Thursday, April 23, 2020

Top 5 Dadaroma Songs


It was recently announced that Dadaroma is disbanding.  I wasn't a fan of this band at first but the deeper I dove into their music the more I came to like them.  They may not be my all time favorite Visual Kei band but I do think they are talented and I am bummed they are disbanding.  In recognition of Dadaroma, here are my top 5 Dadaroma songs.

5.  Romance Gray


This may not be one of the bands most famous songs but it is still a pretty good song.  The melodic guitar work is good and the vocals are spot on.  The taping guitar work during the bridge is also pretty good.  Dadaroma focuses more on the atmospheric end of their sound and it works well.  It may not be the most heavy or eerie song in their catalog but it is still a good song all the same.  

4.  Risley Circus


Risely Circus was the song that I really liked from Dadaroma and made me more curious about the band. The drum work in the opening of the song creates a great instrumental hook that gets you into the song right away.  Then when the main intro gets going, the song produces a great combination of creates a great heavy intro that I rock out to every time I listen to it.   The other great hook in this song is the chorus.  The great combination of heavy and eerie creates a great chorus that is memorable and shows a good representation of this bands style.

3. Dendrobium


This song is another great combination of heavy and eerie.  You get the heavy elements in the guitar playing with the heavy riffs in the intro, pre chorus, and chorus.  You then get the eerie element in the vocals.  The singing in this song gives a very eerie feel that works very well.  Both styles are well balanced and work very together.  

2.  Day By Day



Day by Day has more of an emotional feel to it then an eerie feel.  This is a nice change of pace for this band.  While emotion isn't super uncommon for them, they usually don't make the center piece of what they put out there. Before this song it was usually either eerie or straight up heavy metal that they would release as a single.  However, this song proves that the band was capable of variety and they pull it off very nicely.

1.  Boku Wa Android


Boku Wa Android is one of the bands most well balanced songs.  It is heavy with some great melodic guitar playing and the same with the vocals.  The song structure is also very well written.  They way it transitions from the intro to the verse and then into the chorus are all well done and don't feel out of place.  I also really like this song's message about humanity acting like androids and just doing what they are told without questioning.  With well written music and a good message, I put Boku Wa Android at number 1.





Thursday, April 16, 2020

Top 5 Bands To See in Concert Post CVD-19

With the CVD-19 virus putting everything on halt, I've been wondering what band's I've seen in concerts and who I would like to see in concert.  As much I appreciate that bands are streaming performances, it's not the same as actually seeing the band in concert.  The energy a band gives off when you see them live is like nothing you can experience through a computer or a t.v. screen.  The audience engaging with the band is awesome.  The sound of a bands playing is so much better in person vs streaming.  With that, here are 5 bands I recommend to see in concert post CVD-19.

5.  Megadeth

Considering that Dave Mustaine has recovered from his caner and is still able to play guitar and sing,  I would put this band high on your list.  One reason is that Megadeth is a great live band and are all phenomenal musicians.  Another though is that we don't know much longer Dave Mustaine can last.  True he recovered this time, but cancer can return and has for many other musicians.  I hope and pray that this doesn't happen to Dave Mustaine, but you can't be sure.  So for both great music and the possibility of not being able to see them live again, gotta check out Megadeth.


4.  Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper was originally supposed to be retired but decided to hit the road again and that is a true blessing.  Not only do I recommend him for his shock stunts during live shows, but he has an amazing band line up.  Chuck Garric is a good musician and good bassist and Nita Strauss is an amazing guitarist. When you see a line up of great musicians like that, how can you now want to see that.  Alice Cooper is also very good about giving his band their time to shine.  They are not his touring band, he makes them a big part of his show.  If you want to Alice Cooper as well as an amazing band, you got to check out Alice Cooper.

3.  The Gazette

I have personally seen this band live twice and both times were amazing.  The band has a great energy and just dominates the stage.  The singer and bassist do a great job interacting with the audience.  They also sound very good live.  Their guitar tone is amazing and the drums sound great.  I have seen some of this band's concert DVDs and I can assure you that they don't do justice.  They use to not come to the U.S. but they are doing it more frequently now and I highly recommend listening to them.

2.  Sabaton

Sabaton has developed a reputation over years a band that just dominates at festivals.  Their singer is famous for how much he interacts and engages with the audience. He does a great job of making the audience feel like they are part of the show and it has really helped  launch them further.  If you want to see a good concert as well as be part of it,  this is one band you need to check out.  

1.  Trans Siberian Orchestra

I have seen Trans Siberian Orchestra three times and every time I was blown away.  They have a lot of lights, lasers, and pyro in their shows that really takes it over the top.  More importantly though, they have the music to back it up.  Every musician in this band is amazing and gives it all they got.  What I find really interesting is the wide range of demographics they attract.  If you are metal head or a rocker, this is up you ally.  However, if you are also a classical music fan and/or Christmas music fan, this is for you as well.  Despite the fact that they clearly are rockers, they can still attract many demographics and that is something unique about them.  If  you and to see a show with great theatrics as well as fantastic music.  I recommend TSO.  






Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Twice's New YouTube Original




Twice recently released a trailer for their upcoming YouTube series called "Seize the Light".  I heard talk of this happening earlier this year but I honestly didn't think it was actually going to be ready until the summer, clearly I am wrong.  A lot of people are excited for this and I see a lot o potential in this series. So here is what I hope to see out of it.

The first thing I hope for is a good balance between stage performance and things behind the scenes.  One trap that some documentaries like this fall into is that they will focus either too much of one or the other and it results in people feeling confused on what the identity of the documentary is.  People will start to wonder is it a concert film or is a behinds the scenes documentary.  Considering that this is a series and not one documentary, I think it will be better balanced and hopefully won't have this problem.  

Another thing I am curious about is how they will handle Mina's anxiety.  This was the tour when Mina's anxiety hit her hard and she ended up having to drop out of the tour as a result. Considering that the camera's were with them all tour, I'm curious if they will brush over it or actually spend some time on it.  In all honesty, I think they should spend some time on it.  Now, when I say that, I don't mean that it should be focusing on Mina.  She was in very bad shape and needed to be left alone.  I still remember that video of her walking out of the airport with the bucket hat over her eyes while crying, it was hard to watch.  What I think it should happen is that we should get the other members reactions and see how they handled it.  While the situation was clearly bad and it certainly made a negative impact, they also grew as a group as well.  Feel Special is their most sincere album and this situation played a part in the making of that album.  There is a reason Mina is in the center on the album cover.  So I think to just skip over it would be disservice to them because it's playing down something that ended up bringing them closer together, both as a group and as friends.  

Last is that even though I do want to see how they handled Mina's situation,  I still don't want the whole series to be drowned in drama.  I remember watching Metallica's Some Kind of Monster movie and getting annoyed by all the drama in it.  Seeing hardships is good because it shows that they are human but when it gets so overwhelming, it gets annoying and feels fake.  Stuff like that is part f the reason I don't watch reality shows anymore. This basically is another form of balance that need's to be taken into account.  Show the right amount of good times and bad.

I honestly have a lot of hopes for this series.  It looks like it has a lot of potential and the members are not afraid to express their feelings so I think this will work.  I look forward to the day it comes out and curious what we will get to see!

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Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Top 5 Anime Opening Songs


I've stated in the past that I am a fan of Jrock, mainly because of how diverse the music in that rock scene is compared to the American music scene.  I am also a fan of anime as well.  In fact, it was because of anime that I started to look deeper into the Japanese music scene to begin with.  I didn't pay much attention to anime openings at first but the more I got into music, the more I started to pay attention to them.  In time I would always want to watch the openings while my friends would want to skip it and get straight into the anime. It is still something that they find annoying about me, but I don't care.  So I would like to countdown the top 5 Anime Openings.

5.  Fly High 
Artist: Burnout Syndromes
Anime Haikyuu




Fly High is the 4th opening song for the Volleyball anime, Haikyuu.  Haikyuu has a lot of great openings and to be honest, this one actually wasn't my favorite at first.  However, the more I listened to this song, it really grew on me and has now become my favorite opening for this anime.  The slow intro is the great build up to the intro that really hooks you into the song.  The song lyrics also match the tone and theme of the anime as well.  Basically, the song is about never giving up and pushing forward to reach your goal.  The music and lyrics work well with the tone of the anime and sets you up for a great viewing of this anime.

4.  Gurenge
Artist: Lisa
Anime: Demon Slayer



Lisa first caught my attention with her song "Crossing Fields", used as the opening song for the first season of Sword Art Online.  A lot of people know Lisa for that opening, and while I think that song and opening are both good,  this song has stuck with me more.  Lisa takes a more deeper, darker tone with this song and I think it works better. Considering the tone and plot of Demon Slayer, that musical tone fits it perfectly.  Also, while both Crossing Fields and Gurenge are about over coming weakness, I think that Gurenge is more relatable.  What I mean by that is that instead of saying the pain will fade away, like in Crossing Fields,  Gurenge is more about pain sticking with you and using that to grow.  If we are honest with ourselves, the pain never goes away and we never forget it.  In one way or another, it shapes us going forward and I think this song touches on that pretty well.   Considering what happens in Demon Slayer, I think this is one of the best songs they could have picked for that anime.



3.  Cha La Head Cha La
Artist: Hironobu Kageyama
Anime: Dragon Ball Z




As a kid, Dragon Ball Z was my favorite animes as a kid.  It is easily one of the most famous anime shows in history and is still watched by many today.  Among many things that stick with me in this anime, the opening theme, Cha La Head Cha La, is one of them.  The keyboards and chorus are great hooks that will stick with you after you hear this song once.  The song title may seem like gibberish, but what is interesting though is that the phrase is an English phrasing for the Japanese word, hetchara.  Hetchara is a Japanese slang for no problem or I can handle it.  A perfect fit, considering the characters and overall plot of the anime.  The lyrics are basically about not letting obstacles bother you and not being afraid of them.  It goes along with the anime very well but the chorus and the music is what people remember most about this song and for good reason.

2. Tank
Artist: The Seatbelts
Anime: Cowboy Bebop



This instrumental jazz opening is catchy as heck and is still one of my favorite anime openings to this day.   Some people have compared this opening to they same style of older spy shows from the 50s and 60s and I think there is a lot of truth to that.  However, I would say that this song is better executed then a lot of those older openings.  The music is much tighter and the many hooks in this song make it much more memorable then most of those.  This anime debuted in 1998 and I still remember it better then most intro songs in general.  Not just in in anime but in most television shows and even movies.  This song is composed very well and while it may not have lyrics, it doesn't need them.  The music carries the anime on its own.

1. Mayday
Artist: Coldrain
Anime: Fire Force




I think that rock and metal music are some of the best kinds of  music to use as openings for a show and the 2nd opening to Fire Force is a good example of that.  The way the music blends with the video is spot on.  The Intro guitar riff in this song is a great hook to get you pumped for the anime, or headbang to.  The Lyrics also fit the anime well and are a little unique for opening songs.  Instead of being uplifting and overcoming obstacles, this song is about tyrants and ignorant people destroying society and I think it works well with the anime.  I actually wish that the first opening had a song like Mayday.  I like the first song fine on its own but I feel it is softer then it should be considering all the action taking place in the opening.  Mayday not only works with the opening but I think it is a better representation of the anime in general.     







Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Black Tide Honest Eyes Review



I remember getting ready to play Street Fighter x Tekken with my friends when the game came out. My friend preordered the game because he is a huge street fighter fan and couldn't wait to play it.  I personally thought the game was good but wasn't a huge fan.  However, the one thing about the game I really did like and still listen to, til this day, is the game's opening song, Honest Eyes by Black Tide.  

The intro to this song is awesome, it kicks right off with at heavy, high energy opening that is great and I couldn't help to to headbang to it.  The dual guitar work in the intro is spot on, both guys do an amazing job playing together and it continues through out the entire song.  The drum work in this song is also great as well.  It is fast, but not overpowering and works well with the guitar work.  The vocals in this song work very well.  The guitarist and bassist do a great job sharing lead vocals in the verses, which then leads into an epic chorus.  The bridge does a nice job building for the final chorus.  The way the song ends is very cool as well, with a great combination of guitar solos and singing.  Musically, this is a very solid song.

If you are someone who is angry at the world or at yourself, this song is perfect for you from a lyrical stand point.  This song is basically about trying to not give in to the corruption of the world.  They make this point clear with lines such as "I'll rise above it all" as well as "I'm filled with hate and you will regret.  The other message that people get from the song is that it is about rising above your own demons.  Both messages make sense to me and I think both messages are good.  The lyrics work very well and are executed.  They are sung well and the music really compliments them.

This is one song I highly recommend.  Even though the band isn't around anymore, this is still a song that deserves a lot more recognition then it got.  I still listen to it and you should too.  You can get it on Spotify, Itunes, Apple Music, and Amazon.  I give this song a 5 out of 5.






Thursday, April 2, 2020

Top 5 Megadeth Songs



5. Peace Sells

One of the first Megadeth songs I ever heard as a kid, I remember hearing that bass line for the first time and having the song catch my curiosity.  It may not be one of the most heavy intros I have ever heard, but it still catchy and fun to listen to.  The political lyrics in this song were also very unique in the thrash metal scene at the time.  Most of the other thrash bands at the time did do angry music, but Megadeth made it very specific in their lyrics.  The guitar solos in this song are also very well executed.  The back and forth style they use in this song works very well and no one is overpowering.  If you are looking for a good song to get people into Megadeth, this is one I highly recommend.

4. Sweating Bullets

I would never say that Dave Mustaine is a great singer, but he does know how to make his voice work in this band's music and this song is a great demonstration of that.  The way he uses his voice in the verses works very well.  The bridge in this is song really good as well.  The way the guitar builds into the final verse gets you pumped and is a great way to lead into that last verse.  

3.  Symphony of Destruction.

One of the first riffs I ever learned from Megadeth was the intro to Symphony of Destruction.  I think that riff is fantastic even though it is a simple riff. The chorus in this song is also very good as well.  I has a bit more of an eerie feel instead of just a heavy angry feel like a lot of their other songs.  The guitar solo in this song is also very good.  Marty Friedman executes a great guitar solo and it works very well.  However though, as much as I love the recorded version of this song, I honestly think the live, Rude Awakening version is the best.  It has an additional guitar solo from Dave Mustaine as well as a bass solo from David Ellefson.  I think these are great additions that really add on to the song.  I would highly recommend checking out the Rude Awakening version of this song.

2. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

Holy Wars has some of this band's best instrumental work.  Everything from the drums to the guitar is aggressive.  The riffs are some great fast pace playing and the way that everybody plays off each other is awesome.  The solos in this song are a great combination of speed and some good melodic playing.  The song isn't remembered for the vocals but that is okay because that is not the main focus of the song.  In my opinion, I honestly think the song might of been better if it was just an instrumental song. Because the instrumental sections are so good, you don't really need the vocals.

1.  Hangar 18

I picked this song as number 1 because every section of it is memorable.  You can listen to any section of this song and know that it is Hangar 18.  Every section of the song stands out has a good hook to it.  The intro is awesome,  the duel solo after that sounds great and the verses and chorus do a great job a adding more hooks to the song.  I remember when this song was on guitar hero and me and my friends playing it.  Not all of us would have the same favorite songs, but we all liked Hangar 18 for one aspect or another.  That's whats great about this song, there is something that every metal head can like about it.  









Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Coldrain Maday Review


When I first started listening to the Side Effects album, I had a mixed opinions on it at first.  I thought that Coexist was good, but I wasn't a big fan of Side Effects and had mixed feelings See You.  The album overall is pretty good, but the song I have come to love from it most is Mayday!

The intro to the song is great and hooked me right away.  The lead guitar is pretty good in the intro, but I personally really liked the rhythm guitar work better.  The lower sounding guitar stood out to me more and is what I remember more in the intro.  The verses are well executed with great melodic vocals that leads into a very heavy prechorus.  That then leads into a very epic chorus that is intense and fun to sing with.  They then end the chorus with the  singer screaming mayday and I think that is a fantastic way to end the chorus. I do wish that there was a little more in terms of lead guitar work.  You can tell that it is there but it doesn't really stand out and I wish it stood out more.  Having said that, I still think the music is very good overall.  

The lyrics are classic angry lyrics that you expect out of Coldrain.  It reminds me of songs like Envy, You Lie, and Runaway, where they are singing about being angry at somebody.  It is within the norm for this band but they are well written and way they are sung proves that they work really well.  While safe, they are written effectively and are executed very well.

This is a very solid song from this band and in my opinion it's one of there best, I have listened to this song many times since it came out and I am still not sick of it.  If you are a Coldrain fan, this song is more of the Coldrain you love. If you are a metal fan,  I highly encourage you to check this song out.  I give Mayday a 4 out of 5.