Your favorite VK ballads!

[hiroki 5521]

I haven't seen a thread like this, so here goes.

 

For me, one of the biggest attractions in VK is the quality of their ballads. Even though ballads are a staple of pop music (and perhaps for that reason not viewed favorably by some), I find vk ballads in general to be at worst a little less cheesy than the the average pop ballad playing on the radio, and at best, profoundly moving.

 

What are your favorite vk ballads? Please share your thoughts (youtube links or samples would be nice too ^^)! Simple piano/acoustic, or symphonic/operatic, or power ballads, etc. -- any kind of ballad is fine!

 

I really look forward to trying them out (assuming I haven't already) I'll share mine soon.

[nullmoon 784]

I think for me, Deathgaze's 'ballads' are incredible and probaby their best stuff! Songs like Grace, Dearest, Glory Sky and Bliss Out Yourself are so good!

D'espairsray's Squall is also another one of my favourites. Aaaaand pretty much all of Dir En Grey's also

[CAT5 9075]

Oh, my top 2 will always be 9GOATS BLACK OUT - Sink (from Devils in Bedside) and RENTRER EN SOI - wither (from Sphire-Croid)
 
Other favorites:

BUCK-TICK - Long Distance Call (from 極東 I LOVE YOU)
D'espairsRay - R.E.M-冬の幻聴- (from REDEEMER)
the GazettE - DISTRESS AND COMA (from DIM)
DIR EN GREY - INCONVENIENT IDEAL (from UROBOROS)
 
I think that's about it.

[Original Saku 1593]

Why does it only have to be VK Ballads? just sayin XD

[hiroki 5521]

Why does it only have to be VK Ballads? just sayin XD

 

Haha no specific reason, although both "VK" and "ballads" are open enough for interpretation without making it too broad. I'm sure if anyone wants to recommend some ballads from indies rock etc. we'll be happy to listen to them too XD

[Guest mitsu the indie girl]

Ya...it's hard for me to choose from visual kei...lol

But...here goes nothing:

 

Annabyss Coast / float 〜葬送の鎮魂歌〜

auncia / ゆらゆら (from auncia..many more...like "2 pieces of presents" and "深水の結女")

[Original Saku 1593]

I'm just saying that the topic title should be Japanese ballads period... after all we're not just a VK forum, and stuff like this does tend to make it seem quite the opposite to outside visitors.

[hiroki 5521]

I'm just saying that the topic title should be Japanese ballads period... after all we're not just a VK forum, and stuff like this does tend to make it seem quite the opposite to outside visitors.

 

With all due respect, I'm not sure if I see what the problem is. No one has gone into the "New VK vs. Old VK." thread and asked the topic to be changed to "New Japanese music vs. Old Japanese music". Likewise no one has done that for Zess' thread on where VK finds inspiration.

 

Furthermore if the topic had been "Your favorite Japanese ballads", then we'll see things like:

 

 

which might be nice in itself, but probably deserves a separate thread so that people of reasonably similar interests can have some sort of focused discussion.

[Bear 1817]

Any ballad from Kagrra would make my list to be honest. But if I had to pick just a few I'd go with the following songs:

 

Kagrra - Utakata

Kagrra - Irodori no Sanka

 

 

But to be honest I tend to be disappointed by ballads on VK albums. I think they often feel very uninspired and unfitting to the rest of the album, and that they're made and included just because it is an "unwritten law" that you have to have at least one ballad on every album. The ballads themself are often very underwhelming and forgettable.

[Takadanobabaalien 3607]

[Original Saku 1593]

With all due respect, I'm not sure if I see what the problem is. No one has gone into the "New VK vs. Old VK." thread and asked the topic to be changed to "New Japanese music vs. Old Japanese music". Likewise no one has done that for Zess' thread on where VK finds inspiration.

 

Furthermore if the topic had been "Your favorite Japanese ballads", then we'll see things like:

 

 

which might be nice in itself, but probably deserves a separate thread so that people of reasonably similar interests can have some sort of focused discussion.

 

Yeah except there's no point in having a separate thread for stuff like that, when we could just have it all in the same thread for ballads... "New VK vs. Old VK" and Zess's VK inspiration thread are totally different because they have to do solely with VK as a scene, movement, genre, or whatever else you want to call it and the history involved, as that is the focus of those topics. This topic pretty much fit's into a wider range of discussion as ballads are songs that are found in all types of music and genres.

 

There's no problem. I'm just suggesting that maybe we could change this topic of discussion to accommodate a broader range of users and tastes.

[Miasma 162]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

couldn't find (good) videos for these:

 

Amber gris - Fukamidori no Lorelei

Daizystripper - Yasoukyoku

 

 

i cry evertim

[paradoxal 2948]

Any ballad from Kagrra would make my list to be honest. But if I had to pick just a few I'd go with the following songs:

 

Kagrra - Utakata

Kagrra - Irodori no Sanka

 

 

But to be honest I tend to be disappointed by ballads on VK albums. I think they often feel very uninspired and unfitting to the rest of the album, and that they're made and included just because it is an "unwritten law" that you have to have at least one ballad on every album. The ballads themself are often very underwhelming and forgettable.

 

I agree with you 100%. Utakata is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard and actually I agree with you also that usually VK ballads tend to be very disappointing.

But still I do have some favorites:

 

Lycaon - 愛はきらめきの中に ～Acoustic Ver～

X Japan - Crucify my love (ok this one's cheesy as fuck but it's soo pretty!)

Para:noir - December 24

 

Out of those three my favorite is probably December 24. It's so freaking beautiful.

[hiroki 5521]

I really enjoyed the songs you guys have posted. Keep them coming

 

@Saku: Ok gotcha, I'll keep that in mind next time!

 

Para:noir - December 24

 

Out of those three my favorite is probably December 24. It's so freaking beautiful.

^ Omg yes. I want to like this 100 times (*_*)

 

 

ANYWAY, here's my own list of favorites (youtube links in spoiler). Not necessarily my all-time top 10, but close.

 

A（エース） - 灰色の天使 (Haiiro no tenshi)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3uT-GzLx_0

 

Alice Nine - 夢幻-electric eden- (Mugen -electric eden-)

 

DELUHI - 星の無い夜に (Hoshi no nai yoru ni)

 

Jeniva - 下弦の月 (Kagen no tsuki)

 

Kagrra, - 雫 (Shizuku)

 

Moran - SNOWING

 

ネオン (neon.) - 春奏OVER (Shunsou OVER)

 

レイラ (REIRA) - Pledge

 

シド (SID) - ハナビラ (Hanabira)

 

「東京指定」 (Tokyo Shitei) - One way～星に願いを～ feat.LUXAM

 

Can't find videos for these:

ALSDEAD - フライト (Flight)

Clavier - Love Story

Para:noir - December 24.

And basically everything by SINCREA.

[nullmoon 784]

Oh! I forgot Rentrer en Soi! To Infinity is fucking coooooool

[Pretsy 1343]

VK? All-time favorites then:

 

DIR EN GREY - Ain't Afraid to Die (or embryo, they are equally brilliant)

L'Arc~en~ciel - Hitomi ni Utsuru Mono (since we are talking about vk = vk era, ps. good headphones for better experience!)

MUCC - Kagayaku Sekai (counts as a ballad, I guess?)

Buck-Tick - Dress

Luna Sea - MOTHER

9Goats Black Out - Sink

Laputa -

Gackt - Kimi no Tame ni Dekiru Koto

La'cryma Christi - Nemuri Gusuri

Rentrer en soi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eGygOuQI9c'>TO INFINITY －繰り返される喪失に捧ぐ祈り－

Penicillin - Sincerely Yours

the GazettE - Nakigahara

Kuroyume - Nakigara wo

 

I think that's it.

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

Kuroyume - Kuchizuke

Penicillin - Love Dragoon 

All of D=sire's discography basically

 

 

Other than that, I usually hate ballads :/

[violetchain 912]

I'm cheating pretty hard on this because it's not anywhere near their VK era, but:

GLAY - Koukai

 

Also,

Psycho le Cemu - Omoide Aruki

[Biopanda 2675]

 

This.

 

This is one of the few songs that has ever moved me enough emotionally to make me cry, so I think it definitely deserves its spot on the top of my list.

[seikun 317]

I love those heavenly inspired ballads that make me see the fragility of life through the pain of a calm sadness.

 

RENTRER EN SOI - Aqua

[Visutox 188]

Only that one comes to my mind, wonderful.

 

[DogManX 179]

I have quite a few

 

Malice Mizer - エーゲ～過ぎ去りし風と共に

Nightmare - message

Nightmare - 縷々～ｌｕｌｕ～

Deathgaze - Amends

DIR EN GREY - Amber

DIR EN GREY - embryo

9goats black out - sink

the Gazette - Reila

X Japan - Crucify my love

Girugamesh - Nobody

Sendai Kamotsu - 男たちの晩夏