Concert Recap
Eek, should have done this while the concert was still fresh in my memory, but work was pretty crazy during June. I'll do my best though!
"NIHIL" played as the GazettE walked onto a darkened stage with gloomy blue hues for lighting. Everybody was entranced for a few milliseconds, and then that's when we all lost our shit. Immediately after "NIHIL" ended, the band jump started the crowd again with atmospheric title track, "DOGMA". I love this song, but it seems as if the instrumentation drowned out Ruki's vocals. It's a shame because there are a lot of vocal calisthenics that Ruki displays in the song that I would have loved to listen to clearly. They proceeded onto "RAGE". One of my favorite parts about that song is when the piano comes into focus right after the chorus. Pianos aren't necessarily heavy instruments, but damn. They're so beautiful when combined with heavy music. They're beautiful instruments, period.
Next came "DERANGEMENT', one of my more played songs from their DIVISION album. My playlist even landed on that song as I was at the end of my previous post! :) Anywho, the chorus is insanely catchy and so very easy to sing, and it seems everybody felt the same way, because the entire crowd joined in on the chorus every single damn time it was sung. ♪♫♪ The energy from the crowd was great. It was about this point where I realized I would have to be on my toes the entire concert if I wanted to see anything. My feet were just a tad achy, but almost unnoticeable. It was also at this point that I stopped keeping such copious notes about their set list. It was for pretty much the same reason that they didn't allow any photography during the concert. I wanted to enjoy the moment and not have to whip out my mental pen and notepad every time they sang a new song. I used this website to help me out in remembering the specific order the songs were played. It seemed pretty accurate as far as I remember, but if there are any errors, please let me know!
The next few songs were from the TOXIC album. They played "VENOMOUS SPIDER'S WEB" and "SLUDGY CULT". Lots of people headbanging in the crowd. Not my favorite songs from the album, but many in the crowd seemed to enjoy them. Very classic, chaotic "GazettE" sound.
GazettE brought the crowd back down from that frenetic energy by playing more vocal heavy songs: "BIZARRE" and "DRIPPING INSANITY". They really slowed things down with "OMINOUS". Ruki brought out a lantern swinging on a chain for the song. Almost like the thurible (word of the day) from the "DOGMA" music video, but instead of censer full of incense, it was a lantern. Who knew there was a word for a censer that hangs on a chain... At some point in the song, he left it on the ground. I'm such a sucker for GazettE ballads. They do them so well. I was surprised at the fact that Uruha got the acoustic guitar this time around. Normally it's Aoi who handles that part during concerts.
"THE SUICIDE CIRCUS" brought the audience back from the enthrallment of "OMINOUS" and everyone was singing along. ♪ SUICIDE CIRCUSSSSSS...♪...which transitioned into "VORTEX". This was another great, engaging song. Easy to sing along to and rock out to. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when discussing releasing "VORTEX" as a single. I'm sure sure their label / distribution company got a kick out of it. They brought back the heavier vibe as they played "UGLY" and "UNDYING", their newest single. At that point, "UNDYING" was still very new to me and I was still trying to digest the songs on the single. I think that was pretty much how everyone felt. We fist pumped to the heavy parts of the song, and listened intently during the vocal sections. Got a little whiplash trying to figure out the pace of the song. I absolutely love the introduction though. That first ~24 seconds before the scream to start the song? So great.
To complete the main part of the set, they played fan-favorite "FILTH IN THE BEAUTY". Everyone flipped their shit (again) and started headbanging, singing, and dancing along. I think the band definitely realizes how excited fans get over this song. After finishing the song, they all walked backstage. Almost immediately, calls for an encore started. There was a few different things going, but for the most part, everyone was doing them together. There was "encore, encore" and "ankoru, ankoru" (Japanese pronunciation of encore). There was a tri-clap to go along with the shouts as well. But my favorite is when we all did two claps and a stomp. It felt like we were going to bring the house down!! It would then progress to all stomping and then dying down. And we'd start all over with the encore cheers and the clap-stomp again. This went on for a few minutes until they all came out again, dressed in tour clothes. I think Ruki may still have been wearing his concert clothes. He walked out carrying a U.S. flag and wrapped it around himself. The first song of the encore set was "AGONY". Great throwback, and catchy as all hell. THEN THEY PLAYED "COCKROACH"!!!! T___T Such a wonderful, messy song. I so wish Ruki would have performed that in his red outfit with the big-ass top hat. The last song of the encore set was "TOMORROW NEVER DIES". After that, Aoi, Uruha, and Reita tossed picks while Kai threw his drumsticks farrrrrrrrrrrrr. So far. I was so very, very far from any of that. With that, they were on their way to Canada, for the next leg of their tour and we were on our way back home.
Concert Review and Final Thoughts
I wish I had a better view of the stage / the members. I could only
really see the members clearly if they stepped on top of the box
platform on the stage. Which was not often. I know their antics on
stage with each other is legendary amongst fans, and I wish I could have
seen that fan service.^^; So if you were wondering why my review lacks
the interactions between the members and their showmanship on stage,
this is why. OTL
The concert was over much faster than I wanted it to
be. I'm sure
everyone felt the same way. That's a good sign I suppose! I felt like
the band just wanted to hammer out the set and be done, but this
impression I have may have been because I didn't see any of the
interactions the band had with the crowd or each other.
There wasn't too much verbal communication between Ruki and the crowd. That's to be expected since he doesn't really speak English fluently. He did his best to pump up the crowd with a bunch of "JUMP THE F--K UP!" and "YOU GUYS ARE F---ING CRAZY!", which we all appreciated and laughed at. My sister said that it was so cute. It really was. He was. They are. T__T
In terms of the performance itself, I must say, the GazettE are great at visualizing how a song sounds when it is played live. There are, for
sure, some songs they come out with which make me scratch the top of my
head a little, but when performed live, they give off a completely different vibe. Such was the case with "SLUDGY CULT". The live version definitely brought out aspects of the song the studio version did not. There was a sense of urgency to the energy of the song that the studio version did not capture.
However, I will say that the balancing of the sound system needs a little bit of work. I felt like the instruments drowned out Ruki's voice. This was especially apparent in songs that had both heavy and soft vocal sections, i.e. "DOGMA". During the heavy portions, the vocals were easy to suss out since Ruki was either growling or there were no vocals, just bass / guitar / drums. However, during the melodic portions of a song, Ruki would be singing, but you wouldn't hear a thing because of how loud the instruments were. Which is a darn shame. His live singing has improved so much over the years and I would have loved to listen to his voice working in conjunction with the instruments, and not one fighting for dominance over the other.
The set list was impressively diversified, which was great. They had songs from nearly every studio album release, except for NIL, DIM, and BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY. Not going to lie though, I'm jealous of the people who got to see "千鶴, (CHIZURU)" and I would have LOVED to see "UNTITLED", "紅蓮, (GUREN)", "13STAIRS[-]1", etc...but of course, you got to leave 'em wanting more right? ;)
A few times during the concert, there were people who shoved across / past me in a very rude manner. Literally, I was physically removed from where my feet were planted on the ground and ended up a step or two away because people physically pushed past. I don't have a problem with you moving past me. Just do it in a polite manner. Say excuse me or sorry and don't be a violent jerk about it. Most of the time, people will be more than happy to let you go through, especially if you got separated from your friends. You'll find that the people around you will be much nicer to you and step aside rather than being stone walls that you have to boulder through to. D'oh!
In the vein of rude concert attendees, my sister and I also got shoved hard from behind multiple times. There was a circle pit that was behind us, with people running around in a circle. I don't understand it at all, but I respect (read: tolerate) it. As long as you don't hurt people who don't want to be involved. Take it to a place where people aren't trying to watch the stage and focus on the band. Pro tip: general admissions right behind the pit? Probably not the place for that. Like I said in my previous post. I get it. It's a rock concert. People are going to be physical. But on the flip side, be cognizant and respectful of the people who are not into moshing. They exist at rock concerts too.
My feet. My feeeeeeeeeeet. I was so incredibly sore and achy after the concert. I had spent the majority of the concert on my toes. I am happy I decided to wear sensible sneakers because boy, at the end of the concert, I certainly needed them. Boys and girls, wear comfy shoes!
I am so happy that I finally got to see the GazettE perform live. I think I've said all that can be said regarding my feelings of seeing them live. With that, I will leave it here:
Thanks to everyone who showed their interest in an expansive world tour. Without your dedication, love, and support, it may have taken them longer to come to (North) America, if ever. You all deserve a HUGE pat on the back and a hug. :) I have no doubt in my mind that the GazettE will be back to perform once again in our corner of the world. ;) Thanks for your hard work and dedication GazettE! I hope you all continue to make great music and continue to share it with us, in person or otherwise!
Showing posts with label the GazettE. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the GazettE. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Monday, May 9, 2016
the GazettE: Welcome to Los Angeles - Part 2
Continuation from my previous post. 3 days is much better than a 3 year posting-dry spell, eh? The road map? Finishing up my history with the GazettE and a brief (not really) overview of their performance at the Wiltern.
And so it begins...again:
Though I didn't make any posts in Entitatis for three years, I still purchased music and took pictures. I always hoped that I would create unboxing posts for all my purchases when I got the chance. I still have the pictures on my camera! Hopefully I will get a chance to do that pretty soon in the near future.
Picture this scenario: I'm going through all the monotony of day-to-day life and then all of a sudden, I find out online that the GazettE are embarking on a world tour -- a world tour that was going to include a North American leg...with one of the shows taking place in Los Angeles!!!!! Yeah. Pretty big deal. I flipped my shit when I heard. Even now, I find I can't really wrap my head around it. A band who I have been following for more than a DECADE, a band who has NEVER stepped foot to perform on the continent of North America, a band who I have spent so much of my TIME on, finally were able to do a show that I could feasibly attend!
Immediately, I started of thinking of friends who would be willing to go with me. Unfortunately, that list was pretty empty. Not too many of my friends really follow Jrock. The friend who introduced me to the band in 2005 was also my roommate for my last year of college, along with three other girls. We were all really close and got along great. However, ever since graduating, we fell out of touch and would only communicate with each other when it was someone's birthday. With regards to the friend who introduced me to the GazettE, I lost total contact. I would message her when it was her birthday or just to say hi and to hang out (we lived pretty close to each other), but she never returned any of my messages. :( Eventually, I stopped trying. One can only do so much, right? I'm still a little sad though. Anyway, I didn't ask her or tell her about it. I'm not sure she would have even gone, had I asked. She wasn't all that interested in Jrock anymore and had ventured to the world of Kpop back in college. The next day, my sister asked if I knew that the GazettE was performing a show in LA at the Wiltern. I said yes, I found out the day before when they announced it on their website. I asked her if she was interested in coming with me. She said hm, maybe and told me not to buy tickets just yet.
Some time had passed and about a week before the show, I asked her if she was still interested in going to the concert. She bought tickets for General Standing Admission on April 26th! Tickets weren't too bad. $50 for the actual ticket and $14 for the service fee at the Wiltern. The concert was a few days before my birthday and she told me the ticket was a birthday present when I tried to pay her back. Great timing GazettE. :)
Over the weekend, I un-shuffled my playlist and started playing their last four albums. I started looking up live reports to see if I could find out the type and cost of merchandise and to get a general idea of what the set list was going to be like. There wasn't too many detailed posts on merchandise, but the general consensus was that there wasn't too much that was being sold, aside from the two world tour shirts. The live reports were all amazing though and they really pumped me up for the concert. Unsurprisingly, it looked as if the set list was DOGMA-heavy. I was a little nervous though because at some venues, there were audience members that were doing some pretty serious moshing and shoving. Don't get me wrong, I get that it's a rock concert. There's going to be headbanging, people pushing up against each other, and everyone wearing everyone else's sweat. However, I firmly believe that there is a limit. Don't injure anyone and don't include anyone who doesn't want in on your dangerous behavior. Anywho.
Live Report - In Line
Come May 3rd, I got off of work early. I'm really lucky to have such a flexible schedule. Brought home some food for both my sister and I. I wolfed it down and got ready. My sister was on her way home from work and got home right when we wanted to leave for the concert -- thanks LA hell traffic. It took about 45 minutes to get to the Wiltern. My sister dropped me off across the street so I could snag a place in line while she looked for parking. I was walking across the street, hoping I was in the right line. I then took a look at all the people in line and immediately thought, yep, you're in the right place. A lot of people were dressed in platform shoes, black lace, dyed hair, and super thick eyeliner. I went casual and sported a white scoop neck t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Comfort > EVERYTHING. I was around the corner of the building, next to the parking lot. Not too bad for arriving at 6:15 PM. Right after I took my place in line, a tiny older lady lined up right behind me. I started to chat with her, asking how she got into the band. She said she was Japanese and it was through her daughter that she came to know the band. Her daughter was such a big fan that she would go to Japan to catch their shows. She was saying how she would be apart from her daughter from concerts because her daughter didn't want to hang out with mom. Her daughter actually joined us in line soon after. She had mistakenly lined up in the VIP section and had to make her way to where we were. They started speaking in Japanese and her mom pointed at me. She translated for me and said that her daughter and I got into the band at about the same time. The daughter apologized for her mom and I said, "Oh don't be! Your mom is adorable." She gave a sheepish smile and then they both started talking in Japanese with other people who had lined up behind them.
I played Marvel: Contest of Champions on my phone for a few minutes (awesome game - I'm an addict) and then somehow found myself starting a conversation with two girls in front of me. Oh that's right, I asked them to double check to see if I was in the right line. They both had GA tickets as well. They were super friendly and had been in line since 5:30 or so. One was a blonde, and the other a redhead. Both were Caucasian friends who had lived / worked in Japan. The Redhead taught English in Japan for a time and from what I gathered, her friend worked as an equestrian (awesome) and was super fluent in Japanese. The Redhead dragged her friend along to the concert. The Blonde has never experienced the band before today. My sister found me in line joined us during the conversation and said she was the drag-ee as well. We talked about a lot of different bands and other topics and how it was actually pretty nippy outside.
Live Report - Venue
Anywho, the doors were suppose to open at 7:00 PM. Assuming that the VIPs got to go in first, we didn't get in until about 7:30 or so. After quick bag checks by security, we walked in the building. Merchandise was to the left and in the middle of the lobby were boxes for each individual member and one box for the band in general if you had brought gifts for them. I took a quick glance at the merchandise available. The collection was a tad bit disappointing as it wasn't very extensive. I saw the two tour shirts, the hoodie, a calendar, and the UNDYING single, which I already have. If there was anything else, please let me know what I missed. I was hoping they were selling the bear key chain, but that was a bust. :| Anyway, I didn't buy anything and entered the venue with my sister and the two girls that were ahead of us in line. There was the pit area, closest to the stage, then a section for Heresy fan club members that was tapered a bit higher than the pit section, and then the start of the GA area. The venue itself is gorgeous. It was pretty big and expansive, with nice rustic walls. Behind us, there was a section that was a bit raised and had a railing. There was a second level, with seating available. I can totally picture a ballet hosted at the Wiltern. As far as I know, the concert didn't sell out. Redhead told me that they got bumped up to GA since they originally were behind the GA section. On stage, the instruments were, of course, already set up with the white the GazettE logo behind the instruments on a black backdrop. Whew, that is one hell of an awkward sentence. Hanging from the ceiling, at the front of center stage, was a projection screen showing upcoming shows and artists. I was standing a little off-center and a bit to the right. I am by no means short, but I wish I was taller because my view of the stage was blocked by lots of people the same height or taller. Should have known everyone and their mother would come in platform shoes! :/ My periphery vision was filled with people, so I only really could see the part of stage that was in my direct line of vision. Everyone was buzzing and chatting with their friends with rock music playing in the background. It was too loud to hear what exactly was playing. It wasn't until a little after 8:00 that the show started...
This live report is actual a lot longer than I planned for it to be. I think I'm going to have to take a break here folks and pick it up when it's not 2:00 AM in the morning. Coming up next, the concert review / recap! Fun fact: my playlist just landed on "DERANGEMENT"...
And so it begins...again:
Though I didn't make any posts in Entitatis for three years, I still purchased music and took pictures. I always hoped that I would create unboxing posts for all my purchases when I got the chance. I still have the pictures on my camera! Hopefully I will get a chance to do that pretty soon in the near future.
Picture this scenario: I'm going through all the monotony of day-to-day life and then all of a sudden, I find out online that the GazettE are embarking on a world tour -- a world tour that was going to include a North American leg...with one of the shows taking place in Los Angeles!!!!! Yeah. Pretty big deal. I flipped my shit when I heard. Even now, I find I can't really wrap my head around it. A band who I have been following for more than a DECADE, a band who has NEVER stepped foot to perform on the continent of North America, a band who I have spent so much of my TIME on, finally were able to do a show that I could feasibly attend!
Immediately, I started of thinking of friends who would be willing to go with me. Unfortunately, that list was pretty empty. Not too many of my friends really follow Jrock. The friend who introduced me to the band in 2005 was also my roommate for my last year of college, along with three other girls. We were all really close and got along great. However, ever since graduating, we fell out of touch and would only communicate with each other when it was someone's birthday. With regards to the friend who introduced me to the GazettE, I lost total contact. I would message her when it was her birthday or just to say hi and to hang out (we lived pretty close to each other), but she never returned any of my messages. :( Eventually, I stopped trying. One can only do so much, right? I'm still a little sad though. Anyway, I didn't ask her or tell her about it. I'm not sure she would have even gone, had I asked. She wasn't all that interested in Jrock anymore and had ventured to the world of Kpop back in college. The next day, my sister asked if I knew that the GazettE was performing a show in LA at the Wiltern. I said yes, I found out the day before when they announced it on their website. I asked her if she was interested in coming with me. She said hm, maybe and told me not to buy tickets just yet.
Some time had passed and about a week before the show, I asked her if she was still interested in going to the concert. She bought tickets for General Standing Admission on April 26th! Tickets weren't too bad. $50 for the actual ticket and $14 for the service fee at the Wiltern. The concert was a few days before my birthday and she told me the ticket was a birthday present when I tried to pay her back. Great timing GazettE. :)
Over the weekend, I un-shuffled my playlist and started playing their last four albums. I started looking up live reports to see if I could find out the type and cost of merchandise and to get a general idea of what the set list was going to be like. There wasn't too many detailed posts on merchandise, but the general consensus was that there wasn't too much that was being sold, aside from the two world tour shirts. The live reports were all amazing though and they really pumped me up for the concert. Unsurprisingly, it looked as if the set list was DOGMA-heavy. I was a little nervous though because at some venues, there were audience members that were doing some pretty serious moshing and shoving. Don't get me wrong, I get that it's a rock concert. There's going to be headbanging, people pushing up against each other, and everyone wearing everyone else's sweat. However, I firmly believe that there is a limit. Don't injure anyone and don't include anyone who doesn't want in on your dangerous behavior. Anywho.
Live Report - In Line
Come May 3rd, I got off of work early. I'm really lucky to have such a flexible schedule. Brought home some food for both my sister and I. I wolfed it down and got ready. My sister was on her way home from work and got home right when we wanted to leave for the concert -- thanks LA hell traffic. It took about 45 minutes to get to the Wiltern. My sister dropped me off across the street so I could snag a place in line while she looked for parking. I was walking across the street, hoping I was in the right line. I then took a look at all the people in line and immediately thought, yep, you're in the right place. A lot of people were dressed in platform shoes, black lace, dyed hair, and super thick eyeliner. I went casual and sported a white scoop neck t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Comfort > EVERYTHING. I was around the corner of the building, next to the parking lot. Not too bad for arriving at 6:15 PM. Right after I took my place in line, a tiny older lady lined up right behind me. I started to chat with her, asking how she got into the band. She said she was Japanese and it was through her daughter that she came to know the band. Her daughter was such a big fan that she would go to Japan to catch their shows. She was saying how she would be apart from her daughter from concerts because her daughter didn't want to hang out with mom. Her daughter actually joined us in line soon after. She had mistakenly lined up in the VIP section and had to make her way to where we were. They started speaking in Japanese and her mom pointed at me. She translated for me and said that her daughter and I got into the band at about the same time. The daughter apologized for her mom and I said, "Oh don't be! Your mom is adorable." She gave a sheepish smile and then they both started talking in Japanese with other people who had lined up behind them.
I played Marvel: Contest of Champions on my phone for a few minutes (awesome game - I'm an addict) and then somehow found myself starting a conversation with two girls in front of me. Oh that's right, I asked them to double check to see if I was in the right line. They both had GA tickets as well. They were super friendly and had been in line since 5:30 or so. One was a blonde, and the other a redhead. Both were Caucasian friends who had lived / worked in Japan. The Redhead taught English in Japan for a time and from what I gathered, her friend worked as an equestrian (awesome) and was super fluent in Japanese. The Redhead dragged her friend along to the concert. The Blonde has never experienced the band before today. My sister found me in line joined us during the conversation and said she was the drag-ee as well. We talked about a lot of different bands and other topics and how it was actually pretty nippy outside.
Live Report - Venue
Anywho, the doors were suppose to open at 7:00 PM. Assuming that the VIPs got to go in first, we didn't get in until about 7:30 or so. After quick bag checks by security, we walked in the building. Merchandise was to the left and in the middle of the lobby were boxes for each individual member and one box for the band in general if you had brought gifts for them. I took a quick glance at the merchandise available. The collection was a tad bit disappointing as it wasn't very extensive. I saw the two tour shirts, the hoodie, a calendar, and the UNDYING single, which I already have. If there was anything else, please let me know what I missed. I was hoping they were selling the bear key chain, but that was a bust. :| Anyway, I didn't buy anything and entered the venue with my sister and the two girls that were ahead of us in line. There was the pit area, closest to the stage, then a section for Heresy fan club members that was tapered a bit higher than the pit section, and then the start of the GA area. The venue itself is gorgeous. It was pretty big and expansive, with nice rustic walls. Behind us, there was a section that was a bit raised and had a railing. There was a second level, with seating available. I can totally picture a ballet hosted at the Wiltern. As far as I know, the concert didn't sell out. Redhead told me that they got bumped up to GA since they originally were behind the GA section. On stage, the instruments were, of course, already set up with the white the GazettE logo behind the instruments on a black backdrop. Whew, that is one hell of an awkward sentence. Hanging from the ceiling, at the front of center stage, was a projection screen showing upcoming shows and artists. I was standing a little off-center and a bit to the right. I am by no means short, but I wish I was taller because my view of the stage was blocked by lots of people the same height or taller. Should have known everyone and their mother would come in platform shoes! :/ My periphery vision was filled with people, so I only really could see the part of stage that was in my direct line of vision. Everyone was buzzing and chatting with their friends with rock music playing in the background. It was too loud to hear what exactly was playing. It wasn't until a little after 8:00 that the show started...
This live report is actual a lot longer than I planned for it to be. I think I'm going to have to take a break here folks and pick it up when it's not 2:00 AM in the morning. Coming up next, the concert review / recap! Fun fact: my playlist just landed on "DERANGEMENT"...
Thursday, May 5, 2016
the GazettE: Welcome to Los Angeles - Part 1
A lot of time has passed since I last posted. Life sort of got in the way and I let it get in the way for a long time.
What changed? Why post something now?
Well, it has a little bit to do with seeingtheGazettEplayinLAyesterday. Yeap. You read that correctly. For the first time since the inception of the band, they performed in North America! Anyone who has caught a glimpse of any of my posts knows that I like them. A lot. I will be breaking up my update post into two sections. This first post will dictate my discovery of the band and what I've been doing for the past three years since my last post. The second post will be a continued update, but hopefully more GazettE orientated (live report!!).
I have been following the band since 2005, with the release of "Cassis". That was my first real brush with Jrock. I've listened to a song or two from Gackt prior to my discovery of the GazettE (thanks sis), but it wasn't until I heard "Cassis" that I really ventured on my own and did more research into the genre. I actually still remember the moment when my friend showed me the music video on her Zune (yes, Zunes did exist at one point). We were in our local library, crouched down on the carpet near the Young Adult section, trying to keep quiet as she was pointing out the different members. Her favorite was Aoi; she really dug his lip piercings. I immediately fell in love with the song and when I got home, plugged in the keywords "the" and "GazettE" in Google to see what I could find.
What I discovered?
After listening to Cassis again on YouTube, (thank you YouTube creators) I discovered more of their songs by clicking on any video with their name in the title. Listening to their music led to watching snippets of tours uploaded by sneaky fans, which led to watching interviews, subtitled or not. I think it really says something when you not only want to listen to a band's music, but also want to find out more about the members of said band. I loved their music and I loved their personalities just as much.
What next?
It wasn't until I entered college that I started to buy their music. One, I had some money saved up from a part-time tutoring job. Two, I could get things shipped to my dorm instead of at home, where my purchases were sure to raise more than one eyebrow. I only wish that I started buying albums earlier. I missed out on the beautiful NIL Limited Edition album which still breaks my heart after all this time. Anyway, I collected the posters that came with the first press edition of the singles / albums I purchased. I finally had something to decorate my dorm room with for the next year. And decorate I did. My entire side of the wall was covered with posters and other knickknacks that I had collected and it wasn't solely Jrock related material.
I remember always being thirsty for news about the band, whether it was a new song they were releasing or a new tour they were announcing. My roommates and many other people who saw my room may not have been all that into Jrock / visual kei, but they were certainly impressed with my dedication and support for the band. My last year of college, I moved into an apartment with friends. Though I didn't have the option of poking holes into corked walls anymore, I still collected posters and decorated when and where I could. (namely my desk). I was always thrilled to learn I had a package waiting for me when I got back to my apartment and would begin taking pictures in preparation for my unboxing posts.
What happened after?
I moved back home after I graduated. Had a small job tutoring a girl in English from China for a month or two. Afterwards, to fill my time when I was not job hunting or reading trashy romance novels at ridiculous hours, I started doing more of these unboxing posts. I started them in college and really liked doing these kinds of posts. About 8 months after graduation, one of my high school friends asked if I was interested in applying for a position at the company she was working for. I said, "why the hell not", and applied. She had actually asked me once or twice before, but I was still in school at the time and the job was located pretty far from college. I got hired pretty quickly and started working! I was happy to have a job, but working got in the way of this blog. I took a lot of my work home and would work until 2 in the morning, only to wake up and start work all over again at 9:00 AM. This wasn't something that the company told me to do; it was purely of my own volition. You may be asking, why do that? Are you crazy? Part of the reason I brought work home was because I was the newest staff member. Another reason was because I knew I got the job due to my friend recommending me. I definitely felt pressure to justify the hire not only for myself, but also for her reputation. These two reasons compounded the feeling that I had to prove my worth to everyone and turned it into...something else. Believe me when I say I don't hate my job at all. I love the work environment and am actually very lucky to be working with the people that I am because we are like a family. We have each other's backs and are willing to help each other out. In less than a year, I worked my way up to a full-time position and everything was fine and dandy.
Little did I know, my piece of paradise became lost. One by one, some of my co-workers left. Some by choice, some...not. There was restructuring and new members were brought on. There was a period of rough transition, but we all figured it out once the dust settled. Mostly. Then there was another short period of calm that shifted into another storm. My friend, who had recommended me, was leaving the company and moving on to a new job and to further her education. I was offered her position and I took it with both hands since I was ready for something new, but wasn't yet ready to leave the workplace I had come to know and love. Currently, I've been in the new position for about a month. And what a month it has been. The new position offered a pay raise. Along with the pay raise came a lot more responsibility. I was glad to hear that all my co-workers had nothing but faith and belief that I would excel at the new position. Funnily enough, I had a moment of deja vu -- I felt like I had to do more to prove that I deserved the position and to really EARN my co-workers' trust. Kind of harkens back to when I first got hired.
I now have more eyes looking at my performance. With more time and experience, I'm sure I can do a competent job. I hope. I also realized that I have a CRAP-TON of work to do. I think there's at least 1.5 years worth of paperwork that was never taken care of. Of course audits are happening this year (lucky me), so I don't really have the option to tackle the PILE at my leisure. The PILE is not something that I can take home with me to do. I foresee sneaking in the office during the weekends to get caught up.
And then?
...And then I'll finally be breaking up this update post into 2 posts for sake of brevity. Who am I kidding. I wouldn't know brevity if it smacked me in the face, backwards and forwards. Anywho, the second post to come! And no, it's not going to take 3 years. It will have more of the current on-goings and what not. Hopefully maybe even a live report concert review.
I will say this though. Entitatis, you have been greatly missed. Welcome back.
What changed? Why post something now?
Well, it has a little bit to do with seeingtheGazettEplayinLAyesterday. Yeap. You read that correctly. For the first time since the inception of the band, they performed in North America! Anyone who has caught a glimpse of any of my posts knows that I like them. A lot. I will be breaking up my update post into two sections. This first post will dictate my discovery of the band and what I've been doing for the past three years since my last post. The second post will be a continued update, but hopefully more GazettE orientated (live report!!).
I have been following the band since 2005, with the release of "Cassis". That was my first real brush with Jrock. I've listened to a song or two from Gackt prior to my discovery of the GazettE (thanks sis), but it wasn't until I heard "Cassis" that I really ventured on my own and did more research into the genre. I actually still remember the moment when my friend showed me the music video on her Zune (yes, Zunes did exist at one point). We were in our local library, crouched down on the carpet near the Young Adult section, trying to keep quiet as she was pointing out the different members. Her favorite was Aoi; she really dug his lip piercings. I immediately fell in love with the song and when I got home, plugged in the keywords "the" and "GazettE" in Google to see what I could find.
What I discovered?
After listening to Cassis again on YouTube, (thank you YouTube creators) I discovered more of their songs by clicking on any video with their name in the title. Listening to their music led to watching snippets of tours uploaded by sneaky fans, which led to watching interviews, subtitled or not. I think it really says something when you not only want to listen to a band's music, but also want to find out more about the members of said band. I loved their music and I loved their personalities just as much.
What next?
It wasn't until I entered college that I started to buy their music. One, I had some money saved up from a part-time tutoring job. Two, I could get things shipped to my dorm instead of at home, where my purchases were sure to raise more than one eyebrow. I only wish that I started buying albums earlier. I missed out on the beautiful NIL Limited Edition album which still breaks my heart after all this time. Anyway, I collected the posters that came with the first press edition of the singles / albums I purchased. I finally had something to decorate my dorm room with for the next year. And decorate I did. My entire side of the wall was covered with posters and other knickknacks that I had collected and it wasn't solely Jrock related material.
I remember always being thirsty for news about the band, whether it was a new song they were releasing or a new tour they were announcing. My roommates and many other people who saw my room may not have been all that into Jrock / visual kei, but they were certainly impressed with my dedication and support for the band. My last year of college, I moved into an apartment with friends. Though I didn't have the option of poking holes into corked walls anymore, I still collected posters and decorated when and where I could. (namely my desk). I was always thrilled to learn I had a package waiting for me when I got back to my apartment and would begin taking pictures in preparation for my unboxing posts.
What happened after?
I moved back home after I graduated. Had a small job tutoring a girl in English from China for a month or two. Afterwards, to fill my time when I was not job hunting or reading trashy romance novels at ridiculous hours, I started doing more of these unboxing posts. I started them in college and really liked doing these kinds of posts. About 8 months after graduation, one of my high school friends asked if I was interested in applying for a position at the company she was working for. I said, "why the hell not", and applied. She had actually asked me once or twice before, but I was still in school at the time and the job was located pretty far from college. I got hired pretty quickly and started working! I was happy to have a job, but working got in the way of this blog. I took a lot of my work home and would work until 2 in the morning, only to wake up and start work all over again at 9:00 AM. This wasn't something that the company told me to do; it was purely of my own volition. You may be asking, why do that? Are you crazy? Part of the reason I brought work home was because I was the newest staff member. Another reason was because I knew I got the job due to my friend recommending me. I definitely felt pressure to justify the hire not only for myself, but also for her reputation. These two reasons compounded the feeling that I had to prove my worth to everyone and turned it into...something else. Believe me when I say I don't hate my job at all. I love the work environment and am actually very lucky to be working with the people that I am because we are like a family. We have each other's backs and are willing to help each other out. In less than a year, I worked my way up to a full-time position and everything was fine and dandy.
Little did I know, my piece of paradise became lost. One by one, some of my co-workers left. Some by choice, some...not. There was restructuring and new members were brought on. There was a period of rough transition, but we all figured it out once the dust settled. Mostly. Then there was another short period of calm that shifted into another storm. My friend, who had recommended me, was leaving the company and moving on to a new job and to further her education. I was offered her position and I took it with both hands since I was ready for something new, but wasn't yet ready to leave the workplace I had come to know and love. Currently, I've been in the new position for about a month. And what a month it has been. The new position offered a pay raise. Along with the pay raise came a lot more responsibility. I was glad to hear that all my co-workers had nothing but faith and belief that I would excel at the new position. Funnily enough, I had a moment of deja vu -- I felt like I had to do more to prove that I deserved the position and to really EARN my co-workers' trust. Kind of harkens back to when I first got hired.
I now have more eyes looking at my performance. With more time and experience, I'm sure I can do a competent job. I hope. I also realized that I have a CRAP-TON of work to do. I think there's at least 1.5 years worth of paperwork that was never taken care of. Of course audits are happening this year (lucky me), so I don't really have the option to tackle the PILE at my leisure. The PILE is not something that I can take home with me to do. I foresee sneaking in the office during the weekends to get caught up.
And then?
...And then I'll finally be breaking up this update post into 2 posts for sake of brevity. Who am I kidding. I wouldn't know brevity if it smacked me in the face, backwards and forwards. Anywho, the second post to come! And no, it's not going to take 3 years. It will have more of the current on-goings and what not. Hopefully maybe even a live report concert review.
I will say this though. Entitatis, you have been greatly missed. Welcome back.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Prelude to Unboxing the GazettE's BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY [Limited Edition] - Ordering Process: CDJapan vs. YesAsia
So yay! My album arrived safely via YesAsia (and FedEx). That being said, I've been lagging the actual unboxing post and trying to figure out which pictures to post and whatnot. Hopefully the actual unboxing post will be up in a few days or a week. Or so...
This post will serve to explain my ordering mentality...at least in terms of CDJapan vs. YesAsia.
My usual pre-order site for Japanese releases is normally CDJapan. I choose them because they usually have nifty bonuses for first press orders. For many artists, bonuses commonly translate to posters. For the GazettE, posters are normally a really good size. B2-sized paper, to be exact. Measurements are about 27.8 inches x 19.7 inches. Right. Moving on to the second reason. Their packaging. I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I cannot stress enough how awesome their packaging is. Feel free to scroll through my other unboxing posts labeled CDJapan to visually see what I'm babbling on about. The sturdy boxes. The green packing paper. ♥ *sigh* Anywho, another reason why I am a loyal customer is the overall shopping experience. I have ordered from them many times and almost every time, have been 100% satisfied. The times I've had to contact their customer service for something, I've always received a polite, prompt response. Shipping speed is quite fast, even if you choose the cheapest option. They also ship a day or two before the actual release dates, so that's pretty awesome. Also, an aside: I don't speak a lick of Japanese, so it's great that their staff can communicate in English. \o/
Now, since I usually always choose the cheapest shipping option at CDJapan, I don't have tracking numbers for my packaged ordered there. I think I've only had one tracking number from CDJapan, and that was only because I had to upgrade my shipping because of the weight of the package. No surprise, it was another GazettE album. Anywho, I can tell you based on experience (for the cheapest shipping anyway) that they usually arrive in about a little less than a week to a week or so after shipping.
However, shipping fees (in general, not just CDJapan) are insane. GazettE is also insane for making the packaging of this album so crazy heavy. I was debating whether or not I should stick with CDJapan and the exorbitant shipping prices the weight of the album necessitated. When I learned that the total shipping costs would range from ~ $35 (3470 yen) to ~ $65 (6400 yen) depending on the shipping option I chose, I flipped a little. The total cost of the album + the first press bonus poster would be ~ $122 (12018 yen) to ~ $152 (14948 yen), again depending on the shipping method. Sans poster, the cheapest shipping option would cost me ~ $19 (1900 yen). In the end, I couldn't justify spending that much money either with OR without the poster, especially since I knew of a much cheaper option on another site, YesAsia.
I have ordered a handful of items from YesAsia previously, but unfortunately this was before I started this blog, so I don't really have any solid photos to show. Every time that I have ordered, I think I've been more or less satisfied. I usually use YesAsia for other Asian music releases. I also use this site to compare prices against CDJapan and all that. I knew that YesAsia had a "free shipping over $39" option, and since they were celebrating their 15th anniversary, they lowered the price to $25. Well. Not like either would have made a difference for the album, with it being so darn expensive and all. Anywho, I ordered from the limited edition from YesAsia (YAY FOR FREE SHIPPING) on October 21st. I received an invoice saying it shipped on October 22nd. I received it on Wednesday, October 30th.
Just a quick comment: even though I chose standard shipping, I was still given a tracking code, which was nice. But me being a doofus, I totally didn't read the invoice carefully and notice those lovely digits until I saw the tracking code printed on the package. .__. Perhaps because my order was expensive, there was a little bit of added security? I'm not too sure on this assumption, but I make it because my other orders from YesAsia certainly didn't have tracking numbers provided AND they were nowhere near as expensive. Reasonable assumption, right? Anywho, looking up the tracking information, I noticed that it was shipped out of Hong Kong on the 28th. This tells me two things: 1) the preparation and shipping process took 6 days and 2) delivery was pretty quick (3 days). In total, it took about 9 days (7 business days) for the entire process (ordering to receiving).
I think this covers the gist of my ordering thought process for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY. Now to work on that unboxing post...soon...aha.
This post will serve to explain my ordering mentality...at least in terms of CDJapan vs. YesAsia.
My usual pre-order site for Japanese releases is normally CDJapan. I choose them because they usually have nifty bonuses for first press orders. For many artists, bonuses commonly translate to posters. For the GazettE, posters are normally a really good size. B2-sized paper, to be exact. Measurements are about 27.8 inches x 19.7 inches. Right. Moving on to the second reason. Their packaging. I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. I cannot stress enough how awesome their packaging is. Feel free to scroll through my other unboxing posts labeled CDJapan to visually see what I'm babbling on about. The sturdy boxes. The green packing paper. ♥ *sigh* Anywho, another reason why I am a loyal customer is the overall shopping experience. I have ordered from them many times and almost every time, have been 100% satisfied. The times I've had to contact their customer service for something, I've always received a polite, prompt response. Shipping speed is quite fast, even if you choose the cheapest option. They also ship a day or two before the actual release dates, so that's pretty awesome. Also, an aside: I don't speak a lick of Japanese, so it's great that their staff can communicate in English. \o/
Now, since I usually always choose the cheapest shipping option at CDJapan, I don't have tracking numbers for my packaged ordered there. I think I've only had one tracking number from CDJapan, and that was only because I had to upgrade my shipping because of the weight of the package. No surprise, it was another GazettE album. Anywho, I can tell you based on experience (for the cheapest shipping anyway) that they usually arrive in about a little less than a week to a week or so after shipping.
However, shipping fees (in general, not just CDJapan) are insane. GazettE is also insane for making the packaging of this album so crazy heavy. I was debating whether or not I should stick with CDJapan and the exorbitant shipping prices the weight of the album necessitated. When I learned that the total shipping costs would range from ~ $35 (3470 yen) to ~ $65 (6400 yen) depending on the shipping option I chose, I flipped a little. The total cost of the album + the first press bonus poster would be ~ $122 (12018 yen) to ~ $152 (14948 yen), again depending on the shipping method. Sans poster, the cheapest shipping option would cost me ~ $19 (1900 yen). In the end, I couldn't justify spending that much money either with OR without the poster, especially since I knew of a much cheaper option on another site, YesAsia.
I have ordered a handful of items from YesAsia previously, but unfortunately this was before I started this blog, so I don't really have any solid photos to show. Every time that I have ordered, I think I've been more or less satisfied. I usually use YesAsia for other Asian music releases. I also use this site to compare prices against CDJapan and all that. I knew that YesAsia had a "free shipping over $39" option, and since they were celebrating their 15th anniversary, they lowered the price to $25. Well. Not like either would have made a difference for the album, with it being so darn expensive and all. Anywho, I ordered from the limited edition from YesAsia (YAY FOR FREE SHIPPING) on October 21st. I received an invoice saying it shipped on October 22nd. I received it on Wednesday, October 30th.
Just a quick comment: even though I chose standard shipping, I was still given a tracking code, which was nice. But me being a doofus, I totally didn't read the invoice carefully and notice those lovely digits until I saw the tracking code printed on the package. .__. Perhaps because my order was expensive, there was a little bit of added security? I'm not too sure on this assumption, but I make it because my other orders from YesAsia certainly didn't have tracking numbers provided AND they were nowhere near as expensive. Reasonable assumption, right? Anywho, looking up the tracking information, I noticed that it was shipped out of Hong Kong on the 28th. This tells me two things: 1) the preparation and shipping process took 6 days and 2) delivery was pretty quick (3 days). In total, it took about 9 days (7 business days) for the entire process (ordering to receiving).
I think this covers the gist of my ordering thought process for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY. Now to work on that unboxing post...soon...aha.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Unboxing #11 - the GazettE's FADELESS -Auditory Impression-
Otay! Since it's nearly time for the GazettE to release their newest album, I mustered up the initiative to work on an unboxing post for FADELESS.
JUST A QUICK WARNING!
While not pornographic, the pictures of the cover art of the single and the poster may get you in trouble if you're looking at them where you're not supposed to (shame, shame!). You've been warned!
FADELESS was released on August 21, 2013. The tracks for the -Auditory Impression- edition of the single is as follows:
1. FADELESS
2. QUIET
3. FORBIDDEN BEAVER
The tracklist for the -Optical Impression- edition is very similar, with two main differences. FORBIDDEN BEAVER is not included and the promotional video for FADELESS is included in a DVD along with the CD for the songs FADELESS and QUIET. The PV was briefly released on their official YouTube channel for a few days, and purposefully removed soon after, hence, no link to the official PV. As I understand it, they don't plan to release any of the PVs for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, so for those of you who definitely want the complete visual aspect, y'all have to go out and get the limited edition. Certainly pricy, but for those of you who can and would like to, please do! :) I will be doing an unboxing post on the limited edition of the album soon. Hands, legs, fingers, and toes crossed for its safe arrival!
Time for the goodies!
So there you have it! Not too much to say about the packaging of the CD, since it's pretty standard. I suppose they save the unique packaging for all their limited edition albums. As per usual (based on their recent singles that is), the single booklet is one single sheet folded into thirds. Also typical of their past few single releases, the booklet is is made of a photo paper-like quality, so it's glossy and very smooth. Also, the booklet is pretty difficult to take a good picture of because of glare and whatnot.
As for the music, you can be the judge of that yourself. :)
Anywho, if you're curious at all as to what the little white strip of paper that's wrapped around the poster says, here it is:
I think that'll be it for this unboxing. SO EXCITED FOR MY NEXT UNBOXING POST. But of course, everyone and their mother will have had their pictures and posts up before I even get my copy. I think that's happening as I'm writing up this post. But that's okay! I'm always late with my posts anyway!^^" Hopefully while this frenzy for pictures and information is running rampant, everyone is respectful of all the pictures, opinions, etc. that others have posted. No fighting please!
EEK. As I was writing this up, I got a notice saying IT WAS SHIPPED. \o/
Anywho, I'm going sit here and not spoil myself anymore than I already have with everyone's lovely pictures!! :D Until BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY arrives...!
JUST A QUICK WARNING!
While not pornographic, the pictures of the cover art of the single and the poster may get you in trouble if you're looking at them where you're not supposed to (shame, shame!). You've been warned!
FADELESS was released on August 21, 2013. The tracks for the -Auditory Impression- edition of the single is as follows:
1. FADELESS
2. QUIET
3. FORBIDDEN BEAVER
The tracklist for the -Optical Impression- edition is very similar, with two main differences. FORBIDDEN BEAVER is not included and the promotional video for FADELESS is included in a DVD along with the CD for the songs FADELESS and QUIET. The PV was briefly released on their official YouTube channel for a few days, and purposefully removed soon after, hence, no link to the official PV. As I understand it, they don't plan to release any of the PVs for BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY, so for those of you who definitely want the complete visual aspect, y'all have to go out and get the limited edition. Certainly pricy, but for those of you who can and would like to, please do! :) I will be doing an unboxing post on the limited edition of the album soon. Hands, legs, fingers, and toes crossed for its safe arrival!
Time for the goodies!
 |
| Ignore the crappy job at touching up the photo. Admire the package. |
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| Notice the poster tube nestled right in front of the green packing paper. |
 |
| After loosening the tape on one side, I decided to snap a picture before removing the entire thing. Definitely appreciate CDJapan taping the bubble wrap to the box to prevent any movement in case of jostling during shipping. |
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| Here's a picture of the poster removed from the tube. The tube's ends are bent in to prevent the poster from sliding around and out of the tube during shipping. Check down below to see what's printed on the strip of paper! :D |
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| Posters were given at random. This poster art is the cover art for the Optical Impression edition of the single. A sneak peek at the single in the top left corner! |
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| Not thrilled about the next few pictures taken, but here they are. Not the greatest angle in the world of the CD, but the text on the sticker of the shrink wrap is the most legible in this picture compared to the others pictures I took. |
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| CD sans shrink wrap. Notice "DARLING" is scratched at the top. |
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| Side view of the CD. The other side panel is exactly the same. |
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| A look at the inside contents. No design underneath the CD. It's just black. |
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| Track list! |
So there you have it! Not too much to say about the packaging of the CD, since it's pretty standard. I suppose they save the unique packaging for all their limited edition albums. As per usual (based on their recent singles that is), the single booklet is one single sheet folded into thirds. Also typical of their past few single releases, the booklet is is made of a photo paper-like quality, so it's glossy and very smooth. Also, the booklet is pretty difficult to take a good picture of because of glare and whatnot.
As for the music, you can be the judge of that yourself. :)
Anywho, if you're curious at all as to what the little white strip of paper that's wrapped around the poster says, here it is:
NO.66
the GazettE
0
2013/8/21
SRCL-
8343,8345
I think that'll be it for this unboxing. SO EXCITED FOR MY NEXT UNBOXING POST. But of course, everyone and their mother will have had their pictures and posts up before I even get my copy. I think that's happening as I'm writing up this post. But that's okay! I'm always late with my posts anyway!^^" Hopefully while this frenzy for pictures and information is running rampant, everyone is respectful of all the pictures, opinions, etc. that others have posted. No fighting please!
EEK. As I was writing this up, I got a notice saying IT WAS SHIPPED. \o/
Anywho, I'm going sit here and not spoil myself anymore than I already have with everyone's lovely pictures!! :D Until BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY arrives...!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Unboxing #7 - the Gazette's REGRET -Auditory Impression-
Wow, it's almost the end of February. Er. Or it was when I started this post. Now it's March...time's moving much too quickly. There's only a few months before graduation, and then...I honestly have no clue. It's extraordinarily terrifying to have no real direction, nothing solid to grasp for the first time since, well, ever. (If only I could make a living organizing music/doing unboxing posts...employ me please? Yes? No? It was worth a shot...)
Anywho...I've been meaning to get around to an unboxing post, and then suddenly, I found myself with three shiny lovelies all lined up for photo ops. Er. Well. At least I won't be hurting for new material? Heh... Anywho, the first up will be the GazettE's REGRET -Auditory Impression-, released in 10/25/2006.
Here's a quick tracklist for those interested:
1. REGRET
2. Psychedelic Heroine
3. Worthless War
Now onto the goods:
Now this single may not be a favorite of mine, but it's still a good addition to my collection. I am super sad that it's nigh impossible for me to own their entire, physical discography. But I guess my wallet is a little less sad about that, ahaha.
Now the packaging is quite standard for a Japanese single, but I absolutely love the texture of the booklet. It almost has a cardstock-y feel to it and I like the artwork that's inside. Now y'all might ask, "What does it look like?" Well, that's for me to know and for you to buy to find out! ~_^ After all, the point of these unboxing posts is to give you taste of what things are like so you can decide if you want it or not.
And the music? Well, chances are you've already heard the three songs in this single, considering its release was about six or seven years ago, so no one needs to read my opinions about them. (a.k.a. excuse to be as un-longwinded as possible...)
The brevity of this post was quite amazing eh? Haha, well, I have finals coming up, so the next few unboxing posts will go up after that. Maybe one at the end of March if finals haven't yet rendered me completely comatose.
Coming next: Ga-In's Talk About S. Be excited~!
Anywho...I've been meaning to get around to an unboxing post, and then suddenly, I found myself with three shiny lovelies all lined up for photo ops. Er. Well. At least I won't be hurting for new material? Heh... Anywho, the first up will be the GazettE's REGRET -Auditory Impression-, released in 10/25/2006.
Here's a quick tracklist for those interested:
1. REGRET
2. Psychedelic Heroine
3. Worthless War
Now onto the goods:
 |
| I love the sturdy boxes that CDJapan packs the orders in. |
 |
| The oh-so-familiar packing paper--always fun to unwrap. |
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| Bubble wrap. Pop pop pop. |
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| Single + the shrink wrap with nifty stickers. Yes. I kept them. The stickers I mean. Not the shrink wrap... |
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| The texture of the booklet is fun to touch. Heh. |
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| Side view. |
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| I like the contrast between the tan and white colors. |
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| Sans CD. Very artistic. Sorry about the abrupt change in scenery. |
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| Gorgeous rose motif is gorgeous. |
Now this single may not be a favorite of mine, but it's still a good addition to my collection. I am super sad that it's nigh impossible for me to own their entire, physical discography. But I guess my wallet is a little less sad about that, ahaha.
Now the packaging is quite standard for a Japanese single, but I absolutely love the texture of the booklet. It almost has a cardstock-y feel to it and I like the artwork that's inside. Now y'all might ask, "What does it look like?" Well, that's for me to know and for you to buy to find out! ~_^ After all, the point of these unboxing posts is to give you taste of what things are like so you can decide if you want it or not.
And the music? Well, chances are you've already heard the three songs in this single, considering its release was about six or seven years ago, so no one needs to read my opinions about them. (a.k.a. excuse to be as un-longwinded as possible...)
The brevity of this post was quite amazing eh? Haha, well, I have finals coming up, so the next few unboxing posts will go up after that. Maybe one at the end of March if finals haven't yet rendered me completely comatose.
Coming next: Ga-In's Talk About S. Be excited~!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Unboxing #5 - the GazettE's DIVISION [Limited Edition]
Let's pretend this was posted when the GazettE released DIVISION (August 29th, 2012).
Anywho, moving on...
Let me tell you, when Ruki/the GazettE/the media released the proportions of this monster, my first thought was HOLY. CRAP. This was promptly followed by HOLY. CRAP. SHIPPING. COSTS. Just in case y'all didn't know, it was announced that the limited edition version would be 5 cm thick and would weigh 1.1 kg. A freaking album that's about 2 inches thick and weighs 2.2 pounds. HOW INSANE IS THAT? The entire package was about 1.7 kg. That's 3.7 pounds. I'm not going to even go into how much it costs. I purchased this baby from CDJapan, which is not known for it's cheaper shipping costs. Let's just say the album itself (no shipping fee included) was 6349 yen. That's about $80.95 in US dollars. ;~;
*ahem*
Anyways, Gorgeous Monstrosity contains three discs. The first disc is called FRAGMENT [VEIN] and contains 7 songs that embody the older GazettE sound that longtime fans may be missing. The second disc is called BINDING SITE and contains PVs for three songs. It's quite interesting that they made a PV for one of the instrumental tracks. AND THEY FINALLY HAVE AN OFFICIAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL WHERE THEY UPLOADED TWO OF THE THREE PVs. FINALLY. I've linked them in the tracklist below for the DVD, so check it out. Now if they could upload the videos in HD...but baby steps I suppose. Baby steps. The third and last disc is called FRAGMENT [ARTERY] and contains 7 songs that are structured around their newer, digital/electronic sound.
Here's a quick rundown of the tracklist for the limited edition for those of you interested:
Disc 1: FRAGMENT [VEIN]
1. [Depth]
2. 歪, (IBITSU)
3. 籠の蛹, (KAGO NO SANAGI)
4. ヘドロ, (HEDORO)
5. 影踏み, (KAGEFUMI)
6. 余韻, (YOIN)
7. [Diplosomia]
Disc 2: BINDING SITE [DVD]
1. 歪, (IBITSU)
2. [Diplosomia]
3. DERANGEMENT
Disc 3: FRAGMENT [ARTERY]
1. [XI]
2. DERANGEMENT
3. REQUIRED MALFUNCTION
4. DRIPPING INSANITY
5. ATTITUDE
6. GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS
7. [Melt]
And just to be complete, the tracklist for the regular edition (features different arrangement of tracks and doesn't have two instrumentals from the first disc of the limited edition) :
1. [XI]
2. GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS
3. DERANGEMENT
4. DRIPPING INSANITY
5. 余韻, (YOIN)
6. 歪, (IBITSU)
7. 影踏み, (KAGEFUMI)
8. 籠の蛹, (KAGO NO SANAGI)
9. ヘドロ, (HEDORO)
10. ATTITUDE
11. REQUIRED MALFUNCTION
12. [Melt]
Now it's time to see why I call my package the Gorgeous Monstrosity...
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| Meet Gorgeous Monstrosity, who is approximately 20 inches long...(no that's what s/he said jokes, thanks.) |
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| ...and about 14 inches wide... |
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| ...and 3.5 inches tall! |
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| The poster came in a poster tube. All ready and waiting for me to unravel! ♥ |
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| I LOVE THIS POSTER. My desktop at the mo'. |
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| Ahh, peek-a-boo! I see you! :3 |
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| Dear goodness, the album is a foot long... |
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| ...and nearly nine inches wide... |
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| ...and about 1.5 inches tall. Meow. |
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| The glare on this one is crazy, but the tracklist shows up very well. The sideways tracklisting reminds me of DIM's tracklisting format. |
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| View of the side panel. |
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| Top view. Notice the 'divisions' in the album itself. (See what I did there.) Concept art for each section proceeds the discs. |
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| Disc 1: FRAGMENT [VEIN] |
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| Disc 2: BINDING SITE [DVD] |
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| Disc 3: FRAGMENT [ARTERY] |
First of all, let me say. WELCOME TO THE CURRENT AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND PROMOTION. Their label got smart and uploaded their PVs on an official YouTube channel. Yay! \o/ Are we ever going to see their older videos uploaded on an official channel? Probably not, since those PVs weren't released by Sony. Such a shame too, since they were AWESOME. ALSO. They jumped on the Facebook bandwagon and got themselves an official page. Like them here if you're so inclined! (All the romanji for the song titles I got are from here.)
Speaking of PVs...I'm glad that they decided to have a PV that showcased that good ol' GazettE charm. As beautiful as they all look, I was getting a little tired of the PVs where they just performed the song and stitched those scenes together with random shots of each member. It seemed they were doing that a little more than usual in recent years. It's not really too much of a surprise though, considering the label change. The members even stated that it's smothering having people telling them how to shape their sound and image. Anyways, DERANGEMENT is awesome. It reminds me a little of Filth and the beauty actually. Ya know, the twisted, ugly side of humans and all that. Or maybe just the overall perverseness. Plus, that Engrish ♥. Take your pick.
I love that this release was so meaty. It's been a few months since they've released this album, and I'm STILL trying to get a feel for it. Granted, I've only flipped through the artbook a total of two or three times, but I think this release and its concept was meant to be as layered as I found it to be. Perhaps one of the reasons why is that they released two discs of music that are jarringly different from each other. Their fourth studio album, DIM, had a more extensive tracklist, but the atmosphere of each song was pretty similar, which made the concept of the album easily digestible. This time, they've released an album that consists of half the traditional 'GazettE' sound, and half the 'digital/electronic' sound that they've been dabbling in for their recent releases. Just when you think the sound is flowing one way, it does a 180, smacks you in the face, and then goes about its business. As a result, the 'flow' of the album is a little slippery to grasp, which in this case, is neither a good nor a bad thing. It's just a statement of fact. It's actually quite interesting, uniting the concept of 'division' by visually and sonically separating their album into distinguishable fragments. All that combined with the Gemini twins-but-not-really women in the concept art...boy, do they make their fans work! Exercising that green and that noggin'!
That being said, I really hope this beautiful, 100-paged album/artbook lasts for a really long time. I'm warily eying all the separate parts within the album/artbook and handling Gorgeous Monstrosity as carefully as I can to keep it in pristine condition. Like the limited edition for TOXIC, it comes with a fitted plastic bag. I hope that's apparent in some of the photos I took. I'd loathe to get that all scratched up. Hm. Well. I'd loathe to get any part of it damaged, haha. The surface of the album/artbook, glossy as it may be, is actually (quite surprisingly), fingerprint resistant. Yay!
If y'all want the full, amazing, physical package to see for yourself what exactly I've been babbling about, get the limited edition or regular edition here or at your shop of choice if you are able~!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Quick Update about Things to Come!
I feel SOOOOOOOO guilty. But if feels SOOOOOOOO good. the GazettE officially released their sixth studio album, DIVISION, on the 29th of August! I have received my copy of it earlier today. Well, my Dad signed for my package since I was at school. But right, anyway, an unboxing of this baby soon to come! It is extremely large and beautiful and large. I have yet to listen to it, but I've taken all the pictures that I need to, and it's sitting right next to me at the mo'. I've only listened to official previews (Amazon mp3s and PV clips on their site). I stayed away radio rips, leaks, download links for the full album, and full uploads of the PVs, though I haven't been able to escape from the GIFs that people have been posting. So off I go to enjoy DIVISION with fresh ears! And eyes. And whatever hell else :D
Oh. I've already received Skipping Stone by Alexz Johnson about a month ago. There's not too much to it in terms of packaging, but I've just been doing other things. I'll probably post a quick picture in an upcoming entry.
Oh. I've already received Skipping Stone by Alexz Johnson about a month ago. There's not too much to it in terms of packaging, but I've just been doing other things. I'll probably post a quick picture in an upcoming entry.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Unboxing #2 - the GazettE's REMEMBER THE URGE -Optical Impression- and TOXIC [Limited Edition]
I like all kinds of music. My friend affectionately gave me the title of "Music Whore" because of my eclectic tastes. Er. Yey?
Anywho, I am a huge fan of Jrock. My friend introduced me to the GazettE in 2005/2006...around the time when they released Cassis. After listening to the fantastic song, I started looking into their band history, appearances in shows, live performances, interviews, and, of course, the rest of their discography. ♥ The combination of their music/personalities/etc. really appealed to me and I started to follow their releases, interviews, and such more closely than before. When I had the means (not really), I started to support them by purchasing their singles and albums. And boy, does the Japanese music industry know how to get the most from their customers. Most artists will release several different versions of their albums and singles. For the GazettE, they always split their singles into two versions: an "-Auditory Impression-" version that includes the title track and two B-side tracks, and an "-Optical Impression-" version that includes the title track, one B-side, and a DVD containing the PV and making of the PV. Their albums usually have a regular edition and a limited edition. All in all, lots of money spent on buying their music, but well worth it. I guess I should be grateful that they're not like some of the other bands/artists that release, like, five different versions of everything. ;~;
I only wish I could have started buying their merchandise earlier; I've missed out on a lot of music that's now out of print...=/ But if anyone happens to have a new copy of their limited edition NIL album...(and everything else...) Just saying. The packaging for that baby was BEAUTIFUL and the music from that album was awesome. Meow.
Well, I didn't start taking pictures of the music I've ordered until super recently, and a part of me wishes I had, but it's all good. Here are a few (heh) photos from when I ordered the GazettE's REMEMBER THE URGE -Optical Impression- single and the limited edition of TOXIC, their newest studio album. (I had ordered the -Auditory Impression- of their single earlier.) There was a deal on CDJapan; if you order the -Optical Impression- version of the single along with the limited edition of TOXIC, there would be a free tumbler gift with a picture of the boys featured in the cup. \o/
Meow. ♥
I didn't take any pictures of the contents of the single/album and most likely won't. One, it's really hard to get good pictures of super glossy things. And obviously, from the photos I've posted, photographer, I am not. Two, taking those pictures would require me to actually open the booklets all the way, which will probably damage them. I am absolutely CRAZY about these kinds of things. Even though I've thumbed through the single and album a few times, I took special care to keep the booklet of the single and the spine of the album as tight as possible. Yeah. Anywho, the entire package was quite pricy. I'd definitely venture as far as to say what I paid for it was overpriced. But I couldn't resist the "free" posters and tumbler cup. (On CDJapan, more often than not, the earliest buyers of certain products will get a free gift...usually a poster.) My fangirl was well fed the day my order arrived. :D
I only wish I could have started buying their merchandise earlier; I've missed out on a lot of music that's now out of print...=/ But if anyone happens to have a new copy of their limited edition NIL album...(and everything else...) Just saying. The packaging for that baby was BEAUTIFUL and the music from that album was awesome. Meow.
Well, I didn't start taking pictures of the music I've ordered until super recently, and a part of me wishes I had, but it's all good. Here are a few (heh) photos from when I ordered the GazettE's REMEMBER THE URGE -Optical Impression- single and the limited edition of TOXIC, their newest studio album. (I had ordered the -Auditory Impression- of their single earlier.) There was a deal on CDJapan; if you order the -Optical Impression- version of the single along with the limited edition of TOXIC, there would be a free tumbler gift with a picture of the boys featured in the cup. \o/
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| This thing was a MONSTER. ♥ |
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| Side view of MONSTER. |
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| The box got a little messed up during shipping...the posters included in my order were creased. Sad. |
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| The green packaging paper characteristic of CDJapan greeted me when I first opened the box. And yes. That's my dinner on the table. |
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| After peeling away the first layer, I was super excited to see my posters...then super sad when I discovered they were bent. D: |
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| Lookie! All the way at the bottom! |
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Another view. Just because.
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| *.* Part 2—Love how the album comes with its own bag/slipcover. Yes, that huge book is the album. |
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| The tumbler! |
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| A different angle of the box. |
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| Yay! More green paper! |
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| As snug as a bug in a rug. |
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| Yay! Bubble wrap! |
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| LET'S OPEN OPEN OPEN! |
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| I like the white box that houses the tumbler. It's glossy and sturdy. |
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| A preview picture of what the boys look like on the tumbler. |
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| 葵 (Aoi) - Rhythm guitarist |
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| れいた (Reita) - Bassist |
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| ルキ(Ruki) - Vocalist; 戒 (Kai) - Drummer and leader |
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| 麗 (Uruha) - Lead guitarist |
I didn't take any pictures of the contents of the single/album and most likely won't. One, it's really hard to get good pictures of super glossy things. And obviously, from the photos I've posted, photographer, I am not. Two, taking those pictures would require me to actually open the booklets all the way, which will probably damage them. I am absolutely CRAZY about these kinds of things. Even though I've thumbed through the single and album a few times, I took special care to keep the booklet of the single and the spine of the album as tight as possible. Yeah. Anywho, the entire package was quite pricy. I'd definitely venture as far as to say what I paid for it was overpriced. But I couldn't resist the "free" posters and tumbler cup. (On CDJapan, more often than not, the earliest buyers of certain products will get a free gift...usually a poster.) My fangirl was well fed the day my order arrived. :D
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