Vote for the Biggest, Weirdest, and Best of 2013
Hello my lovey readers! It's time to do some voting! For the past couple of weeks we've been taking nominations for who you deserves to win 2013 in a variety of categories. I want to give a big thank you to everyone for all the nominations! We have quite the list of nominees to vote on, so take a look through and choose who you think deserves to win. Please Read more
Contest Winners & Celebrations
This year December 6th marks six years of activities for Shattered-Tranquility.net! We held a special Dress Ernie Contest to celebrate, but before we get to the winners, there's a few words from the site's Ku and Adrienne. Message from Ku First, let me thank those of you who entered the contest. I know it can be intimidating to put your art out there for all to see, but our staff -- Read more
Interview: Sophia & Season of Ghosts
Originally hailing as a music promoter from Thessaloniki, Greece, Sophia suddenly emerged from the business side of the visual scene and into the limelight after she was accepted as Blood Stain Child's new vocalist after the departure of Sadew in 2010. Shortly after, Sophia became one of the most recognized female vocalists within the industry, known not only for her work with Blood Stain Child but for her collaborations Read more
T.M. Revolution Reveals Past and Future at Otakon Press Conference
Article: jazz Coverage: jazz, Jess S. Photography: Adrienne Kubiak © Shattered-Tranquility.net 2013 ----- Refreshingly, T.M. Revolution is a big name absent a big ego. During a brief press conference in Baltimore on the evening of August 9th, he humbly invited members of the press to ask him about his recent activities, from his collaborations with Nana Mizuki to his role as cultural ambassador for his home prefecture to his career in musical theatre. Throughout Read more
Back in December we introduced DEEP RAVE, who will be celebrating their “rebirth” with the release of a brand new mini-album, self-titled mini-album in just a few short days!
Before we get to the details, take a look at what’s in store.
Tags: DEEP RAVE
Tags: LOUD GRAPE
It’s not often where the issues of politics and social uprisings end up being involved with Visual music. Many fans typically think of their music and the real-world as separate entities, but occasionally the two clash with one another. Read more
Tags: Girugamesh
Returning from an unannounced hiatus, Flashback Friday is back in action! This week’s lucky band is: Vall’na racill.
Vall’na racill, 2004
Vall’na racill was active from 2001-2004, right after the peak of what was arguably Visual Kei’s mainstream popularity in Japan. Along with their numerous singles, the band was known, like many other bands at the time, for frequently changing their lineup. Even their main lineup is obscure, but we think we’ve got it down, thanks to the careful and dedicated research of Chiva. Read more
(Note the title because these divisions are confuuuusing! Not talking about AYABIE here, nor アヤビエ, nor even 彩冷える without the -ayabie-. The band has seen so many restructurings, typically accompanied by these subtle name changes, that it’s quite an important distinction to make! This article refers to 彩冷える-ayabie-, as in that majorly influential five-member force, consisting of Aoi, Yumehito, Takehito, Intetsu, and KNZ a.k.a. KENZO; as in, the longest consecutive period of the “Ayabie” phenomenon, running from 2006 to 2010; as in, this writer’s favorite chapter in the Ayabie saga.)
Finally, some sweet, sweet news for fans of 彩冷える-ayabie-! Although the past year has been marked by shakeups and ups-and-downs – on one hand, former vocalist Aoi, as Aoi-168-, is releasing some excellent solo work, and on the other, AYABIE is crumbling to pieces –, for just a brief, glimmering moment, the Curse of AyabieTM may be lifting. The original 彩冷える formed in 2004, which means this year will technically be the band’s 10th anniversary. In order to commemorate this auspicious occasion, Tokuma Japan Communications has opened up a special survey site, letting fans pick from 70 songs from the zenith of the band’s career – that period when they went by 彩冷える-ayabie-.
“Why bother?” you may find yourself asking.
Well, the most popular songs, by fan votes, will be featured on 彩冷える-ayabie-’s upcoming greatest hits album, which is due to drop May 7th, the day before 彩冷える-ayabie-’s actual 10th anniversary!
Tags: Ayabie
Have you ever wanted to see L’Arc~en~Ciel live, but never had the opportunity? Wanted to go to L’Arc’s upcoming planned live, “L’Arc~en~Ciel LIVE 2014 at National Stadium” but couldn’t find the money you stashed in the closet? Well, don’t be disappointed, ladies and gentlemen! Live Viewing Japan will be solving all of our problems this March 22nd! Read more
Tags: L'Arc~en~Ciel
METEOROID crashed onto the scene with a bang in late 2012, but began their true trek as a band with their first one-man and release of their first single, “DIVER,” back on February 11th of last year. Since that day, this five-man monster of a band has released three more singles and put on dozens of performances, including two sold-out one-man events.
However, that’s not all that’s in METEOROID’s future: Shattered-Tranquility.net has been given the chance to speak with METEOROID only days after their first anniversary one-man live, “GEMINI PROGRAM -2nd Program-” where we got to talk about the exciting announcements of their upcoming album, two coming one-mans, and what’s in store for METEOROID in their second year in space. Read more
Tags: METEOROID
The heavy metal instrumental, ex-SEX MACHINEGUNS trio is back – this time with a new vocalist.
Tags: cali≠gari, SEX MACHINEGUNS, the CYCLE
Today is a big day for GREMLINS, the solo project of Nightmare’s Hitsugi and BVCCI HAYNES’ KNZ.
Tags: BVCCI HAYNES, GremlinS, Nightmare
Tags: MUCC
Just days ago, MoNoLith announced their plans to disband after their One-Man, “クソガキ、悪ガキ、反抗期。” (Kusogaki, Warugaki, Hakouki) at Shinjuku BLAZE on August 31st of this year. Fans, who were left with pain and sadness after the announcement, have been waiting patiently for the translations of the band’s comments on the disbandment.
Today, Shattered-Tranquility has these comments for our readers. Read more
A brand new band just held their first live in Tokyo, but you might recognize a couple of faces. Read more
Tags: Alice Nine, SID, The Black Orchestra
【Ecthelion】-ｴｸｾﾘｵﾝ- pic.twitter.com/ayrmhLTfL1
— Sebastiano Serafini (@SebaOFFICIAL) February 25, 2014
In December, we reported keyboardist and guitarist TAISEI would be leaving Ecthelion by the end of the year, after deliberation and a mutual decision by the band in order to help TAISEI hone his composition skills. TAISEI’s other project, Nancy, dissolved in July of last year.
For a couple of months, Ecthelion continued as a four-tet. Late last month, it was announced that Ecthelion would be inviting a new manipulator to the ranks: none other than (international) model-actor-musician Sebastiano Serafini, who will go by the name Seba while in Ecthelion.
Tags: Ecthelion
Fans of GhostWriteDazzle awakened to some disappointing news earlier this month. Read more
Tags: GhostWriteDazzle
It was no shock, but certainly heartbreaking, last week when BORN announced after a year of inactivity that bassist Kifumi, who had taken a break from the band due to family-related issues, would officially leave the band.
Fans have had the opportunity to see the official comments by BORN in regards to bassist Kifumi’s departure, but the band also opted to release further, more heart-felt comments on their blog earlier this week. Read more
Tags: Aoi-168-, Black Gene For the Next Scene, GOTCHAROCKA, HERO, SCREW, v[neu]
March is a big month for KAMIJO and for Symphony of The Vampire. This Wednesday – March 5th -, the mini-album will drop – and so will the neo-gothic jewelry line of the same name! KAMIJO has teamed up with silver jewelry maker Artemis Classic to release a line of pendants, rings, and even school uniform buttons that, according to the video on the line’s page, are captivating enough to “attract even a vampire.”
Tags: Kamijo
There’s a new band in the scene, but their faces might look a little familiar. MICHAEL is a 3-man band that began activities late December, 2013, and these 3 members just so happen to be the vocalist, guitarist and drummer of SOPHIA.
In spring 2013, SOPHIA, an incredibly influential Visual Kei band that has been around for 19 years, announced an activity pause. SOPHIA went on a nationwide tour, and performed their last show before the pause on August 12th at Nippon Budokan. This was a very sad day for fans, and for a while there had not been much news from the band, until that November. Named after the angel that fights “Lucifer,” as in SOPHIA’s song from album “little circus” MICHAEL comes to keep SOPHIA alive during the break.
