Visual Kei

[scarletwillow]

Probably not too many people that would listen to this kind of stuff here... it's a completely different genre from Jay Chou's... talking about Visual Kei, of course. It's a subgenre of J-rock that consists of music ranging from heavy rock, to traditional rock, to goth, to industrial, techno, and even classical.

It's not defined by its music as much as its visual style though... some people call it visual pop. Foreign artists like Marilyn Manson got their inspiration from Japanese groups like Malice Mizer...

http://mitglied.lycos.de/batcaveclub/Batcave2.0/visualkei_intro.html
For an idea of their makeup styles.

[Das Le Epi]

Hm, what about it?

Briefly explored Visual Kei when a friend went into her "Gackto-samaaaaaaa" phase (but he is cuute when he isn't *completely* femme), but found that I really wasn't into the genre. Malice Mizer's Syunikiss was an interesting song, but their music videos often disturbed me to no end, and I really hated the voice of the vocalist of this one group, I forgot what its name was, probably Dir en Grey.

However, I did end up liking some of Gackt's work(as a solo artist), but it really is more appropriately labeled as pop or something akin to it. Fragrance is one of my favs, and in ~Seki-ray~ he just has such a beautiful voice. *looveeeee*

mmm, life of a fangirl :P

(to those who might like yaoi, check out gackt's concert vanilla, it's really just...wow...truly disturbing on the first watch)

[scarletwillow]

Dir en Grey? Hehe, you don't like his voice or his image?

I have a friend who loves the guy, she got me into this whole thing. I can see why you don't like him...

http://gssm.2w.ca/Kyo%201.jpg

[iron_box]

well my most fav j visual kei band is Kagrra..

and i also like MUCC,
Miyavi and Inugami Circus Dan r okay too..

[kahel]

yaoi is boy to boy, right?:?

Anyway, my friend who adores L'arc~en~ciel so much, got me listening to some of visual kei like Dir en Grey (toshiya is from here, right?) and Luna Sea. They're very musically talented but it requires acquired taste.

I like rock music, so it wasn't a problem for me. But I have tried introducing them to others, they were like :glug:

[scarletwillow]

Mmm yah... yaoi is boy to boy... someone told me it translated to something like "no result"... sexually, if you know what I mean X_X
Toshiya is in Dir en Grey. L'arc~en~ciel though, doesn't count in the visual kei subgroup I think.

And yeah, I tried showing the music/some piccies to people at my school... now they all think I'm gay X_X

[kahel]

L'arc is not visual, it's kickass Jrock.

Anyway, for those curious about visual kei. Click here (http://www.vr99.net/pv.htm) for some downloads. They have downloads of some visual kei stuff + Jrcok.

[loko]

i went thru the whole gackt phase too a couple of years ago - haha. He does have a good voice though, but he's just so feminine-looking sometimes (actually i don't mind that :wink2: )
my friend is really into visualk and she showed me some of her faves, pierrot and malice mizer and a few others. i prefer rock music over all others, so like kahel the music wasn't bad imo, and i found their images/videos interesting for awhile, but got over it pretty quick :bleh:

l'arc-en-ciel isn't visual, but alot of ppl consider them borderline. btw, can anyone tell me if they've officially disbanded? coz hyde released his 2nd solo album recently, and they haven't done anything together since 'spirit dreams inside' for final fantasy movie, i wouldn't mind hearing some new stuff from them.

[happy1004]

i really think that visual kei is WAAAAY over the top with the make-up... some of those artists are actually pretty cute w/o those hideous stuff on their faces! :oops:

so as you tell, i'm not too much into it although gackt and others have pretty good songs once in a while. CD is ok, video isn't.

(would x-japan count in this category also? i love their balad collections!!! too bad they broke up those ancient years ago... :cry: )

[catseyes]

l'arc-en-ciel isn't visual, but alot of ppl consider them borderline. btw, can anyone tell me if they've officially disbanded? coz hyde released his 2nd solo album recently, and they haven't done anything together since 'spirit dreams inside' for final fantasy movie, i wouldn't mind hearing some new stuff from them.

Correct me if i am wrong, but i remember that they are visual when they first debuted. Anyway, just want to tell you Laruku is back, and they have released quite an amount of singles since last December. :) Also their new album will be released at the end of March.

[kimiko-chan]

I used to love Dir en grey. But not anymore. I just got tired of them. It's suprising to hear someone say that Kyo's voice is horrible. Most Diru fans that I know regard Kyo as their fav band member. They think he's absolutely wonderful.

Gackt doen't fall into the visual kei catogary right? He doesn't play dress up anymore since he's no longer in Malice Mizer.

[zhy378]

Hmmm...what about Melt Banana? umm i just kinda read an article about them. they seem kinda oakyish.but i'm not really sure if they are visual kei. oh and here's a link to that article
http://www.kiwibox.com/article.asp?a=30597

[XIII Dizzy]

Present day Gackt is far from visual kei. I don't even really consider him jrock, the only reason why he's still often associated with the genre is due to the fact that he used to be in MM. However, I must admit some of the stuff on Crescent have rockability.

I, for one, am also amazed that anyone could hate Kyo's voice. The man's not my favorite member (Toshiya is), but other than Kiyoharu and Kirito, he's the only one that I worship like a god. Dir en grey used to be my favorite band as well, though VULGAR and some reported recent activity of theirs (the whole thing about banning crowdsurfing) has made my former passion now just mediocre. Now indies artists are taking over my favorites list.

-farfie-

[linny]

Well, in all fairness, Gackt was only visual kei when he was with Malice Mizer. And I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I still consider Gackt jrock. Sure, his recent works have been more on the soft ballad side, but you can't really completely take him out of the jrock area when he has songs like Mind Forest, Lust for Blood and birdcage on his most recent album.

(That and let's not forget Crescent is sort of the ending album for his Moon/Moon Child project, so it makes sense that the album would be slower)

[XIII Dizzy]

:sigh: Yes, he's still rock. I just don't really like consumer whores, even if their music is catchy.

-farfie-

[scarletwillow]

GACKT = SELLOUT!!!! :P

I don't like him for abandoning MM... it's obvious that Kami's death is not related to it at all, but I still associate that with him leaving :P

I can't say I like Gackt's voice all that much... it was wonderful in Syunikiss... but in Crescent, I dunno. Lust for Blood had that old VK feel to it, but some of the other tracks were just eew...

As for Kyo's voice, I'm not a 100% fan either. Sometimes it just sounds out-of-tune... but most of the time, it fits well with the chaos ^_^

Back to Gackt in his MM days... some VK'ers have style when they dress up... but I think Gackt was just all-around, 100%, pure... transexual O_o
Not even pretty like Mana! Just eew!

[XIII Dizzy]

We all know Gackt left MM because Mana was molesting him too much.
:cough:
:D

Everyone should listen to Merry! They're so wonderful. I *heart* them.

By the way, Kagrra,'s new album, Miyako, is...not very impressive. I am disappointed, after they did so well on Yatogi Banashi and Ouka Ranman.

And Kagerou's Zekkyou Psychopath DVD is real horrorshow. The performances of Aidoru Gurui no Shinrigaku and Yuugure no Shazai are just...*orgasms*

-farfie-

[linny]

I can't say I like Gackt's voice all that much... it was wonderful in Syunikiss... but in Crescent, I dunno. Lust for Blood had that old VK feel to it, but some of the other tracks were just eew...


...Okay, I give you that much. Crescent isn't the best album to be listening to nor do I think it was his greatest work. But really, the most Gackt suffers from is using too much vibratto. The Sixth Day rerecordings are so much better. But you can't forget Mind Forest! And birdcage! And hoshi no suna! I shall scream and shout and whine if you say those songs are bad from Crescent. They are extremely good, especially birdcage.

As for Kyo's voice, I'm not a 100% fan either. Sometimes it just sounds out-of-tune... but most of the time, it fits well with the chaos ^_^

While Kyo may not have the greatest voice of all time, I give him mad props for being able to go from scary psychotic screaming to soft, deep manly voice in a matter of 2 split seconds. And actually, I like his voice, especially in slower songs like embryo or taiyuo no ao. Good stuff, that.

Back to Gackt in his MM days... some VK'ers have style when they dress up... but I think Gackt was just all-around, 100%, pure... transexual O_o
Not even pretty like Mana! Just eew!

Okay, I give it to you. Gackt cannot pull off looking like a woman. Which can be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. For me, I'm happy he didn't look like a woman. He's manly like that. And if you notice, in MM, he played the Prince, the most elegant and manly role there is in the group.

And I still don't see why everyone thinks Mana's so pretty. When you look at him, you can TELL he's a man. A ...scarily feminine man, but a man nonetheless. Not like Toshiya or Shinya from Diru. Those two REALLY look like women when they make an effort to. Mana could never pull off looking like a woman without all that heavy make-up on. Nope. And I've started at many MM pictures. Nothing, nada, zilch. He's not that pretty.

Random questioning, but are you guys into pop-ish jrock or vk jrock more? See, I lean more towards old popish jrock (as I was saying when talking to farfie) and I just wonder what everyone else prefers. VK jrock = Kagrra, nightmare, mois de moi (however you spell it), Lareine, etc. Popish jrock = Gackt, L'arc en Ciel, Luna Sea and Dir en Grey to some extents.

[XIII Dizzy]

Ahh. >.O I'd have to disagree with your cateogries of jrock there, linny. Deg, at least the present day Deg (as opposed to GAUZE era Deg) is not popish rock at all. The best description of it that I've found so far is "downright industrial."

But generally, I'd say I'm vk all the way, baby. Even though I despise Mana and all Mana minions/projects, including Moi dix Mois, Schwarz Stein, and whatnot. But I can't deny that I like popish rock like Gackt and L'Arc~en~Ciel (since L'Arc is like one of the greatest bands ever!). And I think PIERROT is getting popish with their sound too (I can never dislike them, bah). I also have a soft spot for just...simple and clean rock, done well, like with SADS. Kiyoharu is the man! Ultimately, the bands I'm loyal to are...un-vk, but I'm always exploring vk bands because of their experimentation with sounds and whatnot. I'm also really getting into eroguro/angura kei bands like Onmyouza, cali||gari, and I've liked Merry for a while now...

And actually, aside from Vidoll, I really don't like Matina/Under Code bands much, while when people think of vk they typically think of Matina-style makeup/costumes.

Wah, this is getting too long.

Anyway, to sum it all up, I love Mind Forest, and Kyo has a wonderful voice =P.

-farfie-

[linny]

The farthest I can go describing Diru is saying they're going mainstream, but I still consider them pop for some reason. O.o;;

And you see all those terms you said up there? You shall explain them all for me. Because I have no idea whatsoever of the words coming out of your mouth. I'm clueless like that. XD!

And popish rock wins over all.

And is no one else extremely amused by hide's LEMONed I Scream? I shall have to upload that here sometime. It's just... amusing. XD

[XIII Dizzy]

Oh, LEMONed I Scream is cute, the way he sings it reminds me of smurfs for some reason, but it's very like...linda candy pinky heaven dive (I'm sorry, but that's the best description I can come up with).

As for the jrock lingo...well, what terms do you want me to explain?

-farfie-

[linny]

downright industrial -
eroguro/angura kei bands -
Matina/Under Code bands -

What ARE those? O.o?

[wh00shwh00sh]

I like Malice Mizer and Moi Dix Mois. i love the whole visual kei appearance, it's great.

i happen to HATE kyo's voice and cant stand dir en grey for the strangest reason..

[linny]

*GASP* Why? What songs do you have from dir en grey? Maybe you didn't download the ~right~ songs? Because I used to not like Dir en Grey either, but as I listened to their music more, I've come to love it.

And who's your favorite member from Malice Mizer?

[wh00shwh00sh]

*GASP* Why? What songs do you have from dir en grey? Maybe you didn't download the ~right~ songs? Because I used to not like Dir en Grey either, but as I listened to their music more, I've come to love it.

And who's your favorite member from Malice Mizer?

i dont know, i downloaded a couple of songs but i deleted them right afterwards coz i couldnt stand his voice and it gave my sister a head ache. XD i think i have jealous and taiyounoao left. i havent gotten to deleting em yet.

as for my favorite member in mm, i used to really like mana, i thought he was just soooo beautiful. i carried around his picutre plastered to my binder and everyone at school still thinks im a freak because of it. then the more i lookd at him the scarier he got. *freaks out*

i like Klaha most in MM, but strangely i never liked Gackt in MM, i think hes better off solo.

[linny]

Really? Hrm, I always thought Malice Mizer hit their highest point when they had Gackt. They certainly gained their popularity when he was around. And I think Klaha would be better staying with Malice Mizer than going solo... but I suppose I kind of like Klaha solo at the same time. (I mean, he had a song with the word PENGUIN in it. How cute is that?)

And I think you downloaded the wrong songs for Dir en Grey, which accounts for the headaches. XD! Some of their songs that you might like (and that I adore): Cage, wake, audrey, 24ko Cylinder, ain't afraid to die, yurameki, fukai, GARDEN, embryo. I don't know, I have audrey on loop right now just because it's a gorgeous song. XD~

And actually, I still don't understand why people don't like Dir en Grey. Granted, Kyo IS scary during concerts at times and yes, they DO have some heavy metal rock, but really, diru has a great range of styles. They're a talented group; every member has made at least two songs that are popular within their fanbase and their styles only get more and more polished, nevermind what genre it might be considered as.

*shrug*

Does anyone here listen to Luna Sea? Or L'arc en Ciel?

[wh00shwh00sh]

Really? Hrm, I always thought Malice Mizer hit their highest point when they had Gackt. They certainly gained their popularity when he was around. And I think Klaha would be better staying with Malice Mizer than going solo... but I suppose I kind of like Klaha solo at the same time. (I mean, he had a song with the word PENGUIN in it. How cute is that?)

And I think you downloaded the wrong songs for Dir en Grey, which accounts for the headaches. XD! Some of their songs that you might like (and that I adore): Cage, wake, audrey, 24ko Cylinder, ain't afraid to die, yurameki, fukai, GARDEN, embryo. I don't know, I have audrey on loop right now just because it's a gorgeous song. XD~

And actually, I still don't understand why people don't like Dir en Grey. Granted, Kyo IS scary during concerts at times and yes, they DO have some heavy metal rock, but really, diru has a great range of styles. They're a talented group; every member has made at least two songs that are popular within their fanbase and their styles only get more and more polished, nevermind what genre it might be considered as.

*shrug*

Does anyone here listen to Luna Sea? Or L'arc en Ciel?

Ah, thank you for the suggestions. i will try these out. but my kazaa hates me so it might be a while before i actually hear em. XD
and i like l'arc en ciel, but i dont listen to the frequently. i borrowed their CD from my friend (who happens to hate all forms of Jrock, her dad bought it for her she never listens to it) and played it on repeeat a bajillion times until she said she wanted her CDs back (i had borrowed like 10 at once).

-edit-
okay, so i've downloaded these songs and :yeah: i like em!
^-^
although the first few songs i downloaded were pretty horrible.
i like these though. ^0^
perhaps i shall change my opinion about how i hate them now.
but, why did they ever make "sea of retards"? :? :dry:

[XIII Dizzy]

:curses:
Alright, the forum just deleted the post which I spent 20 minutes typing up, in brief:

downright industrial - Uhh, downright is just an adjective. The category is "industrial." I can't really explain it, it's like a modern/mechanical sound, reminds one of machinery and industrialization, which is very evident on Deg's VULGAR album.

eroguro/angura kei bands - eroguro = erotic + grotesque. Eroguro bands usually have songs about sex or gore. Angura kei is...more of a characterization of a visual style, as in the artists that strive to differentiate themselves from vk bands. For example, vk bands have a lot of long elaborate hairstyles and dresses and beautiful makeup and whatnot. Meanwhile angura kei is like smudged black lipstick, and plain (like suits or shirts)/strange (poofy shorts?) clothing. Angura kei bands are not necessarily eroguro, but eroguro bands are angura kei. Angura kei bands include Inugami Circus Dan, Onmyouza, METRONOME, Kalimero, etc. Of these, examples of eroguro bands are: MUCC, Kagerou, Merry (who everyone should listen to).

Matina/Under Code bands - Matina = label formed by Kisaki, former bassist of la:sadies (yes, the one that Deg members excluding Toshiya used to be in). Artists under this label are typically more renowned for their looks than their music, and are usually quite pretty. The two quite possibly most famous bands from Matina are Madeth Gray'll and Syndrome. A while ago Kisaki ceased Matina activities (god knows why, since Under Code is the same exact thing!) and made Under Code Productions. Vidoll, who then has only been under Matina for a short time, quickly switched to Under Code, and has since then become the most popular artist under UC. Other UC artists quickly climbing the popularity chart include Kalen and uh...KISAKI PROJECT (which is essentially Kisaki's vehicle of self-pimping through the voice of Jyui, the vocalist of Vidoll, who is one of Kisaki's many lackeys).

to wh00shwh00sh> Dir en grey never made a song called "sea of retards." So unless it's a la:sadies song (since I don't listen to la:sadies), it's just a prank pulled by people on Kazaa/WinMX.

And may I suggest the following Dir en grey songs (aside from ones linny listed):
raison d'etre
tsumi to batsu/mitsu to tsuba
yokan
Akuro no oka (one of the most gorgeous ballads. EVER)
Egynirys Cimredopyh +) an injection (cats, drugs, moon, suicide, masturbation, crows, dead bodies, split personalities, all wrapped into one neat philosophical package)
[KR]cube
Macabre~sanagi no yume wa ageha no hane~ (this one you should probably listen to after you've been a Deg fan for a while, only then can you really appreciate it)
Rasetsukoku
FILTH
gyakujou tannou KELOID MILK
Domestic Fucker Family
Undecided
JESSICA
Child Prey
byo''shin
The IIID Empire
Shokubeni
RED...[em]
Obscure

If you like more pop-ish songs, start with their GAUZE album.

-farfie-

[linny]

RED...[em] ROCKS!

And actually, I vaguely remember downloading a song that said "Sea of Retards" by Diru too. It was one of the first diru songs I ever downloaded actually and was one of the main reasons why I didn't seriously listen to DeG for about a year. Thankfully, one of my friends got to them before I began sampling, so she did have the good sense to get me addicted with Cage and yurameki before I went on my own hunts.

To farfie> Thank you for the explanation. I feel somehow more enriched though I don't think everything went in my head. ^^;;

Hrm. So, while we're at it, who are your favorite Jrock artists?

[XIII Dizzy]

Don't worry, eventually you'll learn.

Or if anything, just go to The Jrock Saga (http://www.jrocksaga.com) and read through the glossary. You'll get a lot out of it.

As for my favorite jrock artists:

Major
- Dir en grey (because they are just wonderful, nothing but pure gold)
- PIERROT (just how anyone can resist Kirito's little dances and eye makeup and PIERROT's awesome PVs is beyond me)
- L'Arc~en~Ciel (I don't know anyone else in jrock who can rock and croon and be so good in both)
- SADS (Kiyoharu is too cool. And sometimes when the loudness and complexity of other bands hurts my head, I always defer to the simple clean SADS songs)

Indies
- Miyavi (this man is just PERFECT. He's gorgeous, has such great style/clothes/hair. He's so much fun and just radiates happiness that watching him and listening to him makes you happy and optimistic about life too. He makes damn good music--from the grunginess of Ippiki ookami ron to the beautiful acoustic ballad Shoukyo to sakujo--, is unabashedly confident and charismatic, and he loves his fans, SO MUCH, more than my mother loves me, anyway, it makes a fan want to cry. The only fault that he can possibly have is how spastic he is on shows that he gives the appearance of an ADD patient)
- Merry (like I said before, they're so incredibly good that re-releasing things for them is forgivable. Their Gendai STOIC album is arguably worth more than the money. And their straight up style appeals to me, they're not ugly, and they're not flashy in their visuals, but they give off a cool aura--well, except for Nero, the drummer, who's a complete dork--that commands nothing short of your utmost respect)
- Kagerou (I'm not going to say anything. Because if I do, I'll go on for pages and my goal to appear un-fangirl would be destroyed and turn into lines of comments like "OMFG THEIR SONGS MAKES ME ORGASM111!!!!!")
- METRONOME (Hindu chant + rap + techno/electronica + game music + rock + a devilishly cute voice and guitars called "talbs", totally addictive)
- D (let's just say that they have yet to make a song that I don't like, and Asagi is definitely one of the most amazing vocalists ever)
- Fatima (they're my....guilty pleasure. I baby them, none of my friends like them. I don't know why. <33)

-farfie-

[wh00shwh00sh]

ah, then thank you for clearing that up. coz yea, i did get it off kazaa.
cant say i liked it either.
thanks for the other suggestions!
i'll check em out, once kazaa stops being a mean poo.

[XIII Dizzy]

Everyone should check out Merry! Merry Merry Merry! They're not too soft and not too hard and make both wonderful fast songs and ballads!

:waves huge "Merry banzai" flag:
メリー万歳!

:D
-farfie-

[linny]

Did anyone hear the new L'arc en Ciel album yet? SMILE? HAS ANYONE? It's spiffy! For some reason, it makes me think of a fusion of all past L'arc albums.

I think I'm addicted to Lover Boy and Feeling Fine. Seriously, any song with Hyde singing "ARE YOU FEELIN FINE?" and "LOVING YOU MAKE ME HAPPY EVERYDAAAY!" has to be good, right? right? XD~

And the album cover is just FUNNY.

[XIII Dizzy]

Gah, damn queues! It's time for me to get back into L'Arc again.

:skips: Also, seven more days until the release of Poetry, Kiyoharu's first solo album! :hands itch:

March 30 was the birthday of Sanaka, the wonderfully sexy and erotic vocalist of Fatima. Bow down and worship. By the way, Humiliate Me More, Darlin' is a wonderful song.

And March 31 was Toshiya's birthday. That boy must be aiming for immortality as well. He doesn't look 17 like Hyde does, but he sure as hell doesn't look 27 either!

-farfie-

[linny]

I have long since decided JRockers never look their age. Ever. I thought Toshiya was 24. -_-;;

And Hyde does not look like he's 17! He looks like he's in his late 20s. Or maybe it just seems like that to be me because with his long hair, he DOES look slightly older. (Is he trying to revert back to his pretty boy days?)

Which reminds me, what does everyone think about Jrock when compared to rock music from other countries? Maybe it's just me, but I think Jrock is funny because most Jrockers are actually old, at least if you go by American pop music standards. B'z has been around forever, Yoshiki certainly and then there's our popular bands where everyone is anywhere from their late 20's to mid 30s.

Also, do you think the more you get into Jrock the more you pay attention to the music as opposed to the looks? It seems to me that all the Jrock groups I get into, I like them before I know what they look like (with the exception of Gackt)... Since I'm still not in to the whole VK scene yet, I feel like I'm starting to be more accepting of looks because of the music. Or perhaps that's just me? I'm still not a fanatic over VK (though farfie is) and yet, I still like bands that have been known as VK bands.

...Or maybe I'm losing my mind. Again. TELL ME GOOD PIERROT AND MERRY SONGS!

[XIII Dizzy]

Oh, Hyde, when he shaves and keeps his hair short, looks pretty young. I thought he looked like a college boy in Hello.

Actually, the Rolling Stones have been around forever. And Aerosmith's been around for a while as well. Of course, being...not a connoisseur of American rock music, I'm sure there are plenty of other rock bands that have been around for quite a while. However, I do agree with you that many mainstream bands, like the White Stripes or the Strokes, are quite young, whereas members of major bands in Japan are rather old. Kiyoharu of SADS is 35, Dir en grey guys are all in their late 20's now (and Kaoru is 30!), PIERROT...actually, I don't know about PIERROT. SEX Machineguns and BUCK-TICK are pretty old too.

Regarding the looks factor. Actually, despite my love of vk, I don't base my judgment on looks at all, even though looks are an incentive for me to check out new bands. That is why I have typically hated Matina bands (Vidoll being the only exception), despite how gorgeous they are. And some bands, like METRONOME, are absolutely hideous, but I still love them because they sound great. I don't love vk bands because they are vk bands. I just happen to like them because they are good. :3

Okay, now for the important stuff:
Merry recommendations
Tasogare Restaurant
Yasashisa Kid
Pinkuiro no Seishun
Yellow Girl
Rojiura Elegy
Aikoku Koushinkyoku
Tamerai Shuffle
Arry

PIERROT suggestions
COCOON
Agitator
Neo Grotesque
Heaven
Rebirth Day
Hill -Genkaku no yuki-
Mad Sky
Upper Flower
Follower
Home Sick
(since there are shitloads of PIERROT songs, I recommended the more pop-ish ones/love songs or the lighter of the fast songs)

-farfie-

[wh00shwh00sh]

yes, i gotta agree. Jrock guys never look their age.
XD hyde is a great example. i'd never guess that hes nearing forty. :ph34r:

[XIII Dizzy]

I'm listening to SMILE right now. Disappointing. I think Hyde's voice isn't as strong as it used to be either, as evident in Coming Closer, where it sounds like he has to strain it in the chorus part. If it was the Hyde from even say, Spirit Dreams Inside era, he could do it with ease.

-farfie-

[linny]

You know, I swear the way his voice sounds, he does that on PURPOSE. He uses the same voice during lives, but listen to him solo and his voice is perfect. He uses a higher pitch when he's with L'arc, so I think that has something to do with it.

I don't know. Remember the first appearance they made on Heyx3 anniversay? When they performed Honey and Ready Steady Go? Hyde's voice was on the mark and he went pretty high for the end of Honey too.

Seriously though, was Tetsu on crack when they got together for the concept of this album? All the smileys for the tour pictures and all those booklet pictures are just FUNNY. XDDDD~

And what's your favorite song from the album then?

(*waves Miyavi flags* MIYAVI IS COOOOOOL! I just saw the POP is dead pv and it's hilarious. XD)

[XIII Dizzy]

What are you talking about? Tetsu was always on crack. >D Yeah, Hyde does use a higher pitch with L'Arc, but in the past it always sounded natural and easy, whereas now it kind of sounds strained, and like he's doing it with difficulty or something.

My favorite song so far is Feelin' Fine. Because it's a fun song. There are actually no songs on this album that I'd deem good rock songs, but they're still decent songs nonetheless.

Miyavi is wonderful. Eventually the entire world will come to that realization and bow before his chicken love.

Kin Kon Kan.

And as of today, Merry officially overtook Dir en grey as my favorite band. When I was going into the subway, I was humming "amata ga ZAKURO." When I was picking out apples at the market, I was whispering "BURUUJI Night." And when I caught myself mouthing the words to "Tokyo Telephone" on my way home, I knew that that was it. I've never had Deg songs in my head all day long before. And as I'm typing this, I'm singing along to "hi no ataranai basho."

-farfie-

[linny]

Merry is actually very good. More lovin' to the band with the pretty song that actually has Restaurant in it's title. XD~

Which reminds me. Glay has a song called Girlish Moon. Takuro is on crack, no? I mean, really, who names a song "girlish moon"?

[XIII Dizzy]

The song's called Tasogare Restaurant.
Ach! You're so lazy. Go download some more~

You think "Girlish Moon" is strange? Shulla has a song called "Surface of Monkey." Let's see other people try to top that.

And apparently there's a band out there called Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her.

-farfie-

[wh00shwh00sh]

lol, i like the new laruku CD!

i like ready steady go for some strange reason. XD

[laruku]

u guys should check out the older hitomi no jyunin single... its has ken tetsu and yukihiro singing.. yes. SINGING... gee...

i was amazed... =P


how come nobody's talking about xjapan? interesting.. =D

[wh00shwh00sh]

u guys should check out the older hitomi no jyunin single... its has ken tetsu and yukihiro singing.. yes. SINGING... gee...

i was amazed... =P


how come nobody's talking about xjapan? interesting.. =D

i love x japan!!!
i really like Kurenai.
i dont listen to their songs too much anymore though,
theyre awfully depressing.
they make me cry. ;_;

[XIII Dizzy]

Ken's voice was surprisingly soothing, and I heard TETSU69 stuff, so I wasn't surprised at Tetsu's voice. And Yukihiro's voice, amazingly, is really different from how it is in "Ring the Noise." I don't like it.

And I don't really like it when people release like 5,000,000 versions of the same song. *cough*

As for X-Japan. The problem is, my first song was Forever Love, and since I don't like...silent and non-heart-wrenching ballads, it was eight minutes of torture for me. First impressions leave an indelible mark on my mind, and most of the times I'll never change my mind about a band after first impressions. So...even if I would've liked their songs had I not heard Forever Love, I can't now. =P

The only two bands who have broken this mold are Nightmare and Vidoll. I hated them for like...forever. It's only until this winter with the release of Nightmare's "Ultimate Circus" album and Vidoll's "boku, boku" live-only single that I've finally come to like them, after over a year.

-farfie-

[linny]

You have to help me. I've finally gotten off my arse and actually began downloading and I need your opinion on several bands. So, I shall give you a list, and please tell me what you think. XD~

Raphael - I hear they're good. Not sure if there's anything to back it up.
Schwarz Stein - I am scared of everything Mana produces. Did he produce them?
Kagrra
Kagerou
Blood
Laputa
Baroque
Pierrot
Pencillin
Plastic Tree
Gazette - I downloaded Madara and decided I only like the last two songs off that thing. But the singer rolls his r's like Kyo, so I give him brownie points.
Vidoll
Nightmare

--

And I think that's all I can remember. I don't actually have much hope for many of these because they sound alike to me, but ...need help. And no worries farfie. I like Merry. They r0x0rs my s0x0rs. XD

[wh00shwh00sh]

You have to help me. I've finally gotten off my arse and actually began downloading and I need your opinion on several bands. So, I shall give you a list, and please tell me what you think. XD~

Raphael - I hear they're good. Not sure if there's anything to back it up.
Schwarz Stein - I am scared of everything Mana produces. Did he produce them?
Kagrra
Kagerou
Blood
Laputa
Baroque
Pierrot
Pencillin
Plastic Tree
Gazette - I downloaded Madara and decided I only like the last two songs off that thing. But the singer rolls his r's like Kyo, so I give him brownie points.
Vidoll
Nightmare

--

And I think that's all I can remember. I don't actually have much hope for many of these because they sound alike to me, but ...need help. And no worries farfie. I like Merry. They r0x0rs my s0x0rs. XD

I've only heard one of Schwarz Stein's songs but i love em.
The one i've got is called perfect garden. It's all techno-y. mucho fun.

[oxliddoebooyaxo]

What are you talking about? Tetsu was always on crack. >D Yeah, Hyde does use a higher pitch with L'Arc, but in the past it always sounded natural and easy, whereas now it kind of sounds strained, and like he's doing it with difficulty or something.

My favorite song so far is Feelin' Fine. Because it's a fun song. There are actually no songs on this album that I'd deem good rock songs, but they're still decent songs nonetheless.


I thought hydes vocals was weakening too especially after i watched his one budokan concert for his solo album 666, he sounded like he was about to croak (but he was supposedly sick). He looked really unhealthy awhile ago too, but i saw a few recent performances, i guess he looks a bit better ? I really <3 his l'arc voice though


I've only heard one of Schwarz Stein's songs but i love em.
The one i've got is called perfect garden. It's all techno-y. mucho fun.

hmm i heard that song too, and surprisingly i liked it. For some reason mana scares me.

[rainbowseason]

omg I LOVE VK
their like my life hah i've got 28 vk poster on my wall most kagrra, dir en grey, miyavi
and those good famous ones ^o^
we need more vk fans heh
i really love their style of music heh

[masterxkae]

Anyone got Kagrra's new album? I was reading the posts and saw a couple fans. I think their new album SAN is fantastic. Well, It's not GREAT, GREAT. But it's darn good.

[Water424]

Just one thing here....How bout Silver ash i think they are a good visual kei band i liked their songs Gorgeous Devil, Lunar eclipse, and Never End
The other albums are good but if you want to start listsening to them try these out first
Here are some pics...

http://www.geocities.com/visual_silverash/sa.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/sa_yue/pic/02sa05.jpg
http://www.silverash.net/newsite_english/foto/4.17/YO&YUE-1.jpg

[Kiro]

did anione bought X JAPAN new COMPLETE BOXII ? or HIDE TRIBUTE

[kelsai]

can i ask, has anybody seen malice mizers MV illuminati???
what do u think of it.. do u think the go a bit to over board with the sex theme?? hAHha :tongue: i dont mind it but i showed it to my japanese student. and she was kinda embarrassed abt all the sexuallness?? do u feel the same way?

[yoshiki3011]

i saw the illuminanti mv.. at first.. i thought it is jus another typical Malice Mizer MV.. but suddenly there was this nude scene... haha..

[Dears]

I love visual kei stuff my favorite band ever is Malice Mizer, and I love Gackt solo works and all. I like Dir en Grey too and the trax and Silver ash they are Chinese visual kei or they were until the government made them dispand. I heard Gazette is getting pretty popular.
I also like Moi dix Mois which is Mana's (Malice Mizer) solo project. It's pretty cool
I love the make up and the outfits and the hair. :-)

[hydeist]

I absolutely adore j-rock. I started out listening to pop, but it all got old after a while...And what's more interesting than visual kei, right? I'll admit I can't always handle the amount of gore in some PVs, but the music can more than make up for it.

Pierrot is one of my favorites. Kirito's lyrics are really raw, brutally honest, and at times vaguely disturbing.
Kagrra, is amazing. There aren't that many angure kei bands these days, and their traditional Japanese sound mixed with the more modern, driving rock beat is, in my opinion, really appealing.
I'm not too big on Plastic Tree or Gazette, so I'm really selective about what songs of theirs I like. XD Surely I'm not the only one...*laughs*

[-vIt-]

I absolutely adore j-rock. I started out listening to pop, but it all got old after a while...And what's more interesting than visual kei, right? I'll admit I can't always handle the amount of gore in some PVs, but the music can more than make up for it.

Thats the same with me! I used to listen to jpop, it got old, and now im loving jrock!
Alice nine is really cool, any of their fans here? I only listen to some jrocks, i think there are some thats good and some thats not as good, depends on your taste. I usually listen to Alice9, gazzete, nightmare, and ancafe.
I really recommend shoxx magazine if anyone is looking for a good mag, its got really good pictures of those jrockers!

[angelofdevotion]

After listening to Vk, i cannot go back to pure j pop.. because i love VK too much!!! i love the styles, the hard music with great guitar playing and uniqueness of the singers and bands made me real.... move... heheh

i like miyavi!!!alice nine, gazette, those are my fav bands right now! Dir en grey is also good, even though kyo scares me sometimes, and... due le quartz, miyavi's old band is good as well... more over i cannot forget despair rays! really nic eband as well!!!

[little_bee]

I love Alice Nine! Lol, I started to listen to them and I've fallen for their songs. <3

[hil_sky]

Woah, this thread is.. old. lol Does anyone know An Cafe? I just found out about them a few months ago and I'm already in love with them. They're different from the other Visual Kei bands. They're not that much on the "dark" side, they're a happy band.

Here's their official website: http://www.ancafe-web.com

[cheekySEEKy]

an cafe, yes i've heard of them. boku, is that his name, the one on your avatar? he's cute! ^-^..

about VK.. i was really into VK back in high school to early college.. now i'm more into VK fashioi. a lot of the newer VK stuff i hear are okay. plus, i don't really have access to (or too lazy to DL) VK music.

[-vIt-]

an cafe, yes i've heard of them. boku, is that his name, the one on your avatar? he's cute! ^-^..
his name is bou ^^

I think not much people who listen to jay also listen to VK..
but I do =P

Plastic Tree just released a new single- Alone Again, Wonderful World.
Not bad.

[Bijun]

I really love Vkei. The first type of foreign music I got into was V-kei haha, but you're right. There probably aren't that many on here who like it.

My comment's a bit late, but AnCafe's music is happier than most visual kei bands because they're a different type of genre called oshare kei. Oshare kei is a genre for visual bands, but generally they have a happier/lighter/ more positive message in their songs. ^^

And I love Plastic Tree. I'll have to look out for their new pv.