REVIEW: James Presents: 30 Best Albums of 2013 Part 2

It was an important year for Visual-Kei - international Visual-Kei, hiatuses, disbandments, and an array of great albums. But, which ones were the best? Which albums will have effects on the Visual-Kei scene? Join James as he looks back on the past year, and picks the best albums of 2013, in three installments. 

First off, I want to reiterate what I said last year – I have excluded some albums from this list, even though they are great. Visual-Kei is a largely indie genre, and as such, many bands get little publicity and releases are overlooked. Of course we all know about releases from storied artists like miyavi and the GazettE – and we also know those releases are good. Here, I want to give a space to lesser-known artists who also did a great job. In this list, I may include some well known artists’ albums, but because I see those releases as having an impact beyond simply being a well-known artist’s new release. I hope you enjoy reading this list as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

For Part 1  (#30-#21), click here

I have now added links to bands’ websites, Twitter accounts, MySpace accounts, and YouTube channels when available, as since not everyone has heard of all of these great bands, I wanted to make sure everyone has the means to listen to them.

20. アヲイ(Awoi) - 終わりのメロディ (Owari no Melody)

            The fact that Awoi was decked out in matching outfits (hairstyles and makeup, too, really) for the music video for “Requiem” scored them points with me, but this album was even better. The album is to a degree what is expected from Awoi – dark and heavy Nagoya-Kei – but with some more depth to it than perhaps expected, which is why it is on this list.

            The album starts off with “Requiem”, which while somewhat typical of a number from Awoi, adds some melodic sections previously unheard of by this band, and while they do sound very similar to sections of Sadie and Dir en Grey songs, it is a very nice touch. The album is very similar to this track – that is, a departure from certain elements of Awoi’s catalogue. Songs are more diverse in sound, and compositions more complex. The album also showcases an Awoi not afraid of slowing down at times (“雨と煙 (Ame to Kemuri)”), and using some pretty different sounds (“Siva”).

            Ultimately, this album would have been even better if longer – that is, we could have heard even more of this new, improved, and varied Awoi. I am hoping they deliver a full-length LP in 2014 so that we can fully dissect a deeper, richer sounding Awoi.

KEY TRACKS: “レクイエム (Requiem)”, “ロシアンルーレット・シンドローム (Russian Roulette Syndrome)”, “雨と煙 (Ame to Kemuri)”

Website - http://www.awoi.jp/

19. 浮気者 (Uwakimono) - I 狂 U (I Chou U)

            The fact that SuG is already planning to release a new single makes writing this somewhat easier, as I don’t have to analyze this album through the lens of a possibly encroaching SuG disbandment. Which is nice, because I have a lot to say about this album, which is jam-packed with sound. The album is equal parts love ode to Harajuku and Shinjuku, and experimental. And surprisingly, it works (for the most part).

            A big aspect of why this album works is that it is entirely tailor made by Takeru (vocalist of SuG for anyone coming out from their humble rock abode). The songs are built for his not-as-dynamic-as-your-average-Visual-Kei-vocalist’s-voice voice, which means that he sounds better on some of these tracks than some SuG tracks. The music is also very upbeat, electronic, and catchy – and it just sounds trendy – basically showing us a side of Takeru that is always begging to get out when we see him performing with SuG. The tracks are all packed to the brim with different sounds (traditional Japanese insturments on the title track, “I Chou U”, acoustic guitar and strings on his cover of SADS’s “Boukyaku no Sora”) and the layers to each song are as numerous as the layers of kawaii in a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu music video.

            This album is a step out of the safety zone by Takeru, and for the most part it works – there are some missteps and moments where his vision is lost on me, but the album stands out as triumph for an entirely different side of Takeru – and Visual-Kei.

Twitter - http://twitter.com/uwakimono666

KEY TRACKS: “I 狂 U (I Chou U)”, “忘却の空 (“Boukyaku no Sora)”, “96”

18. DOLLARS – VENOM

            The fact that this is the debut non-single release from a brand new indie band is a little upsetting, as it is better than a lot of other Visual-Kei releases from far more experienced bands. The tracks here are nothing earth-shatteringly innovative, but they are well executed, and sound top-notch.

            The album opens with a great instrumental track, before launching into “Tokyo Junky”, the first single from DOLLARS. The track is a rocking number which contains great guitar work and vocals, and shows an obviously talented indie band. The second track is more of a groove number, with again, amazing guitar, and the bass and drums begin to truly shine here. On the fourth track, “Yomei no Hanabira”, the band launches into a song that could have been a single, and proceeds to treat listeners to a very well done track that is evident of growth, even from their very recent debut. There is integration of traditional Japanese instruments and a melodic section which adds depth and layers to this track. The fifth track, “Voice”, is the most aggressive of the album, and the band shows off a harder side, and it sounds just as good as the rest of the album. The album closes with the slower number, “VENOM”, showing yet another side of this band.

            For a band so young that has just debuted this year, this album is a complete victory. There is depth and layers here that any veteran Visual-Kei band would be envious of. Hats off to DOLLARS, this is how you should make a debut.

KEY TRACKS: “東京ジャンキー (Tokyo Junky)”, “余命ノ花火ラ (Yomei no Hanabira)”, “VENOM”

Website – http://dollars-official.net/

Official YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/dollarsinfo

17. 砂月 (Satsuki) – LUMINOUS

            I have already said many kind words (for good reasons) about this album, so I will attempt to spare you. I am huge fan of what Satsuki has done since Rentrer en Soi disbanded, including one of the best albums of last year where he collaborated with Kisaki Project for an elegant album. And that is exactly what “LUMINOUS” is: elegant. This album has a refinement to it that few Visual-Kei albums do. The album is complete sophistication and beauty, and it is shame that it has garnered so little attention.

            The tracks on this album are all intricately crafted, and are of a softer sound than many other Visual-Kei songs, but Satsuki completely pulls it off. The guitar in particular is beautiful on this album, with tracks such as “LE TEMPS AVEC…” making me wonder why so few have mentioned this album throughout the year. Also, I don't mean to make it sound like this album is nothing but airy elegance and Satsuki’s beautiful voice, tracks such as “FATE” give a glimpse of more aggressive numbers like what we think of Rentrer en Soi performing. This album has a little bit of everything, and it is all good. If you overlooked this album as many did, do yourself a favor and try and track down a copy.

KEY TRACKS: “LE TEMPS AVEC…”, “AFTER GLOW”, “In a Lucid Dream”, “TWILIGHT”, “INSIDE”, “ROMANCE”

Website - http://satsuki-web.net/

Twitter - http://twitter.com/Satsuki_Rociel

MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/satsukiofficial

16. LIPHLICH - フルコースは逆さから (Full Course wa Sakasa Kara)

            Last year, indie darlings LIPHLICH apparently decided to come back from near death status, and the results were spectacular. Now, they have released a new LP with their new members, and guess what? It only proves why we are infatuated with them. It is mind numbingly awesome, and has a sound completely unique, even within the bizarre soundscape that is Visual-Kei.

            The album makes use brass, strings, and pre-War jazz styles to create a sort an atmosphere unlike anything else around. The band’s unique style is present throughout, and the songs are all crafted with unbelievable attention to detail. My only critique of this album is that it is very single heavy as a result of them not having released an album in some time. I could try and talk more about this album, but it is so chalk-full of sounds and brilliant compositions that I honestly wouldn’t know where to start and end. Chances are you may have already heard this brilliant album, but if not, you really should be listening to it as soon as humanly possible.

KEY TRACKS: “VESSEL”, “大計画 (Daikeikaku)”, “マズロウマンション (Maslow Mansion)”, “月を食べたらおやすみよ (Tsuki wo Tabetara Oyasumi yo)”,  “ミズルミナス (Ms. Luminous)”

Website – http://www.liphlich.com/

Twitter - http://twitter.com/LIPHLICH

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/LIPHLICHTHEATER

15. GAUZES -揺篭 (Yurikago)

            Unfortunately, GAUZES is now disbanded, and even more unfortunate is that they evaded close to everyone’s radar while active – and based on this album, for seemingly no good reason. In other words, they went out on a very excellent album.

            The album has a very old-school Visual-Kei feel to it, but much similar to Ru:natic, not in a bad way, although this is much lighter than Ru:natic’s album. Instrumentation throughout the album is superb, and the band was incredibly talented for such an unknown indie band. The album is particularly strong on re-recordings of some of the band’s older tracks, which get a fresh coat of awesomeness for this release. The album does loose a bit of a sense of unity due to tracks from different singles being assembled here, but it ultimately all works due to the band having a very strong style.

            It is a shame that GAUZES is already gone, especially when considering so few people paid attention to them, and it is a little late to do so now. Here is hoping the members go on to be in just as great of bands in the future.

KEY TRACKS: “追憶 (new take)”, “kiss (new take)”, “名も無き謳”, “WING”, “枯れた花を照らす月”

Website – http://gauzes999.web.fc2.com/

Twitter – http://twitter.com/GAUZES999

YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/user/GAUZES107

14. Yeti - 賛成の反対 (Sansei no hantai)

            It is like an all-you-can-eat buffet of some of the best talent in Oshare-Kei around – a member from aicle., a member from Serial Number, and a member from irokui.? Yes very much, please. This album improves on the already great sound that Yeti debuted with on a different EP earlier this year, and this album only cements that much further their place as one of the best Oshare-Kei bands around.

            The track improves on their prior EP in virtually every respect, with stronger instrumentation and vocals, and one needs look no further than the opening track, “monochro”, for evidence of this. The track contains some of the best guitar work all year, regardless of any band, and demonstrates just how fast this band has grown. Emiru’s voice and lyrics reach new heights throughout the album, and the band follows him, with tracks having depth and complexity that even in a particularly good year for Visual-Kei, are hard to beat.

            Yeti takes away the fatigue from years of Oshare-Kei saturation, and makes it seem all okay. This album is brilliant, much like anything Yeti has touched so far. The album shows us an indie band still in their first year that has an ability to craft complex and brilliant tracks. Here is to hoping next year contains a full LP from this great band.

KEY TRACKS: “monochro”, “iq”, “hands”

Website – http://yeti-web.jp/

YouTube -  http://www.youtube.com/user/YetiOfficialChannel

13. ALSDEAD – Separator

            If you haven’t already noticed, I tend to love when Visual-Kei bands grow instead of disbanding, and produce albums that show such growth. And if that was the only criteria I was ranking albums by this year, then well by golly, let’s give ALSDEAD the number one slot. Visual Kei Heaven reviewer Jeff and I have frequently made jokes about early ALSDEAD material, to the point where we will now simply mention it to each other in comments and break out laughing. So, by all means, ALSDEAD coming out with an LP this is impressive is a sign of growth. That and it is also just an awesome Nagoya-Kei record.

            The album begins by playing the simple and haunting piano track that will repeat out, and launches into the raw and aggressive “Pandemic”, which echoes what many of us think of when we think of ALSDEAD. This being said, the track contains some programming that is well done (a rarity in Visual-Kei), which gives the track a means to stand out from the rest of ALSDEAD’s catalogue. And while I wish I could go into as depth of analysis for the rest of the tracks, for the sake of brevity, I won’t.

In general, the album builds on ALSDEAD’s characteristically aggressive, but not necessarily metal sound, and to great success. The album also includes some slower numbers, and overall enough diversity to not wear on the listener at all. The album also makes use of certain sounds throughout to build a unity in the album, which is very much appreciated. This being said, all the tracks flow together very well, and have a unified sound outside of the repeated piano track that plays in multiple tracks.

This album is a masterful demonstration of just how much a well-thought out (and executed theme) can make an album that much more impressive. The overall build-up of the album with the repeated, haunting piano to the track “フライト” is amazing, and the track itself is utterly beautiful, before using similar notes to launch into the more aggressive, yet equally memorable “Heaven”. ALSDEAD has demonstrated with this album that they have grown beyond what many others and I thought possible, and that they are without a doubt one of the best Nagoya-Kei bands on the scene. The album is masterfully crafted, with the instrumentation and vocals being near flawless. Here is hoping we hear more from this band in 2014.

KEY TRACKS: “Pandemic”, “Puzzle”, “フライト (Flight)”, “Hackticvism”

Website – http://alsdead.com/

Twitter – http://twitter.com/ALSDEADofficial

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/alsdead

12. カメレオ (Kameleo) - なう！(Now!)

            How to describe Kameleo? A whirlwind of zaniness, electronic music, and talent? That definition probably falls short, but it is the best I have. Kameleo burst on to the scene last year, releasing singles at a breakneck pace, and having their meteoric rise to Visual-Kei scene stardom rivaled only by Mejibray. This album only gives us all more reasons to love them, as it takes their wackiness to new levels, and contains the best songs they have released thus far.

            The album starts off with “Hajimari no Uta”, an upbeat number, before launching into a track complete with an angry man having dialogue in the midst of the track. Several of the singles that catapulted Kameleo to fame, such as “Sandwich Love”, are on this album also, and they don’t disrupt the flow the album has going, due to a combination of superb sequencing and Kameleo’s unique style shining on each track. In regards to Kameleo’s style, this album shows an expansion of it, with the inclusion of slower tracks (“ウェディングメール (Wedding Mail)”), and some new experimentation with different types of electric sounds that give the album an even more well-rounded sound.

            In short, this album makes Kameleo hard to find a fault with. It contains some of the funniest tracks that you will find in Visual-Kei outside of Golden Bomber, but the band is serious when it counts, with particular regard to their excellent compositions, and the crafting of one of the best albums of the year.

KEY TRACKS: “始まりの歌 (Hajimari no Uta)”, “サンドウィッチLOVE (Sandwich LOVE)”, “君となう。(Kimi to Now)”, “検索結果0 (Kensaku Kekka 0)”

Website – http://www.kameleo.jp/

Twitter – http://twitter.com/kameleojp

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheKameleo

11. DIV – ZERO ONE

            DIV, like Kameleo and Mejibray has become popular (not as popular as those two) quite fast, and like those two, has also experienced a significant uptick in quality. This album contains the best work the band has done so far, and it is quite good work, to say the least. With “ZERO ONE”, DIV firmly establishes themselves as one of the premier destinations for lighter, but still with plenty of rock, Visual-Kei.

            The album contains a number of singles, but does exclude “Golden Cinema”, likely due to sequencing concerns, and perhaps a good move. This album shows off DIV’s unique style of lighter Visual-Kei with distinct guitars, and improves on it with the addition of the occasional keyboard, strings, or electronics. The vocals are also a bit more aggressive at times on this album, and the lyrics are more meaningful than some of the B-Sides DIV has released thus far. The album as a whole benefits from good sequencing, and a very good flow. Throughout the entire album, DIV’s unique character shines through, demonstrating equal grace on slow and aggressive tracks.

            This album is hard to explain – it is not taking any huge risks, but it shows off DIV’s style, and is excellently put together. This is one band to continue to watch, as this album is expertly crafted and composed, and here is hoping DIV continues to release as much as they have been.

KEY TRACKS: “VANISH”, “ZERO ONE”, “夏の行方 (Natsu no Yukue)”, “Chocolate Prayer”, “I swear”

Website – http://www.div-official.com/

Twitter - http://twitter.com/div_info

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/DIVofficial

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