General V.A. cover album "CRUSH!-90′s V-Rock best hit cover songs-"

[minre 13]

I needed a few listens for really getting used to his way of singing. At this point I really enjoy Soshi's vocals.

It took once or twice, or it was the music that led me, since I was used to everything blending together since they've had so many releases that did...

I just hope that the choruses can stop distracting me from enjoying it! ah.

[nekkichi 6043]

I really doubt Satsuki can be big, after all [not that I ever had that kind of conviction...]. I'm still really curious what they're all doing. Shun supports Mika in recording when needed... Ryo... plays games? Takumi with his music assignments. Mika with his project + music assignment... then Satsuki's solo.

I think Satsuki's sales are pretty much the same as late Res - about 1,000 copies per release, but the income isn't split between members anymore (except he's paying for the session members and co-composing);

I have no idea how much money the musicians get themselves after royalties and stuff are paid to the management, I guess Ryo could work in 7/11 and earn more than he did in the band D:

And as everyone else, I'm surprised Merry even has fans! [Actually, I didn't like them until Sayounara Ame...then their S/T... so I haven't been there since the beginning xD].

they are quite good. their indie albums are really so-so, but with a few amazing tracks here and there + really nice atmosphere;

my favorite album by them so far is peep show, really great, love literally every track, and the recent singles were good too.

you may want to give them another try later, if you're still at the point where you like glay

[Ceramic Stars 0]

Awesome wow the album is cool ^^ lolita23Q Matenrou opera D Heidi and more wow!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sai 868]

I am quite curious of how the whole album will turnout (to get back on topic XD). D did a good job and I have high expectations of MERRY, heidi. and Lolita23q.

[*littlelamb 78]

And as everyone else, I'm surprised Merry even has fans! [Actually, I didn't like them until Sayounara Ame...then their S/T... so I haven't been there since the beginning xD].

Everyone who? People with no taste?

As for their sales, they were the highest during M.E.R.R.Y. (>10k in a week) and its singles (>14k for Komorebi), since that's when they were the "poppiest", and Saihate Parade was some anime ending song I think. But then they decided to head into the opposite direction much to the chagrin of their major label and the sales have been declining since. After the switch to FW they've sold the least since their indie days, well actually Yakou sold less than Tamerai Suffle/T.O.P. The long gap between releases plus all the changes drove away fans for sure. Though selling two versions of a single instead of three probably has an effect as well.

[sebbivism 134]

Eh, it isn't that surprising since firewall is DIRU's label... [and now MERRY].

I don't really get the whole relationship between Firewall, Free-will and Sunkrad - like, 12012 has been associated with F-will for a few years, but their homepage refers to sun-krad as a copyright holder?

same with diru - it seems they're releasing some stuff under firewall and some under free-will.

sun-krad co. Ltd (http://www.sunkrad.jp) = The management for most of the Free-will bands, example: DIR EN GREY,12012 and now also MERRY

FIREWALL DIV. = DIR EN GREY and MERRY's record label

Sony Music Entertainment Inc. = Distributor for their CDs

Free-will = The big company who owning all these above, they're also a record label (RENTRER EN SOI and early Dir en grey released their stuff directly on Free-will label)

Free-will also owning PS COMPANY, SPEED-DISK/XXX Records, Sherow Artist Society and several other popular labels.

As for the sun-krad being the "copyright holder", it's true. Sun-krad is responsible for all promotion material for their releases, that is they're planning and producing promotion pictures (photoshoots etc), building and managing websites, cover artworks (and all the other design on CDs and DVDs), planning and producing events, concerts (and all tours, incl outside Japan), booking interviews and all that practical stuff.

That means, sun-krad is the one who is working the most with the bands. They're the one who's fixing the majority of the stuff.

[DeIdeal 0]

^ I'm sure you didn't mean this, but just to clarify, Sony isn't under Free-Will, but is a several times larger international company (as if someone didn't know), and is, like you said, responsible for distribution of CDs of more popular Free-Will bands (= major ones, from FIREWALL, PSC etc.)

[nissy1213 0]

so excited about

01. heidi. - ピンク スパイダー (hide with Spread Beaver)

06. 少女-ロリヰタ-23区 - STORM (LUNA SEA)

07. 摩天楼オペラ - 紅 (X JAPAN)

These are my favourite songs of all time!

heidi. and matenrou!!!

so excited about their covers!

[Erin 19]

All you guys said:

A picture is worth a 1000 words.

[X-Marc 7]

nice picture! made so much clear for me! thanks a lot!

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

Many thanks for that chart

[sebbivism 134]

^ I'm sure you didn't mean this, but just to clarify, Sony isn't under Free-Will, but is a several times larger international company (as if someone didn't know), and is, like you said, responsible for distribution of CDs of more popular Free-Will bands (= major ones, from FIREWALL, PSC etc.)

Haha, of course I didn't mean that Sony Music is under Free-will, they just do the distribution work for FIREWALL DIV (Dir en grey and Merry) XD

[Maiku 4]

Isn't that picture from that "Interview With Ex-Visual Kei Record Exec" thing?

[Erin 19]

Yes it is. I just thought of it when everyone was discusing about labels.

[Senedjem 510]

Oh boy it's that fucking asinine interview again, this should be ~fun~.

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

no1curr gib me tranny muzk pls

[Erin 19]

i need trannies to live D:

[Guest]

Yoshiki is not the "godfather" of VK. Wtf? He played almost no role in the development of VK, people need to get their shit together. For realz.

[Guest]

Oh and just to clarify: Sony pretty much owns everything music related. Free-Will is a sub-division of Sony, sony owns Free-Will. Free-Will is a very very very large company which also controls small management divisions such as Firewall div, PSC, etc.

[cryptomayhem 1]

Yoshiki is not the "godfather" of VK. Wtf? He played almost no role in the development of VK, people need to get their shit together. For realz.

He was, however, the godfather of monetizing VK.

[Guest]

monetizing? could you explain?

[cryptomayhem 1]

Well, before X Japan, it seems like most visual bands tended to play smaller live houses and venues. I'm not good with names, but I know there was a punk rock act from the late 70's/early 80's that is considered the "father" of the visual scene, but other than a couple of new year's stints, they never exploded. And sure, the Japanese took thrash and glammed it all up, but those bands also tend to be footnotes now in the grand scheme of visual history. Yoshiki, through whatever magic or voodoo he used, convinced people that, not only was his band so big, they MUST have been originators of the visual scene, but to buy product in almost absurd quantities. I can't think of a visual band that played the Tokyo Dome before them.

So, while X wasn't the first vk band, they were the first to figure out how to get rich doing it.

[Guest]

The only thing that X Japan has really done was "make it ok to be metal" in Japan. They were far from the first japanese metal band, but they were the first to reach such a wide audience that metal then became an accepted sound and genre in Japan, before it never caught on and was extremely unpopular.

And realistically, VK is EXTREMELY unpopular in Japan, hell most VK bands can't even sell out a 3000 person venue because it is just so disliked. What X Japan did though, was be one of those very few VK bands (though I argue they're not VK anymore) to do sooo damn well, and I'd say the ONLY vk band to do so well. Luna Sea played the Dome, sure, but their success and acclaim was nowhere near comparable to X Japans.

So I agree with you for the most part. Yoshiki, through his amazing knowledge of the music scene, was able to make his band soooo profitable that it's borderline insane. But I really don't think that would make him the Godfather of VK.

[cryptomayhem 1]

No, but the godfather of monetizing vk.

And yeah, the scene is very small. I've only been to a handful of shows, but all the girls who go to CPS shows KNOW who the white guy with the hat is when he's over on vacation.

[Guest]

No, but the godfather of monetizing vk.

And yeah, the scene is very small. I've only been to a handful of shows, but all the girls who go to CPS shows KNOW who the white guy with the hat is when he's over on vacation.

xDDD!!!!

I've always wanted to go to a Japanese Hardcore show, destroy in the mosh pit, and receive legendary status. Like "Oh man that big white guy fuckin destroyed!"

That's my ultimate goal in life