ChristMHas 25 Days of ChristMHas Discussion Thread - 2015

[Ito 2438]

This thread will be used for discussion on the Staff best albums of 2015 list. See the thread HERE.

 

A quick directory to each album:

 

1. coldrain - VENA
   
2. Chara - Secret Garden


3. 水曜日のカンパネラ (Suiyoubi no Campanella) - ジパング (Zipang) 


4. PELICAN FANCLUB - PELICAN FANCLUB


5. Kidori Kidori - ![雨だれ] (amadare)


6. IX-NINE- - VIDYA


7. グリーヴァ (Grieva) - 妄想主義者ノ背徳。(Mousou shugisha no haitoku.)


8. for example you sell the sea - たとえば海を売るなら (Tatoeba umi wo urunara)


9. FACT - KTHEAT


10. Envy - Atheist's Cornea


11. DEZERT - 「暫定的オカルト週刊誌①」(Zanteiteki occult shuukanshi (1))


12. COHOL - 裏現 (Rigen)


13. The fin. - Days With Uncertainty


14. SEKAI NO OWARI - TREE


15. BRADIO - Power of Life


16. BLU-SWING - FLASH


17. THE NOVEMBERS - Elegance


18. a crowd of rebellion - Daphne


19. KAMIJO - Royal Blood ~ Revival Best ~


20. sukekiyo - VITIUM


21. 和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band) - 八奏絵巻 (Yasou emaki)


22. the piqnic - ZyouK


23. Chanty - Chantyの世界へようこそ


24. lynch. - D.A.R.K.-In the Name of Evil-


25. KEEL - R'lyeh

[Ito 2438]

Day 1 - coldrain - VENA posted!

 

[Zeus 7997]

Woo! We're off to an explosive start.

I was listening to a bit of coldrain as I was looking through their music videos a bit earlier. If no one told me they were Japanese I wouldn't have guessed. This is the kind of music that can pop up on your MP3 player at a party without you getting embarrassed, so that's extra points in my eyes. I'll have to check out VENA later.

[yakihiko 1480]

VENA is definitively one of the most powerful albums from 2015, load with very amazing songs and some nostalgic moments that could clear remember old tracks. I stayed like one full week or more only listening to the full album, no other music.

I'm happy to see that HEART OF THE YOUNG, WHOLE, DIVINE and WORDS OF THE YOUTH made the highlights from @doombox and @fictioninhope ^^

[Kaye 296]

I've been a fan of coldrain since right before their first mini release, but I have to say that ever since they've been going up and down and never really managed to grab a style that is theirs and spread it across a full release. Now with the latest album, VENA, I do feel like they've slapped all of their previous releases together, and have finally found a sound that fits them best. I don't think I've ever listened to one of their albums on repeat as often as I've done with VENA already, even with how much I loved Final Destination back then.

 

Thanks for the reviews! Words of the Youth is definitely a fave of mine, as well as Runaway. Though that might be partly the fault of Jacoby because I still find it amusing they somehow decided a collab was a good idea.

[doombox 4421]

Woo! We're off to an explosive start.

I was listening to a bit of coldrain as I was looking through their music videos a bit earlier. If no one told me they were Japanese I wouldn't have guessed. This is the kind of music that can pop up on your MP3 player at a party without you getting embarrassed, so that's extra points in my eyes. I'll have to check out VENA later.

Game on!

Without a picture they can completely pass for an American band these days. Hope you enjoy the album. If you checked the video in post that is a really good indicator of the rest of the album.

 

VENA is definitively one of the most powerful albums from 2015, load with very amazing songs and some nostalgic moments that could clear remember old tracks. I stayed like one full week or more only listening to the full album, no other music.

I'm happy to see that HEART OF THE YOUNG, WHOLE, DIVINE and WORDS OF THE YOUTH made the highlights from @doombox and @fictioninhope ^^

It's so catchy, right?! I am still listening to it about once a day. I like it a little more every time I hear it too. It was so hard to pick just 3 highlights. It's good that between us six songs got highlighted, they're all great. XD

 

I've been a fan of coldrain since right before their first mini release, but I have to say that ever since they've been going up and down and never really managed to grab a style that is theirs and spread it across a full release. Now with the latest album, VENA, I do feel like they've slapped all of their previous releases together, and have finally found a sound that fits them best. I don't think I've ever listened to one of their albums on repeat as often as I've done with VENA already, even with how much I loved Final Destination back then.

 

Thanks for the reviews! Words of the Youth is definitely a fave of mine, as well as Runaway. Though that might be partly the fault of Jacoby because I still find it amusing they somehow decided a collab was a good idea.

Runaway is a great song too! I was really surprised with good it turned out. I was expecting it to be one of the songs I skipped (since I'm not big on Papa Roach), but it holds its own on the album for sure. 

[yakihiko 1480]

It's so catchy, right?! I am still listening to it about once a day. I like it a little more every time I hear it too. It was so hard to pick just 3 highlights. It's good that between us six songs got highlighted, they're all great. XD

Me when I saw your highlights: "only three?", but after seeing fiction I noticed it was three to get xD

If they use the last 1:45 from WHOLE as the music itself (of course, longer) would be even more boss as it is. But I'm ok with this how it's

@@Kaye I used to like Papa Rouch too, but this was some years ago When I hear the preview, I could feel the promising song it would be.

@@Zeus Give me an amen to this explosive start!

[Ito 2438]

DAY 2 - Chara - Secret Garden posted!

 

[beni 2149]

^ Awwww YEAH! The album of the year for me personally. So happy seeing it in the ranking. ;;

[Original Saku 1593]

I downloaded Vena back when it first dropped but haven't gotten around to listening to it yet... after reading your blurbs I'm gonna go check it out right now! Thanks for lighting a fire under my bum xD

 

Edit: Also after reading beni's blurb for Chara (who is an artist I've never checked out before) I'm gonna go pick up Secret Garden and give it a spin. Hooray to discovering new music. Wonderful blurb btw

[herpes 1597]

coldrain and chara? bleak start. good reviews though.

[lollipopmonstar 346]

I hope to see BLACK (SuG) and TONICK DIZAIN (Far East Dizain) <3

 

Coldrain is really great start!

[CAT5 9075]

I don't think I ever tried CHARA before this year, but I thought 'SECRET GARDEN' was fairly enjoyable. She worked with a bunch of cool musicians like Mabanua and THE NOVEMBERS on it.

[Ito 2438]

Day 3 - 水曜日のカンパネラ (Suiyoubi no Campanella) - ジパング (Zipang) posted!

 

[Jigsaw9 6783]

I was very excited when I started listening to the Suiyoubi no Campanella album, but it really lost steam by the end. There were a few fun moments, but overall I left feeling disappointed, underwhelmed, and (strangely) bored, something that never happened to me before while listening to them. I guess between this and Charisma.com's full-length, this was the 'year of Jpop fail' for me...

[beni 2149]

Thanks for your comment, Jiggly-san. While I certainly encourage listens to their earlier work more so than ジパング, it was still a really fun and engaging listen. It really filled in for Charisma.com for me this year after (and on what I agree on) the disappointment of Charisma.com's 'OLest'.

[CAT5 9075]

I was very excited when I started listening to the Suiyoubi no Campanella album, but it really lost steam by the end. There were a few fun moments, but overall I left feeling disappointed, underwhelmed, and (strangely) bored, something that never happened to me before while listening to them. I guess between this and Charisma.com's full-length, this was the 'year of Jpop fail' for me...

[enyx 903]

I stumbled across one of 水曜日のカンパネラ's songs (西玉夫) and was drawn to it pretty much immediately, but I haven't really found much else from them that I've particularly enjoyed. I've been meaning to give the album a shot but just haven't gotten around to it, my worry is that I'll enjoy one or two tracks but not really care for the rest of it.

[Ito 2438]

Day 4 - Pelican Fanclub posted!

 

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Nice! PELICAN FANCLUB's mini has to be among my faves of the year too (probably in the top 10), very cool sounding indie-rock with a strong voice. "Dali" is lovely, and the other tracks hold up too.

[yakihiko 1480]

PELICAN FANCLUB sounds nice indeed, would check them on future.

[doombox 4421]

Thanks for that nod in the blurb, @fitear1590. That similarity was my initial attraction to the BNT song you picked. But PELICAN FANCLUB have a great sound of their own too, and I'm happy to see them on the list this year. Great album!

[Zeus 7997]

I have never heard of Chara before (which is a sin because she's been around for over 20 years), but upon seeing how influential she's been I decided to give the PV spin. @beni was not lying when she said the vocals are an acquired taste haha. We'll see if it grows on me any.

Somehow 水曜日のカンパネラ  ended up in my library without me realizing it. I'm echoing similar sentiments as others in the thread atm; the PV was cool but when I dug a little deeper I wasn't as hooked as @CAT5 was. Either Zipang needs to grow on me or even my tastes for weird pop have a limit.

I haven't listened to PELICAN FANCLUB yet but I will soon!

[Chi 2624]

MY GOD

YES

ON BEHALF OF PF I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU

YES

PLEASE EVERYONE APPRECIATE THEIR GREATNESS 

[fictioninhope 355]

Somehow 水曜日のカンパネラ  ended up in my library without me realizing it. I'm echoing similar sentiments as others in the thread atm; the PV was cool but when I dug a little deeper I wasn't as hooked as @CAT5 was. Either Zipang needs to grow on me or even my tastes for weird pop have a limit.

 

 

I think Zipang is one of those "needs multiple listens" kind of albums. On my first listen of the whole album I was like "what the actual fuck is this????" but the more I listen to it the more I enjoy it.