Exams are not fun =)

I won’t make a review this week and possibly not next week either due to exams and all that, which kinda sucks but I’m sure it’ll be okay in the long-run.

-Akumu

Review – Nightmare – Killer Show

Nightmare are one of the most well-known and influential Visual Kei bands out there in the modern VKei scene. They have countlessly pushed out great singles, albums and PV’s and this album certainly does not disappoint. 

1. パンドラ

Pandora is an introduction song to the album but in itself is a very wonderful song by this great band. Yomi’s wonderful singing combined with Ruka’s drumming, Hitsugi and Sakito’s guitar work and Ni~Ya’s bass playing makes this a great introduction song to the band’s fifth studio album. I am a great fan of this album and when it was released it was an important date for me.

8/10

2. Dirty

This song had it’s own PV which was a great watch and should be checked out. The song itself is quite fast with a great chorus and wonderful instrument work. The talent of this band is unmistakeable and cannot be challenged. It is showcased throughout every song on this album in many different styles and the fact that they can pull of heavier songs and lighter songs proves their range and ability.

9/10

3. the LAST SHOW

This song was written by Sakito which can be heard in the Jazz elements as his interest in it is well-known by fans. The vocals are lovely and the song is well-composed. It’s very catchy and easy to sing along to and just another example of the talent of this wonderful band who were just as popular in their indie days as they are today.

9/10

4. TrickSTAR

This song has a nice build-up at the beginning with Ruka’s drumming going from quiet to loud before the other instruments join in. The verses are sung quickly but just as wonderfully as always and the chorus is wonderful. Plus, the song has a Yomi-scream in it which is always a bonus to any song. Another wonderful title on this wonderful album.

9/10

5. メビウスの憂鬱

Mebius no Yuutsu has a very catchy start to it with the instrument work, and sounds like Sakito put his influence into this song, too. Yomi sing’s much slower at the start and as the song builds up he quickens his wording. I imagine this song would be lovely to watch live and the members would be dancing around the stage, especially Hitsugi!

8/10

6. このは

Konoha is one of my favourite songs on the album. It has a PV, also, and that was a very nice video to watch. The song is quite sad starting, and has softer vocals. However, the instruments don’t sound too sad during some parts of the song, but more uplifting. This truly does showcase Nightmare’s ability with softer songs quite well, though I think other songs such as Star:[K]night and Wasurena Kusa showcase that even better, especially the live versions.

10/10

7. レゾンデートル

Raison d’être is yet another brilliant song on this album and had it’s own PV which was well-directed. It also featured as the theme song for the anime Claymore. The singing and instrumental work is, as ever, beautiful and amazingly done. Nightmare just continue to grow in how much they amaze me, and they’ll always be one of the closest, if not the closest, Visual Kei band’s to my heart.

10/10

8. Worst

This song is faster-paced than the previous two and Yomi has a great singing style on this song. He sings quickly, and much lower than usual. This adds a great change for the song and showcases his range as a singer and the band’s range. The chorus is also wonderful, and the quick lack of instruments in the middle of the song add a small break before continuing with the epic chorus.

9/10

9. ジャイアニズム罰

Gianism Hachi is a song which means a lot to the fans of Nightmare, as they will know they release many songs named Gianism X. This theme is based upon a character from the manga and anime series Doraemon. This song is one of my favourite Gianism songs but all of them are very different and good in their own ways.

9/10

10. ジェネラル

General is the tenth track on the album and starts moving the tone down as the album draws to a close. It’s still fairly fast-paced but the singing is slower than before. I believe Yomi may use a megaphone for some parts of the song, like he did for Яaven Loud Speeeaker. Truly, the singing before the chorus in this song is beautiful, as well as the chorus itself. A really great song!

10/10

11. White Room

This song brings the tempo down even further, and involves Hitsugi singing in the beginning. This is a great thing to happen as it’s lovely when other member’s sing, as well as the main vocalist. The song itself is simply beautiful, the singing is incredible and hard to describe. Yomi truly is talented.

10/10

12. Cloudy dayz

This song becomes much softer and beautiful, Yomi sings quieter in some parts which shows the emotion which goes into this song. As with most Nightmare songs, the chorus is truly amazing, beautiful and well-made. This song is no exception, and delivers on every promise Nightmare seem to make us. They only deliver quality songs, one after the other.

10/10

13. 夜想曲

Yasou Kyoku is the final song on the album but this does not mean it is any less than the other songs. In fact, the opposite may be true as this is yet another lovely song by Nightmare. Yomi’s soft vocals are truly beautiful, the guitar work is amazing, the bass and drumming working together. The whole band becomes one and creates yet another brilliant song. And a brilliant end to this album.

10/10

Overall 10/10

This is simply a wonderful album from an amazing band who continue to release amazing music. Their future is very bright and I am looking forward to a possible new album in the near future after the release of majestical parade and the Gianism anniversary albums.

Welcome to July

First of all, I hope last month was a good one for you all and that the coming weeks will be just as good, if not better. July means we’re finally getting into Summer which will mean lovely weather for most of you (maybe even me, even though England isn’t famed for it’s good weather!).

I’d like to apologize for not putting up a review last week, I just had other things to think about and couldn’t get it done, so I’ll try to do a bigger one this week. I would also like to apologize for a lack of image for the Chariots review, and if I can find a way to correct this I will.

What does July hold for us all, then?

Firstly, for the Visual Kei scene there will be new releases from bands such as Deluhi (with Frontier on the 16th); Kagrra,(with Tsuki ni Murakumo Hana ni Ame on the 16th); MUCC (with Yakusoku on the 9th); Phantasmagoria (with actuality on the 16th); SID (with RAIN which was released on the 2nd); Rin (with As if forever exists. which was released on the 2nd) and Kiryu (with Manazakura on the 23rd).

A very promising month with releases from some great artists, most notably Phantasmagoria who I have been watching since they reformed quite closely.

For the gaming scene, there is sadly little coming out this month that I’m too interested in. It seems next month will be better with Starcraft II being released.

What are you all looking forward to this summer?

-Akumu

Review – Chariots – ablaze my sorrow

Chariots have long-since been admired by fans of Phantasmagoria and VKei in general. They were the closest link to Phantasmagoria and, fortunately for the fans, were just as talented music-wise. They provide both faster, heavier songs to slower, more melodic songs such as the band most of them were in before.

Phantasmagoria reformed earlier this year to the delight of fans and therefore Riku of Chariots may be quite busy with that. However, their music should still be appreciated.

1. Bane

This song starts out in a very discordant manner but soon becomes heavy but at the same time melodic and synched. The drumming and guitar work by Reiya(dr) and Akito(gu) and Tomo(gu) is wonderful and well-constructed. Bass by Loki is great and his replacement of Yuuri, who left in late 2008, means the band are just as amazing. Riku’s vocals are as inspiring as they ever were, even from the Phantasmagoria days and the chorus is beautiful.

7/10

2. ablaze my sorrow

This beautiful song is the second of the single, and is certainly my favourite. It’s instrument work is simply amazing and the song itself is both sad but inspiring. The PV of the song was well-made and certainly is worth a look. The band’s image can be seen within it and is certainly a great example of Visual Kei, and even a good look at the older VKei styles such as old Dir en grey.

9/10

3. steal

This final song is quite fast paced and has catchy vocals. It’s a good piece of work by the band and an enjoyable listen as well as a nice end to the single. The chorus is particularly nice and shows off the band’s skills well. A good ending to a good single.

8/10

Overall 8/10

A great single release from a well-known and well-loved band who hopefully will continue to release such great songs. I recommend looking into their works as well as checking out the new works from Phantasmagoria.

Just a request…

If any of you know people who enjoy Visual Kei music or WoW or other PC Games, then please let them know about this blog. It would really mean a lot to be to get more followers and to make it bigger, as well as having some comments to reply to!

Thanks in advance,

-Akumu

Review – ALSDEAD - Distrust

ALSDEAD (formerly DiceNJoker) are fairly new on the VKei scene but have been kicking it up for a year or so and have formed a large fan base. This new single from them is promising and has all the elements which make them a great band.

1. Distrust

This song starts off with maki’s unique vocals which are both melodic and raw. He has a truly unique sound, as well as the band do. Shin, on guitar; Reito, on bass and Setsua, on drums form a powerful combination in terms of the instrumental side to this song as well as the others on the single. This song had a PV which is very enjoyable to watch and I recommend it, as well as other songs by this band.

9/10

2. 傷 ~acoustic arrange~

Kizu has appeared on one of the bands singles, of the same name, but had a more metal sound. This rework of the song is more melodic and sad and is a very enjoyable listen. The fact the band can connect to their older songs, change them and make them equally as impressive as they were the first time round is a sign of their impressive quality and workmanship. A lovely song!

10/10

3. Vanity

This is the last song on this single but is just as impressive as all the other songs. It starts with vocals and a quiet instrumental but soon turns into a very metal song. The chorus is well-sung and the instruments are greatly timed. A nice listen and a good end to the single.

9/10

Overall 9/10

This is a wonderful release from ALSDEAD and I recommend listening to this single as well as all their other pieces of work, including the Eternal Insanity album when they were DiceNJoker. They’re a promising band who have a big future. Good luck to them, I’ll follow them all the way!

Sorry for the lack of activity

Sorry for not posting much in the past week, just been busy with other things. I’ve decided that I won’t level my DK up anymore, or at least not yet, and will wait for Cataclysm, start an undead hunter called Akumu and make him my main at 85. Should be fun!

Review from yesterday incoming and the next part of the perfect MMO should be incoming soon as well!

-Akumu

Review - 摩天楼オペラ - Gilia (Europe Edition)

Matenrou opera are a very well-known and loved band within the Visual Kei scene with their melodic metal tones and wonderful singing. Sono’s voice is very unique and enjoyable to listen to.

1. 瑠璃色で描く虹

Ruri iro de egaku niji appears on many different releases by the band and involves wonderful keyboard work from Ayame as well as powerful drumming from Yuu, bass from You and guitar work from Anzi. The singing by Sono is brilliant and the song itself has many powerful parts which make it a wonderful listen. It’s no wonder they use this song on many different releases.

8/10

2. Twilight Parade

This song has a really awesome introduction and the chorus is very brilliant, too. I don’t think there are any songs by Matenrou opera that I don’t enjoy listening to, and this certainly is an enjoyable track. It has everything in it that makes the band what they are.

8/10

3. Plastic Cell

This song starts off with keyboard and then a powerful drumming comes in with quite a metal-sounding riff. The keyboard stops and the metal riff, with all other instruments continues before Sono begins singing wonderfully. It has many tempo changes which keeps it interesting and Sono just makes it a wonderful song.

9/10

4. Alkaloid Showcase

This song has an amazing introduction, as well, and follows it up with wonderful singing and instrument work. The song even had it’s own PV which is an enjoyable watch and I recommend finding it to check it out! The chorus is magnificent and Sono showcases his own voice in it’s full glory.

9/10

5. Sara

This is a beautiful song, it’s very emotional and has quite a sad beginning which follows into melodic instruments which are harmonic and a wonder to listen to. The singing is quite melancholic and it’s as if Sono is thinking back whilst singing of past events. The ending is very beautiful, and sad as well.

10/10

6. Honey Drop

This song has great singing as it seems quite discordant but at the same time melodic and in-time. It’s a wonder to behold and definitely deserves a listen. The keyboard work is pretty epic in this song, as well. A thumbs up!

9/10

7. 忘却セルロイド

Boukyaku celluloid is a great song. The introduction is very discordant and fast with what sounds like violins playing quickly and an emergent drumbeat. The singing is really enjoyable, especially during the chorus and the drumming is wonderful throughout. This is another great song as the album draws to an end.

9/10

8. 虚空からの手紙

Koku kara no tegami is a great ending song for the mini-album. It sounds quite happy but has a good farewell-sound to it. All the band pull together to deliver a wonderful ending track and leave you wanting more Matenrou opera!

8/10

Overall 9/10

This is a great release from the band and I feel it is only bettered by their Anomie release. Both should be checked out as well as their singles. This album can be purchased on the iTunes store in Europe. Image taken from Google images.

-Akumu

I’m going to postpone the review

This will be until tomorrow, as the computer I use to transfer pictures from my phone to my memory stick has been taken downstairs for other usage I need to either find another method of getting images or finding one online and reviewing something I have not got a physical CD of.

-Akumu

Guildless

Sadly, my guild decided, around last week, to move to another server which is very sad as I’d began to enjoy raiding with them a lot. Unfortunately, I could not move there with them because I know some people in real life on my server and it feels like home.

So, if anyone guilds are recruiting send a whisper or mail to Eldroth on the Outland(EU) server! Otherwise, I may start my own guild in the summer and level up my other characters in my spare time.

-Akumu

Review – Deathgaze – The Continuation

Deathgaze have had a few changes since their formation in 2003 with many members coming and going. Their current line-up has been going strongly as of late and this album was to show the band are still powerful even after many initial members had left.

1. 闇に雨 腐敗した世界

The album starts off nicely with this powerful, fast-paced song. It has great drumming and vocal work, ranging from Ai’s deep singing to growling. The chorus is great, moving into a more melodic singing which fits nicely into the song. This is a wonderful start to the album and the band’s workmanship is shown greatly.

8/10

2. genocide and mass murder

This is a very angry song with growling vocals throughout and a heavy beat. The ability of the band member’s is great for the whole song, however, and Takaki’s guitar work, Kosuke’s bass and Naoki’s drumming add an amazing atmosphere to this song. Even the song’s title is aggressive to match the content.

8/10

3. abyss

This is a very well-written song which has a dark atmosphere to it and has a growled verse with melodic chorus. The band’s skills are shown greatly here with it’s heavy metal tones and riffs. This is one of my favourite songs on the album and the PV of this song is very nicely made. The band are shown in a good way which is reflective of their style.

9/10

4. 死桜

Shi sakura is a good song, though for me it sometimes fades into the album and becomes less prominent. That being said, as a song it’s very well-composed and has all the elements of Deathgaze within it. It has a heavy, metal instrumental background with growling vocals from Ai as well as singing which could be described as melancholic.

7/10

5. メメント モリ

Memento Mori has a brilliant start to it. It’s very heavy and fits the band nicely. The singing is wonderful, as always and moves slowly into growls. The chorus is beautifully sung and the instruments become a bit softer and less discordant. This is swept away with the powerful, heavy riff of the beginning. Overall this song is a great piece of work by Deathgaze and deserves a listen.

8/10

6. ディエス イレ

Dies ire is a more melodic song which begins the transition into the sadder section of the album. The great thing about The Continuation is that it’s a story, in a way, and moves greatly between songs. It slowly progresses to more hopeless songs which have more despair within them. It is a work of art; a musical novel. And this song is as important as all the rest.

810

7. 死臭

This is another song which feels like despair is setting into the narrator. The instruments become a lot calmer, especially during the verses and sound contemplative. The end of the song is very powerful, too, as Ai repeats many lines to emphasise them. This song is greatly sung, especially when the vocals are a mix between singing and a throaty growl.

8/10

8. ラブソング

Love song is very aptly named and is a nicely-written song. The guitar is melodic and the drumming softer than previous songs. The chorus is very well-flowing and nicely sung and well-played from all members. The bass comes in better in the chorus, too, which is a plus. This song certainly drops the mood down to a more melancholy tone. Plus the sustained note at the end is amazing!

8/10

9. 「294036224052」

This seemingly random string of numbers signals a very fast paced metal song. The singing is growled and shouted and all the instruments are insanely fast and angry. The song is short, however, and is a break from the sadness of previous songs.

6/10

10. リヒトゾイレ

This is a fairly short metallic song which starts the mood shift back down to sadness. It’s still energetic and heavy but it starts moving back down to the sadder tones. The album is very bipolar throughout and this is the beginning of my favourite section of the album.

7/10

11. insult kiss me

This is also quite a heavy and fast-paced song. However, the singing has elements in it of sadness and becomes much more despaired later on. The chorus is nicely sung and the instrument work is brilliant, as is the norm with Deathgaze.

8/10

12. DEAREST

This song is beautiful. Simply, it’s the first of the two greatest songs on the album, in my opinion. The instruments are soft, melodic and well-timed. The vocals are harmonic and beautiful. This song is just a wonderfully made story, which seems to be about love and loss. I could easily listen to this song in any mood, but it’s very easy to relate to if you’re feeling down.

9/10

13. amends (piano version)

This is, in my opinion, the greatest song on this album. It’s simply beautiful and very powerful and moving. It is a long track, including very good piano work and touching vocals and lyrics. A masterpiece, and the ending of a very great album; a great work of art.

10/10

Overall 9/10

This is a perfect sample of how amazing Deathgaze are at being musicians and poets. It showcases everything good about them and leaves nothing out. It leaves you wanting more, and to discover other works by them. Wonderful.

-Akumu

Apologies for the lack of review yesterday!

I went to a mate’s 18th party so didn’t have time to write a review. So, what I’ll do is pick a CD and write one today for it =) So keep tuned for that!

-Akumu

The Perfect MMORPG – Gameplay Mechanics (pt 1)

2. Gameplay Mechanics

This section will discuss and detail the various gameplay mechanics which would constitute to the perfect MMORPG. It will include how the game controls, how skills are used by the player and the general aspects that make the game feel fun and nice to play.

2.1 Control System

The game should not attempt to create anything needlessly complex in the way the player interacts with the game. Movement should be a standard WADS setup with the mouse being used for targeting and camera movement. Holding the right mouse button should rotate the character and holding the left mouse button should rotate the camera, but keep the character moving in the same direction. Left-clicking on a target should select them but it should not make you run up to attack the enemy, nor should it engage you into auto-attack. Right-clicking the target should select them and begin auto-attacking.

2.1.1 Skill use/ Spell casting

Skill or spell use should be incorporated in an intelligent fashion. Any keybinds should be specified within the UI like most MMORPG’s of current whereby you have an action bar where you can choose to place your skills, numbering from “1” to “=” along the top of the keyboard. This is fairly standard within the genre and would still be fine to use. It may also be possible to have a reactive combat system with the use of First-Person camera and the left mouse button attacks, the right blocks (or similar skills therein based on class).

2.1.2 Inventory

The play should have access to his inventory from both a button on the UI and a button on the keyboard. “I” would be a good choice to use, however “B” is very popular due to World of Warcraft. Adding the use of “I” would make the game feel different, however, which is a good thing. The depiction of the inventory in-game should follow one of two patterns. Every item takes up 1 slot, and the player has a certain number of slots based on how many bags they own. Every item has it’s own weight and the player can become encumbered. Money should have a weight, too, to promote bank use. Or, the game could use items as taking up several slots (like Neverwinter Nights, Diablo etc.) as well as having a weight to them. This way, the game would feel more realistic as you couldn’t have 10 suits of armour with you at once. Though, players may not feel happy with this, it is important to bring back the challenge in the MMORPG genre instead of spoon-feeding your audience.

Review – LM.C – Ghost † Heart

LM.C have long-been a greatly appreciated duo within the Visual Kei scene, spawning a large following of their rock/electronic music which they promote as New Age Electrock! This single was a nice addition to their music and had a Halloween theme to it.

1. Ghost † Heart

This song followed Punky♥Heart with the same heart theme but instead of the bright black and pink, saw a more silver and black look in the PV. The song itself is well-written and has lovely singing from Maya and some great guitar work from Aiji. The support band add a lot to the song, as well, and overall it’s a great song. It has a spooky electronic overtone amidst some great rock chords and singing. The PV was very artistic and featured the band member’s with demonic shadows cascading onto block-coloured backgrounds.

8/10

2. a blueberry night

This song has quite a distinct jazz theme to it and is very energetic. The singing and guitar work is just as amazing as always and the song is very fun to listen to. LM.C are great at making happy songs as well as sad ones, and this is definitely one of their signature happy ones. The energy and tempo within the song almost forces the listener to become upbeat and smile!

7/10

Overall 8/10

This is a fantastic release from LM.C and is made even greater by the free phone chain and the amazing cover work. It looks normal and white in the light, but in the dark a spooky scene is revealed via glow-in-the-dark ink. A wonderful single.

The Perfect MMORPG - Introduction

This is an introduction to this new string of posts I will be devising which will detail what, in my opinion, would be the perfect MMORPG. I will, whenever necessary, create actual game features and concepts of anything from classes to the gameplay.

My aim from this is to be able to create a long list of ideas which could be given to a powerful developer and they could create something truly amazing. I will attempt to leave nothing uncovered as to avoid any potential failures should such a project be undertaken.

-Akumu

Icecrown is going well

I finally got into one of my guild’s ICC10 raids and it went very well. Better than the 25-man PuG’s we do and I was very happy with it all. We managed 7/12 bosses, could have probably done a few more with a bit more time, Putricide was tough and we didn’t down him but we got far =]

Also, I can’t wait for summer to get my Death Knight and Warlock up to 80 in preparation for Cataclysm.

-Akumu

Review – DELUHI - Yggdalive

DELUHI have long been a powerful figure in the VKei scene and have quickly risen to great fame and success. They’re aggressive tones and drumming along with powerful guitar and bass work make them a truly amazing band to look at with awe. Their latest work, titled Yggdalive is very different from their earlier work.

1. Overture –Yggdalive-

This is the opening song of the album and is just an intro filler song. As far as they go, it’s a fairly good one which builds up quite nicely to move into the first real song of the album. This song has operatic vocals in the background with a looped musical overtone. A fairly nice start to their new album.

6/10

2. G.A.L.D

The first real song on the album is one of my favourite. It sounds very much like the old DELUHI and has powerful instrumental work with Juri’s lovely voice singing powerfully over the top. The drumming from Sujk is also very powerful in this song and a nice solo from Leda along with Aggy’s bass work wraps this song into a nice package of original DELUHI. A wonderful song.

9/10

3. REVOLVER BLAST

The transition from G.A.L.D into this song is truly brilliant and powerful and the introduction drumming is very nicely done. Juri moves into his classic screaming/growling nicely which, again, sounds like the original DELUHI. English is, like G.A.L.D, used heavily in this song which makes it very accessible to many audiences. However, I do prefer the Japanese language. The chorus, as well, is very nicely sung.

8/10

4. flow snow

This album was released in November so the idea of snow in the title is very appropriate. The intro for the song is very nice and has some good guitar work. The vocals are also very nice at the beginning but the song starts the transition into a new sound for DELUHI. This is neither bad nor good, but it’s different. It took me a while to appreciate it but it still has their workmanship within. I generally like this song quite a lot, it’s quite heavy and has some nice singing in it. It also has more Japanese in, which is always good!

8/10

5. WAKE UP!

This song is more of DELUHI’s newer sound. It has a slightly greater pop sound to it, but with a metal undertone. Quite an interesting piece of experimental work from DELUHI, though I don’t like the electronic changing of Juri’s voice for parts of it. His voice should be heard in all it’s splendour. As a song itself, though, it’s quite catchy and has a nice beat to it.

7/10

6. HELLO

This is a beautiful song and has a perfectly lovely chorus to go with it. The guitar work, drumming and bass is perfectly harmonised and work so well together. It’s quite a sad song in some ways, or at least it sounds that way, but it has a subtle undertone of happiness. This song is truly wonderful and a nice addition to the album. I hope there are more like this in the future.

8/10

7. FOLLOW THE FUTURE

This is a very metal song and has powerful drumming and guitar work. Juri screams a lot during this song and the chorus is very nicely arranged. It has a fast beat which is catchy and enjoyable to listen to. Generally, this is a nicely put together song and has a lot going for it.

8/10

8. Syllable –Yggdrising-

This is another filler track between the rest of the album and the final song. It’s fairly alright but I would have preferred to just have 8 tracks on the album without an extra filler in between. It doesn’t have a lot going for it musically and is just quiet guitar work and some noises.

5/10

9. 星の無い夜に

This is quite a pop-style song from DELUHI to end the album. The voice pitching is very high and the song is quite sad sounding. It has a catchy beat to it and is fairly enjoyable but compared to their more metal songs it’s not quite as good. I do quite like it, however, and it’s worth a try. It may take a few listens to truly enjoy it.

7/10

Overall 8/10

This is a good release from DELUHI and I truly recommend giving it a good try. It has some original work as well as signs of progression into another sound. Enjoyable, overall.

-Akumu

I love coffee!^^

It’s completely true, I am a caffeine addict and I get my fix mostly in the form of coffee. It’s truly divine =). I’ll soon be starting a new string of posts at some stage soon spanning over a few weeks where I’ll be sharing my view of what would make the perfect MMO. This will include everything within it, all the design concepts from gameplay to graphics and everything else. I hope you enjoy my thoughts and share your own =)

Also, keep tuned in as it’s Friday soon and I’ll be doing another VKei review =)

-Akumu

Monday’s suck! =[

I hate Monday’s, they are so boring and just have that feeling about them of tiredness and having a whole extra week to get through. Back to 6th form, too, which meant the sun decided to disappear until I got back home. Nice one, sun! Oh well. Tuesday’s are easier ;)

Matenrou Opera listening time!! :D

-Akumu

Eternal Farming is the way to go!

I think I’ve solved my problem of wondering how to get my 5k for epic flying mount training! Eternal farming in Wintergrasp. I made 70g from 5 eternal fires which took about 15 mins to get or less. I’ll have to sit down and farm the life out of the area at some point =D.

On another note, ICT coursework was dull and stressful, and I have a test in it tomorrow in theory which I will have to revise for. Yay!…

-Akumu

We aren’t so good at arena!

Me and my sister started an arena team on WoW a few weeks ago and we aren’t too good at it. But we’ve managed to clock up a rating of around 100! Haha. Oh well, I’m a PvE-er at heart and my guild’s ICC raids seem to be going alright. The 25-man run on Friday went well up to Festergut! Hope we do even better next week :)

Today was another sunny and nice day, so it’s going good. I haven’t done a lot, I should’ve got some work done but oh well! Tomorrow I’ll get loads of ICT coursework done. Yay.

-Akumu

Review – XodiacK - 「神羅万象 -摂理-」

XodiacK have always been a mysterious but powerful band. They appeared on the VKei scene quite a long time ago with some powerful and impressive tracks. However, they became very silent for anyone outside of Japan as they spent many months doing live concerts with no word on any new music.

Then, in late 2009 they announced they would release a full album in 2010. This was to be named Shinra Bansho –Setsuri-. It sadly, didn’t contain many new tracks (3 new ones) but had remastered versions of their previous works, plus two filler tracks (introduction and outro)

1. 侵羅万象-冒涜-

This is a short introduction track to get the listener in the mood for some wonderful XodiacK. As far as intro songs go it’s fairly average but adds to the space theme well with alarms going off with an epic background sound. A good introduction to this Galaxy Metal band.

5/10

2. 黒い太陽

Kuroi Taiyou was one of the bands first songs from when they first formed. It features death metal vocals from Eros with powerful guitar, bass and drum work from Chiru, Agito, Hizuki and Yahiro. The song features some singing as well, which showcases Eros’ range which is quite an impressive one. His singing is very powerful and pitches nicely.

8/10

3. 君に降る絶望の雨

Kimi ni furu zetsubou no ame was another one of the bands original songs and features less in the way of death metal vocals. It is still a fast-paced song and features some nice guitar-work. Eros’ voice is still as powerful as before ranging from deeper singing to higher wailing which provides a great atmosphere. This is a very well-written song. The album came with a bonus DVD which featured the band’s first PV which was of this song. The PV featured many visual effects and was a wonderful experience to watch.

7/10

4. 君悲ノ鳴声

Kimi no koe is the final of the bands three old songs which feature on the album. This song is a bit slower than the others and features some very nice singing. This song features some good singing from Eros as well as shouting later on. The emotion within the song is fairly deep but sometimes feels like it could be a bit deeper.

6/10

5. MasK

This is the first of the new full song on the album and therefore provides an exciting leap into the unknown. It was fun to discover how XodiacK had progressed since their first works and what new ideas they had come up with. The song itself features singing and growls and is well-written. It’s fairly heavy which is nice and has a nice level of discord which is part of XodiacK and what they seem to like to do. The chorus has some nicely sung lyrics which have a lot of emotion behind them. It sounds like desperation, perhaps.

7.5/10

6. HELLRAISER

This is my favourite of the new songs and perhaps my favourite on the entire album. It has a depth of melancholy in the wailed vocals and some nice instrument work. It also has a level of discord and some quite harrowing additions. I also think Eros sings “Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier” within which reminds me of schwein no isu by Dir en grey. The emotion of this song is powerful and it’s a great listen.

8.5/10

7. Vorte-X-

This is the final of the three new songs and the last full song on the album. It has some nice guitar and drum work within it and features some nice vocals. It is medium-paced and well-timed. It has a few growls later on in the track and after these the singing becomes really wonderful. This easily could become my favourite track if I listen to it a few more times!

8.5/10

8. 真羅万象-再生-

This is the final track on the album and is simply an outro to end the album. It features some beautiful piano and is quite a sad end to the album. However, it is only short and then changes into the epic music from the start of the album. It is quite a nice end.

6/10

OVERALL 8/10

This is a great album release. Sadly, since it’s release XodiacK have split up and only Eros is left. He is, however, looking for members to continue working on XodiacK to fulfil his dream. If you are a good musician, think about applying =) Good luck to him!

-Akumu

It’s Friday!

Hurrah! It’s the end of the week. Although, this doesn’t matter too much as I’m still on my Easter Holidays. It’s a very nice day out, today, and the sun is out for once so it should put me in a good mood. Sadly, I’ll have to get on with some work soon!

I’ll start doing my first CD review later this afternoon, after I’ve done some coursework =] Lucky me!

-Akumu

The current plan!

Okay, so my current plan with this blog is to update it as often as I can. There will be at the very least 1 update a week, but most likely there will be many more than that. Hopefully, at least one a day =)

The plan is as follows:

Friday – Every Friday I will review a Visual Kei single/album/release which I own. This will include an image of the CD wherever applicable and details on each track on the album. I will also review the presentation if it is needed and give each track a rating out of 10, as well as an overall rating.

I intend to provide my own images which could include photography or screenshots whenever I post an image of a CD or game. This not only makes it more personal and fun for me, and for you, but it also won’t risk infringing on any copyright agreements.

Welcome to my blog!

Hey everyone!

Welcome to my blog, I hope you enjoy your stay and keep checking back for updates! First of all, I will tell you what this blog is all about and why it's here. Then, I'll talk about myself and go and change the layout and add as much cool stuff as I can! =]

Okay, so what is this blog about? It's basically a place where I can drop all my thoughts and hopefully there will be people out there who want to read about them! I also plan to put forth my opinion on various things and to review products which interest me.

But what are these things that interest me? Well, I'll introduce myself. My name is Peter and I'm a 17 year-old student currently in my second year of Sixth Form, and will be moving on to University in late September this year. My main passions in life are Visual-kei music and gaming, so these are the sorts of things I will review and talk about. I'm not a console gamer at all, I am a PC gamer at heart and in practice and I do not plan to review or talk about any console games in the near future. I enjoy many types of games but I mostly enjoy RPG's and MMORPG's; the social aspect adds a lot of fun to a game.

Thanks for reading this, and please keep checking back for more =)

-Akumu