Tetora`s Favorites of 2014

[Tetora 625]

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.

[Tetora 625]

FAVORITE MINI – ALBUMS:

BORN – THE STALIN -666-

Rocked hard, plain and simple.

REDMAN – Flame Of Life

Well made and unexpected. A completely softer yet still strong kind of rock from what we are used to from Satoshi.

LM.C – Perfect Rainbow

Great release after one I did not enjoy as much (Perfect Fantasy). This features LM.C at a medium setting between their most straight-forward work, and their most `quirky`.

FANG – evolutionary Process

Not sure if this is a mini, or full album, but it is short so I will put it in this category. Didn`t know of this band until someone introduced me to their music. Really great youthful feeling and catchy tunes.

Kra –サタヒナト

Really different work featured in this concept album, with a huge emphasis on piano, while retaining lots of the band`s known amazing playing and vocals. Deep and dark atmosphere, which I loved, though the hidden track steals the show.

girugamesh – gravitation

Absolutely awesome album that rocks hard. Heavy and dark atmosphere, but is hard to find any negative vibe in it due to how much headbanging it induces and how much the catches get stuck in my head.

[Tetora 625]

FAVORITE ALBUMS:

MEJIBRAY - THE ”420” THEATRICAL ROSES

The youthful atmosphere of this album attracted me most on the first few listens. It captures a distinct emotional range, and although the tracks start to vary greatly, it is the most cohesive sounding Mejibray release to date, in my opinion. A melancholy runs through it.

アルルカン–ニア・イコール

At first it seemed very similar, then the hooks and differences in the songs started to come to mind. A very dark album that still has a lot of energy.

Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas – PHASE 2

A very, very diverse album, where one track can have more variety than entire albums recorded by other bands. This is the album that made me a big fan of the band, and is the one I can play all the way through, then let play again. High energy, and musical adventure.

ギルガメッシュ– LIVE BEST

This one really had to grow on me, I am a huge fan of newer Girugamesh, since Incomplete, and the sound of every track except Evolution had to grow on me, but it did. Lately Girugamesh has been releasing music that I just can`t get enough plays or volume out of.

ViViD – THE PENDULUM

Although different than the original ViViD many fell for, I found this album full of beautiful tracks, some good heavier tunes, the usual interesting guitar parts, lots of hooks, and a long list of great tracks.

UVERworld – 0 CHOIR

Another album that I love by the band. More laid back with a little less attack than other releases, but full of great tracks that you groove to more than rock or bounce along with as you would with previous releases.

VAMPS – BLOODSUCKERS

A great distinct, nostalgic sound, as well as lyrics that long for the past and look back at things people wish they could change. As usual for me, I start favoring certain tracks much more than others, and then those `skippable` tracks start to grow on me.

ムック– THE END OF THE WORLD

An album that is diverse in true current MuCC fashion, but much more grounded to a certain atmosphere than their two previous full length works. This one is darker, heavier (one of the best rock albums to pitch the sale of a super-woofer with), and more serious. The sound of the band, the vocalist`s voice, and the production are really amazing on this.

コドモドラゴン – CHILDREN`S DOPE

Really surprised by this one. I started to be a big fan with RIGHT EVIL, yet when I first listened to the album it didn`t fully set in yet, and I am not always the biggest fan of sharper sound, or things rough around the edge`s in terms of tone. But the album really became one of my favorite`s, until it shot up to being one of my top favorites. The singles don`t really give a clear enough description of the band and their album really is something else, in my opinion.

Royz – CORE

The main soundtrack of my summer. This was full of great rock tunes with a lot of attitude, and ballads that were very well done and delivered emotionally. They have a dialed in sound, and the vocals are great, it plays like an album comprised of singles, really.

ALSDEAD – IDEA

Every album by them plays out like it has a whole new concept. Seperator was more about imbedded sorrow, and this one was more about standing up and doing battle with whatever is haunting you, or holding you down. I love the attitude, the strong lyrics, and the great musicianship. The whole thing plays out like it is winding up to one big attack, with a some short breaks for softer songs along the way. Tracks like Kill the King and Behind The Pride pull off the theme of rebellion without coming from a childish angle, and describe something many can relate to.

シド– OUTSIDER

Another beautiful album by SID. As always a mixed bag in content but not in quality. It doesn`t have any of their harder tunes on it, and it isn`t the album I listened to most, but there`s just a certain quality to it that makes me think highly of it.

[Tetora 625]

Favorite PV`s:

SuG – Missing

SuG – B.A.B.Y

VAMPS – Vampire`s Love

BORN – SON OF A BITCH

Uwakimono - HELL YEAH

 

Favorite Production:

SuG - MISSING

SuG - Cry Out

MuCC – The End of the World

SID – OUTSIDER

Girugamesh - gravitation

 

Best Value:

Resistar Releases (all three tracks and karaoke on one cd for regular price)

Miyavi – Real (two tracks, and five live tunes for a low price)

 

Biggest Money Stealers:

VNeu (so many versions)

SuG – Cry Out (three versions, one bonus track, although 2 come with a DVD, but no trading card)

 

 

Most Shocking Moment:

Aki is Danger Crue`s mystery artist.

Akane is in and out of retirement in record time.

 

Favorite Live`s:

Stylish Wave

Resistar Three-Man

 

Favorite Label:

Resistar

 

 

P.S. I removed a lot from my lists as they were even huger, you can probably guess what would have made the honorable mentions list.

 

P.P.S. Pardon the format issues like pics of every size and so on... hehe.

[hiroki 5521]

I haven't heard about 30-40% of the releases in your list but I can confidently say among the 2014 lists on MH your list comes closest to my own, although that's not really much of a surprise lol.

Here are some thoughts on particular releases in your lists that strike me:

REDMAN – Flame Of Life

This was amazing. I actually preferred this a lot more to giru's 'gravitation'. Like what someone has also said on the forum, it appears as if Satoshi is a lot more invested in REDMAN than he is in the 'new' giru where he just seems to be swept up and dragged along by the 'we want metalcore' crowd.

コドモドラゴン – CHILDREN`S DOPE

This was the release from Codomo Dragon that dramatically transformed my impression of them. I've always found their music a tad too quirky and arbitrary for my taste before, but somehow these same elements were managed way better in the album so they weren't too obtrusive (for want of a better word) for me. The funny thing is when I went back to listen to their earlier releases after liking Children's Dope so much, I actually began to warm to earlier singles like LETHE. in a way not dissimilar to what Blitz's DESIRE did for me as well.

ALSDEAD – IDEA

ALSDEAD never disappoints. I still remember the cold midwinter night in Kyoto when my friend showed me a youtube video of "Fragile" (which i proceeded to loop all night). I knew at that time that they were gonna be big With Separator they became one of the very few heavier vk bands that have totally won me over. With IDEA, they proved that wasn't a fluke.

シド - OUTSIDER

Yes, yes, and more yes. I own every single SID release after 流通盤 up to around cosmetic or so; but truth be told, I became very indifferent to their music since 2010 (and that's being charitable to them). OUTSIDER was what I never saw coming: a throwback to Mao's dramatic vocals (where, in my opinion, he is best), memorable tunes, and more than just a tinge of that subtle bittersweet folk goodness that makes SID so so special not only in the scene but I dare say all Japan. Also, 'laser' is one of the best songs they have put out.

---

Since I have no time to do my own list, I shall shamelessly hijack your thread to suggest a few of my own favorites of 2014 that you might like. i hope you don't mind :x Keeping with the spirit of your list I'll omit all the uber indies bands that release 2-3 songs before disbanding haha.

They're all singles:

- Ray℃ - 木の葉 / 夢猫-ムビョウ-

• i'm still really bitter that they disbanded (well, technically they did since Otoiroha's music is rather different). in a lot of ways this is the crystallization of what Ray℃'s music is all about: surreal, atmospheric, heart-wrenching stuff. this single slides comfortably into the single of the year spot for me, and one of my all-time favorites.

- Blu-BiLLioN - GARDEN

• HELLO is one of the best songs i've heard this yr. i've been using its chorus as my ring tone also, Mike is such a badass vocalist.

- LEZARD - カミサマイカサマ

• what to say? one of the most energetic vk songs with Lime's trademark vocals and LEZARD randomness.

- Neverland - CHILD CIRCUS and Monopicture

• some truly warm and fuzzy music. people who feel nothing listening to 'rainy tree' might be dead.

- Gimmick. - 君詩

• i've always been a fan of them, and this is just their normal style. as one of my friends have noticed as well, nanayu always puts his heart and soul into singing, and his sincerity is 11/10.

- Purple Stone - 甘酸っぱいマンゴー

• their comeback single after keiya's long absence. if you like shonenki you'll like them as well ^^

---

anyway, great list, and i'll definitely check out the rest of the releases that i haven't heard!

[paradoxal 2948]

 

- Purple Stone - 甘酸っぱいマンゴー

• their comeback single after keiya's long absence. if you like shonenki you'll like them as well ^^

 

 

TETORA YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO THIS RIGHT NOW IT'S AWESOME.

[cirrus 75]

 

- Gimmick. - 君詩

• i've always been a fan of them, and this is just their normal style. as one of my friends have noticed as well, nanayu always puts his heart and soul into singing, and his sincerity is 11/10.

 

Gimmick. <3