Along with Underwater and Winter Blood, this song can be skipped to prepare yourself for the real meat and potatoes of the album. The second track is one of the absolute best Hora solo songs I've ever heard. "Frost" has the dramatic Hora flair that one must appreciate in order to be a fan while also delivering one of the hardest beats of his career. Please, please listen to this song above and you will not regret it. Following up this magnificent song is the second best song on the album, "Babel," which is considerably darker and deeper than "Frost." This is also his first composition in a long time that utilizes his harsh vocals. The only lyrics on this song, or the whole album in general, are "Let there be light." Title track "Cocytus" is a lot like album opener "Chamber of Fear" in that it's rather long and drawn out and does sort of the same thing continuously for no real added effect. Additionally, the use of string instruments becomes quite gratuitous when you're trying to listen to a dance album, but I digress. This is all just opinion, of course. The use of string instruments is something I've appreciated over the years and can see why people would enjoy their existence, but sometimes it's just too much. Tracks 5 and 10 are essentially a two part series known as "Pray to God." The former song "Doom" has the same spacey quality as "Without Words" but in a much lighter atmosphere. The beat takes a while to kick in, but once it does it's actually quite fast and played under the melody of the piano to produce something very lighthearted (ironic for a song called "Doom," right?) The second in the series, "Heir" has a very interesting introduction. It's super glitchy, meaning there's no beat but the synths sort of skip around and sound like a broken video game. The second synths kick in not long into the song and create a continuation of the spacey vibe that "Doom" sets up. When the piano starts in this song it immediately echoes the piano of "Doom" and finishes out by adding a slower version of the beat in its predecessor. Other extremely notable tracks are "My Vendetta" and the aptly-yet-reduntantly-named "Without Words" which are heavy/dark and mid tempo respectively. "My Vendetta" is the shortest song on the album and packs a decent punch in just 3.5 minutes... Which is actually a great thing considering if it had gone on too much longer it would get into the too-repetitive category due to the fact it doesn't change it's beat that much and is sort of a lot of the same sound. "Without Words" is more elegantly composed and utilizes more than one sound to make it's point. While I could see how someone could describe it as "lengthy," it has an ephemeral and spacey quality that hasn't quite been prominent on Hora's albums since Prominence in 2006. All in all, this is definitely among Hora's best solo works. I highly recommend it as a general piece of music and find that it could likely be appreciated by all walks of life as it isn't too intense in any one genre at any one point. That being said, I do hope that Hora's and Kaya's priority over the next few months is to create a full-length Schwarz Stein album. I find that Kaya and Hora work best when they're together even though their individual talents are something quite formidable. It's like combining the two best things to make something even more impressive. Hora is the chocolate to Kaya's peanut butter or the Sonny to his Cher. They're best when together.

Artist: LM.C Single: PERFECT RAINBOW Score: Just a couple colours off from being a "PERFECT RAINBOW" If you’ve previously released a mini-album titled "PERFECT FANTASY" within the same year with a similar tracklist of eight songs in total, then you’re asking for comparisons. Since "PERFECT FANTASY" was a personal favourite release in 2014, you might already have guessed that I’m not that impressed with the rap rocking electro duo this time. I must confess I judged "PERFECT RAINBOW" with their other mini-album in mind, but who can really blame me? It did, indeed, fall short of my expectations on first listen. But let’s get on to the undeniable comparisons later and dive head first into this colourful rainbow. Instrumental opening track ‘VantaBLACK’ is a very fantastical and imagery inducing intro. Starting off with some futuristic, spacey sounds, faint piano keys can be heard after these inclusions, then turning into electric currents. It flows into ‘JUST LIKE THIS!!’ wonderfully, which starts with more fittingly used piano taps and Maya soothingly sing a few romantic Engrish lyrics. After this quiet starting point, we’re treated to that massive electro party sound we all know and love by these dudes. The track is brilliant and really stands out after the strong opener. It’s sure to get long-time fans comfortable with its reminiscent sound to older LM.C jams. With a catchy beat and a chorus bursting with energy, it’ll get you up, dancing, and hyped for more. In contrast, ‘MOGURA’ is a dark and heavy song. As the only song to be spotlighted outside the mini-album release, it’s a solid track. However, within this tracklist, it stands out like a sore thumb due to it having a sound not all gumballs and rainbows as would be expected from the pair, ultimately making the track fall flat in the long run. What follows is ‘Amnizia,’ an instantly toe tapping number thanks to its repetitive drum beat. The simple structure and sound actually make this one of the more enjoyable tracks. It's catchy as soon as it begins! ‘Minor Leaguers’ Song’ comes next, and similar to 'MOGURA,' this one's got an interesting spin on sound. It's reminiscent to punk bands like ‘Good Charlotte,' due to it sounding as perfect as one of those cheesy school anthem sing-along songs. While there’s more going on than in previous tracks, it’s actually not that captivating. This track mixes the rapping with an anthemic approach vocal-wise with little bits of parade/orchestra marching like features such as the trumpets and overlapping vocal effect. However, a nice addition to it is the trumpets at the end of the chorus that play in tune to the lullaby ‘Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star;' fitting for a band who often sing about stars. Enjoyable as it is during the listen, in the end, all this makes for is a forgettable track. ‘LADY TALK’ has an 80s disco sound which is a very charming inclusion. The electro currents are old school sounding, and it’s a smooth and slow track which reminds me of ‘PLASTICZOOMS.’ But you know it’s still LM.C you’re hearing with their cheerful tune and sparkly chorus! The following track, ‘キミヨサラバ,’ has a steady tempo just like 'LADY TALK,' and it keeps to a straight path as well. Being the ballad of the mini-album, it's a very pleasant one which still keeps your attention. We come to the end of the rainbow with 'BRAND NEW RAINBOW.' Opening up with a playful funfair sound, the track is highly energetic and doesn't tire, giving the mini-album a closer more pleasing than its opener. What LM.C has accomplished brilliantly is sticking to the same types of tracks in both releases. We’ve got the disco tune, ‘JUST LIKE THIS!!,’ the mysterious piece, ‘Amnizia,’ the positive track, ‘Minor Leaguers’ Song’ and the ballad song, ‘キミヨサラバ,’ to name just a few examples. The opening and closing tracks are, really, the stand out points of this mini-album, starting and ending the mini-album on a high. The release has a few new and different sounds, which indicates the duo are experimenting with their style. This is all good on its own, but it’s still got some polishing to do. When I’m not comparing it to "PERFECT FANTASY," it’s good. When I’m judging it on its own, it’s still just good. Maybe if both mini-albums were put together as a full-length album, it would've gotten four stars, since "PERFECT FANTASY" is truly perfect. While "PERFECT RAINBOW" is far from perfect, don’t judge this release by its title.

Artist: sukekiyo Album: VITIUM Score: The essence of sukekiyo, molded into perfection. sukekiyo has managed to slowly convert me from being a mildly disinterested bystander to a casual listener who's always on the lookout whenever something new pops up concerning the band. Their first full-length IMMORTALIS proved to be a slow-burning behemoth of many faces (and facets), and their latest offering VITIUM isn't too far off from that impression either. Kyo and co. don't seem to be in a hurry, as evidenced by the size of this new 'mini' album which is still longer than most bands' albums. Throughout these 37 minutes, they present their compositions in typical sukekiyo fashion: sprawling, mysterious, unpredictable. This time around, however, it seems they were able to craft a more unified sound for themselves (as if they weren't already unique enough), with a concentrated approach to boot. Each song sounds more coherent in and of itself, while still retaining the "expect the unexpected" avant-garde quality they've come to be known for. VITIUM starts off powerfully and majestically with "leather field" – a dark flower blooming and branching out in sukekiyo's aural grotto. Hints of manic aggression and weirdness also rear their heads, prefiguring what's to come in the second track "dunes." This song introduces a demented vibe with its jittery guitars and drums, the band's interpretation of violent jazz-metal. Surprisingly, we are treated to an interlude next ("dot") that doesn't do much in itself but it serves as a fitting ambient intro to the following "foster mother." Kyo's deep croons drift onto a hypnotic beat complemented by beautiful guitar flourishes and keyboards that evoke an ambiguous atmosphere, on the edge of tranquility and uneasiness. One of the standout tracks for sure! As VITIUM's centerpiece, "雨上がりの優詩 (Ameagari no yuushi)" pales in comparison to "foster mother," although it is a decent slower number complete with some fantastic textures and a soothing, airy outro. The atmosphere continues through "maniera," but it quickly turns into a quirky explosion of psychedelic metal tinged with calmer acoustic noodling. If DIR EN GREY drove out to the desert high on mescaline, this is what they would jam out. If "maniera" was the hallucinatory freak-out, the second interlude "白露 (Hakuro)" serves as a soundtrack to expulsion – not as fun but still necessary. All the more so, it heightens the magnificence of the follow-up, "celeste." Switching between tumbling piano sludge and schizophrenic episodes, it's a strong indicator of what sukekiyo is capable of. Naturally, after all of this there's no other way to go but softer, as "focus" closes the record with ethereal floaty melodies... or so it seems until the flamenco bit kicks in, segueing into one last creepy look into the abyss. As you can tell, this mini album is quite a trip from start to finish. Whereas IMMORTALIS seemed overly long and drawn-out at times, VITIUM manages to capture the band's perfected essence, more powerful and twisted than ever. It is clear that sukekiyo has finally found its own voice. Let's just hope we'll get to hear that voice more in the future as well!

Artist: Boris Single: NOISE Score: NOISE? Don't take that as a negative on this one. Experimental band Boris released their nineteenth album, fittingly entitled NOISE, earlier this year. Inspired by punk music at the start of their formation, they covered punk songs in early demos and were influenced by bands such as 'The Melvins,' but Boris have shown they excel in more than just this one genre. They certainly haven’t failed in showcasing their various musical approaches in NOISE. What’s brilliant about the album is that it includes many different styles and genres in one tiny package to showcase their progressive sound. While the album has only eight tracks, it's an appropriate fifty eight minutes long album, with the standout track being "Angel," the lengthy eighteen minutes song! Anyone can easily dive headfirst into this album even if it’s your first time listening to them. This is because of the experimental approach they took to widen their musical feats even more so to entice a much larger audience. There’s the expected rock elements, a healthy slice of hardcore and some sparkling shoegaze to name only a few most noticeable styles. The opening, “黒猫メロディ” (kuroneko melody), welcomes the listener in for an exciting ride. It’s a smooth and easy listening track, yet upbeat and energetic. The sporadic inclusion of aggressive guitars, playful drum hits and quick piano taps creates a wild tune. And when the chorus hits, we hear all these sounds mixed beautifully into a juicy head banging mess. This is just the opening track! All tracks utilise the rock genre Boris favours, while also including psychedelic melodies. Track two, “Vanilla” has a smooth sound to it. Like a grand opening, it’s got high energy right from the start, opening with different, heavy guitar playing from the left ear to the right, suddenly colliding together with powerful vocals. The next tracks “あの人たち” (Ano Hitotachi) and “雨” (Ame) makes effective usage of the shoegaze genre, both being my favourite tracks of the album. They’re atmospheric, dramatic and haunting, slowing down the pace of the album in preparation for the quicker and lengthier album pieces. “雨” is absolutely delightful in the way Waka’s weaker and breathier vocals are used instead of Atsuo or Takeshi’s stronger voices, making the tracks atmosphere even more intense. How Waka's gentler vocals contrast so well with the overall heavy sound of the piece makes this truly captivating. With a neatly contrasting title next, the cheesy sounding jazz influenced “太陽のバカ” (Taiyō no baka) is a fun break from the heavy tunes beforehand. It’ll encourage you not to head bang, but to dance like we’re back in a 90’s party. Its sound is very reminiscent to such a time, with a repetition of beats and vocals. The layering effect of Atsuo and Takeshi’s voices create echoes and a very enjoyable break from their darker side we just heard. This cheerful number leads into the album track masterpiece that is “Angel.” Don’t let it's length put you off - you’re missing out on a journey if you do! The song starts with a lone piano, then slowly building up alongside tribal percussion instruments. It’s varied and takes on many sounds, from black metal to psychedelic and shoegaze. As Atsuo’s voice is introduced into the track, guitars begin to become louder and choppier until we hit seven minutes when things finally explode. Shrieks from the guitar wails and drums thrash for minutes as Atsuo sings, all musical ingredients now bellowing out. The final few minutes is a lengthy, shoegaze finale, ending on a massive high. The gradual escalation makes this a dramatic and memorable piece. The only down side to this, as many might be expecting, is the length of the track. While beautifully created, those who already have to hover over the skip button for ballads may be quickly put off by this one. Another favourite, “Quicksilver,” is exactly what you think when you read the track title. It’s extremely fast paced yet melodious at the same time, making it a very enjoyable and unforgettable piece of the album even after the magical “Angel.” The song has a harder sound overall and nicely contrasts with the journey we just experienced beforehand. And finally, "Siesta" (シエスタ) is a calm, instrumental track which waves us a mournful goodbye. It’s awfully haunting and melancholic sounding, making this end even more emotional. As a whole, the album just keeps on giving, never slowing down and turning many corners when it comes to musical direction. And yet, it never disappoints. Not one track drags the album down, even if the track lengths all vary and it can appear daunting at first. You just can’t go wrong with Boris.

Artist: TK from 凛として時雨 Single: Fantastic Magic Score: Fantastic Magic? You bet it is! TK from 凛として時雨(Rin Toshite Shigure), male vocalist of said band, presents his second solo album titled Fantastic Magic. 凛として時雨 and TK’s solo works are indie rock and alternative, but both units also utilize the genre of shoegaze, making them incredibly interesting. As TK breaks away for a solo effort from his band formed way back in 2002, he successfully creates a wild and dramatic ride sure to please all our musical needs. The album starts with “Fantastic Magic.” Our ears are exposed to thrashing drums and quick piano keys playing along to strumming of guitars along with TK’s whimsical vocals calling out to us between the pauses. As soon as the song’s in full flow, it’s a manic musical racecourse, building up to the chorus where we hear TK’s sincerest shouts we’ve been waiting for. The single “unravel,” featured as the opening for anime Tokyo Ghoul is up next, the song many listeners look for. It gets any listener pumped up for what’s coming next. Thanks to the cluster of violins, drums and guitars playing together, and the emotional drive of TK’s helpless tone, “unravel” is a gripping song. Along with the tuneful build up to the end, we’re hit by TK’s desperate shrieks after the first chorus. Not only is it fitting for the anime tie-in, it’s a perfect fit to TK’s signature musical style with the mixture of high and low vocalisation, creating a quick, pulse-racing track. Being a more beat oriented track, “kalei de scope” builds up tension and the emotional chaos is slowed down. The tiny taps of piano with small segments of drum beats, guitar strings, and electric beats all mix into a mesmerizing piece of music. The abrupt end makes you want more. “an artist” contrasts with previous tracks, sounding far more hopeful. TK doesn’t raise much of his voice in the song and it’s is definitely the calming point of the album. With piano backing the band, its melody is enchanting. In small sections, the music may completely halt so we can only hear TK’s echoing, breathy vocals. This creates a haunting tone, never stopping in dragging the listener in. TK’s tone in “tokio” is just as emotionally breath-taking as his shrieks. He captures us, being entrapped and torn by his vocal work. An impressive acoustic track, it shows us just how emotional his unique voice is. A piano is used throughout this song which continues into the upcoming track. The stunning ballad “Shinkiro” features the equally child-like, innocent sounding singer Chara. The track is distinctive because of the added vocals and emotions. The fluid sounds of acoustic guitar, drums and bass doesn’t make the song overbearing or sleep inducing. The imperfection of both vocalists’ voices creates a modest and honest song which is chilling to the bone. There’s a sense of gentleness and warmth with the duo of sweet sounding voices. The album version of “Dramatic Slow Motion” now begins to refill the tank after the few resting tracks, which is a thrilling ride, effectively building up throughout by the instrumental involvement to create a dramatic and racing tune that delivers an electrical current until the end. “Spiral Parade” is instantly a toe tapping number. Catchy and addicting. This track welcomes you to dance while rocking out. TK keeps his unique tune as the violin playing within the chorus adds another layer of chaos below the electronic beats and taps. The louder the music gets, the more instruments become involved, including random piano keys playing and steady beats from a drum. TK takes on another soothing song, entitled “fragile.” The track is just as atmospheric as the ballads beforehand. What can now be noticed is how strained TK’s voice can be when he sings in a lower tone. This may put many listeners off the acoustic/ballad sounding tracks due to how piercing it can be. However, that’s where the source of magic can be most noticed. The irregularity of TK’s vocals creates the much needed melancholic feeling. “contrast” mashes various pieces of instruments very smoothly to create a tuneful closing. Starting off with only the piano, it quickly becomes very pleasing to listen to. We’re given everything TK’s offered us throughout the album in this final track alone. It’s atmospheric in the verses and bridges then energetic as soon as the chorus hits us. And when it does, it’s stunning. The instruments play harmonically together into a dramatic finish and TK’s vocals never slip up. It’s very worthy of being the album closer. In conclusion, what we have here is a gem. Listeners who haven’t given a shot at the genre should definitely give TK a listen. His individuality and uniqueness is expressed wonderfully and definitely deserving of more attention. Because of how the tracks are ordered, various songs contrast effectively with one another. While my personal preference disagrees with the placement of “fragile,” the ‘problem’ many may be turned off by is TK’s vocals in the slower songs. However, the tranquility of each and every song deserves recognition. It’s ‘Fantastic Magic.’

Artist: JUPITER Single: 氷の中の少女 Score: Bland power metal single take three. 氷の中の少女 is the newest single before their sophomore album THE HISTORY OF GENESIS, which will feature all six songs from their last three singles. While hyped at first because it was going to feature four members of theatrical power metal outfit Versailles, JUPITER has failed to deliver any release - let alone any song - that gives them their identity. I don't follow JUPITER religiously, choosing to check out a release of theirs now and again to see if their sound has changed. Since this, as well as ARCADIA, is indicative of the sound on their upcoming album, it's looking pretty weak right now. 氷の中の少女 is another run of the mill power metal track. It has Hizaki written all over it, and it's clear he's lost his touch. He's always used the same bag of tricks, but it's never felt so familiar and rehashed. The ambitious, grandiose tinge to the tone of the song, as well as the variety and inspiration from different eras of classical music are gone. It's been replaced with a more commercial, accessible, and unoffensive sound. Since it's been this way since the beginning of their career, it's a deliberate attempt to either distance themselves from previous bands or to compensate for Zin's peculiar singing style. Whatever the reason is, it's not working. On one hand, I shouldn't be comparing this band to previous bands by these members. On the other hand, when all the complexity and camp is stripped from the music this is what's left. A part of me is bothered that four of the most talented musicians in modern visual kei are producing music of this caliber. Teru, Masashi, and Hizaki all have vastly different compositional styles, yet I don't sense a synthesis of their influences anywhere. Zin sings with clarity and control, but has no power or presence. He's at odds with the quick, demanding melody. Hizaki and Teru are more concerned with twin guitar riffing than with the overall direction of the song. The result is a song that while technically demanding, doesn't go anywhere. Those with a preference for guitar will adore this song; for the rest of us it goes in one ear and out the other. The crucial ingredient of diversity, missing from 氷の中の少女, is present on SACRED ALTER. This sounds like a Teru creation, but I could always be wrong. JUPITER like to switch it up by producing a faux-thrash number, and most of the time it complements the usual bright and cheery affair well. It starts out with a spoken voice section over violin and electronic beat before going into riffs with some groove and body. Even the rhythm section feels invigorated and all the life missing from the first song is here. That's where all the praise ends. Zin can't growl, so he improvises with a combination of an awkward rasp, a falsetto that would make Asagi blush, and poor harsh vocals. He was able to get by on Darkness by just sticking with the rasp, but his need to be diverse does more harm than good. The falsetto in the chorus is the tipping point, as it doesn't harmonize with the sudden change in the melody. Overall, it was an experiment that didn't work so well this time. Jupiter need to either accommodate for Zin or do something else, because this type of music does not suit his voice. What frustrates me most is that the song with the goofy vocals has all the drive and energy and their actual single feels so dead. 氷の中の少女 has a feel of "been there, done that" and models the previous single ARCADIA in both composition, construction, and mood. It fails to distinguish itself in any way. I must sound like a broken record by now, but there's an insurmountable wall between the band and I. There's a crucial element missing to their music and I can't put my finger on what it is. If we could take the energy from SACRED ALTAR and mold it to complement Zin's singing, we would be cooking with gas. But I don't understand why Hizaki and company decided to go with Zin as a vocalist if they weren't going to make music he could keep up with. Time is ticking for this band. THE HISTORY OF GENESIS better have some killer tracks that define this band's modus operandi, or they will soon fall into obscurity.