#kaoro

Sakamichi no Apollon Headers

He always says he hates these things EVERYFUCKING TIME but when you waste your hard earned money in those vips you keep getting surprised by "ah kyo didnt said konitchua back to me ;_;"

Also i dont get why kyo is the only one getting shit for being annoyed in those things.

simple cellshading

Hello, right now I am about to embark on my 100th album review and decided to do something ambitious to mark the milestone. I am going to do the ninth album by the Japanese metal band Dir en Grey. This album has had a lot of talk about it and the band claims that this album is the most "achieved sound" that they have ever done. Hopefully the album does a good job and proves to be just as good as their last couple albums were. Let us begin!

Un Deux: This opening track starts off with a nice amount of energy and the guitars take a nice tone to them. The vocals are soft and have some nice melody to them. The drum work has a nice echo sound to it and give this song a more powerful feel. The chorus is pretty melodic and adds to the power of this track nicely. The solos have a very good balance of melody and aggression to them that will please their new fans as well as their old ones. Well, we are only one song in but I get what they meant by an achieved sound because the production on this track is crystal clear and keeps a live element in it perfectly. 9/10

Soshaku: This one continues the sound of the prior track with a sound that will certainly be a defining part of this album. The guitars are very well done and have a nice balance of melody and aggression in them. Its not as aggressive as their most recent work and features Kyo engaging in his more melodic style of vocals similar to what he has done on Withering to Death. The solos are very nicely done and keep the energy of this track flowing nicely. The drums continue with their echoed sound and gives the track a sound that was meant to be played live like the previous one. 9.5/10

Uroko: This one is a little rougher in the guitar work and feature some nice vocal effects in it. The grpwl vocals come back and so that Kyo's vocal abilities have remained strong throughout the years. They blend nicely with the clean vocals and give this one a nice energy. The drums are very fast but balance out when they need which shows a very skilled musician on hand. The vocals which are always a highlight, give off a slightly religious sound during certain sections and really adds character to this track. This is another stand out track that will be interesting to be seen played live. 9.5/10

Phenomenon: This one has a nice bass sound that gives off a jazzy feel. This song is an interesting to shows the band experimenting in their sound more which is always a good thing. The bass is a main focus on this track which hasn't happened on a Dir en Grey song in while. The vocals are nice and melodic which mixes very nice with the guitars. The guitars have a soft sound that works well with the bass and steps in to enhance the vocals very nicely. This song has a good amount of power during the chorus which helps to keep it from sound boring. This song does a decent job in balancing out this track and keeping its ambition from overwhelming the listener. 9/10

Cause of Fickleness: Now this track is a personal favorite of mine and an album highlight. This track brings back the aggressive sound that they have working on with their last few albums. The vocals are very aggressive and barely sound human which is a very nice hard trait to pull off. The chorus is equally powerful and the guitars a very good job in creating additional chaos on this track. The drums are fast and aggressive which helps this track out a lot. This is definitely a great live piece that will have no problem in getting the listener mosh ready. 9.5/10

Tosei: This one starts out with a nice chime section and a soft guitar intro. This then slowly builds into a faster and equally melodic section that will keep the listener relaxed but still interested. The bass sounds decent and the drums do a good job in keeping a nice rhythm. The vocals are soft and have a good amount of emotion during the chorus. This is definitely one of the more pleasant sounding tracks that will easily pass four minutes without making the listener bored. This song  has a nice place on the album and does a good job in keeping the album balanced as well as diverse. 9/10

Rinkaku: This song features a nice piano section that adds a classical sound to the track before quickly going into more distorted guitar work. The other guitars are at a nice pitch which creates a balanced melody for Kyo to throw in his own catchy vocals. The vocals do a good job on this track and the chorus is one of the most catchy on the album. The solos are very melodic and mess with the drum work very nicely. This is an album highlight do the vocal work and its overall melodic sound. This song will also be a nice live piece that fans will surely enjoy. 9.5/10

Chain Repulsion: This is a more aggressive track with some nice guitar riffs and chaotic vocals. The guitars have a powerful sound to them and the backing vocals give off a unique sound. The drums continue to do a good job and work well with the bass. Kyo continues to do great job and his screams during the chorus do a perfect job in displaying his aggression. This aggression will make this song a great live piece that fans will love to head bang to. So far this album is doing a very good job in keeping a powerful sound balance and diverse. 9.5/10

Midwife: This one starts off with a sound that is a bit expected at this point but it is still pretty well done. The vocals are soft and melodic but the guitars act as a foil with a heavy distortion in them. The helps to balance the track nicely as Kyo proceeds to sing some very nice verses. At the mid point this track takes on a more chaotic sound with Kyo's demonic screeches and the guitars/drums do a great job in keeping him supported. This song has a good amount of interludes to balance out the screams and helps the song to retain a lot of substance in it. 9/10

Magayaso: The bass on this song sounds pretty catchy and works with the guitars nicely. The guitars have a lot of power to them build up very nicely. The drums have a nice beat to them and fit in nicely with Kyo's vocal work. The vocals are nice and melodic with a nice amount of power in them. By this point Kyo has mastered the ability to use his soft vocals to balance out his melodies and get the most out of a four minute track. The chorus is very well done and helps to make this a great live piece for them. 9/10

Kaishun: This song is soft and has a slightly more polished guitar sound that the previous track. The vocals have a higher pitch which does a decent job in keeping a high amount of melody on this track. The bass line is pretty nice and the guitars create a pretty ambitious sound. The chorus is decent and keeps things on a softer level than some of the other tracks which helps to continue the balance of the track and keeps it from getting repetitive. 9/10

Behind a Vacant Image: This one is a bit more progressive in sound and has an ambitious guitar sound. The vocals are consistently melodic and work with the guitars to create a ballad like sound. The bass creates a nice atmosphere on this track which aids in helping this track to flow nicely. The chorus is very emotional and the drums work perfectly to complement him. Halfway through the song the guitars get more aggressive and the vocals bring out their experimental sound which is nice. This only lasts a little bit before it goes back to its melodic sound which does a good job in ending the track on a nice note. Everybody did a good job on this one and made it a great song to play live. 9.5/10

Sustain the Untruth: The intro has a slightly electronic sound which is something new for the band. There is some disc scratching on it and the vocals take on their older screechy sound. They still have a nice melody during the chorus. The guitars are more distorted sounds similar to the sound of their previous album. This is a decent song but it is my least favorite on the album due to its less polished sound and feels a bit out of place on this album. 8/10

Kukoku no Kyoon: This song is the masterpiece on the album and is a major personal favorite. When I first heard this one I couldn't get over how perfect it sounded. The song has a nice rain effect in it and sounds like a good song to play during a storm. The guitars are soft and are very melodic but much more than the previous track. There are some strings that create a very relaxing atmosphere on this song. The vocals are very soft and calming. The bass sound good and the drums do a very good job in creating a powerful sound. The chorus is beyond anything that the band has ever accomplished. This song is the prime example of thier achieved sound and will be a knock out encore piece. This song is so powerful that it easily would of been one of the best album closers that I have heard in awhile. If you don't like the previous tracks just give this one a try. It is very calming and is a nice choice if you are feeling frustrated and need something to relax to. 10/10

The Inferno: This one does a 180 and completely reverses the relaxing nature of the previous song. It is nice and chaotic with a  fast drum beat and aggressive growl vocals. It does feel a little out of sequence but it does have a nice shock effect that wakens the listener up again for the final track to come on. This one will play nice and will be liked by fans of their last few albums. 9/10

Revelation of Mankind: This closer brings back their progressive sound with some aggressive screams and chugging guitar riffs. The drums are nice and melodic and the vocals do a good job in creating a powerful sound. The chorus is pretty solid and the guitars create some classical effects which balance out this track pretty nicely. This one does a decent job as an album closer and ends this impressive album the same high note as it began. 9/10

Overall album rating: 9.2/10

Wow! this group did a great job in getting that achieved sound that they were aiming for. This album is ambitious, diverse, and perfectly balanced. The production is clean and has a nice live sound to it. This is possibly the best album of the year and will certainly play well live. They may have very well completed their best work on this work and will have a challenge topping it. For fans of this band, this is one of the top three albums that you must get because it really is something special.