Leaderboard

He was fired as of today. Apparently he read the messages but did not answer. Their bassist is now the singer.

He didn't order a pizza in group chat, so this was an amateur-hour copout

this is something i'd like to do, maybe give me a few days i feel like the people who would benefit the most from the document are the people who are interested in the friendship dynamic of the band, or people who want to know more about the circumstances behind AK's return. so, the focus is less the band as a musical unit and more the band as a group of people. if you want music, wait for the Messe DVD/blu-ray. that said i loved it and the clip of AK's triumphant return made me cry lmao i translated all the lyrics on tumblr if that's of interest to anyone: http://c-u-l-t-i-c.tumblr.com/ lyrically this album isn't as interesting as some past entries (i really liked AVANTGARDE for this), but the GROTESQUE/JØKER pair is interesting, and FAITH + SENSE OF EMPTINESS are up my alley.

Kra will release a brand new full album on October 31, 2018! 【Limited Edition】 [CD+BOOKLET] YZPS-10017 / ￥3,700 (+tax) 【Regular Edition】 [CD]　 YZPS-10018 / ￥3,000 (+tax) Both editions will contain 10 songs. Stay tuned for more details!

umbrella are performing in Toronto for the third time on August 11th. This time it's at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, and I think it's sort of being hitched on the back of Toronto Anime Matsuri? http://xxumbrellaxx.com/event/96310 http://j-rocknorth.com/jmfest/ Is anyone else planning to go? The tickets are $10 cheaper if you buy them before tomorrow, just FYI.

The end of lesbianism

Genki boo, you aren't in VanessA, change it to Riku or something. Lmao

Leaderboard Like I said in the suggestions thread : The official MH Visual Releases Calendar is ow opened ! I will do my best for daily updates and feel free to add the missing ones . 2018 JANUARY 2019 FEBRUARY 2019 MARCH 2019 APRIL 2019 MAY 2019 JUNE 2019 JULY 2019 AUGUST 2019 SEPTEMBER 2019 OCTOBER 2019 NOVEMBER 2019 DECEMBER 2019 JANUARY 2020 FEBRUARY 2020 MARCH 2020 APRIL 2020v MAY 2020 JUNE 2020 JULY 2020 AUGUST 2020 SEPTEMBER 2020 OCTOBER 2020 NOVEMBER 2020 DECEMBER 2020 JANUARY 2021 FEBRUARY 2021 MARCH 2021 APRIL 2021 MAY 2021 JUNE 2021

Their first will was held on 2018.07.18 at Ikebukuro EDGE. Members : Singer : 結海(Yuu) ((ex- Lieluck, ex-FeniX ,ex-Noraneco) Guitarist : Ryu (ex.FeniX, ex.Silver Linings) Guitarist : 幸(Yuki) (ex-Artemis) Bassist : ヤス(Yasu) (ex-クオリアス(Qualius), ex-せばだ(Sebada) Drummer : ぞおい(Zoe) (ex-Artemis) Twitter : https://twitter.com/wafukugirl

Arlequin are: Vocalist: Aki Guitar: Nao Guitar: Kuruto Bass: Shohei Drums: Tamon http://arlequin-web.com/ Arlequin (c. 2013) quickly rose to top-shelf, basically-major-but-not-offically-major status through hard work, experience, sharp management and lots of (well deserved) hype, not unlike their contemporaries DEZERT, NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST, and DIAURA. And like their contemporaries, their name is rooted in sharp, well-composed, heavy-yet-melodic bangers. Unlike those names, Arlequin have the distinction of pushing their heavy x melody juxtaposition to the utmost extreme. Their lead singles are augmented by 7-string riffage, rough inhale vocals and furious drumming in conjunction with uber melodic, anisong-style choruses. "Haka ana", "ALIVE", "Stella", "Dame ningen", "Qualia", "Dilemma" and "ECLIPSE" follow this pattern, comprising their most famous--albeit monotonous work. Don't get me wrong, those are some of the best songs to come out of vk since 2010, but a body of work can't rest upon just highlights alone. It's the tracks that aren't singles on an album that make up the bulk of our listening, and this is where album filler comes to the detriment of bands that slay singles but can't do much else. Arlequin are exempt from this and I'll tell you why. What most people don't know, is that Arlequin have a pretty funky experimental streak throughout their discography. If the band were the strength of their a-sides, and frankly whole first album alone, you'd have a solid but flat group of musicians. Luckily for us, Arlequin's most interesting work is tucked into b-sides, corners of albums, and (kinda) forgotten deep cuts. Why is this? Their A-sides and lead promo tracks are almost always easily digestible variations of their hit formula, and usually helmed by lead guitarist Nao. It wasn't until recently (i.e. post 2015) that Nao's hold loosened from Arlequin's compositions, incorporating bassist Shohei and rhythm guitarist Kuruto's songs into the fold. This, in my opinion, has greatly strengthened and diversified their sound. In fact, most of the tracks on the list aren't Nao's songs. Not to say he isn't a kick ass composer, but the band certainly benefits from bringing together clashing styles--just saying, maybe that's why near equal was a snooze fest. That's why the other guys (I hope?) have come to our rescue, bringing us some weirder variations on Arlequins usual formulas. The current result of Arlequin's more recent, integrative era is a sound representing a veritable pastiche of visual kei history: from minimal 00's alt-metal, 80's x-worship, melodic 90's ballads, and 10's modern boundary breaking. These guys know their shit, they're artists who compose with respect to the past, present and future of the scene that spawned them. Not a whole lot of what sounds like ghost writing; just honest sweat, red eyeshadow, hairspray, and broken bangya hearts (and probably condoms). Without further ado, in no particular order, we'll get to looking at my offbeat favs that (I'd like to think) have solidified Arlequin's place as legends of the modern visual scene. No particular order, writing credits are courtesy of the lovely @peffy, though rocklyric has them up too. Live versions of the songs are linked when possible (and representative of the original), I think Arlequin sound way better live than on studio. Last three songs were remade into superior versions on Arlequin's recent best-of, so while originals are gonna be linked--just know where the sauce is truly at. Albums: Utopia (2016): 1.) "残響" (Zankyou) Composer: Shohei Claim to fame: This sounds like a kaleidoscope Of all the songs to fit on here, "Zankyou" is the most fitting. A clusterfuck of twinkling, dueling guitars, one hammering out a weirdly dissonant arpeggio and another tapping a lead line, holding on for dear life. What is just two guitar lines becomes the sound of a million starts shining in your face or just an overwhelming series of flashing lights and sounds. Rhythm plays second fiddle, a steady blast beat and bassline crashing against the star show. You'd have to wonder what the track started off as, as its certainly not a bass-centered track. I'd like to think Shohei gave the guys a bassline and said "go apeshit". Triumphant and riveting, "Zankyou" is unforgettable. 2.) "ハッピーセット" (Happy set) Composer: Kuruto Claim to fame: dissonance man, dissonance What could be a fun banger is turned sour with dissonant rhythm and acrid lead guitar work, bringing a sense of dread from the get-go. As we await a pretty chorus, we're instead stuck with the same ringing chords and Aki shrieking the vocal melody. It's jarring to say the least--no pretty key shift or soothing refrain here. Kagerou/DEZERT-like octave chords play over the verse in the second half, bringing the tension up before the track implodes with more harshness. It's moody--yes, out of place--absolutely. "Happy set" is skipped over a bit when it comes on shuffle, I find Aki's inhales to be grating--especially without a break at all. That's the same reason I find it so interesting, who knew a mid-tempo track like this would be one of Arlequin's most brutal tracks. 3.) "独白" (Dokuhaku) Composer: Shohei Claim to fame: CHUG CHUG CHUG CLACK CLACK "Dokuhaku" is a weirdly shifting, "OBSCURE" esque, chuggy, alt-metal love fest for the first part. Spooky synths, evil laughter, sparse tom-drumming and all. Then it goes into a freak out phase, with blastbeats and screaming and the whole lot. Whats notable is how it just stops and starts between the sections, structure be damned. The acoustic interlude is especially interesting, paired with the stuttering intro cutting off Aki's crooning. The end effect is odd, and it is definitely a grower of a track. I go back and forth between liking and disliking this track, but in the end it's too engaging a track to put down. 4.) "棘" (Toge) Composer: Nao Claim to fame: Sad robot from Nagoya in 1997 "Toge" is a track that should immediately resonate with my old-school-loving peers, the chord progression and lead melody are straight up 90's gold. If you close your eyes and focus HARD, mentally stripping away the drop-tuned guitar and bleepbloops, it could easily be a ROUAGE or Laputa track. BUT...Arlequin aren't hellbent on 90's revival, and that's where it gets fun. Effects are overlaid on the guitarline and vocals that make them sound wonky, lightly distorted and distant, inducing an odd, campy-space-movie feel. There is something so weird about this, but it works because its such a traditional, mid-tempo visual ballad. The contrast is incredible but by no means distracting, and one of their ballad (+discography) highlights. In all honesty, someone should make a weird edited fan video of "WALL-E" footage (robot love!!) with "Toge" playing in the back--might actually pull a few tears out of me. exist (2018): 5.) "NEGA ABILITY" Composer: Shohei Claim to fame: bass DOMINATION Easily Arlequin's most stripped down, dark and atmospheric song. No twin guitar fiddles, bleepbloops, distracting melodies. It's Shohei's delayed bass, delicate vox from Aki, and grinding guitar riffs. I've never heard bass mixed so high in an Arlequin song, especially with such a distorted, crunchy tone. This goes out to all the post-vulgar DEG and 2000's MUCC stans, its a raw, emotive, and almost shockingly simple metal banger. The dazzling chorus hits like a bag of bricks through violent verses and sparse intro/exit sequences. Exist was a pretty strong single, and to leave on such an intense note leaves me curious as to the direction Arlequin will head toward with future releases. puzzle (2017): 6.) "僻目" (Higame) Composer: Kuruto Claim to fame: dizzying slow burn Haunting, dissonant chords accent a djenting rhythm line dancing around complexly groovy, polyrhythmic drumming. When the good ol' Aki chorus hits, its sparkle is dampened by the dark mood of the verses, only looking up during an acoustic reprise toward the end. Lead work is less about virtuouso and more about inducing a disorienting atmosphere--which is something later-era Arlequin have been nailing. If I had to guess, I would've thought it was a Shohei composition with the moody, bass-heavy sound, but it seems like dissonance is a theme with Kuruto's work. PARANOIA (2016) 7.) "link" Composer: Shohei Claim to fame: the DRAMA Looking at "link" in the context of their overall discography, especially the tracks that came after, it's not too shocking a track. But when it came out, it was a novel take on Arlquin's style. It has the heavy, angular alt-metal/djent chug of Shohei's (and some of Nao's) compositional style, paired with incredibly emotive vox from Aki. The sweet chorus+whispered(?) gang vocals save the track from turning into "NEGA ABILITY", but know it could've easily gone in that direction. Maybe that's why "link" is so interesting, like a time-travelling mix of Arlequin past and present. The overall mood is contemplative, with a meditative heaviness and stillness about the track. The live version is interesting, because the band flubs around a bit (was it the last song off the main setlist?), but I think it shows the band in the full mood of the song. 真っ赤な嘘 (Makkana uso) (2017) 8.) "gossip" Composer: Nao Claim to fame: DAT RIFFING THO Now less moody, more party. "gossip" is both early 2000's oshare/punk-rock fun and a tinge of 80's visual, a-la X. All parts of the song hit hard as hell, making for a fun and melodic listen, despite a pretty simple structure. That said, the second half with the dazzling Nao solo and thrashy drumming take the track over the top and really bring the power-metal vibe home. I was very pleasantly surprised to see the band revisit "gossip"'s throwback sensibilities with the even MORE X/Luna Sea-loving lead single "puzzle" in 2017. It stands alone within their discography for the mishmash of visual history, a recurring theme in Arlequin's repertoire. Arlequin (2013): 9.) "Fiction" Composer: Nao Claim to fame: Bleep-bloop, rapping, triumphant solo...confusion Let's be honest, Arlequin's first demo was a hot mess. All four tracks were salvaged (after careful reworking) on their Kaichikan... best-of album, which was a testament to the strong melodic sensibilities that the guys had since Arlequin--probably why it sold out like 3x over. "Fiction" is the hottest mess, with a nightmarish smattering of late-2000's visual cliches: slow-down choruses, rapping, high-pitched-leads-over-blastbeats, jumping section, gaze-thot(TM) backing vox, shrieking, bleep-bloops. To add insult to injury, the track randomly goes for a virtuosic solo to close it off, fading into nothing as if we didn't just get rap-screamed at three minutes prior. Why on earth would you want to listen to this? The same reason you'd gladly watch a car crash in slow motion. That and it's fucking Arlequin, who somehow fashion a shitstorm of bad ideas into something quirky and endearing. Eclipse (2014): 10.) "像" (Zou) + BOOOOOONUS "ナミダノアト" (Namida no ato) Composer: Nao Claim to fame: Weirdly danceable metal + weirdly cryable metal The ratchetness of their first demo didn't escape later works--thank god. Eclipse shortly followed their demo, with more-or-less the same stuff that made their prior work so fun, but with a bit of refinement. "Zou" is their crazy livehouse banger, with the original 3-and-a-half minutes usually stretched out to ~7 to accommodate an extended gyakudai (reverse-dive) section toward the end of the track. Dubstep synths clash against chugging guitars and drum machines before jumping into a little fiesta section, led by Aki's spicy la-la-la's and the guitars following with an 'oriental'-sounding scale. Of course afterwards all hell breaks loose with the gangshouts in the gyakudai section. Live version is linked because it's awesome, but "Zou" bangs because of the little phases it moves through within its unconventional structure. Onto "Namida no ato", it has the heaviness and electronics of the usual Arlequin sound, but with this super-melodramatic style that turns it into this odd heavy-ballad. We're tricked into thinking its gonna be heavy, but after the first verse we see what we're in for with the chorus. It also happens to be one of my favourite Arlequin choruses ever, its long and lovely--all the pretty stuff Aki pulls out of his vocal chords, going up and down his range, it's all so beautiful. "Namida no ato" pushes ani-song territory for sure, and I don't think Arlequin even write tracks with progressions this cheesy anymore. Best of all, they repeat the chorus ad-nauseum so you'll literally NEVER forget it. It's a really special song in my opinion, and I love it nonetheless (although that key change before the solo can go!); prime last-song-at-the-third-encore-at-the-anniversary-tour-finale fodder, imagine all the confetti! boku ga kimi no namae wo... Those are my top-10 Arlequin deep cuts! Agree/disagree with these pics/blurbs? Do you have any unsung favourites from Arlequin's discography that weren't featured here? Voice your opinions below! Also if you're a hardcore Arlequin fan and follow their interviews/stuff, I'd love to know more about how they approach composition. That and I'm curious as to what songs are loved/disliked among fans that attend lives. Any bands that think you have B-sides/live-dists/lowkey songs that are overlooked in favour of lead singles? Let me know and I might continue this series. Back to studying for my GREs...it's been real! emmny

Vo.Rio has joined ヴィジュアルラボ (visual laboratory) at their live on July 23. btw I'm pretty sure they changed their name to "visu ♂lab." at some point lol

@emmny

he's going to perform with Maria cross as a stripper. Make America Slutty Again!

I love this post! Thanks for the hard work on it!

It said he will bring support members, including ex Avanchick Hyu-Ga, on the YouTube page :shrug:

Well, at least they chose an appropriate band name for this very occasion.

Vamps loved the US.... ? Satsuki spares you!!!! Kamijo loves Europe, and otherwise VK abroad is dead....

Introduction time... Okay! I was 20 when I discovered visual kei for the first time. It was the time when Miyavi was a multicolored freak with piercings all over, running wild as he showcased his crazy guitar skills to the world. I was in love, obsessed with this new scene I had just discovered, and I had done so at a time in my life where I soon had the chance to choose my own direction. So, I changed the course of my life, and here I am, a decade later, still in love with a scene that I have been a part of, same way it has been a part of my life, for ten years. I have spent years studying and researching v-kei culture in uni, I have lurked at the back of venues for many shows on passes from work, and tumbled around at the front for many, many more as an enthusiastic fangirl. I like to see bands objectively and appreciate each for their strengths - most important for me personally, though, is their performance live and I won't judge anyone before seeing them at least once. As for music taste, I find most of my favorites through lives, where I prefer the somewhat wilder ones. Absolute favorites are the GazettE, Nocturnal Bloodlust, Diaura, RAZOR and Dadaroma. And I'm a die hard D’espairsRay and Mejibray fan, too. I am not much for the older bands, and I try not to get into indie bands, but there are exceptions for both. My current indie crush is Dexcore and I've had some weird moments of insanity where I went for cuter things... but I try to forget xD Aside from that, I follow the activities of AKi (SID, solo) and Kenzo (Gremlins, solo) closely as they are special to me and has been for a very long time ❤️ Outside of our dark and sparkly world of visual kei, I try to balance my time between being an artistic jack of all trades and an adventurous world traveller. But that is a whole other story! Cheers.

Pretty much, and I love it because it erases the pressure for sex I'd get in a real relationship. I am super comfortable with this kind of relationship with the bands I follow tbh, it's what I need right now and I know many other fans feel the same.

you cannot with LINE

Guys, turn your read receipts off.

Thanks for the recs, that first band sounds really great.

Korean vk is almost non existent at this point, but next to Madmans Esprit two active bands are ms. isohp romatem and VOID ms. isohp romatem - 트라우마 VOID - Neo Decadence Album Trailer (sorry, I looked but even though they play shows they don't seem to have full songs online...yet?)

The question is who will be waiting for him?? 🤔

MFW Genki's name had been Genki since るる until Mejibray.

who asked for this

To me it's all the fucking same too. It might be the most SADS influenced with a certain effort in having lamestream appeal, but you know that's a side of the gazette that was always there, if not present then lying dormant. DIVISION is the one I think has gotten the most unjust treatment as it really is in the continuum of the latest albums from the first song to last. I understand not being into some of their albums if your relationship to gazette is lukewarm anyway, but having a hard-on for any post-DIM album while despising another is just silly.

This finally got to me after nabbing it a month-or-so ago, and the lead track is actually really impressive. I've kinda meh'd out at some of their recent material, but this is really refreshing! Shougo should implement "harsh vocals" more often, he pulls them off pretty well.

I for one loved that album. Probably my favorite album post-Dim. I liked that it was just a casual pop experience with catchy melodies and formulaic songwriting. A solid guilty pleasure. But, I still stan the good old Eternal days ガゼット with Yune.

Maple Gunman was an amazing music video! I still watch it sometimes, and then I just keep smiling through all of it. I also like Tekesuta Kousen (the nostalgia!), Aroma, Snow Scene and Wagamama Koushinkyoku. Smile ichiban ii onna might be cringe-y, but I also love it for it.

So my theory is, that not only all rights and instruments were taken from them, but they were banned from recording studios, too.... and they were left with a cell phone song composition app..... And Koichi could not even lend a friend's instrument to record stuff. Or perhaps Mejibray was a playback band!!!! 😱

Tzk's voice doesn't take naturally to this in the first place, but he's so incredibly subdued in these songs that I honestly can't hear any of the sounds I love him for. I'm down to give due credit to ANY type of music he want to make, as long as it sounds like HIM doing it. this doesnt, this sounds like someone who cares if they come off retarded, and doesn't roll around on the floor making noises like a sick cat in a garbage disposal. roadster is awful. in most of this it sounds like Tsuzuku has decided to sing like he doesnt know how, so as to make Koichi sound less incompetent and Koichi is STILL incompetent by comparison. I really hope they can just transition him to producing and backup vocals like in MEJIBRAY. Starry Night is the one we heard a sample of, I don't think it's bad. It's simple and all but it makes better use of the sound pack they seem to be using and is GENUINELY kind of cute. a little more so than the MV they released earlier. maybe this is making them happy I think I always appreciated what I could see of these guys as people.

If this was intentional, then perhaps I will be eating my words in a few week and saying it's better than I gave it credit for. One little quibble I have is that the song fades out too fast before it cuts to the title card and the rest of the episode, as if the song faded out naturally and then someone added another fade out on top of it. I'll revisit my feelings at the end of the season and see where I stand on it.

REVIVE - DESPAIR / Void Innovation Party REVIVE - The final prologue A(エース) - Innocent Lovers DIMLIM - 私… MeLt-メルト。- - 月虹 meth. - SARCASTIC VICE Thanks to hiroki !!

*teleports behind you*

He's probably just the manager. He went to stand with the crowd to make it seems like the numbers were high.

0.1g no Ojiisan

Eating that flyer probably upset all 15 people who showed up at this live!! So RUDE!!!

He is not wrong

Quick question : What the fuck ?

i love with my soul Maple Gunman and YOU !!

I finally received my copy of ANDROGYNOS 2 days ago, and wow... I'm shocked by how amazing PIERROT was, I only wish they had performed more various songs among both days, because both days had almost the same songs, and compared to the reunion concerts back in 2014, only 2 new songs performed here, which were MASS GAME and パウダースノウ, both were absolutely spectacular, on the 2nd day I felt they had such a great chemistry, that I am starting to suspect they might do something more next year, I mean they even broadcasted the ANDROGYNOS live in the Yunika vision in Shinjuku, if they weren't planning on doing anything else in the future, why make such an statement LOL and well, about the DEG portion, I'm not a big fan of Kyo's scream, so I tried watching a bit very carefully xD I could just stand The Final and アクロの丘 , which were awesome, the rest I have a hard time with Kyo's voice, its a shame because the other musicians are great, but anyhow, regardless of that, I am extremely happy I bought this for the PIERROT portion, it was so much worth it, money well spent! and the documentary was cute too.

Only reason I'm doubting so much is Naoki (ex-Kagrra,) plays that day and I'd rather see him. And it'll be easier to get tickets for that lol But going and writing a live report is REALLY tempting.

I want him to come to Europe..... 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 He IS a good vocal, even though is solo stuff is not so amazing.... But he will play Zodiack and BFN stuff, too. So that's cool!