sukekiyo - IMMORTALIS

[Tokage 5930]

Okay, I'm going to be that lame guy who does track by track reviews because why the hell not hehehehehe

 

elisabeth addict - I still sort of think the track name is dumb, but the actual song itself.. Man, it's been a long time since an album opener blew me away like this. Though for the most part this is a rather calm song, there's never really any point where it strays into boring territory. The reason for this is just the absolute atmospheric quality. Really, this song sets the tone for the rest of the album. The world of IMMORTALIS is eerie, at times desolate and chaotic, but there's a certain harmony underneath all the layers of darkness. elisabeth addict embodies all these different facets. Kyo is in prime form here, alternating between regular singing, screeching and his infamous kyopera skills as the song comes to an end. The instruments complement nicely and the acoustic guitar and the drums create the feeling of wandering alone through a sandstorm. 

 

destrudo - The second track is an SE, I guess? It's an instrumental track, at least. The piano melodies are quite beautiful and melancholic. Even though it's an instrumental track it doesn't fall into the traditional SE pitfall of becoming monotonous. Still, I feel the song DOES overstay its welcome a bit even though it's just over two minutes. Probably one of my least favorite tracks on the album, but then again it's not really much of a song to begin with. I'll probably be skipping this one in the future. At least it fits within the overall atmosphere of the album, I guess.

 

latour - I'd like to imagine this is what a track off Uroboros would sound like if Dir en grey had decided to ditch the metal elements and instead embraced more of a nagoya kei sound. There's a decidedly 9goats-esque quality to the instrumental portion of this one. Latour still has the eerie atmosphere established by the opening track. However, this song alsoo introduces some very oriental-sounding grooves to the mixture and it fits quite well. The song evolves very organically, starting with an elaborate instrumental opening which takes up about the first third of the song. Once again, Kyo's vocals are very on point here and he contributes a lot to the increasingly maniacal fury the song builds towards.

 

nine melted fiction - Again a song with a title that made me go 'the fuck?' What ALSO made me go 'the fuck?' was that weird wolf howl-type thing Kyo pulls early on in the song. Seriously, what's up with that? It sort of took me out of the atmosphere of the album because it sounded so goofy, so it's a bit unfortunate. This song grooves along in a manner reminiscent of Dir's Toguro, until the part from the album preview finally appears and kicks the tempo up a bit. Kyo pulls some more weird vocal tricks throughout the song, but outside of that wolf sound I felt most of them added to the song's atmosphere instead of taking away from it.

 

zephyr - Well, the radio rip of this song was one of the reasons why I became so incredibly hyped for this album in the first place. Even with the low quality of the radio rip I already fell in love with this one, especially the vocal melody in the chorus. As other people already pointed out before, it's definitely one of the strongest vocal performances we've seen from Kyo in years. Although this song sort of breaks up the eerie, brooding mood of the album the previous tracks had established, it's far from out of place. I feel like this is nothing Dir en grey could ever have done, and yet it is so reminiscent of Dir en grey at their best. This is the first time outside of destrudo that I've managed to detect electronic effects in the music, but it doesn't overtake the rest of the instruments so it doesn't disturb. Still one of my favorite tracks on the album so far, although I already feel like it might eventually lose that position. 

 

hidden one - I don't know if it's because of the kyopera in this particular song or 'cuz of something else, but this song just doesn't really connect with me for some reason. The instrumentals are top notch once again, don't get me wrong. I guess it's something about the vocals that ticks me off. Who knows, maybe ii'll grow on me at some point.

 

aftermath - Another slow-burning song driven more by atmosphere than anything else. This was one of the first songs they released, but I only really listened to it once or twice before to be honest. Although there's quite a fair share of kyopera in this one as well (especially in the chorus) this song somehow doesn't rub me the wrong way. Quite a good ballad, although I can understand how it could be boring for some people. This is, once again, a very nagoya kei-ish song I think. 

 

烏有の空 - 2spooky4me. I guess I'd label this an SE as well. Very brooding and menacing, this one is. Out of the two SE-like tracks on the album, this has to be my favorite just because it's so menacing. The track brings to mind those Forbidden Siren survival horror games. I feel like the song is sort of misplaced within the context of the whole album though, as the way it transitions into the next song feels kind of awkward in my opinion. 

 

the daemon's cutlery - This is another song I don't care very much for. I THINK this was the very first thing sukekiyo ever released, but I already felt sort of indifferent to it back then. It's another song that feels like a less metal version of Uroboros. This is probably one of the most straightforwardly rocking tracks on the album, but it's still pretty weird. The song sort of managed to grasp my interest in its second half, when the chant-ish sounds and everything kick in, but the beginning as of yet does nothing for me. Maybe I'll come to appreciate the whole package eventually, who knows. 

 

scars like velvet - Now THAT's more like it! Straight from the start this track managed to capture my attention. Here the album returns to the sort of mid-tempo atmospheric nagoya-esque sound. This track has a very oriental sound again, which pleases me. I wish Dir en grey would explore that side of themselves further as well, it offers interesting possibilities. I can sort of imagine this song is perhaps a bit too heavy on the kyopera for some to handle, but I think it fits this particular type of song. Didn't disturb me, at least. I LOVE the way this song progresses and there's a neat little instrumental section near the end of the song as well.

 

mama - So APPARENTLY this is an old song of Kyo's that came with one of his poem books? I guess I'm a shit-tier fan, because I never heard the original. Still though, I have to say this song is absolutely gorgeous. It brings to mind Dir en grey's greatest ballads. Probably the most 'hopeful' out of all the songs on the album, at least in terms of sound. I don't know shit about the lyrics after all. Based on the preview I wasn't very intrigued by this song, but the full version actually pleasantly surprised me.

 

vandal - When I first heard the preview, I was instantly reminded of 9Goats' Headache and 690min. I guess that's okay, as I enjoy both of those songs. At several points in the song Kyo's vocals become almost reminiscent of his Kisou/Vulgar-era harsh vocals. Never expected to see THOSE featuring prominently in a song again. Despite the initial similarities to the aforementioned songs, this track is far from a simple ripoff. At some point the song changes gears COMPLETELY and segues into a creepy slower part before picking up the rocking pace again. Though the change is sort of abrupt, I felt like it didn't hurt the song. The weird chanting at the end was also quite charming.

 

hemimetabolism - I DID NOT EXPECT THIS ONE TO SOUND LIKE THIS AT ALL. Especially the first half. The song starts off with some mellow, melancholic instrumental action before shifting gears and unraveling into more spooky insanity at around the 2 minute mark. The vocals don't kick in until the last minute of the song. Very interesting composition, definitely one of the most surprising tracks on the album. 

 

鵠 - Another ballad-type song. Hella kyopera once again, so be warned. I found this song to be very calming, very spiritual. I've never really listened to them very much at all, but this is what I imagine Rentrer En Soi might've vaguely sounded like in my head. It's a good song, but because it's a rather straightforward song stuck between two rather unique ones I feel like this song might end up becoming 'forgotten', the type of song where you go "Ah, right. This still exists." when listening to the full album.

 

 斑人間 - Yeah, so I didn't expect this track to sound ANYTHING like this based on the preview. Again. Pleasantly surprised, although I feel like this track could've been a Dum Spiro Spero / The Unraveling b-side or something. Very dynamic, very diverse. I was most curious to hear the full version of this one based on the previews but I never imagined it to be like this. Still, the part from the preview is absolutely beautiful although I question how well it actually fits in the whole picture.

 

in all weathers - I was already all 'Ayyyyy' after hearing the radio rip. Full version is still amazing. Beautiful melodies, harmonies, everything. Also liked the callback to elisabeth addict at the end, really helps bring the album full circle. 

 

So yeah, this is my AOTY so far. I don't know how good or bad this review was, I usually don't write reviews. But.. yeah. These were my thoughts after listening to the album twice. 

 

4.5 / 5 

 

 

 

[Wonrei 108]

A bizarre yet refreshing mix of a progressive rock sound with the sound nagoya bands developed years ago - this album's sound just sounds like it came out of nowhere, just like the band itself. No one was expecting Kyo to ever come up with something like this - after all, everyone thought he was the antisocial member of Dir en grey who had no friends and didn't smile on camera. Here he grabs long time DEG collaborator Takumi, Mika(also from Rentrer en Soi), and members from kannivalism and 9gbo and manages to make a sound that comprises everything these bands make yet having its own identity.

 

From the first track, it's like Sukekiyo is inviting you for a journey in their world. Every track is almost like that - an adventure by itself, with some moments making you go and wonder if you're still listening to the same song. Like whatever the fuck went on with Kyo's vocals on the second part of "the daemon's cutlery" where he does some of the coolest screams I've heard from him, the fast metallic end to "latour", and the ambient-like style of the first half of "hemimetabolism". On this album it seems they get everything Dir en grey seems to try right - and it sounds really natural, unlike moments in Dir en grey's last album, Dum Spiro Spero, where it sounds like they were putting complex stuff just for the sake of it.

 

Besides the obvious nagoya sound and the overall "prog" aspect of the album, you can also spot some different influences, like the jazz in "mama"(the piano in the re-recorded mama eerily recalls some tracks from Daisuke's last album), the flamenco-like guitar in "斑人間" and perhaps some oriental influence, akin to Dir en grey's, on tracks like "elisabeth addict". Kyo also brings his vocals on a really wide range, using the screams, growls and screechs we already now and his infamous "kyopera" falsetto.

 

I had moderate expectaitons about this - the previews didn't really make me confident - but hell, this is GOOD. That good. Dir en grey's november album will have to really be a lot better than those singles to manage to grab my attention now. Time will tell, but I believe I'll probably give this more spins than any Dir en grey album. Kyo could even make this his main band now. Here Kyo finally manages to portray his "pretentious" style of making music and art on a way that isn't really pretentious, it's actually pompous, big, grandiose, and immersing. Nice way to start, and I hope they don't become a one-off project, and show us even more of this sound in the future.

 

9/10

[Ro plz 1290]

SUKEKIYO's IMMORTALIS is weird, and bizarre in the most awesome way...its also very nostalgic. I legit feel like I'm listening to RENTRER EN SOI, DIR EN GREY, and 9Goats All at the same time. Its nice to be able to get a blast from the past as well as a taste of what is now. I love this. I also totally agree with the above posters thoughts about DIR EN GREY's new album having to be better to take the attention from this. But with the way Kaoru and Toshiya are talking, musically I don't think It will hold up to IMMORTALIS. 

 

Man, first few listens and I'm giving this a 9/10.

 

Boss.

[Saaam-chan 50]

This album delievers! When I listen to these tracks, everything else which got released in 2014 sounds boring in comparison to me~

Well done!

I am sure This Album will grow fast on me!

9/10 points!

[kiddybombs 40]

I stopping to buy & download v-kei band since beginning 2013.., but after listen their first release song "aftermath", i decide to download this (even they called this v-kei), 

 

This release is really solid.

 

this album got 9/10 from me.

[relentless 254]

IMMORTALIS was something that I was very interested in listening to. At the end I would consider it an enjoyable experience, and a very nice break from what Dir en grey has been releasing as of late.

 

Though largely straight forward, there are some very interesting compositional elements throughout the album that bears a quality you don't see in Dir en grey. In Dir en grey you have Die and Kaoru playing the same riff for 4 measures in every song they've ever done -- here, there is actual melodic development with the guitar lines as they highlight the chord progressions, and supplement them, with extended phrasing. The music, and how its presented, is far superior to anything Dir en grey has done lately.

 

Kyo also puts on a good performance throughout the album; but the problems occur when he dives into the same bag of tricks that he always resorts to, and does it at a higher volume. This is undoubtedly HIS solo project as the music (though enjoyable) acts as the back drop to the display that Kyo puts on. This is good and bad as it highlights his strengths as a vocalist; but it also shows his lack of concern for form. On one hand you have some powerful vocal melodies; but on the other you have extended periods where Kyo is just rambling with no defined melody -- just making noise for the point of making noise. Then there's also his high pitched screams which arrive at the worst times, and various missed opportunities of improving a song by either removing the vocals, or inserting them in differing situations.

 

 

This was an enjoyable listen and should be highlighted for the other member's contributions, as Kyo's antics often overshadow them.

 

 

7/10

[Crube 585]

Honestly? I don't see it exactly as a kyo solo project. There's a lot of influences going on from the rest of the band that it's very hard to say it was solely kyo's work. Don't get me wrong, I'm not discrediting him on anything. Anyway, this is also a first time where I didn't hate the remixes of the original songs. This album is in the running for the best album for me. 10/10

[DogManX 179]

Just wow. I bow my head to all the people involved, just when I thought 9gbo's CALLING couldn't get something to rival it, here comes Immortalis. Calm and refreshing sound, just as you would expect from that kind of collaboration. 9gbo, RES and Dir en grey do have some connecting points anyway. Dunno..9/10 is good I guess.

Though I don't really understand the comparisons to Dir en grey all the time (other than just another opportunity to bash the band). The only Deg-member in it is Kyo, so of course it would sound different. The main influences obviously lie in  RES and 9gbo thrown together in the mulinex. This rivalry thinking is ridiculous. This band is not Dir en grey.

[kyoselflove 2680]

This is just amazing, I loved all the songs although some were defiantly better than others.  I am seriously in awe.  I love how it is very Kyo yet at the same time refreshingly new and unique, just completely different.  

 

10/10!

[EzraEroguro 174]

It's Rentrer en kannival black out grey.

8/10

I wasn't really expecting an explosion of such prog elements that Dir en grey attempted to use back in 2011 with DUM SPIRO SPERO. What's amazing is the musicianship portrayed by MIKA, TAKUMI, YUCHI, and UTA. Alone, they steal the show, and destroy Kaoru/Die's progression throughout Dir en grey's *entire* career. Upon further inspection, there's more believable melodic bridging between heavier and lighter transitions in songs like "Madara Ningen" which uses exceptional use of flamenco style guitar playing, in a sort of "asian-mariachi"-esque, while maintaining the insanity from the beginning of the track (serious shredding from Takumi/Uta, holy fuck.) Use of atmosphere is important as well, as "hemimetabolism" perfectly describes what the track is -- an incomplete, but decidedly whole composition free of pre-disposed concepts. Strong tracks like "hidden one", "aftermath", and "nine melted fiction" really display the band's technicality, and proficiency at a level which the boys in Dir could never touch. Yuchi's already displaying himself as a master of the rhythmic back-end, displayed in "the daemon's cutlery" (which is by the by, the best not-dir en grey-but-dir en grey song, if not the only one.). Vocally though? Lots of Kyo's newfound love for what other fans online are calling "Kyopera". Not that it's a bad thing though, as it compliments most songs nicely. The only gripe I have with this wonderful piece of work is the fact that it suffers from being incredibly disjointed at points. I understand there's a really progressive japanese metal feel to it; however it marrs otherwise wonderful tracks like "scars like velvet", and "zephyr".

Tl;dr : Kyo's new band blows Dir en grey's members out of the water with their technical/musical proficiency. Has ANYONE HEARD SHINYA PLAY DRUMS RECENTLY!? IT'S LIKE A TODDLER BANGING ON STUFF WITH NO AIM. This band will ease you into life without Dir en grey. It's a pretty solid first effort.

[Furik 832]

Never in my life did I ever feel that anything would feel that void of 9goats being no more. That was until I listened to this album. It's solid, perfect and well worth the wait. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much. The teasers did nothing for me. I'm glad I decided to give the album a try. Everything from the production to the performances throughout the songs are top-notch. This is a beautiful super-group baby. Rentrer en Soi, 9goats and Dir en grey? Yes, please. So much.

 

The albums atmosphere is gorgeous. It's like as if 9goats made Uroboros. Do I sound overly excited? I am. I love Kyo for this. I wouldn't go as far to say if Kyo decided to make this a full-time thing and leave Dir en grey in the dust though. However, I am curious to see where this project goes. 

 

I do have a few gripes though. I love Kyo's vocals - when he is actually singing but bringing his high pitched annoyances into this was not the best decision. Granted this is his "solo project" but with talents from some great bands, this honestly  feels more like a band - and i'm pretty sure it will stay that way. With the marketing and live performances, I have a feeling this album won't be a one time thing. I hope in the future, he will keep his out-of-place vocals to a minimum at least.

 

Also - mama. No, just no. I don't like this version. At all. First off, the original sounds like it could easily been on this album. I'm really upset how it turned out. I was so excited to hear this version but I was let down. As it's own individual song, I really do like it. I just don't like the change from the original to this version.

 

Finally, the random progressive experimentation. Maybe I was looking for something a little more straight forward and maybe i'm wrong here but I wish the album itself was a little more straight forward. If I put all my positives aside for a second, I know that the band as a whole is extremely talented and bringing in some great musicians to the table but some songs are just too random. An example of this is "nine melted fiction". I start grooving and mid way into a song goes completely awol. Maybe that's just the direction Kyo wanted but in some way, this is DSS Lite. This gripe isn't going to affect my love for this album as a whole but I just feel if the album was more straight forward like "in all weathers", I would've loved it even more.

 

 

Now, here are some of my favorite tracks: esliabeth addict, latour, hidden one, aftermath, in all weathers

Some songs I could've done without: nine melted fiction, zephyr (don't hate me), the daemons cutlery, scars like velvet, vandal

(I'm not going to include the SE)

 

Total Score: 9/10 (Yeah, my gripes didn't outweigh much at all - just little nitpicks, in all honesty)

[Gaz 1097]

well what can i say...

listened to this album twice but i don't feel it at all. there wasn't even a single remarkable song. some were alright but most of the tracks are quite boring. i guess it's just not my cup of tea. 

personal rating: 4/10 | not even close as good as 9gbo, deg or res

[Elazmus 1873]

Love the album completely, my favorites so far being Elisabeth Addict, Scars Like Velvet and Madara Ningen. All songs of this nature need time to grow on me more but these are the songs that compelled me to play twice on the first runthrough of the album.

 

EDIT: I ended up enjoying songs like Vandal and Daemon's Cutlery more than I thought and a lot more than other people seemed to

 

I only wish there was a bit more of Rentrer's presence in here, but I am a big fan of every member of this lineup so any combination. This will most likely be my favorite album of 2014 but we are not even halfway currently so that remains to be seen, top 3 for the year for me without question.

 

8.5-9/10

[Takadanobabaalien 3607]

Passed by Tsutaya in Shibuya yesterday, and with all the reviews here in mind I decided to buy the album, and wow. It's fucking amazing...

[Pretsy 1343]

Not going with track-by-track reviews but with a brief comment instead:

 

(I apologize for DEG comparisons beforehand)

 

The biggest plus of this release is (what I actually count as "great" in my book, unlike most of people around here) sorta consistent variety - with influences from "Nord-folk"-ish (Elisabeth Addict?), oriental (Uyuu no Sora, Madara Ningen), mariachi (Madara Ningen) and even some 70s-80s worship (the prime example for this would be "scars like velvet"), you'd think that it ends up as one hell of a jumble-mumble.

 

Gladly enough we have such names with surprising, technical talents like Mika (didn't care much for him in RES but here...wow), Yuchi (basically the backbone of Sukekiyo's rhythmical section) and Takumi + Uta (yes, no matter how unintentionally provocative this might sound - their ways of playing even surpass the way Die and Kaoru work along //DEG comparison 1) who shine in many songs - despite Kyo's obvious need in trying to be "omniscient" with his out-of-place noises like for eg:

 

1) random howl in "nine melted fiction" (ok?)

2) coughing and choking in Hemitabolism's "instrumental" part 

3) NYANYANYA in "Madara Ningen" (it's 50/50 - it *makes* the song, and at the same time annihilates its seriousness)

 

Despite the album having some obvious "bastard children" - like "Vandal" being the good instance of "mishmashing hard-ish 9GBO-ish songs together" in a way (grows in me quite fast tho), or "Kugui" and "Zephyr" being kinda obviously taken from Takumi's hat of unused RES ideas (they are kinda solid though!), it's still good to hear a "sum" of soundscapes from each member's background - in fact, might just go along and list some odd but neat surprises:

 

1) Kugui and Mama - it's been awhile - no, it's been like AGES since I've had a chance to hear Kyo do something..."poppish"? Won't surprise me if Yuchi and Takumi had their hand in this.

2) "Madara Ningen" in general - no, neither projects of theirs had a song like this. I suppose someone of them adores bands in the vein of Unexpect? (thanks Piisu)

3) "The Daemon's Cutlery"'s in-your-face value + random, "nostalgic" lyrics ("Give me your master...Mad Pain"-part sounding a lot like DEG's Aoi Tsuki for eg. // DEG comparison 2)

4) Vandal's "pause" - wow...

5) The way guitarwork and Kyopera go along in "scars like velvet" is just beautiful

 

But there are also a few things to complain about:

 

1) Destrudo's position - why the 2nd though? Almost flow-ruining experience.

2) Hemimetabolism  - I kinda liked the unexpected result BUT with coughing, choking, goddamn long intro part and quite awkward placement of *actual* singing it will lose its replaying value pretty fast

3) In All Weathers - "LOTUS"-syndrome here, guys - a.k.a "unnecessary hurrying in trying to encompass all the good in the beginning and leave it unfinished-ish" // DEG comparison 3

 

Other than that, it easily saves its place as one of the best J-albums of this year BOTH vk AND non-vk-wise - and possibly as a classic too. You can't go wrong when you see dozens of positively "oversurprised "comments in 2ch-side + Oricon charts.

 

 

8,5-9/10 (too lazy to count the final rating)

[miyuu 40]

i can't review. but can i say my favorite songs are: hidden one , mama , vandal , 鵠.

i like new mama very much!

i love the end of 鵠 when kyo sings

[seratonin 43]

i passively listen to albums while doing something else, like studying. a 1/5 is me constantly deleting (horrible songs) and skipping songs (not feeling it, but might like later). I've removed whole albums a song at a time before.

If the whole album makes no impression on me, I just play through the album. Good songs I mark, really good songs I add to playlists.
The only really good song I added to a playlist was zephyr.
Other songs made no initial impression on me, but later held interest were mama, 鵠, in all weathers, destrudo.
The rest I constantly skipped (gave chance after chance by not removing them) or just removed.

5/10 only because of zephyr and several slightly above average songs
 

[nullmoon 784]

I truly think Aftermath is one of the best songs I've ever heard and it really got me psyched for this album. However after listening to it a few times, I really don't think it lives up to the hype at all. Apart from the aforementioned track and a few others like Zephyr and Latour, I feel pretty let down. It's too long, the tracks don't flow and there aren't enough songs that stand out.

While I find their slightly menacing tone really enjoyable to listen to, I don't think they surpass 9goats or Deg in the slightest. Personally I would give this a 6/10.

[platanity 99]

i admit this album cant be understated but some might not be fond of this .

despite that, i just love every aspect of this album , 

the technicality, ambience, concept, melody, composition, and the band itself .

 

but my top tracks are , 

 

album

 

1. elisabeth addict : very nice intro track !

2. destrudo : love the piano

5. zephyr : hands down my favorite track, cant be bored of it .

7. aftermath : i think this tracks somes up the concept of the band

11. mama : possibly the third favorite track . dont care about others' opinion, i just love it 

12. vandal : reminds me of 'hydra' of dir en grey

13. hemimetabolism : love the twist in the end

14. 鵠 : my second favorite track . the composition and the melody stands out 

16. in all weathers : beautifully abstruse and dark .

 

remix

2. 鵠 (remixed by PABLO (P.T.P)) : reminded of 'resident evil' soundscore, i love that sweeping bass

3. zephyr (remixed by TK (凛として時雨)) : hands down the best track in remix album , a lot of instruments, cleverly composed without tracks being tangled each other

5. nine melted fiction (remixed by 石井 秀 (cali≠gari, GOATBED)) : another nice track

8. the daemon's cutlery (remixed by 人時) : for the sake of my loyalty toward kuroyume nice drum&bass remix

10. mama (remixed by 橘 尭葉  妖精帝國) : love the pop-twist version track !

 

all in all 9/10 : i somehow had very low interest on tracks what most of the people here were positive about . especially 斑人間, scars like velvet .

admit some tracks had intricate compositions, but i did not perceive the melody as 'interesting' and likable. anyhow, yeh .

[dannemannen 69]

Better than dir en grey...
9/10

[bonsaijodelfisch 328]

ok, right upfront, am i the only one, that deson't really get all the exitement about this album? it pretty much falls into the cathegory "appreciate the effort, but no thanks"

i'll start with what is (very!) good about this release.

you can tell that there went a lot of effort into all of these tracks.

there are tons of different and interesting ideas incorporated into pretty much all of these songs

by every single member and the production team aswell at some points.

it is also great that everyone seems to have stepped out of their comfort-zone a bit

doing things a little different than in their previous bands to create something new.

also there isn't any performance that only goes by the standard procedure of a bass/git/vox/drum formula.

everyone tries to add something unique to it, so it doesn't become a "kyo+friends"-sideproject.

with all this effort, with all this willingness to take a risk, with all the creativity-input from every side,

i really really really wanted to like this record.

i tried hard to, but now after four listens or so i think i don't, and here is why.

------------

unfortunately the songs in their completed stage don't work. that is as themselves, and as the 16-track combination that is this album.

you can tell that this is a very new project, that hasen't really accustomed to each other yet.

you can tell that there is always eclectic stuff going on in the guitars, some eclectic stuff with the bass and some offbeat drumming going on,

all buried under eclectic multilayered falsetto-choruses from kyo, but none of this really fits the other.

it feels more like an endless stream of random ideas in each part, that every member had lieing around somewhere on their harddrive

added afteranother and layered over another.

there is very few occasions, where one of the parts actually serves the other or compliments it.

furthermore there then is very little developement or dramaticality in the tracks, they start at some point, morph their initial idea/groove a few times around and then at some point they end, like a shapeless form of music, that just happens to be as long as it is.

no progression, no (or very little and poorly executed) transitions and very little to be exited for then.

this results unfortunately in an album where very little sticks to the mind and which is, despite all its originality, pretty boring.

there are only 3 or four tracks that manage to make a slight dent in my memory,

but even those are only kinda meh-ish, all the rest is a shapeless blob of random noodling.

-------------------

and now for the obligatory (current!) DEG refernce,

deg members have most of the time a very similar, boxy and eclectic, un-catchy type of playing,

even their "melodic" tracks aren't really that melodic at all.

but they have managed to put all their weirdness together.

to know when to take a step back and just do chugchug, when to abruptly end phrases to get into a completely different gear for a bridge/chorus/whatevs.

despite everyone sucking pretty bad at their instruments of choice, through knowing and considering each others abilities and giving each other space they managed to incorporate their ungroovy ideas to create breathing and obscure lively behemoths of songs that keep you on the edge of the seat.

this is the very quality, that sukekiyo still lacks greatly,

a good songwriter/arranger to put all that creative brilliance into good use in a dramatical and organic song.

not doing a track by track, but in general this album would probably get sth like a 6/10 (4 of that for effort), who knows, mabe it'll grow on me, but i doubt it.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

this results unfortunately in an album where very little sticks to the mind and which is, despite all its originality, pretty boring.

 

You encapsulated my overall feelings brilliantly with this one sentence. Basically this is what I feel about the album.

 

Lots of cool parts here and there and very interesting sounds, but all in all it is too long, boring and tedious to listen to (for me at least). I actually tried to listen to it for a third time but somehow lost the willpower, lol.

[miyuu 40]

i can't review. but can i say my favorite songs are: hidden one , mama , vandal , 鵠.

i like new mama very much!

i love the end of 鵠 when kyo sings

 

also i said my opinion in deg thread. for me sukekiyo lacks music.

i would recommend it to someone who like more 9goats type of music and not deg.because they are  different.

my fav songs above i think probably reminded more deg or res,from all the songs in the album.

also i think kyo is very talended vocalist. because sometimes while the music is boring for me ,he leads more with his voice and creates interesting/beautiful melodies. while the music is meh. i mean in other words the melodies he creates singing is more interesting than the music. sometimes.

he does that with deg too but there we have also amazing music (at least for me).

 

maybe they seem a little unsynchronised lately compared to the past in dir en grey. lost comunication.

but people who do not like last deg album should not only blame the music writters.what makes you think it isn't both the vocalist and music fault.not only the music. they just didn't find the right melody and singing.

i am writing this in the wrong thread

[nullmoon 784]

If it wasn't for the actual band members I don't think this band would get much of a reaction to be fair...

[seratonin 43]

If it wasn't for the actual band members I don't think this band would get much of a reaction to be fair...

Oh so this is where the hype is coming from!

I was trying to figure out why reviews feel as if they were being so biased?

This is probably correct.