Girugämesh's Chimera -Period- LiveStream

Most Shocking/Disappointing/WTF Asian Music Moments of 2016

BLOOD STAIN CHILD Members Change...Again
I became aware of BSC's existance when they shared the stage with D at A-Kon 22. This was around the time their second vocalist Sophia joined the group. It was quite unfortunate to hear that she was leaving the group, but she remained active in the music scene and created SEASON OF GHOSTS, which I'll be putting up a concert report up eventually. ^^; They did make an appearance last year with their new vocalist Kiki at Oni-Con...another concert report that's pending. Unfortunately, a few months later, founding member and bassist RYO (also RYU's brother) and vocalist Kiki announced that they will be departing the band for one reason or another. As soon as this was posted on JAME, a new vocalist by the name of SAIKA and bassist Yakky joined the band and they released a new single, NEXUS. Despite the turn over of members, I'll still keep checking out their music and tracking their progression (or regression).


4Minute Disbands
Obviously, this news is not here for its shocking qualities, but more for its disappointing feeling for really the fans. For me, I honestly don't feel nothing towards this news. I do enjoy 4Minute's discography and "Hate" was a pretty banging track. I even enjoyed a couple of HyunA's solo songs from her last mini-album, but I normally enjoy about that same amount even though I don't care for her that much. Whether fans want to admit it or not, I'm sure they weren't that surprise to hear the news that everyone but HyunA renewed their contracts with Cube Entertainment. I mean the amount of publicity and promotion was very unbalanced for quite some time, which is really unfortunate. Whatever the members end up doing, I'll check it out if it presents itself in front of me.


Anzi leaves Matenrou Opera
It also sucks to hear a member leaving a band that's being around/together for more than five years. Despite me not keeping up with Matenrou Opera as much as when they debut, I tried my best to check out their newest PVs and listen to their singles when I had the time. From what I saw, things were looking pretty good and I was pleased with the growth and bond they had. Although, I admit that their sound/concepts felt a little stagnet after a while. Perhaps that was the reasoning behind Anzi's departure. I don't know; that quote just sounds like a fancy way of saying "musical differences". Nonetheless, I wish Anzi and the remaining members the best in 2017.


R-Shitei Banned from Nippon Budokan
Being part of a visual kei (and even just a musical act in Japan), most people's goal is to perform at the grand Nippon Budokan. Unfortunately, for this group, this dream may never happen unless the rules change. Honestly, this article/news appeared in the beginning of the year and I totally forgot about it. Fortunately, I had a link to the article saved to refresh my memory. The reasoning behind the ban was due to the band's inappropriate lyrical content, despite other bands performing similar controversial material on their stage. The article uses the example of Golden Bomber, which I know little about musically, but for me I thought of Dir en grey who have performed there countless times. So, I find it strange that this little band, who apparently is growing big enough for an 88 city tour and booking the stadium, is being denied this dream. Maybe R-Shitei fans can change things and give the band their dream.


DAIGO and Moon Hee Jun Get Married
...but not to each other. On January 11, Keiko Kitagawa announced that she was officially married to BREAKERZ's vocalist DAIGO. I don't actively follow DAIGO outside of BREAKERZ releases and even then I just enjoy the music; I don't go further than that. So, obviously, this was surprising, but good news to hear. Sometimes I wonder (and maybe a little bit of worry) about these older jrockers abstaining from love. On the other hand, they're very good at keeping their private lives private. DAIGO isn't your typical jrock star as he has crossed over to the mainstream, similar to Gackt, but that's old news for Japanese pop culture followers. H.O.T's Moon Hee Jun is someone I've come to accept in my introduction to kpop, in my earlier days. He was the exception of enjoyment for Korean rock and I still am quite fond of him, although I don't follow his activities constantly. Seeing the news on one of my favorite kpop sites, AsianJunkie, caught me off guard like the rest of the readers...except H.O.T fans. While the writer of the article was surprised and happy that the fans didn't rip apart Crayon Pop's Soyul for having a relationship with him, I was surprised no one made a big deal about the age gap (25 & 38), but maybe that's normal in Korea...or I'm just old fashion in some ways. Nonetheless, I wish these happy couples a wonderful and long marriage!


Jin Akanishi, Meisa Kuroki, Daichi Miura and Wife Expecting Children
The expansion of a family is always great news! Since 2012's list, Jin Akanishi and Meisa Kuroki have had rare mention on jpop news sites I follow. When I saw that they were expecting their second child, I was very happy for them. I haven't heard any scandals or rumors about the couple, which is even better. Although I would love to hear more music from the couple, I wish them the best with their marriage and the birth of their second child. Last year was a surprising announcement of Daichi Miura's marriage and now we have even more exciting news that he will be a father! Congratulations to the proud parents!


Dead Children, Sel'm, & HaKU Disband
I know there are other lesser known bands that disbanded this year and I will be mentioning some other slightly more major ones later in this list, but these three in particular are bands that I personally enjoy. So, once again, forgive me if I didn't mention your faves. Dead Children is a band that I wished I listened to more often, but I don't think I have a lot of their music...or maybe they just didn't release a lot of it. Nonetheless, they're a pretty cool little band and I would like to return to them on my iTunes in honor of their accomplishments. Sel'm, on the other hand, was a band I listened to for quite a few years and I remember enjoying and sharing them with my friends. As my library grew and grew, their music did get lost in the shuffle, but I would love to return to their hard, energetic sound and relive my high school days. And then there's HaKU, a non-visual kei band, that displayed a lot of talent for the jrock scene. I got into them at the same time as BLUE ENCOUNT and Jaweye about 3-4 years ago. I was quite surprised to hear that they were disbanding as I feel that non-visual kei bands have a longer shelf life, but I will be treasuring what music I have collected of theirs.


Hyunseung Withdraws From BEAST & BEAST Departs From Cube Entertainment
Since the beginning, I've been a fan of B2ST. I enjoy their sleek choreography and beautiful vocal harmonies. As timed went on, their releases kinda slowed a bit and some of the members dabbled in solo works and of course the most promoted Troublemaker duo with 4Minute's Hyuna. The little news I did hear about them that didn't pertain to their music were just little bits here and there that weren't all that noteworthy...until I saw the handful of posts of Hyunseung's uncaring attitude with his B2ST activities and negative response from fans. For the most part, I kinda shrugged it off as it didn't seem too out of character in my mind, but the unfortunate (or maybe fortunate) occurred when he decided to depart from the group. Unlike the rest of his group mates, he did keep his contract under Cube Entertainment as a solo artist. So, hopefully fans of TroubleMaker will receive more from the duo. On the other hand, B2ST have created Around US Entertainment and remain on good terms with Cube. Hopefully, things weren't too terrible between the rest of the group and Hyunseaung, but I really hope that the group starts to become more consistent with music releases again and perhaps get back on track with being the awesome group I loved when they hit their peak with "Fiction".


GANGLION Indefinite Hiatus
After seeing them live at Oni-Con in 2014, and yes, I'm still going to do a concert report for it, I was excited for this band's future. Much like a lot of female visual kei bands I followed, they seemed to have the making of being the next exist trace or perhaps a band that could make things better than them currently, in my opinion. It was very unfortunate news to see that this young band would most likely be concluding their journey as GANGLION. Of course, I would like to think they will come together once again and rock our worlds with high energy and passion. Nonetheless, whatever they decide to do, I will continue to support them the best I can.


SHOXX Publisher Files Bankruptcy
The magazine that helped make visual kei a household name 26 years ago declared bankruptcy and planned to seize publishing with its brethren Fool's Mate. The publishing company planned to release its final issue with SuG on the cover in September, but...news was released with the renewal of their Twitter account that they'll be back in action in February 2017. How's that for a revival!




chariots and Lycaon Reborn
Ever since I saw Phantasmagoria live for the first time in 2005, I easily fell in love with their music, style, and stage presence. When they disbanded, I was very disappointed, but of course Kisaki wouldn't let go of Riku or the sound of Phantasmagoria. So, we ended up with chariots and Lin -the end of corruption world-...oh, and a bunch of post-Phantasmagoria compilations and DVDs. With the dissolution of UNDER CODE, Kisaki (and probably, Riku) struggled to keep these two bands afloat. So, the inevitable happened with disbandment and members leaving. Chariots has gone from the remnants of UNDER CODE bands to Riku's solo to silence...and then, here we are with the rebirth! I haven't listened to their limited live single, but I'm just excited to hear more of Riku's beautiful and unique voice. Last year, I mentioned that Lycaon, among others, were disbanding and I was very sadden as they were, in my eyes, improving in their sound and presence. Fortunately, the members stayed together to form intial'L. I'm looking forward to checking them out, comparing their old sound to their new style, and just overall enjoying them as a group again.


MY BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND Becomes TenTen's Solo Project
Similar to chariots to some extent, I've been following TenTen since his KuRt days and tried to keep up with his various bands and projects, but it becomes quite difficult when his musical track record falls into the annoying pattern of Kisaki's band history. *sighs* Nonetheless, I was sad to hear that all the members left the band and left TenTen behind. So, it seems that he has decided to turn this into a solo project and rename it to "Re:My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND". Of course, he can't do it alone; he has to have some sort of support and he does. Whether these new members are simply on a trial basis to become permanent or not, I look forward to seeing how things will transition from band to solo and hearing TenTen's unusual vocals once more as well as his new band LACK-CO..


MeteoroiD Disbands
I was fortunate enough to see this band at Tokyo in Tulsa and I was very pumped to hear more of their music in the coming year. It was very shocking for me to hear that they would be disbanding. As a new fan, it kinda hits hard when the memories of seeing them live, meeting them, and creating awesome memories just to have that moment cut short with disbandment. I really hope the members find what they're looking for musically and reappear in the visual kei scene, because they're all very talented people.


Jia Departs From miss A
Contract expiration dates can be a nerveracking time for serious kpop fans and I find it interesting that such things are so public to the media and fans, but I guess that leaves the surprise of non-renewals to a minimum to some extent. Miss A is a group that I've loved since the beginning, but their video for "Only You" was quite underwhelming. It was inevitable that JYP's lack of attention would affect another talented group, but remained supportive of Jia's decision. Fortunately, Jia didn't waste anytime debuting as a solo artist and I'm looking forward to seeing my bias continue to do what she loves.


Lynch.'s Akinori's Arrest
In November, it was reported that lynch.'s bassist Akinori was arrested for "antisocial activity", which I (and many others in the visual kei community) honestly read as marajuana possession...or something related to the drug. While I'm not completely sure if I read somewhere confirming that that was the case, but Akinori was very cooperative with authorities and removed himself from the band. Hazuki, the vocalist, did comment on the situation and the band decided to cancel future activities and go on hiatus. Most importantly, they assured fans that they will return to their usual band activities.


BABYMETAL Train Still Going Strong
Like it or not, this trio of young ladies are still rocking our world. They started the year off strong with the release of their second full length album, their first North American tour, and making their debut appearance on The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend any of the shows, but I heard for the most that it was a big success. Hopefully, that'll lead to more U.S. tour dates (y'know, somewhere closer to me =X). It was recently announced that they will be opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica on their respective tours/shows. Hopefully, the metal world will come to accept them in the same manner of respect as Rob Zombie. I look forward to more groundbreaking accomplishments from this group in 2017 and perhaps a break for them as well. I mean...they're still kids.


Dio - distraught overlord's Revival
From time to time disbanded bands will reunite for special occasions on a temporary basis. Even though I cannot attend any of these revival lives, it still excites me to see all the members come together on one stage and bring the passion and energy to their fans through their music. After their disbandment, I tried my best to keep track of all the members. I believe Kei retired from music, so there was no way to find out what he was up to. Mikaru put together BLACK LINE with Denka and did some solo activities under G.L.A.M.S, which included photography pieces I believe. Ivy joined Moran and is now currently in LACK-CO.. And Erina, I can only think of him being in VII-Sense until they decided to disband, but I feel like I'm forgetting something. Anyway, B7Klan was celebrating their 10th anniversary and the band, along with Dirtrunks, came together for a European tour. They also planned a limited revival in Japan and released a single. With a musical release, I hoped that this would be a full revival, but sadly I think this may be temporary. Nonetheless, I look forward to checking out LACK-CO. and more of Mikaru's solo work.


Lolita23q Come Out of Hiatus
Well, this is a name I haven't used since 2012 when the band announced their indefinite hiatus. I thought 2012 would be the end for them and I would just have to enjoy them separately, which was fine. I still have to listen to LOUD GRAPE, even though they disbanded in 2016. When I first saw the news, I thought it was simply a limited revival situation like many bands before, especially since Ryosuke's solo project WING WORKS gained great momentum and the original vocalist Sou was back on board. Upon reading and rereading this post, it looks like this is an actual comeback for the band to their original form. I'm really looking forward to what they have in store for us, but I also hope that Ryosuke and Ryuto don't burn themselves out between bands either.


BORN Disbands
BORN was band that I happened to stumble across at the right moment, because it was not too long before they announced their appearance at Oni-Con in Houston. The band has undergone so many changes over the years with each other from constant name changes, moving to a major label, and losing a member. Nonetheless, they continued to push on and create more music for their fans. I was devastated and even a bit unsurprised by the announcement. What was really depressing was hearing Ryouga being unmotivated and as much as I love that man it makes me want to cry and hug him. At the same time, Ray announced that BORN will be his final band. Fortunately, news appeared that Ryouga and some other familiar faces in the scene joined together to create RAZOR, which I'm looking forward to checking out. Hopefully, we will see K and Tomo appear in a new band some time soon.


D=OUT Leaves PS Company
It's another year of someone escaping PS Company and it seems like their roaster is getting smaller and smaller. Yes, it seems as though Kouki and the gang are taking the solo and band activities elsewhere and I'm stoked to see their style evolving even further. I've seen so much good after previous bands have left and even a few experimentations that were hit or miss. Nonetheless, I feel like the band can breath with their creativity and not become Kagrra, 2.0.


2NE1 Disbands
This was the year of CL and everyone knew it and was ready for it. As a former CL bias fan, I was both skeptical and a bit optimistic for her debut in the U.S. Although, I wasn't quite fond of majority of her material. While it was catchy, fun, and full of energy on stage, the quality was lacking. Time and time again YG teased BlackJacks with the promise of a comeback and even brought them together for 2015's MAMAs. But with all the focus on CL's endeavors, I'm guessing Minzy knew she could do so much better with her talent. It was a sad day for BlackJacks to hear that their fiery dancer was departing. I was saddened, but not completely surprised. YG continued to state that 2NE1 were coming back as a trio, but with much silence from the group and a lot of push for CL's first American tour, it wasn't surprising to see that 2NE1 was no more. It's really unfortunate how their fate was such a slow pull of a band-aid, but I really hope that Minzy and Dara (and I guess Bom) continue their journey in music.


Girugamesh and SCREW Disband
After twelve years of great music, memories, and just full on love, Girugamesh announced after their European tour that they would be disbanding. This news was very surprising for many, especially for myself. Their latest release felt like a return to their roots of their first and second albums and I was quite pumped to this growth and perhaps more experimentation with their sound. But here we are. Fortunately, one member, the band's drummer Яyo, is staying in the music scene through YouTube, which is pretty interesting and mesmerizing to watch. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the other members to resurface on the music scene and maybe a reunion appearance in the U.S. For many visual kei fans, hearing SCREW's disbandment around the same time made them skeptical whether the genre was dying or not. More disheartening than surprising, seeing the news of their disbandment seemed very unfortunate to me as I felt like the band never got to reach their full potential, especially under PS Company. Maybe if they had the chance to go to elsewhere, their music career would last a little longer and they would be able to grow more. But maybe there was more to it than the little I know as a fan/outsider. Nonetheless, just because these two bands who have been around for 10 years or more, it doesn't mean that visual kei is dead. #ResurrectVK


RAVE's Mikuru Passes Away
The really crappy part of these lists is including the decease. While I'm still a relatively new fan of RAVE, it was sad to see that one of their members departed from earth. Apparently, the guitarist had went on break to recover from an undisclosed illness. For now, it seems like the band has pushed forward despite the unfortunate situation and have released new material. RAVE have also announced a new album for 2017 while keeping the spirit of Mikuru's talent and passion laced through their music. I wish the remaining members luck for the new year and blessings on Mikuru's loved ones.

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"Applause" by Lady Gaga
One morning, I woke up and saw this video on my TV. Normally, I would've gone back to sleep because it was pretty early, but since I've been waiting to see new Gaga, I stayed awake. I did not regret what I saw or heard. Everything that she promoted for Born This Way felt overproduced, but this reeled in the craziness to her Fame Monster time. It still has some theatrics from her last album, but they are more restrained visually. The song is absolutely catchy! I can't get enough of it. I'm still going into Artpop cautiously, but this was a good start.



"INCOMPLETE" by girugamesh
It feels like forever since I found a PV and song I enjoy from this band. I was cautious going into this new PV, but I was very satisfied. It might not sound like 13's Reborn or Girugamesh, but it has all the good elements of Music, which I actually enjoyed despite some fan disagreement. It mixes electronic and rock sounds together just like the album I mentioned and Girugamesh is good at that. It's not too poppy or reminiscent of an anime opening, it's rock and that's what I missed about them. Maybe the split versions of the band reflect that in the PV.



"THE SWAN" by 12012
Despite the changes the band's music has gone, I still love this band and now they have a new member. I was happy to see this PV and expected a certain direction it was gonna take. I pleased that I was proven wrong in the arrangement. Omg! This song is so beautifully done and reminds me of "Just the Way You Are..." to some extent and I really like that song. It does still have some aggression in there, but it is very brief. I enjoy and miss Wataru's lovely, unique vocals and the music is just as pleasing to the ears. The PV is simplistic and artistic. It focuses on the band, gives Wataru a little spotlight as the black swan, and some sketches. I'm looking forward to listening to the new material.



"Picasso" by Yeti
I was very happy to see a new PV from Emiru's new band Yeti. It's a fun, little simple tune and visual concept. It still reminds me a little of Radwimps, but this time with a mix of Plastic Tree with the sound. Sometimes band centric videos can be quite interesting. I would post more PVs that are band centric, but I want to prove that music videos are not dead...even when you do it this way. I'm looking forward to more music by this band and I hope they keep their momentum. It's still a little weird seeing this normal appearance of Emiru compared to his aicle. days.



"Attraction" by BUMKEY feat. Dynamic Duo
As much as I miss 2wins, it is nice to hear Bumkey's voice and see him being active in the music scene. Visually, I think this video takes an old American approach. Warm tones, loose, but sweet love story, and focus on the artist. It's fun, relaxed R&B track with some fresh artistic approaches to the editing to keep it interesting for the modern time. The song is flawless. It does have a sprinkle of 90's R&B cliches, but we haven't heard them in decades so it's easily forgivable...especially since I miss that nostalgic sound. I hope he doesn't keep me waiting like Zion.T and puts something out soon.

Quick Music Review

U-KISS - Bran New Kiss (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: I DON'T UNDERSTAND, MIRACLE

I was a little torn whether to listen to this or not due to the leaving of two members, but I convinced myself to give it a shot and I didn't regret it as much as I thought I would. "IT'S TIME (Intro)" had a strong welcoming to this new line-up and showing off the guys' vocal ranges. Let us adjust to the new blend with a strong R&B dance melody. "0330" is, I'm guessing, a slow sad love song with about the same strong melody as the intro. The rapping section will take me some time to adjust to without Alexander's voice, but I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. It's a decent song for what it is. It focuses more on the rappers and uses everyone else's vocal harmonies to set the tone with the music. "Words That Hurt Me..." is a bit of a generic pop song with a slight upbeat tone to it's music. Nothing super special. "Every Day", I'm guessing their secondary promo song, is another generic upbeat song that has more of a dance sound to it. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite stick to me for long. For me, Bran New Kiss was saved by the final two tracks. "I DON'T UNDERSTAND" also shares a dance sound to it, but I enjoy the arrangement a lot more than the previous track. It flows a little more smoothly with the new line up and I feel less tempted to compare it to their previous works. "MIRACLE" has earned the title of "Miko's favorite track". It's really odd that I enjoyed it so much, especially since the music is a little odd and the sound still falls under the line of generic. I guess it was the vocal arrangement and the familiar sound to an American pop song I can't think of the name. With that said, I wish they left out the "beautiful my girl" line and that they added a "d" to their mini's title name.



Girugamesh - crying rain (2009, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: crying rain, NITRO-99

Despite what everyone says, Girugamesh is still a strong band through and through and this single proves it. "Crying rain" is full of passion, strength, and emotion. If you don't feel it, then you probably need to clean your ears and open your heart. It is a simple, beautiful song that you can definitely tell that it is something precious to them. "S.T.F.U" gives the fans what they want by dabbling into their old sound. It's upbeat, energetic, and has catchy guitar riffs. "NITRO-99" has the same upbeat sound, but a more aggressive energy that takes their old and new sound meshed together into a chaotic, rockin' noise!



Chemical Pictures - Haikei...Sagiteki Dogeshi Ongakuai Fujoshi-Samagata e Shosen Tawagoto Saredo Muku na Ongaku (2011, Japan) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Präparat, Black Box, Reincarnation

It had been a while since their consecutive mini-album releases, but the band is back with something great...no surprise there. With this new mini-album we have a new, smoother version of "Präparat". It's less chaotic and definitely a new take from the original, but doesn't take away too much from the genius of the blueprint. With a strong bassline and a smooth lounge melody, we have another amazing track by the name of "Black Box". It gives off the sound of coolness and a mellow feel deep down inside. "I WannA GetAway" takes a different direction than the previous tracks and goes a little more rock. It has a steady pace and still keeps to CP's unique imprint of guitar/bass balance and TenTen's voice guiding us along. "Reincarnation" is another remade track that has done a little growing up, but still keeps its oh-so perfect blueprint with a little more umph! "sPeakEr" brings us back down and let's the bass give us a ride through the song with TenTen's soft vocals to close off this great mini.



XA-VAT - Tsuyado(2011, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: ZEROTICA, VAT-DANCE, NUMANS-ROXETTE, THE 艶℃ BABY

At first, I was bit turned off by this group, but I gave them a second chance and ended up liking them. "BLACK RUNAWAY OF DEVILS" sets us up for this lovely little retro trip we're about to embark on throughout this album. It has a definite retro electronic sound that leans more towards Japan's electro music like some of hide's earlier works. "ZEROTICA" was their debut song and holds onto that 80's synth-pop sound of Dead or Alive. It's quite catchy and it holds a unique vocal for sure that sounds familiar, but refreshing at the same time. "Mecca" is more fast paced and upbeat like an Iceman song or 8-bit video game. "VAT-DANCE" goes back to that 80's synth-pop melody that you can't help but move to. "Mr. Vital" has a more haunting electronic sound that distorts in all different directions with vocals and guitars. "E-Z" is another fast pace song that grabs you quickly down the rabbit hole. "INVASION-NOVATION" shows off the vocals a little more in a skilled, unique, and playful direction that still holds that 80's concept musically. "NUMANS-ROXETTE" is very much a head bobbing song that is a bit peculiar, but somehow sticks with it's melody, then sneakily hooks you in the chorus. "EPOC TRACE" keeps a playful 80's melody that'll make you rock a little. "THE 艶℃ BABY" closes off the album in semi-techno bits and throws you off into this chaotic arrangement that somehow works in some crazy genius way I think they could only pull off. One version of the album includes a remix CD which I thought was a bit of a waste. I felt awkward listening to it and, honestly, I didn't even complete all the tracks for the fact that it doesn't make sense to use the same elements in remixing on songs that already had them.



Beast/B2ST - My Story (2010, South Korea) Rating: 5/5
Favorite Tracks: Thanks To, Let It Snow, Lights Go On Again

I've passed up this little goodie from B2ST due to it's random appearance as opposed to "hey! it's a new single" or "check out their new album". I'm not exactly sure what class this falls into, but I went ahead and checked out it thanks to last.fm by playing a couple things from it. The whole package features duets and one group song. Yoon Doo Joon and Son Dong Woon bring us in with a piano duet of their song "When the Door Closes". It's definitely a well thought out and emotional song that shows off their amazing vocal range and musical skills. Yong Joon Hyung and Yang Yo Seob keep the pace steady of softness and power with "Thanks To". It features a nice piano melody and gives us a nice blend between YoSeob's power vocals and Joon Hyung's graceful lyrical flow. Joon Hyung also cleverly uses a little piece from a Far East Movement song as well. [5 points for anyone who caught that!] I believe Jang Hyun Seung and Lee Ki Gwang's "Let It Snow" was the first track that was introduced to me by last.fm. It's a beautiful, deep R&B track that blends both guys' voices flawlessly. It soothes the soul and brings tears to the eye with all the passion flowing through their voices and the hard hitting beat. For the grand finale, we have a full version of "Lights Go On Again" which I have fallen weak for. I was really happy they decided to take this on an extended journey as I've noticed they have really strong and sadly short intro tracks that you want more of. The song proves why these guys are called "Beast"! It's beautiful, calming, and perfect.

Rant: The Great Fan Divide

A month or two ago, I bought tickets to Linkin Park's latest tour with The Prodigy and I was really excited about it. I've been wanting to see LP since their break out takeover with Hybrid Theory, but I wasn't that big of a concert goer as I am now and when I started attending more, my only option was Projekt Revolution (which is equivalent to KoЯn's Family Values Tour, featuring several other bands with them as headliners). I wasn't interested and waited around for that very moment. Unfortunately, the date was postponed to March. I'm not bitter about it at all and this post has nothing to do with the cancellation either. This post has to deal with some comments I've been reading since I added the event on my last.fm account.

I already knew that since the long awaited release of Minutes to Midnight a fan division was formed due to the changes of LP's sound. I thought this would've faded, but the fan hate is still alive. All I saw were constant complaints about how Prodigy fans felt sorry or didn't understand why they would be opening for such a "shitty" band. I was appalled and a little bit ashamed as I am a fan of both bands. I couldn't believe that LP fans were still bickering over the band's experimental choices and jrock fans have stopped months or even years ago.

Now I don't want to strictly keep this centered around LP, I wanted to focus all my irritated energy towards all the bands that caused a fan division. Most of them have calmed down and people have moved on, at least from my point of view, and others, like the example above, have yet to let go. It's partially the reason I have the indies vs. major poll up for the month.

Back in 1997, a talented visual kei band by the name of Dir en grey was born. They brought controversy and thought provoking lyrics to music listeners around the country. They slowly evolved into a less visual creation to a more normal state. After branching outside of Japan, they set their sights on America and became inspired (or influenced moreso) by the bands they were touring with. Marrow of a Bone and it's singles leading up to it were released and caused an uproar within the fandom with their "Americanized" sound. There was an instant divide and people complained about their music, lack of self mutilation in live performances, and their less visual appearance, but soon all things calmed down and Uroboros opened some fans' minds that their roots were still there within their growth and experimentation. Sure, there's still a divide in the fandom, but it has become less rowdy compared to LP's fanbase.

In 2008, Girugamesh released their third album, MUSIC, which caused a divide in their fanbase. They took a different direction with their unique rock sound and added new dance, rap, and a few pop elements to some songs. A lot people wanted them to go back to the emotionally intense sounds of "VOLCANO" or even something that still captured the essence of "Owari to mirai".

In 2007, former An Cafe guitarist Bou left the band and two new members were added, Takuya (guitar) and Yuuki (keyboard). People bitched and moaned over how Yuuki looked like a freak and wouldn't give him a chance just by basing it on appearance. When Kakusei heroism ~THE HERO WITHOUT A 'NAME'~ and Ryuusei Rocket were released, some fans were constantly comparing Bou and Takuya's guitar skills to each other. They would strongly cling to their thoughts that Bou was a better guitarist than Takuya, but honestly, in my opinion, Takuya is better. At least, the above examples I can understand there being a division within the fandom, but an argument between Bou and Takuya is a waste of time.

Last year, Jaejung, Yuchun, and Junsu left DBSK due to contract issues and decided to form JYJ while Changmin and Yunho continued on with DBSK. Now this fan division ranks up there with LP and I'm so happy I'm not a fan of them, because I'd probably be equally annoyed with this division. Fans were torn and felt betrayed. They felt obligated to like both instead of just sticking with whatever they enjoyed without regrets or even just sticking with old DBSK.

Bands change. You can't stop that and deep down you wouldn't want them to. Think about it. If Dir en grey, Linkin Park, and any other band that has evolved into something else played the same type of music, you would be just as annoyed and bitchy about it. It's impossible to please everyone and I'm glad that these fan divisions haven't hindered bands from exploring their creativity. As fans, we need to accept that we're not going to like everything no matter how die hard of a fan you are. You don't have to feel guilty about it either. It won't kill you to admit to yourself or anyone else that you dislike something from your favorite band/artist. Most importantly, we need to stop yelling at each other, because originally we were brought together because we love the band or artist. We need to agree to disagree too.