Thursday, August 25, 2011

#7) トモダチ (Tomodachi) |

What a trooper..
I don't remember exactly where I first encountered this raunchy photo, but I do remember busting my butt forever trying to find out who there were! While being a fairly new band, just having released their first maxi-single "神様と鬼ごっこ。" in late June, I can't help but get the feeling that I've been listening to them forever @.@#

Oh, you mean, despite that they look like every other visual kei band out there?
As much as I want to reluctantly agree, no. "神様と鬼ごっこ。" is a great song! Just a personal observation, but it reminded of the first time I began listening to ayabie (I'm talking about their early stuff) and how their music used to make me feel this translucent vibe of self-discovery, yea, I can be lame. Now, "絶倫オナニストの憂鬱。", on the other hand, isn't as great, but is still pretty tolerable. In a crunchy PB&J sandwich kind of way.

I'm not sure what's going on between the band now. According to their website, looks like some of the members got scratched out from the "profile" section, I'm hoping it's just something for publicity rather than a change of line-up. Ugh, gotta love the photo♥


I absolutely adore the deep, raspy-voice!
Video might be a little too ecchi for me..

| 2:38 PM

Thursday, August 4, 2011

#6) Dum Spiro Spero Album review |

"You will not 'enjoy' this".

After returning home from work on Monday night, I saw a link in my e-mail. A link to new Dir en grey album. I immediately thanked a religious entity, took a cold shower, made me some chocolate milk, and sat on my bed w/ my iPod (all synced and ready to go) ready to get my head blown off, just as I have done w/ three of their previous albums. My anxiety, excitement, apprehension...almost quickly sank into my stomach which had transformed into a chasm of rue. What was going wrong? Why?

I realized I was in over my head w/ this album when I began to notice the fresh taste of vomit in my mouth during track #6 (Juuyoku). I started listening August 1st in the late evening and.... now after hearing the entire album several times, it still feels as if I've only heard it once...I've never been so "musically" confused. Not only do most of the -"let's experiment w/ incoherent guitar riffs and a melodically challenged attempt to capture something different"-esque songs just go out one ear and out the other (or my mouth, in this instance), I couldn't, and still can't, shake the feeling that this album was, well, rushed. Rushed like a long-awaited pee break during a colonic procedure -.-#

However, despite the anal cleansing, I just realized today: the recording of this album was disrupted by the earthquake that hit Japan this March, the lyrics capture the turmoil during then and even the after effects it's still having throughout the country today. My point? Nothing, I just remembered it...haha. The unsubtle, uncomforting, hopelessness, despair, wretched, existance of this album to begin w/... These songs are almost too much to appreciate, none the less, like.

This album sounds like a gift direct from Hell. Ugh, and as if the re-recordings of "Lotus" and "Hageshisa to..", weren't frightening enough -.-# I have conditioned myself to the point of nausea w/ Dum Spiro Spero. I expected too much. I have become the fool... but I'm one hell of a fool who loves to vomit♥

I really hate this album...there is not one ounce in me that can convey any positiveness about it, then again, isn't hate just another, more realistic/believable, word for "love"? Ladies and Gents, it's Dir fucking en grey.

| 7:44 PM