Album Rating: 5.0

Good lad, soon this band is going to waste all my money.

It's only a waste if it's utter shit ;]

Album Rating: 5.0

I've been there Calc. I wouldn't like to fathom a guess how much I've spent on these guys over the years.

Album Rating: 5.0

Hehe, would be easier if I had a job and if I wasn't at Uni :/



If I liked them pre-Uroboros that would be even worse for my wallet, but at least those don't have monster limited editions like Uroboros onwards.

Are they still as big as they were in the mid 2000s? It is hard to tell nowadays.

Album Rating: 5.0

It's remained relatively constant in Japan, in terms of US their had that explosion of popularity with Uroboros and Marrow touring and remained constant again.

Well, good to hear they are doing well. They one of the more interesting and unique popular bands around.

Album Rating: 5.0

Yep they always have good tours and they do/extend them alot, so they're getting income with plenty of fans. Pretty much the most successful VK band when it comes to overseas (they're not VK anymore but you get my point).

Oh, Visual Kei, why did you have to over saturate yourself with pop acts? You used to be so sexy.

It was wise of them to change their image.

Album Rating: 5.0

Well replace 'pop acts' with either bands becoming shite when they turn major, not very good to begin with and focus on fashion mostly, bands constantly ripping off X Japan, Luna Sea etc. or all or the above then yep pretty much right. Almost all VK acts (minus Malice Mizer, Versailles and Kamijo are the main examples) doing it to either make them gain a cult following in a deadicated scene/stand out with their clothing and drop it when they get bigger due to the negative stigma VK has in Japan or just want to do it because they saw their favorite bands so it and want to copy. Ah well, at least Kamijo's Symphony of the Vampire was a masterpiece and shows even now something can come out of a scene which is rightly criticised although for alot of times for the wrong reasons.

Oh, Versailles/Jupiter. I really wish I enjoyed more of their output. The scene certainly seems to be going the way of 80s Hair Metal. I wonder if we have a massive new grunge movement to look forward to.

You are right, though. Pretty much every VK band I dug became crap around the same time their stuff became easier to acquire here in the states.

Album Rating: 5.0

Jupiter kinda stink, rips them to threads in a sound off. I know you loved Noble but you didn't like Jubilee or Lyrical Sympathy? Also check out Symphony ASAP if you haven't, IMO it's even better then Noble.

Part of why I love Noble is Hizaki-sama. I feel like Jubilee and Lyrical Symphony, while more thematically consistent, were far more bloated. I will check Symphony soonest.

Album Rating: 5.0

Hizaki has more of a hand in songwriting in Jubilee then Noble, he wrote 4 songs on Noble and 5/6 on Jubilee so I miss your point here, plus the blotted point.

Hmmm, I suppose Hizaki should stick to the solos then, because the actual songs just overstay there welcome. Noble has its moments where I think, "ok, that's enough," but it never goes too far. Every time I tried to listen to three follow ups, I just got so bored.

...I think You dying was part of the problem. Maybe he brought something to the band, some level of influence that was lost afterwards. I just know I love that album and really like the preceding EP and felt deflated when I heard their subsequent stuff. That and it has been a while so I am having to go off of memory.

Album Rating: 5.0

Then I suggest Hizaki Grace Project's Curse of Virgo, it's a 5 song instrumental EP where Hizaki and Teru shred the fuck up and it's great. Alot of the style of that album melded with Lyrical Sympathy actually, hense why there's less symphonics then their usual efforts. Your points are definately valid for Holy Grail and to a lesser extent their s/t but I definately disagree with Jubilee. I love that album the more I listen to it, maybe we look for different things in the band because to me Kamijo is the heart and soul of the band. They have less influences on that album then Noble but it's consistant enough and has the highlights to stand toe to toe with Noble.

Curse of Virgo is how I got into Hizaki. FUCKING "APHRODITE"! My young queer heart almost couldn't take all the sexy.

I will give Jubilee another shot then.

Album Rating: 5.0

Supreme Being was my favorite song on there, ruthless pace, meaty main riff and off the wall solos that never get boring.

Nowadays, Hizaki has become overly reliant on his wrist flicking. Dude, you are hawt. You don't need to play it up THAT much.

Album Rating: 5.0

That solo project is incredible, wanna hear more from him instrumental-only.