Various Artists – J-Visual[ism] 2

JaME and CLJ Records organized a poll to determine the top 50 new visual kei bands. The result is the compilation J-Visual[ism] 2, which combines songs from the latest releases of eight of your preferred artists. This sixteen track album features two songs from each artist, in many cases showing quite disparate sides of the band and offering a fairly well-rounded picture of the future visual scene.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the album opens with the beloved 9GOATS BLACK OUT. in the rain is an emotionally intense number, with light glinting guitars and strings highlighting ryo’s unfettered and superbly well-executed vocal performance. A ballad that will have the audience mesmerized and transfixed, the song reveals a band that stands apart.

Following is Panic Channel’s Kamisori, which opens with Meguru’s savage death vocals and a heavy headbanging intro. Overall fast-paced and dark, the song demonstrates the beauty of Meguru’s deep operatic voice, and it's hellish, complemented by hard and fast drum beats sure to have live audiences raging.

Danger Gang’s core is next. Violent and heavy from the beginning, the song only grows more frenzied and wrathful as it progresses, Waka letting loose with her growling scream-singing and supported by raging drums and destructive guitar. drop note. from vistlip is a fun catchy number interspersed with headbanging sections of ominous guitar playing. Tomo shows a range of colors - from the aggressive, digitized vocals in the verses to the playful and rough lines in the chorus lead-in, and clarity in the refrain’s soaring melody.

Fifth is DELUHI’s HYBRID TRUTH, a beautiful blend of soaring and death vocals from Juri. The inspiring composition and Leda’s speed guitar also add flair. The relentlessly fast drum beat in the chorus propels it along, and the track ends with a crescendo of drumming and screaming that will probably have you replaying it.

The pace slows down with the sixth track. The ballad NOT BEAUTIFUL WORLD reveals Ap(r)il’s unique sense of melody and beauty. Hinata’s interpretation, and the variations in the melody line, are highlighted in the bridge as the music drops out momentarily while he sings the emotional line “you've been waiting for me.” 9GOATS BLACK OUT returns for sink, a hypnotic ballad whose overwhelming atmosphere, irresistibly melancholic melodies and gorgeously alien guitar solo transport listeners into another world.

Following is Dandelion, the well-known, fast rock track that put DaizyStripper on the map. With its energetic guitar lines and uplifting melody - and Yu-giri’s infectious optimism - the track is a bright spot on the album. Next is Gizen MASTER, another number from vistlip. This darkly fun track of menacing guitars, fast drums, and growled screams is easy to jump along to, and it's undoubtedly a great live experience.

The tenth track is Momoiro Otome Kaidou from Pure Q&A, a slightly less well-known group except among oshare kei fans. This track stands out on the CD with its playful energy and off-putting eccentric feel. The composition seems inspired by a creepy carnival aspect, and its fast pace and unusual melodies result in an imaginative, enjoyable number, and it's a real change of pace in the visual world. Joukei no kanata is a Danger Gang ballad, heavy and dramatic with an angsty guitar intro. Unusual for this usually hard and raging band, the chorus is in falsetto and Waka gives a delightful, almost angelic delivery, showing a very different side of the group.

DELUHI’s Orion once again brings us back into raging death vocal territory until we reach the chorus, which is light and inspiring like HYBRID TRUTH’s. The band’s ability to cover both areas so expertly and without any affectation is one of their strongest points, and look forward to another speed guitar solo. Track thirteen, Ap(r)il’s R-A-T, is a fun, fast-paced number that sports a catchy refrain and infectious guitar chords. Again we experience Hinata’s imaginative vocal lines that somehow break our conventional sense of pitch.

Following is Energy from PANIC☆ch, a heavy song of multiple genres covering heavy metal, pop, and digital. Prominently featured are Meguru’s impressive death vocals, and the switches in pace and the feel throughout the song are drastic and jolting.

Pure Q&A’s second song on the release is Yokushitsu Chirarism, another song that features a dark, carnival-esque air; it's a bit slower and more eerie than Momoiro. Also, in this song we are offered even more unconventional melodies by Mahiro. Finishing up the album is the ballad Brilliant Days from DaizyStripper. Featuring strings and piano, the song presents another side of the band with its intense, dramatic chorus and mainstream love song feel.

For visual kei fans and those looking to get a general idea of the new visual scene, J-Visual[ism] brings together some of the most popular young, original and unconventional bands. It offers a small but fairly comprehensive sampling of visual kei's cutting edge. With some of its lesser known and younger bands, it may introduce you to some artists you’ll come to love.