Visual-Kei NIGHTMARE new single "Awakening." release

[madygrain 515]

Lol you'll be alright.

 

Move along now.

 

Yeah, the idea that the ones that are alright with Nightmare's work should move along is what is the main issue here. Glad you are getting close to understanding that, in your own way.

 

 

I like the instrumentalization and vocals more than their previous release, but I thought Rauken had more weight and punch to it and a much better climax. I also liked the atmosphere of that song better. But I'd say performance wise Awakening is much more attractive here so I am undecided wich I like most. 

 

What I am more inclined to think is that they follow Blur's style more than any other previous song they've done. I also thought Blur was kind of out of place in Carpe Diem and it could have been sucessfully replaced by that album's single b-sides with ease. Now that I listen to this new songs it feels like it would be much more interesting if they did that putting blur on their next album. 

[Silverhawk33 1435]

I can defiantly understand how Rakuen had more strength than Awakening. I've been one of the few that actually really enjoyed the last two singles of Nightmare and thought that they were just quality songs all around. I feel like my opinion will change with how I compare those two songs once I hear Awakening b-sides (especially when the single comes out in a few days).

I really do hope the imminent new album follows the sound of the melodic and string heavy songs such as Rakuen, empty and Awakening rather than Gotta Get a Ghost. But then again, I would just like a recent Nightmare album to have a strong theme with the instrumentals that makes it feel like all of the songs belong on that album. While the b-side tracks (like Gotta Get a Ghost and I'd imagine the upcoming Visual Kei is not dead) should have a different sound and direction that breaks them out of their comfort zone, thus why they're not on an album. I guess we'll see what happens eventually.

Despite what people have to say about SCUMS, I feel like that album was the last one from them that had a somewhat strong flow and direction when in came to it's instrumental side.

[madygrain 515]

I agreeable that SCUMS was the last album they had a very strong theme going through but I sadly I think that album shows very well that having a theme isn't one of the most important things. In fact I think SCUMS overdid it's theme by a long shot and felt monochromatic to me. I don't think this observation has much value being made by a person who enjoys diverse albums the most, though. 

 

I think To Be Or Not to Be also had a nice theme going for it, but it wasn't executed so well it came across with ease like, let's say Mucc's Karma, that had a simmilar theme. It's clear that they're undecided of what style to go with but wich are the options or how they are laid out. Missed chance, sadly.

 

On how the next album is going to play out, I would not bet on it being simmilar to the singles. In fact, I think since they joined AVEX, Nightmare's singles have always been unrepresentative of what their album is going to sound like. Rem, Vermillion. and Sleeper did not represent the self titled very well. Deus ex Machina and Mimic are the least electronic sounding songs of an album that persued incorporating electronic elements into a long running band that has barely used them.  Blur was very out of place in Carpe IMO, as I said, and Taboo was probably only released as a single because it was a movie tie-in. What it is sure is that it's not going to be like the bonus tracks from the singles. Those are, as Siverhawk says, too out of the confort zone.

[Silverhawk33 1435]

Realistically, you are probably right, Sakito and Ruka love mixing random songs with the Nightmare albums along with the few off songs from the other members (which varies by quality) and that's not going to change soon. It's just something that I would like to see (MUCC's Karma being a prime example), but hey, as long as the album is strong and full of tracks that I can enjoy then all is fine in my eyes.

Honestly, 16 years and counting with the fact that most of the members were still in high school when this band started is a feat to respect. I'm just happy to see this band so full of ideas and to see another long lasting visual-kei still doing well with sells (rather it's about the label or not). I'm honestly tired of the constant short lived bands in this genre, so seeing them lasting as long as they have while staying relevant is a nice change of pace for me.

[Ro plz 1290]

Despite what people have to say about SCUMS, I feel like that album was the last one from them that had a somewhat strong flow and direction when in came to it's instrumental side.

SCUMS is HIGHLY underrated.

 

Surprisingly its an album that i can listen to throughout from start to finish. Yeah, it has its so so tracks but for the most part I agree that its the last "strong album."

[platanity 99]

Couldn't get thru the whole preview. I officially hate Yomi's voice now.

 

my exact sentiments .

 

i dont know how many times ive said this ,

but nightmare is one band that i feel very anxiously disappointed (does it make sense? ; haha)

the band itself is excellent, stylish and has superb technique .

 

 

 

 

but when it comes to vocals, 

it all butchers ... and murders it .

 

i ... i dont have anymore to say.

 

the last materials i liked from them was "nightmare" and "deus ex machina" single .

[madygrain 515]

The people that think Nightmare lacks qualitry praise SCUMS. This is the sad world we live in.

 

I think some people in this forum has a problem with mistaking heavyness and roughness with quality.

[YuyoDrift 1540]

The people that think Nightmare lacks qualitry praise SCUMS. This is the sad world we live in.

 

I think some people in this forum has a problem with mistaking heavyness and roughness with quality.

They'll understand with age. Glad you don't keep these thoughts to yourself. Keeps the site alive.

 

Glad you liked this, as I did too. After the shitty recording of the Rakuen single (I still blame their recording studio), I thought maybe they were going to keep releasing sub par quality tracks.

 

I still enjoy Nightmare tracks that are fast and all over the place (sloppy is their forte), but slow paced every once in a while are great too.

[Silverhawk33 1435]

 

SCUMS is HIGHLY underrated.

Indeed. It's pretty funny, but at first I couldn't stand that album, now I can't help but adore and appreciate a majority of it's tracks.
 

The people that think Nightmare lacks qualitry praise SCUMS. This is the sad world we live in.

 

I think some people in this forum has a problem with mistaking heavyness and roughness with quality.

It does seem like the messy heaviness trend has been over-saturating the market, and it's a bit sad to see. I also do agree that it's sad that people won't give the other newer albums a more open minded and a fair approach, but it still doesn't take away at how well SCUMS is as an overall album (even more so WITH the b-sides).
 

As for ranking the Avex albums, SCUMS would be a bit far down on the list (this is without b-sides of course):

1. NIGHTMARE 2. TBONTB 3. SCUMS 4. CARPE DIEM

I know this ranking might be a bit opposite of a lot of people here, but the more I listen to the Avex albums, the more impressive the arrangements and deep personalized lyrics sound. It's a little shocking to see these albums get bashed as much as they do (especially the half-assed non-stop bashing of Yomi's vocals), but then again, fan bases are usually always bitching and moaning about one thing or the other. Rather it be them not recreating that 'one special album' again or them not 'evolving enough'. It's never good enough for them, period. The only thing that matters to me is that I enjoy them as much as I do. Let the others drench themselves with doom and gloom while following this band (instead of y'know moving on...).
 

 

They'll understand with age.

Completely agree with this. I do feel like given enough time and these albums will be listened to with new listeners with unbiased ears.
 

 

After the shitty recording of the Rakuen single (I still blame their recording studio), I thought maybe they were going to keep releasing sub par quality tracks.

I don't really hear the "shitty recording" sound of the recent tracks, but then again, I might be too biased at this point to hear it. lol

[madygrain 515]

I don't think Rauken sounds how it does because of recording issues. I think they've been tryng out new vocal arrangements in the last releases and specially in Carpe. Rauken just went a bit too far on chiba-ness. 

 

The main problem with the avex stuff is that Nightmare sells a lot more singles than they do with albums and it seems avex have reacted to this rying to have single A-Sides that are more safe and marketeable than usual Nightmare stuff. That's why we hear that B-Sides are usually more interesting. They have more freedom on album and that's why we get stuff like SCUMS that was very different from the singles or Rewrite and Blur that have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of thir respective albums.

 

On the overall Avex albums ranking I like Carpe Diem and Nightmare the most. I think Carpe hits the sweetspot in good tone and consistency and diversity. Nightmare is great as well, tons of diferent songs that I value a lot that convince me to ignore how all over the place it is. TBONTB is hard to judge to me because like most songs but I really like a few and concept execution is very weak, so It's ok. SCUMS is very polarizing for me. Mastering is awful, everything is too loud, arrangements are very simmilar among most songs... it's honestly hard for me to get through all of it. Sometimes it's headache inducing, even. Bur when some of it's songs jums out when I toogle my collection to random I surely enjoy it even if it sounds like ass. So I am very torn on this. I don't think it's flat out bad but I am pretty sure it's at the bottom of all Nightmare releases ever, as a package.