What are your top 10 current visual kei bands?

[chemicalpictures 1888]

Active only, no disbandment announced (yet), no particular order:

 

Develop One's Faculties

FoLLoW

MORRIGAN

NIA

Neverland

SuG

DIAWOLF

UNiTE.

DEZERT

MEGAMASSO

[vanivani 558]

I guess this would be my current list? lol

 

蒼-AO-

Sweet x Home

NIA

glamhaze

JACK+MW

ANOMIY.

VaniKILL

BVCCI HAYNES

Linaria

KAVKA

[CCXXVIII 30]

after 4 months.......... man i still love xaa-xaa LOL

 

1. xaa-xaa

2. the Raid.

3. MEJIBRAY

4. DIAURA

5. DADAROMA

6. Sibilebashir

7. REIGN

8. Rides in ReVellion

9. SuG

10. JILUKA 

Edited August 30, 2016 by CCXXVIII

[-Tetsu- 379]

only active bands? okay let's try ...

 

1. Jiluka

2. Killaneth

3. Nocturnal Bloodlust

4. Paranoid≠circuS

 

I'd only call those 4 my current favorite bands
but I listen to some more atm ...

 

5. REIGN <- just got into them

6. DADAROMA <- there aren't many songs I like...

7. K (ex born) <- he only released one CD, so I don't know if I'll keep listening, but sounds promising

8. 藍-AI-

9. MORRIGAN

10. GYZE <- not sure if they're visual kei?

 

 

wouldn't be that difficult with disbanded bands

Spoiler

1. UnsraW

2. DOAK

3. Jiluka

4. Killaneth

5. DEATHGAZE

6. D'espairsRay

7. Crimson Shiva

8. Nocturnal Bloodlust

9. Paranoid≠circuS

10. DIO ~distraught overlord~

 

 

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

About an year ago this list would have looked a lot different. Even if the "worst in year in vk" is a running gag at this point, 2015-2016 was downright cataclysmic for me. I'll try this out nonetheless if only for the sake of future reference. A band is excluded from this list if their last release that I liked came like a decade ago

 

MEJIBRAY

 

They've sounded exactly the same since the SM compilation, despite a few people's opinion on the contrary. I just lol when they release 3 to 4 singles a year and they manage sway some fools opinion from "complete shit" and "Mejibray is back!" about just as many times. Their sound and concept is an established thing that doesn't change, they compose songs from the exact same mold. Perhaps not daring, but there's really no vk band around in 2016 that's pushing any boundaries and breaking barriers save for Dir en grey ( whether that's a good thing is up to oneself to decide ). Either way they're absolutely beautiful, tsuzuku rules.

 

GALLO  

 

Another beautiful band with an eccentric vocalist who's filthy vibrato warbles its way into my heart. The origin of their riffcraft is hard for me to discern, although I got hunches from what sources they channel the spirit from. That's a good change of pace when these days it's pretty easy to see what band is getting their inspiration from where. 

Savage lyrics too. They're also, in my opinion, improving from one release to the next.

 

DADAROMA

 

At first I was disappointed that they didn't go for the generic deathcore sound their first PV implied, as their musical horizons swiftly broadened with the addition of a quintessentially, in good and bad, visual kei circus clown gimmick. Once I got used to it I started to really like their stuff. The vocalist is still a savage and there's not a track where he doesn't kill. 

 

PENTAGON

 

They kind of sucked at first to be honest. One of their first PV's ( or was it the first? ) distilled all the bad traits of Mejibray into some really bland shit. I got curious with boy waltz and since then they've completely won me over with their seamless juxtaposition of hirokicore and regular vk-core affair. Another band that has 1. a fabulous vocalist 2. a stupid clown gimmick

 

Sukekiyo

 

I was so prepared to hate this band. When the first PV came out I thought it was meandering atmospheric bollocks. I don't remember when the debut was released but it might have been even as late as an year later when I finally tried it out with a more open mind and got on board. 

During the Macabre-Vulgar period Kyo was dying a thousand deaths on tape constantly by the way he garbled lines while going high, low, left, right and center sporadically throughout a song's length, and that's what made him cool. Now in say an album like Dum Spiro Spero he's very much in control of himself in his method; screaming, growling and doing the free wheeling falsetto sound like different outfits he employs to portray a distant narrator changing techniques on cue. In Sukekiyo he sort of reverts back into the spontaneity of olde Dir en grey, despite the unmistakable maturity gained with age.

 

DEZERT

 

This band is on a downward spiral and I can feel it. While the first D'espairsray stuff was kind of _okay_, the peak was reached with the first LP that was a landmark in grotesque new nu metal kei that channels angura and coal chamber into a pitch black vk sludge. The second album chiselled out their rougher parts while still maintaining a fairly consistent quality, but holy shit this latest new BMTH rip off shit just broke my heart. They're still on this list because they haven't yet released anything outstandingly awful

 

I feel that's just around the corner

 

Kiryu

 

Incredibly consistent in the grand scheme of things. Even if I feel their best period is far behind ( this would be everything up to the first album ), they still manage to develop small things and surprise - but only if you look at them year by year. Despite their shtick remaining as it is, by comparing the second and the most recent album you can definitely notice an amped up ferocity, like they have to be the fastest playing visual kei band ever. Add this to a finely developed pop sensibility and swallowing a new batch of same kiryu every year isn't so bad.

 

caligari

 

I don't know whether I'm including caligari purely on sentimental reasons because I don't know what the fuck they're doing these days. At one point it felt like they were one foot in the grave, then a slew of under the radar live distributed releases and at least a dozen DVD's released presumably to pay debts or something. Still, when they do release something and I get to hear it, it's pretty good. Probably the only old band that has never embarrassed itself, although occasionally rather underwhelming. Everything up to 8 is classic shit though make no mistake about it.

 

AINS collective of Grieva, Gossip and Kuroyuri to Kage

 

They're molded from the same substance and when one of them disbands, the rest are sure to follow. Each has its problems like Grieva's horribly blatant lifts and generally really terrible riffs, Gossip's current lack of urgency and Kuroyuri's sameness; yet I still feel they have their place and despite plagiarism have amicable concepts. It's fun music and that VA they released is a new vk classic.

 

AIECORE of Keel, God and the death stars

 

I don't think Aie has done anything mind blowing since lamiel, but that said these bands quite good and more exciting than I initially fancied them to be. The 9goats guy isn't my favorite I have to say that. 

 

moar bands I follow with a degree of enthusiasm that might just as well go up or down: anfiel, codomo dragon, royz, sibile, diaura, chanty, buglug, merry even gazette sort of maybe

 

[Kuroha 65]

for me

1 the GazettE

2 Dir en grey (sukekiyo and DECAYS included)

3 DELUHI (FED, Sujk solo and UNDIVIDE included)
4 GALEYD (especially for Meku and Nikky project now)

5 Acid Black Cherry

6 LUNA SEA

7 Alice Nine (A9)

8 Versailles (KAMIJO solo and Jupiter included)

9 NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST

10 Synk;yet

[Mamo 1172]

I share your thought for the most part @Disposable. I'm going to try to do my own detailed list like you've done when I have time.

[gojiragojira 17]

Caligari, bucktick, kra, 101a, silence...,munimuni, ka'f'ka, nanase aikawa, lunasea

[ShTon 268]

1. Alice Nine
2. heidi.
3. vistlip

4. UNiTE.

5. Purple Stone

6. GOTCHAROCKA

7. Anfiel

8. xaa-xaa

9. DADAROMA

10. D=OUT

 

Well, this looks kinda depressing without disbanded/on hiatus ones... xD

Edited November 19, 2016 by ShTon

[hiroki 5521]

@ShTon nice list!!!

 

i'm gonna do this again because some of my bands have disbanded >_>

 

1. vistlip

2. Anfiel

3. Purple Stone

4. FoLLoW

5. glamhaze

6. THE SINK.

7. ViV

8. BLESSCODE

9. ASTARIA

10. Anli Pollicino

 

FoLLoW and glamhaze are disbanding in dec/jan respectively, so when that happens i guess SDM and vivarush will make the list.

[sakuran 1216]

1. Buck-Tick

2. David

3. DIAURA

4. Elysion

5. Grieva

6. Kiryuu

7. Kuroyuri to Kage

8. Mejibray

9. the GazettE

10. Yusai

Edited March 1, 2017 by ryuhime

[Euthanasia 333]

only ten...

 

1. MEJIBRAY

2. MORRIGAN

3. Acid Black Cherry

4. DEZERT

5. ペンタゴン

6. 摩天楼オペラ

7. FIXER

8. ザアザア

9. the GazettE

10. DADAROMA

 

(DIAURA, Dir en grey, lynch., ect.)

 

Not in order.

[pingpongdream 34]

1. DIR EN GREY

2. sukekiyo

3. KEEL

4. HOLLOWGRAM

5. STEREO.C.K

6. uchusentai:noiz

7. MERRY

8. Plastic Tree

9. DALLE

10. えんそく

 

I really loved Ruvie, Dali, Sel'm, Pawn, MoNoLith, amber gris, 9GOATS, 「あゃ」 and 12012..

[suji 8317]

Current list (active & disbanded bands):

1. MERRY
2. Megaromania
3. Jisedai Excite
4. Misa bands ♥
5. Plastic Tree
6. Marco
7. Metis Gretel
8. Mercurius
9. Labaiser
10. Elysion

[Koichi-Ayame 197]

1. Mejibray

2. Diaura

3. Grieva

4. Dir en grey 

5. Dadaroma

6. Purple Stone 

7. Vivalet

8. Killaneth

9. Rides in ReVellion

10. the GazettE 

[Jigsaw9 6783]

On 2013. 07. 18. at 10:05 AM, Jigsaw9 said:

Alice Nine

BUCK-TICK

cali≠gari

CELL

emmurée

GAUZES

Grieva

LUNA SEA

MEJIBRAY

Miss Jelly Fish

 

Haha, interesting to look at 3-years-ago-me's list.  It changed to the following for now:

 

BUCK-TICK
cali≠gari

DEZERT
emmurée
Grieva

Kuroyuri to kage
LUNA SEA

MERRY
MUNIMUNI

sukekiyo

Edited November 20, 2016 by Jigsaw9

[blackxbaccarat 6]

My current list (active only, no particular order):

 

1. Mejibray

2. The Black Swan

3. Jiluka

4. Nocturnal Bloodlust

5. DAMY

6. Gossip

7. Kuroyuri to Kage

8. Grieva

9. Reign

10. Scapegoat

[patientZERO 1066]

In no particular order:

 

01. DADAROMA

02. NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST

03. THE BLACK SWAN

04. JILUKA

05. Deviloof

06. lynch.

07. KEEL.

08. Develop One's Faculties

09. Fixer

10. DIR EN GREY (always)

[t597 187]

merry go round, smells, 地獄絵, scissors garden, syster, mercuro, scare crow, 蜉蝣, emmurée, deadman

[Fatal_Error_Race 4]

My top 10 VK bands
(no particular order . no matter Active or not) :

1. D.I.D. 
2. the GazettE
3. DIR EN GREY
4. Mejibray
5. 摩天楼オペラ
6. NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST
7. Plastic Tree
8. 聖飢魔 II
9. DIO ~distraught overlord~
10. Sadie

[Yuutsu1 9]

1.The Gallo

2.真天地開闢集団ジグザグ

3.Vexent

4.Elysion

5.Gossip

6.Memento Mori

7.Deviloof

8.Kuroyuri to Kage

9.Exist Trace

10.The Piass

<3

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

Although my response is on this page I shall alter it a little bit.

 

1. Gallo

2. Mejibray

3.Pentagon

4. Dadaroma

5. DEZERT

6. Anfiel

7. Chanty

8. Codomo Dragon

9. Sukekiyo 

10. Kuroyuri

 

I've decided that everything else just bores me. Anfiel is the best singles band going today and that new PV sounds no worse for wear than anything else they've put out since the album. Codomo Dragon and Chanty also solid as fuck, stayin' tru to their concepts and being consistent. As it stands, this is a comprehensive list of the active visual kei bands I'm interested in.

 

 

[Wakarimashita 317]

In no particular order & including disbanded ones (still listen to them):

 

1. DELUHI

2. NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST

3. GALEYD

4. the GazettE

5. D.I.D.

6. CodeRebirth

7. DADAROMA

8. SIGNAL

9. FAR EAST DIZAIN

10. girugamesh

[Nisshoku 14]

Ten...hopefully I have so many :'D no particular order (including disbanded ones because I still love them so much)

 

1. the GazettE

2. lynch.

3. DADAROMA

4. NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST

5. JILUKA

6. CANIVAL

7. D'espairsRay <3 | girugamesh

8. Develop One's Faculties

9. ARCHEMI.

10. Shellmy

 

To Shellmy... I gotta feeling there aren't many lovers here?! I really like their music and style. Are there any other Shellmy fans here?

...and yes...I cheated at point 7 but they're both disbanded...unfortunately Dx

[TODORA 18]

I´ll try to go for bands which deserve more recognition in my opinion |D


- Arlequin

- D.I.D. (even though you can count them as disbanded..)
- Scapegoat

- Avanchick

- The Black Swan

- Piglow in gloomy

- Dispina

- Amanjaku
- Vrzel

- Kiryu