[REVIEW] The GazettE - DOGMA

[Karma’s Hat 3107]

I marked it as a review just to keep some poor sap from clicking it thinking that it's the DL topic. 

 

Didn't feel like waiting so here's some first impression that are likely to more or less remain as the final ones, because there's nothing really to particularly digest here for a seasoned gazette veteran - I would also be lying if I said that I didn't play the leaks multiple times throughout the course of the last few days. Imagine a ginormous abbreviated in my opinion in the beginning just in case I'll end up flip-flopping completely.  

 

It's still the same Gazette on this album as the last one and the one before that. The riffs are still by all intends and purposes Gazette riffs, Ruki's still the same Ruki he's been since 2010 and drawing parallels between the BD and Dogma songs is very easy, but Dogma's thing is that everything has been jacked up. Ruki compensates the lull he's been for years now with the screams and growls he started using last year, while the music is undoubtedly their heaviest and fastest. I think there's an energy and momentum acquired here that they've been sorely missing from their tracks akin to these especially in the last album. It's conceptual and uncharacteristically thematically consistent for them, and the pace doesn't let up at all with not a single slower number -with the exception of the very last track - or a token ballad taking any space from the overall run time, and to my complete and utter amazement the obnoxious meat headed catastrophes like Psychopath and the below mentioned Beautiful Deformity songs are completely absent. It's their darkest and heaviest overall, also unarguably their corniest - but it's not really a bad thing because I think it has helped Dogma to be more fun than their other recent discography.

 

So regarding the general quality of work here, if you think some of the songs from here are bad then check out some of the bangers from the last one like THE STUPID TINY INSECT or whatever the one with the long name near the end was; those songs are so unfathomably banal it makes me wonder just how on earth did I ever give a passing grade to the album. It's the little improvements they've done here that keep the bar from ever ascending to the levels of their absolutely worst, although I wouldn't be caught dead ranking this as their best either. 

 

At the end of the day it is an album full of the 2010's Gazette live bangers taken to the very extreme they'll probably ever be able to take it to. So even now when in effort to do this they've added a little metalcore to their bag of tricks, their own identity on this album is still unmistakable and these songs really couldn't be from any other band; this however is perhaps their greatest weakness also. A The Gazette song is such an established thing you can rest assured they're never ever going to divert from the set formula. I couldn't by any means call this album ambitious or anything of the sort, like as if they couldn't even sneak a few over the top breakdowns and shit in there somewhere? No they couldn't, because that's just not what The Gazette apparently does. Gazerock is a thing and I have my money on that not changing. However it does seem like they can slightly improve the facets of the things they are already doing. Even though a return to The Gazette of yore is what I hold the closest to my heart and I far prefer them being sappy instead of edgy, I'd like to think this album seems to like an essential step towards whatever is next. inb4 disbandment. 

 

 

[yakihiko 1480]

Since the full thing got out already,

After listen to the full DOGMA, I can say the same as @Disposable said:

"It's still the same Gazette on this album as the last one and the one before that. The riffs are still by all intends and purposes Gazette riffs"

DEUX that was a track I could clear see ppl enjoying, and looks like a TOXIC song in the end, most like UNTITLED.

8,5/10

RAGE was by far my favorite one, vocal and the instrumentals on it, are very similar to an old band I really loved, B.C.

9,5/10

INCUBUS was a song dat pass by unnoticed in the preview video, but the full song is kind amazing, also bit like DIVISION.

9/10

LUCY and GRUDGE are like a generic song itself, but I do enjoyed those a bunch tbh.

7/10 - 7,5/10

DOGMA is the song I less really appreciate in the end. Probably I need to have a little more to listen.

5/10

[Tokage 5930]

Overall, a surprisingly solid album, I have to say. I've only listened to it once so far though, but whatever, I'll throw it onto my ipod and spin it some more while i'm out on a walk.

 

RAGE, LUCY and INCUBUS are sort of the negative standouts for me. I mean, yeah, hearing Ruki scream about people being dickheads is fun, but other than that the track just hasn't grabbed me so far. The latter two are just.. rather standard, in my opinion. They're not ''fakkin A''-levels of horrible in any sense, but at the same time I feel like I've heard it all a million times before. Ah, yeah, and NIHIL is kinda just there, but i'm never really a fan of SE's anyway.

 

Everything else was pretty damn solid, though. Personal faves are DERACINE and WASTELAND on the first half of the album and GRUDGE and DEUX on the second. If I HAD to be nitpicky, I'd say that the way BLEMISH segues into its chorus is a bit abrupt, but I'm willing to forgive it for that cuz the chorus is pretty damn catchy.

[lichtlune 915]

1: Boring (SE) - 3/10
2: DOGMA - 8/10
3: RAGE - 7.5
4: DAWN - 7/10
5: DERACINE - 7.5/10 (Pretty intro)
6: BIZARRE - 8/10
7: WASTELAND - 8.5/10 (Really love the deep vocals, though don't like how the solo is so short and ruki is singing over it)
8: INCUBUS - 7.5/10
9: LUCY - 7.5/10 (Nice riffs and solo but the rest is kind of boring)
10: GRUDGE - 7.5/10 (Instrumentally very nice but I can't help but feel bored with the chorus's.)
11: PARALYSIS - 7/10
12: DEUX - 7.5/10 (Not really feeling it as much as others seem to)
13: BLEMISH - 7.5/10
14: OMINOUS - 8/10 (still a solid ballad)

Overall 7.5/10 album

Am I the only one who wishes ruki took the opportunity to use his growling vocals more on this album? (old songs like DISCHARGE come to mind.) The screams get a little tired after a while. They're listenable again to me. I give them a passing grade.

All scores are subject to change after a few more listens.

[SOTSOG 12]

Sorry for bad English

This is their heaviest album ever and very unusually for them that this album have only heavy/dark songs, but i agree this is the same old Gazetto as always, but i have no problems, their signature sound is why i like them. I really think Ruki shines on this album his new scream really enjoyable, and vocal performance on some songs is his best ever, some boring vocal too. Overall this is very fun album, people who likes "pop-rock/long ballads Gazette" maybe will be disappointed but their heavy songs much better this time than monotonous songs like psychopath for example.

 

Quick songs rating.

 

1 - NIHIL, nice intro, nothing special. 7/10

2 - DOGMA, I like structure of this song, very heavy and dark sound. 9/10

3 - RAGE, fun heavy track, i like melodic chorus. 8/10

4 - DAWN. 8/10

5 - DERACINE, this is already maybe in my top 10 favorite Gazette songs, awesome vocal, awesome chorus, ideal song. 10/10

6 - BIZARRE  8/10

7 - , i like intro but chorus is boring. 6/10

8 - INCUBUS, breakdown after female vocals OMG. 9/10

9 - LUCY, another great intro and another boring chorus. 6/10

10 - GRUDGE, my least favorite, Ruki sounds very boring in this song. 3/10

11 - PARALYSIS, so many heavy fun songs. 8/10

12 - DEUX, biggest surprise for me, I did not like this song when i heard concert version, but studio version is brilliant. 10/10

13 - BLEMISH, least favorite heavy track, still fun song. 7/10

14 - OMINOUS, not their best ballad, still good. 8/10

 

Overall, 9/10 ha!

[Furik 832]

Their best album since DIM.

Will proper review and edit this post soon.

8/10

[Visutox 188]

I find myself a bit underwhelmed by DOGMA after all, the midsection of the album is to blame - it gets sort of weaker after how good the album starts. Don't get me wrong though, it's the best album they've ever recorded along with NIL and DIM and light years better than Beautiful Deformity. But I had high expectations that were above of what the album actually provides. Aside from that the album is solid af, goes HARD as hell. Now I just need more spins in order to figure out what just happened.

 

Special mention for DEUX, got mind blown by that song. It literally had me like:

 

 

As I said, I highly rate DOGMA and put it in the top 3 of their best albums. I still have to figure out what place it's gonna take in the top 3 though.

Rating: 8.5/10. Thank you, the GazettE. I always had faith in you. 

[Youko_o 51]

Some time ago I was wondering if the GazettE would use metalcore stuff on their music, and then we have DOGMA. As a person who used to love visual kei and now listens to core stuff every day, I think other visual bands already used the core stuff better. I'm not sayhng I dislike the album, it's totally the contrary. It's a solid album to listen to. I won't rate it because I still listened few times to it. 

[jduv86 224]

Feeling I've been waiting my whole life to jump back into this review section:

 

----TRACK BY TRACK REVIEW----in spoiler  

THE GAZETTE DOGMA!!! FINALLY!!! Let's get to it
 
NIHIL --- nah....0/5
 
DOGMA --- For as epic as it started, I feel overall underwhelmed. It sets the album up really good but I feel the song just goes by without really leaving anything memorable in my mind. 2:22-2:39 is the sweet spot in this song that tickles my ears. I do like the ending even though it seems a little on the cheesy side with the operatic women in the background. 
3/5
 
RAGE --- Am I ready? Probably the best thus far of Gazette's fun head banger songs easily. This song eats DISCHARGE, Headache Man, and all those other things ALIVE. Unlike in Dogma, those operatic women sound really boss in this song. Kind of ends abruptly though. 4/5
 
DAWN --- For having a fun addicting chorus. I love this song. Nothing else really stands out. Kind of reminds of late Dir en grey in some parts just can't remember specific songs. Decent overall, but not as good a head bang song as Rage. 3/5
 
DERACINE --- OH, hi REITA! That slapping section 1:20-1:33 in the second verse? WHAT! Ruki doesn't sound like himself sometimes in this song. He really has been working his range. Good job. Perfectly balanced song. Sweet vocals and aggressive parts that are effective.  4.5/5
 
BIZARRE --- REITA STICKING OUT AGAIN 2:02-2:11. However, this song isn't really that great to me. It seems like a filler song. I don't really like Ruki's singing in this song especially that chorus. It's very bland. 2.5/5
 
WASTELAND --- I feel like I've stepped into a Dir en Grey track circa Uroboros. A nice slower track to give us a break though and Ruki sounds really nice. The song structure is very straight forward but its a decent listen to mellow out to. 3/5
 
INCUBUS ---  The instrumental is kind of boring to me. I think the women vocals are the only thing that are interesting about this song. I wonder if that Ruki's screaming the whole song or is Aoi doing some of the screams too. Especially the part before the chorus because it reminds me of how he sounded in Defective Tragedy 

at around 1:53 amd 5:06

. This song is kind of in their usual line of head bangers with a lighter chorus. Ends on a high note! The ending is boss! 3/5

 

LUCY --- Pretty standard Gazette song to be honest, but this sounds like their older style. Kind of reminds me of the older days of Gazette before DIM. I love it for that, but the only thing I took away from this song is the cool solo. 2.5/5

 

GRUDGE --- Honestly, one of the songs I was looking forward to. It's not really the instrumental that makes me love this song, it's actually Ruki's singing and vocal melodies for once. He doesn't overly scream throughout this song and he's not overshadowed by the female vocals either. It's just a good straight forward song. Another lighter song that I don't have to hurt my neck listening to from head banging. 4/5

 

PARALYSIS --- ....and back to head banging...the gang really pulls out those screaming for this. I can definitely hear distinct screams from the members and the group vocals are good too. I like the vocals on this a lot especially all the screams. It actually carries this song from being too bland. 3/5 

 

DEUX ---- The Gazette single song. Didn't they use a similar chorus instrumental in Suicide Circus pre chorus? It's just like the accumulation of all of their signature sounds for their leading songs for each album. But MAN! That outro is brutal! I dig this song though it's not my favorite. It's good old classic Gazette with more br00tal. 4/5

 

BLEMISH --- Way to start with the "vortex" drum roll. The chorus is weak and comes in abruptly and from there, I kind of lose interest in the song. This song is kind of just there and then kind of dies out. Another filler to me. The brutal ending didn't work on me this time. It was actually kind of bland to listen to. 1.5/5

 

OMINOUS --- A ballad that page homage to DIM's ballads. I can say this songs keeps me interested the whole way through. Enough variety to keep me from getting bored. Ruki singing beautifully. This is definitely in line for one of Gazette's top ballads. This song is perfect. I only wish it wasn't by itself (I think this album would have been perfect if they through in another 1 or 2 DIM inspired ballads). 4/5 

 

----QUICK REVIEW----

 

Pros: 
The theme is executed very well throughout the album
Ruki's screams and expanded range
Women vocals are effective and sound really good, but not overly used
Less electronics and more focus on playing instruments
Probably the most brutal Gazette has gotten and it's great
Noticeable Reita
 
Cons:
Nothing really outside of usual Gazette
Some cheesy overly Gothic feels to some of the songs
Lacking any real ballads
 
HI-LIGHTS - RAGE, DERACINE, GRUDGE, DEUX, OMINOUS
LO-LIGHTS - NIHIL, BIZARRE, LUCY, BLEMISH 

 

OVERALL: 4/5

 

This sh*t....THIS SH*T RIGHT HERE GAZETTE  is a huge step in the right direction! You're getting back to your greatness. As said before, there is definitely a distinct Gazerock sound that is in every Gazette song, but that's why I fell in love with them. For the past couple of albums with Sony, I've felt like they weren't really trying as hard. THIS is the fire in Gazette that I needed to see that indicates Gazerock isn't dead. Even the songs that aren't that great aren't HORRIBLE. Everything on here is definitely listenable and will get a play from time to time. There are some tracks that really jump out and make the soul they were lacking in their other releases show (see hi-lights).

 

A mash up of all the things they've done post DIM while removing the weakness (GOT RID OF MOST OF TOXIC/DIVISION ERA ELECTRONIC BLEEPS AND BLIPS! THANK GOD). A couple of dips into DIM era and hints of other bands sprinkled here and there (Diru, Slipknot, lynch to be exact) pretty much makes this album.  They are the band who also utilize female vocals the best  to enhance their songs. This album is definitely in the top 3 of Gazette albums...I might dare say it is #2 TBH. GOOD SHOW, GAZETTE! GOOD SHOW!!

 

EDIT:

And...I'm over the album...lowering score 3/5 for loss in longevity. Still best thing since Sony.

[platanity 99]

i liked the album very much! im not sure how many times ive thought and said,

but this album is as much as what i could expect from the band -- regardless to what this means if it's good or not.

 

but again, i cannot shake the impression that some of this album's tracks resembles way too much with 

tracks that are nothing to do with their original creations. i wont make an example of the subtle relations 

but some tracks are way too similar that i cannot ignore, such as :

 

rage = slipknot "people=shit" opening

incubus = sim "killing me" opening

 

if the arguments are that it is inevitable that some song structure or chord formulas can overlap, 

then i have no other words to say.

 

one personal wish to this band is that i really hope they lessen their make ups and hairdos, 

outfits are way too visual rock-ish, while they are trying to be something more than that. 

it's my personal taste, and although it is 200% ridiculous to even compare gazette to dir en grey (actually not even comparable),

but the reason i pick dir en grey, EVERY TIME, is because of the "rawness" of the sound and image,

even they put on their make ups time to time.

compared to them, gazette seems too 'artificial' to a sense that they are trying 'too hard'.

i cant even comment on their sonic direction cause...i guess it's too much of a personal taste.

 

but all in all, good solid album, 

although nothing close to like "dim", 

but a strong structured with catchy melodies, like "toxic", which i loved! (opposed to majorities' votes)

almost feels like matured and darkened "toxic".

 

3/5, top track "duex" (this song's golden!)

[Tokage 5930]

Just my humble onion, but I gotta add that the overall sound of the album doesn't fit that whole visual aesthetic they're pushing so hard to go along with it AT ALL.

[bada9412 28]

Just my humble onion, but I gotta add that the overall sound of the album doesn't fit that whole visual aesthetic they're pushing so hard to go along with it AT ALL.

Except for VENOMOUS CELL era, they never had any visual aesthetic that fit with the music

[Tokage 5930]

Except for VENOMOUS CELL era, they never had any visual aesthetic that fit with the music

Always thought their Madara-era looks fit the music's atmosphere pretty well tbh but i guess this isn't the right topic to discuss that

[Ro plz 1290]

Spent the entire night listening to DOGMA and I can honestly say that it is the GazettE's best album since DIM. The creativity and intensity behind majority of these songs is extremely noteworthy. I was taken by surprise during my listen. There's hints of previous work as well as fresh new elements that make a lot of these new songs shine. Even the songs that I don't like as much have their moments. While the instrumentalists are of course badass on this record (URUHA.....BRUH), major props to Ruki.....he was the weakest link on Beautiful Deformity but turned around and did his thing on DOGMA.

 

Also, just like i suspected, there was not a song that surpassed DEUX. It's how i feel about Dir en grey's RINKAKU, they will never make a song as perfect as that ever again.

 

The wait was worth it. Right now this the album of the year to beat. (SIKE. KALAFINA's NEW ALBUM IS PROB GONNA BLOW THIS OUT THE WATER LOLOL).

9/10.

 

Highlights:

DEUX.

OMINOUS.

RAGE (surprisingly awesome).

Deracine. 

 

A lot of the other songs need more listens but I'm sure my highlights list will increase in a few days.

[emmny 4139]

not nearly as good as i expected, but the most cohesive gazette release which would probably make it their best. the only thing i dislike is the RAWR RAWR ANGER thing going on, because when they slow down (ominous) its fkin breath taking. there's no filler which is mind numblingly awful, unlike prior releases, but few songs that stand out all that much. however, while a lot of the tracks are average, the songs that stand out are absolutely brilliant. i got a little too hyped for this, but as with anything it'll require a bit of time to digest.

 

highlights:

DOGMA - this is just insane

 

DEUX - the second i heard the chorus i kind of peed myself, it was so fkin beautiful. the studio version was beautiful and heavy as expected, love the gang vocals. the real plot twist is the little bit before the end, easily the heaviest section gazette have put to tape. i played it doing my makeup last night and i dropped everything just to head bang.

 

OMINOUS - gets better and better with every listen, uruha's final solo sounds like someone weeping and i cant get enough

 

GRUDGE

LUCY

[blackdoll 907]

Zess is reviewing right

[ghost 2686]

Listening to "Dogma" feels like a truck smashed into me and I'm just lying on the ground trying to figure out what happened.

The album is heavy and hits hard, but it's kind of a blur. I like the sound very much though.

One thing I noticed is the absence of catchy melodies. In their previous 3 albums there were a lot of tracks with catchy choruses like "Suicide Circus", "Last Heaven", "Redo", "Fadeless", "Dripping Insanity", etc.

That's not a bad thing at all though. It's just something I noticed. The composition is great. It flows well and is very uniform.

I like it, but I think it might have to grow on me a bit.

I guess I'm a sucker for catchy, lighter melodies more than I'd like to admit ; )

3/5

(I forgot how to use the new ratings, will adjust later)

[JamesR 119]

It's certainly much better than I expected - some pretty strong nu/groove/doom metal influences, and the obligatory 'old-school sounding' track(Lucy, I'm looking at you!). Overall, it's a 4 out of 5 stars release. Easily their best effort since Dim

[Zeus 7997]

Zess is reviewing right

Soon.

[cidetodeath 7]

I want to write something more eloquent, but all that I can muster is finally an actually good album since DIM.

I about gave up hope of this band making something that sticks out and isn't just songs to fit an arbitrary album quota.

 

At least now after a few listens in, I'm impressed that they did something was a step forward and not randomly smashy trendy stuff in because it's the new sound. In a way it's like the good aspects of their albums post-dim merge together with focus to it.

[enyx 903]

On first listen it seems like a decent album, but I think that's mostly because of the fact that this heavier, more aggressive style hides their weaknesses a lot better than the stuff they were doing from Toxic-Beautiful Deformity. For the most part the guitar-work is still extremely dry, Ruki's vocals are still very limited, etc. Basically, it's still very much a post-DIM GazettE album, for better and for worse.

[Bear 1817]

My first impression is that this is a new DIM aka a new mediore album. A few good songs, a few mediocre ones and a few that should've never have seen the light of day. While the low isn't as low as DIM (see Guren, an abomination that ranks among the worst songs ever written by man), it's still pretty low and unlistenable. But I'll do what I did with DIM and give it several listens before passing my final judgement, but I suspect that this will be another Gazette album whih isn't even good enough to be kept as MP3 on my computer. I'll just do what I do with DIM and just look up the very few songs I want to hear on youtube whenever I feel like listen to them, which tends to be rarely as I am an full album/EP-kind of guy.

 

Very good at its best, though, just like DIM.

[lichtlune 915]

(see Guren, an abomination that ranks among the worst songs ever written by man)

How even?

[bonsaijodelfisch 328]

[Bear 1817]

Why does that make me a troll or hipster?