THE NOVEMBERS

[gekiai 231]

OKAY. 

So I've been dying over this band for the past 9+ months and I'm just now posting in this thread :') With these guys I don't even know where to start. The first song I heard by them was Fiedel from their Fourth Wall album  (thank  to an 8tracks playlist) and I was like "holy shit who are they I have to look more into them". I then listened to Fourth Wall, Elegance, then Hallelujah (thanks to everyone's hooblah about it here) and that's when my love for this band had fully resonated. Over the months I listened through their entire discography backwards and got real, I mean real familiar with their sound....

 

To the point that I cannot choose a favorite album by them. Right now it may be Rhapsody in Beauty because I just love how much distortion they implement into the tracks on that album (and most of my favorite favorite tracks on it). Or Zeitgeist because that album is so perfect and concise to me.

I do agree that their pre-2010 releases have not grown on me fully just yet, and to (melt) into/holy are my least favorite post 2010 releases. There's definitely gems on that album but I don't know. There's something that they've developed in the most recent years that I am utterly obsessed with. I love these guys. I have to see them live. That is my mission.

 

I'm also going to add that I adore Yusuke. He's brilliant and I love his voice and screams. His very occasional English (loved that someone mentioned that infamous ice cream line, it gets me everytime) I enjoy too. They are simply fantastic to me.  Also squeeing at those pictures of Sho and him, they have to be my favorite bromantic pair (along with Kent from LR). I think that's enough of my idiotic fangirling for now, until the next release! 

Edited May 17, 2017 by gekiai
had to add more fangirling

[Eruerufu 5]

I found my people T_T 
I just wanna start off by saying that Moiré made me cry 

[EzraEroguro 174]

Yeo. Live Sessions at Red Bull Music Studios Tokyo is the best thing they've ever ever done. My copy just came in the mail. I am freaking out.

[CAT5 9075]

Looks like they shared a new Promo Pic:

 

 

This is interesting. I wonder if this vibe they're going for is any indication of their new music. This look doesn't exactly scream "boring, sappy ballad" and i'm 100% down with that!

[CAT5 9075]

New song is out. It's definitely different...

 

 

[plastic_rainbow 2162]

noisy novembers is back! :DDD

[Tokage 5930]

getting vague Liars vibes from this, it definitely sounds neat! looking forward to the full album

[Seimeisen 4406]

I'm so here for this! I'm digging all the studio snippets we've gotten on their Instagram. I'm still  d y i n g  for a release date and tracklist for ANGELS though.

[Tokage 5930]

maybe the real ANGELS is us, the fan's....

[CAT5 9075]

 

[Tokage 5930]

tears for fears

 

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Their L'Arc~en~Ciel cover from last year's EP is pretty great! That's all. 

[CAT5 9075]

Thoughts on the new album?

 

I've only listened to it once so far, but my first impression was that I'm much more pleased with it than I was "Hallelujah"! Different, but good.

[indigo 389]

New album sounds pretty good and fresh. I definitely enjoy the rawer songs more than the synth-heavy tracks. My favorites are Bad Dream, Down To Heaven and Ghost Rider. But the rest of the album Will grow on me, I'm sure of it. 

[geist 227]

I enjoyed their cover of Ghost Rider. That's a song that really sounds great in a modern alternative rock context.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

The new album is love at first listen. Near perfect.

[CAT5 9075]

39 minutes ago, Jigsaw9 said:

The new album is love at first listen. Near perfect.

[EzraEroguro 174]

How about...this album pales in comparison to the output on Hallelujah?

 

Honestly, some hooks were great, but holy shit -- Yusuke cannot top the songwriting on Hallelujah or Zeitgeist, no matter how much he screams.

[Seimeisen 4406]

I've given ANGELS a few listens and it is spectacular! My favourites are BAD DREAM, DOWN TO HEAVEN, and Close to me (although the chorus sounds like Kobayashi's singing "colostomy, colostomy" which is weird). My least favourite is Everything, as I expected, but it's still a decent song.

 

6 hours ago, EzraEroguro said:

Honestly, some hooks were great, but holy shit -- Yusuke cannot top the songwriting zeitgeist, no matter how much he screams.

The truth fact is this:

Hallelujah < Rhapsody in beauty = Elegance = ANGELS < zeitgeist

 

Hallelujah wasn't a bad album by any means, I'm just almost never in the mood for it. The album's saving grace was 黒い虹. Still though, zeitgeist is still their best album to date. Rhapsody was also great, but the one thing standing in its way of perfection was the last track.

[SoulTheBaka 81]

Well, in my case, I think that zeitgeist is just a little little higher in my ranking than ANGELS. And certainly that what makes the difference between those two is that zeitgeist was the first album that I listen from them. (And the main topic of zeitgeist attracts me a lot too)

 

Otherwise, it's interesting to note that on RateYourMusic, the albums ranking is the chronological order. (With the exception that Misstopia is better ranked than To (melt into)) So yeah, Hallelujah is second behind ANGELS. It's great to see that ANGELS is doing a great start on the site, already the best rating and the 2nd with the most ratings in just over a week. (The album downgrade a lot now ahah)

Edited April 8, 2019 by SoulTheBaka

[Eruerufu 5]

The new album SLAPS it feels more cohesive than a lot of their albums in my opinion.  That trap beat in Tokyo is so fucking awesome lol. 

Favourite songs: Bad Dreams, Close to me, Everything, Plastic, and Angel.

Love the guitar in Ghost Rider yesssss. 

I honestly only dislike Down To Heaven. I've tried to get into it but eh. Couldn't. 
 

[Eruerufu 5]

Also the novembers started following me on IG so i guess IM KINDA A BIG DEAL lmao jk jk

[indigo 389]

Since it's the month of the THE NOVEMBERS, I decided to make a little list dedicated to the music of THE NOVEMBERS (and also tried to revive this thread)

 

This is my.....

 

TOP 20 FAVORITE MOMENTS OF THE NOVEMBERS

 

20. 愛はなけなし (2016, Hallelujah)

"Kobayashi's nagoya kei moment"

 

For some reason, Kobayashi's singing style and melody during the verses remind me of nagoya kei. Maybe in some other dimension he could've been a vocalist in a nagoya kei band.

 

19. 出る傷を探す血 (2015, Elegance)

"Reminder"

 

I'm gonna go ahead and reveal that Elegance won't be getting much love on this list. Since it's not among my favorite releases even though there are some good tracks on it. But I felt a bit bad about that so I decided to include one "moment", even though it's an odd one. As the EP's title can already tell, it's filled with chill music. But: 出る傷を探す血 breaks the fantasy that is Elegance. It's a black sheep. Noisy and arrogant. Some people hate that it's included, some people may even like that it's included. As a song, I'm sure many fans like it but if we think in terms of a coherent album, it doesn't really fit. And that's the reason why I love it. As a last song, it's like a reminder: "don't worry, we haven't forgot our noisy, abrasive, rocking side."

 

18. BAD DREAM (2019, ANGELS)

"The vibe"

 

I'm not an industrial music fan by any means, but I really dig the industrial influences in this song. Especially the synths sound sick.

 

17. Figure 0 (2010, Misstopia)

"Freakout"

 

One of the standout tracks on Misstopia, Figure 0 is filled with great riffs and engrish. But the short breakdown in the middle, where everybody go just nuts, is moment #17.

 

16. 37.2° (2011, To (melt into))

"Intro & outro"

 

My favorite moment in 37.2°, the intro and outro, showcase the more dreamy side of The Novembers. The vibe is just simply put... tranquil. The steady drumbeat, beautiful guitar and soft humming. Sounds like heaven to me.

 

15. Sturm und Drang (2014, Rhapsody in beauty)

"Intro / Breakdown part"

 

The first "proper" track on Rhapsody in beauty, after the drone intro, is Sturm und Drang. I couldn't simply pick one moment so I picked two. For starters, the intro. What a way to suck you in. The drums, the riffs, the high pitched scream. But the real surprise happens when the song slows down and breaks down into a noisy, near psychedelic guitar solo. Amazing!

 

14. dumb (2014, Rhapsody in beauty)

"Spoken word"

 

The Novembers truly are masters at evoking dark, distressing atmosphere. My favorite moment here is the (almost) spoken word parts that Kobayashi does (at 1:25 for example). Really add a nice flavor to the song.They actually remind me of some visual kei songs. And it doesn't hurt that Kobayashi uses such a deep and sexy voice.

 

13. Dnim (2009, Paraphilia)

"Chorus screams"

 

Dnim has the honor to be the oldest entry on this list. I have said it before but Dnim was most likely the first The Novembers song I liked.
The aspect that peaked my interest back then was the screamed chorus. Part of the reason they ended up on this list is nostalgia but I can't deny those screams don't still sound damn good.

 

12. 鉄の夢 (2013, zeitgeist)

"Rhythm section"

 

I feel like when talking about The Novembers, Kobayashi Yusuke gets most of the praise, sure for a good reason since he's the main songwriter etc. but now it's time to thank the rhythm section. Hirofumi Takamatsu and Ryousuke Yoshiki, on bass and drums respectively, lay down a beat that just goes on and on like a road roller. 鉄の夢 is a flawless song, filled with great moments. To mention a few others, Kobayashi's insane screams and the part (3:43) where Kobayashi's vocals go hand in hand with the guitar. So this blurb ended up being about Kobayashi too, after all.

 

11. Observer effect (2013, Fourth wall)

"Weird vocals"

 

This is a kind of a wild pick, since I don't really listen to this track that much. I guess because I usually listen to the full-lenght albums. These "favorite" moments often revolve around either vocals or guitar and this song is no exception. The part starts around 1:46. The guitar tone is pretty sick here and then Kobayashi does some really cool vocals on top of it. The production/filter makes it sound like he's yelling in a well or a cave with a megaphone.

 

10. 瓦礫の上で (2011, To (melt into))

"Guitar melody"

 

This pick was one of the most obvious ones to me when I was planning this list. The part is just burned into my mind. And the part is the guitar melody at 1:23 that comes pretty much out of nowhere. It's like a anti-climax even though it isn't if you know what I mean. The way Kobayashi is singing, getting more intense, you are expecting him to go off into a wild scream or something but then the guitar intervenes. But when that similar part comes up again, at 2:23, this time Kobayashi does get his moment to shine vocal-wise and that's also a fantastic moment.

 

9. いこうよ (2016, Hallelujah)

"Trumpet"

The closing track of Hallelujah really makes me shout "Hallelujah" when I hear the trumpet. It's crazy how well it fits into the song. Among their more shoegaze-y songs, in which category "いこうよ" also belongs, it is not really top-tier but the trumpet more than makes up for that.

 

8. Flower of life (2013, zeitgeist)

"Whole song"

I can't really pick a certain moment in this song. It's a sum of its parts, it's a whole vibe. The synthline, the bass, the vocal melodies, the drums, the chorus, the production.

 

7. 永遠の複製 & 彼岸で散る青 (2011, To (melt into))

"Just being awesome"

 

I decided to include the first two songs of To (melt into) as one entry. They're even the same duration! Together they make for one hell of an album opening.
The reasons for that are quite similar. Both songs have intense choruses and the mood in general is very intense. When I hear the background sound during the chorus of "永遠の複製" I can't help but think of a whip. The chorus of "彼岸で散る青" is more explosive than the former. If I had to pick which one's better, I would go with "彼岸で散る青".

 

6. Moiré (2012, GIFT)

"Great opening track"

 

Talk about a jaw-dropping opening to an EP. Moiré is whopping 8 minutes and 18 seconds long track. And when the The Novembers do long songs, they're not really bangers but instead they're slow-burning epics. This is one of my favorites of their longer songs. The trumpet (back to the trumpet!) is a great addition and bit of a surprise too.

 

5. ただ遠くへ (2016, Hallelujah)

"Guitar riff"

 

My go-to driving song. Once again, such a perfect song without flaws but the part I picked is the... you guessed it, guitar part that you can hear in the intro and it also serves as the chorus kind of. But my favorite is specifically the extended version that starts around 2:38. Such a jam!

 

4. Meursault (2013, zeitgeist)

"Kobayashi's high notes"

 

"Meursault" features a prominent, rumbling bassline, repetitive guitar riff and haunting vocal melodies. The atmosphere is fantastic. Near the middle of the song happens one of my favorite moments.. First off, the guitar riff (1:48 mark) and then then the high notes Kobayashi does (2:12 mark) that are among the best he has ever put on tape. They're remisniscent of something that downy's Robin Aoki would do.

 

3. Rhapsody in beauty (2014, Rhapsody in beauty)

"The high notes and guitar blending together"

The titular track of Rhapsody in beauty is really the highligh of the album, placed strategically in the middle of the album. My favorite moment happens when the chorus kicks in (1:52) and Matsumoto's siren-like guitar wail and Kobayashi high notes blend together and as an result, eargasm is unavoidable. That must be one of the best sounds known to mankind.

 

2. Wire (Fahrenheit 154) (2013, zeitgeist)

"The main guitar riff"

 

Another track off the "zeitgeist" album, Wire has been among my favorites for ages. The driving force of the song and my favorite moment #2 is the massive guitar riff. They first tease it at 0:44 seconds but when it comes back around at 1:30 I find it hard to stay still. To give the song the justice it deserves, play it _very_ loudly.

 

1. 再生の朝 (2011, (Two) into holy)

"The build-up"

 

"再生の朝" has been my favorite Novs song for a while now. My favorite moment is interesting, since it's the whole build up of the song. The song starts off leisurely but almost inconspicously the song picks up pace. Sure I could pick a mark where the drums kick in but it wouldn't work so well. You need to listen to the song from the beginning so you get the whole experience and magnificence of the build up. One of the main reasons I love this song so much is the journey it takes me on to.

 

So that's it! Do you agree / disagree on any of the picks? What are your favorite moments?

 

I spent quite some time writing this so I hope someone reads it!

Edited November 5, 2019 by indigo