Recommended Tracks: November 2017

[Zeus 7997]

 

It's the most wonderful time of the month! Let's give thanks to our favorite musicians and highlight some spicy cuts from this month. Check it out and fill out the list with yours below!

 

@tetsu_sama69's Picks

"Monster" by 戦国時代-The age of civil wars-

Granted there were most likely some very mixed reactions when 戦国時代-The age of civil wars- were announced because of the random make-up of band members but with a group full of well experienced musicians with a splash of ex.SIAM SHADE members how can one go entirely wrong. 戦国時代 may end up being a temporary group in the long run but their first mini-album 初陣－First battle－ (Uijin－First battle－) is surprisingly stuffed with energetic and catchy songs that shouldn't be missed. "Monster" is one of the heavy darker themed tracks on the mini-album and sticks out mostly for its fantastic musical composition. "Monster" is a song that infuses heavy metal with traditional Japanese instrumentals spiced with pop-rock that has a bass line that'll get stuck in your head for days. The instrumentals go from energetic to headbanging at the drop of a hat and the vocals go from screaming to melodic so smoothly. The previews do no justice to 戦国時代-The age of civil wars- making them sound as if they are just another generic traditional themed pop-rock group, but they'll surprise you if you give them a chance.

 

"春雪ノ頃" (Shunsetsu no Koro) by Schwartz:Mist

I was in no way prepared for how much I was going to enjoy this at all. But once I heard that explosive grindfest of an opener I knew I was in for a treat. "Shunsetsu no Koro" is an amazingly solid song brimming with energy and emotion. Especially the breakdowns at the start and end of the track can only be described as a headbanger's best friend. Vocalist 心 (Shin) (ex. LucieN) has a fantastic voice able to deliver harsh powerful screams and gritty clean vocals that hit me in all the right places. Surprisingly what really makes "春雪ノ頃" stand out for me is that there's no guitar solo but if you listen there are some spectacular riffs from Guitarist 環 (Tamaki). If you have a thirst for some more from Schwartz:Mist after hearing "春雪ノ頃", you should definitely check out their first mini-album "S.M" and enjoy this great band!

 

 

"Imitation" by DEXCORE

Visual kei refuses to be a letdown this year with powerhouse band DEXCORE. If you weren't already hooked on them from their past releases then "Imitation" is a perfect song to get you into this band. With the addition of guitarist haku since their previous single, the band has grown exponentially. There's a serious amount of depth to "Imitation" layered with shockingly vibrant vocals and explosive instrumentals. DEXCORE has set the bar for the current scene of 'br00tal kei' a bit higher by delivering a song that's anything but generic. There's nothing held back in this storm of drums and waves of breakdowns that burst forth with vocal shock waves. Drummer Naoki (ex. DEATHGAZE) seems to have gone out of his way to make sure that DEXCORE sounds a step above anything he was involved in previously and it's a blessing to anyone who listens. I'm seriously looking forward to full release of "Imitation" and anything else DEXCORE brings in the future.

 

@emmny's Picks

"LAW'S" by Kiyoharu

I'm kind of new to the cult of Kiyoharu, so I was shocked to find out this was an old song, re-composed and arranged for an upcoming "rhythmless" remake album, with other Kuroyume, Kiyoharu, and SADS tracks. The original "LAW'S" closely resembles newer SADS material, but Kiyoharu's recent work tends to overlap stylistically, regardless of the project the song falls under. If you're wondering how this eight minute remake of a five minute song manages to even remotely resemble the original--you're totally right, theres no comparison. Kiyoharu and co. turn the edgy punk-styled track into a floaty ballad, anchored by gripping and rough vocals from the legend himself. The progression of the track is amazing, with delicate acoustic guitars giving way to more fullbodied instrumentation, ending with a good few minutes of Kiyoharu just wailing on the track. The imagery of the video is slow and erotic (or is it just sad?); the kind of shit you'd see a cabaret musician playing, with their cigarette smoke trailing into the air after last call rush dies down--but in the best way. In visual kei we're used to seeing good talent go to waste with bad taste, but it's a privilege to constantly see a talented musician making such carefully calculated stylistic decisions, as evident in the uniquely sultry arrangement in "LAW'S".

 

"夜想" (Yasou) by Virge

Virge, the project born out of the ashes of Mediena and Malisend continues to drop bop after bop, showing just how much Shin's (FKA Rino, ex-bassist for Malisend) compositional prowess has improved. The aforementioned bands piqued a lot of of interest on here, mostly because of their fairly strong early-00's revival sound. The trend continues with Virge, splicing equal bits of Phantasmagoria-style melodicism and the harsh guitars/bass of mid-era D'espairsRay to great effect, as seen with "Yasou". The band understand the importance of good, simple riffs and an even better chorus, using this ethos to frame their music. My only complaint before was that songs came across as a little 2D, or flat in their structures. They've read my mind (wwww) and addressed that with "Yasou", as it goes through a fair bit of shifts, showing off a more adventurous style, although the palette is the same as we've gotten to know the band for. The huge bass tone (almost sounds like slap but isn't, reminds me of Reita's best tones) clashes perfectly with Ryo's dazzling vocal delivery, and new drummer Aru's contributions are noted as well with great rhythm work. If you're not stanning--despite how much coverage we give them here--you are totally missing out.

 

 

"歪" (Ibitsu) by VRZEL

Believe it or not, for all the "INSIDE BEAST", Gazette-lite clones we've gotten over the past few years, we now have a "Taion" to balance it out. The opening is the heaviest section the band have ever done, alternating between grinding alt-metal riffs and eerie wailing clean guitars over whispers. This is the most obvious section recalling "Taion"; the rest is all VRZEL for better or worse (I'm purposely ignoring the gratuitous gazethot interlude). This goes on for a full minute before clean vocals even come in, building up a tense atmosphere. The rest of the track moves at a lurching pace, bordering on heavy-ballad territory, anchored by Cion's wailing vocals. VRZEL took a risk releasing such an intense, five-and-a-half minute track as the promotional lead for the album but it paid off. The brutal fiend in me wishes they went for an even darker concept, dropped the guitars to A# and MUCC'd it away, but VRZEL stayed true to their image while rendering a quasi-challenging track for their fans. I've always been in the corner cheering on Cion's compositional prowess, and I'm happy it has culminated to such a solid track--a merger of old and new.

 

@qotka's Pick

"十五" by キズ

 

Featured on the Kizu's 2nd single, Kawazu, "Juugo" is another display of power from one of the fastest growing, strongest newcomers on the scene this year. Ask anyone who's had to FIGHT for tickets to their one-man. While this b-side doesn't offer anything too different from the rest of the recorded material they've put out so far - if anything, it shows consistency and careful building of their sound and image as a band - it's here this month for simply being the fun track it is and for having those sweet, anthem-like qualities. If you're on the lookout for a dramatic, non-cynical power metal banger to indulge in, this is your new jam. From its restless, rapid verses to its uplifting, theatrical chorus, this zero bullshit 3-minute track hits the spot. Video bonus: showcases how frighteningly GORGEOUS their gya are. 

 

 

 

 

@The Reverend's Pick

 

"哀絶綺譚 feat. 祈狂 of La'veil Mizeria" by 魅裟

 

I think I must have a thing for music box-y intros in VK. Dir en grey's "Cage" and Avelcain's "死化粧" are two of my favorite songs ever; and despite it's obvious flaws I'm really enjoying the newest from 魅裟 (missa) this month.

 

Missa and  祈狂 (Kikyo) from La'veil MizeriA team up for "哀絶綺譚" (Aizetsu kitan), the best of three simultaneously released digital singles from Missa on a vanity label with the most VK name ever; Malformed Maria Records. Certainly the most surprising thing about this single is that, despite combining members of Insanity Injection and La'veil MizeriA, it's a not-quite-ballad obviously attempting to be unironically *pretty*. That piano/vocal melody will absolutely get stuck in your head if you let it, and the guitar tone is a bit amateur but quite tasty.

 

The fake drums are a bit of a turnoff, and I maintain that a song really needs a reason to be over five minutes; but if Missa keeps releasing these digital singles with fun special guests during his other bands' downtime, he may be able to carve out a niche where many have failed in the realm of 'VK solo acts'.

 

 

@Zeus's Picks

"the whirl" by lynch.

No band in the visual kei scene nails re-recordings as consistently as lynch. does for me. A lot of this is because lynch. have never deviated too strongly from the sound that defines them, and their retake of 2007's "the whirl" is everything I never knew I wanted from the song. The heavier parts are grittier, the softer parts more delicate and emotional, and the transitions between them hit just as hard as I'm used to. While sonically everything has been pushed to the extremes, the rough production brings everything together like a caressing smack to the face. The improvement on the drums is worth the price of admission alone, and let's not even get into the improvements to Hazuki's voice.  After a multitude of A-B-C comparisons, this is my favorite out of the three versions floating around; the original on underneath the skin has flat production and the version released on THE BURIED sounds too sterile for my tastes. Normally I'd say something snarky, but I don't even mind that the ten year old track is the prime attraction on lynch.'s newest!

 

 

 "五月雨" (Samidare) by 左迅×弐×愁×Яyo

 

2017 has been kind to "五月雨", as this is the second successful reinterpretation of an early visual kei classic. "五月雨", released on TRIBUTE OF MUCC - 縁 [en] -, is a secret track credited to 左迅×弐×愁×Яyo, but it's pretty much girugamesh, and I will refer to them as such for the rest of the blurb. girugamesh will never steal "五月雨" from MUCC, but they can certainly add this to their live repertoire and I wouldn't be mad. They successfully made this their own song, preserving the original feel of the song while effortlessly adding their signature elements to it. I delayed posting this list just to add it. Listening to girugamesh's cover of "五月雨" gives me feels of them at their best with a tinge of angura I never knew they had in them. If I wasn't already pining for their return, this solidified it. Anyone who misses girugamesh needs to sample this song.

 

 

Thank you for reading everyone!

 

 

[Mamo 1172]

So soooo glad to see girugamesh's new song listed here.  I also think  gibkiy×３'s song 溺れる魚  deserves a mention here, because I actually think it was the best song on MUCC's tribute album.

Edited December 2, 2017 by Mamo

[yakihiko 1480]

Thank you for the review guys.

 

@emmny

I haven't listened to LAW's newest version, I'm waiting to listen to it with the rest of his エレジー album, the atmosphere around the songs into a full album from Kiyoharu is what makes more into him. It's a mix of good sensations.

I hope you can become more into the Kiyoharu cult, it's really great. I'm more into Kiyoharu and SADS than at Kuroyume.

 

@qotka

I was super excited to キズ music mainly for Reiki but I got dissapointed with their direction, I was hoping they to sound more like LOUD GRAPE instead. I'm still probably digging their future releases but without the earlier feeling mentioned.

 

@Zeus

I'm glad to see and listen that lynch is still great as they usual are. Their BLOOD THIRTY CREATURE is probably my favorite single by them since I BELIEVE IN ME, such a gorgeous balance between the three songs, the pick for "the whirl" to join the others two song on it was successful.

 

I'm not a fan from 五月雨 itself, even when it were recorded for MUCC, but it fits well on Girugamesh boys. I'm really waiting them to return to scene with another cool name and the average music status they used to own.

[nick 10212]

Girugamesh certainly deserved to be on the MUCC tribute album because both were senior and junior bands. Unfortunately, it's a shame that they couldn't use the band name after the disbandment. It sure is a big surprise seeing Girugamesh secretly participate on a bonus track, and it turned out to be a killer one. <3

Edited December 3, 2017 by nostalgia

[yakihiko 1480]

7 hours ago, nostalgia said:

Girugamesh certainly deserved to be on the MUCC tribute album because both were senior and junior bands. Unfortunately, it's a shame that they couldn't use the band name after the disbandment. It sure is a big surprise seeing Girugamesh secretly participate on a bonus track, and it turned out to be a killer one. <3

 

Danger Crue Records do not allow them to make use of "Girugamesh" name or they didn't want to use it because they disbanded? I know that labels don't allow the use of songs but didn't know about the band name itself.

[nick 10212]

Not sure either, but simply I think it wouldn't be appropriate/make sense to release a song under the disbanded name Girugamesh as the band no longer exists. Otherwise, it could lead to a misunderstanding that the band had been reunited.

[Zeus 7997]

On 12/4/2017 at 4:30 AM, nostalgia said:

Not sure either, but simply I think it wouldn't be appropriate/make sense to release a song under the disbanded name Girugamesh as the band no longer exists. Otherwise, it could lead to a misunderstanding that the band had been reunited.

They may also not own the rights to the name anymore.

[nightwish666999666 12]

I voted DEXCORE because they're new to me. But I really like Virge music too :-)