I've been busy again, which is why I haven't posted; school's hectic as always and there really isn't much time. I've kept up with all the releases though; I just haven't been able to write up a decent review at all.
This is one of the reasons why I admire あさり --she's really, really dedicated to the music and its listeners. I'm just really inconsistent right now, so I apologize; there will be sporadic updating in the months to come, but I won't abandon this blog.
There's a new PV out for the Gazette though -their song Leech:
So. Let's keep this short and sweet.
Likes
1. The use of monochromatic colors and the theme -the different transformations and changes that the girl's face went through were interesting. The different things extending from her head, her hair, her lack of hair, the black smoke and the changing eyes were enjoyable to watch. It's psychologically thrilling, in a way -it's not so much as grotesque as Dir en Grey PVs (read: Obscure) but it was just as cathartic.
2. The guitars in the 2 minute mark.
3. The contrasts in the dark-light colors.
4. The ending, especially the scream at the 4 minute mark.
Dislikes
1. The female singers. Enough is enough. They're moving away from the style of Stacked Rubbish, but vestiges of the hip-hop/female back-vocals remain. They're unnecessary.
2. The reliance on older tunes -I feel like this is a blend of half the songs that they've put out; I could go through their whole discography and I'd probably find three other songs that sound like this.
3. The structure of the song -it's too repetitive and though the PV holds the viewers' attention, it might not if it was just an mp3. I feel like they had more complex songs on their Nil album; I feel like they should be making more progress (but I am, after all, a spoiled fan. I admit it wholeheartedly, but I can't help but to point this out. Any fan would like it, but those who have listened to Nil and were unsatisfied with Stacked Rubbish might not like it as much.)
4. Ruki's hair. It reminds me of a poodle.
5. The five-second screen time that all the other band members get.
Rating:
So I'm changing my rating system here so I don't sound too harsh (as always).
My rating: :/
It's an alright song and it's performed well, etc. but it leaves the listener wanting something more. I feel like the GazettE should be maturing and progressing, not struggling to claw their way out of a rut.
Fan rating: 4/5
Fans will like it; it's a solid song, as usual, and the PV is interesting; it doesn't just show the band playing, though there is the Caucasian-girl-in-visual-kei-PV cliche. Ruki's voice is alright; the tune wanders a bit, but it's listenable. Might be hard to get it stuck in your head though.
It's sad, because I've been drifting back to their music these past few months; 'Stigmata' would be on constant rewind in my head. They might have imitated Dir en Grey and they might have sucked during some of their interviews, but they were consistent.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting this. When I first heard/found out (courtesy of http://jrocknyc.blogspot.com/ and Shattered Tranquility) I was surprised. They seemed to be holding up pretty well, but I guess its their decision. Better than fading out, anyways.
They have a mini-album coming up in October-ish and then a best-of album; Dec. 25th is their last live.
The question is, do you think they'll resurface again in the visual kei scene?
I've been out for about a month, and I really don't have a good excuse. I was out of the country for a week and bought basically the same pair of shutter shades that Shou has and when I came back, I had to finish up all the summer work I'm obligated to do before school starts. Which begins Friday.
I have been watching a lot of movies though the music I'll review later so here are a few you should watch and some you should avoid if you ever feel like watching an Asian movie or whatnot. Most of these are Chinese, though some do have Japanese actors (namely, Takashi Kaneshiro).
So here's what I've been watching this summer:
1. The Warlords
Starring: Jet Li, Takashi Kaneshiro, and Andy Lau
Anyway, the movie follows General Qing Yun (Jet Li), who is the only one left alive after his army is destroyed. Qing Yun, though, soon meets up with two bandits, Wu Yang (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Er Hu (Andy Lau). The three become close and Qing Yun convinces them to form an army with him and together they battle. Before they set out, however, they sign a 'Death Contract', making them brothers.
The plot isn't as convoluted as it may seem, because it does involve some political intrigue and whatnot. It's the acting that gives the movies its depth --Jet Li becomes the character you want to hate. He's a twisted character who turns on people and it's painful to watch the bonds between these three men shatter. Kaneshiro is again, flawless in his acting; he's become one of those actors who you can't possibly categorize --he really can play any role. And Andy Lau, who usually annoys me with his acting (and music career) was good as well.
The thing that makes this movie priceless, though, is its indirect jab at the Chinese government. It's very, very subtle, but the way the Qing lords turn on each other and the three men and the way the Death Contract is quite shattered in the end shows how some promises can never be kept and no one should be trusted.
So, if you're into war movies, drama, or historical movies, this one's for you.
Rating: 8.7
2. Red Cliff
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Vicky Zhao Wei, Lin Chi Ling, Chang Chen, Shido Nakamura, Hu Jun
Here is the premise:
Cao Cao's army is threatening to take over the land, but Liu Bei's army and Sun Quan's decide to ally together. Liu Bei's strategist (Takeshi Kaneshiro), Zhuge Liang, and Sun Quan's strategist (Tony Leung), Zhou Yu, together plan to find some way to defeat Cao Cao.
It's the classic case of underdog vs. Goliath, but the friendly animosity between Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu is entertaining.
The only two complaints I have are that the uniforms for the three armies could have been in different colors, because in the battle scenes, it's a huge rush of grey armor and no one can tell which soldier is on which army; it gets confusing. Another complaint is the cinematography; John Woo, the director, spent $80 million on this film and I'm guessing that with the amount of extras he had, which was many for the battle scenes, instead of using crappy computer-generated soldiers, the shots of the battles could have been done better. Frequently, you only get to see a leg here, an arm there --there's nothing in the movie that really screams $80 million dollars, and the all-star cast really shouldn't cost that much.
Be warned, though, that the movie ends abruptly, though the sequel comes out January of 2009.
Rating: 8
3. Confessions of Pain
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and whoever the female lead was
If you're into mystery and psychological drama, this one's for you.
(It's rumored that Tony was depressed for a while after the making of this movie, and you can kind of tell why.)
The story itself is disturbing, the characters' agony palpable, and the plot line so convoluted that I had to rewatch some scenes.
Sort of something to watch if you ever have the time to.
(Though I heard that Leonardo DiCaprio and William Monohan recently acquired rights for this film and are going to make an American adaptation. So, if you liked Infernal Affairs or The Departed, you'll probably like this.)
Rating: 7
4. The King and the Clown
I've only started it, but it looks good.
The person standing on the far right, for your information, is a man.
He is very pretty.
He is the reason why I decided to watch this film.
And he is shining in it already.
(I hope he doesn't die.)
Rating: 7.5
5. The Empress and the Warriors
The plot was weak.
By the end of the movie, I didn't know if it was an adventure movie, a war movie, a romance, a tragedy, or a comedy.
Honestly now.
The fight scenes were short, the romance scenes were too, too cheesy, and the male leads were not pleasing on the eyes at all.
Rating: 3
6. Eternal Summer
It's a film with a love triangle between the three teenagers pictured and it's also a coming-out movie.
It's good so far.
I like that atmosphere of it; it's very Wong Kar Wai-ish --the humid scenes, frequent use of landscape, weather, lighting, and texture.
I have to finish it though first. D:
Any good movie recommendations?
The PV is crazy long; it's 14 minutes of hell.
So. Sit back while I list the reasons of why this is EPIC FAIL.
1. For the first 30 seconds, you're looking at black-and-white weeds. If that doesn't tell you enough about how much this is going to suck, be ashamed.
2. You see a deer and then you know that yes, this is going to end up like Bambi and his poor mother. Except that this is a fourteen minute long, painful death that you're going to endure.
3. Then you have drums + bass and then Guitarist #1 walks in and Guitarist #2 appears out of nowhere. Meet your executioners. Cue the frantic playing and schizophrenic riffs right...now.
4. And then things get blurry and it's like, my god, am I on crack?
5. Gara then starts going all Kate Bush on us. Which means interpretive dance and hand gestures as he stares at microphones that we all wish we could hide from him.
6. When the color changes from black-and-white to full color, you get the de-ja-vu feeling and wonder if Gara's been raiding Miyavi's wardrobe. Because the hair extensions in the drummer don't work and Gara's make-up is worse than Ruki's (of the GazettE) Elvis cosplay. (or whatever Ruki was trying to look like)
7. And then you notice the garishly red scarf around Gara's neck and the umbrella he's twirling and wonder seriously if Gara's been hanging around Miyavi.
8. And then Gara apparently does that little hand-shake/bitch-please thing at around 6:07-6:09 and you're seriously doubting his sexuality.
9. But then again, the umbrella does give it away.
10. And the major headbanging thing makes you want to shed brain cells and Gara's voice finally starts getting on your nerves and you're tired of this because it sucks.
11. Then, when you're sure you're now permanently color blind, the PV shifts back to black-and-white and you're sure you can count the pores on Gara's nose because the close-up is very unflattering, no matter how much they blur it out.
12. You see Bambi's mother again and you're sure you'll never, ever let your future children watch Bambi.
13. By the tenth minute, seppuku is looking to be a great alternative and the fast-forward button is calling for you.;
14. But you actually don't stop the whole thing because you want to see how much this can suck even further.
15. You know now how many wrinkles Gara has when he screams because you've been staring at a shot of him for about twenty seconds.
16. You wonder if the last three minutes are really necessary because you really have to puke now.
17. You then decide that this is probably like an opera: you have bragging rights because you've seen this whole thing but it was a complete waste of time.
18. And then you look at some weeds for another minute and a half.
God. This was like watching the Titanic sink. It's like Chinese water torture; it really, really is. It's completely atrocious and you're sitting there just seeing how it can suck even more, and it does suck even more, so then you're laughing but you realize that you've just wasted fourteen minutes seeing this video suck and suck and suck.
My god. Don't watch this.
Rating: x__x
If you ever want to introduce someone you hate to a very, very bad PV, this one takes the cake.
Tracklist
1. Kamikaze
2. Scissors
3. Brilliant (live version)
Kamikaze is disappointing. It's based on the same formula that D'espairs Ray has been using over and over again. The verses and chorus aren't that interesting and don't have the usual kick that D'espairs Ray songs have. The quality is much better than that of the accompanying PV, but this is basically one of those songs that would fit as filler in an album. It's not really a spectacular single at all, and definitely does not deserve to be the title track. The only remotely cool part is at the 2:40ish mark with the guitars and drums, but that's about it. When it comes down to it all, it's quite a forgettable song, and my god, the extra repetition of the chorus gets dull. It'll probably be better sung live, though.
Scissors has more edge to it; it's a wilder song and brings to mind the older D'espairs Ray, before the terrible font change in their name and the sparkly outfits. And yet, the chorus is too upbeat for the song and the transition between the verses and the chorus is a bit shaky. They really have to stop cranking out songs with the whole growly-verse/happy-chorus pattern. It gets annoying.
The live version of Brilliant makes me want to fly to Japan and just hit their lives and concerts. The boys sound amazing live; the songs are more alive, and so I hope Kamikaze and Scissors might not be as bad as they are live. This song, though, sounds complete and thought out, whereas Kamikaze is flat and Scissors is a bit too schizophrenic for my tastes.
Overall, the single is probably just for those who are already fans of D'espairs Ray. The cover of the single is sloppily done and looks too fake and the songs have the power but lack the punch.
Rating: :/
I was listening to Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box and then Luna Sea's Storm.
Dude, is it just me or are the first few seconds the same? (except that there's more distortion with Storm)
There are no words to express alice nine.'s new PV for their song 'Rainbows'. あさりhas written all that needs to be said for this PV, including all the proper medical precautions that one should take before dressing up in tight cheetah pants and going on the treadmill. but dear god, did you see the silver leggings Nao was wearing?
Honestly? This just won back my respect for alice nine. After what I call their Era of Fail (aka songs like Cosmic World, Blue Planet, Mirror Ball, the whole Tsubasa thing, and ultimately, the disaster that was Alpha), I am so, so happy. It's been so long since we've actually gotten something rocking from alice nine. ( Zero does not count because it was a complete ripoff of the Smashing Pumpkins' Doomsday Clock. No lie.)
This song is --shall I say funky? --rocky without going overboard. Shou's handling of the chorus and the falsetto near the end shows how his voice has improved, but dear god, it's the guitar and the bass that is flooring. Tora's intro, the guitar solo at both the 3 and 4 minute mark, and the way Saga just ends it with his bass is fresh, much crisper than what they've been putting out for the past few months. I've been playing this over and over again.
Sure, it may not be their best song, but it's golden compared to their recent stuff.
My god, it's about time.
MUCC's new PV for their song Ageha is beautiful. The first four seconds (before the long guitar solo intro) reminds me of the first two seconds of Hyde's Shallow Sleep, but that's basically all the similarities there are. (Needless to say, Hyde's getting old anyway, and he's getting boring). The aforementioned long guitar solo intro is nice compared to the ensuing heaviness of the song.
Ageha is dynamic; the drums and the bass shine in this, and everybody works together so that some of the disjointedness between the verses and the chorus isn't that blaringly flagrant. The PV gives off the energy, though, and guitars at the two minute-ish mark are ear-candy. This song is schizophrenic and rocking. The chorus is a bit dragging and unnecessary; I've always liked the verses better than the chorus (especially in the case of Libra) but the rawness of it basically just owns you. I was blown away the first time I saw/heard it.
This came out so many months ago, and I really regret forgetting to review it, so I'm sorry it's late.
Shion
First of all, there's the infamous Shion album.
Tracklist
1. Suion
2.Fukurou No Yurikago
3.Nuritsubusu Nara Enji
4.FUZZ
5.Game
6.Flight (Album Version)
7.Anjelier
8.Chiisana Mado
9.Semishigure
10.Shion
11.Sora Wasure
12.Shiva
13.Libra (Album Version)
The first track, Suion, is actually one of the album intros worth listening to. It starts out simple, and gradually builds up towards the end in a sort of drizzle-drizzle-storm kind of way; the puddle sounds and the continuous repetition are great for starting out the album out. There's a Middle Eastern kind of flair that flows throughout the whole album; it's good experimentation.
The next song, Fukurou no yurikago, dives right into the album, and the Middle Eastern touches can be clearly heard in the introduction. The layering of the instruments reminds me of what D'espairs Ray did with their album Mirror, though not as heavy. Tatsuro's voice, which is usually what makes me avoid listening to the majority of MUCC's discography, fits well with the song and the rest of the album; I'm not sure of what I would make of them if I saw them live because Tatsuro's voice sounds strained even on the CD, but I do know that I would enjoy these songs. The song builds up quite nicely and I really do think that this is one of MUCC's best albums. They've found their little musical niche, and this is one really good example of a band growing with experimentation of different musical styles.
After the rather anticlimactic ending of the previous song, Nuritsubusu Nara Enji opens quite strong. The verses are more metal, and the transition into the chorus reminds me of D'espairs Ray's Mirror once again, but that just may be me. The guitar at the 2:20ish mark is pretty cool, but the constant repetition of the chorus is a bit of overkill, though ending finishes off better than Fukurou no yurikago.
The fourth track, FUZZ, is amazing. The experimentation, the harmonica (which Tatsuro apparently plays during the live), the whole 80s jazzy feel, is genius. Tatsuro's voice, again, fits perfectly into the song, and the guitar and bass is wonderfully catchy. It all shows a mature, though evolving, MUCC. The chorus isn't overdone and its transition with the verses is done well. It all gives off a twist to the album, giving it its flavor. The PV for the song is a tad psychedelic, and I heard that this was played sometime in the movie Cloverfield. However, judging from what I've heard about the movie's cinematography, I'm probably going to avoid that for now; I have no desire to get nauseous.
The sixth track, Flight, is upbeat and happy to Game's gloom. The PV for this was sickeningly happy. The juxtaposition of this song with the previous one is laughable, but the way the instruments play off each other is to be complimented. Tatsuro's voice doesn't seem as strained as usual, and the song makes me want to smile.
Anjelier is at heart a disco song. I wouldn't be surprised if this became the fanservice song for MUCC. The notes that Tatsuro's voice has to climb in the chorus is what makes me continue to listen to the song; it's ultimately amusing and makes it more interesting than Flight. The wailing guitar adds some 'credibility' to the song, but it's Tatsuro's voice and my god, the strain he's putting on it, that makes me relieved (as well) when the song finally ends.
Listening to Chiisana Mando, I think of the color purple. It's deep and majestic, one of the few ballads that isn't too repetitive and isn't just there to impress/acknowledge that boys have feelings too! or whatever. The strings, the guitars, the overall atmosphere of this song is impressive --it's one of the best ballads I've heard.
Semishigure is a warm-up song for the title track, Shion. Semishigure is catchy, punky, and fast-paced, and Tatsuro's voice is tightly reined in. Shion, on the other hand, is mindblowing. The way the drums come in and the first few verses are a bit Middle Eastern in style, and then it all starts getting heavier. It's a strange song -full of chanting, singing, and screaming; the constant tension is high-strung throughout the whole five minutes, and the transition into chorus is completely headbangable. The chorus itself is a bit overdone, but I'm not complaining; it's a song that fits nicely, embodying some of the feel of the whole album. The guitars at the 2:30ish and 2:47ish mark are a bit Deggish, and the drums at the 3:10-4:00 mark build up the the rising crescendo of tension.
Sorawasure is one of my favorite songs. The creative use of the strings at the beginning, along with the first verses remind me somewhat of a particular late 90s Chinese pop/rock artist that I honestly forget the name of. This song is a bit poppier than the previous ones, but it loses none of the quality; the chorus isn't overblown or overdone. The strings, again, along with the guitars at the 2 minute mark are what draw me in.
Shiva is a mesh of every heavy genre there is; it's schizophrenic -a happy mix of metal, rock, and whatever classical instruments they're using in the beginning. Basically what you need to scare any neighbors away when playing at full blast in the middle of birthday parties and whatnot.
I adore Libra. It's got that gothy, creepy feel to it, and Tatsuro's not even screaming. It wobbles and shakes on purpose; it's unsettling, but it's addicting. The chorus steals away from the overall mood of the song; I like the verses far better; the transition from verse to chorus is a bit choppy. The PV is interesting -it reminds me of the one for Deadman's Follow the Night Light in which Mako played murderer and victim. I have to say, I prefer the darker Tatsuro to the nice one:
Rating: :D
I just got back from a medical conference for teenagers a couple of days ago, so I'm sorry about the constant delay in catching up/writing reviews.
I spent ten days at Massachusetts' Bentley College at the 'LeadAmerica Medicine and Health Care Conference' basically sitting through lectures about medicine, health care, medical ethics, nutrition, leadership, stem cell research, and blood; the speakers were informative, and the people there were great. We practiced 'clinical skills', in which we diagnosed 'patients' (actors who pretended to have an illness) and prescribed treatment, and we learned how to take vitals, interview patients, and even got to present our information at the end as well. Our 'TLs' (Team Leaders) knew what they were doing, and altogether, it was a satisfying experience.
On one of our outings, we went to Tufts University, and we got a tour, which included visiting the Gross Anatomy Lab (pun hopefully not intended). That was my favorite part --this room is where medical students get their own, to put it bluntly, dead body. Though we didn't see any, I did get to hold a brain, a heart, and inspect a lung up close. In the cabinets there were preserved human faces/limbs/etc. It was one of the strangest and most exhilarating moments of my life, to put it in words.
There were also people from all over the country as well -for most of us, including me, it was our first time at such a conference. I met people from Puerto Rico, China, Texas, Seattle, and LA. It was really cool, hanging out with other people who all shared something in common.
Anyway, now I'm officially back from everything. :)
I have to study for the SATs this summer and finish my AP homework, but I should have enough time to review most of what I want to write about.
I was going to put up pictures of the brain and everything, but I want to be considerate of those eating dinner or those who savor their appetites.
Okay. Because I'm too lazy to actually write up a whole, detailed review for all the releases that I've missed so far, I'll sum them all up in one entry. I'm going to be away until July 9th, so bear with me until then.
1. D'espairs Ray -BRILLIANT (single)
I like it. The guitars, the keyboards, the cleaness, and the heaviness of it is very reminiscent of their Mirror album. It's catchy, and the chorus has me nodding and almost headbanging to the beat. Hizumi's voice is consistent, just like his voice in the songs in Mirror. Actually, this single is so similar to the songs in Mirror, it should just be stuck in the album as well.
Again, I like this single. It's good and not a letdown at all, However, there's not much experimentation in it, and I can't help but think that D'espairs Ray isn't as wild, heavy, and rocking as before.
Rating: :] (just because it's been forever since they've put a single out)
2. Plastic Tree -Alone Again, Wonderful World (single)
1. Alone Again, Wonderful World
2. Psychedelizm
3. Hajime no xxx
3. Alone Again, Wonderful World (instrumental)
4. Psychedelizm (instrumental)
The song that the single is named after is hardly extraordinary. I know Plastic Tree can do better than this. Sure, the song is catchy and Ryutarou's voice is more of a catch than a miss. The guitar is too harsh, and this is the kind of stuff these boys can do in their sleep.
Psychedelizm starts out heavy. Don't be fooled by the trap. Once Ryutarou starts singing, it's not as heavy as it really seems to be. However, I adore the beginning; the guitars and the drums work together so well. I just wish the song was a bit heavier.
The two instrumentals and Hajime no xxx are a bit hit/miss. Hajime no xxx is basically the title track looped in the background with the bandmembers talking to each other. If there's a joke involved, I don't get it. The first instrumental is the title track without the conversation. The second instrumental shows how Psychedelizm flows together.
Altogether, my rating is :/
Plastic Tree can do much better.
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