Search the Community

It's about time we do one of these threads, isn't it? I'll make one when I get home from work. I know it's tempting to just post a list and leave the thread, but I encourage everyone to add a few words of why those exactly albums made it onto your end of the year list as list threads are boring and uninteresting as fuck. Adding a few words about an album makes the thread a lot more interesting, and I am sure a few words about an album will make more people check it out as well. And please, don't post a shitload of youtube videos and crap. Add links instead. GO!

Hello, Here is my list of favorites for 2015, separated into format, then split into a new ranking system that expresses just how much I enjoyed the release. The releases are all listed in order descending down to my absolute favorites of the year. I hope that the list expresses my personal pleasure from the release, and does not seek to rate releases and artist`s against each other in a material way. Please note that I narrowed down the list, and that there are many other works which I enjoyed throughout the year as well. SINGLES: COOL! Smileberry – NO MORE CRY A new band filling in the drought of upbeat kawaii some have been feeling. They pull it off without sounding too derivative or forced. LEZARD –かくれんぼ It took a little while to take to this band, but they have been growing on me with a fun lighter approach that can get more serious when needed. nue – サイレン Definitely a band putting extra ingredients into their recipe. All sorts of sounds get mixed together from 90`s Visual, New Wave, etc… Pretty cool. 摩天楼オペラ – ether Has one of their more rocking B-Sides in a with an old-school guitar lick that I love to put on replay. Distinct track mix that is very well done. RUVISH – ATOMIC MIRROR Catchy and melodic, they have changed a bit but still put out some nice tracks. テキーラ東京– Kung-Fu Lady A very original side project with a very different lead track, and the signature Kra huge potential that sadly doesn`t get as far as their skill would seem to deserve. Neverland – HumaNOISE, Heart sleep Another band that has changed quite a bit, but I enjoy their different sounds. Milia∞ - innocence Very nice, strong melodies, and a great atmosphere. CRAZY! R SHITEI –サドマゾ Have been getting more and more into this band. Very popular despite being quite dark and heavy, although they do mix in softer moments unexpectedly, like in this single. Moran –夜明けを前に Another great release, perhaps their final one. Blu-BiLLioN - Refrain / 心灯-こころび-, Resonance-共鳴- / モノクロの花 This band has definitely been killing it and has gotten very popular. Not what I typically listen to but they definitely broke down that barrier and became one of my favorites with high-pitched songs containing vivid lyrics and storytelling. UVERworld – I LOVE THE WORLD, 僕の言葉ではない これは僕達の言葉 Rocking singles that are a lot of fun to listen to. A slightly different sound than their previous work but they pull it off well.

Hello, List goes in descending order until my top-favorite at the bottom of each section. Instead of filling the pages up with stars, just think of the lists starting with albums in the 4 star range, and heading towards a possible 5 at the end. I made the write-ups real short, as it is a long list (still had to cut a lot of favorites though) and hope you get the jist of what I liked about the album, and, (if you haven`t heard it) if you`d like it too. Thanks for reading. FAVORITE SINGLES: Moran – but Beautiful Very nice, potent title-track with a weightless yet emotional atmosphere. 葵-168- – 必要惡 Well made, laid-back tunes. One of his softer releases. L’Arc～en～Ciel – EVERLASTING Awesome atmosphere and sound, an otherworldly tune that calls on their old sound while mixing together their more recent approach. BugLug – 骨 Three great tracks with very different directions, as usual for the band. The punk sound on the second track was really my favorite. Royz – Supernova More great tunes from Royz, one of their softer sounds on the title track, yet all tracks still rock regardless. BORN – Son of a Bitch Another bad@ss tune from BORN, one of the tracks that rocked me the hardest this year. They pulled off the electronic breakdown better than most. NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST – Strike in fact, DESPERATE, Libra Great releases from the band, which has taken a direction I prefer more, putting their heavy sound together with more melodies and hooks. Strike In fact is the catchiest, DESPERATE is the heaviest, and Libra is the more heartfelt. DOG inTheパラレルワールドオーケストラ – TOKYOエレクトリックパレード Amazing single that puts DOG`s current sound together with a Disney atmosphere for this single. On another level than their work in 2013, in my opinion. ムック – 故に、摩天楼 Quite different from their last album, the title track has a nostalgic and emotional sound without going down a depressing route. Beautiful and catchy. シド – ENAMEL Not much to say, as awesome as every other SID single. More of a rock feel than their previous album, and more of a `Visual` delivery. Shounenki – Gazelle, BANG ME Two singles with a great rock sound, and some of the best melodic hooks I have heard in a while. Really surprised by this band, and anyone who likes soaring vocals and lots of hooks should have already heard it. ユナイト– レヴ/ice After my least favorite album from them they came back with what I love from them: Diverse tracks and songs that leave an impact through amazing playing (guitar esp. for me), amazing vocals, lyrics, and a distinct approach to making music. The way they come out with so many different sounds without it seeming amateur or like they just threw in elements of other musical styles reminds me of SID. DIV - You, Butterfly Dreamer, 漂流彼女, Point of view Very different singles, and I enjoyed them all. POV is one of my favorite up-beat tunes of the year, Hyouryuu one of my top atmospheric songs, and Butterfly Dreamer is one of my go-to songs when I want to rock. SuG – Missing, CRY OUT Amazing singles that did something very different from everything else in 2014. Both are more serious and emotionally driven than what many expect of SuG. The production is also top notch. DOG inTheパラレルワールドオーケストラ – 魁!! 祭izm One of my favorite singles ever. Listening to it the first time, I said `this is why I listen to music `. Hard to think of anything that expresses itself so well to me. I hold this one close.

Well, it's been a bit of a skepticism on their singles ever since Raise a Flag. Even though it was the single that brought me to NoGoD, it was a pretty bland single. Kamikaze's b-sides weren't as interesting as the title track itself. Stand Up was very "commercial" if I can say that but Naraku was a hell of a b-side. 神髄 -FRONTIER- is a change! The title track is the best I have heard since Kakusei and while the chorus is a bit on their usual style the guitar solo and riff right after that more than makes up for that. The b-sides remind me a lot of Naraku with such amazing guitar intros and just amazing mood throughout the whole song. This is definitely an amazing single and apparently the first of a series from NoGoD on the concept of "true meaning"? Best single since Kakusei (Quoted)

I'm sorry, is this what we should expect from Alice Nine now? This single trumped every past single for me and it only had 2 new songs. Daybreak is just an upbeat joy to my ears that had me smiling the whole way and the instrumental is lovely as well. Heavenly Tale live is awesome, want to hear the rest of the songs on the single. 秘密 can take the cake as the jazziest, rock song of theirs for me. That acoustic intro is majestic, Shou's voice has improved greatly. The bass is MMM and the guitars are insanely cool. The only downfall is that there are only 2 new songs but at least I don't have to wait long for the next 2 months. Himitsu is the new Alice NIne favorite for me. I honestly cannot wait to hear what Shadowplay will be like and its B-side