Featured Review #57: DOGMA by the GazettE

[acbpn 434]

I pretty enjoy this new album, this is my best favorite visual kei album of the year.

[MaikoMizu 167]

I wasn't too fond of this album and it was somewhat of a letdown on some songs.

NIHL was good but when the dubstep hit, I immediately gave up on the song and hit next. I enjoyed a few tracks for the majority of the album, "DOGMA" was a good album opener with being slow at times yet forceful but not too fast either and "RAGE" had my attention since it first hit with the laugh in the beginning but the lyrics could have been A-LOT better.

"DAWN" gave me the feel that the rest of the songs would resemble crappy alternative rock bands in America nowadays but I was proven wrong, the track was actually very good. A nice tempo, good drumming and pretty much all the instruments could be heard and nothing overpowered one-another.
"DERACINE" was good except for the female vocals and the chorus. 

I'll skip ahead to "LUCY" since the songs prior were average to my taste.
LUCY - Probably my favorite track on the whole album,  Ruki's vocals and screams were at its highest from my perspective and Kai's drumming from 1:05  - 1:14 was pretty catchy bringing the song together. 

I wasn't really expecting Metal from the GazettE with this album but it's not my cup of tea, especially from them. I feel as if they should have left the screaming or harsh vocals to other bands that are more "natural" at it, which primarily refer to DLELACROIX, DELUHI, -OZ-, even girugamesh. 

Overall this isn't something I'd pick up again. I was expecting something similar to "DIM" or even close to "Division" but not with electronic vocals so overall I'd give it a 


The MV for "DOGMA" was nice though but nothing too spectacular. 

[eiheartx 1310]

Am I the only who actually loved NIHIL? And it's coming from someone who can't barely stand dubstep; but the ambiance, the female vocals in the background are so hypnotic for me, it works completely.

#foreveralone

[Ro plz 1290]

DOGMA does have the mini album feel to it for sure.

 

Makes one wonder if the band purposely had filler tracks as subs for the other material that's obviously coming. Material that'll probably be a long the lines of the well favored tracks of the album.

[freesia 714]

DOGMA and OMINOUS are the best tracks of the album for me. The rest is a bit boring.

Also, DEUX's beginning is a total rip off of Girugamesh's Volcano. Not a new thing or big problem since Gazette has been rip off-ing other bands' music since early eras.

[bada9412 28]

DEUX's beginning is a total rip off of Girugamesh's Volcano

Oh come on, it sounds similar, but the DEUX one has a completely different rythm.

Wouldn't calling it a rip-off be a little bit over the top ? I see it as a coincidence, which happens a lot in any genre of music.

 

 

Gazette has been rip off-ing other bands' music since early eras.

Really ? I would love to see some examples of this, I'm serious.

[freesia 714]

Oh come on, it sounds similar, but the DEUX one has a completely different rythm.

Wouldn't calling it a rip-off be a little bit over the top ? I see it as a coincidence, which happens a lot in any genre of music.

 

 

Really ? I would love to see some examples of this, I'm serious.

I wasn't pointing that the whole song sounded alike, I was saying the beginning.

 

There are lots of sound alike songs with GazettE's songs but the most obvious one that I remember is Kawamura Ryuichi's "Sugar Lady" which the chorus of GazettE's Cassis sounded like.

[bada9412 28]

I wasn't pointing that the whole song sounded alike, I was saying the beginning.

 

There are lots of sound alike songs with GazettE's songs but the most obvious one that I remember is Kawamura Ryuichi's "Sugar Lady" which the chorus of GazettE's Cassis sounded like.

 

Haha, they do kinda sound alike. But I still wouldn't jump to the conclusion of the GazettE ripping off songs.

This is just what happens in the music industry, as more and more songs get made, you will always find similarities between different ones.

 

Here's a list of 22 random songs that sound incredibly similar

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2015/03/11/22-songs-sound-similar-blurred-lines-got-give/

 

I wouldn't say each and everyone of them were ripping the other one off, I would just attribute it to coincidence.

[ghost 2686]

@@eiheartx: Neup, Nihil forever ✌

[Pretsy 1343]

Haha, they do kinda sound alike. But I still wouldn't jump to the conclusion of the GazettE ripping off songs.

This is just what happens in the music industry, as more and more songs get made, you will always find similarities between different ones.

 

Here's a list of 22 random songs that sound incredibly similar

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2015/03/11/22-songs-sound-similar-blurred-lines-got-give/

 

I wouldn't say each and everyone of them were ripping the other one off, I would just attribute it to coincidence.

I don't want to derail this whole review debate but knowing that it's

 

a) Luna Sea's frontman in question

 

and

 

b ) all Gazette members are hardcore Luna Sea fans,

 

we might blithely exclude "but they are just coincidences, Gazette guys are original"-kind of pretenses and delve deeper into something you'd rule out as "tinfoil accusations"  - let's make it brief:

 

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/vinidamazio/suspicious__inspiration_and_plagiarism_in_visual_kei/

 

1) SADS and LUNA SEA comparisons are the most legit + Make "SHIVER" go slower without vocals and try to sing Luna Sea's "End of Sorrow" over it...

2) Add "People = Shit" from Slipknot (another major influence btw) into the list (they ripped this off TWICE: "Ogre" and "RAGE") + "Maximum Impulse" literally lifts its intro from Slipknot's "(sic)" (live arrangement)

3) AGONY (MH fandom's favorite), aside from connection above, is just a variation of Limp Bizkit's Pollution - I am not exaggerating, youtube it! (Gazette members are pure nu metal aficionados, FYI)

etc.

 

(just a part of what I've found out so far)

 

There are various other connections to notice and pinpoint once you get a bit more familiar with what Gazeboys are jamming to, so it's not just about "random coincidences" if they are happening more than once - and if they are usually tied to their major influences. No fanatic obsessions here, just interests in inspecting things

 

 

/endofftopic/

[bada9412 28]

 

 

a) Luna Sea's frontman in question

 

 

Now this is the piece of information that I was missing (I'm not incredibly familiar with Luna Sea),

I know the GazettE members are Luna Sea fans, and knowing that its LS's frontman here, it all makes sense.

 

Wow, guess they just aren't as original as I thought they were.

I still like the album, tho.

 

 

EDIT : Wow, End of sorrow sounds exactly like SHIVER, what the hell GazettE ? And Pollution too, it sounds exactly like AGONY, man I take back everything I said, this is plain as day, my respect for them definitely decreased, this kinda sucks.

[freesia 714]

I don't want to derail this whole review debate but knowing that it's

 

a) Luna Sea's frontman in question

 

and

 

b ) all Gazette members are hardcore Luna Sea fans,

 

we might blithely exclude "but they are just coincidences, Gazette guys are original"-kind of pretenses and delve deeper into something you'd rule out as "tinfoil accusations"  - let's make it brief:

 

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/vinidamazio/suspicious__inspiration_and_plagiarism_in_visual_kei/

 

1) SADS and LUNA SEA comparisons are the most legit + Make "SHIVER" go slower without vocals and try to sing Luna Sea's "End of Sorrow" over it...

2) Add "People = Shit" from Slipknot (another major influence btw) into the list (they ripped this off TWICE: "Ogre" and "RAGE") + "Maximum Impulse" literally lifts its intro from Slipknot's "(sic)" (live arrangement)

3) AGONY (MH fandom's favorite), aside from connection above, is just a variation of Limp Bizkit's Pollution - I am not exaggerating, youtube it! (Gazette members are pure nu metal aficionados, FYI)

etc.

 

(just a part of what I've found out so far)

 

There are various other connections to notice and pinpoint once you get a bit more familiar with what Gazeboys are jamming to, so it's not just about "random coincidences" if they are happening more than once - and if they are usually tied to their major influences. No fanatic obsessions here, just interests in inspecting things

 

 

/endofftopic/

You incredibly and neatly put out what I wanted to say. THANK YOU

[seratonin 43]

Simply put, Gazette just changed their style. They adopted a more western metal approach.

Western metalcore influence in the Gazette creates the following I have noticed in the DOGMA album :

-New album is more uniform in sound throughout the songs, which is why the new Gazette album tends to sound like one long song. Repetitive western metalcore style is just HARD HEADBANGING FOR 50 MINUTES ALL THE TIME. There has to be finesse and build up to hard metal music; need contrast. Gazette had this element in previous albums

-Gazette's new album is less melodic (compared to previous Gazette works). Less melody, more plug and chugging heavy guitars, drop tuning, followed closely by...
 

-DOGMA has seldom any passionate solo's! I couldn't remember ONE SOLO listening to the whole album (OMINOUS came closest), no more shredding, complicated and catchy riffs gone! (off the top of my head if you need an example, look at the metal but more intricate guitarwork in LEECH).
Gazette were probably thinking: "Hey why don't we remove all the diverse guitar tones and acoustic guitar work we did in the previous albums!"

-DOGMA has repetitive breakdowns. Spamming power chords, like from 0:04 seconds starting in DAWN. Maybe catchy +1, but unique and diverse sound -1.

-DOGMA has both guitars played in unison, so that there's no clear LEAD guitar and rhythmic playing, no double rhythmic playing. Guitar has completely lost its ambience. Take a look at the diverse guitar work shown in 泣ヶ原

In conclusion, Gazette changed their style to fit the taste of someone who enjoys more simple (metal) music.
 more simple = more catchy = broader audience. This was probably one of their goals, to expand their audience.
For the most part, Gazette has really lost their unique, melodic, diverse style from before, to adopt a more mainstream metal sound.

*It also clearly sounds like Gazette spent 1/4 of the time and effort to write this album, and the audio mixing and production team spent 3x more effort than previous other albums *

Is the Gazette growing old, tired, and running out of ideas? Or they writing more simple music on purpose?

Finally:
RATING: 2/5       

Songs like GRUDGE, and OMINOUS are the only songs I could remember that sounded different.
Everything else sounded like RAH RAH RAH LET'S GO HARD AND HAVE LOTS OF APATHETIC  AND MEANINGLESS HEADBANGING FOR AN HOUR TO FILL OUT THE REST OF THE ALBUM
 

[eiheartx 1310]

In conclusion, Gazette changed their style to fit the taste of someone who enjoys more simple (metal) music.

 more simple = more catchy = broader audience. This was probably one of their goals, to expand their audience.

For the most part, Gazette has really lost their unique, melodic, diverse style from before, to adopt a more mainstream metal sound.

 

 

This part, I don't really understand it. Because, if we compare to their disco (just, leave out the "simplicity" of riffs, linearity or the 2 mid-tempo songs from the album etc etc), DOGMA is a brutal release (aye it's not black metal but you know what I mean xD coming from them it's raw). And for you, it's mainstream and for expanding their audience???

I don't know, it's something I would have said for SHIVER, PLEDGE and all their past songs/ballads in this vein. But from DOGMA??

[seratonin 43]

This part, I don't really understand it. Because, if we compare to their disco (just, leave out the "simplicity" of riffs, linearity or the 2 mid-tempo songs from the album etc etc), DOGMA is a brutal release (aye it's not black metal but you know what I mean xD coming from them it's raw). And for you, it's mainstream and for expanding their audience???

I don't know, it's something I would have said for SHIVER, PLEDGE and all their past songs/ballads in this vein. But from DOGMA??

you're associating how brutal music is to how popular it will be, which is not logical. Meaning if a band is less brutal, they just go mainstream? More brutal, less mainstream?

New Gazette album drifts to mainstream (metalcore) sound

[eiheartx 1310]

you're associating how brutal music is to how popular it will be, which is not logical. Meaning if a band is less brutal, they just go mainstream? More brutal, less mainstream?

New Gazette album drifts to mainstream (metalcore) sound

 

hm yes? SHIVER, PLEDGE or whatever gazetto soft songs has more chance to be put in rotation in radios or shops than songs from DOGMA. But ok, mainstream metalcore then, I learned a new genre today, thanks to you.

[GazeRockSnob 34]

I agree with your review. Tbh I've forgotten Dogma already. I thought I was gonna regret not buying it after hearing Ominous but nope, glad I didn't spend over $100 over a pretty much uneventful album. I feel like Dawn, Deracine and Ominous are the only relevant songs on the album.

[Saishu 1589]

Going back to touch on Gazette ripping off other bands' songs, what immediately comes to mind is "RUTHLESS DEED" being somewhat of a "DIFFERENT SENSE" ripoff, and the riff in the beginning of "RAGE" is similar to the riff after the break in "Reiketsu Nariseba." Which, to be honest, was clearly stolen from Slipknot's "People = Shit" anyway.

 

The bigger problem is that Gazette continuously rip themselves off, cutting bits and pieces of their own songs and pasting them into new ones. "A MOTH UNDER THE SKIN" and "SUICIDE CIRCUS" both have the same breakdowns. I hear the chorus in "DEUX" and it reminds me of the chorus from "LEECH." And I swear "Zakurogata no Yuuutsu", "SHIVER", and "Ibitsu" are all cut from the same cloth.

 

But what's truly befuddling are the people that think DOGMA is some huge shift in sound for the Gazette. Even if you've only been a fan for five or less years you know there's nothing new going on here. Yeah, it's heavy. So was "HEADACHE MAN" and "OGRE" and "PSYCHOPATH." This album is full of that with the only really deviation being the intro track and "OMINOUS."

 

Just straight up disappointing. 

[AverageS 19]

Really forgettable album, the only thing that'll make me remember it is how one of my friends kind of lashed out at me after making me listen to it and I proceeded to call it "a crappy ARCHE rip off".

 

Fanboys/girls are an odd type.