Remarkable J-rock Albums That Turned 10 This Year!!!

[CAT5 9075]

 

In celebration of Monochrome-Heaven's 10th Anniversary, we've decided to hop in our musical time machine and take a look at some of the important, classic, and downright pivotal J-rock albums of 2007! Below you'll find albums that left a significant impression on us as fledgeling J-rock fans and albums that impacted the fandom at large. So let's put on our nostalgia-goggles and take a look, shall we!!?? 

 

9mm Parabellum Bullet 

Termination

Alongside the likes of ling tosite sigure, these guys were one of the most hyped bands amongst the J-indie fandom at the time - and with great reason. On this album, 9mm crafted the perfect blend of explosive indie rock with elements of punk, hardcore, and metal - creating a sound so dynamic and fresh that even their naysayers couldn't deny it! TERMINATION was only their first full-length album, but it's responsible for inspiring an entire generation of successive bands with an influence that's still palpable to this day. Sadly, 9mm descended into utter mediocrity after this release, but this remains one of the few albums that I'd consider flawless, and it's widely regarded as a classic by fans.

-@CAT5

Listen:

 

 

 

 

girugamesh

girugämesh

Few albums I have listened to in their entirety as much as girugamesh’s 2007 eponymous release. The 45-minute epic strips the soul bare - from the dynamic opener “Patchwork” to the heart wrenching “Kowarete Iku Sekai”, girugämesh brought out an unmatched explosion of creativeness from a group of friends that, despite barely breaking into their 20s, had given their all into music. It is a quality seldom heard in VK today as they channelled all of their aggression, elation, desperation, pain and longing, relishing the listener in girugamesh’s world of raw emotion where each song held meaning and every individual tune stuck to memory.

 

This is certainly one of the albums that not only epitomized 2007, but defined girugamesh for me. For many of us, bands like girugamesh catered to our angst-ridden adolescence, as we threw away our childish inclinations while gravitating toward the darker side of VK. And it was partially thanks to this album that gave me the faith to continue following them throughout their tumultuous latter years and see their career to their end, finally gaining closure with their swansong “period” that took them back to their formative roots.

-@helcchi

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bis

Believe in Style

If girugamesh represented the transition into the dark side of visual kei to the generation that were growing up in the 00s, bis held tight to that childhood naïveté as they remained frozen in time, echoing sounds of a bygone era of oshare kei.

An ode to eternal youth, Believe in Style is an endearing Summer album that embodied all the stupid things we did when we were young and all the fun we had - free of consequences and responsibilities, as well as the bitterness we held towards growing up.

 

“Start”, “DAYS” and “SEASONS” were the quintessential high school anthems that perhaps started many people's venture into j-rock, brimming with youthful energy, catchy tunes and an attitude ready to conquer the world. It certainly seemed that success would come easy with the bright-eyed popular young band shooting their way to the top of the indies charts, yet bis’ world was painted through rose-colored glasses. And like many young bands trying to gain their footing in an adult world, the fun was short-lived and they disbanded way too early. Believe in Style would be their first and only full-length album, however not before leaving us with heartwarming memories.

-@helcchi

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D'espairsRay 

MIRROR

Perhaps the only album I personally covered that sounds just as good today as it did ten years ago, MIRROR is one of the defining visual kei albums of the '00s. Every time I think of the mysterious cover, the riff to "Trickster" starts playing in my mind and Hizumi's crooning is like a harpoon that gets stuck in your head and can't be removed. It's funny to imagine how divisive this album was when it came out because it sounded nothing like [Coll:set], but in retrospect I might consider it the most approachable D'espairsRay album that still maintains the darkness I love them for. There's also bittersweet sentimentality talking, as this is the release which marks the point of no return for many fans.

-@Zeus

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Eksperimentoj

Eksperimentoj

Having garnered a good amount of clout from the highly regarded band Dhal (a side-project formed by Aoki Robin of downy), vocalist Eugene Wakamikoto's first album with his own band Eksperimentoj was certainly a release of great interest back in 2007. In a lot of ways, Eksperimentoj sounded something like a spiritual successor to downy (who were on hiatus at the time and would remain as such for another 6 years). Eugene wrote and sung the album entirely in English, yet he sounded almost identical to Aoki Robin, and musically, the band played a gloomy, atmospheric style of post-rock that was aesthetically in line with downy as well. Though in spite of the similarities, Eksperimentoj still occupied a space of their own. Unfortunately, this was the only album they ever released, yet it's singular to this very day.

-@CAT5

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HIZAKI grace project

Dignity of crest

Released on New Year's Day of 2007, HIZAKI grace project's first album was significant for me as it ushered in the second wind of my VK fandom, which is still kickin' today. I was delighted to see an old face, Juka (ex-Moi dix Mois), combined with some great neoclassical guitarwork and subtle tinges of MALICE MIZER (dat harpsichord in "Philosopher") that brought me back to when I first learned of VK in 2002. Virtuoso guitarists HIZAKI and Teru went on to form Versailles and Jupiter, but I still come back to Dignity to crest fairly often, as it showcases some of their best riffing.

-@fitear1590

Listen:

 

Ling tosite sigure

Inspiration is DEAD

Ling tosite sigure (who were still being referred to as 'rin toshite shigure' by western fans at the time), had to be the most exciting band in Japanese indie at the time. Here you had a demure indie rock trio playing music with the technical prowess and ferocity of a death metal band, and their creativity seemed to know no bounds. Even if you found the vocals grating or annoying, you couldn't deny the Ling's ingenuity. Hell, before I grew to appreciate them, I found myself simply captivated by all of TK's insane riffage alone. Coming from a band so talented, and so obviously inspired, Inspiration is DEAD seemed like a statement - a dig against all of the bands who were content to tread the status quo instead of breaking new ground. And that's exactly what Ling did with this album, as they continued to do for years to come. Inspiration is DEAD remains a fan-favorite to this day, and as the band's final indie release, it's one of the most raw and unkempt records they've put out - a far cry from the polished, formulaic, and generally diluted music they've been producing lately.

-@CAT5

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LOSTAGE

DRAMA

Just a year after LOSTAGE dropped the classic PLAY WITH ISOLATION, they returned again with this spectacular release. DRAMA took all of the emo-tinged indie rock of the previous album, but accentuated it with hard rock elements which resulted in a fresh and powerful new sound for the band. In fact, you could argue that this is the album that set the tone for the rest of the their career, as the style they crafted here is one that they've continued to hone throughout every album since. Truly a highlight in LOSTAGE's discography and the year 2007 alike.

-@CAT5

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MERRY

M.E.R.R.Y.

After ten years, M.E.R.R.Y. still remains as one of MERRY's most memorable albums due to the band's versatile sound, which consisted of distorted punk rock with jazzy elements, groovy melodies, and some tender ballads. The singles included are "Blind Romance", "Saihate no Parade (最果てのパレード)", and the tender "Komorebi ga Boku o Sagashi Teru (木洩れ日が僕を探してる・・・)", which all remain as fan-favorite tracks today. In fact, 2007 was around the time of MERRY's prime, as the band had already been signed with major label Victor Entertainment for 2 years, and they had already performed overseas for the first time a few months prior to the album's release. Personally, the album has some of my favorite MERRY tracks ever, including "Utagoe Kissa 『MODERN』 (歌声喫茶『モダン』)", the catchy and melodic "Hirahira Tonderu. (ひらひらとんでる。)" (whose PV was directed by FULL of GUNIW TOOLS), and dat sweet bass solo at the start of "Coq d'or mama (コックドール・ママ)".

-@suji

Listen:

 

 

nayuta

solar ribbon・solar children

Never heard of this band? No worries - most people hadn't heard of this band ten years ago either! In fact, nayuta is so obscure that only some of the most hardcore J-indie enthusiasts that I know have come across them, as this album wasn't released widely and almost no information can be found on it today. Still, despite their stature, nayuta has to be one of the best kept secrets of the J-indie scene, and this album is one of the best that you've never heard. On Myspace (yes, Myspace was still a thing in 07), they used to describe themselves as 'Underground hardcore parade music', and while that's actually pretty apt in a weird way, it doesn't do them justice. There's a definitely a hardcore element to their music, which is further emphasized by the rough and noisy production quality, but the band makes creative use of melody while maintaining the beauty of it. Add in some sublime male/female vocals and you have a sound that's as chaotic as it is charming. solar ribbon・solar children may be a hidden gem, but it's well worth excavating to wrap your ears around.

-@CAT5

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OGRE YOU ASSHOLE

AlphaBeta vs. Lambda

If bands like Ling tosite sigure and 9mm Parabellum Bullet were dominating the aggressive side of Japanese indie in 2007, then on the opposite end of the spectrum, OGRE YOU ASSHOLE were the kings of slacker rock. The band already an album and a mini-album under their belts at the time, but Alpha Beta vs. Lambda truly solidified them as an indie rock force to be reckoned with. Characterized by laid-back grooves, smooth vocals, colorful riffs, and tight instrumentation, OYA carved out a delightful sound on this album that many younger bands like mitsume and siamese cats have aimed at, yet have never quite been able to hit. Hell, even the band themselves have never been able to live up to the sound they established here - and they've released eight albums since!

-@CAT5

Listen:

 

 

Plastic Tree

Nega to Poji

2007 marked the 10th anniversary since Plastic Tree's major debut, and to pay all their efforts for making it that far, they decided to release the groundbreaking and jaw dropping album that is Nega to Poji. It was a major turning point for Plastic Tree, throwing away the old and bringing out new ideas. Nega to Poji as a whole laid out such a unique charm that if you listened to one song out of the album context you'd instantly recognize the Nega to Poji sound; the dreaminess, the grungy guitars, and Ryutaro's less childish to mesmerizing vocals. Honestly, there really is no bad track on the album as they all give it a perfect balance, except for old, but newer versions of tracks like "Spica", "Makka na Ito", and "hate red, dip it", that might feel like extras to some. I do admit however, that the new "hate red, dip it (loudest sound version)" flows well with the rest of the album. You've got the dreamy "Nemureru Mori" as a tranquil start, the pumping "Fujunbutsu" and "Elegy" to amp up the noise and energy, the heavy "Sabbath", which is possibly their heaviest track other than "Ghost", some impressive drumming in the melancholic "Kuroi Kasa", and the beautiful and heartbreaking "Andro Metamorphose" that received huge debate for copying Mew's song "Comforting Sounds", yet is still loved by most, if not all pura fans. I remember playing this album on heavy rotation the day it released. It was one of the best things I heard at the time and is still an absolute favorite of mine, which I'm sure many fans can agree with as well. Hell, there's even a whole studio version of the album on DVD from the limited edition. 

-@plastic_rainbow

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RENTRER EN SOI

The bottom of chaos

It's not the album that springs to mind when I think of classics, but THE BOTTOM OF CHAOS is the album I think of when I think of Rentrer en Soi. The sound of a band successfully reinventing themselves to fit the hype sound of the time while still retaining their defining features and simultaneously progressing is as difficult to pull off as it is to describe, but for the most part THE BOTTOM OF CHAOS does this successfully. The album hasn't aged as well as I would have hoped - the production sounds thin, the growls are weak, and the best moments are segments of tracks spread over the whole affair rather than one or two solid songs - but when the entire package is this consistent it's still fun for a spin. Give this one a try if you want to know what fans a decade ago thought the tops in heavy music was.

-@Zeus

Listen:

 

 

school food punishment

air feel, color swim

school food punishment debuted with their first mini-album school food is good food back in the spring of 2007, instantly turning heads as one of the new, promising indie bands on the block. Some people were even quick to compare them to Spangle call Lilli line - one of the most prominent female-fronted indie bands of the time. However, It wasn't until later that year with the release of this album that sfp really began to come into their own. The groovy, upbeat power-pop of the tracks like "you may crawl" and "art line" were basically the prototypes for what would become sfp's signature sound later on in their major label years. While the moody and dramatic "loop, share" was like a precursor to the band's 3rd mini-album Riff-rain, which came to be widely regarded as their best work when it dropped the next year. Still air feel, color swim is an important release that marks the development of a band that later grew to become iconic in their own right.

-@CAT5

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Shiina Ringo

Heisei Fuzoku

Shiina Ringo is a legendary figure in Japanese music, hands down. With her gigantic and diverse discography, it can be quite overwhelming to start digging in. While I started with her most famous albums 勝訴ストリップ (Shouso Strip) and 加爾基 精液 栗ノ花 (Kalk Semen Chestnut Flower), I wasn't officially 'sold' on her until heisei fuuzoku. The album, which was arranged with the help of Neko Saito and served as a film OST, is a collection of self-covers and new tracks (like "Gamble"), all with a sumptuous orchestral/jazz/big band sound. The reinterpretation of "茎 (kuki)" as a sultry jazz number is particularly unreal. For anyone not quite ready for Shiina's pop-rock or more experimental side, heisei fuuzoku is another great entry point to her oeuvre.

-@fitear1590

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the GazettE

STACKED RUBBISH

2007 might have been the last year I was flat-out head-over-heels in love with visual kei. Great albums and band debuts were happening left and right, its popularity was growing, bands were touring internationally, and people were still allowed to post fan-made content on YouTube (or am I the only one missing hilarious fanvids?). One of my most played albums that year, and probably my most played GazettE album ever, was STACKED RUBBISH. Not only did the singles leading up to the album kick ass, but just about every B-side from them was just as good in their own right, and it's no surprise some ended up making it to the final cut. The album enveloped the singles perfectly too, with just the right amount of variety between upbeat clap-alongs like "ガンジスに紅い薔薇(ganges ni akai bara)" and "SWALLOWTAIL ON THE DEATH VALLEY" and GazettE's classic, bitter aggression in tracks like "BURIAL APPLICANT", "MOB 136 BARS" and "CIRCLE OF SWINDLER". A light sprinkling of Ruki's new-found 'hip hop' influence also gave the album a dose of intrigue, as it opened with the questionably titled and unintentionally hilarious "ART DRAWN BY VOMIT" as well as the unforgettable did-he-really-just-say-fuckboy? engrish in "AGONY". Whether it's for a good laugh or a good headbang, STACKED RUBBISH's epic-ness needs to live on forever in VK infamy. Yes I did probably link the entire album, fight me.

-@doombox

Listen:

 

 

Tokyo Jihen

Variety

Let's take a trip back to the past when Tokyo Jihen was saving jazz and Shiina Ringo was still relevant. Believe it or not, Tokyo Jihen's third full-length  娯楽(バラエティ), pronounced Goraku, turns ten this year! Feel old yet?  I would consider 娯楽 to be the black sheep of their discography, mostly due to everyone but Ringo composing music for this release. 娯楽 includes seven tracks from guitarist Ukigumo, five tracks from keyboard player Ichiyo Izawa and one composed by bassist Seiji Kameda. Drummer Toshiki Hata was also asked to contribute, but he declined. There's nothing wrong with it, but when it comes time to name drop Tokyo Jihen tracks, my mind often does not wander here.  娯楽 is best known for lead singles "O.S.C.A." and "キラーチューン" (Killer-tune), and  "金魚の箱" (Kingyo no Hako) which became the theme for the film 魍魎の匣 (Mouryou no Hako), but my personal favorite song is "黒猫道" (Kuroneko-do). It ended up selling 175,000 copies and was certified Gold by the RIAJ.

-@Zeus

Listen:

 

 

trico

MUSICS

Sometimes brilliance goes overlooked because it's found in the most unexpected places, or in trico's case - a place that wasn't even on the radar for most. 2006 saw the release of the band's first album, but it was just humdrum enough to be negligible. They hadn't become a band that you'd hear readily flying off the lips of J-indie fans, so it made sense that Musics went by barely detected when it dropped the next year. I'm not sure what transpired in the time between these two releases, but trico had clearly become inspired in the interim. As opposed to downy, who were far left-field, and sleepy.ab, who were perhaps a bit too poppy, trico managed to hit the perfect stride of Radiohead-inspired rock, while also forging their own identity. With Musics, the band remained highly accessible while keeping things interesting. They took some interesting creative liberties, employing unusual sounds and subtly progressive arrangements, yet never became overly-experimental or self-indulgent. This was a short but fantastic mini-album, and it's a shame that this was trico's last proper release. I would have LOVED to hear what else they could have gone on to produce!

-@CAT5

Listen:

 

 

 Versailles

Lyrical Sympathy

Many of these tracks have been revisited and re-recorded in many releases by Versailles, which should indicate just how influential this release is. The Revenant Choir  was the first release, but Lyrical Sympathy is what opened the door and introduced the band to the world. Classics such as "The Love from a Dead Orchestra" and "Sympathia" are among many fan favorites, and it's always refreshing to hear a power-metal band take a few trends and buck them. Actually, there are only one or two tracks here which haven't made a reappearance because they've even recycled the intro track! A decade ago when I first stumbled across Versailles, I never thought I'd have the opportunity to see them grow and come this far. Lyrical Sympathy holds up if you approach it from an ideas perspective, but as far as execution goes it's a diamond in the rough that I enjoy with the thickest rose-tinted glasses I can find.

-@Zeus

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-

 

Liked our list? Disagree with our list? Did we miss anything? Feel free to leave your comments below, let us know what you think, and let us know what albums you found remarkable that have turned 10 this year!  

[reminiscing2004 617]

Great picks. I saw all the albums I immediately thought of when it it came to 2007. ^^

[Takadanobabaalien 3607]

we're getting old folks.

 

nice list, very nostalgic.

[Peace Heavy mk II 7200]

Lyrical Sympathy + RES + Mirror + Dignity of Crest were all influential albums to me, and I liked Termination as well (long after the fact, though: didn't try out 9mm until probably 2012 or so). Didn't realize 2017 was such a big year!

[Ito 2438]

If there was a single year I am most nostaligic for in Jrock, I think it would have to be 2007. D'espairsRay, Girugamesh, and Rentrer en Soi sit at the top of this list for me. That said, I think there are a few albums that I still look back at fondly that didn't make it on to the list:

 

Abingdon Boys School - Self Titled

I played the shit out of this release. I was always a fan of Takanori Nishikawa, but never really got in to TM's style. But in catchy alt rock with lots of electronics...oh man.

 

Lynch. - The Avoided Sun

I'm not sure this will ever go down as the best lynch album, but in 2007 their formula wasn't even close to feeling stale yet. I still really enjoy this album, even if it does have some stinker tracks on it (I'm looking at you, "the Universe.")

 

D - Neo Culture: Beyond the World

This would mark the last D album that I really enjoyed.

 

Blood Stain Child - Mozaiq

Man, I don't feel like this album holds up to time at all, but that euro-trance metal was something that was really enjoyable at the time.

 

Dir en Grey - The Marrow of a Bone

This album felt like a dud to me at the time, and marked the full on shift in Diru's style. That said, I still found myself still really getting pumped up by some of the tracks (Grief being the main one here)

 

The Marrow of a Bone - Bu-ikikaesu

When I think of MtH, this is the album I think of. I'll admit though, I don't think I listened to this on in 2007 though.

 

Kagrra, - shizuku

Far from Kagrra,'s strongest work, but there formula was so lovely and I couldn't help but enjoy their more laid back approach they were taking. That and I think what Kagrra, was doing has never really been replicated.

 

 

[Kaye 296]

Ah, Rentrer en soi and Despa. Absolutely loved Plastic Tree's Ghost as well but the top one will always be Girugamesh's selftitled. While I'd been listening to VK and bands around the genre for years I still believe that was "the one" that got me stuck more than anything. Probably also the first Japanese release I got (since Utada's Exodus album was technically not Japanese)

[TrentReznor 362]

This post made me remember bis, im gonna check their album and other releases a few times these days...I totally forgot about them. By the way, is the vocalist doing anything else? or just disappeared from the scene?

 

My addition:

Roach - Mind of the sun/Scarlet. For me, their best cds; the time they had "something" special

 

Edited December 30, 2017 by TrentReznor

[chemicalpictures 1888]

Freaking THANK YOU @helcchifor adding Believe in Style to the list. bis is the band that, imo, along with baroque made VK/Oshare actually acessible to the general public. If they stayed long enough, they'd DEFINITELY be able to hit big outside the niche, band was barely one year old and already had TV theme songs and ads collaborations. But somehow, I have the feeling that they were never shooting for it, even tho they kept hitting the top of the charts even after leaving PSC. A gem of a band that doesn't get half of the recognition they deserve.

 

21 hours ago, TrentReznor said:

This post made me remember bis, im gonna check their album and other releases a few times these days...I totally forgot about them. By the way, is the vocalist doing anything else? or just disappeared from the scene?

 

He wanting to leave the scene was the sole reason of their disbandment, so yeah... he did some acting gigs with satsuki and one pv for fun with a band he was friends with, but that's basically it.

 

Edited December 31, 2017 by chemicalpictures

[pawzord 388]

Wow thanks, now I feel old and shit.

 

Great list.

[elvismania 25]

That year...

I would add KISS by L'Arc!

[saishuu 3220]

Echoing the love for Kagrra,'s shizuku. I could write an entire essay about it lmao, but t's unfortunate how unnoticed it goes after all these years. No band will ever come close to making the kind of music they did.

 

I'd also like to mention one of my favorite albums from the decade: kannivalism's Nu age.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2017 by saishuu

[plastic_rainbow 2162]

fuck how could i forget kannivalism's nu age???!! definitely one of my favorites from the decade for sure! thanks for reminding me @saishuu !!

 

@helcchiawesome blurb on bis' album! i think you pretty much explained everything about why i love them. <33 miss them truly....

 

On 12/30/2017 at 10:00 AM, chemicalpictures said:

He wanting to leave the scene was the sole reason of their disbandment, so yeah... he did some acting gigs with satsuki and one pv for fun with a band he was friends with, but that's basically it.

thank you for clarifying this! i had been wondering for so long what he'd been up to and kept hoping that he'd come back in another band someday. but i guess not, huh?

[Jigsaw9 6783]

6 hours ago, elvismania said:

That year...

I would add KISS by L'Arc!

 

Just what I was thinking about! Although (imo) it is not really a remarkable album but it's a well solid one, especially considering how long they were in their career when they made it. Some great tunes on there!

 

Coincidentally I was watching this live video today, brought back such a nice nostalgic feel.    (paradoxically, since this was the first time I've actually seen it, haha)

 

 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Jigsaw9

[indigo 389]

I must admit that 2007 was a really great year music-wise now that I think about it. Inspiration is DEAD and The bottom of chaos were life-changing albums for me.

 

I browsed my own music library and I have to shout-out some other fantastic Japanese rock albums released in 2007.  Even though they are no1curr bands for the most part.    I wouldn't say they are groundbreaking albums or anything but still, they are close to my heart. So I guess they are remarkable for me personally.

 

- The Birthday's Teardrop, one of my absolute favorite rock albums ever.

- ミドリ (Midori)'s Second

- ムニムニ (Munimuni)'s underrated 曲がる世界 mini-album.

- 浅井健一 (Asai Kenichi) released not one but TWO great albums, CHELSEA and Rod Snake Shock Service.

- And I have to mention Tha Blue Herb's Life Story, my favorite album by them, even though it's not rock.

Edited December 31, 2017 by indigo

[Shmilly 519]

On 12/30/2017 at 12:32 AM, Ito said:

Abingdon Boys School - Self Titled

I played the shit out of this release. I was always a fan of Takanori Nishikawa, but never really got in to TM's style. But in catchy alt rock with lots of electronics...oh man.

Commenting just to +1 this. It is one of few albums that I can still say with confidence that I enjoy every track enough to listen to the entire thing without hitting the skip button (well, at least up to the final lengthy instrumental track). In addition a.b.s was the very first band that I ever saw live, so it's fair to say that they had a big impression on high school me. Still hoping for a comeback...

[Ikki 807]

Out of all of the albums on this list, D'espairsRay's Mirror is the only one I own a copy of and from what I remembered, I seemed to enjoyed it.  I haven't spinned it in like four years.

 

Of the other albums featured in this article, I only remember hearing the ones by Girugamesh, bis, HIZAKI grace project, Merry, Rentrer en Soi, and the GazettE albums.  As it's been years and three computer hd failures ago, I haven't hear any of these albums in years. I remember that I loved the Girugamesh and bis albums. I can't remember my opinion on the HIZAKI grace project album.  I remember being super disappointed in the Merry and RES albums. The GazettE album was the one that made me jump off of that bandwagon.  For the other two VK albums on the list, I quit listening to Plastic Tree several years prior by the time of this release and I was never a Versailles fan.

 

The only 2007 release I own that I would say I play a lot is test-No.'s test-No. 005.  It has a lot of sentimental value to me, mostly due to my online friends at that time and I made a lot of parodies of Den's horrible photoshop skills at the time of this release.  Those old parodies are probably lost on LJ/Photobucket somewhere out there.

[Vercingetorix 185]

Hard to think of a less snappy topic title.

[saishuu 3220]

On 01/01/2018 at 8:21 AM, Shmilly said:

Commenting just to +1 this. It is one of few albums that I can still say with confidence that I enjoy every track enough to listen to the entire thing without hitting the skip button (well, at least up to the final lengthy instrumental track). In addition a.b.s was the very first band that I ever saw live, so it's fair to say that they had a big impression on high school me. Still hoping for a comeback...

I completely forgot about abs, damn. The hype was real back then. I still love every track on that album too and also listen to it every once in a while.

I wish Takanishi didn't just give up on the project.

[Mamo 1172]

If anyone wants to count grindcore SWARRRM's legendary experimental grindcore album Black Bong turned 10:

SWARRRM -Black Bong

Spoiler

 

 

Edited January 3, 2018 by Mamo

[Pretsy 1343]

Not sure how "The Marrow of a Bone" can be a sore release compared to other 2007 releases when that album is basically

Spoiler

 

1) the album that has all the mixing and mastering done right for a J-rock album

2) the album with an actual, drastic shift for an anniversary album

3) the album which rocks your socks even when played live (Uroboros apologists, eat your heart out)

4) the J-rock album with theme consistency (!)

5) the album with actual grouping efforts

6) the album of Dir's best staple songs

7) the album that is important for both the band and their followers

 

 

Other than that, 

 

1) Tokyo Jihen - Variety

For the same reasons as stated by OP.

 

2) LTS - Inspiration is DEAD

For the same reasons...

 

3) L'Arc~en~Ciel - KISS

The best post-2000s album by them - consistent delivery, less fillers, and so on.

 

4) Coaltar of the Deepers - Yukari Telepath

"This is basically a Deftones album with stronger melody writing, lyrics, and variety of sound..."

 

5) Susumu Hirasawa - Paprika OST

Kaleidoscopic ear candy.

 

6) Cornelius - Sensuous

Not the first Cornelius album I would mention, but still an ear candy!

 

7) Midori - Second

"There are moments when the piano rams into hipswinging lockstep with the guitars as the vocals find the right balance of seduction and sneer and then you have to dance like an idiot while watering the lawn with your right shoulder to the place where sunset will be and a vague unease sitting light and sour on your nerves..."

 

8 ) Kashiwa Daisuke - Program Music I

Elegant electroclassical glitch record by the big man himself.

 

9) Melt-Banana - Bambi's Dilemma

Just another good ol' MB album with the same kind of personality as with Cell-Scape or Fetch

 

10) Boom Boom Satellites - Exposed

One of the most unique genre-hybrid albums

 

 

[Furik 832]

Thanks for making me feel old. 

 

girugamesh self-titled and the Gazzete’s Stacked Rubbish were my jams back then. 

[CAT5 9075]

2 hours ago, Alroy said:

7) Midori - Second

"There are moments when the piano rams into hipswinging lockstep with the guitars as the vocals find the right balance of seduction and sneer and then you have to dance like an idiot while watering the lawn with your right shoulder to the place where sunset will be and a vague unease sitting light and sour on your nerves..."

 

I actually thought about writing about this! midori are definitely worth a mention - "shimizu" was good too.

 

3 hours ago, Alroy said:

Not sure how "The Marrow of a Bone" can be a sore release compared to other 2007 releases when that album is basically

  Reveal hidden contents

 

1) the album that has all the mixing and mastering done right for a J-rock album

2) the album with an actual, drastic shift for an anniversary album

3) the album which rocks your socks even when played live (Uroboros apologists, eat your heart out)

4) the J-rock album with theme consistency (!)

5) the album with actual grouping efforts

6) the album of Dir's best staple songs

7) the album that is important for both the band and their followers

 

 

 

 

I also felt that needed to be on the list, but seeing as I'm not the most avid DIR EN GREY friend, and that my personal experience with that album is limited, I didn't feel validated writing about it.

[Furik 832]

omg how could I forgot RES and Midori in 2007. 😭 I miss the old years. 

 

Also, 2007 was when I joined TW!

[Bear 1817]

Can I add some metal releases here? 2007 saw the release of a lot of fantastic metal albums, some even on the brink of being classics as far as Japanese metal goes.

[Bear 1817]

Heidi - Kasou

 

Heidi's two first albums will forever and ever be among my favourite "jrock/visual kei" albums, and while I do not consider Kasou their best release, it's still a fantastic album full of great, superbly produced songs with a band who, without really doing anything new or original, found their own identity and managed to really sounds different in a scene where most bands and artists seems to be allergic of treading their own paths for the last decade+. Don't expect anything unusual or original, but Nao's way of riffing, Heidi's way of putting fantastic tracks together and the whole chemestry between the members really makes them stand out from the crowd. Another thing I will give Heidi, which I always felt the majority of "jrock/visual kei" artists failed at was to make an album where all songs seems to fit into the same album, and they all seem to have been written with a purpose of making a full album and keep a red thread going through all the tracks for an entire album. That is something I feel like too many bands fail to do in these scenes.

 

They would get even better and reach their full potential with their next album tho.