Rockerica

Single: the GazettE - BEFORE I DECAY

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:25:16 +0200

Release date: 7.10.2009.
Price: ￥ 1,785
NO: KICM-91290

Track list
1. BEFORE I DECAY [PV]
2. 瞞し (Mayakashi)

So... After a bit less than 3 months the GazettE present us with another single, which was shortly announced after the release of their 4th album DIM. DIM was a utter masterpiece and you don't simply go and release anything else after such a piece of an album right away, unless it was something that didn't fit into the album concept anyways but had enough potential to be released. I think this might be the case with Before I Decay, although the band itself expressed a simple wish to create a "simple, speed song" after DIM. And that is basically what BEFORE I DECAY is.

BEFORE I DECAY is a uptempo, furious, speed song with a lot of notes flying around and Ruki blasting his vocal folds out with raw growls. The beginning with the verses feels like a faster version of Zetsu's riff coupled with the distorted, noisy and ALMOST IDENTICAL riffs from CIRCLE OF SWINDLER. A few subtle metal licks add a bit to the variety but not as much as they did in LEECH. The chorus is the only thing in this song that feels a bit unpolished and done in a bigger haste than the rest, you could basically sing the MOTH UNDER SKIN chorus over it and it would fit. And when it comes to singles the GazettE haven't done a single original (excluding maybe Guren) chorus since Filth in the Beauty. Basically if you were to judge a song by it's first half it would seem rather generic as hell. The second half brings some pleasant surprises though, from the rhythm change in the pre chorus to the growly breakdown and the refreshing, calm and flickering moment after it followed by some amazing guitar tapping and alternate verse which sounds really intense, tight and cathartic before moving to the good, old chorus. It's incredible how this little part of the song adds so much potential and character to it! It's like when I first listened to SHADOW VI II I, I was fascinated by this one acoustic part to it and I could basically just listen to the song because of that part, (even though with time I grew to like the song overall) so I have a reminiscent same feel with BEFORE I DECAY.
So this song is cool enough to have it's own single and distinction, but it's on the other hand too generic to compete with some of the masterpieces off DIM (though I'd really change it for Headache man....). And this song is being used in the Japanese edition of the movie FAST AND FURIOUS, but not like I care about that.

Mayakashi leaves me with pretty split feelings about it. I really don't like the high main wah wah melody that repeats and sounds more like something I'd come across in a forgettable Alice nine. B-side or at some other "Light" indies band. The verses and pre-chorus are ~~AND IF I FUCKING WILL HAVE TO WRITE THIS ALL OVER FOR THE THIRD TIME I WILL SHOOT SOMEONE, FUCK YOU VOX AND FIREFOX~~ really smooth and sound a bit like the song Kare Uta coupled with the transiting riffs of Gentle Lie, giving off a certain happy-reminiscent feel. The chorus sounds pretty undeveloped, like it would go into the right direction if it was given time and thought, which is not the case with this single. The main problem with this song is the same one that Shiroki Yuuutsu had on DIM: it's a song the is good as a standalone, but placed next to a harder song it simply doesn't click. Eventually this song will grow on me, given the right time and context. But the certain pre-FILTH IN THE BEAUTY feel this song has will certainly make a lot of reminiscent listeners happy.

So overall BEFORE I DECAY brings a standard Gazetto sound with it enhanced with a few touches but not so polished and thoughtful as it was with DIM. But as the guys have stated before, it's a song that doesn't want to compete with it (or otherwise it would end up on the album). For me this release came way too sudden and my impressions for DIM haven't settled completely in order for me to get hyped about a new release. Before I Decay did exceed my expectations based on the preview, though the B-side came different from what I had imagined it to be based on the song title. The songs themselves are, in the end, really more than decent and I am sure that I'll give this release a lot of spins. So if you like the band this release is almost impossible to come by. And this band has already done so much this year so that this single is just the cherry-on-top.

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Album: -OZ- - VERSUS

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:36:04 +0200

VERSUS

Release date: 16.9.2009.
Price: ￥3,990
NO: LPO-014

Track list
1.LAST Shell
2.FILMY [PV]
3.BLAZE
4.VENOM
5.Needle
6.Reservation
7.ATHENA
8.IN RUBBISH
9.M.D.M.A
10.MIGRANT
11.DETOX [PV]
12.Breathe trees

After existing five years on the scene, the hard'n'heavy Visual kei band -OZ- released it's first full-blooded album. Along with the powerful singles VENOM and DETOX this is the third release that this band has given us this year. For those unfamiliar with -OZ- ; the quintet has formed in 2004. with the members including the vocalist Natsuki, guitarist Tama and Aki, bassist Nao and drummer Zukki, this band slowly but surely started gaining fans from the start with their furious, heavy rock music often on the boarder of metalcore with grinding guitars, pumped up rhythm and interesting vocal lines as well as one of the best growls delivered by their singer and lyricist Natsuki. The band has been delivering in a slow but still regular tempo various releases and their songs have been featured on a lot of omnibuses. The band is currently signed on the label LOOP ASH and is as such their most hardest band.

The album begins with the guitar flickering intro to LAST Shell before exploding in a sharp and hard mass of riffs. The verses are slow, mesmerizing and with a thick, ominous mood. Damn it's just the kind of verses I like and the kind of verses I'd make if I was making music, damn you -OZ-. The song builds up tension in the pre-chorus and stretches in a huge, powerful and wide chorus followed by an excellent, vibrating guitar solo. If anything these guys know how to deliver energy and how to soar with their songs sky high. And LAST Shell is not just an great example of it, it is a great song.

FILMY starts off with this really twisted riff and rages with grinding distorted guitars and hoarse, brutal growls. The verses go in a fast pace with high guitar tones over it, following a growling pre-chorus and again a soaring, shining chorus. Really FILMY seems like an intense follow up to the excellent song DETOX. Right before the bone-breaking breakdown is a groovy bass solo, following a wonderful guitar solo. This song is simply intense and doesn't calm down, not a second and such are more-less all the songs on this album.

BLAZE's main riff sounds like stone breaking, powerfuuullll. The pre-chorus is dangerously in the extreme metal territory, just as the short solo after the quite inappropriate bright chorus that somehow just pops-out and sounds almost "gospel" because of it's mass chore feel. VENOM comes as a small reminder on this years, same-titled single that has got really good intro riff before going into some really strange verses and very tight packed chorus, though I have to admit sometimes -OZ- does deliver songs which have parts that don't really seem to have a logical melody or logic at all and VENOM is one of them, though saved by really excellent and hard riffs.

Needle brings some heavy groove to the record just as Perfect Ruler did on the single VENOM, but Needle's groove is more worked out, cooler and moodier. Interesting the verses could pass as real metal thanks to their guitars while the chorus delivers this pretty cathartic, wide and intense feel like one of their songs Fade which I really love when it comes to some Visual kei songs. One of my favorites here. Reservation seems to continue onto Needle but it is more faster and more vicious. And again the heavy guitars come as irresistible for fans of distortion. Reservation gives a lot of growling and a pretty upbeat chorus that pulls out the best of Natsuki's pretty high pitched vocals.

Interesting enough was to see their almost pure-metal song ATHENA coming on the album, but the excitement was somehow watered down by the fact that this album version had way blander singing than the original and less dynamics, but still brings some diverse and dynamic guitars this band has to offer. Sadly the song had to experience some changes because the original really kicked ass. On the other hand I am glad S.I.N didn't make it to the album because it was quite average. IN RUBBISH opens up with some fast and razor sharp riffs and again I feel like a total sucker because I absolutely adore the brutal guitars this band has along with their raw, explosive energy. IN RUBBISH also emerges as a gem on this album with an excellent pre-chorus where Natsuki's voice comes out very raw and very clean, which is cool enough to make this song stand out. The rest of the song develops in this usual, catchy growl-distortion storm that is bound to torment you all the way.

M.D.M.A is another mosh-grind fest but with this oriental touch in guitars as well as dark, almost demonic verses and a sweeping, big, interesting chorus that blows anything in it's way. MIGRANT has got this one downbreaking, dark, fucking epic riff that would be an excellent bas for a fucking killer song, but in MIGRANT it doesn't seem to have this strong role unfortunately. MIGRANT has got this really odd vocal melody lines, just like VENOM for which you don't know whether to love them or hate them, while the rest of the song has got this usual, brilliant guitars.

Following MIGRANT comes the excellent, uprising song DETOX which came from the same-titled single. With it's anthem chorus and character, powerful guitars, bright as well as dark moments DETOX is sure to lift anyones spirits up as well as encourage. Really excellent song.

The beautiful, glimmering Breathe Trees serves as an excellent, yet reminiscent ending to this album as well as it's one of it's best songs. The pre chorus and chorus remind me on some Visual kei song I can't really recall, but I know I have heard this bright vocal line coupled with sustained chords. Overall the song lifts us once more sky high and loudly as well as strong ends this exceptionally strong album.

It's enough to be a fan of fierce, hard Visual kei songs with distorted guitars, blasting rhythm as well as with a lot of bestial growls and soaring choruses altogether packed with unbeatable energy because it's the basic formula all songs of the album Versus are based, almost without any exception. This is really awesome if you are a fan of the band and their effective, although not very original riffs. So if you're hooked on them, you'll have no complaints to this album. But to be somehow objective about it, this album most of the time sounds like an undifferentiated rage and loudness fest that blends in into almost one track. You will know how the whole album sounded overall, but you won't remember the individual tracks (not before spinning it a lot of times), so it's not very versatile in terms of song construction and innovation.

But what this album does deliver is the very best this band has to offer and every song is filled with such energy that it's almost impossible not to feel at lest a bit excited about it. Their live performances must really be an exhilarating experience because by just listening the songs on the stereo you feel almost overwhelmed by their raw energy, which isn't held back not even for a moment.

So overall -OZ- really gave the best of their brutal style and met with all of their fans expectations, not going beyond them but also not delivering anything below. -OZ- fans as well as the fans of the harder Visual kei bands such as UnsraW, Sadie and similar really have a reason to be excited with VERSUS. So if you're looking for an energy and rawness driven soundtrack you're no better off with anything other than -OZ-.

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Position Change : D'espairsRay - Brilliant

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:43:45 +0200

Okay I admit this is not so auditory perfect (but it's not it's intention) just about how awesome it is.

D`espairsRay -Brilliant -Vocal: TSUKASA -live- SHIBUYA-AX-10th Anniversary DVD

I am impressed with Tsukasa! He has beaten all of my expectations for his vocal capabilities! Okay so he may have turned Brilliant on a couple of moments into a rock-enka hybrid, but I think it just additionally adds to the charms of his singing. He may not be the best singer you have heard, but he certainly isn't tone deaf and his timbre is very pleasant. If I could, I'd chose him over Hizumi on certain songs or even add him as a support singer on some. It would really freshen up their sound, though Tsukasa's voice might be a bit to gentle for D'espa, but on the other hand I can't claim that they have been hard nowadays as they used to.

Karyu was fantastic in the role of a drummer! So good that I even forgot it was him there on the drums, he really has got a good sense of rhythm and a lot of energy. Hizumi was ok, not perfect but he did concentrate. Where about Zero just cheated, we know bassists are/were in a point of their life guitarists also. So he did kinda got away with it didn't he?

Man I just love role changes, they can get pretty awesome. I wish more bands would do this. Overall I think D'espairsRay would be good even with changed roles like on this video, but I guess they've picked the roles that suit them the best and that it what makes D'espairsRay's sound so powerful and amazing.

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Single: D'espairsRay - FINAL CALL

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:28:56 +0200

FINAL CALL

Release date: 9.9.2009.
Price: ￥1,260 (normal edition)
NO: UICV-5004

Track list:
1. FINAL CALL [PV]
2. Going on!　
3. Ark in the storm

CONGRATULATIONS D'ESPAIRSRAY ON YOUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY!!!
So more-less to mark this auspicious event I shall write a review for their new "Anniversary" single entitled FINAL CALL. Because what is the best way of marking a decade of activity other than releasing a nice single (okay, though for a decade an album would be more fitting, especially in Visual kei where rare bands manage to hold together for a decade, but that would be picky wouldn't it?).

FINAL CALL is a typical D'espairsRay energy-infused, industrial-glazed , uptempo rock piece leaning more to a hard rock sound other than the industrial/gothic metal sound they've always pulled off. The song takes the bits of the best this band has to offer: layered, running and awesome guitar riffs which will make you instantly take your guitar and play along (or at least in my case), a soaring chorus with a gothic-glaze to it, pumping basslines and powerful drums, even a warm and expressive guitar solo. FINAL CALL takes the certain warmth and melody that was featured in some tracks of their latest album REDEEMER and fuses them with the raw energy and rapture this band is known for. Though FINAL CALL isn't exactly another REDEEMER, nor does it have it's explosive energy and fiercness it's nevertheless a very decent and interesting song that won't leave the fans dissappointed.

I can imagine Going on! to melt faces, cause acute myalgia as well as dislocate joints from the excessive jumping and banging on the lives, but as a standalone track Going on! feels a bit undefined. There is this energy and groove that is really appealing and cool, but the song is somehow thinned by the not so good hip-hopish part and backrgound yelling which seems quite pointless. On top the song doesn't really bring anything new (but on the other hand, the whole single overall doesn't do that) and it's a bit ruined by some redundant parts. Though I do fell it eventually growing onto me, though it doesn't have this secret charisma or greatness that B-sides like Scissors, Desert or even Cocoon had.

Ark in the storm sounds a bit ambitious with this "uprising" feel and emotionally colored mood similar to the song KALEIDOSCOPE and MASQUERADE but it simply has got this void in it, sounds like something is missing or like there isn't enough thrust to it to really lift it sky high. The song isn't bad, the riffs and "solo" are awesome, Hizumi's singing is decent, the drumming really keeps the song going but it just feels there.

The overall please with this single really depends on your expectations from this band. The single isn't as energetic as REDEEMER was, but it's less "light and happy" than KAMIKAZE or HORIZON, though those singles have way more powerful B-sides. I am personally pleased with guitars since I like Karyu's style so in that aspect it did match my expectations. But the basic weakness of this single is that it's very uncovincing and almost without any charisma that simply overflows many of this band's songs. If you're able to get over that then you'll get a decent single which is more like a bottle of champaigne opened up for the auspicious occasion rather than a full-blooded serious release.

But overall fans of the band and everything this band has to offer musically won't have too much of complains and will surely play this release over and over to mark a decade long activity of this great Visual kei band. I raise my guitar in your honour.

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Special Review: the GazettE - DIM

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:36:04 +0200

DIM

Release Date: 15.7.2009.
Price: 3780￥

NO: KICS-91479

Track list
1.「剥離」(Hakuri)　
2. THE INVISIBLE WALL
3. A MOTH UNDER SKIN
4. LEECH
5.泣ヶ原 (Nakigahara)
6.「エリカ」(E RI KA)
7. HEADACHE MAN
8. 紅連　(Guren)
9.「子宮」(Shikyuu)
10. 13STAIRS[-]1
11. DISTRESS AND COMA
12. 「感触」(Kanshoku)
13.白き憂鬱 (Shiroki Yuuutsu)
14. IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS
15.「朦朧」(Mourou)
16. OGRE
17. DIM SCENE

First of all, this certain delay of GazettE's new album review was caused by the fact that it was released in a period where I was the most busy but also because I've decided to order it online and listen to it once it arrives. I usually test try a release before buying it, but in this case I depended on my blind trust and faith in the band, without knowing if this album is worth the order or not. In the meantime, I avoided any reviews, samples, comments, anything regarding the album; I wanted to shape my own opinion about it the first time I will listen to it on my CD player.
It's almost hard to put into words how actually agonizing it was to restrain oneself from listening a possible milestone release from ones favorite band. Without overdoing it, at certain points it was almost physically nauseating. This showed me how much I need their music, or rather how much I depend on it. Surely my world wouldn’t be the same without their music.

It’s quite unavoidable to intro this review without looking back at the previous albums and also the history of this band.

the GazettE (DIM)

Members (L to R): 葵 Aoi (gt.), れいた
Reita (bs.), 流鬼 Ruki (vo.), 戒
Kai (dr.), 麗 Uruha (gt.)
Active since: 2002.
Status: Indies (self proclaimed)
Lable: PS Company
● pscompany.co.jp/gazette

Album Discography
DISORDER         NIL   STACKED RUBBISH
[13.10.2004.]     [8.2.2006.]   [26.6.2007.]

Previous Releases
DISTRESS AND COMA LEECH       紅連(GUREN)
[25.3.2009.]    [12.11.2008.]      [13.2.2008.]

Upcoming releases
BEFORE I DECAY [7.10.2009.]

DIM CM

Buy DIM
● Amazon (JP)
● Brand X (JP)
● Colloseum records (EU release)
● CD JAPAN (International)

The GazettE is a Neo Visual Kei band which was formed in 2002. The band consists out of the singer Ruki, the lead guitarist Uruha, the rhythm guitarist Aoi, bassist Reita and drummer Kai (who joined the band in 2003.). One year after their formation they signed to the label PS COMPANY which will later become a very important, almost crucial factor in their strong promotion, popularity rise but I might also say overexposure. With a series of various mini-albums and single releases the band GazettE, or rather Gazetto as they used to be called back then, gained the reputation of an outrageous, wild, loud and rebellious band, almost to the point where you could consider them as the les enfants terrible of Visual kei. With the start of the new millennium, Visual kei became less strict about the dark, gothic, “roses and crosses” imagery and a lot of initially low budget bands, with a lighter, more “closer” to the audience look appeared and GazettE belonged to such “New Visual Kei” bands.

The loud and rebellious character of the band reached it’s peak with the release of their first album, auspiciously titled as Disorder. The album was a bunch of really loud, distorted to the maximum songs, to a point going almost in the field of dissonance, delivering just a few if “soft” moments, that would make even the hardest of all punk rockers go envious. Nevertheless Disorder was an album that showed how even, what usually would be considered as chaos and noise, could be seen as “melody”. Order in disorder. The “chaotic” attribute to the band became even stronger.

2005. the band brought up the releases that, in a way, marked the transition from the chaotic, untamed, loud rock band Gazette to the great, sophisticated, mature and even darker band known as the GazettE. You could compare that as a “growing up” from a loud, extrovert, opposed to everyone rascal to a less chaotic, but vague, dark, introvert and opposed to the rotted world of oneself person. Nevertheless, the releases that came from this transition period brought this band closer to the fans than ever before, bringing songs that sounded the most “human” in terms of reflected life experiences and straightforwardness of all human feelings.

It was the 2006. that became the most important and redefining year for this band. Though never truly confirmed by the band itself, due to their explicit desire to be addressed as indies, the band is considered to have gone major with the single Cassis released in the late 2005. In February 2006. the band has released their best album called NIL. What made NIL stand out of every other release before and following was it’s balanced out, incredible song set that featured various songs being very different one from another but yet being united under the banner of “Nameless Liberty”. Not just the brilliantly compositions and versatility made the songs shine, but also their honesty, rawness in expressing the basic as well as complex feelings in their most true, essential forms. NIL was followed by a name change to the GazettE and peaked at the tour final in Budokan. But it didn’t stop there and the GazettE emerged on their first overseas performance in Germany and crowned the year with two singles REGRET and especially FILTH IN THE BEAUTY, whose multi genre blend and new elements such as vast chorus, worked out powerful guitars and occasional background female vocal addition, single handedly launched the band into the heights and became a core for each following “single” songs to come.

2007. brought another highlight single Hyena before the release of their third album STACKED RUBBISH. It’s no unknown fact that the albums are the ones that define the band the most, basically because they bring a much larger set of songs other than singles and mini-albums, as well as they are made with much more work by the band and faced with much higher expectations by the fans. And just a year has passed after NIL, and even less after a series of very strong singles. No doubt STACKED RUBBISH faced a lot of expectations. Unfortunately STACKED RUBBISH didn’t manage to match them. It had a set of very bipolar songs ranging from some harder ones, with a strong nu-metal touch going to lighter, rock ballade like ones, without any inner cohesion, but most of all, shred to almost no depth that NIL had. STACKED RUBBISH was a compilation of pretty experimental, but yet strong sure shots, which could only be appreciated after a lot of listening, but always leaving a bitter aftertaste. Maybe for the first time, the band has faced a stagnation that not even the overseas tour could have overshadowed. It took a while, but the band did admit that STACKED RUBBISH didn’t turn out the way it should, though the reasons for that never did came out, it can be assumed it was their labels hastening and the pressure to bring out a lot in a time tight space.

2008. was the “breathing” year, with the band releasing only the singles Guren and LEECH which both provided slight redemption for their STACKED RUBBISH album, being shed off the elements that made STACKED RUBBISH stagnate in it’s quality. The single DISTRESS AND COMA launched a final preview and speculation material before DIM’s release in 2009.

Even before it’s release DIM faced a lot of expectations, since it had to redeem somehow for STACKED RUBBISH’s downfall, but somehow brake the chain of releases that sounded way too sure in their core. Can DIM truly take GazettE onto a new stage of development and what is it’s significance?

「…」

The album begins with the haunting intro Hakuri (to peel off) which will have you double check the CD you’re listening because it sounds like a clear fusion of Dir en grey’s Sa Bir with the even more darker version of Vinushka’s acoustic guitars. A heavy and deep mood-maker just before the fleeting intro to THE INVISIBLE WALL emerges.

the GazettE - THE INVISIBLE WALL

THE INVISIBLE WALL is very tight, with amazing and intense guitars soaring, roaring and silencing with each moment, full and powerful riffs, thundering drumming and bass and Ruki’s voice being vast and bright, as well as delivering whispering and violent screaming. THE INVISIBLE WALL is a showcase GazettE song indeed, though slightly more passive and deeper than DISTRESS AND COMA is, but way more powerful when it comes to expression than it. Heavy and melodic at the same time, slightly vague, THE INVISIBLE WALL is the NAUSEA & SHUDDER of DIM.

The silence of THE INVISIBLE WALL’s marching outro is broken with a thick bassline in par with something you can call heavy-funk guitars. A MOTH UNDER SKIN bursts out as a hybrid of FILTH IN THE BEAUTY with BURIAL APPLICANT and ZETSU’s explosiveness, but even more aggressive and for the first time since FILTH IN THE BEAUTY correctly used female backvocals which make an adequate contrast to Ruki’s twisted and fierce vocals. The breakdown brings BURIAL APPLICANTS main riff flashback before bursting into a mass of chaos. Catchy as hell, slightly sexy, twisted and totally unchained, A MOTH UNDER SKIN is GazettE chaos at it’s best.

The intense mood is even pumped more up with LEECH, a last year’s single with such versatile guitars changing from hard rock, heavy metal, alternative, thrash metal showing the true genius of the both guitarist Uruha and Aoi. The rapturing chorus has got this almost cathartic feel and Ruki’s intense vocals are well complemented with gentle yet not so harmless female backvocals.

With the intensive and expressive, almost crying riffs and dark basslines we come to the longest and first ballad, Nakigahara (The crying field). Usually long ballads somehow tend to stretch out too much, but this is not the case with this beautiful masterpiece brought to perfection both in expression and in technical sense. It’s so raw and yet moving and vivid, without pretending or being pathetic, expressing sadness, hopelessness and pessimism like no other ballad before. Taion had hope, but this is peeled off any hope, sounding as all hope is gone. The vast and tragic chorus, the calm and broody notes in the verses, the antique koto in the background of the pre-chorus as well as the drowned in rain, slightly withering outro contribute to Nakigahara being one of the most emotionally intense songs, most likely since NIL or maybe Chizuru.

Erika sets out an pulsing and haunting outro to Nakigahara, giving the final, almost horror like seal to it on before moving to the explosive, hymn of chaos known as HEADACHE MAN, another song from the single DISTRESS AND COMA that made it onto DIM, for which I’m really glad. The song explodes in some very deeply tuned guitar madness and yelling, you’d shudder and think of Slipknot at first, moving onto a melodic bridge and exploding in an anticlimactic headbang fest. But it doesn’t stop there and the chorus explodes in a true hardcore Rock’n’roll manner! If you’re not going to go insane in this hymn of madness than you should really ask what’s wrong with you.

the GazettE - 紅蓮 (Guren)

Though a bit strange in the set, following HEADACHE MAN’s madness is the wonderful over a year old, ballade Guren (Crimson Lotus) which has been re-recorded and a bit changed on a couple of spots, sounding now even more like the live version of this song. Overall, Guren still manages to enchant with it’s gentle, moving tone and flow, violin enhanced chorus and grandiose guitars with Uruha’s solo bringing out the best of the song. Even more beautiful than any crimson lotus.

Shikyuu (Womb) can be considered either as the terrifying outro to Guren or the intro to the next song. Shikyuu does give goosebumps because of the distorted horrifying baby screams, that exceed even Dir en grey’s Masochist of Decadence’s horrid baby cries.

Moving onto Uruha’s composition 13STAIRS[-]1 which represents one of the highlights of the album. The song begins with stretched out, distorted to max riff mass, over lined with even more mood riffs sounding mechanic, dirty, lustful. Yes, lustful would be the best way to describe this song because of it’s seductive, dark, lustful mood. Just a moment after another soaring the moods change, the riffs become clearer and more vicious bursting into a scream and growl fest in the chorus. It’s almost incredible how well this song tightens the mood, becoming intense with each second as well as faster until reaching it’s climax and slowly relaxing into the initial riff’s slowness. This song is sex. Literally.

Following 13STAIRS[-]1 is DISTRESS AND COMA which was released on the same titled single earlier this year, being another intense song with a balladesque touch, but powerful guitars bearing a metal touch onto them which is amazing. DISTRESS AND COMA brings on a pretty secure song structure for GazettE, but the strong riffs and intense, repeating chorus make this song another intense experience before moving onto the calm intro to Shiroiki Yuutsuu, Kanshoku (Sensation). Kanshoku provides some calming with it’s gentle guitar tones in couple with synth drums, having a slight R’n’B feel but perfectly setting up the mood for Shiroiki Yuuutsu (White Melancholy) probably the lightest GazettE song ever.

the GazettE - DISTRESS AND COMA

As far as Shiroiki Yuuutsu sounds beautiful with it’s coupling of fresh acoustics, emotional violins, present electric guitars as well strong drumming, reminiscing a lot on WITHOUT A TRACE and Junana sai as well as LUNA SEA’s masterpiece Gravity but even more lighter; Shiroiki Yuuutsu simply doesn’t fit in the dark, aggressive mood of DIM and Ruki unfortunately offers the weakest vocal performance on the album. Shiroiki Yuuustu is nevertheless a beautiful standalone song, being neither joyful or sad, but having a lot of reminiscence and warmth, perfect for those light days on which time seems to have ceased flowing.

Following Shiroiki Yuutsu is IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS, the most likely most intense and complete 3 minutes you’ll ever experience in your life. IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS is the combination of punk, hard rock and turns into heavy metal in the second half. The guitars seem as they’re racing against each other, the chorus explodes in the hymn like manner and the song changes paces on each moment. From Kai’s drumming, Reita’s basslines and everything, this song is a true gem. They’ve even managed to squeeze a solo into it! IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS is like the GazettE version of MUCC’s Sora to ito, but shorter and way more fun.

Morou (Dim) will be familiar to people who have dropped a visit on GazettE’s homepage when DIM was promoted, this screeching like a broken radio sounds combined with a scream representing the transformation to a monster, make way for OGRE, GazettE’s Reiketsu Nariseba and Stuck Man at the same time. This is the most fierce song these guys have done ever, dark, twisted, with mincing riffs, bestial growling, being harder than DISCHRAGE ever was. Really brutal song that sounds like the soundtrack to hell.

The album closes with the core-song DIM SCENE, that sounds like a funeral march for the GazettE. It’s heavy, dark, with passive rainy riffs I associate with Ryojoku no Ame by Dir en grey, but with even more weight. On DIM SCENE, speaking of Dir en grey, the whole band comes the closest to what you’d call a Dir en grey song and Ruki’s singing is awfully similar to Kyo’s, that you almost have the feel it’s Kyo singing with another timbre. The slow pace of the song in combination with the lagging guitars give a withering feel, and the bursted chorus with flickering in the background is very alike to Ware yami tote… DIM SCENE is the most serious song you’d ever hear from GazettE and presents a perfect, dim, dark ending to a such album. Perfection.

「…」

DIM (changing cover)

It’s pretty obvious after each listen how DIM is a very dim like album indeed, with each song having a very blurred and dusky feel, the feelings are even more layered, the mood is more serious and dark and the lyrics are even harder to comprehend than before. Even though much heavier than any album before, it’s much easier to get into DIM than it was with STACKED RUBBISH.

DIM is a pretty conceptual album and all the songs really do have a dim element in their core but there are differences between them. The songs that were previously released on singles are pretty similar in terms of having tension building verses and a vast, stretched chorus charged with feelings. Though GUREN, LEECH, DISTRESS AND COMA and even THE INVISIBLE WALL vary quite in their approach, the basic structure and idea is nevertheless pretty similar. Not actually criticizing that, but it’s pretty obvious how only “sure shots” are bound to head the singles, while all of the other songs are reserved for albums and B-sides, at least when it comes to PS COMPANY bands.

The new songs are really unbound to any rules and truly show how versatile this band is and how it isn’t afraid to explore new boarders and try out new styles and executing them well. Technically speaking each song will leave you amazed, whether you like drums, bass, guitars or just singing. It’s hearable how each member is developing in it’s own way, some more some less. It comes out pretty clear how this album was given a lot of thought and work, compared to the slightly hastened STACKED RUBBISH. I can only imagine how well STACKED RUBBISH would have been if it has been given “time to think about it”.

DIM - Lyrics booklet

Seen from the emotional, expressive side there is a lot of frustration as well as bitterness in DIM. Though some songs such as the wild HEADACHE MAN and MOTH UNDER SKIN hide these feelings under a slight sarcastic veil, others don’t hold back in presenting these hidden amounts of anger and overall displease. Not just the music represents that very well, but some lyrics go as far as being very open with the things this band is displeased with. It’s enough to read LEECH’s, HEADACHE MAN’s as well as the lyrics to IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS to notice this very open anger towards PS COMPANY and it’s “exploitation” management. Though it is to wonder why this band hasn’t ditched PS COMPANY a long time ago, I guess that there are some thing that aren’t that simple as they should be.

Aside the anti-PSC songs, songs such as 13STAIRS[-]1 and OGRE contribute to the anger sewn into DIM thanks to their fierce guitars and heavy growling. But the ballads such as Nakigahara and DIM SCENE deliver a strong touch of bitterness, disappointment and almost resignation to a certain point. All of these aspects carried in the songs contribute to the heaviness of DIM, with even “lighter” songs such as IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS or Shiroiki Yuuutsu having a certain bitter-frustrated note in them.

DIM is GazettE’s Uroboros.

Somehow comparing DIM to Dir en grey’s latest Uroboros isn’t without base. It’s very hard to actually see where this connections comes from; was it inspiration, homage, tribute, copy or just an independent style evolution that just matters to have similarities to the one of the other band. I believe in the latter. Not because I love GazettE or anything, but because rather than for DIM sounding as a rip off it sounds more as a complementary album to Uroboros. After listening to both and trying to find a comparison, an influence, I have seen how both albums extraordinary complement each other. After listening to DIM, Uroboros seems to be more comprehendible, but Uroboros provides that certain counterbalance to DIM that is left to be filled out after listening to DIM. In short, it’s pretty hard to fully understand one without the other. Which is quite interesting, considering that those are basically two quite different bands.

[SCENE] DIM

Just like Uroboros, DIM feels like it’s closed up in it’s own isolated world, slightly alienated from the listeners, but unlike Uroboros, DIM still has got a music-listener feeling exchange and makes slightly more sense than Uroboros. Also the songs from both albums seem to be complementary to each other either in mood or musical phrases. Both albums don’t just focus on one music style, they rather experiment with various patterns, moods and expressions making them both complex and unique.

Though the sound of it is very close to Uroboros, I think this album is to GazettE what Vulgar was to Dir en grey, a boarder album that marked a transition to a more complex sound and a stronger musical affirmation. Interesting though, Dir en grey has long ago abandoned it’s visual style and definition as well had an almost complete change of mind in order to achieve the complexity of sound that DIM and Uroboros have, while GazettE more-less stayed the same Visual kei band, still somewhat accessible to it’s listeners and still playing their old songs on their lives unchanged.

DIM isn’t far from perfection, with almost all songs perfectly portraying the basic idea of the album, surely getting rid of some elements that seemed to be overflowing in the recent songs as well as implementing some new elements. Also the album as a whole delivers a versatile as well as a balanced out set of songs, not overdoing with one or another kind of songs, though less balanced than it was with NIL. Though there are some minor, but more less “digestible” flaws unlike it was with STACKED RUBBISH. The obvious “downer” is Shiroiki Yuuutsu, but not because it’s a bad song, in contrary it’s a very beautiful song, but it just doesn’t fit in DIM’s set because it’s so “light”. If there was a need for such a song, WITHOUT A TRACE would have been a better choice or no song like that at all. Also the production at some songs seems pretty loud as well as there are somewhat not necessary elements in certain songs such as too much violin, which is a rather nice touch but doesn’t make the songs benefit too much. The album also has got this certain distance and thickness in it resulting for the album to feel a bit “off” but not unreachable, but still more distant than the previous albums were and as such is much less of an “easy listening” experience, though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

DIM (Limited Edition)

Though it’s quite early to say this, at least until the next single UNTIL I DECAY (with very symbolic title) comes out, I feel that DIM is definitely a new and revolutionary step in this band’s sound and that with it the GazettE have reached this certain maturity and sound quality that way surpasses the borders of Visual kei bands and a sound uniqueness that the band may claim as their very own. DIM is most likely the best and expressive release this band has released and created and which significance can only grow with time. The GazettE brought to perfection and I feel that it’s just the start.

Written, photos taken and owned by: Asari (http://rockerica.vox.com) 2009.
Images and promotional video copyright by the GazettE, PS Company, King Records 2009.
Please do not use, reproduce, alter, publish or claim any part of this review without the owners permission

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May your soul find peace Jasmine You

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:33:28 +0200

Jasmine You

空の涙は届かない
せめて触れさせて

夢が覚めるとあなたはいなかった
繰り返した哀しみは募る
傷を隠せばあなたも消えてゆく
光の中で

あの日　手を振るあなたの夢を見た
掴みかけたその腕は今も
遠く果てしない空へ消えてゆく
虹を残して
The tears of the sky don't reach me
Let me at least be touched by them
When I awake from my dreams you aren't there
The repeating grief invites me
If I could hide my wounds you as well would vanish
Below the light
On that day I saw your dream while you were waving your hand
The ability of seizing it is now as well
Vanishing into far off boundless sky
Leaving a rainbow behind

(Versailles - After Claudia)

With grief and shock I have found out yesterday that the beautiful bassist of the band Versailles Jasmine You has passed away.

２００９．８．９更新
「Versailles」より緊急のお知らせ
兼ねてより体調不良にてお休みをいただいておりましたJasmine Youですが、８月９日未明に永眠いたしました事をまずここにご報告させていただきます。あまりに突然な出来事に、メンバー・スタッフ共に今はまだ茫然と現実を受け入れることで精一杯です。
詳しい事がわかり次第、ご遺族様の了解を得たうえでご報告をさせていただきますが、ファンの皆様もどうか冷静に受け止めて頂きたく存じます。
また、現在発表されております活動に関しましては、当分見合わせていただきます。
2009.8.9. UPDATE
An urgent announcement from Versailles
Simultaneously with the taken rest due to the worsening of the physical condition od Jasmine You, we have received the report that he has entered eternal sleep in the early morning of August 9th. Because of the extreme abruptness of this event, the members and staff of the band are momentarily shocked and are using all of their might to accept the reality.
Detailed information will be acknowledged as soon as the family is informed and their consent is received. We please the fans to be calm and that they will soon receive acknowledgment.
Moreso, regarding the recently announced activity, please allow us to postpone it.
(A translation done in haste, may not be 100% accurate, but it's good enough to understand)

I am still having trouble accepting this, this was so sudden and unexpected that it's almost on the verge of being absurd. I'd never tell. It was not just a couple of weeks ago I had seen his photoshoot for the Rock and read magazine where he revealed his natural, makeup-less side and appeared with such beauty and grace that not even some women have. An announcement followed reporting his hospitalization, I'd figure he will make it and come back soon in his full energy ready to rock the stage. I'd never think that he would not return ever again.

Of all of the Versailles members I adored him the most, there was something about him that I found fascinating, a certain aesthetic that seemed to be from another world. His presence fitted perfectly into the graceful and beautiful, yet strong world of Versailles and I am aware that they aren't the same band without him. Even if they decide to carry on and find an replacement, I know that there will be no replacement for him.

Members, staff, family, friends and fans of this outstanding person, you have my deep condolence.

May the memory of this blooming flower that has faded too early live forever in our hearts.

Versailles - WINDRESS (Chateau De Versailles DVD)

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Who waits...

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:54:08 +0200

...receives.

My order

From left to right: the GazettE - DIM (album), UnsraW - Abel/Kein (compilation), the GazettE - REPEATED COUNTLESS ERROR (DVD)

I bet you all have no idea how my emotional IQ has risen and , to the point where I felt almost physical pain, how I have restrained myself from listening to the most likely best album of my favorite band.
The feeling of holding the actual CD in your hand.
The thrill of listening it for the very first time on your CD player.
The quality of sound that can't be unmatched by any rip.

Some things are worth the anguish.

I also ordered the REPEATED COUNTLESS ERROR DVD by the GazettE which I actually wanted to order last year (but I received my guitar then soo...) and as a bonus I received a free cd from UnsraW (because I've ordered two or more items over at CLJ) called ABEL/KAIN which is the compilation of those mini-albums plus the single LUST, which is cool since I like UnsraW quite. Not to mention that the releases are almost 40% cheaper than the Japanese versions and they include an extra translated lyrics booklet.

Those anticipating a review will have to wait though, I'm going to the sea tomorrow and won't be back for about a week. This order came just as planned and I still can't explain my happiness about it.

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V-Rock Festival 2009

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:50:25 +0200

I have heard about this a bit when D'espairsRay decided to participate, but now that even the GazettE are in I became more curious and decided to see what is this V-ROCK FESTIVAL 09.

V-ROCK FESTIVAL 09

So overall it is going to be a huge Visual Rock festival in Japan with over 50 different artists and not just from Japan but from USA and Finland also being like that the most biggest Visual kei/rock festival ever held anywhere in the world. Now that is something wouldn't you agree? Among the top acts of the festival are the GazettE and Marylin Manson (bet you didn't see that coming).

Marilyn Manson and the GazettE

The lineup also includes (bolded are my favorites): ALI PROJECT, BREAKERZ, D'espairsRay, DuelJewel, ドレミ團 (Doremi Dan), the GazettE, heidi., イロクイ。(Irokui), Kagrra,, LOVEX (from Finland), Marilyn Manson (from USA), メリー (Merry), Moi dix Mois, NEGATIVE (also from Finland), PENICILLIN, Sadie, SuG, SOHODOLLS (from the UK), 高見沢俊彦（BAND MEMBER：Gt:ルーク篁/ANCHANG/KOJI）(Kouken taku shungen?), 土屋アンナ (Tsuchiya Anna), Versailles, ヴィドール (Vidoll), ViViD... and more to come and confirm.

The festival will take place in Makuhari Messe on 24-25-10.2009.

I find this foreign and Japanese Visual rock concept very interesting and a great move to somehow widthen the boarders and concept of Visual Rock, so I am really lookin forward to how this will develop. Most of all I am glad the GazettE will finally (probably) have contact with other bands beside their own strict, closed-minded label (unless PSC decides to repell them from making social contacts) and see what kind of music they make and similar. I am also eager to see the reactions/thoughts of the foriegn acts about Visual Kei bands, so yep, this is gonna be cool. Shame that I have to live thousands of miles away from Japan.

So here is a nice feature program for all of you interested:

"V-ROCK FESTIVAL'09" feature program

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Single: Girugämesh - ALIVE

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:52:01 +0200

ALIVE

ギルガメッシュ

Release date: 10.6.2009.

Track list:
1. ALIVE
2. GAMBLE

So Girugämesh introduce us with their first single of the year, the new release after their last year's third album MUSIC.

ALIVE is an uptempo, grumbling, powerful metal-rock anthem with earthquake riff attacks, pumping bass-lines and soaring chorus. Mix all the ingredients, add a bit of scratching and you'll get every other great Girugämesh rock hit. Th only thing I hear as an improvement from the usual pattern is the metal rhythm-like drumming by Ryo which give an additional punch to the song. You love Girugämesh for songs like this one, and you'll certainly won't love them less for ALIVE.

GAMBLE goes on the harder track with a whirlwind of distorsion blasts, drum outbreaks and sinister bass. Satoshi takes the lower, vicious registers to bring out a certain, surpressed anger which simply explodes on a growl-mosh chorus explosion. And again you won't find anything new here, just the good combination of songs such as Patchwork, Volcano and similar.

So yeah more-less ALIVE is a sniper sure-shot of a single, bringing all the characteristic and loved elements this band offers combined in two pretty decent songs. Most likely it's kind of a redemption single for the last years pretty experimental and more risky album which didn't quite hit all the expectations from a lot of their fans. Oh well, better to stick with the confirmed, good-old winning recepie than going into the unknown, at least that's Girugämesh's philosophy on this single and I'm certain the fans will not mind it.
Because ALIVE is a true showcase of this band you can reccomend it to a potential new-fan without fear.

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Album: Nightmare - majestical parade

nobody@vox.com(あさり) — Sat, 23 May 2009 12:33:03 +0200

majestical parade

ナイトメア

Release date: 13.5.2009.

Track list
1. Parade
2. Can you do it? [PV]
3. Mr.trash music
4. NAKED LOVE [PV]
5. MASQUERADE
6. MELODY（original ver.）
7. Cynical Re:actor
8. ジャイアニズム究 (Djaïnism Kyuu)
9. Nothing you lose
10. Lost in Blue [PV]
11. シンプライフ (Simple Life)
12. クロニクル (Chronicle)

Hand on heart, I have heard a lot of Nightmare songs and almost all of their albums and I have really endured and toleratet their frequent lack of originality and innovation in some of their songs, especially choruses, but I've never had such an URGE to erase each and every chorus like I've had on this album, I don't even want to start commenting them because it always goes down on one: repetition, same progressions, same melody patterns, same singing style... How much you'll enjoy this album depends on how much recycling you can handle and how hardcore of a Nightmare fan you are.

The album starts with the unexciting rock'n'roll march named Parade, pompous on each step, stretching way too long to be an effective intro, but being too short to be an actual full-blooded song. Can you do it? comes along shimmering, bursts with a mass of trembling riffs (the ones they pull off the best) tensing up to the chorus that tries to burst but doesn't and leaves a "this is familiar..." feel that will haunt you on every chorus. Mr. trash music is actually Nightmare? Right? Right? Because the jumpy, distorsion, horrid trash fest will make you smash your CD player onto a wall.... horrid...

NAKED LOVE gives a better impression here than it does on the same-titled single. The slow-tempo, funky guitar flaired, seducive piece hits the sexy mood right in the middle, subtly crawling under your single until you're struck with the usual, but passable chorus. Wish they did something else, a bit less explosive there, but it works and passes, unlike the most choruses on this album. The funky feel on MASQUERADE is actually really fun and I could easily imagine this track as a great, energetic summer hit, yeah if it wasn't plaqued with THE GENERIC CHORUS. The jazzy-breakdown-switch of this song is really cool and another plus.

Melody brings some beautiful acoustic guitar melodies but that is almost all that is to this lovely, half-melancholic piece. The deep-rooted genericness can't be overshadowed, not even by the amazing guitar that stroll around this album. Cynical Re:actor is a very interesting blend of harder guitars and english female talk set in the foreground that reminds on End of Sorrow by LUNA SEA... when I think about it the guitars DO sound like a harder version of LUNA SEA. I could even close an eye on the chorus cause it doesn't beat the song to the ground like the rest of the chorus-gang. Djaïnism songs are almost a standard sure-hit on each Nightmare album, and Djaïnism Kyuu isn't an expection, though slightly weaker than the rest of such songs because of the generic and predictable elements. I'm really glad to hear Ruka smash that double bass for once.

Nothing you lose glove-slaps the GazettE for a ballad duel, but doesn't really stand up the fight because of the lack of deeper expression, more tension and slight originality. They could easily be head-to-head with the GazettE in popularity if they'd just be a bit more versatile, original and not killing themselves with generic melodies, progressions, choruses and similar. Lost in blue brings a reminiscent and melodic feel, excellent bass-lines but turns a bit bland halfway, but is overall a tense and pretty expressive song. Simple life is a lazy lying in the grass staring in the sky on a sunny day, progressing slowly, without any sudden nor strong jumps, but lives up to the carfree, unexciting mood. Chronicle is a bit more present than Simple life, but is just as light, hitting a hrad not here and there but being overall slight reminiscent and relaxing.

Fact is Nightmare haven't managed to top their previous album Killer Show, but frankly not even any other of their albums, making majestical parade their weakest long player. The sadest thing about it, as mentioned on the start, are the generic choruses that basically and reservelessly water down every song, giving them a generic and unmemorable seal, even though some of the songs like NAKED LOVE, MASQUERADE and Cynical Re:actor as well as Nothing you lose aren't that half bad and have really great instrumentals. I wonder do these guys ACTUALLY listen to their songs because the repetition of certain elements is obvious even to half-deaf people. And it's more like their aiming for quantity rather than quality.

If you're a diehard Nightmare fan or somebody to whom this album is a first contact with this band then you'll probably be pleased with it, while other should rather get ready for a generic-fest if they don't plan to skip this one this time.

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