Album Rating: 3.5

First four tracks are really solid. The issues I have fall on the tracks after 13, where song quality fluctuates.

Album Rating: 4.0

Kamuy is the best song here imo

Album Rating: 1.0 | Sound Off

Dir En Grey is a perfect mixture of K-Pop and Marilyn Manson, with a hint of Backstreet Boys for good measure.

"Kyo's vocal style might take a little warming up to. I really didn't like him at first but over the years he has become my favorite vocalist."

Is it weird that I miss visual kei era, Kyo? His voice back then was so different. He doesn't use that visual kei voice anymore, sadly. Like on songs from Macabre or Gauze.

Album Rating: 3.5

“He doesn't use that visual kei voice anymore”



For me, that’s a good thing lol

Album Rating: 3.5

"The issues I have fall on the tracks after 13, where song quality fluctuates."

yeah for real. the closing combo is decent, but the middle on this is kinda choppy. nothing disastrous, but damn does that opening set the bar a little too high

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah, that’s exactly how I feel. Last two songs are really great.

Album Rating: 3.5

also got a soft spot for Eddie. absolutely disproportionate levels of brvtal to everything else here lol, reminds me what they did with Midwife on Arche (though obvs not as good) and I vibe it for the same reasons

This may sound insane but I expected this album to feel like a breath of fresh air after TIW and to really enjoy this...

...instead the opposite happened and I appreciate TIW far more now this has dropped.

“He doesn't use that visual kei voice anymore” - He still floats around that register but he's far less nasal now, which is for the better as much as I like his performance on Gauze.

Album Rating: 3.5

Think we’re def on the same vibe with this Johnny



@calc

I’m surprised, I was expecting a 4.5 from you lol what you feeling at the minute?



I’m just super bummed they don’t do solos anymore — at least not ones that have significant weight behind them. And I also think Toshiya lacks any presence on this album. At least he had a couple of moments on TIW, for all its flaws. Here he has nothing

Album Rating: 3.5

speaking of solos, the solo on different sense is one of the best they ever did but it always annoys me that Kaoru doesn't do it the same as in the studio version live, he changes the best part of the solo every time, its only like 1 bar but damn does it get on my nerves LMAO (the performance of it on the limited bluray is really good btw worth checking out)

Album Rating: 3.5

That’s what I mean. The solos on dss/arche are fucking god-tier, and it’s like die and kaoru are burnt out from it

Album Rating: 3.5

yea like what was that solo on followers on tiw LOL

i don't have strong feelings about this album but schadenfreude is one of their high end songs

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah tiw was insulting on the guitar front, both solos and riffs

@Dr: I don't really rate things anymore as I find that stressful, but to describe my feelings so far I enjoy the album. I enjoy almost every song, but not much is blowing me away (13 is incredible though). There are some fresh ideas and of course, things can change over time/live blu rays to come out yum but this album is pretty reserved without that many winner hooks. TIW is so audibly offensive, simple and frantic. I hated that at the time as it felt like a serious regression compared to the more complex and well written albums of before, but compared to this album it got an extreme reaction out of me. Knowing how Kyo felt at the time, and looking at the lyrics too, the album has a sense of anxiety and frenzy which I don't think any of their albums have.

While I can't call it a fantastic album due to Rubbish Heap/Downfall stinking up the joint and having to replace Utafumi with the single version, I enjoy it much more now than I used to. Plus I just put the album on speakers so the production doesn't bother me.

@samwise: Brah that Followers solo is the shit.

Album Rating: 3.5

it isnt the worst solo ive ever heard, but its just kinda there, not memorable to me. I will say ive grown attached to tiw tho over the years, have a soft spot for it

Album Rating: 4.0

This isn’t one of their best albums, but Schadenfreude is one of their absolute best songs. Easily top 10, maybe top 5, possibly top 1. Unfortunately that means it’s all (relatively speaking) downhill from there even if all the songs are great on their own. I feel like this album is begging for a “remastered and expanded” re-release à la Uroboros. The production is lacking is some places, and I really think the album needed another faster/heavier song between Otogi and Kamuy to make the back half of the album drag a bit less. Two ballads in a row to finish of the album is a bit much.

Album Rating: 4.0

In other news, the last Sukekiyo EP was extremely disappointing. Candis a solid single but the other two songs could not possibly be less memorable. Petit Braboncon is meh so far. Kyo’s vocals are great as per usual and I especially appreciate the throwback to his unhinged MOAB-era screams. Instrumentally the band isn’t really doing it for me though. It’s a little to obviously Korn-inspired nu-metal with generic punk influence and there’s something about the slowish tempo and downtuned guitars with not enough gain that rubs me the wrong way. That being sad I’m looking forward to their debut LP next month.

Album Rating: 3.5

" the last Sukekiyo EP was extremely disappointing"

gonna have to disagree, I thoroughly enjoyed furesaseru, even more than Candis tbh. I really loved Infinitum too, and I saw a lot of criticism for that record when it came out but I am honestly fine with the more pop direction they are going in as long as the songwriting is solid, which so far it has been