Name your underrated album

[Zeus 7997]

Everyone has that one album sitting in the annals of their collection somewhere - a simply magnificent opus that you think no one else in the world knows about. This would be that topic to share it. So if you had to pick out one album from your musical collection as an extremely underrated album that more people should listen to, what would it be and why?

[sai 868]

From Japanese stuff the first thing I'd name is vistlip's THEATER.

Vistlip is a band that is often ridiculed or hated on by other people on this forum, saying that they "suck" or lack any sorts of talent. Of course everyone has the right to have their own opinions, but these people have obviously never listened to their first full album, THEATER. THEATER is a mix between unique ballads, songs with catchy hooks and the hard stuff with some scratching in between. Ground breaking within the Japanese music scene it is not, but definitely a great album that is overlooked way too often. Their singles following it weren't great, I agree, but if you're starting with this band this is your place to go. It was the first thing I heard by them, it will definitely take away your doubt of trying this band.

[CAT5 9075]

hmm.....

[leafwork 814]

Guniw Tools - Niwlun, definitely.

[Number Girl 48]

I'm going to have to go with either Grand Slam's Inside or Outside or Rhythmic Noise. All of it is pretty damn good catchy Japanese glam/sleaze rock that should be more popular (in the J-Rock fandom) than it is and probably would be if they weren't all so hard to buy, imho.

[fitear1590 2414]

Well, it's a mini-album, but the number one underrated release that I can think of right now would definitely be:

DIMMDIVISION. - A Day In The PanoraMagic.

It has great vocals and a cool atmosphere, thanks to the mix of shoegazey, alternative, and ethereal influences, among others. Overall, a very strong and beautiful release. I truly don't understand how they don't have more listeners (only 101 on last.fm). It might simply be a lack of good marketing, because their CD is pretty hard to buy and they don't technically even have a band photo anywhere that I can find.

Give my favorite song "NightFlight" a try!

[Slsr 207]

Well, for people who know me it will likely be no surprise what will I write about here TBH . For me it's best album that has been ever made anyway, and it's not too popular, so like I even could name any other album here...

Anyway for me such album is M - 燦燦 (Sansan), I must have listened this album crazy many times so objectivity I once might have towards it is just gone even if I recognize that it has it's shortcomings too. Album is musically quite simple piece and not all that catchy but I think band is just extremely solid as whole and unable to make bad song, not to mention I've grown to love vocals very much making this album quite awesome to listen IMO .

[TheBistroButcher666 228]

Japanese only ~~

Hvc7dsiyDB8

Mother fuckin Oto-oni. The whole damn album is intense.

[Pretsy 1343]

La'cryma Christi - Dwellers of a Sandcastle

La'cryma is quite underrated in general (if we take MH and last.fm folks these days into account), and this is also the album most newbies skip for no apparent reason - I mean fhs - your first LC songs (either 'Forest' or 'Warm Snow', pick one) would be most probably lifted off HERE...

Anyways, this really sticks out as a vk release due to it's "late 70s-ish artsypantsy pop-ish rock with a tinge of Kingston Wall-ish psychedelia"-factor - which lifts them to the same level with Malice Mizer in terms of "the most intriguing and unusual vk bands"

ps. it's in fact, a rerecording of their first EP called "Warm Snow" - but I prefer this one sound-wise

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hrWgB3uRYAk

(ps. this is one of the best vk "pop" songs, hands down)

Strictly recommended for Ledzep/Kingston Wall/Luna Sea (and prob. X JAPAN) fans

[Augie1995 325]

I guess for me it would be Rin Toshite Shigure's album, "Still A Shigure Virgin"

My favorite song is "This is is this" Check them out!!

cZ7bVAsx8C4

[Senedjem 510]

Seconding the fuck out of Dwellers of a Sandcastle

[Caution 0]

The Harem Q - Opium

They have a whopping 76 listeners on Last.fm. What a shame. Sakura from L'Arc~en~Ciel, Rouge from Billy and the Sluts, and Marquee from Speed-iD. I'm not good at describing music so listen to it...or don't. I can't force you.

http://www.mmcafe.com/nico.html#http:// ... nm17515926

[Takadanobabaalien 3607]

I guess for overseas fans, most LUNA SEA albums. Especially MOTHER.

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Except for that, I guess I could mention La Feerie's 'LA Berceuse" and Ruellia's "俳傀連華".

[leafwork 814]

After my last few days of listening, I'd definitely have to add Liphlich - Something Wicked Comes Here. Only 108 listeners on last.fm for that album.

[Zeus 7997]

I sat back and thought about this for a week. There were a couple of albums that I thought should be mentioned but I'm only in the mood to write one for now.

That album would be Absolutego by Boris, hands down. Even amongst Boris fans there's a huge aversion to this album, and for good reason. Absolutego isn't easy listening because you don't listen to Absolutego - you experience it. Absolutego isn't even a song. It's an hour long sonic nightmare that rises from the darkest sea imaginable, grabs you by the throat and wrecks your perception of time, space and music. There are few better ways to passively freak yourself out than sitting in a dark room with this song on full-blast with really good speakers.

It's a pilgrimage I think everyone needs to take at least once.

[beni 2149]

In VK, off the top of my head, girugamesh's NOW and The GazettE's TOXIC seems to be more disliked than liked, but my all time favourite in VK which seems to go unnoticed is EAT YOU ALIVE's Apocalypsis. A flawless album, one of my firm favourites in VK. Also, seconding vistlip's THEATER to the heavens.

[blackdoll 907]

lycaon every one thats after royal order

[emmny 4139]

l'eprica  - missa

its not a masterpiece really but its a phenomenal gothic/nagoya album that not many people other than hardcore nagoya stans know about. its moody, dark, heavy and all round a great listen.

RES - the bottom of chaos

this album doesnt get enough love on here even though its not at all an obscure album. the production sounds a little weak at times and satsuki's screaming is a little messy but the catchy melodies and headbang are unlike any other

sugar - sweetest

so jazzy. so sexy. so DARK. so emo

[MikuKun 83]

Hmm well I love Vistlip so I agree that people should really give them more credit, Tomo has such a beautiful voice.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=widKdOOc0ow

 

 

 

  Liphlich is absolutely hand's down amazing, they are soo creative and have such amazing musician's that they deserve more than what they get.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8bQx0X_25U

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuSiYv4G2hk

 

I don't know if it's underated per say but I think anything by UNiTE is amazing and that their album Meaning was absolutely amazing.

 

 

 

Administrator was another really great visual kei band that didn't release much but they did release an album called "Cross" and I thought it was astounding, I would recommend that album to anyone, Administrator was actually the lead singer of Chanty's old band and the bassist of Chemical Picture's to name some well known band's, they are great.

 

 

A band called Carpe Diem released an album a while ago that was titled, "Carpe Diem" and it is really really good and worth the listen.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6c-0wrLbQc

 

Jackman released an album titled "Giga" and it was really great, so were their single's. 

 

 

 A(ACE) was an amazing band that didn't get much credit but I thought their releases were brilliant so I would recommend everything by them, mostly the "Black And White" album then the "Shiroi Akum (Phantom Of The Snow)" single, absolutely amazing band.

 

 

  Jikkendai Marmot is a group that make's some really good song's they are very jazzy and that's what got me into them so give them a try.

 

 

 Kra is so good, I don't know if they are under rated but they have been around a long time and they don't seem to get a lot of credit but they are so worth the listen trust me.

 

 

 M:a.ture is another group that has been around a long time but I don't read much about them, they have really solid releases and great musician's, their newest album "End Roll" is pretty fantastic and their other album's are definitely worth the listen, if you don't want to listen to three album's they have a best of album titled "Kaleidoscope" it doesn't cover the newest album "End Roll" but it get's the rest of their releases and it's very good too, though I would personally say "End Roll" is their best release.

 

 

 ROOKIZ is PUNK'D is a really good rock band, their album "From Dusk Till Dawn" is great.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi6XbBm0j04

 

 Srash Note's Garden is an Indie three piece that is coming out with their first full length album soon, their mini album's are really creative though so give them a try

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-pBkI1TdPk

 

Amazarashi is a three piece alternative group with three support member's, they write some beautiful song's with amazing meaning's, they released a song called "Digging Hole's" the music video to the song was filmed in the suicide forest located in Aokigahara, the video is thirty printer's set up throughout various trees and other places printing out about 200,000 tweet's of people expressing their wish to die, I don't know the translation to the song but it is hauntingly beautiful and if you are like me the song will touch you deeply, at least watch the PV if you want to see and hear something so gorgeous and meaningful.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnYF93ckZAA

 

VSK is a strange group, they are apparently a group of well known musician's but I couldn't find out who they were, they do cover's of AKB48 song's and they are pretty cool, their album "God Song's" is fun so try them out!

 

 Yeti is a band that was created by the Ex vocalist of Aicle and the guitaris from .EXE, the bassist of  SERIAL NUMBER and drummer from Irokui, they are really good, they are indie in a way that resembles Radwimps, they have some very good mini album's

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnYF93ckZAA

 

 Yazzmad is a four piece visual kei band that is up and coming, they are very talented and are very creative, they released an album titled "Picturesque" give it a try.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSYRDUWmFgE

 

 Artemis is a five piece visual kei band that seems to barely exist at all but they are very good, they released an album titled "Connect" in my opinion it is really good give it a try!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCzRdgWF0fY

 

 Sorry for this being so long but I hope someone get's some use from this! Thank you!

[Heroin 53]

Well I do have that one album, Gallows Gallery by Sigh. Very amazing experience listening to the album. Something out of the ordinary that you dont hear in a metal album. Also songs I love to jam to.

I swear very underrated album and even the band itself. People notice, but not much recognition.

Definitely a listen.

 

(their other stuff are amazing as well)

[Furik 832]

The only "underrated" album that comes to mine, in my opinion, would end up being MUCC's "6" album.

It wasn't a breakthrough album or anything spectacular by any means but it was defining in a sense that it harkened back to their darker heavier sound after releasing the lighter "Hoyoku" not even half a year earlier. Months later they would release the acclaimed (by fans anyway) "Gokusai".

 

I love "6" to death and was so pleased with it when it came out. I did not like "Hoyoku" at all. I remember it came out (Hoyoku) during the fall of my first semester of college and I only listened to it like once and.. that was the only listen to this day. I was expecting something along the lines of "Kuchiki" or something earlier. Nope. So 6, to me, is a great underrated album. When people talk MUCC, they always mention the following Kuchiki no tou, Shion or Homura Uta. 

 

I believe people usually forget "6" due to it being released so shortly after Hoyoku and is quickly forgotten because months later Gokusai came out. So, to me it's a pretty underrated release and is easily one of my favorite releases from the band. It has darker songs like Kukyo no Heya (which has a great intro extends the fantastic 6 intro before it) and the incredibly melodious Akai Sora. Haribote no Otona is also a fantastic track that harkens back to their older sound with a great build up and breakdown in the middle of this track. 

[Pretsy 1343]

An addition to my previous post:

 

Capsule - L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer

 

Whenever you go and have a peek @ what Nakata fandom or just standard Capsule enthusiasts have to say about their favorites, you'd might rarely (even VERY RARELY these days) stumble upon someone bringing this up as their no. 1 choice. I think each talented act has a certain album in their repertoire that works as a "median" in their possible style transformations (the jury is still out on what exactly counts as DEG or MUCC's "median" for instance) - and in Capsule's case it's this album:

 

LDK is the first Capsule album to introduce house-y/dance-y elements that they will cultivate even further and eventually embrace completely in the long run, AND the last album to showcase (unfortunately) minimally missed "Shibuyaisms". One might imagine that such feat might only scream mumblejumble, but no - as my fellow enthusiasts might be already aware of it, Nakata garnered over decade-long experiences in making electro albums akin to the experimental/progressive concept albums (YMO influences showed their worth), and not just some odd collections of bangers to pop your pills and start raving to. Despite the fact that in LDK songs tend to work weakly when played separately, but as an entirety it's truly intriguing achievement. In case you are more of an album listener, and have enough time and desires to explore electro-based works with precision, jot this into your to-listen list

 

SPECIAL MENTION:

 

Dir en grey - The Marrow of a Bone

 

- Perhaps the only album that doesn't sport overwhelming "smorgasbord"-ian attributes (e.g. their first albums that lack aim/"goal" despite having many elements worth sympathizing to)

- Not Pro Tools'd to death (looking at you, post-Uroboros releases)

- Tailored for live performance-related purposes (highly appreciated)

- Risky, intriguing move (especially at that time when they were on the way of garnering their old fans back with friendly alt. rock -isms in WtD...and of course, that Dynamite Tommy arrest scandal)

- Even with the vast amounts of anti-bias, no one still ruled out the fact that most memorable moments (aside from radio hits @Gauze) stem from this album, OOGABOOGABOOGA.

- Punchy arrangements (despite being ridden with "boo nu metal" and coreistic ambitions)

- Kyo sounds fittingly "raw" in this one, when compared to his nasal doom @pre-Vulgar releases and glory of 3 Pro-Tools vocal layers @post-Uroboros releases. 

[saishuu 3220]

Kagrra, - 京 (Miyako) for me.

 

I don't know what's up with this album to be honest; it wasn't really well received when it came out (people were already assuming they sold out after going major) and people always overlook it since their most popular one, san, was released shortly one year after. The thing with Miyako for me is that it fills a void of darker tunes and a gloomy mood that always lacked in their discography and that was only rarely explored (like in songs in the same vein as Oumaga toki, from just a year earlier, and even older stuff from their first and classic mini-albums).

 

The production is kinda mushy, making Isshi's voice in particular more immerse in the songs rather than a standout, and it truly encompass that "oni" and demon-like energy they carried through their indie years, even in the more upbeat tunes like 徒然謌. Certain songs like 咒, 冬幻境 (Nao's bass solo and Isshi's vocal melody afterwards are a thing of beauty), 螺旋 and even the instrumental, selftitled intro are easily among my favorites in their catalogue. The only downside of this album imo is its lenght: 34 minutes just wasn't enough at the time. But then we got san, their largest one, later on with songs in a similar vibe like 斑雲, 鬼を憐れむ謳, 孑孒 and 廻, so it's all good.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

 

Dir en grey - The Marrow of a Bone

 

- Perhaps the only album that doesn't sport overwhelming "smorgasbord"-ian attributes (e.g. their first albums that lack aim/"goal" despite having many elements worth sympathizing to)

- Not Pro Tools'd to death (looking at you, post-Uroboros releases)

- Tailored for live performance-related purposes (highly appreciated)

- Risky, intriguing move (especially at that time when they were on the way of garnering their old fans back with friendly alt. rock -isms in WtD...and of course, that Dynamite Tommy arrest scandal)

- Even with the vast amounts of anti-bias, no one still ruled out the fact that most memorable moments (aside from radio hits @Gauze) stem from this album, OOGABOOGABOOGA.

- Punchy arrangements (despite being ridden with "boo nu metal" and coreistic ambitions)

- Kyo sounds fittingly "raw" in this one, when compared to his nasal doom @pre-Vulgar releases and glory of 3 Pro-Tools vocal layers @post-Uroboros releases. 

 

Seriously, THIS. One of my all-time fave DEG albums.