A perfection in simplicity: the latest song from ensou is built so solid you won’t find a single flaw. The sound is absolutely delicious! The bass drums. Deliver. Punch. BOOM! ;) Guitars are not so punchy (why would they?) but they put their weight rather well too :) Top this with GUMI’s edgy voice and you get some pretty killer song!
Another
latest release featuring Megurine Luka – Nihil by shatehouu. This EP got 4
tracks. The style is mostly post-hardcore with some metalcore sound here and
there. Fast tempo and quite intense music coupled with lyrics full of angst
(suddenly! :) Luka sounds quite good here. Check it out!
An
unusually heavy piece from ShoPen-san. It’s full-armed metalcore with dense and atmospheric sound. Only the lyrics (in English) seem to be quite the opposite of the common
angst. Hmm, am I missing some new trend in this genre? :)
Great releases
keep coming from Russia. We should thank Sander-P (or Alexander Pivnev if you
prefer real names) for the latest one. It took eight months of work – hard
work, to be sure – but the outcome proves to be worth the time invested.
The much anticipated, long-awaited new album from Utsu-P is out, and if that’s not gross enough event to kick VMW out of termless hibernation then I don’t know what is! :)
Unlike the previous release, “Warufuzake”, which was recorded under the ‘traditional industry’ ‘big label’, this album falls back into the category of indie titles. Doujinshi, if you somehow prefer Nippon over English. So, basically, all that means just there has been less hype over it this time. Honestly, hype hardly can make good music sound better, and hype around bad music isn’t a proper thing at all...
”Algorithm” was presented at 86th Comiket, the venue being the very essence of doujinshi subculture. Moreover, Utsu-P explicitly refers to “Algo” as the fourth his album, with the third being “Moksha”. So “Warufuzake”, despite being a ‘commercial breakthrough’ etc., is disregarded as a mere spin-off from the circle MY SONG IS SHIT. And this circle should still be considered the main form for producer’s creative work. At least for the music from the heavier side of spectrum.
Is there something more adorable than metalcore with Rin? Well, if such things do exist in our bitter world, I haven’t heard of them yet. So enjoy – a pretty brutal piece by our old friend Kaito! Rin is unbeatable, especially when Kaito-san makes her squeal :) Kaito, I hope you don’t do to Rinny anything …eh… abusive, don’t you? ;)
90% of metalcore + 10% of picoreamo equals to 156% of pure fucking awesomeness. Yeah, this is the math for serious music ;) Lego-sama has released his next masterpiece. Not to mention he’d forgotten to tell Miku that in masterpieces you should work better on balancing the levels of vocal; the higher frequencies are so pushed that sometimes it sounds like Miku’s hissing :) Yeah, like a cobra feeling someone’s stepped on her tail. Though Miku would likely hiss as well if you stepped on her twintails except she won’t bite you. Or maybe she will ;)
I hope Miku isn’t offended by my suggestions, for the vocals part sounds great enough otherwise. The video (by Junto Kurokawa-sama) is made in best metalcore traditions and with a great skill. So if you’re still wondering where this 56% has come from, the answer is simple. Synergy. It makes wonders, guys ;)
I grumbled at Kurihara Genkilast time. I demanded more power. Well, in case of “Nuclear Warfare” there is nothing to complaint of in that sense :) In fact, the song is formidable metalcore with deep resonant bass and evil guitars. Also, if you remember, previous Genki’s song featured the most adorable breakdown I’ve ever heard :) So again, breakdowns in “Nuclear Warafare” come as exactly opposite. Well yeah, they’re pretty aggressive but also pretty standard which is hardly a benefit. Though the finishing one is rather nice.
There are digitally distorted growling vocals but a certain doubt is gnawing me that these aren’t Miku’s. Well, if they are that would be great, but still, still… Anyway, Miku’s lighter part in the middle of the song sounds excellent.
A screamo song by Ikujihouki-P. It is bare of any electronic sequences, and has a metalcore-ish cast in some places. Overall, quite an energetic piece with deft guitar riffs, but the tuning isn’t my thing exactly… Lily screams nearly all her way through the song, which makes English lyrics bearable enough :)
There is not much Vocaloid metalcore (and even less UTAU), so the every song is kinda an event. Kaori’s piece has a nice djent-y flavor. It is sheer fucking wall of noise, all that Maiko’s mechanical-sounding screaming, tireless percussion and gut-wrenching guitars. Yeah, the guitars most of all. Because the mix has horrible, merciless overload in trebles. Ohh… So, guys, an official warning from VMW: THIS is destructive in the physical sense of the word as well :)
The favorite thing to do for Maiko on her birthday is to smash old TVs with a hammer. Because, you know, it is so meditative, so relaxing occupation… ;)
Video’s art by kagati.
No worthy original Vocaloid work has been released recently, so nothing left but to post some good covers. I hope I’m not abusing you with lesxpaulx too much :) Because to break the silence you need something really LOUD. Well, “LOSER” is one of the lesxpaulx’ most prominent songs in that sense. Nanmin’s version of it is formidable! The guy has excellent skill, both in screaming and in mixing. This is the second version of cover actually, the first one he posted last year’s summer.
Not a long time ago I was complaining there is too littlelesxpaulx :) It seems lesxpaulx-sama has heard my prayer, and has offered kindly another excellent song to his yearning fans. The producer has lowered the pressure a bit in “Jack of Spades”, for it is a love song, and you expect some kind of tenderness in love songs, don’t you? Well, the kind of ‘tenderness’ lesxpaulx prefers is still devastating for some weaker souls not familiar with metalcore. Because love can be painful, and merciless, and devastating too.
IA makes the song exceptionally powerful on the emotional side. The sheer force of passion is the ultimate core of this song. I said ‘perfection’. I keep on it.
“Lamb Of God”, my friends. Almost 14 years has passed from the release of the album where the song was, and still it sounds pretty decent today. Shiiba Eiji has replaced Randy Blythe with Hakaine Maiko. Can’t say digital Maiko sounds better than live Randy, but the cover is definitely well done anyway.
Matsuyo has been releasing Vocaloid covers recently, this time it’s a work for L'Arc-en-Ciel Cover Festival. You may ask me: who the fuck are L'Arc-en-Ciel? Well, if you don’t know them (as I hope), you’d better stay un-aware. And if you do, the cover may make you shit bricks frustrate you.
Because Matsuyo has wrapped everything in thick, full-blown layers of cruel metalcore. Fuck, it grinds! Miku’s singing matches perfectly with the slightly changed atmosphere. While in the original Hyde tries desperately to show us how passionate his feelings are but succeed only in making me hit stop button in an utter disgust after 30 seconds (and I’m not that touchy when it comes to music), Miku is just flat depressive. I haven’t heard such a depressive tone from Vocaloid for a long time. Depression and despair. You know, guys, somehow this makes Miku’s variant much more natural.
The song’s (excellent) lyrics are written by Ishikikazuto, and the music is by Kaito-san (hope we’ll avoid confusion with KAITO, who is known a little better). I have to say Kaito-san’s made an impressive progress from his earlier works, now there really is the material to speak of! “Rakka gata heroine” is a pretty decent metalcore, of the brighter side (if we could say so about metalcore). It’s intense and engaging, and I wish I could say the same about Rin. Damn, we have so little Rin in heavier songs (I wonder why? ;) ) that every moment is precious. You know, I’m not picky when it comes to matching music and vocals, but in “Rakka gata heroine” I just cannot help but wonder if this the worst case in my (lousy) memory. I hope strongly that’s the personal glitch of my perception, screwed by lack of sleep and abundance of alcohol, and you’ll spot nothing. Or maybe you’ll even love it! Why, Rin is lovely enough, even I cannot deny this… ;)
For me, when speaking about Vocaloid metalcore, lesxpaulx is a synonym for ‘perfection’. “Dead Metropolis” isn’t an exception. Head-slamming brutal, brisk, uncompromising and surgically precise. And IA, yes. “Aria on the Planetes”. Oh, how well it suits there ;)))) There might be only one drawback: the song ends too damn soon...
I have been waiting quite long for a song like that. And I’ve been rewarded. Pounding sound of guitars, machine-gun-like bursts of bass drums, uncompromising, hulking bassu… Nu metal or metalcore, whatever you like, guided by *properly* crafted screaming of Hakaine Maiko... Switched theme in the chorus, completely different yet perfectly fit. Fine, Ritsu, Ritsu’s always been in place, but I never expected such a good support from Teto! Teto *sounds*, guys, she does this in duet, but she *does* nevertheless! An epochal accomplishment, a miracle, a dream come true! ;)))
In fact, Maiko does most of work here, so it’d be better to use her image. Or Teto’s, she well deserves it. But no, Namine Ritsu has reaped all the benefits. As always. For obvious reasons.
Video’s art by sin.
Absolutely
amazing, MIND-fuckin’-BLOWING song by 2-Jigen project! Screamo on steroids,
that’s how I call this. The guys apply quite smoothly some kind of dark magic
to the metalcore base and get ingenious, stunning and completely unique sound.
It triggers fucking avalanche in your brains! I’m ready to fall in love with
this just for the awesome switching from 4/4 time to ¾ :)
Vocal parts
are no less impressive and no less distinctive. Well, the only obvious flaw is
shouting quality, but there is little of it. And the inventive use of
‘clear’ voice makes this barely significant. Classy guitar solo by guest
musician Zombie-kusari-neko (what a nickname! 8) ) deserves high praise too.
Lesxpaulx’ attempt on crossbreeding modern classical with metalcore. The outcome is a nifty symphonic metal (hoocoodanode? :) ) This is the cover again. The original theme is from the soundtrack of Persona 3 video game. Given the incoming material, I should say lesxpaulx’ alchemy works rather impressive. Well, I’ve expected nothing less from the guy, he is gross! As for IA, there is not much work for her there, but she manages it well.
Video’s art by DOKU.
Video’s art
by Rokuro.