The Official Brutal Kei Thread

[Mamo 1172]

Some of you may be familiar with more comedic tag "brutal kei" to describe "heavy" visual kei bands who often use vocals and instrumentals seemingly inspired by "heavy metal" genres and sometimes "extreme metal" genres as well. The origins of the term "brutal kei" was coined by "matsuya89" aka @VkBrutaliaN in 2009 and later popularized by myself in 2010 as more of a "troll". I was inspired by a video which has since been removed on youtube; however, a forum discussion on this video and listing the bands used in the video can be found here: http://rockbandfinder.com/top-9-most-brutal-visual-keij-rock-bands/ . (I later found out the video was made and uploaded by @VkBrutaliaN). But the serious origins of this trend in visual kei began with various "Nu metal" tendencies as early as the mid-90s with bands such as: Aliene Ma'riage, ∀NTI FEMINISM, and 妃阿甦(THE PIASS).

 

Today it has become a less prevalent niche but a handful of bands of this type always seem to emerge only to disband very shortly thereafter. Kept alive by a cult following of an obsessive fandom. Many bands of the current wave of this so called "brutal kei" genre incorporate elements of electronica and mostly stick to a blend of metalcore, deathcore, nu metal, and typical vk melodic rock. The vocalist will almost always use harsh vocal techniques such as: screams, pig squeals, and death growls. Some current examples include: Nocturnal Bloodlust, JILUKA, FIXER,  DIMLIM, DEXCORE, and many more.

 

Oh and @Takadanobabaalienmy apologies for not mentioning the legendary most br00tal vk band "Deviloof"!!!!!!

 

Are you a fan of this sound?

Edited January 18, 2018 by Mamo

[Takadanobabaalien 3607]

Not a fan of this sound but I can't believe you forgot to mention the kings of brutal kei, Deviloof. 

[Mamo 1172]

21 minutes ago, Takadanobabaalien said:

Not a fan of this sound but I can't believe you forgot to mention the kings of brutal kei, Deviloof. 

My bad LMAO

[NightFall 177]

I LOVE this sound... sometimes lol

 

I love DIMLIM, and I'm interested in Deviloof and Jiluka rn, not quite enough to purchase the CDs yet tho

Would you include DADAROMA with their tracks like 雨のワルツ and 溺れる魚?

[Komorebi 2193]

 I actually dislike the excessive screaming and prefer to go for more melodic metal, vocally speaking. 

 

Why are Jiluka becoming my favorite band and current obsession? I would love to know .___.

[anadentone 478]

semi sexy/drunk singers reaching deep down into the belly of the bears to bring forth all the sadness, heartache, and abhorrence  they've kept bottled up into the combined vocal sounds of a banshee sodomizing a cat. Viva la br00tal kei!

[maryeon 28]

I too like @Komorebiusually tend to prefer the more melodic or classical influenced bands. I personally mean bands like Matenrou Opera, Versailles or Galneryus but nowadays I've listened to more and more "brutal kei" and I admit it's become one of my favourite things. I love the more extreme Jiluka songs and believe Ricko is a pretty competent screamer but I also really like their softer sounding songs like Crossing Fate (my personal fave).

 

This chick rides the dexcore hype train!!!! I do love how intense they are.

 

Can we also include Archemi. in this? They sound pretty heavy to me.

Edited January 17, 2018 by maryeon

[VkBrutaliaN 1890]

@Mamowtf this topic!? XD

 

actually i am pretty certain (without sounding like a poser) i was the one who invented the term "brutal kei".

since i used it since probably 2009 to describe the very first heavy wave of Vk bands which imo started around 2009 with bands such as Origami, Golbeza etc...

 

also the video you are talking about, also from that link it was actually done by myself! ;D

proof: scroll down to the 7th comment... it mentions "matsuya89" which was my name on yt before i changed everything to VkBrutaliaN.

 

and finally because someone in the comments asked (6th comment if you scroll down) "who's the first band ?"

and i still remember first band in that video was "Dio - Distraught Overlord" because at the time i created that video dokusai was just the MOST BRUTAL THING OUT THERE!!!! 8D

[Mamo 1172]

33 minutes ago, VkBrutaliaN said:

actually i am pretty certain (without sounding like a poser) i was the one who invented the term "brutal kei".

since i used it since probably 2009 to describe the very first heavy wave of Vk bands which imo started around 2009 with bands such as Origami, Golbeza etc...

 

also the video you are talking about, also from that link it was actually done by myself! ;D

proof: scroll down to the 7th comment... it mentions "matsuya89" which was my name on yt before i changed everything to VkBrutaliaN.

I thought so but I wasn't certain but I'll edit the op to reflect this lol

[filth_y 189]

1 hour ago, VkBrutaliaN said:

very first heavy wave of Vk bands which imo started around 2009 with bands such as Origami, Golbeza etc...

 

I always thought the first wave of "heavier" vk and that inspired those as Origami, Golbeza, Re:dis etc. was around 2005-2006 with songs by Velvet Nightmare (later DI3SIRAE), Schmelz Cure, It, Since1889, 闇撫, THE RUDIE SATAN PARK, Leviathan and maybe even partly brodiaea or ネガ, followed by Silentline, GREGORY, GremlinS, UnsraW, THE CRIME, ヴェルテクス-Vertex-, etc. etc. etc. and the ones you mentioned plus maybe 20 other bands that disbaneded after 1 live distr. or even without any real CD.

But i think they dont have much in common and are not related to the likes of DIMLIM, Deviloof, etc. who more have influence from western and real "brutal" music?

 

Also i didnt feel JILUKA are brutal at all after seing them live with DIMLIM. Very much straight metal (but only "vk" band in 2017 i've seen where i felt the band knows how to really play their instruments) with some screams and kind/friendly/cute atmosphere live. But i dont know their discography at all (went for DIMLIM which were amazing despite the differences CD/live (damn the guitarist and bass cant play the stuff from CD live :\)), so maybe its me. Also FIXER are more like vk with electro effects for me and not brutal (at least not live; dont like them on CD, so maybe didnt listen enough). I think many bands these days have songs or part in songs that can seem brutal but i wouldnt call the band brutal. Some songs by Dir en grey are also brutal, no? 

 

As mentioned by OP, I also actually think brutal kei was first used more in a way to make fun of certain bands as in writing it br00tal kei like many people hyping Leviathan in 2007 while others were disgusted by the hype. But i do think VkBrutaliaN was in fact the first person i've seen use it seriously some years ago

[Mamo 1172]

26 minutes ago, filth_y said:

I always thought the first wave of "heavier" vk and that inspired those as Origami, Golbeza, Re:dis etc. was around 2005-2006 with songs by Velvet Nightmare (later DI3SIRAE), Schmelz Cure, It, Since1889, 闇撫, THE RUDIE SATAN PARK, Leviathan and maybe even partly brodiaea or ネガ, followed by Silentline, GREGORY, GremlinS, UnsraW, THE CRIME, ヴェルテクス-Vertex-, etc. etc. etc. and the ones you mentioned plus maybe 20 other bands that disbaneded after 1 live distr. or even without any real CD.

But i think they dont have much in common and are not related to the likes of DIMLIM, Deviloof, etc. who more have influence from western and real "brutal" music?

Truthfully the real first wave began in 2003 which is why you can see 2003-2010 in the tags, with bands such as: Awoi, girugamesh, DEATHGAZE, SINCE1889(which stated in 2004), etc. and I agree with the information you mentioned here as well. Everything after 2010 I consider "Second wave" which is when bands began this electronic metalcore/deathcore sound. That's why bands such as DIMLIM, Deviloof, and JILUKA sound different; however, I definitely still think they were drawing off of and inspired by the 2003-2010 wave of "brutal kei" bands. 

 

And bands of the 90's like Aliene Ma'riage, ∀NTI FEMINISM, and 妃阿甦(THE PIASS) can be considered precursors that inspired this sound.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Mamo

[filth_y 189]

17 minutes ago, Mamo said:

Truthfully the real first wave was began in 2003 which is why you can see 2003-2010 in the tags, with bands such as: Awoi, girugamesh, DEATHGAZE, SINCE1889(which stated in 2004), etc. and I agree with the information you mentioned here as well. Everything after 2010 I consider "Second wave" which is when bands began this electronic metalcore/deathcore sound. That's why bands such as DIMLIM, Deviloof, and JILUKA sound different; however, I definitely still think they were drawing off of and inspired by the 2003-2010 wave of "brutal kei" bands. 

 

And bands of the 90's like Aliene Ma'riage, ∀NTI FEMINISM, and 妃阿甦(THE PIASS) can be considered precursors that inspired this sound.

 

If we see 2003 as first bands and around 2005 as the real first wave, i think 2007/2008 the second startet maybe triggered after Diru's TMOAB and UROBOROS (i would do give Diru a lot of credit here but ultimately the western bands influencing them on the Family Values Tour 2006). Then i would even go so far and say the likes such as DIMLIM or Deviloof can be considered 3rd or 4th wave even, mainly Deviloof because they didnt come from a vk background? But i feel i start nitpicking.

[Mamo 1172]

25 minutes ago, filth_y said:

 

If we see 2003 as first bands and around 2005 as the real first wave, i think 2007/2008 the second startet maybe triggered after Diru's TMOAB and UROBOROS (i would do give Diru a lot of credit here but ultimately the western bands influencing them on the Family Values Tour 2006). Then i would even go so far and say the likes such as DIMLIM or Deviloof can be considered 3rd or 4th wave even, mainly Deviloof because they didnt come from a vk background? But i feel i start nitpicking.

Yeah I think you maybe right it depends on how you break down your timelines but I prefer to only break music down by the decade and since the first bands started in 2003, I consider everything after 2010 "second wave". But like I said it depends on how you break your timelines down. Also your right about DEG although honestly I think you can trace their contribution to this sound all the way back to their "Nu metal" sound in "Six Ugly 2002".  It was right after "Six Ugly" that you started seeing bands like Awoi, √eight, SINCE1889, girugamesh, DEATHGAZE, and other bands of that sort emerge.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Mamo

[Furik 832]

I miss since1889. 

[Mamo 1172]

Ah @filth_y I was listening to some "Cuartet" and it reminded me of "Saki's" short lived "brutal kei" band "THE MAD SIMPSON" I think you were hyping them back in the day right? They're pretty badass though progressive metal, grindcore, kinda experimetal.  Are you familiar with them @VkBrutaliaN?

 

 

Edited January 17, 2018 by Mamo

[Takadanobabaalien 3607]

Speaking of Saki, here's a fun clip of two worlds colliding. Shit tier kei and swed kei (BatAAR ft. Saki covering ASOM)

 

 

Edited January 18, 2018 by Takadanobabaalien

[Mamo 1172]

44 minutes ago, Takadanobabaalien said:

Speaking of Saki, here's a fun clip of two worlds colliding. Shit tier kei and swed kei (BatAAR ft. Saki covering AGSOM)

 

 

Who dafuq is BatARR?

[filth_y 189]

15 hours ago, Mamo said:

Ah @filth_y I was listening to some "Cuartet" and it reminded me of "Saki's" short lived "brutal kei" band "THE MAD SIMPSON" I think you were hyping them back in the day right?

Yeah, i loved THE MAD SIMPSON, also loved Outrage. Never thought at that point years later i would just often see Saki in Shinjuku or talk to him at Vrzel or Dispina lives  But the stuff he did with XIII Jap or how it was called was just beyond horrible. Lol at the flyers with photoshopped audiences or "major label band" lies.

 

@Takadanobabaalien Never knew about that video, thanks for posting. Since BatAAr seems to be shit tier, i didnt know Saki was Swed

[VkBrutaliaN 1890]

@Mamoyea i know THE MAD SIMPSON - their ep was fucking killer!^^

[Mamo 1172]

@VkBrutaliaN FIXER have just released a "brutal kei"  masterpiece "ARBITER". I remember you said you hadn't liked their Starwave Records stuff, but trust me you'll love this. @filth_y ex. "ReivieЯ" Vocal : "Jey's" band if you didn't know.

 

Edited January 18, 2018 by Mamo

[geist 227]

19 hours ago, Takadanobabaalien said:

Speaking of Saki, here's a fun clip of two worlds colliding. Shit tier kei and swed kei (BatAAR ft. Saki covering ASOM)

 

 

Are you kidding me? They even came out to GDS? I heard one song by these guys years ago I thought was good; but jesus.....

[Mamo 1172]

Anyone remember these 2004-2008 "brutal kei" legends? I'm actually being serious though they are really good and vastly underrated. GLAMMY / Bio-Glammy / 昭和愚裸魅會(shouwa gurami kai). They sound similar to "SINCE1889". I can provide disco. if anyone is interested(only 9 tracks total).

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited January 19, 2018 by Mamo

[VkBrutaliaN 1890]

@MamoFIXER - ARBITER > i remember i wanted to buy it cuz the samples sounded surprisingly pretty damn good but something super sweet that i couldn't resist got in my way... ;D

[Mamo 1172]

10 minutes ago, VkBrutaliaN said:

@MamoFIXER - ARBITER > i remember i wanted to buy it cuz the samples sounded surprisingly pretty damn good but something super sweet that i couldn't resist got in my way... ;D

Ah, what was that?

[VkBrutaliaN 1890]

^ i'll keep it a secret for now but i'll show it, probably in the middle of february once i got it ~