Best albums/EPs/singles of 2016

[Bear 1817]

It's about time we do one of these threads, isn't it? I'll make one when I get home from work.

 

 

I know it's tempting to just post a list and leave the thread, but I encourage everyone to add a few words of why those exactly albums made it onto your end of the year list as list threads are boring and uninteresting as fuck. Adding a few words about an album makes the thread a lot more interesting, and I am sure a few words about an album will make more people check it out as well.

 

 

And please, don't post a shitload of youtube videos and crap. Add links instead.

 

 

GO!

[Bear 1817]

I haven't made a list yet, but I'll try to get this thread started by posting one album (I'll just add more later on).

 

Cultes des Ghoules - Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love

Cultes des Ghoules have worked their way up to some kind of a cult status in the metal underground, and with good reason. Before the release of this album the band had two brilliant albums, two brilliant EPs and some good split albums and another EP to their name. And when everyone thought the band were dead they announce out of nowhere that they're about to release a new album. And it's not just an album, it's a double album. We're talking 5 songs and about 100 minutes of music, and despite the lenght it doesn't feel a second too long. Music'vise they've gone a bit backwards to the style they had on their debut album Häxan, with Mortuary Drape, Necromantia, Samael, Beherit and more as obvious inspirations. Dark, evil, mystic and occult black metal. It's straight enough, but it still sounds very unique and original. Which is pretty amazing, because musically it kinda isn't. Now, I am not saying this is my favourite black metal album ever, but this is one of the most impressive one. It's massive in every way possible.

 

This is my album of the year by a long shot. It's something truly special.

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

Never before have I been this boring with music for a twelve month period. My listening habit only started picking up steam in late November, so I'm hopelessly unaware of most things that have been going on in 2016. There's an exception though, and that's vk. I reckon I've at least sampled a lot of the releases that have come about here, and with that I can - by being liberal with the end of the year format - do a writeup of sorts on 2016 on my vk. Behold how amusical I am that this is all I got:

 

Album of the year - DIAVOLO by The Gallo

 

There's something to be said about these vk bands that are like the erect stamen of a flower dry heaving under the weight of a sojourning bee, ready to burst its ovula into bice mercurial goo of junkers flying overhead the dark big city alleys where starved street urchins are turning tricks for wartime sustenance. They started out with a rather basic and limited arsenal, but ever since their virtuosity started to gradually increase Jojo has become a madman and the frantic riffing is not behind. With the gimmick comes inevitable, although a completely harmless, comparison with Merry and think what thou wilt, unlike them, The Gallo hasn't domesticated their sound one bit and keeps going toward the extremes all their predecessors long abandoned. 

 

Fabulous concept, savage lyrics and unhindered by a lot of the things that hurt their other contemporaries, namely a lack of musicianship and the opportunity to conceptually flesh out their releases due to label obligation or otherwise. 

 

EP of the year - 絶叫！by Pentagon and 不完全な音楽 by Chanty

 

Pentagon has really hit their stride after managing to figure out their concept after the, in my opinion, disastrous first album. The singles boy waltz and Jesus Phobia were great, yet the second album as a whole was exhausting almost to the point of occasionally being trite, but this rules. I think the obnoxiously flashy juxtaposition of hirokicore and metalcore is found nowhere else with such a schmaltzy grace about it. 

 

Chanty was just pretty good. Idk. I really like them despite not being able to put my finger on why it is so.

 

Compilation of the year - End of Corruption World by Rin and 六道輪廻 by Avelcain

 

Among the ranks of unfortunate disbandments this year, my boi kisaki's was the most heartrending. With Sui and Mizari in the fold I was sold immediately after the first single they put out. It also helps that I'm completely partial to Sui's voice and rather dislike Riku's; and speaking of schmaltz, the former just floors me multiple times throughout. Persecution Complex causes me to bite the side of my cheek and the remakes of Silent To My Pain and Psalms and Lamentations rule. 

 

Avelcain got kind of shit by 2016. The last single undisputably the most tired excuse for a release all year with the PV close in tow for its respective dishonors. That however doesn't affect the savagery of the early output. The intention shines through the murky layers of poor musicianship and flaccid nu metal riffing, the spirit uplifts Karma's performance and lets it soar. These were at one point the most miserable men in visual kei, and this three disc collection will serve as an interesting footnote in the genre's history. Anyone who's not into Karma's shtick should consider not listening to visual kei in the first place. Finish that business school to feed your ugly kids while your sexually dissatisfied wife has to work double shifts to pay for the lies of her therapist. The real vk connoisseurs will hail to the true intense vampires in the meantime. We miss you Karma

 

Fav singles runs - Everything Mejibray and DADAROMA put out

 

My absolute favorites of the scene are always really boring. My two favorite vk albums are by Kuroyume, my favorite bands list is like a VK primer and my favs of today are never anything left field nor particularly exciting. No casettes, no live dists, no nuffin. My taste in visual kei just happens to always be in tune with the zeitgeist; I go weak in the knees for cute boys, metalcore riffs and the kind of melodramatic choruses all these bands have these days. Mejibray and Dadaroma are in my opinion the brutal kei™ top tier at this juncture. Mejibray is of a rougher sort than the ultra polished DADAROMA, but what they have in common is personality, profile and a distinct sound. While I agree that the DADAROMA LP was a disappointing glorified best-of and Mejibray's B-sides are kind of shite, that stuff just doesn't really matter to me. These bands live and die by the purity of their character, the vibes I get from them intuitively. They register into my consciousness as a big deal, and who am I to argue with myself DUH. Mejibray and DADAROMA check my 2010's vk boxes.

 

Other stuff I liked from this year

 

Anfiel's singles were on point. Fabulous A-sides with the B-sides to match

Codomo Dragon released a solid album that's more of the same, and that's what I enjoy. Won't make any converts. 

Kuroyuri to Kage's EP was good. Like Codomo Dragon it's more of the same, but with Kuroyuri to kage there's an even bigger risk that their novelty will wear thin. So far it hasn't.

Everything DEZERT put out was decent. I'm getting bad vibes. This band is going to start sucking soon.

God and the death stars put out an EP that was good

Sukekiyo had a single that was good

 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2016 by Disposable

[BrenGun 2261]

I'm not going to put bands or releases in the right order, however I will call out my favorites of 2016. Well I came more out on bands... I can't really think of more now, so for now this is it.

 

New comer band THE NOSTRADAMNZ - All releases

This band released 3 singles and 1 mini album. These 4 works are truly amazing and I really think people should check out their works. Their mini album is easy to buy on the legal digital web such as itunes and google play, Also the mini album is for free to listen on sites such as spotify. Their sound is really unique it's really enjoying it's not standard visual kei, their isn't any pigg scream. It's really nice rock music with a good upbeat beat. The drums are absolute amazing.

Just check their youtube for all previews

 

New comer band NEiN - All releases

This band released a single and digital single. 3 songs in total, however also a bonus song which you got if you bought the first single. NEiN is also a nice band with good rock music, also has members who are already longer in the music business. Still to bad to see this band not loved here on MH. I really think they are amazing. LIVE they are also absolute amazing. Great of power, music sound how it should be.  You truly can rock on!
Check their youtube for all previews.

 

re-start band NEXTRADE - new release : PIZZA NEXT

This release is really different from everything they made before, it's more softer it's not really adding some digital shizzel into their music. It's much more cleaner. However it still sounds amazing and you can hear that their is truly talent in this band.

Well just listen yourself at youtube.

 

Sweet x Home - new release リビドールーム

It's not sweet x home strongest release, I think, however it got again a nice tune and it's truly not understandable why people don't seem to get into this amazing band. This band also doesn't add crazy pig screams, it's really nice tuned vkei rock music on which you also can dance wild as so many other vkei crap which sound more horrible as sweet x home. I really do think that the guys of sweet x home release each time a nice work and I hope to see them going for a few more years at least!

Their youtube.

 

New comer DEVIZE - ALL RELEASES

DEVIZE was announced last year however their start was this year, it's also a strong band who release each time a strong piece of work too.  Nothing is annoying in their sound.  The guys do each time again a good job.  So why the hell people don't like them? While in Nagoya and Osaka they gain more and more fans.

youtube.

 

MERRY BADEND - All releases of 2016

A band who is already around since 2015, with talented members, each song which they release sounds good.  Lucky there are some fans here of this band, which I'm happy about. I really hope to see them grow more and to be around for more years!

youtube.

 

Reirei

After a long break reirei came back with a mini album. also with a little member change, but their music still sounds amazing adding of electric sounds but also sound of national instruments. Very beautiful. Definitely a band everyone should give a change too.  I also saw them live and I say yeah they rock live too!

youtube.

 

Schwarzkain

Starwave band, the new Tokami, It still kinda sound as Tokami, not much did change but their first single is 100% amazing. I still think it's strange that the single isn't shared here at all, even tho you could buy it via cdjapan. sadly the single is sold out and the single didn't appear in the digital legal world. 

youtube playlist HERE.

 

The Doggy Paddle

It's a band I only follow, I think I'm their only oversea fan. lol. I know this band since 2011 and saw them 2times live. It's a truly nice  normal rockband. which also released a new CD this year. To find out their new release just check their youtube channel. They are not visualkei but their sound is amazing! So please check them out!

 

[anakuro 847]

 

-真天地開闢集団-ジグザグ

• 繋がりたい
• 悪いのはバンドマン
• 仕切りが嫌い
• オキニ

ZigZag just kind of (mostly) killed it this year for me. I really enjoyed most of their releases. While their songs are enjoyable without any Japanese, I think they're better enjoyed with knowledge of bangya culture & knowing the terms etc. I worry that they're going to run out of jokes soon though lol

 

シェルミィ

It's hard to say an entire release for them was great, and I still haven't gotten their newest mini (oops) but they had a lot of songs this year that are my jams. So here's my fav songs of theirs from this year

• 平成メンヘラセオリー
• 放課後の凶室
• 絶交
• and that one song where they throw candy live I forgot what it's called because in my head it's just 飴玉を頂戴

ザアザア

• 雨に殺される

No doubt about it, I enjoyed XAA-XAA's releases way more last year than this year. However, 雨に殺される is probably my favorite release of this year. 

 

ZETSURIN HAGUKI

• 若者離れが止まらない!

It was interesting seeing the transition from their substage acoustic act into a real band. I'm glad they put both versions of the songs on the CD, too. I've always enjoyed 絶リン☆ハグキ so it's not that surprising I enjoyed them as ZETSURIN HAGUKI. It's a shame they haven't done more as a full band but I'm not that surprised they went back to just doing stuff as the acoustic act.

 

ReVision of Sence

• 八面楚歌

It just has a lot of my ReVision jams on it like Yeah! めっちゃナンマイダ,  ヨノナカカオ & 幸せの殺し方 and I mean there's a love song to broccoli so what more do you need

 

プロキシオン

• ▲:再生

My fav of the bleep bloops rock tbh. 続・ルル, キラキラ,  and あいのうた are some of my fav songs on the album. It's not my fav release of theirs but it's really solid and I love them

 

Last Day Dream

• Another Dimension
• VoDvsLDD

I just love LDD so much you guys :') Another Dimension is such a great song though. I love Saimotic's screams and like wowee three guitars and some of the best crabcore Osaka has to offer 

 

HONE YOUR SENSE

• PHONOMENA

I love Broken Toys in Attic so much. I love HYS so much. what a great band.

 

ヒステリックパニック

• シンデレラ・シンドローム

I want to say Big Issue too but I can't remember what songs are even on the CD. Cinderella Syndrome has a great DVD attached too.

 

 

 

I think my list of CDs I bought and then forgot about is as long as the list of CDs I enjoyed this year so as a bonus here's that list too

 

 

• ザアザア -- したいだけでしょ？   When thinking about XAA-XAA's releases I often forget about this one
• サウイフモノ -- GAME OVER  What a bad way to go out..........
• -真天地開闢集団-ジグザグ  -- オキラ  Unlike every other release from ZigZag it just doesn't grab me
• えんそく --  アリス・エクス・マキナ  I almost completely forgot about this CD.
• Every Minus Jin-Say Orchestra release from this year. 
• ギガマウス -- GIGAGAIN & 僕のCARICATURE、壊して燃やす。  GIGAGAIN's rerecordings of old songs are subpar--the older versions were better. And CARICATURE is just not memorable.
• GARAK'S -- ガラクタヒーロー  I like them I just never listen to them. This is probably my fav release out of the ones in this list.
• Those 白日ノ夢 live house only CDs. I think I listened to them for two days and then forgot about them.
• That 黒姫の夢遊病 distribute CD
• That 甘い暴力 distribute CD

 

 

Some of my favorite purchases this year were older CDs from bands that were new to me--Proxyon and Cosmo-Shiki for example--or that I finally bothered to really check out--HONE YOUR SENSE and Las Day Dream for example. 

 

By the end of this year, I was going to non-VK lives just as much (or more?) than visual kei lives and it's reflected in my CD list too. Next year I'll pretty much be done with VK, tbh. 

Edited December 25, 2016 by anakuro

[Aferni 2381]

1.) 黒百合と影 - 臓器のノゾキ穴。[Mini-Album]

 

Man...I found myself listening to tracks from this mini daily for the past couple of weeks, this release is absolutely stellar. すてきな唄 has to be the contender for one of 黒百合と影's best songs to date.  That face shaking growl has to be my favorite thing ever. BLELELELELLELELELELE

液状部屋 is so gritty and weird I love it. Mei's whispering about pregnancy test's and shit give me a chill down my spine whenever I listen to this track, I could do without the electronic synth they have in the background but it does add a bit of atmosphere. That bass solo and that odd scatting pretty much won me over, the first time I heard it it kinda turned me off from the song but...giving it listen after listen, it's pretty catchy. Like really catchy.  すてきな唄

 

 

2.) ギャロ - DIAVOLO & LUCIFERO (Albums)

 

 

Dear God, The Gallo is pure magic. I'm not gonna lie, Diavolo got me into The Gallo. I never thought I'd like them because I listened to a old song and it wasn't my cup of Tea..all of that changed when I heard the preview for 淫魔-BELPHEGOR-. I was. sold. Jojo and kaede's vocals are so smooth and Jojo's vibrato is just absolutely superb. The PV was poorly produced and everyone looked awkward as hell but I can see what they were going for, the lip syncing was off and it looked kinda indie tbh BUT...BUT don't let that steer you away from their music if you haven't tried them out yet! They're really making a name for themselves and getting some well deserved love, aswell as their PV production quality stepping up tremendously with their PV track "魔王-闇詩-" on their newest album LUCIFERO...and boy is that shit groovy. The high point of the album is everything. Everything works here, Jojo's unique vocals, Both guitars (yep they got another guitarist, so they're a 5 piece band again).  The bass is nice and clear along with the drums. This isn't your typical copy and paste Vkei upstart band, there's something special about The Gallo. I can't wait to see what they have in store for 2017!    BELPHEGOR

 

 

3.) Lil Uzi Vert - LEAN (Single)

 

I've come to really enjoy Uzi. He's a fun artist who really works hard, constantly releasing single after single, mixtape after mixtape, ect ect...While I don't like ALL of his content I do like a vast majority, this single for example. The beat is really trippy and melodic, it fits Uzi perfectly. This beat originally belonging to BACKWHEN, has been mixed and extended for what is one of Uzi's best tracks. The flowing is impeccable, especially seeing how he's freestyling, it's so catchy! I've found myself replaying it ever since it came out, for a 3 min song it flies by quickly.  If you think his bars are trash, then you'll definitely enjoy the beat, the synths and the bass are food for the ears.  I Might fuck yo momma. - Lil Uzi Vert (2016)

 

4.) THE BLACK SWAN - OUSIA/ OUSIA-dispersed-  (Album/Live-Dist Album)

I cannot tell you how hyped I was for this album, so imagine the disappointment when they released the info of half the album's material being already released, un re-recorded content, cept STRIPPER.  Which really didn't need a re-recording because it was fine the way it was...I actually prefer the old verison of STRIPPER to OUSIA's version. But the new additions are without a doubt the absolute jewels, BLIND DAYS, RUVISH, THE WORLD IS MY ROOM, アスモデウスの槍 are just a few that stand out with a fluorescent glow. This Title track OUSIA is an 11 minute beauty filled with raw emotion, thats one thing THE BLACK SWAN is good at, conveying raw emotion, depression and pain. OUSIA is progeressive and it has a moment of glory for all of the members, although that eerie breakdown was copy and pasted from NEGA's 虚しき「生」の寓意≒「死」の真意 , with like a slight change.  But seriously, they have a bright future and I can't wait to see what they'll bring in the future, if it's anything like they've been releasing...I'm all for it! OUSIA

(ALSOYUUOFEXNEGAHELPEDWITHTHISTRACK)

Edited December 26, 2016 by 『 A F E R N I 』

[Bear 1817]

Thangorodrim - Taur-nu-Fuin

Do not be fooled by the cover, this is not black metal. Thangorodrim plays something we've come to known as dungeon synth over the years, a subgenre of ambient closely related to black metal. Thangorodrim plays dungeon synth similar to what Mortiis did from 93-96, and he does it really well. Taur-nu-Fuin is the best dungeon synth since Mortiis' Crypt of the Wizard. Highly atmospheric album that would be the perfect soundtrack to an evening with Dungeons and Dragons among friends, or something along those lines. Or just alone with lit candles on a dark, quiet evening.

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

7 hours ago, 『 A F E R N I 』 said:

3.) Lil Uzi Vert - LEAN (Single)

 

 

Well this is something else I did kind of keep up with. I played Lil Uzi Vs. The World a lot when it came out. 

 

Young Thug's 2016, as well as his 2015, was undisputably my favorite thing in rap this year. Other's that I liked were YG's entire year, Drake, Travi$ Scott, 21 Savage, Migos - well Atlanta in general. There was a lot that I liked that I can scarcely recall on the spot. Even Denzel Curry I thought was quite alright, even though he sort of gives me the Hopsin geek vibes which really turn me off. Chance annoys the piss out of me and Danny Brown's album was a heap of shite. That's about as brief of a summary as I could pull off.

 

There came out some decent stuff from the UK that ought to be noted, but I'm not that well-versed on those. Skepta's album I fancied overrated, despite the hype that I reckon mostly came from people who finally found a British black man making music palatable for the American more novel than anything else. Either way it's a good thing that grime, dancehall and all that other junk keeps getting trendier. 

 

My new year's resolution is to keep music ratings to chart everyfin that goes in the world.