Leaderboard

Just saw the Nightmare last live, wow. For the first hour and a bit, i had this sort of melancholy discomfort watching due to Yomi's vocals. I haven't really kept up with the band since like 2010, but it sounds like he's completely changed his singing technique, or hes burned out his voice, or a bit of both. It was tough at times, because you could tell he was really giving it his all and you he could hear the voice straining in ways that make you cringe a little bit because it seems physically painful. Of course, no one wants to go out as a vocalist like that, especially when the rest of the band was playing so well. However, throughout the final encores, Yomi definitely redeemed himself and you could tell it was taking all of his being to do so. The Star[K]night orchestral arrangement that played at the end before the final encore was really top notch and totally got the feels going. In the end, I feel like it will be really enjoyable for anyone who was a fan of the band at some point to watch. It's challenging at first to feel like you're struggling with Yomi's performance, but he really does make the most of it.

somehow that hand is actually mine and not a stranger's

Just confirmed the purchase of my ticket to watch The National in concert next year. I'm actually gonna see my favorite band live. I'm so freaking happy.

ThatSucks.com

So this is a thing I did

It was announced on 2017.12.01 at the "Raphaelesque Head Bursting" 時限式:uadjet's sponsored event at EDGE Ikebukuro, llll-Ligro- restart their activities from today with two new members : Gt. Jesse and Ba. 羽鳳(hao) They were on hiatus since december 2013. They will have their oneman 「THE BEGINNING OF THE END」 on 2018.03.04 at EDGE ikebukuro. Voice. ヒナタ (hinata) Guitar. kazari Guitar. Jesse (ex ZeR'0-ゼロ (ジェシー(jecy)) Bass. 羽鳳 (hao) (ex ZeR'0-ゼロ (蓮 (ren)) Renewal OHP : http://llll-ligro.info/

Just like the title says this is an attempt to bring back the m-h jrock awards for the year 2017 which last took place way back in 2012 and apparently ended do to lack of participation. Awards were given for best album, single, new band, etc. And all of this was decided by user votes. So I asked about reviving this and here's what @Zeussaid, Judging by all of the yearly best album/single reviews I would hope there's still some interest in something like this. So if you want to see the "Monochrome heaven J-Rock Awards 2017" then help me get this topic 50 likes and/or 50 comments by the end of the month.

If llll-Ligro- can return from the ashes, so can Lustknot.

Hello~ I'm Albert and I like kitkats! ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ I'm from Vancouver, Canada! If anyone is near me let me know! I joined recently as this seems like the best forum for VK friends/news/downloads etc I'm a Japanese/Taiwanese mix. I don't know any Mandarin but I'm perfectly fluent in Japanese so if you need translations then I can help. That being said I'm a lazy person so nothing more than a few sentences at a time. My favorite bands are Misanthropist, Delacroix, Far East Dizain, Morrigan, Vistlip etc...I also like a bunch of anime songs too! Nice to meet you all. I don't know how to use this forum AT ALL atm but I guess I'll get used to it eventually... ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

i do not know which one is the worst between him singing or the shitty electro effects ...

Happy b-day Hiroki! <3

@hiroki yaaaassss happy birthday, my friend! may this new cycle bring you many new cool bands (maybe a Masashi new project?) and your wishes and plans may all come through! enjoy your day!

no cover art, no box, it's just gonna be a shitty mass-produced dvd-r with the title written on it in sharpie

happy birthday dude! (。-∀-) Hopefully this year lots of new bands will come to your path!

MV needs more wayu i mean come on hes fucking gorgeous <3

Happy Birthday, Hiroki! Wishing you all the best~!

Only the first 2 books came with CDs with music, but the first volume of Gasou no shi had a version with a DVD (interview and some footage).

Why haven't I paid attention to Bless This Mess before, they're awesome.

They were based in Berlin for a while (or maybe they still are now?), and they were being promoted overseas by HIGHFeeL/REALive, who organize a lot of concerts in Europe. https://highfeel.jp/2016/11/10/plasticzooms2017/

It is funny, I started taking the pill recently and I think it has given me worse mood swings. I was always very chill, or at least able to hide it when I was annoyed/angry, but now I find that I will snap and show that I'm pissed off. Other than that, I think the effects from the pill have been very positive.

Vocalist is Jekyll (ex-ATRUS), kamite guitarist is Dai (ex-Oneness). Shimote guitarist is Karen (ex-ashley). This feels really weird cos they seem like a totally diff band without Yoh, but I guess i'll follow cos i'm a huge fan of Jekyll. I'm fine with autotune but I'd rather hear Jekyll's real voice cos he has really nice vocals.

It's the most wonderful time of the month! Let's give thanks to our favorite musicians and highlight some spicy cuts from this month. Check it out and fill out the list with yours below! @tetsu_sama69's Picks "Monster" by 戦国時代-The age of civil wars- Granted there were most likely some very mixed reactions when 戦国時代-The age of civil wars- were announced because of the random make-up of band members but with a group full of well experienced musicians with a splash of ex.SIAM SHADE members how can one go entirely wrong. 戦国時代 may end up being a temporary group in the long run but their first mini-album 初陣－First battle－ (Uijin－First battle－) is surprisingly stuffed with energetic and catchy songs that shouldn't be missed. "Monster" is one of the heavy darker themed tracks on the mini-album and sticks out mostly for its fantastic musical composition. "Monster" is a song that infuses heavy metal with traditional Japanese instrumentals spiced with pop-rock that has a bass line that'll get stuck in your head for days. The instrumentals go from energetic to headbanging at the drop of a hat and the vocals go from screaming to melodic so smoothly. The previews do no justice to 戦国時代-The age of civil wars- making them sound as if they are just another generic traditional themed pop-rock group, but they'll surprise you if you give them a chance. "春雪ノ頃" (Shunsetsu no Koro) by Schwartz:Mist I was in no way prepared for how much I was going to enjoy this at all. But once I heard that explosive grindfest of an opener I knew I was in for a treat. "Shunsetsu no Koro" is an amazingly solid song brimming with energy and emotion. Especially the breakdowns at the start and end of the track can only be described as a headbanger's best friend. Vocalist 心 (Shin) (ex. LucieN) has a fantastic voice able to deliver harsh powerful screams and gritty clean vocals that hit me in all the right places. Surprisingly what really makes "春雪ノ頃" stand out for me is that there's no guitar solo but if you listen there are some spectacular riffs from Guitarist 環 (Tamaki). If you have a thirst for some more from Schwartz:Mist after hearing "春雪ノ頃", you should definitely check out their first mini-album "S.M" and enjoy this great band! "Imitation" by DEXCORE Visual kei refuses to be a letdown this year with powerhouse band DEXCORE. If you weren't already hooked on them from their past releases then "Imitation" is a perfect song to get you into this band. With the addition of guitarist haku since their previous single, the band has grown exponentially. There's a serious amount of depth to "Imitation" layered with shockingly vibrant vocals and explosive instrumentals. DEXCORE has set the bar for the current scene of 'br00tal kei' a bit higher by delivering a song that's anything but generic. There's nothing held back in this storm of drums and waves of breakdowns that burst forth with vocal shock waves. Drummer Naoki (ex. DEATHGAZE) seems to have gone out of his way to make sure that DEXCORE sounds a step above anything he was involved in previously and it's a blessing to anyone who listens. I'm seriously looking forward to full release of "Imitation" and anything else DEXCORE brings in the future. @emmny's Picks "LAW'S" by Kiyoharu I'm kind of new to the cult of Kiyoharu, so I was shocked to find out this was an old song, re-composed and arranged for an upcoming "rhythmless" remake album, with other Kuroyume, Kiyoharu, and SADS tracks. The original "LAW'S" closely resembles newer SADS material, but Kiyoharu's recent work tends to overlap stylistically, regardless of the project the song falls under. If you're wondering how this eight minute remake of a five minute song manages to even remotely resemble the original--you're totally right, theres no comparison. Kiyoharu and co. turn the edgy punk-styled track into a floaty ballad, anchored by gripping and rough vocals from the legend himself. The progression of the track is amazing, with delicate acoustic guitars giving way to more fullbodied instrumentation, ending with a good few minutes of Kiyoharu just wailing on the track. The imagery of the video is slow and erotic (or is it just sad?); the kind of shit you'd see a cabaret musician playing, with their cigarette smoke trailing into the air after last call rush dies down--but in the best way. In visual kei we're used to seeing good talent go to waste with bad taste, but it's a privilege to constantly see a talented musician making such carefully calculated stylistic decisions, as evident in the uniquely sultry arrangement in "LAW'S". "夜想" (Yasou) by Virge Virge, the project born out of the ashes of Mediena and Malisend continues to drop bop after bop, showing just how much Shin's (FKA Rino, ex-bassist for Malisend) compositional prowess has improved. The aforementioned bands piqued a lot of of interest on here, mostly because of their fairly strong early-00's revival sound. The trend continues with Virge, splicing equal bits of Phantasmagoria-style melodicism and the harsh guitars/bass of mid-era D'espairsRay to great effect, as seen with "Yasou". The band understand the importance of good, simple riffs and an even better chorus, using this ethos to frame their music. My only complaint before was that songs came across as a little 2D, or flat in their structures. They've read my mind (wwww) and addressed that with "Yasou", as it goes through a fair bit of shifts, showing off a more adventurous style, although the palette is the same as we've gotten to know the band for. The huge bass tone (almost sounds like slap but isn't, reminds me of Reita's best tones) clashes perfectly with Ryo's dazzling vocal delivery, and new drummer Aru's contributions are noted as well with great rhythm work. If you're not stanning--despite how much coverage we give them here--you are totally missing out. "歪" (Ibitsu) by VRZEL Believe it or not, for all the "INSIDE BEAST", Gazette-lite clones we've gotten over the past few years, we now have a "Taion" to balance it out. The opening is the heaviest section the band have ever done, alternating between grinding alt-metal riffs and eerie wailing clean guitars over whispers. This is the most obvious section recalling "Taion"; the rest is all VRZEL for better or worse (I'm purposely ignoring the gratuitous gazethot interlude). This goes on for a full minute before clean vocals even come in, building up a tense atmosphere. The rest of the track moves at a lurching pace, bordering on heavy-ballad territory, anchored by Cion's wailing vocals. VRZEL took a risk releasing such an intense, five-and-a-half minute track as the promotional lead for the album but it paid off. The brutal fiend in me wishes they went for an even darker concept, dropped the guitars to A# and MUCC'd it away, but VRZEL stayed true to their image while rendering a quasi-challenging track for their fans. I've always been in the corner cheering on Cion's compositional prowess, and I'm happy it has culminated to such a solid track--a merger of old and new. @qotka's Pick "十五" by キズ Featured on the Kizu's 2nd single, Kawazu, "Juugo" is another display of power from one of the fastest growing, strongest newcomers on the scene this year. Ask anyone who's had to FIGHT for tickets to their one-man. While this b-side doesn't offer anything too different from the rest of the recorded material they've put out so far - if anything, it shows consistency and careful building of their sound and image as a band - it's here this month for simply being the fun track it is and for having those sweet, anthem-like qualities. If you're on the lookout for a dramatic, non-cynical power metal banger to indulge in, this is your new jam. From its restless, rapid verses to its uplifting, theatrical chorus, this zero bullshit 3-minute track hits the spot. Video bonus: showcases how frighteningly GORGEOUS their gya are. @The Reverend's Pick "哀絶綺譚 feat. 祈狂 of La'veil Mizeria" by 魅裟 I think I must have a thing for music box-y intros in VK. Dir en grey's "Cage" and Avelcain's "死化粧" are two of my favorite songs ever; and despite it's obvious flaws I'm really enjoying the newest from 魅裟 (missa) this month. Missa and 祈狂 (Kikyo) from La'veil MizeriA team up for "哀絶綺譚" (Aizetsu kitan), the best of three simultaneously released digital singles from Missa on a vanity label with the most VK name ever; Malformed Maria Records. Certainly the most surprising thing about this single is that, despite combining members of Insanity Injection and La'veil MizeriA, it's a not-quite-ballad obviously attempting to be unironically *pretty*. That piano/vocal melody will absolutely get stuck in your head if you let it, and the guitar tone is a bit amateur but quite tasty. The fake drums are a bit of a turnoff, and I maintain that a song really needs a reason to be over five minutes; but if Missa keeps releasing these digital singles with fun special guests during his other bands' downtime, he may be able to carve out a niche where many have failed in the realm of 'VK solo acts'. @Zeus's Picks "the whirl" by lynch. No band in the visual kei scene nails re-recordings as consistently as lynch. does for me. A lot of this is because lynch. have never deviated too strongly from the sound that defines them, and their retake of 2007's "the whirl" is everything I never knew I wanted from the song. The heavier parts are grittier, the softer parts more delicate and emotional, and the transitions between them hit just as hard as I'm used to. While sonically everything has been pushed to the extremes, the rough production brings everything together like a caressing smack to the face. The improvement on the drums is worth the price of admission alone, and let's not even get into the improvements to Hazuki's voice. After a multitude of A-B-C comparisons, this is my favorite out of the three versions floating around; the original on underneath the skin has flat production and the version released on THE BURIED sounds too sterile for my tastes. Normally I'd say something snarky, but I don't even mind that the ten year old track is the prime attraction on lynch.'s newest! "五月雨" (Samidare) by 左迅×弐×愁×Яyo 2017 has been kind to "五月雨", as this is the second successful reinterpretation of an early visual kei classic. "五月雨", released on TRIBUTE OF MUCC - 縁 [en] -, is a secret track credited to 左迅×弐×愁×Яyo, but it's pretty much girugamesh, and I will refer to them as such for the rest of the blurb. girugamesh will never steal "五月雨" from MUCC, but they can certainly add this to their live repertoire and I wouldn't be mad. They successfully made this their own song, preserving the original feel of the song while effortlessly adding their signature elements to it. I delayed posting this list just to add it. Listening to girugamesh's cover of "五月雨" gives me feels of them at their best with a tinge of angura I never knew they had in them. If I wasn't already pining for their return, this solidified it. Anyone who misses girugamesh needs to sample this song. Thank you for reading everyone!

Pics from 2 yrs ago (。-ω-) I guess I'll take a newer one with heavy makeup next time....

Welcome to MH!!

Don't have it yet, not sure when I got this CD. (Japanese friend will send me someday in 2018) but maybe @Mihican help? A scan or good photo is welcome too.

Look at BABOO silently dropping some TIGHT shit despite all the mockery... there's quite a few bigger bands eating -kokuhaku-'s dust when talking about this year releases, that's for sure

I went ahead and did the romaji/translation. It's a pretty straightforward song, I feel. Virge - Nimaijita (Double-Tongued) Romaji English Notes: 1. I usually denote lyrics written in katakana in all caps, but since everything besides the kanji were written in katakana, I decided not to. But for non-Japanese speakers, I’d like to note that writing this way emphasizes the feeling or message of the song, just like writing in all caps does in English. 2. There are various parts where I went for a stylized translation over a literal one, most notably going with “spare me your sanctimony” instead of something more literal for “gizensha usero”. 3. @Peace Heavy mk II's translation of the title is just as valid, however I kept it as "double-tongued" because this is literally the way it's written in kanji. As always, comments or suggestions welcome.

@Yukii_NishimuraKinda late, but in case anyone else wanted a translation of this: Hentai, hentai! Suddenly we’re in the minority now Hentai, hentai! That’s right, you’re also in the minority now Hentai, hentai! Suddenly we’re in the minority now Hentai, hentai! Sooner or later you’ll be in the minority, too Not letting anyone break me down, without getting hurt, nobody can save me from the future where I’ll sing it out Even if it feels like people are walking over me, or that they think I’d be better off dead, I’ll keep on surviving It’s the only true way It’s okay if it’s all a lie, right now I’ll shout it out, “Hentai!” Hentai, hentai! Suddenly we’re in the minority now Hentai, hentai! That’s right, you’re also in the minority now Hentai, hentai! Sooner or later you’ll be in the minority, too So no one can break you down, so you don’t get hurt, I want to protect you Are you still standing there, not moving forward any? You should say it, like this, and do whatever you want until you die It’s the only true way It’s okay if you’re lying, just like this, shout it out, “Hentai!” Even if it’s a lie that spreads across the whole world, I won’t let it phase me, and stand up on this stage Even if they’re spewing enough venom to want to kill me, I’ll forgive them, and stand up on this stage Where’s that long shot of a miracle? I won’t accept anything less I’d rather suffer many times more Look, here it comes again, the sound of those pointless promotions Are you going to keep dancing in filth like that? Without letting them break you down, without getting hurt, in order to protect yourselves you ought to give them a piece of your mind You should say something, just like this, and do whatever you want until you die It’s the only true way A liar like you should embrace this anthem for liars, just like this So all of us liars out there, come on, and dare to shout it out, “Hentai! Hentai, hentai! Suddenly we’re in the minority now Hentai, hentai! Sooner or later you’ll be in the minority, too Notes: I took a few poetic liberties with this song which I thought would capture the feel of it better. This included leaving "hentai" as is. Although most people probably know that often this word means "(sexually) perverted", it can also mean mental perversion, which I feel like the song is likely getting at instead. Especially in (but not limited to) Japan where often any idea or opinion that differs from the group mentality can get you bullied, pushed away, seen as strange, etc. people may have their own opinions that would put them in the minority if spoken aloud, so they might lie to themselves and everyone else to maintain the status quo. I think that what this song is getting at is that, in reality, they're already in the minority just for having these unspoken opinions, so they might as well be true to themselves and embrace their "mental perversion".

Yeti - If Lyrics/Arrangement: Suzuki Satoshi Hey , there's the only one most important thing. You see , I really want to tell you but I can't do it very well. Aah , It's not "Good-bye" or "Thank you". But I think there are no better words to descript. Hey , I remember it as hard as I can. You see , It becomes a memorie in a moment. Aah , it fades away little by little. I think someday it will eventually dissappear. But I will not forget . I won't forget it . But I don't wanna lose it . I won't let it go . But I will not let you go . I won't leave you . Like this way , I keep telling you like this , always ... Although it is meaningless. Though it's meaningless. But I am always here. I know you can understand it. I am longing for you. I am longing for you . My tears are falling down, slowly overflowing, it seems not to stop. Maybe it's not a romantic story, but my heart for you won't be a lie. Because I always believe it ... Always . Hey , If I can start everything from the beginning. You see , I will go back to the when right now. Aah, I know it is impossible. But sometimes I still hope that I can do it without expectation. I want to be close to you . I want to be with you . I want to see your face . I want to talk with you . I am calling your name . No matter how many times, I am calling you . But I will find it out soon , I am losing you , forever... I want to protect you . I really want to protect you . I am always here . Even I just pretend to be strong . There is not an end . I won't stop loving you. Although I know you must be weeping, tears are overfowing , can't be stopped. But the smiles which are ahead of our sorrows, Someday it must ... it will be with us . Although it is meaningless. Though it's meaningless. But I am always here. I know you can understand it. I am longing for you. I am longing for you . My tears are falling down, slowly overflowing, it seems not to stop. Hey , but there's the only one most important thing. Because I believe it ... always Because I believe it . ======================================================================= Here you go , I try my best to translate it. Hope this can help you !：)) Also , I found there's one mistake in your Japanese lyric. *気付化されて should be *気付い化されて ======================================================================= And guys if you find there's any mistake , please let me know and help me to fix it. And if you guys want to copy or share this , Please state or credit that it's translated by me ! Or just link back for this post ! ! !

Charisma.com have announced that they will enter indefinite hiatus on January 27th after their one-man live at Zepp TOKYO, and at time DJ Gonchi will withdraw from band activities and retire from music. Her stated reason is to take over the family business. They will release the best album "Charisma.BEST" on January 10th, and will hold a one-man live at Osaka · BIGCAT on January 12th and at Zepp Tokyo on January 27th. Tickets for both shows are now on sale. https://natalie.mu/music/news/260166

It has been announced that drummer Takada will depart MONO due to personal reasons, and their performance on Dec 22 at Shibuya Club Asia will be cancelled.