Album Rating: 2.0

So you're confident they'll improve production and sound quality at some point? I can't share that confidence. Brickwalling is pretty common in today's music.

I'm confident their production will always change, whether it's good is another matter. You can have brickwalled production and still sound amazing, this album was definitely not that though.

Album Rating: 2.0

We'll see.



Do you think there will be an NA tour after the EU tour being such a fiasco? I assume there will be, but I haven't seen them confirm one yet.

The NA team got fired, so I doubt it. The dispute between The End Records and their management is probably the reason.

Album Rating: 2.0

I wasn't aware of that. Do you think the last NA tour they did will be the last ever?

It's a possibility, an NA tour should be done if they did one for Europe though.

Album Rating: 2.0

It should be, but what should be done and what is done are often very different things.

Album Rating: 3.0

"Loving how your rating is whittling down lol"

Gonzo, that's because I took a few weeks away from it, and revisited again recently after my hype died for it. Ultimately, I concluded that w/everything in consideration (the goods and the bads) I think this album is so ok it's just average. 2.5 is probably how it'll stay for me.

"I do think it's more realistic than new X Japan, though. It has a much higher chance of being good, as well."

Agreed on both, Irony.

As far as a US Tour though? It's possible. They toured the US for Arche in 2015 (I was there) despite the fallout w/The End happening already. From what I know, the US staff on that tour wasn't their usual overseas staff in past cycles.

I would you get a US tour. Also since you bought that deluxe limited edition from Japan I hope you liked the stuff on the Blu Ray.

Album Rating: 3.0

If you're talking about the BluRay content on The Insulated World, the live performances are good (as always). The packaging itself was quite nice and I appreciated the fact they included the English translations in the lyric book despite the album being so average it's ok. I don't regret getting it.

I sold mine to buy a Yuru Camp Nendoroid since I totally know how to invest my money wisely.

Album Rating: 2.0

@Acme I thought the split from The End was before Arche, so I didn't think it affected touring. I was thinking there would be a NA tour with the staff they had from the Arche tour.

“Bands going on well past their prime is pretty normal. DM fans here probably all wish Morbid Angel and Cryptopsy had ended before they embarrassed themselves.”

Agree about Cryptopsy but the only weak link in Morbid Angel’s discography is Illud, and while that one was truly awful, I don’t think something like that will ever happen again lol

Album Rating: 4.5

This thread is interesting to me because it’s the only place I’ve really seen people talking about this album like it’s the end of this band. I moved to Japan after Arche came out and if anything I felt like that album had a lukewarm reception among Japanese fans, at least from what I saw. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion and I’m not trying to change anyone’s mind or anything, but even other Western fans are mostly saying the album is at least good. The production and simpler songwriting is a bit of a bummer and initially I was thinking this was around a 3.5 or 4 for me but have so much fun with this that I had to bump it.



One thing I’ve found interesting, and I hope this doesn’t make me come off as an elitist weaboo or something lol, but because DEG does so many interviews and stuff that unfortunately aren’t translated to English, the expectations for this album became very different between those who can/want to follow all the Japanese interviews and news and the majority of Western fans who didn’t know what to expect. What I really wanted was DSS 2 but after years of interviews with the members saying they wanted simpler and more aggressive songs meant for live performances, I guess I knew what I was getting and this album ended up being downright proggy compared to the impression I got from Kaoru saying he was influenced by the simpler songwriting of pop music, as well has him saying they were avoiding compositions that couldn’t be pulled off live properly. After the Utafumi single came out over two years ago Kyo talked about how he felt that he should have used more harsh vocals on that album so that and a bunch or other stuff made a lot of Japanese fans rethink what they were in for this time. So yeah, nobody is right or wrong as this is all subjective but I think it would be cool if DEG did more English interviews because there is this perception here that they are on their last legs when I feel like a good portion of the Japanese fan base looks at them as being at the peak. And I feel like a lot of that has to do with their media presence and communication with fans there.

Album Rating: 3.0

@Irony The fallout happened less than 2-3 months before the release of Arche. Initially, The End said they were releasing it but then a few weeks later, they said that the band is no longer on the label.

Album Rating: 2.0

I just don't like the songs. The guitar playing is so incredibly boring. I can't remember any riffs from Utafumi or Ningen at all, and those were the singles. By contrast, there were loads of great riffs on Uroboros. Ranunculus sounds like a pop song and is a massive step down from, say, Behind a Vacant Image or Ware, Yami Tote.



I see it as the "end" because the band is obviously dumbing down the songwriting at this point, and I don't like the songs that process results in. If further albums continue like this, I'm not interested.

Album Rating: 4.5

Well that’s fair. I don’t really disagree with you and I agree Utafumi has a pretty boring riff. But somehow I still find the songs to be more than the sum of their parts and I’m enjoying them a ton even if this album isn’t the masterpiece that Uroboros or DSS were to me. I wouldn’t be too worried about them sticking to any one style for too long though because every one of their albums sounds different, for better or worse. Tbh I thought Arche was pretty boring since it has too many mid-tempo songs and STU is one of their worst singles imo (I think it was a very good album overall, just not something I really want to jam as much) but I knew the next one would be nothing like it because they never make the same album twice.

@Irony, I really feel like you're blowing it out of proportion. So you don't like DEG's latest album. It doesn't mean it's the "end" for them, as you say. Pretty sure plenty of people thought the same thing when Marrow came out. I said a similar sentiment earlier regarding the band. I guarantee you plenty of fans thought the same thing when Macabre came out after Gauze, or Kisou after Macabre. Etc, etc, etc. The album average is currently at a 3.8, so people don't seem to think it's the worst thing they've ever put out. Looking for reviews elsewhere, it's about the same. The general consensus is that it's a good album, not their best. Nothing wrong with that.

Album Rating: 3.0

If you actually like the album, more power to you. For me, it’s an album that has some good songs (the rest are average or unenjoyable for me) that got plagued w/wafer thin overproduced “raw” production to me that ultimately makes it just an average album when push comes to shove...but still it’s probably not my least favorite album either (Macabre barely edged it out for that title).

But...if you told me that this was done by the GazettE (a band that I think is generally awful IMO), I would’ve thought that it’s a really good album.

Album Rating: 4.5

Macabre was my least favorite until I realized how cringey the lyrics on a lot of Kisou songs are.