Remember when I said everything would go according to plan unless some epic shit happened?
Epic shit happened. I'm not going to get in-depth about it because that's not important but I've come to the decision that going over my entire musical library is unnecessary and that most people aren't going to care about what's in the annals of my library ANYWAY. So I'll primarily stick to new releases....as soon as I catch up on the 10 or 15 that I would like to do that I missed.
Since I started and didn't get to finish, I'll put up the ones that I managed to do and still like.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Review: ReivieЯ & Renny Amy
ReivieЯ
DECLARE
Declare quite possibly takes the position as the best release ReivieЯ has put forth so far. It's pretty much up there with [words] in terms of quality and unlike [words] they've managed to deliver two great songs instead of one. DECLARE packs the "ReivieЯ" sound that was sorely missing on their first single and had they started out on this foot they could have made so many fans quickly. The first track, DEEP INSIDE, was featured for some reason as a not-so hidden segment at the end of the second track for OUT OF VOID and it's just as good as it sounded back then. The production is top notch, Jey's vocals alternate between well-sung and hellishly barked and the guitar work is phenomenal in terms of teamwork and melody. The intro to the memorable chorus is great and the last 30 seconds ends this song off on the right foot.
...for ideal is what I would call their attempt to diversify their sound. It's the softest song they've released thus far but compared to the rest of their discography that really isn't a problem when all you have to do is remove the crunching guitars. ...for Ideal is a tad more melodic but no less brutal as ReivieЯ can and does bring it out when they do need to. In the sections that feature it, Jey's vocals do get rough and the guys do jam on the bottom three strings and it works. There's prominent bass and light guitar strumming in the verses but the chorus packs power without changing the tempo of the song. Later verses feature harder guitars and more passion from Jey's vocals, the solo is expressive and emotive and the entire song has this feeling of progression without having the cheesy "ascending ladder" pattern that glam metal artists used to whore.
DECLARE
Declare quite possibly takes the position as the best release ReivieЯ has put forth so far. It's pretty much up there with [words] in terms of quality and unlike [words] they've managed to deliver two great songs instead of one. DECLARE packs the "ReivieЯ" sound that was sorely missing on their first single and had they started out on this foot they could have made so many fans quickly. The first track, DEEP INSIDE, was featured for some reason as a not-so hidden segment at the end of the second track for OUT OF VOID and it's just as good as it sounded back then. The production is top notch, Jey's vocals alternate between well-sung and hellishly barked and the guitar work is phenomenal in terms of teamwork and melody. The intro to the memorable chorus is great and the last 30 seconds ends this song off on the right foot....for ideal is what I would call their attempt to diversify their sound. It's the softest song they've released thus far but compared to the rest of their discography that really isn't a problem when all you have to do is remove the crunching guitars. ...for Ideal is a tad more melodic but no less brutal as ReivieЯ can and does bring it out when they do need to. In the sections that feature it, Jey's vocals do get rough and the guys do jam on the bottom three strings and it works. There's prominent bass and light guitar strumming in the verses but the chorus packs power without changing the tempo of the song. Later verses feature harder guitars and more passion from Jey's vocals, the solo is expressive and emotive and the entire song has this feeling of progression without having the cheesy "ascending ladder" pattern that glam metal artists used to whore.
DECLARE is a solid effort from a band still struggling to stick their foot into the pool of credibility. I can actually get behind the direction that ReivieЯ's planning to go in because for a band that's in a genre where credibility and originality are stagnating side by side and good music has had to have been watered down to be considered "acceptable listening" they manage to combine VK visuals that don't look like the remnants of a rainbow factory with rock music that's not nu-metal trash and that actually utilizes ALL the strings to create something worth looking forward to. It's recommended right up there with [words] as something you must listen to if you're aspiring to become a fan of ReivieЯ.
DISTRACTED WOMB
DISASTER, ReivieЯ's contribution to this split single with VanessA, is a bit of a let-down. Knowing where this song could have gone and having witnessed the direction this band has taken with [words] and more notably DECLARE, ReivieЯ played it safer here with DISASTER and preferred to jam on the bottom three strings and replay the same few notes over and over again. From a musical standpoint they simplified the song to make the brutality of Jey's vocals accentuated but the intricate guitar work that I grew to love this band for is notably missing. This is ReivieЯ's attempt at being both brutal and hard and it just doesn't pan out as it should. This sounds like an OUT OF VOID song with better production, better vocals and slightly more originality. It isn't the completely crappiest thing they've given us but after their last few singles this should have been death metal GOLD and it's wearing the bronze and sitting there content with it.
Judgment#003
ReivieЯ's contribution to this omnibus was in the form of Shinshoku, which sounds like a companion song to Disaster except done a shitload better. Jey's vocals are a bit weaker than usual but that's made up for by the harmonizing of the guitars (which were completely shitty on DISASTER) and the fact that they play more than just the same few notes over and over again. The tribal drumming is perhaps what gives this song it's distinct atmosphere (whenever it's used to good effect). The chorus differs from the verses because it speeds up the pace of Jey's delivery - where he was going slow in the verses he delivers the chorus rapidly. Nothing TOO great but it's worth mentioning and Shinshoku sits firmly in the middle of the shit to great meter of this band's releases.
DISASTER, ReivieЯ's contribution to this split single with VanessA, is a bit of a let-down. Knowing where this song could have gone and having witnessed the direction this band has taken with [words] and more notably DECLARE, ReivieЯ played it safer here with DISASTER and preferred to jam on the bottom three strings and replay the same few notes over and over again. From a musical standpoint they simplified the song to make the brutality of Jey's vocals accentuated but the intricate guitar work that I grew to love this band for is notably missing. This is ReivieЯ's attempt at being both brutal and hard and it just doesn't pan out as it should. This sounds like an OUT OF VOID song with better production, better vocals and slightly more originality. It isn't the completely crappiest thing they've given us but after their last few singles this should have been death metal GOLD and it's wearing the bronze and sitting there content with it.ReivieЯ's contribution to this omnibus was in the form of Shinshoku, which sounds like a companion song to Disaster except done a shitload better. Jey's vocals are a bit weaker than usual but that's made up for by the harmonizing of the guitars (which were completely shitty on DISASTER) and the fact that they play more than just the same few notes over and over again. The tribal drumming is perhaps what gives this song it's distinct atmosphere (whenever it's used to good effect). The chorus differs from the verses because it speeds up the pace of Jey's delivery - where he was going slow in the verses he delivers the chorus rapidly. Nothing TOO great but it's worth mentioning and Shinshoku sits firmly in the middle of the shit to great meter of this band's releases.Out of Void
The main problem with Out of Void is not the lackluster production but that it doesn't sound like ReivieЯ. Every band has their own unique sound that balances the tonality of the vocalist with the originality of the composer to create something that no other band can quite replicate. ReivieЯ has foregone that and created two tracks that sound fine but don't sound original. There's no shred of "ReivieЯ's essence" in any of these tracks. Usually the first releases take risks and do things they wouldn't dare do on subsequent releases but here it sounds like the boys were afraid to piss any fans off so they stayed generic and unoriginal.
The main problem with Out of Void is not the lackluster production but that it doesn't sound like ReivieЯ. Every band has their own unique sound that balances the tonality of the vocalist with the originality of the composer to create something that no other band can quite replicate. ReivieЯ has foregone that and created two tracks that sound fine but don't sound original. There's no shred of "ReivieЯ's essence" in any of these tracks. Usually the first releases take risks and do things they wouldn't dare do on subsequent releases but here it sounds like the boys were afraid to piss any fans off so they stayed generic and unoriginal.It shows more in "Zetsubou no Sora" that follows the rough verse-poppy chorus formula. Jey doesn't sing with any passion and hits the notes when he needs to hit them how he needs to hit them. His harsh vocals have no power and the guitars sound like they're tuned all wrong in some parts. The groove is there but the balls aren't. The second track is even worse off since all I hear are pounding drums overpowering everything. It isn't as if I need to hear it anyway since all these two tracks are are ideas that work done again and again. Sonic earplay utilizing two headphones aren't anything new but ReivieЯ uses it as if it's some novel technique that they've discovered alongside bark-and-call gang vocals. Admittedly, this song sounds a little more inspired but the last minute where the band re-surfaces and plays a different song just doesn't work. It's about as bad as the chorus which just destroyed the movement in the verse for something generic and unoriginal.
Don't bother checking out Out Of Void. This single isn't worth your time.
[words]
This is the song that got me to start checking out ReivieЯ a bit more often. With it being a live-distributed single this song might be a bit difficult to get your hands on but it's worth it in the end. Verse and chorus match up and compliment one another perfectly and Jey's vocals are haunting and memorable in that same way. His growls have also definitely improved and even though he relies more on his singing voice the pace of the song suits it well. Let it also be known that I am in love with the tuning on the guitar as well as just the way ReivieЯ put it together. Yes, [words] may sound a little generic and I feel like they took inspiration from another song somewhere else but fuck that it's a great song and is definitely one of their top releases.
Renny Amy
I don't know and I really don't fucking care WHAT order these releases come in. Renny Amy, while admittedly a semi-cool name for a band has songwriting talent worse than born. This makes sense considering that Renny Amy, D+L and born are the SAME EXACT BAND. Now sure whatever excuse you make could hold some semblance of water but let's remember that the only difference between mega-indies and indies are that people know you. It has no bearance on 
how crappy your music is allowed to be.
Renny Amy still finds themselves down-producing their music, as is evident on MOLDER. The chorus transitions are born-ish but the difference is that they don't totally jump an octave and change clefs. I don't see how it will click with me on the first listen or so but over time I can see this being a more fluid transition than something on say, Dust Pain (born). Their edgier parts seem washed down and Ryouga's voice is understandably weaker and even though they have good segments here and there MOLDER is missing this little spark I like to call magic that makes music shine. In this respect I don't see anything having changed between Renny Amy, D+L and born, which is a huge problem since bands are supposed to continue, change up their sound a little and get better. You could throw this somewhere on A.H.M. and it wouldn't sound out of place at all. There's a big difference between non-diversity and a "signature sound", and Renny Amy/D+L/born are of the former with this track.
COURTSHIP is supposed to be the A-side, if you want to call this track a single be my guest but personally I think it's laughable. COURTSHIP has a mean riff and sounds overall more convincing and original than MOLDER but it only reaches up the barrel as far as "something I might not skip if it pops up on shuffle". The problem with Renny Amy is not that they aren't talented musicians since their compositions show a great deal of thought but that their music isn't edgy in any respect. They sound like they're being played but they aren't playing. Ryouga sounds like he's singing but he's not SINGING. They don't reach out to their demographic, smack them with their composition and say "this is good. like it.". It seems like a peace offering like "well, we made these courtship cookies for you and we hope you like them since we worked hard on it." Renny Amy needed to put the badass in their music and fix their method of production (and of course Ryouga needed to get better) because this song would have been pretty cool. They fixed up their chorus problem or masked it enough for me to not notice too much. At the end of the day, COURTSHIP is an OK song but in the context of other songs this one will always get lost under the rubble because it just isn't assertive enough.
Monochrome to Shinju
There's immediately a problem with an EP if you can't tell when one song ends and another one begins. This means two things - one was that you weren't paying attention enough because the piece just wasn't engaging and the other is that all the songs sound so similar that they blend together and since you aren't paying attention you won't notice the slight pause in between.
Courtship
I don't know and I really don't fucking care WHAT order these releases come in. Renny Amy, while admittedly a semi-cool name for a band has songwriting talent worse than born. This makes sense considering that Renny Amy, D+L and born are the SAME EXACT BAND. Now sure whatever excuse you make could hold some semblance of water but let's remember that the only difference between mega-indies and indies are that people know you. It has no bearance on how crappy your music is allowed to be.Renny Amy still finds themselves down-producing their music, as is evident on MOLDER. The chorus transitions are born-ish but the difference is that they don't totally jump an octave and change clefs. I don't see how it will click with me on the first listen or so but over time I can see this being a more fluid transition than something on say, Dust Pain (born). Their edgier parts seem washed down and Ryouga's voice is understandably weaker and even though they have good segments here and there MOLDER is missing this little spark I like to call magic that makes music shine. In this respect I don't see anything having changed between Renny Amy, D+L and born, which is a huge problem since bands are supposed to continue, change up their sound a little and get better. You could throw this somewhere on A.H.M. and it wouldn't sound out of place at all. There's a big difference between non-diversity and a "signature sound", and Renny Amy/D+L/born are of the former with this track.
COURTSHIP is supposed to be the A-side, if you want to call this track a single be my guest but personally I think it's laughable. COURTSHIP has a mean riff and sounds overall more convincing and original than MOLDER but it only reaches up the barrel as far as "something I might not skip if it pops up on shuffle". The problem with Renny Amy is not that they aren't talented musicians since their compositions show a great deal of thought but that their music isn't edgy in any respect. They sound like they're being played but they aren't playing. Ryouga sounds like he's singing but he's not SINGING. They don't reach out to their demographic, smack them with their composition and say "this is good. like it.". It seems like a peace offering like "well, we made these courtship cookies for you and we hope you like them since we worked hard on it." Renny Amy needed to put the badass in their music and fix their method of production (and of course Ryouga needed to get better) because this song would have been pretty cool. They fixed up their chorus problem or masked it enough for me to not notice too much. At the end of the day, COURTSHIP is an OK song but in the context of other songs this one will always get lost under the rubble because it just isn't assertive enough.
Monochrome to Shinju is just another piece of generic VisKei rock without any original aspects so it's forgettable. Renny Amy isn't horrible in any aspect of the word to join the ranks of bands such as Seeles Klar Unend and idiot but they just aren't good at creating engaging, moving pieces of work. If you name me a piece of work by Dir en grey or Matenrou Opera or basically any other established band with a musical flair that sets them apart if I knew it I probably could hum it back or at least know what you're talking about. All I could think of with this EP was "born...born...born...why haven't you gotten better on A.H.M.?".
Where Monochrome to Shinju fails is that it sounds like this was recorded not by a professional band but by a group of talented teenagers in a garage band without any experience. 煙の果実 is a great example of this: many good musical techniques such as harmonizing both vocals and instruments are stumbled upon here but they aren't expanded upon and they aren't used very well in some parts. The mix of instruments also seems very off - the bass is sharp and the guitars and drums are washed out. Hell, the drum player sounds like he's playing on marshmallows. Ryouga's the only person I hear and when he isn't harmonizing he sounds like he's singing just one monotone note while alternating by sharps and flats. songs like butterfly 13 have interesting riffs going on but that's where Monochrome to Shinju falls into it's second pitfall: the non-dynamic differences between the instruments mixes everything together in an almost D'espairsRay fashion so even though everything's playing together you can't tell what's playing what. It's a little peeve of mine that I dislike greatly.
There is not one specific track that I'd actually recommend anyone take a shot at since they all sound very similar but if I had to butterfly 13 and WARPS CHILD could be good choices I guess. Ryouga's either singing flatly or roaring flatly and the guitars aren't crisp and sharp. They are average through and through and what techniques they use sound either so alien or so bland it makes the listener completely uninterested. Fans of born might find music they like (better) here (since born's last album blew giraffe anus) but speaking for myself I've got much better hard rock and metal bands that play music I can remember when I'm done with the album.
Review: D'espairsRay - REDEEMER
Tracklist
1. Lizard
2. BRILLIANT [PV]
3. REDEEMER [PV]
4. 琥珀 (Kohaku)
5. KAMIKAZE [PV]
6. Lost in re:birth
7. R.E.M-冬の幻聴- (R.E.M-Fuyu no genchou-)
8. HORIZON [PV]
9. MASQUERADE
In comparison to the beautiful [coll:set] and the energetic MIRROR, Redeemer blows monkey nuts. It's certainly not their strongest albums and if anything this is a bipolar offering of what D'espairsRay has to offer us as they're struggling through their style change. I'm not averse to change - I'm averse to it done badly but no matter how much I stomp my feet and whine up the internet the boys are going to play whatever it is they want to play so I guess I have to swallow the metaphorical rock cock and enjoy what I'm given.
Even though I make it sound like it's horrible this album has some redeeming qualities that save it from being a complete fail.
Lizard, the starting track, would be one of those good points. It is nothing more than a generic metal track meant to please fans like me who don't react well to change. By no means is it outstanding but the dark D'espairsRay purists will soon find themselves clinging to any shred of darkness that they can find on this album, especially when you look at what the second track is. D'espa wasted no time busting out BRILLIANT and the sheer upbeatness and raging energy of this track swathes Lizard's darker riffs and howls in light. BRILLIANT sounds like a track that was too light for MIRROR because a ton of stylistic elements were borrowed from that era for this song and it shows (especially in that little growl before the solo). Despite the polar opposites of these two tracks the flow is nice but I suppose this has to do with the fact that Lizard isn't the darkest thing we've ever heard from these boys. So even though they lighten up their darker songs (especially in the chorus which features some singing) their lighter songs aren't complete pop-rock pieces of crap. Yet.
REDEEMER, the third track, would fool you and make you think that this band was out to fuck with your mind. The mood is dark and tense as slick riffs and pounding drums race through verses and a chorus. When this PV came out every purist was in awe because the three B-sides they gave us were complete mindfucks and made us think we were getting some lame L'arc-en-ciel cover album shit. Without the PV, the energy of the track definitely suffers but if you need a quick fix of angsty HIZUMI this track could do the trick. Then again, there is another track coming up a bit later that could fill this void a lot better.
Kouhaku is pretty lame considering that it's a ballad lacking any direction. This saddens me since I love most of Tsukasa's work but this ballad falters because it doesn't dynamically expand into anything meaningful. The industrial opening and the guitar lines sound great, and the drum work lends itself nicely to the melancholic mood but the track doesn't bring it, leaving it to sit in the pool if it's own mediocrity to be emo and slice itself. KAMIKAZE doesn't bring it back since the opening charges you with energy but the chorus is a kick in the dick. It's generic pop-rock formula rubs me as a listener the wrong way and whatever uniqueness the track had going for it was lost in it's ambivalence to be both original and shitty at the same time.
Lost in re:birth is the one track that made me look at this album twice. Not one track sans Brilliant has given me any sort of indication that the tracks were thought through 100% - they sounded fine but they weren't inspired and D'espa didn't sound like they were completely convinced that they liked what they were playing. The vibe reminds me of Closer to ideal but overall the band lets loose here like they don't anywhere else on this album. I actually think the inclusion of this song hurts the album more than most people realize. It's so good at convincing you that D'espa still carries it's gothic junk in the trunk that the rest of the album comes off as a "what the fuck" amalgamation of unconvincing crap. Four minutes of complete rage, frantic drums and racing guitar lines makes me a happy purist.
R.E.M.~Fuyu no Genchou~ is the second ballad and it's not as dreadfully "chop my balls off" boring as Kouhaku was. Even though I personally feel it's too early for a second ballad slight additions to the track help it to build in a way that Kouhaku didn't, allowing the track not to fall flat at any point. Piano and violins help accompany the power metal chords and Hizumi's voice in a way that I haven't heard yet. Even though this is completely uncharacteristic of D'espairsRay, I like the experimentation and direction they decided to take with this track. Good stuff.
Ugh...and then we come to Horizon, the one track that I want to be raped with a rubber duckie of doom. This track deserves in no way to come after R.E.M. and everything about this track is cringe-worthy. Hizumi's rapping is atrocious, his screams are lame, the woah-oh-ohhhh's are creepy and the song is more pop-rock then Kamikaze's chorus. It retains none of the gothiness that at least allowed me to accept Kamikaze for what it was so I just listen to this track cringing with fear until the admittedly cool solo creeps up and turns even the heads of the most resentful of us purists. There's actually nothing too bad with this track and if you blinded someone and told them to listen to these two tracks they probably wouldn't be able to tell that it's the same band. It's just the fact that it's D'espairsRay that gave us this track, and not some generic oshare fuck like SuG that prevents me from accepting this track. I never actually WILL accept this track so it can rot in the back of the fucking fridge in hell sans the solo for the rest of eternity.
MASQUERADE is that lame attempt at D'espa trying to tell us they still are dark and emotional, screaming about pain and shit. Boys, when the last song says "CAN JOO FEEL DAH NEW WURLD?" I don't expect you to have the next track full of anger and rage at the world. Hizumi's trademark screams come off less raw and more refined, which would lead me to like it less since he sounds like he's holding back some and just roaring because it's been a few minutes since they've asserted how hardkoar they are (because we all know rapping is definitely kvlt). Hizumi's Engrish is also horrid and the next time the little ass uses a verb with out in it I will kick him in the dick. Break out, flake out? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SHIT? MASQUERADE is definitely the worst hard number on here since it's just the mandatory rough track with no passion whatsoever. Skip this no matter what side of the D'espa color wheel your allegiance lies.
The track Yozora is a complete what the fuck trip that compels me to whip out a shotgun and blow my fucking brains out if it weren't for the fact that I'd go to shoot whoever blasted this oshare-kei candy crap in my ears. The track is titled Night Sky in Japanese but they might as well have named this track fucking RAINBOW ROAD because it's too fucking upbeat to think about anything dark and angsty. If you disliked Horizon you'll want to claw your eyes out with this because it sounds like Takeru went crazy on some nyappy juice and fucked with the octave dial on Karyu's guitars. The little "happy synths" that remind me of Yoshi's Island also need to die a horrible, bloody death and Karyu's solo can't turn my head no matter how many pinch harmonics he wants to throw into it. This is 4:18 minutes of torture I wouldn't suggest ANY fan of MIRROR-era and previous subject themselves to unless they're feeling a little BDSM'y.
If you were expecting another sub-par emo bitchfest from the group in PARADOX 5 you would be sorely disappointed. PARADOX 5 is another in the vein of "holy what the motherfucking hell" that D'espairsRay throws at us but instead of sounding like the grandparents of alice nine. these guys manage to create an ambient wonder so odd it's entrancing. It's like Screen but better, mixing electronic effects with ethnic elements and female vocals to give it a sense of groove I haven't heard much this album. D'espa need to rent themselves out to the GazettE so they can get them into "female vocal rehab" because these guys know how to use it to make a track better without having the entire song sound like an R&B chopped and screwed remix of upchuckable shit. Perhaps what makes this track feel so weird are the exclusion of guitars - which I'm thinking might be a good idea since these guys have overdosed on the pop juice far too much on this album.
Had the album ended there it would have been a complete smack in the face but it would have been the good kind where they leave the best for last to keep you on your toes up until the end. But no, D'espa wouldn't have it that way and somehow feels the compulsive need to let us know that they've done away with their adolescent rage by placing a pop-rock song every other track. HEAVEN'S COLOR would be that obligatory upbeat ending track. I would have called this HORIZON 2.0 but D'espairsRay somehow remembered that they had to pretend to be upset to please hardasses like me so this track comes off more melancholic than that aborted monstrosity called Yozora. I have a mental block against this track since I despise pop-rock tracks coming out of this band when they aren't done excellently and HEAVEN'S COLOR just refuses to click with me so I'll leave the listener to formulate their own opinions about this one. At this point, I've given up on Redeemer and maybe that's for the best since it's the end of the album and if I want to try again I have the generic Lizard to beef up my neural senses before I lunge back into this album again.
This album is anything but cohesive, jumping from dark and angry to light and happy with the change of a track. The only track that somehow manages to blend the two would be the last one and every other track inbetween is either needlessly happy, needlessly heavy or just plain unexpected. Some rearranging as well as substitution of better tracks could have done REDEEMER some good but as the package is on it's own there should be something here for anyone to like. Older purists like me should find tracks like Lizard, REDEEMER and Lost in re:birth to be adequate enough to assure us that D'espairsRay still remembers that we're expecting them to roar our socks off. Those looking for slower numbers can rest in the ambience of tracks like PARADOX 5, Kouhaku and R.E.M. and those without musical taste or those that need something upbeat and lighter in nature can enjoy "gems" like Horizon and Yozora. Everything else is in the middle and is more of a see-as-you-move-along sort of deal. There's definitely not that one standout track that blows me away on this album but there are plenty of moments that alone are "good enough" but together can keep me satisfied until D'espairsRay can manage to pull together something like REDEEMER, R.E.M., Lost in re:birth or BRILLIANT again and then improve on it enough to bring me back to the fanbase.
REDEEMER is slightly above average, resting at a solid 7 out of 10. It could have been better, but I was expecting a lot worse.
Even though I make it sound like it's horrible this album has some redeeming qualities that save it from being a complete fail.
Lizard, the starting track, would be one of those good points. It is nothing more than a generic metal track meant to please fans like me who don't react well to change. By no means is it outstanding but the dark D'espairsRay purists will soon find themselves clinging to any shred of darkness that they can find on this album, especially when you look at what the second track is. D'espa wasted no time busting out BRILLIANT and the sheer upbeatness and raging energy of this track swathes Lizard's darker riffs and howls in light. BRILLIANT sounds like a track that was too light for MIRROR because a ton of stylistic elements were borrowed from that era for this song and it shows (especially in that little growl before the solo). Despite the polar opposites of these two tracks the flow is nice but I suppose this has to do with the fact that Lizard isn't the darkest thing we've ever heard from these boys. So even though they lighten up their darker songs (especially in the chorus which features some singing) their lighter songs aren't complete pop-rock pieces of crap. Yet.
REDEEMER, the third track, would fool you and make you think that this band was out to fuck with your mind. The mood is dark and tense as slick riffs and pounding drums race through verses and a chorus. When this PV came out every purist was in awe because the three B-sides they gave us were complete mindfucks and made us think we were getting some lame L'arc-en-ciel cover album shit. Without the PV, the energy of the track definitely suffers but if you need a quick fix of angsty HIZUMI this track could do the trick. Then again, there is another track coming up a bit later that could fill this void a lot better.
Kouhaku is pretty lame considering that it's a ballad lacking any direction. This saddens me since I love most of Tsukasa's work but this ballad falters because it doesn't dynamically expand into anything meaningful. The industrial opening and the guitar lines sound great, and the drum work lends itself nicely to the melancholic mood but the track doesn't bring it, leaving it to sit in the pool if it's own mediocrity to be emo and slice itself. KAMIKAZE doesn't bring it back since the opening charges you with energy but the chorus is a kick in the dick. It's generic pop-rock formula rubs me as a listener the wrong way and whatever uniqueness the track had going for it was lost in it's ambivalence to be both original and shitty at the same time.
Lost in re:birth is the one track that made me look at this album twice. Not one track sans Brilliant has given me any sort of indication that the tracks were thought through 100% - they sounded fine but they weren't inspired and D'espa didn't sound like they were completely convinced that they liked what they were playing. The vibe reminds me of Closer to ideal but overall the band lets loose here like they don't anywhere else on this album. I actually think the inclusion of this song hurts the album more than most people realize. It's so good at convincing you that D'espa still carries it's gothic junk in the trunk that the rest of the album comes off as a "what the fuck" amalgamation of unconvincing crap. Four minutes of complete rage, frantic drums and racing guitar lines makes me a happy purist.
R.E.M.~Fuyu no Genchou~ is the second ballad and it's not as dreadfully "chop my balls off" boring as Kouhaku was. Even though I personally feel it's too early for a second ballad slight additions to the track help it to build in a way that Kouhaku didn't, allowing the track not to fall flat at any point. Piano and violins help accompany the power metal chords and Hizumi's voice in a way that I haven't heard yet. Even though this is completely uncharacteristic of D'espairsRay, I like the experimentation and direction they decided to take with this track. Good stuff.
Ugh...and then we come to Horizon, the one track that I want to be raped with a rubber duckie of doom. This track deserves in no way to come after R.E.M. and everything about this track is cringe-worthy. Hizumi's rapping is atrocious, his screams are lame, the woah-oh-ohhhh's are creepy and the song is more pop-rock then Kamikaze's chorus. It retains none of the gothiness that at least allowed me to accept Kamikaze for what it was so I just listen to this track cringing with fear until the admittedly cool solo creeps up and turns even the heads of the most resentful of us purists. There's actually nothing too bad with this track and if you blinded someone and told them to listen to these two tracks they probably wouldn't be able to tell that it's the same band. It's just the fact that it's D'espairsRay that gave us this track, and not some generic oshare fuck like SuG that prevents me from accepting this track. I never actually WILL accept this track so it can rot in the back of the fucking fridge in hell sans the solo for the rest of eternity.
MASQUERADE is that lame attempt at D'espa trying to tell us they still are dark and emotional, screaming about pain and shit. Boys, when the last song says "CAN JOO FEEL DAH NEW WURLD?" I don't expect you to have the next track full of anger and rage at the world. Hizumi's trademark screams come off less raw and more refined, which would lead me to like it less since he sounds like he's holding back some and just roaring because it's been a few minutes since they've asserted how hardkoar they are (because we all know rapping is definitely kvlt). Hizumi's Engrish is also horrid and the next time the little ass uses a verb with out in it I will kick him in the dick. Break out, flake out? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SHIT? MASQUERADE is definitely the worst hard number on here since it's just the mandatory rough track with no passion whatsoever. Skip this no matter what side of the D'espa color wheel your allegiance lies.
The track Yozora is a complete what the fuck trip that compels me to whip out a shotgun and blow my fucking brains out if it weren't for the fact that I'd go to shoot whoever blasted this oshare-kei candy crap in my ears. The track is titled Night Sky in Japanese but they might as well have named this track fucking RAINBOW ROAD because it's too fucking upbeat to think about anything dark and angsty. If you disliked Horizon you'll want to claw your eyes out with this because it sounds like Takeru went crazy on some nyappy juice and fucked with the octave dial on Karyu's guitars. The little "happy synths" that remind me of Yoshi's Island also need to die a horrible, bloody death and Karyu's solo can't turn my head no matter how many pinch harmonics he wants to throw into it. This is 4:18 minutes of torture I wouldn't suggest ANY fan of MIRROR-era and previous subject themselves to unless they're feeling a little BDSM'y.
If you were expecting another sub-par emo bitchfest from the group in PARADOX 5 you would be sorely disappointed. PARADOX 5 is another in the vein of "holy what the motherfucking hell" that D'espairsRay throws at us but instead of sounding like the grandparents of alice nine. these guys manage to create an ambient wonder so odd it's entrancing. It's like Screen but better, mixing electronic effects with ethnic elements and female vocals to give it a sense of groove I haven't heard much this album. D'espa need to rent themselves out to the GazettE so they can get them into "female vocal rehab" because these guys know how to use it to make a track better without having the entire song sound like an R&B chopped and screwed remix of upchuckable shit. Perhaps what makes this track feel so weird are the exclusion of guitars - which I'm thinking might be a good idea since these guys have overdosed on the pop juice far too much on this album.
Had the album ended there it would have been a complete smack in the face but it would have been the good kind where they leave the best for last to keep you on your toes up until the end. But no, D'espa wouldn't have it that way and somehow feels the compulsive need to let us know that they've done away with their adolescent rage by placing a pop-rock song every other track. HEAVEN'S COLOR would be that obligatory upbeat ending track. I would have called this HORIZON 2.0 but D'espairsRay somehow remembered that they had to pretend to be upset to please hardasses like me so this track comes off more melancholic than that aborted monstrosity called Yozora. I have a mental block against this track since I despise pop-rock tracks coming out of this band when they aren't done excellently and HEAVEN'S COLOR just refuses to click with me so I'll leave the listener to formulate their own opinions about this one. At this point, I've given up on Redeemer and maybe that's for the best since it's the end of the album and if I want to try again I have the generic Lizard to beef up my neural senses before I lunge back into this album again.
This album is anything but cohesive, jumping from dark and angry to light and happy with the change of a track. The only track that somehow manages to blend the two would be the last one and every other track inbetween is either needlessly happy, needlessly heavy or just plain unexpected. Some rearranging as well as substitution of better tracks could have done REDEEMER some good but as the package is on it's own there should be something here for anyone to like. Older purists like me should find tracks like Lizard, REDEEMER and Lost in re:birth to be adequate enough to assure us that D'espairsRay still remembers that we're expecting them to roar our socks off. Those looking for slower numbers can rest in the ambience of tracks like PARADOX 5, Kouhaku and R.E.M. and those without musical taste or those that need something upbeat and lighter in nature can enjoy "gems" like Horizon and Yozora. Everything else is in the middle and is more of a see-as-you-move-along sort of deal. There's definitely not that one standout track that blows me away on this album but there are plenty of moments that alone are "good enough" but together can keep me satisfied until D'espairsRay can manage to pull together something like REDEEMER, R.E.M., Lost in re:birth or BRILLIANT again and then improve on it enough to bring me back to the fanbase.
REDEEMER is slightly above average, resting at a solid 7 out of 10. It could have been better, but I was expecting a lot worse.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Short Blogging Hiatus
The title says it all. The reason isn't anything familial or school related. At this point in the year all the releases I looked forward to hearing have been heard and reviewed which leaves me with a fuckton of musical releases I haven't gotten around to reviewing yet. Instead of sludging through them with complete in-depth reviews like I did in the past, I'm going to create a long group of posts highlighting every album I have in my collection along with a short review of each of them. In order to do this I need time. I plan to be rather ambitious and get it to you all by Christmas but if that doesn't happen then it will be up before New Years.
So unless something completely fucking epic happens between now and the 25th I won't be seeing you guys until Christmas. ^^
So unless something completely fucking epic happens between now and the 25th I won't be seeing you guys until Christmas. ^^
Review: Dir en grey - Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami
After the release of an album, whether it be good or bad, Dir en grey's singles usually go off in a different direction. The main appeal that I have with this band is that they somehow always manage to re-invent themselves with every release. As time goes on though I have to wonder how many more times they can surprise me before it becomes old news and they're playing something they've already done before.
Contrary to the usual bullshit I put forth I actually didn't think that this single was going to suck. Somehow I knew it was going to stomp on my scrotum at the speed of awesome with whatever new ideas that they managed to come up with. Normally I don't follow singles obsessively but for this one I did because, well, face it Dir en grey is one of my favorite bands of all time.
Having that said, I don't really see how Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami is one of their best singles of all time. The inclusion of the chorus at the beginning does not fit and doesn't sound right. Kaoru and Die have really improved from the UROBOROS period and they wham on their axes like I've never heard them before. Some portions of this song have me wondering what the hell they're doing to their instruments because they sound like the roaring of some Norse god. Due to the good production, I can't even hear the bass so I'm not going to rate Toshiya. Shinya on the other hand was very good - nothing special since I've heard better drum lines from him before - but his rapid execution never fails to inspire me. Some songs like Red Soil have him pounding on that kit like a madman but this song sees him take more of a backseat. One of the hampering aspects of this track are Kyo's vocals - in no way did they suck but we didn't hear him when we needed to and heard him when we didn't need to hear him. The "deathcore" growls he has going on sounded low and messy, like something I'd hear off of a lynch. CD and I really wasn't feeling that too much. The transition into the catchy chorus is awkward but over subsequent listens was done very well and fits with the mood. Chorus is the best part of this song and the ending chant keeps the song from sinking off into mediocrity but somehow I think this song could have been a lot longer. It's obviously missing a solo and even though they're moving towards a style that focuses more on atmosphere than axe jamming Hageshisa to... really needed one (looking back on it we haven't really had many solos since the VULGAR/ sixUGLY era.
It's not perfect but I'll take it. They've fed us worse shit.
Zan Reconstructed packs new lyrics and enough fury to kill. While the old recording on Gauze went with the type of insanity of someone who's going to pick up a gun and mow down a bunch of people, this one feels like Kyo's going to rip you apart piece by piece. Shinya's drumming is a pretty good highlight of this track since he's the one that adds the most energy to the fray. Kyo's growls are brutal (and balanced correctly) and the guitar work is just sexy. Zan's riffs are unmistakable and although Toshiya once again is inaudible under the guitar work you won't really find yourself caring too much. I find this better than the single but some fans of the older version of Zan may miss the psychotic intro and the black metallish vocals that gave the song it's atmosphere.
It's really hit or miss.
Shokubeni just isn't as good this time around due to the way that they're recording it. I knew this coming in so I'm not going to hold the production value against it. As a matter of fact, it's damn impressive that they got the song to sound this good in one take. What Diru has done here is taken some of the UROBOROS vibe and infused it into this track. This is clearly evident with the massive amount of growling and Shinya's tribal drumming. Personally I would have preferred another re-recording of this song in the studio or a new track altogether. Shokubeni sounds OK for what it is but if this was in the studio there is no doubt that it would have been a lot better. At the end of the day I don't see myself listening to this track too much but it's a fine inclusion and it might get addictive over the long run.
When taken as a whole package, we haven't gotten something this good since Kasumi which is great news since Diru's single tracks usually are bearable but the single as a whole blows donkey nuts. With this one, people are bound not to like something here and others as a whole are turned off by the entire screeching and harsh vocal aspect they've been working since Clever Sleazoid. Old fans of Diru who lust for their VK don't want to try this single out and those that hated Uroboros (and you call yourselves fans?) will hate this more, but all others may want to try this out if you come prepared with some diapers and a -very- open mind about your music. If you do, this single will suck your dick dry.
Contrary to the usual bullshit I put forth I actually didn't think that this single was going to suck. Somehow I knew it was going to stomp on my scrotum at the speed of awesome with whatever new ideas that they managed to come up with. Normally I don't follow singles obsessively but for this one I did because, well, face it Dir en grey is one of my favorite bands of all time.
Having that said, I don't really see how Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami is one of their best singles of all time. The inclusion of the chorus at the beginning does not fit and doesn't sound right. Kaoru and Die have really improved from the UROBOROS period and they wham on their axes like I've never heard them before. Some portions of this song have me wondering what the hell they're doing to their instruments because they sound like the roaring of some Norse god. Due to the good production, I can't even hear the bass so I'm not going to rate Toshiya. Shinya on the other hand was very good - nothing special since I've heard better drum lines from him before - but his rapid execution never fails to inspire me. Some songs like Red Soil have him pounding on that kit like a madman but this song sees him take more of a backseat. One of the hampering aspects of this track are Kyo's vocals - in no way did they suck but we didn't hear him when we needed to and heard him when we didn't need to hear him. The "deathcore" growls he has going on sounded low and messy, like something I'd hear off of a lynch. CD and I really wasn't feeling that too much. The transition into the catchy chorus is awkward but over subsequent listens was done very well and fits with the mood. Chorus is the best part of this song and the ending chant keeps the song from sinking off into mediocrity but somehow I think this song could have been a lot longer. It's obviously missing a solo and even though they're moving towards a style that focuses more on atmosphere than axe jamming Hageshisa to... really needed one (looking back on it we haven't really had many solos since the VULGAR/ sixUGLY era.
It's not perfect but I'll take it. They've fed us worse shit.
Zan Reconstructed packs new lyrics and enough fury to kill. While the old recording on Gauze went with the type of insanity of someone who's going to pick up a gun and mow down a bunch of people, this one feels like Kyo's going to rip you apart piece by piece. Shinya's drumming is a pretty good highlight of this track since he's the one that adds the most energy to the fray. Kyo's growls are brutal (and balanced correctly) and the guitar work is just sexy. Zan's riffs are unmistakable and although Toshiya once again is inaudible under the guitar work you won't really find yourself caring too much. I find this better than the single but some fans of the older version of Zan may miss the psychotic intro and the black metallish vocals that gave the song it's atmosphere.
It's really hit or miss.
Shokubeni just isn't as good this time around due to the way that they're recording it. I knew this coming in so I'm not going to hold the production value against it. As a matter of fact, it's damn impressive that they got the song to sound this good in one take. What Diru has done here is taken some of the UROBOROS vibe and infused it into this track. This is clearly evident with the massive amount of growling and Shinya's tribal drumming. Personally I would have preferred another re-recording of this song in the studio or a new track altogether. Shokubeni sounds OK for what it is but if this was in the studio there is no doubt that it would have been a lot better. At the end of the day I don't see myself listening to this track too much but it's a fine inclusion and it might get addictive over the long run.
When taken as a whole package, we haven't gotten something this good since Kasumi which is great news since Diru's single tracks usually are bearable but the single as a whole blows donkey nuts. With this one, people are bound not to like something here and others as a whole are turned off by the entire screeching and harsh vocal aspect they've been working since Clever Sleazoid. Old fans of Diru who lust for their VK don't want to try this single out and those that hated Uroboros (and you call yourselves fans?) will hate this more, but all others may want to try this out if you come prepared with some diapers and a -very- open mind about your music. If you do, this single will suck your dick dry.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
UNDERCODE
This post here was written by inartistic on Tainted World. It's so true I had to repost it here.
Yeah, because being influenced by KISAKI has really made hundreds of bands suck. Lol.
It's totally cool to hate KISAKI because it's in vogue, because he hurt Kyo's feelings, or because he has big teeth, but you don't even realize what you're saying. KISAKI has managed or produced more bands than you realize, and he's affected many, many more.
You know where D's ASAGI and Ruiza got their starts? KISAKI! DIR EN GREY? KISAKI. That little band the GazettE? Originally with a sublabel of Matina. Members of Dio and emmuree also got their start at Matina because of KISAKI. He's the only reason that harvest (who are terrific) and VAGERKE got any exposure at all overseas.
Assuming you hate those bands, consider the roughly 100 he's produced through Matina and UNDER CODE PRODUCTION. I doubt you've listened to all of those and dislike 90 of them, but, if so, what about the bands formed and directly affected by those bands he produced? If, for each band produced, a little less than one band is formed or directly affected by it, that's another, say, 70 bands. Still don't like any of those? Then consider the bands that have been affected by him just because they liked his style--there's no denying that many bands have been influenced by either the “Matina style” or UNDER CODE's aesthetics. Bergerac rode his dick for the longest time just because they thought he was neat, and bands like Madieduor are practically neo-revivals of Madeth gray'll.
Beyond that, imagine the roadies he's inspired and the musicians he's influenced after meeting them at lives. FOOL'S MATE thought his retirement was a big enough deal to make a book about him. Over 200 individuals cared enough to write official comments about him in the book; and that's bandmen and important people on the scene, not random girls who went to Phantasmagoria shows. (As an aside, if you're one of those people who criticizes his activity after retirement: so what? Activity after retirement is crucial, it's called generativity.)
Even from a purely economical standpoint, he is important. Just imagine all the livehouses he's booked over the years, all of the artists that have been signed to his labels, all of the staff that have worked at his labels, all of the shops that see income from his labels' releases, the PV companies that get repeat business from him, the costume designers that get to do visible work because of him, the sound engineers, the magazine staff (both FOOL'S MATE and SHOXX have done special releases through him), and even designers. One designer in particular, AKI OKAMURA, only has steady work because KISAKI has hired him time and time again, from the days of Matina to now. I'm not saying Japan will collapse when KISAKI is gone, but he has encouraged a ton of money flow over his years.
And speaking of money, still hate him because “he's a money-grubbing asshole?” False. If he was money-hungry, would he have helped cious pi cious release a CD? No, because no one gives a shit about cious pi cious. And yet he did help them, because he enjoyed their music and was friends with the members. So he must be money-hungry because his label releases multiple types of one CD, right? Wrong again! That is just a part of the record industry--look at Gackt, ayumi hamasaki, and even smaller bands like MoNoLith or Kiryu. In English-speaking countries too (they just aren't called “types”): Lady Gaga's new album is out in at least three versions. Still hate him because he's the only one who re-releases stuff? Wrong once more~ The Beatles perfected that long ago. And if you want a really VK-centric example, point your accusing gaze at MICHIRU of L∞p・Ash RECORDS, the guy who is responsible for consistently releasing -OZ- songs one-at-a-time and then releasing a collection of them later. KISAKI's label may try to squeeze more money out of releases, but if he's a bad person for that, so is every other person that works at every other label.
So yeah, maybe chariots sucks dick. Maybe you hate Anjyu' and despise Nega's vocalist. Maybe Sense of Shape was a lame band with a loser name that only existed because Matina was willing to sign lots of people. That's all fine. But just realize that KISAKI has produced a ton of bands beside the 10 that you had bad experiences with, and realize that he has directly affected the sound of many, many more. I can't speak for KISAKI's morals or oral hygiene, but, at the end of the day, whether or not you or anyone else wants to admit it, KISAKI is far reaching in his influence on the visual scene. To say that everything he touches is shit is to say that the scene itself is shit.
Yeah, because being influenced by KISAKI has really made hundreds of bands suck. Lol.
It's totally cool to hate KISAKI because it's in vogue, because he hurt Kyo's feelings, or because he has big teeth, but you don't even realize what you're saying. KISAKI has managed or produced more bands than you realize, and he's affected many, many more.
You know where D's ASAGI and Ruiza got their starts? KISAKI! DIR EN GREY? KISAKI. That little band the GazettE? Originally with a sublabel of Matina. Members of Dio and emmuree also got their start at Matina because of KISAKI. He's the only reason that harvest (who are terrific) and VAGERKE got any exposure at all overseas.
Assuming you hate those bands, consider the roughly 100 he's produced through Matina and UNDER CODE PRODUCTION. I doubt you've listened to all of those and dislike 90 of them, but, if so, what about the bands formed and directly affected by those bands he produced? If, for each band produced, a little less than one band is formed or directly affected by it, that's another, say, 70 bands. Still don't like any of those? Then consider the bands that have been affected by him just because they liked his style--there's no denying that many bands have been influenced by either the “Matina style” or UNDER CODE's aesthetics. Bergerac rode his dick for the longest time just because they thought he was neat, and bands like Madieduor are practically neo-revivals of Madeth gray'll.
Beyond that, imagine the roadies he's inspired and the musicians he's influenced after meeting them at lives. FOOL'S MATE thought his retirement was a big enough deal to make a book about him. Over 200 individuals cared enough to write official comments about him in the book; and that's bandmen and important people on the scene, not random girls who went to Phantasmagoria shows. (As an aside, if you're one of those people who criticizes his activity after retirement: so what? Activity after retirement is crucial, it's called generativity.)
Even from a purely economical standpoint, he is important. Just imagine all the livehouses he's booked over the years, all of the artists that have been signed to his labels, all of the staff that have worked at his labels, all of the shops that see income from his labels' releases, the PV companies that get repeat business from him, the costume designers that get to do visible work because of him, the sound engineers, the magazine staff (both FOOL'S MATE and SHOXX have done special releases through him), and even designers. One designer in particular, AKI OKAMURA, only has steady work because KISAKI has hired him time and time again, from the days of Matina to now. I'm not saying Japan will collapse when KISAKI is gone, but he has encouraged a ton of money flow over his years.
And speaking of money, still hate him because “he's a money-grubbing asshole?” False. If he was money-hungry, would he have helped cious pi cious release a CD? No, because no one gives a shit about cious pi cious. And yet he did help them, because he enjoyed their music and was friends with the members. So he must be money-hungry because his label releases multiple types of one CD, right? Wrong again! That is just a part of the record industry--look at Gackt, ayumi hamasaki, and even smaller bands like MoNoLith or Kiryu. In English-speaking countries too (they just aren't called “types”): Lady Gaga's new album is out in at least three versions. Still hate him because he's the only one who re-releases stuff? Wrong once more~ The Beatles perfected that long ago. And if you want a really VK-centric example, point your accusing gaze at MICHIRU of L∞p・Ash RECORDS, the guy who is responsible for consistently releasing -OZ- songs one-at-a-time and then releasing a collection of them later. KISAKI's label may try to squeeze more money out of releases, but if he's a bad person for that, so is every other person that works at every other label.
So yeah, maybe chariots sucks dick. Maybe you hate Anjyu' and despise Nega's vocalist. Maybe Sense of Shape was a lame band with a loser name that only existed because Matina was willing to sign lots of people. That's all fine. But just realize that KISAKI has produced a ton of bands beside the 10 that you had bad experiences with, and realize that he has directly affected the sound of many, many more. I can't speak for KISAKI's morals or oral hygiene, but, at the end of the day, whether or not you or anyone else wants to admit it, KISAKI is far reaching in his influence on the visual scene. To say that everything he touches is shit is to say that the scene itself is shit.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
D'espairsRay's Immortal Tracklist
1. 檻の中で見る夢
2. MaVERiCK
3. Garnet
4. BORN
5. 闇に降る奇跡
6. 「浮遊した理想」
7. Forbidden
8. アベルとカイン
9. 凍える夜に咲いた花
10. Closer to ideal
11. Squall
12. MIRROR
13. Cocoon
14. Scissors
15. HORIZON
2. MaVERiCK
3. Garnet
4. BORN
5. 闇に降る奇跡
6. 「浮遊した理想」
7. Forbidden
8. アベルとカイン
9. 凍える夜に咲いた花
10. Closer to ideal
11. Squall
12. MIRROR
13. Cocoon
14. Scissors
15. HORIZON
Brothers and sisters, this is one terrible tracklist. Wasn't this supposed to be a compilation of all their best work from 1999-2008? Well what the fuck is 1999 doing there if the earliest track they're giving us is 2003 (Ori no Naka de Miru Yume)? Secondly, what the fuck are Redeemer era tracks doing here? REDEEMER IS 2009 - Get Horizon the FUCK off that shit unless this is some sort of grindcore remix. Cocoon and Scissors are lame as fuck b-sides and Horizon DEFINITELY does not belong there! It's been on their last three releases and everyone hated that track to shit!
I am also not enthused about seeing Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana and Squall on this album either. They aren't as shit as HORIZON but it's still pretty shit considering all of the other tracks they could have done. This goes for Squall more than Kogoeru, because I personally find Squall to be boring. Where are the demo tapes? Where's the Kumo/Genwaku re-recordings? Fucking hell, they didn't even put REDDISH on this album! REDDISH > FUYUU SHITA RISOU GUYS! WHY IS THERE MIRROR HERE? I can BUY MIRROR if I wanted to hear MIRROR songs.
The only song I semi-approve of besides Ori no Naka de Miru Yume is MaVERiCK and that's because it's old and hasn't been re-recorded at all. Then again, SEXUAL BEAST / TERRORS hasn't been re-recorded either and Closer to ideal has already been re-recorded.
This is NOT what I wanted and as a result I will not be buying this album like I originally intended. There was SO MUCH they could have done with this album and instead they shitted all over this prospect to gain back some VK props (I don't give a fuck what you say they haven't shorn VK so they are) and instead they pick the shittiest 13 tracks they could and said "here we go - these are tracks that either DON'T need to be re-recorded or are just plain shit but we're doing it because we like em"
You wanna know what I would have liked?
Ao / Razor / Sakura / [S]yste[M] - these demo tapes are hard to find and are in crap quality. We want to hear them, you can shamelessly make money off of decade old work, who is complaining? NO ONE
Loop ~ Divide Neo Abomination~ / Monokuro ni Natta Saigo no Hi - most people don't even know these tracks exists and both of these together destroy most of that tracklist.
ANIMAL MANIA - YOU DID FUCKING ANIMAL MANIA LAST YEAR! WHY ISN'T THIS HERE >_________>
Kumo / Genwaku / TERRORS / Sexual Beast - all with good songs in crap to sub-par quality that could have been re-recorded. Kumo especially since it featured one of my favorite songs by them and that could have used a good re-recording. Why isn't Kisei, Gensyoku, Fascism or Valentine on that tracklist? ALL GREAT SONGS!
I didn't want anything from COLL:SET but since you went that far why isn't Maze, Pig and DESERT re-recorded either? I don't want poppy shit - I want hard, rough, screamy shit (and you know what? Most of the D'espa fanbase either agrees or won't disagree with me on that one).
You disgust me D'espairsRay - the one time you had to recycle GOOD shit you spend on songs that aren't worth our time. I'll take everything up to track eight - the rest can eat shit.
Fuck you Immortal. Fuck you with a rubber spoon.
I am also not enthused about seeing Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana and Squall on this album either. They aren't as shit as HORIZON but it's still pretty shit considering all of the other tracks they could have done. This goes for Squall more than Kogoeru, because I personally find Squall to be boring. Where are the demo tapes? Where's the Kumo/Genwaku re-recordings? Fucking hell, they didn't even put REDDISH on this album! REDDISH > FUYUU SHITA RISOU GUYS! WHY IS THERE MIRROR HERE? I can BUY MIRROR if I wanted to hear MIRROR songs.
The only song I semi-approve of besides Ori no Naka de Miru Yume is MaVERiCK and that's because it's old and hasn't been re-recorded at all. Then again, SEXUAL BEAST / TERRORS hasn't been re-recorded either and Closer to ideal has already been re-recorded.
This is NOT what I wanted and as a result I will not be buying this album like I originally intended. There was SO MUCH they could have done with this album and instead they shitted all over this prospect to gain back some VK props (I don't give a fuck what you say they haven't shorn VK so they are) and instead they pick the shittiest 13 tracks they could and said "here we go - these are tracks that either DON'T need to be re-recorded or are just plain shit but we're doing it because we like em"
You wanna know what I would have liked?
Ao / Razor / Sakura / [S]yste[M] - these demo tapes are hard to find and are in crap quality. We want to hear them, you can shamelessly make money off of decade old work, who is complaining? NO ONE
Loop ~ Divide Neo Abomination~ / Monokuro ni Natta Saigo no Hi - most people don't even know these tracks exists and both of these together destroy most of that tracklist.
ANIMAL MANIA - YOU DID FUCKING ANIMAL MANIA LAST YEAR! WHY ISN'T THIS HERE >_________>
Kumo / Genwaku / TERRORS / Sexual Beast - all with good songs in crap to sub-par quality that could have been re-recorded. Kumo especially since it featured one of my favorite songs by them and that could have used a good re-recording. Why isn't Kisei, Gensyoku, Fascism or Valentine on that tracklist? ALL GREAT SONGS!
I didn't want anything from COLL:SET but since you went that far why isn't Maze, Pig and DESERT re-recorded either? I don't want poppy shit - I want hard, rough, screamy shit (and you know what? Most of the D'espa fanbase either agrees or won't disagree with me on that one).
You disgust me D'espairsRay - the one time you had to recycle GOOD shit you spend on songs that aren't worth our time. I'll take everything up to track eight - the rest can eat shit.
Fuck you Immortal. Fuck you with a rubber spoon.
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