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Some more info on the album's tracks etc.:

I honestly think the exhausting wall of nonsensical screaming noise is the whole point of the first half of the album. It’s basically a concept album about Kyo’s mental state and that’s why it ends with the most hopeful song musically and lyrically. At least that’s how I’ve interpreted it since he said in an interview that the order was deliberate. I agree about the production though.

On initial listen: This is a bad album. I'm that person who praises DEG almost all the time (I still skip audrey, though). I enjoy songs like The inferno and Midwife. However, I simply cannot defend this dumpster-fire. I haven't really ever had a problem with the mix and master on any previous album, with the exception of the poor album version of Hageshisa and the constant torrent of Madsenverb which has plagued the last few releases (which I like but gets stale after hearing it for four albums in a row). However, here, the production, mixing, mastering are unforgivable. I know many bedroom producers who can make a better sounding album than this. Hell, even I can make something that sounds better than this. The guitar tone in particular is fucking horrendous. The whole thing is so compressed that it actually hurts to listen to. This is probably the worst album I have ever heard in terms of brickwalling. It's so loud that it's completely flat, with no dynamics whatsoever. The first 6 songs on the album are a blur of noise, Kyo screaming nonsensically accompanied by a solid wall of distortion. Aside from the singles, I couldn't hear anything in here which resembled a song. It's exhausting, impenetrable, and boring. From Aka onwards, I somewhat enjoyed what I was hearing. There were a few tracks which sounded very similar to previous ones. I heard a Rinkaku pt2, DREAMBOX pt2, LIE BURIED pt2. Seems lazy, but okay. Just sort of mediocre. Overall, I felt there were no stand-out tracks whatsoever. The worst thing is, song-wise, this is the album I wanted. Something raw, angry, and fun, like MARROW. But I didn't want it to sound like this! Perhaps there are good songs here. It's going to take a while for me to digest what's going on and get over the fact that it sounds so terrible. I really want to like this. Again, I'm the fan who enjoys almost every song from this band with very few exceptions. Since they did such a piss-poor job with this one, from everything about the audio to the packaging (misspellings, missing translations, etc), I predict that we'll see a remaster in the vein of UROBOROS within the next few years.

I thought some pictures had already been posted but here's the contents of the limited deluxe edition (photobook with band pictures in the top right corner).

What the Muk did you just Mukin’ say about me, you little pidgey? I’ll have you know my Rattata is in the top percentage of Rattatas, and I’ve been involved in numerous gym battles with Brock, and I have over 300 confirmed Rattata catches. I am trained in Normal-type warfare and I’m the top youngster in the entirety of Pewter City. You are nothing to me but just another trainer. I will wipe you the Muk out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on Route 3, mark my Muking words. You think you can get away with walking past me on your way to Mt. Moon? Think again, Muker. As we speak, I am contacting my secret network of youngsters across Kanto and your Pokedex is being traced right now so you better prepare for PokeBattle, Magikarp. The PokeBattle that wipes out the pathetic little Pokemon you call your Bulbasaur. You’re muking fainted, Kakuna. I can stand right here, and only right here, and my Rattata can make you black out in over 700 ways, and that's just with tackle. Not only am I extensively trained in Rattata combat, but I have access to the entire arsenal of my comfy cargo shorts and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable Abra off the face of the region, you little Spearow. If only you could have known what a PokeBattle your little walk past me was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have stayed in Viridian Forest. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price, you pants wearing idiot. I will tail whip fury all over you and you will faint in it. You’re Muking blacked out, Red.

The band have announced that they will release their new single "金魚蜂"(Kingyo hachi) on 2018.12.19. Limited edition : 1940 yen CD : 1.金魚蜂(Kingyo hachi) 2.爛(Ran) DVD : 1. 金魚蜂 MV + MAKING Regular edition : 1620 yen CD : 1.金魚蜂(Kingyo hachi) 2.爛(Ran) The other members have yet to upload their individual pictures. http://www.d-out.info/news/release/2456/

I’m loving the 3rd disc performance of Different Sense. Is it just me or has Toshiya’s screams in that song improved greatly? Also sounds like he’s doing more screaming and less shouting/growling. I have only one complaint for this album besides Values of Madness: I wish Papa Kaoru was louder. Fuck, just give me his isolated guitar track and I’ll go celibate. I think the album length is great because it’s easy to actively listen in one sitting without feeling tired. The idea of having a bunch of songs being no longer than 3 and a half minutes worried me at first; but a lot of these songs greatly benefit from it. I can’t imagine an extra minute of songs like Keibetsu to Hajimari or Devote My Life.

Been listening the shit out of the album for the last couples of days, and it just gets better and better. I have no problem with the placement of songs now, and I accept 'Ningen...' and 'Utafumi' now. My only problem would be 'Values of Madness': I still don't like how it is placed after 'Aka'. The rest of it has finally clicked with me. Also got past the production after finding the right EQ and listening device, as Saishu said. I just hope someone rips CD 1 and 2 in good quality, because I can't get enough of 'The Deeper Vileness' remake and it's only on YouTube. Seriously: I'm really happy with what they did to the song. I would love a complete re-recording of 'The Marrow of a Bone'. Going back to 'The Insulated Wolrld'', I honestly think it's a good album with some standout moments (especially the second half), but they could have done better. It still feels rushed and 'simple', though this was something the band was after. Hope we don't have to wait four more years for another album!

Perfect example of how the sound of this album differs depending on how and what you’re using to listen to it is in Celebrate Empty Howls. On my earbuds, that tambourine/bell sound is hard to hear unless I lower the volume. In my car they’re prominent no matter where the volume is set. I think treble is the key here. Without it you end up getting a weird muddled mid-range mess.

cover of Lafflesia - Rosy Memories (9/26)

yes

So Dan Lancaster mixed The Insulated World, and looking thru his past works he’s also produced albums for One OK Rock, Blink-182, Crossfaith, Avril Lavigne, and Bring Me The Horizon. He also mixed the Ningen single, so I guess DEG wanted him to mix the entire album since he did such a GREAT JOB with Ningen.

Happy album week. Shout out to the kings for bringing some African sound on the NANANA, my glutes are very happy. That and the trap sounds from CYFI, havent herd that from a band before. dope interview about Initialize https://komachi-mag.com/entertainment/11488/ Shout out all the haters and fake fans 😘 Shout out to the kings again for making push my pen. Bye gotta a album to learn 😘

Ooo the mental visual. This kinda need to happen

the "Buy One, Get One Free" deal of metalcore-kei tropes

Never said they sucked, just that they looked cheap (and in both videos, my statement still stands). Musically this was okay. Kind of non-descript metal-core with orchestra synth to fill in the gaps in the melodies (more so on Neth's part due to only having 1 guitarist). I am more surprised that they didn't try to make distinct sounding debut singles. Both title tracks are practically interchangeable.

yes

It’s one thing to dislike an aesthetic but I think there’s never been a time when he used his looks to emulate the tone and atmosphere of their music as well and with such artistic ‘quality’ and creativity as in the past few years since Arche.

In regards to the Bill Cosby fiasco...America has never been a friend to so-called 'African Americans'. That's nothing new. And while it's definitely an important issue - it's not the issue at hand here. I think the quotes below accurately sum up where our focus should be:

It doesn’t fit. I mean the end of Zetsuentai rolls nicely into the beginning of Ranunculus, but the song itself is so tonally different from everything else. Which I guess was the intention, but for the previous 12 tracks to all basically be “I WANT TO FUCKING DIE” and then suddenly here’s this Luna Sea shanty with Kyo exclaiming “I AM ALIVE”.... it sticks out more than Vanitas did on DSS.

I dunno man, despite the mixing, this album really shines where their strong points are. I HATED MOAB, and i think people likening it to that are just basing it off of the harsh vocals. This album is pretty great. Still think Ranunculus doesn't fit on the album.

it's a visual kei board, I'm not sure why you're surprised??? pisces d*ck energy, luv, you'll get there x

It's already posted in two threads, but one or five more won't hurt. Cover art is just sensational, as is the track. Starts off as a 80's Iron Maiden epic before it moves into more familiar territory as far as Sigh goes, but like always they've made something that's very different from everything they've done before, as well as what other bands have and currently are doing. Love that 70's prog inspired middle section as well. Gorgeous! The ending with the Iron Maiden-esque riff and the clean vocals are the best thing I've heard all year long. Dear God! And while Shinichi Ishikawa is still my all time favourite guitarist, the addition of You Oshima as his replacement was a work of genius tbh. You can hear he's really put his own style into this song, and both his style of riffing and especially solos are excellent. Judging from this song, he's a bit more relaxed and controlled this time around. While I did grow into loving his guitar playing on Graveward, he might have wanted to do a bit too much with the solos.

Thanks @karai · ebi!! 💗 You made my day!

Oh, yeah! My intention wasn’t to discredit the man’s work with such a sweeping generalization. He’s done some fantastic work in the past, but I’d say for nearly two decades now almost every Rick Rubin project is a wall of noise. Fuck, he even managed to make Billy Corgan’s recent acoustic solo album sound loud as hell. Blood Sugar Sex Magik sounds awesome. Californication does not. That was actually the first album where I noticed the loudness thing.

Rick Rubin has tons of fantastic production jobs on his CV. Like, tons (Radio, Raising Hell, Reign in Blood, Licensed to Ill, Electric, Danzig, Tougher Than Leather, Danzig II: Lucifuge, Trouble and Blood Sugar Sex Magik just to mention a few of his works where he truly shines.). There's a reason why his this acclaimed and considered one of the very best producers ever, but it's also his creative side and how he made bands and artists perform their best and make smart choices as where to go next in their career. It's only in "recent times " that he's gone full retard with his productionjobs. His works in the past however. Holy moly!

Try turning the treble up a bit and the volume down. Honestly, it doesn’t sound great, but it doesn’t sound as bad as any rock album touched by Rick Rubin. Listen to the original mix of Metallica’s Death Magnetic for one of the worst example of brickwalling.

We almost never focus on a band’s look around here. This is just a rare but fun moment.

cali≠gari - オヤスミナサイ----。 -不眠盤- & 特典CD(<-main purpose)

This was awesome! My Japanese is still poor; some parts of the songs I understand them; others I have an idea what it is meant; others not so much so I really appreciate the time you took to translate this. Thanks you very much!

アンフィル (Anfiel) new album "COUNT DOWN" will be releaed at 2018/11/14 (2 types) TYPE A (3900yen) will include CD (14 songs) and DVD including "olympos" PV and making TYPE B (3300yen) will include CD (14 songs) only

He looked cool when he had a TV for a head.

nice to see the coming together of western & japanese artists over a.. r63 of bowser... and all the other nintendo characters... may god help us all...

Kyo needs to realize he looks awful when he shaves his head.

Toshiya has always been the hottest one. Sorry not sorry lol

Hiro Visage → gossip → 7Addict → ヴァリル Now ヴィルシーナ 😍

between kaoru's non-existent lips, kyo's forehead zit and shinya's misery, toshiya looks regal a.f. tbh

Too much beauty in one image

it does! dude gets a brutal (like papa Kaoru's guitar riff) sunstroke and the whole album from there on is his hallucinatory descent happening entirely inside of his headspace (cue "the insulated world") where horned daddy feeds him human flesh and little ppl hand out free abortions if he wears a beautiful bridal gown. internalized homophobia hun x

Can i go one week on here without having to say the following again? Turn on your location. I just wanna talk. We not bout to disrespect one of holiest DIR EN GREY songs to date here

A friendly reminder to myself: l*ve scks。

new vk bottom anthem: "Celebrate Empty Bowels"

赫 is normally pronounced “kaku” instead of “aka” as well. Some Japanese fans have nicknamed it 赤赤 “aka aka” which I think is funny.

This is a long one...I was going to cut out the repeating parts but decided not to. Also translating tobiorikun into English doesn't really sound as catchy..."jumper man" or something cutesy like "jumpy" just reaally doesn't work lol. 1* 嫌味 can mean sarcasm, nasty, being disagreeable, terrible, unpleasant...etc it goes on. I chose nastiness thinking of those with ill mannered personalities that pick on anyone they can. 2* The sky blurred due to a welling of tears, as 滲む has dual meaning. 3* I chose to say "let's finish it" because "let's kill (myself) completely" doesn't translate well. 4* There is really zero other meaning than literally "gastric juices"...just won't flow in English lol 5* I assume this is referring to 練炭自殺 which is commonly suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, as 練炭 by itself is just charcoal briquette. "To throw yourself in" is for going off bridges, off boats etc. For some of the repeating words I used the alternate meanings that still fit.

NOKUTO - 妄想殺意 SARIGIA – AGARTHA (reg. edition) Marvelous Cruelty -狂気ヲ演ジタ操リ絲 (correct lyric card) > now I own both versions of the lyric card ;D MICBAM - オカルディズム (the backside of the CD looks exactly the SAME (except not so strong coloring and its mirrored) as the front cover of Paranoid≠circuS 1st live limited single)

Vowed to eternity our sky is unchanging "The moon is beautiful isn't it?" You said smiling despite it. Even now you are too... Why is it we always lose what's precious? Wings that unfurled in goodbye, you've gone far away to disappear. Words I couldn't say even though I was near Since then these tears have spilled, this heart, this throbbing heartbeat, all of it for you. Even now I want to tell you. If... If you had heard me I'd want you to answer, "my beloved" Completely... completely forgetting the beautiful flowers of love. If... If you had realized then I'd want to hold you closely, "my dearest" It's a precious thing, and so I wish for these flowers of pure love to bloom. --- 白い恋 is usually just always "white love" as I see it...but I don't think that translates to English very well lol, since the meaning is really using white to convey the feeling of the color like snow or heavenly white cloud. いとしい君 could be 'darling you' 'dear' 'beloved' etc, dear and darling just felt weird, to me. Not sure if it's the kind of translation you want but since no one else did thought I'd give it a go.