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I agree completely with your take on the sound production, and the efforts to use better sound equipment must have made that much more of a difference. I had a similar experience, as that itch for experimentation got the best of me, and I decided to listen to NINTH again and again, using 3 different types of headphones (open-back, closed-back, and noise-cancelling) with and without a DAC/Amplifier, as well as listening to it in the car (windows up and down), and even on the plane during my vacation trip haha. Ruki's recommendation to obtain better audio equipment in order to listen to their albums at their best is solid advice for sure. Guess it would be no surprise then to anyone that listened to NINTH through something similar to Apple earpods and complained about the sound, simply because of the frequencies that overlap entirely from it's production (could be that muddiness everyone is referring to). Even in my own search to find the right balance of equalization and driver amplification to make this album sound amazing, I could feel that GazettE standard being set higher and higher. Perhaps we have become a bit too jaded with past expectations from the GazettE to present new ideas, that now we even criticize the sound when it differs from what we are used to. Perhaps this issue with the sound production is the first of many complaints to come until fans actually take Ruki's advice. Just gotta wait and see. Here's my review on NINTH. With that said, | An album that GazettE fans have been waiting years for. What I felt I listened to in NINTH was what a lot of us were truly waiting for. Something that kind of stopped with TOXIC, and DOGMA was the complete opposite of. It’s weird, but this feels like a GazettE album. There exist tracks that can be rightfully placed into the hall of Gaze-favorites. The sound is reminiscent to their days of spontaneity, where they just went at it with a collection of ideas, and in this case those ideas became NINTH. Is this is rival to DIM? I’d say no, and that’s because it is too sporadic in sound and execution to be heralded as one (too mashup-y in simple words). I can comfortably say that NINTH is a rightful successor, as it checks all the boxes that I feel made me a fan all those years ago, and even has the potential to be an album in 2018 that you can easily recommend to new fans of the scene. I think most would agree that if the album still holds its appeal even after as many listens as I have gone through, then it will most likely stay that way.

| One of the best GazettE albums in recent memory. I can't believe it's been three years since DOGMA. It feels like I just finished roasting it for being the "most underwhelming album of the year" and "ARCHE, Iowa-era Slipknot, and a quarter of DIM shoved in a blender and served cold". To be fair, most of my criticisms came from how stale and similar all the songs felt; the result of going a bit too far in the metalcore direction. Ever the perfectionists, it seems that the band actually addressed all of my complaints with NINTH. By combining the dark and heavy nature of DOGMA with the electronic rock explored with TOXIC and DIVISION and the retro "Gaze-rock" style of BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, The GazettE have succeeded in delivering an experience that mixes old and new sounds. NINTH won't win you over if you don't like the direction of the last four albums. If you took more of an issue with the execution of those concepts, than this is what you've been waiting for since DIM. It's been a while since I feel comfortable recommending an album of theirs. NINTH is an easier and more engaging listening experience than DOGMA, with smooth, slick, and balanced production. I don't understand the criticisms of "muddy production" because I don't hear it. I even pulled out my good headphones - the Sennheiser HD600s - and plugged them straight into my Logitech speakers to pluck out minor grievances with the mix and it sounded better that way. This reaches a level that visual kei music can rarely afford to reach. Ruki has advised fans to get great audio equipment to experience each album to the fullest, but I think it's more true now than before. The songs are also arranged very well and flow into each other, and I can't recall a single jarring stylistic transition. All of these elements together makes every song an attractive listening experience. There's also the absence of several elements which used to drag down prior releases: the lack of standout tracks, filler, and clumsy Green Day-ish all English punk songs that stick out. The GazettE cut the fat out of this album in a way I wish Dir en grey could. An album can still have highlights even when it's consistently good. I can't end this review without naming my favorite tracks. The first would be "その声は脆く", a rock ballad which starts on an unassuming note before effortlessly sliding into a thick, melancholic atmosphere. It even has a (short) twin guitar solo, a staple of rock songs I've been missing from their music lately. The follow-up track, "Babylon's Taboo", creates the best one-two punch on NINTH. I could be convinced that this is a heavier take on an unreleased 9GOATS BLACK OUT song. "Falling" is the de facto single of the album, receiving the first music video to push the album, and there's a damn good reason why. "The Mortal" is another track that deserves a shout out for mixing some of NIL-era flavor in the chorus with DOGMA-style riffs in the breakdown, and serves as a great summary for the journey the album takes us on. If The GazettE were still releasing singles, this would have been the second one. NINTH makes a strong argument for keeping a low profile until an album is complete. Visual kei bands can capture my attention with rapid fire single releases, but that makes it harder to impress me with an album of familiar content. NINTH wouldn't be as impressive if they gave us previews and teasers months or years before it was done. I hope other bands are taking notes. If you haven't already, put some cash towards this worthy album. It will be favorably remembered for years to come. Support the artist! iTunes

man I can't unsee Asagi small legs and huge upper body aaaaayyyyyy lmao

Glad to see that they are always making MV's for their releases and the production is getting better and better,not those cheap MV's from their past albums Also his voice is back in this one. KEEP IT!

It’s writing by guitarist retsu.

sakrun = instant love

I don't know how I've managed to avoid emmuree for all these years—They're right up my alley. Love the MUNIMUNI/deadman-esque sound. Very moody.

well, the part where they were blacklisted from venues came straight from the dudes themselves at their first show. it's not beyond the pale to think that this extends to other parts of the MEJIBRAY brand when they can't even rent the fucking venues(!), the most basic component of band activity that isn't actually associated with the band's image. of course it's still speculation that can't be proven unless some tsunagari has LINE convos to dump, but it's not a total asspull -- this is pretty much the accepted version of events in jp fan communities, and this isn't the first time a band's label has held parts or all of a band's branding hostage. regardless i'll be waiting for some sort of article from a known Japanese music publication that mentions 8P-SB at all, and i'll be waiting even longer for one that mentions them in the same breath as MEJIBRAY in the same way MiA's new project has been reported. 🙈

My favorite band. Loved their first single. ❤️❤️❤️

umbrella did not have to go off like this...still not over this

This is so ridiculous and obnoxious that it's almost kinda entertaining. Also I somehow thought I cracked the code that their name is supposed to mean 'elevate' in an Engrish way but then I saw they were named L.A. bash all the emotions...

Happy Birthday Robkun!! have a nice day!

ffs someone go and bring back pics of that little doe eyed chi chi chan

Definitely better than that ANTHEM and ANTITHESIS hot mess... The animation remind me of Madoka :"

that semester was hell but it's finally over. thank FUCK

Completely agree. This is the first album in a while I can listen to the whole way through and not need to skip any tracks. As Zeus said, they cut the fat from this one. I am an album oriented person and always love when there isn’t the need to edit tracks out. I would rather have a solid album like this, then a bunch of singles. I didn’t think I was ever going to get another album like this from them. A solid album in my opinion and a job well done

they gonna butcher it so fucking much I can't for this trainwreck henny

Kyubi sold 57 000 copies in its first week but idk in total how much this single sold

AIDMA will officially begin formal activities on June 26 at their live at 高田馬場 (Takadanobaba) club PHASE.

indie VK label exec (former) & a bass player: - Lemme scam the taxguy a lil bit, teehee Western Indie bass player: - Hold my beer, m8

These new vk bands and projects are too colorful,too cute.give me some really dark and macabre shit

Nice review. While it would be accurate to say that this album reminds me of many past albums at once, I think it would be doing an injustice to NINTH not to credit it as its own 'era' of Gazerock. The band hasn't just thrown in callbacks to their lengthy discography, they've evolved and grown in a way I didn't think was possible this late in their musical career. With Reita himself admitting in an interview that it was hard to get out of the 'dark' phase they found with DOGMA, and some interesting comments in the interviews and liner notes of the album (these can be found in the 'Reference Book' for those who can read 日本語 until someone other than me can be bothered to make a translation), I think the band surprised even themselves with some of the compositions on this album. Falling was always an excellent track and remains possibly the only real stand-out, but that by no means discredits the rest - in fact, this is one of the most consistently pleasing albums we've had from the GazettE in a long time. NINTH ODD SMELL was made to be headbanged to live; THE MORTAL has a gorgeous juxtaposition of an oppressive instrumental atmosphere and Ruki's soaring vocals; BABYLON'S TABOO, while not my personal favourite, is one of the most alternative, industrial-sounding experiments we've heard from the band; and the old-school vibes of 裏切る舌, which the members wondered if newer fans would catch on to or applaud as something new and original, were a fun shake-up towards the back end of the album. TWO OF A KIND is possibly my second top track, it hits hard and the ending is to die for, and UNFINISHED brings things to a close in a nostalgic way very reminiscent of truly old-school GazettE 春雪の頃 (shunsetsu no koro). The fact that I have something to say about pretty much every song should speak volumes about the album as a whole. It's varied but consistent, a quality somewhat lacking in recent efforts, and one of my easiest recommendations for getting into this now almost legendary band.

If it gets streamed I will very probably be recording it. ^^

There are two dates in this video : 2018.07.28 and 2018.09.24 ! (somewhere in Tokyo) Maybe, they will announce something...

i have no idea for now, maybe Misa repossessed his bass equipment (i'm only half-joking)

he's banned from using Tsuzuku lmao, same with koichi using "koichi" and not 恋一 they can't use the MEJIBRAY name at all either -- it's easy to brush this off as just not wanting to associate your new project with your old project but it would make a lot more sense if Japanese news articles listed them as ex-MEJIBRAY, right? but wait, there's a complete lack of articles on Japanese music news sites about 8P-SB. weird considering MEJIBRAY was a big deal, hm... when you get blacklisted you get blacklisted hard.

Not Japanese but really excited to own these.

Thank you, I couldn't have said it better myself.

This is an argument that has lasted for centuries. This is how I see it: XXXTentacion was a shit person, but he said some nice things. He had (subjectively) interesting music. Celebrating death is dumb as fuck, no matter who it is, but people will still do it b/c internet anonymity and hurr durr 2edgy4u. Just because someone was bad, it doesn't mean that celebrating their death is "right". Hitler was a pos, but I don't celebrate his death; I celebrate the end of genocide (You can be glad that one led to the other, but death as the central topic shouldn't be celebrated) Sure, celebrate the end of his violent acts, music, or whatever, but don't celebrate someone dying. Death sucks bad, super bad. ...but that's just me. There are better things in my life to worry about, lol.

dnw your psychopath has enough grieving devoted stans, I never realized soundcloud maniacs get this much clout kiii @ u comparing a jailed criminal to Kisaki tho, can't wait for the latter getting a similar write-up by 週刊文春 (even tho I'm not sure they still care about semi-retired indie scene darling) http://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/the-real-story-of-rapper-xxxtentacion-10410980

I'm not really one to judge people but, can you not? People are going to call me an abuse sympathizer but w/e people still defend Kisaki of all people so why not? Please stop celebrating XXXTenatacion's death like this is good what happened to him, and alot of people base that off the fact that his First charge(s) from his Ex-Girlfriend Geneva, which were false because she openly admitted that she lied on him about the abuse. Also with the Jail incident, I guess people don't get the fact that they were in prison...where you get raped btw but no sis, preach on about how he was homophobic and all that bs. Look im not saying he's an angel but he sure as hell doesn't deserve all this backlash and slander, he's dead. For people to celebrate his death truly sickens me, because THE SAME exact people would be crying rivers if Chris Brown died and he BEAT RIHANNA SIS LIKE...euagh. Im not trying to incite bs, all im saying is, have atleast a SHRED of decency, fuck.

im more excited for this album than the new DEG

life's doin a bit of a suck. haven't been on mh in forever, dog was euthanized on thursday, this semester has been SHIT but at least next week is my exams and then i'm done. Boy

u can rly guesstimate this ninjas name is Matt (42/M/Pan) and he is buddhist, a feminist, looking for a loving mom for his two sons (but traps r welcome too!! sorry masculine-presenting folx!!) also ethically non-monogamous and open-minded

am i famous now

It's crazy to compare sales numbers these days to the ones from back when visual kei was popular in Japan. I dug up a link I have bookmarked and it's kinda surreal. It wasn't unusual for bands to come up with 50k or even 100k+ sales. These numbers for singles and albums are really interesting to see.

They look messy. I'm calling some sort of member scandal before December is over, place your bets