The real.

Wow this post is LOADED..

I have a few things I would like to discuss with you, internets. I have recently come to the conclusion that Syu from Galneryus, Aushvitz and Animetal is the best guitarist in Japanese rock music. I don't particularly like Animetal or Galneryus but I respect them both for having great musicians. Aushvitz on the other hand is actually considered a visual band, and I love it.. It's like just as intense as Galneryus but really damn dark and about subsequently much more unhappy subjects (this is a video of Syu playing at a Galneryus gig).

In other news, I mentioned something earlier in this blog (not this post tho) about D would become really big if they went major.. And just a few weeks ago D went major~ HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR!!!

Also Lynch. put out a PV finally, it's called 'Adore' and only watch it in high quality otherwise it looks awful. I really like the song and the PV is freakin cool too. (Sorry I can't find it in higher quality ;_;)

My last order of business is to make a PREDICTION.

I have been informed that both Goatbed and Lab. The basement are disbanding, these bands holding the majority of Cali=Gari's band members. Kenjirou (the bassist) is the only one who is not in a disbanding group.. He's playing support bass for Coaltar of the Deepers XD!!

Anyhow following some kind of logic, all these former Cali=Gari members going back into circulation PROBABLY = reformation of Cali=Gari. Which I would like to see nothing more than. For me this is like a ZOMG thing. <3

Next post you get the first 2 episodes of my Podcast :D

Neo-Visual!?

Well I can't say I have anything to do with the Japanese writing about 'Neo-Visual' bands, but I started using this term about 3 years ago specifically for the bands Girugamesh and Sadie which at the time were very new. While not exactly a genre, its more of a generation of bands. I'd say as a general rule of thumb (though not 100% of the time) Neo-Visual bands were formed after 2001.

If that is a bit vague, I will explain what Neo-Visual is REALLY supposed to mean: A generation of visual band, usually out of Tokyo, directly influenced by visual bands (indie and major) that came directly before them ~1996-1999. One quality many of these bands share is having more substance, full-bodied sound and often more bass driven than their predecessors. My favorite examples are bands like Dio and -Oz- and SKULL, but also refer to bands as far back as Kagerou, the Gazette and even Kagrra. Many people refer to Neo-Visual as 'New School Visual Kei"

For example think of the difference (or similarities) between Dir en grey from Kisou and Sadie. Of course half of the Japanese bands around today roadie'd for Dir en grey.. I think a great many of these bands were also took notes from whatever American hardcore and metal bands, trying to sound much more western than older visual bands.

Sorry I can't give you a simple answer for 'what is NeoVK?' but.. it's a very complex and amorphous place. ;D