Aoi: the other day I asked Chan-Ruki-San if he could pleeeease make an icon for me from the new artist photo but i still didn't it yet. no, I did ask you for it and I don’t mean to rush you but I didn’t get it. it’s just that I didn’t get it so I wanted to say that I didn’t get it.
Aoi: having been forgotten like that...you don’t have to call me for the next photo shoot, if you like...and then you’ll realize there are only 4 people....
Aoi: (if I write that I’m sure he’ll send it to me.
Ruki: I already gave it to the manager a while ago!
[INTERVIEW] The GazettE 7th Movement: The AMERICA's
the GazettE
The INTERVIEW
by LaLa Sukura-founder of My JHouse Rocks Promotions Inc.Misawa, Aomori, Japan
The 7th Movement-The AMERICA’s
……..known by the native Japanese fans as simply, ガゼット Gazetto , who is a visual kei rock band that took the Tokyo music scene in Japan by storm in 2002 have been tearing up stages across the world ever since.
In 2006 the band earned their first headline performance at the infamous Budokan, and after further huge arena shows, managed to conquer the 55,000-seater Tokyo Dome by 2010. Rarely satisfied, the GazettE continued to cover new ground in 2011, participating in major festivals across Japan and continually evolving their sound. In 2013 they successfully completed their first world tour and expanded their worldwide activities. Still completely self produced, the GazettE continue moving forward compromised in their artistic and unique world view, at home and abroad.
While thousands of fans of this talented quintet around the globe have been dedicated and followed this band for the 14 years of their existence and know the lyrics of their songs in Japanese, every guitar riff, every concept from costuming to album construction, with a fan base unmatched proving a loyalty and patience in anticipation, this phenomenon of a rock band will finally step out of Japan once again and head to the America’s.
With the announcement on January 7th, 2016 of "the GazettE WORLD TOUR16 DOGMATIC -TROIS- the 7th Movement…THE AMERICA’S!“, I knew I had to speak with the band members prior to the upcoming tour as one of my favorite bands to date to get in to their heads a bit about their upcoming performances.
Q: The upcoming World tour 16 “Dogmatic Trois” with the 7th Movement beginning in the America’s in April; could you explain to the readers the decision after 14 years to finally perform here?
URUHA: I am looking forward to the performances in North America because this is the first time for me and also as a band.
AOI: I am looking forward to having shows in that country North America.
REITA: One of our goals has been to perform in the states.
KAI: I have been wanting to perform there and now it’s finally here, and I am grateful for the opportunity.
Q: Are any of you anxious about the upcoming world tour? nervous? about performing in America and Canada for the first time to new audiences, do you have any concerns?
RUKI: I am not anxious as we can show a variety of people through our show what the GazettE does and is all about.
URUHA: I am expecting compared to the Japanese audiences who are not aggressive, some risks, and possible problems but in any case during the performances and for the audiences we will be prepared.
AOI: I would love to see the audience as soon as possible but I am not nervous, I am excited. We are planning to play mainly the popular songs based on what is on our website more than the underground songs.
REITA: I am just worried about the food! Hopefully people will be nice and welcome us to the states.
KAI: Not nervous at all. I want to show what the GazettE is!
Q: Has any member ever visited North America previously and if so where did you visit? and what would you like to see while here on tour?
URUHA: All members except for me have been to the states for sure.
AOI: I have been to New York for recording/mastering and hope to go to other places and not cities but see nature type sceneries.
REITA: L.A. for recording/mastering.
KAI: Personally I have been to New York and New Jersey also to L.A. for mastering/recording.
Q: When the GazettE formed in the early years while playing to audiences of 18-80 people, did you ever think you would some day have a global following or even that overseas people would find and hear your music ? What are your thoughts?
RUKI: I never expected that outside of Japan but once I believed all the things I heard I hoped our music would be understood and accepted by foreigners.
URUHA: I did not expect that, not at all!
AOI: I did not anticipate that at the beginning with so many difficulties to do our music even in Japan I never gave it a thought our music would spread all over the world.
REITA: I thought our music would be the bomb in Japan for sure but, never thought our music could be heard on a global scale.
KAI: Never Expected!
Q: Do you feel pressure to perform older songs while preparing for the upcoming world tour due to the fact that the older songs are what first captured your overseas audience?and what songs do you think the overseas audience most favorite songs will be?
RUKI: I just wonder, but I would like to know if listening to just our music by CD and not seeing what we look like, what would be the difference seeing us live compared to only hearing the CD?
URUHA: It’s going to take a little time to perform the old songs we made and I don’t know which type of songs foreigners will like compared to our Japanese fans. It will be fun to see how they react to each of the songs planned.
AOI: We always play old and new, anything we want with no pressure to play specific songs. It does not matter of course, Japanese audience understands this. Hopefully the songs we chose will be what the audiences want to hear.
KAI: No Pressure! “Filth in Beauty”.
Q: What do you attribute to the 14 year success and progression of your music in keeping a positive direction and continuing to work together musically and get along personally as a band? and has anyone ever given you advice on the subject of longevity?
URUHA: It’s just simple, we will enjoy and love the music.
AOI: It’s because I found the people I can share music with.
REITA: Not to give up.
KAI: ?
Q: What has been your proudest moment as a musician?
RUKI: To make whatever you can imagine to happen, and share that one with people.
URUHA: To keep having the band, the GazettE.
AOI: Not as a solo artist but part of the band.
REITA: To be a part of this band.
KAI: Definitely to be a part of the band, the GazettE.
Q: Moving forward, the release of your new single “UNDYING” which is set set to drop in early Spring; would you please tell us about the concept of the song and lyrically the meaning and why it is labeled ‘The Finale’?
RUKI: “DOGMA”, “UGLY” “UNDYING” which created a story and “UNDYING” is the end of that story.
AOI: RUKI should know best about the single.
KAI: Take whatever RUKI says.
Q: With all of your music catalog being highly successful, how will you create your next album to surpass your previous works?
RUKI: I always think about making something better than what I created in the past.
URUHA: I am still thinking about what would be good for the next album.
AOI: They’re should be something I am able to see that is new from this tour this time. Every time we tour is a good opportunity to lean towards the next step.
REITA: I will decide plans for the next album through this upcoming tour.
KAI: From all the experiences we have had collectively as a band, and with everything we have been through, it’s not only about the music this time, but the band members themselves.
Q: As normal men, do you feel a personality change in yourself when you begin the process of a live show from getting dressed and costuming, to make-up, hair, through sound check and finally stepping on the stage in front of fans for the show? Does this empower you, change who you really are or do you feel you are the same as you normally are? Describe the feeling.
URUHA: There is no difference between me as an artist or a normal person. Not out of the question, but if I sometimes feel there will be something I will do it even if out of my normal characteristic.
AOI: Nothing really, nothing special or different.
REITA: Turns me on! Make-up, sound check, nothing special or different from my normal character.
KAI: Nothing special.
Q: Is there one thing you wish you had done on stage at a live performance and why?
URUHA: I don’t think I have done everything 100% of what I planned but, as a result has reached 100% already.
AOI: I think I have done whichever or whatever I have wanted to do through my music and pretty sure I have done everything they’ve imagined.
REITA: I feel like I never could have had people get together 100%.
KAI: None.
Q: Any final thoughts or messages for your overseas (North American) fans?
RUKI: This could be one of the best performances and we will definitely try to make it like that and am looking forward to seeing the audiences.
URUHA: This is all because of the fans who love the GazettE to tour this time. It is a pleasure to come see you guys over there!
AOI: It will be nice to see you over there on tour and we will do our best to have the best performances.
REITA: Looking forward to seeing you guys!
KAI: Let’s enjoy this time together!
LaLa~Thank you for the time to have this interview. Please come see our performance and hopefully see you soon!
- AOI-the GazettE
Talking about Die's hair (Toshiya read how fans compared him to Roland) Toshiya remembered when they went drinking to Kabukicho and then (drunk) to a host club. They got champagne from other female customers and stayed drinking until morning.
~
other story of the day:
Toshiya: Our studio then was in Shinjuku Gyoen, near Nichome ('gay district'). Once I was walking there with Kyo and a cool gay couple gestured for us to come to them. ...I remember we picked up the pace quickly (run away)
~
(Toshiya disappeared from the screen)
D- wait, Toshiya went somewhere....to a host club maybe? 🤣🤣🤣
~
J- You're kinda red.
T- I'm okay.
J- How much did you drink?
T- this is my 3rd.
~
J- Did three of you ever went drinking together (just you)?
T- I remember there was time 3 of us were left, but never just us from the start.
...
J- but not to the host club?😂
~
Toshiya really loves sauna and is thinking about getting one for his place.
~
The kindness of Toshiya - he has picked the meat from a crab for Die, who really wanted to try it but thought it's just too bothersome
BUT
Once, when Toshiya was drunk, he felt too hot, took his clothes off and jumped into some elementary school's pool.
Die returned the crab kidness running to konbini to buy a towel...
J- PLEASE forget about all the stories from today!!!
🤣🤣🤣
~
J- So Die, why are you wearing sunglasses?
D- it's my downtime😎
~
J- what are you eating???
T- I love ice cream ... (he moans)
J- Is icecream that sexy?!
T- 😂[brainfreeze]
He said something how his hometown is a cold place.
The icecream he's into recently is a low calorie soft-cream option from Lawson
(most likely Sunao).
~
J- (reads comments) Die, can we see your cats?
D- My cats also have a downtime.
~
J- who chose the live today?
T- because there were many our songs on VULGAR
~
J- who's the strongest drinker among DIR?
T- Shinya for sure
D- it's hard to tell how quickly and how much shinya can drink, he doesn't show anything
~
J- What would you like to do after pandemic is over?
D- It's been so long I got used to this situation... Let's have a concert!
It's tough now when we can't play shows, we write songs because we want to play them live. If there were no more lives, we would lose all motivation. For us it's not only about recording and releasing great songs, the shows are the most important.
We did a show with no audience in March, but (don't wanna do it again?), it felt like filiming a music video
J- Toshiya what about you?
T- I want to eat some delicious regional food. When we are going touring I'm always looking forward to that the most. And saunas of course.
D- what about host clubs?
T- should we go together again?
T- I also want to see our fans... but sorry, delicious food is my priority.
~
J- Do you have a last message for fans?
D- What I said before. (about concerts, new single, wanting to play songs live)
T- I can't say anything now, the bar got too high after that.
~
J- Do you have anythin to say to Kyo who will be doing this next week?
T- Nichome story?
D- how about we go to Nichome again?.... IT'S A JOKE.
T- he's a foodie, he knows so many amazing restaurants. I hope he can tell us about some. Before the pandemic I told him about a good ramen place, I wonder if he tried it.
The current situation the GazettE finds itself in. And the attitude we are trying to uphold there. The title track reflects this most vividly. At the same time, it also contains a kind of antithesis.
Uruha:
Once the concept of the album was decided, this song remained true to the image I imagined while thinking about touring with such a worldview. In other words, it also marks the beginning of the flow of time from now on. Without fearing misunderstanding, I think it's a straightforward song that should be easy to understand, even though it may not seek expansiveness. It is precisely the song that embodies the theme of "dogma," nothing more or less than that.
Aoi:
"DOGMA" is "DOGMA." There's no other way to put it. Since I first heard this original track, I've always thought it's the song most suitable for this title. When the word "dogma" came up and we discussed what it means, this song resonated the most. Without this song, I feel like this album itself would have been completely different; it's that important.
Reita:
"DOGMA" is zero, and at the same time, it is one hundred. The title track that suggests such thoughts. Naturally, it's only when all the songs gathered here come together that "DOGMA" comes into existence. But at the same time, this song itself feels like it encompasses everything.
Kai:
A door that had naturally loomed before us for a long time. It was very solid and not easy to open. The powerful image of the door opening with a sound. Of course, it didn't open naturally; we finally managed to push it open ourselves. We had always been convinced that what we were seeking was there, but we had sometimes stretched our legs in different directions while trying to complement what we lacked. Here, however, we faced that door head-on... As a result, what allowed us to open it was the power of the "experience" we had accumulated until now.
DOGMA: Translation
The facades are beginning to crumble
Sins dissolve into faint echoes
The teeming masses of society are the carcass of greed
I deny everything
I deny all of it
I deny everything
The rite I must face is cloaked in darkness and isolation
Only there will truth be found
I devour the dogma of the frenzied mob
And overshadow them with “unadulterated blackness”
Rebelling against the herd mentality, directly opposing set boundaries
I’ll be a brain-dead god
A blood-stained future burning in shadow
Transforming into an idol, moving towards truth
I’ve witnessed the death of greed
Frenzy unleashed in these eyes
Flock of puppets
Growing hate
I pity you
Hate your life
Flock of puppets
Growing hate
Overthrowing God, here we offer death
The sound of countless voices and clapping is heard from that direction
We shall become one with the shadows
And die the most excellent death
I will blacken out this world
Darkness in the world
Starts tonight
RAGE
Ruki:
Anger. This song is heavily imbued with anger. "DOGMA" isn't an album rich in emotional ups and downs; here, there's not a trace of "joy" or "pleasure," only "anger" and "sorrow" instead. It strongly reflects what we have felt as ourselves in the current situation, from 2014 to 2015. Our attitude is packed into this too—namely, the feeling that "the GazettE should be like this." In other words, this song is also a manifestation of "dogma."
Uruha:
Among the prominently intense songs on this album, this song stands out as most fitting for its position more than any other. From its introduction onwards, it felt like deciding the setlist for a live performance. The key lies in its speed and explosive power. In a sense, it's an overt song, but placing it here was necessary for the album itself.
Aoi:
"Anger," as the title suggests. It might seem overly simplistic to sum it up in just that word, but it's a song that exudes tremendous intensity. In recent years, the quality of demo recordings has improved, and the impression of the song itself has often remained unchanged from that initial stage.
Reita:
Truly a song that should be placed as the second track. What I seek in a second track is a sense of energy that feels like something is about to explode. I deeply resonate with Ruki's lyrics full of anger.
Kai:
An intense finishing move that erupts at the entrance after opening a heavy door. I think this song, placed here, has a quality that makes everything afterward fall into place no matter how it unfolds. Similarly, if this song explodes early in a live performance, it naturally sets up anticipation for what comes next.
RAGE: Translation
[Are you ready?]
Sad old geezer
How do you use us?
Too late this asshole cannot be saved
“Pride” “envy” “rage” “sloth” “greed”…
Your mortal sins drive your very existence to madness
Stacked away
Skanky waster
You should know your shame
Such a shithead
All saints shall die
Shitty loser
You should know you’re lame
Such a dickhead
All saints shall die
Because there will never be a world that I can know
We cannot change this fact, it is done
Z Generation is our
Last one
sad old geezer
How do you use us?
Too late this asshole cannot be saved
“Pride” “envy” “rage” “sloth” “greed”…
Your mortal sins drive your very existence to madness
Because there will never be a world that I can know
Everything was a lie, such deceit
I can no longer even see the moon I once loved so much
Because there will never be a world that I can know
We cannot change this fact, it is done
Z Generation is our
Last one
Stacked away
Skanky waster
Hey ! You should know your shame
Hey ! Such a shithead
All saints die
Shitty loser
Hey ! You should know you’re lame
Hey ! Such a dickhead
All saints shall die
DAWN
Ruki:
In 2014, we went through a tour themed "redefinition," where we were made aware of things and reaffirmed what we should do. This song strongly reflects that significance. At our 13th anniversary Budokan performance (March 2015), I think we were able to show that we are evolving, and there's a sensory overlap there.
Uruha:
Another intense song. Right from the start, it relentlessly unfolds with intensity. By the third track, it's a declaration that we're not settling down yet. I don't think we've ever placed a song of this nature in this position before, but in this case, there's meaning in having this song here. Some people actually had the opinion that it might be tiring to listen to nothing but intense songs from the beginning. But personally, I wanted to push through with this momentum.
Aoi:
This song also embodies the image of "dogma." It's so iconic that it could have justified being titled "DOGMA" as well, in my opinion. It's that powerful of a track, akin to the title track.
Reita:
Above all, the chorus's unpredictability is intense. It expands the world of the entire album in one fell swoop. It brings a type of element that hasn't been present in the GazettE before, and there's freshness in whether you can imagine this chorus from the way the song begins.
Kai:
A song that resonates with "DOGMA" in my mind. Despite being relatively up-tempo, it fundamentally differs from what's typically considered an upbeat song, with a heavy weight pressing down. There's a kind of feeling of the former self pursuing darkness.
DAWN: Translation
I sing, digging up [memories of] my past I’d loved so completely
From within the depths of the void
Time stood still while the distorted dark clouds
Swirled all around
I was bound up in innumerable shackles
And I want to lose myself in the reality reflected in the chaos around me
I’ve already had a lethal dose of misfortune
The ruined gallows towers above me
Overcast sky, Counting song the sound of approaching footsteps
Wild party with emotions running high
A merry-go-round of deepest red unfurled
That day was the beginning of it all
13 stairs foretell the metamorphosis
Moving past my momentary confusion these roiling emotions rise up
[these roiling emotions rise up]
[Moving past my momentary confusion these roiling emotions rise up]
Hung up high on that 13th stair
The beautiful answer redefined becomes the new dogma
I was bound up in innumerable shackles
And I want to lose myself in the reality reflected in the chaos around me
I’ve already had a lethal dose of misfortune
The ruined gallows towers above me
Overcast sky, Counting song the sound of approaching footsteps
Wild party with emotions running high
A merry-go-round of deepest red unfurled
Accompanied by the end of peace
I lay my hands on the blackened altar
Wild party with emotions running high
A merry-go-round of deepest red unfurled
That day was the beginning of it all
13 stairs foretell the metamorphosis
An evil spell my life
DERACINE
Ruki:
Rootless. It's not that the roots aren't growing, but rather, sometimes in real life, there are situations or relationships where you feel like cutting off those roots yourself, even though you've grown as a person, when the other person refuses to change. It's something that has existed since long ago. It's about feeling like wanting to forget even your own roots.
Uruha:
Among the songs on this album, this falls into the slow category. It hits at the first wave of change that arrives. It's difficult to describe this feeling, but it has a characteristic of being somewhat inorganic.
Aoi:
Initially, the word "dogma" gave me an impression of something inorganic and emotionless. Actually, there's a certain religious connotation to it, but it should also carry a sense of inorganic and emotionlessness. In reality, this song is very close to that "dogma" image for me. It's like I should dig deeper into that world from here.
Reita:
Among the tracks on this album, it's the only one with a transparent image. At the same time, I think it's one of the few songs here with a distinct atmospheric feel. There's a satisfying feeling in being able to beautifully bring out the resonance of the low tones.
Kai:
I feel like this song appearing in the first half of the album can provide a different kind of impact. Initially, I imagined it might be a more inward-feeling song, but as soon as the vocals entered, it expanded tremendously. This is a nuance that hasn't been present before, I think.
DERACINE: Translation
In the womb
Was the fate decided?
I’m going to be sick
The feelings that I hid
4…3…2…1
That can’t be counted
overpowering grief
In a maze
[Cradle and grave]
Raw scar
Can’t get back
Lie, Coward, Bullshit
My heart is disturbed by you
In the womb
Was the fate decided?
I’m going to be sick
There are no words that can make our future beautiful [again now that] it’s been torn apart
So now I’ll fly away from that love
In a maze
[Cradle and grave]
Raw scar
Can’t get back
Lie, Coward, Bullshit
My heart is disturbed by you
Go away
I say good-bye to hateful you once again
Go away
I say good-bye to hateful you
Forget up to now with me
In the womb
Was the fate decided?
I’m going to be sick
I know your ugliness
[No restraint]
My feelings for you never change
[No complaint]
My life is dirty now
[No restraint]
Such a life is sad
[In a maze
[Cradle and grave]
Raw scar
Can’t get back
Lie, Coward, Bullshit]
[Go away
I say good-bye to hateful you once again
Go away
I say good-bye to hateful you
Forget up to now with me]
BIZARRE
Ruki:
The lyrical focus revolves around what I personally think about so-called juvenile crime. Without fear of misunderstanding, I have a vague feeling that maybe the way juvenile crimes are judged in today's Japan might be "off." Any punishment is decided according to manuals, but in reality, the severity of a crime cannot be measured in such terms.
Uruha:
It's a very calm song, and it carries a certain inorganic* quality. Within the entire album, this part might give a somewhat flat impression, but it exudes a strange feeling as the title suggests... How to describe this texture in terms of genres aside, I think it's a song filled with elements of madness and trickiness.
Aoi:
A song that exudes an inorganic atmosphere. Because of its inorganic nature, it's difficult to explain in words. But undoubtedly, this is also an indispensable piece of the "DOGMA" puzzle. It was born because of the existence of this concept.
Reita:
A song with an inorganic impression. Even as a player, I deliberately tried to cut out all unnecessary elements and erase human-like qualities. However, despite being a very dry world, there's something strangely compelling about it.
Kai:
At the stage of completion as a recording, this song stands out as one where it's hard to predict how it will come across in a live setting among the tracks on this album. It's a song that could lean towards emphasizing intensity, or swing towards a darker direction... In that sense, it has a fascinating duality of extremes. Therefore, depending on how it's placed in the live setlist and what songs surround it, it could sound completely different.
*"inorganic" in the context of the discussion about the song is "無機質" (mukishitsu) in Japanese. It refers to something lacking organic qualities, often used metaphorically to describe something that feels cold, emotionless, or mechanical. In the context of music or art, it can describe a certain detached or sterile quality.
BIZARRE: Translation
In my spinning, spinning field of vision
Someone was violated over and over again
In my spinning, spinning field of vision
They were violated
Scared eyes of the crowd
This gate is to hell
That famous bad face
[She is bizarre…]
Exaggerated, puffed-up delusions
And unformed personalities,
An unbridled curiosity that is shattered self-control,
With no limits to their bizarre lust,
Obsessed with pushing boundaries and
Their brutal nature shown in their eyes
Are their perverted qualities
scared body
This gate is to hell
Scared body
With greedy eyes
scared body
This gate is to hell
Scared body
Death valley
They make their living committing atrocities, the source of immature retribution
They deserve death for the pain of loss [they cause]
Exaggerated, puffed-up delusions
And unformed personalities,
An unbridled curiosity that is shattered self-control,
They’ll keep laughing even if you lock them up
Their pervasive darkness has creeping roots
A generation of impulsive behavior
That reality can’t break through
scared body
This gate is to hell
Scared body
With greedy eyes
scared body
This gate is to hell
Scared body
Death valley
They make their living committing atrocities, the source of immature retribution
The deserve death for the pain of loss [they cause]
Their eyes bask in the terrible spectacle, seeking pleasure until they die
WASTELAND
Ruki:
Nowadays, there's a tendency where the internet judges everything, be it politicians or anyone else. People can easily engage in bashing, even towards figures symbolizing the nation or otherwise, and everyone starts to feel afraid in response. It makes you feel like it's the end of the world in such a society.
Uruha:
After a series of intense songs, there's a sense of descending here. It feels like finally, a song with some air has appeared. Up to this point, the songs have had a tendency to be dense both in terms of sound and arrangement, but with this song, amidst its existential darkness, there are gaps, expanses, and a fluctuation in the air.
Aoi:
When I first imagined the concept of "dogma," what came to mind was, for example, ritualistic scenes or someone being absorbed into something ecstatically... It was trying to express such things that led to the creation of this song. It might not be a direct match for the theme of "dogma," but I think this song was born precisely because that word was presented beforehand.
Reita:
Truly something unique to us right now, or rather, within what's considered the visual kei genre of music, there's a dark, Gothic feeling, something that feels like only adults can handle. This song is exactly that. It's a song that suits us better now than ever before.
Kai:
I think we've had songs with a heavy atmosphere like this before, with a similar tempo. However, in the case of this song, there's a sense of exhilaration somewhere within it. It feels like a beam of light shining through the dark world, creating a sensation of expansiveness. While the imagery may evoke a desolate landscape, it's not entirely pitch black; there's something piercing through. The identity of that "something" might be something I'll come to understand in the future.
WASTELAND: Translation
The thousand eyes that can kill even God
Transform into heretics that devour the rules
When the time comes and right and wrong disappear
It will all end with a blood-red moon
Falsehoods becoming profound sins
Judging innocence in their transgressions
The thousand eyes that can kill even God
Transform into heretics that devour the rules
When the time comes and right and wrong disappear
It will all end with a blood-red moon
Embracing the taboo
The bare essence of the world's existence
Bound in shadow
Descending into chaotic darkness
Eyes of the apostles elevated to divinity
Blurring imbalance, a chance to seize
The cunning entanglement of duplicity
As time falls, it gives birth to the conflict between good and evil
The world of ugly filth and despair
The unveiled divine doctrine of exclusivity
Bound in shadow
Descending into chaotic darkness
Dancing with the taboos
The thousand eyes that can kill even God
Transform into heretics that devour the rules
INCUBUS
RUKI:
This is like a nightmare from hell. I've had the same unpleasant dream over and over. Or perhaps something unpleasant actually happens, and it repeats like a trauma in dreams. In reality, I've experienced something like this, and during the production of this album, there were times when it was particularly frequent. It's not just about things I find unpleasant; sometimes dreams also bring wishes like "it would be nice if this happened." However, the reason we have such dreams is precisely because reality isn't like that. I think dreams mostly show us the opposite.
麗 (Uruha):
Among the many intense songs on this album, this song also heads firmly in its own direction. Amidst its intensity, it also reveals glimpses of a beautiful development that could be interpreted as bewitching and sublime, combining a sense of speed with elegance.
葵 (Aoi):
This too embodies a sense of "dogma." In a way, it might be the song that most strongly evokes that feeling. However, listening to the lyrics, it feels like it's speaking to something. From the title "INCUBUS," you can also feel nuances of yokai* or monsters. Dictionary-wise, it means "nightmare," right? It might just be speaking to that. Even though RUKI's singing style doesn't necessarily convey that feeling of speaking to someone.
REITA:
This song also packs a considerable punch. The contrast between its strength and the beauty of its chorus is exquisite, resulting in a high-quality song that isn't just about momentum.
戒 (Kai):
Among the songs on this album, this one falls into the melodic category. The contrast between light and darkness is very clear. It's not like being dazzled by a strobe light but rather an image where light and darkness switch sharply. In that sense, this song also has a duality and is a song that requires a lot of effort.
*Yokai (妖怪) are supernatural beings or phenomena from Japanese folklore. The term "yokai" is often translated as "monster," "spirit," "apparition," or "ghost," but these translations don't fully capture the breadth of yokai diversity and characteristics.
INCUBUS: Translation
I cannot get out away now from the maze
Un, deux, trois
Reality and nightmares intersect in the night
And spread forgotten memories over my parched tongue
They keep clinging to my mind that won’t wake up
Traces of countless loveless days gone by
The things that “you” want
I don’t even know what they are
Even now I feel that feeling of fear spreading down my spine
I arise to broken nights
My dreams are depressing
I remember them, and each time, I pray that I can forget
But their shadow will never disappear
Still my eyelids slip closed
God, is this a sign
Tell me my crime
Is it my fate to suffer
Uninvited one
Un, deux, trois
Greed and courtship psychological trauma
Reality and nightmares that can never be escaped
They keep clinging to my mind that won’t wake up
Traces of countless loveless days gone by
The things that “you” want
I don’t even know what they are
Even now I feel that feeling of fear spreading down my spine
I arise to broken nights
All these sad memories flood over me
Even if I try to cover my eyes, they won’t go away
Because I can still see myself
In that never-ending dream
These repeated dreams won’t pass me by
It’s a nightmare and a lie
I can’t change fate
Even if I die
These repeated dreams won’t pass me by
It’s a nightmare and a lie
So fuck the why
And get lost
I cannot get out away now from the maze
LUCY
RUKI:
This song is condensed with a kind of anger. It's about various conflicts, being deceived, and not exactly an accusation, but rather a song connected to human greed, I guess.
麗 (Uruha):
It's a song with strong hard rock elements. However, rather than directly exposing that, it reflects our established approach within the album's loud and intense flow. I feel like we've solidified our way of handling such musical tastes. This song also stands out as one of the prominent "colors" of intensity in this album.
葵 (Aoi):
I suppose this would also be considered an angry song, right? There's a strong sense of edge in the sound. However, it's not just a simple angry song; it's different from mere hatred or listing grievances. It feels more like frustration towards things that are hard to accept. It's a song where such feelings are vaguely expressed. It's definitely not a type of song we've had before, and you could say it's a very the GazettE-like song. It's hard to explain more specifically, but I feel it's something we can identify with.
REITA:
If we were to say something idealistic like "cheers from the fans" are the driving force behind this band, deep down, I still think it's anger. I feel like this song expresses that the strongest. Honestly, I feel like once again, this band is made of anger.
戒 (Kai):
It gives off an image of just rushing forward. However, it's not simply about being fast; there are moments where you must firmly put the brakes on, and it's not a song where you should just seek the rush. In other words, the way it runs isn't easy. It's a song I'm looking forward to facing in live performances.
LUCY: Translation
Fascinated by the darkness, your hands scrabble in a hive of greed
Conformity steeped in pleasure: Vice
Half-crazed and writhing
Your crafty antics are reaching heights of sheer stupidity
Lucy
Your vice masquerading as godliness is [finally] exposed
「Greed」「Lust」「Folly」「LIE」「Bluff」「Crime」
Over again
Don’t look away
Eat me
Vital ability your character is lacking
That material is ripped away from you just like that
If you could be tamed, I’d keep you
Swallowed up by your greed, you forgot you were being strangled
Conformity steeped in pleasure: Vice
Half-crazed and writhing
Your crafty antics are reaching heights of sheer stupidity
Lucy
You’re hanging, a slave to love on the King’s Highway
「Greed」「Lust」「Folly」「LIE」「Bluff」「Crime」
Over again
Aggression comes next
Lucy
Your vice masquerading as godliness is [finally] exposed
「Greed」「Lust」「Folly」「LIE」「Bluff」「Crime」
Over again
Don’t look away
Eat me
You’re trying to flee, my dear Lucy
GRUDGE
RUKI:
This was inspired by the American movie "Gone Girl". It's about the extreme emotions of a woman, stemming from the desire to control, which is pure yet taken to extremes.
麗 (Uruha):
Regarding the guitar, it seems like a relatively calm song, but it reflects Aoi's character as the composer. It has a beautiful flow with subtle fluctuations, combined with a kind of intensity that creeps up gradually. That was my first impression of this song.
葵 (Aoi):
This is also my "dogma". While bringing out quite a muddy aspect, I tried to introduce a heavier feeling as well. When embodying the concept of "dogma" into a song, various emotions were intermingling within me. If I were to say this song straight up embodies my personal "dogma", then "WASTELAND" would be the further exploration from here.
REITA:
It's not coolness in the sense of being detached, nor is it stylish in that manner, but I think it's a song that's refined in our own way. I feel it's beautifully composed in terms of its atmosphere. The fact that this has come together as a whole is because of the experiences we've had thus far. If we had tried to create such a song in the past, it would likely have been more cluttered with various phrases. It seems like a song that is both simple and intricate. Rather than cramming in multiple answers, it's about sticking to one straight answer. That's exactly what this song is.
戒 (Kai):
Describing this song in words is extremely difficult. Each scene that makes up the progression of the song is quite clear. For me, I didn't want it to end in a cramped feeling. When you try to grasp it from your own perspective, it tends to become narrow, so I made sure to incorporate the images that other members also hold, and tried to grasp the song itself with as broad a perspective as possible. While other songs presented similar challenges, this song may have been the most difficult in that sense. I remember crossing my arms and deeply contemplating when I first listened to the original track.
GRUDGE: Translation
If I could, I would hold you in my arms
As we descend together into the icy sea
We’ll sink so deep that we won’t be able to rise again, and in those dark depths
Your confession – broken, shattered, scattered –
Won’t reach my deaf ears
My sea of resentment
I leave behind only words and broken memories as death creeps closer
I am no longer the ‘me’ you once recognized
I am completely unable to stop myself
From hating that look of concern in your eyes
I can’t say when all the threads that bound us together came undone
I’ll never hold your hand in mine
Or feel anything [for you] ever again
The raw wound that is ‘me’
Has left behind nothing but a shadow
I leave behind only words and broken memories swimming in your clear eyes
I am no longer the ‘me’ you once recognized
A moment of hesitation hangs over your head
And the look you give me is one like you’ve seen something disgusting
I wonder what kind of person you think I am
[When] you can’t even comprehend suffering
I can’t say when all the threads that bound us together came undone
I’ll never hold your hand in mine
Or feel anything [for you] ever again
The raw wound that is ‘me’
Has left behind nothing but a shadow
The memory of blood welling from brimming eyes will stay with me
I’ll save you with my cold serenity
In the sea of resentment
We’ll embrace our sins
We will never escape
[As we sink] into the fathomless depths
PARALYSIS
RUKI:
The weak self. This also stems from a story based on a certain incident. Amidst relentless brutal incidents, there are cases where both the perpetrators and the victims fall into such depths due to their own weaknesses. This is about the helplessness in such situations. Ultimately, people can be driven to death by it.
麗 (Uruha):
There are aspects of this song that go beyond the religious imagery of the entire "DOGMA" album, aiming for something more exposed and aggressive. Personally, I have a feeling like, "I could die playing this..." It's not about fast playing, but rather a relentless pounding of the right hand. In that sense too, it's a song pushing towards its limits.
葵 (Aoi):
This is truly about pushing limits. It's a challenge to the limit, or rather, it goes beyond that. But inversely, I was drawn to it out of simple curiosity. In that sense, it might deviate from the artistic image of "DOGMA," but in terms of playing, it might be the most impactful song with a character that breaks free from conventions.
REITA:
In terms of playing, this was the most challenging. As a bassist, this song had the highest difficulty level. The vocal shouts are also packed intensely. In the latter half of the album, this song strongly expresses the desire to deliver a final blow. And that blow is overwhelming. I feel its position in our live performances will naturally become apparent.
戒 (Kai):
A song that expands its scope while being intense. Initially, when listening to the original track while predicting its development, it was a series of "Oh, it's different" and "Oh, is it going this way?" moments. Intensity is an important weapon for us, and this song made us realize it could be increased anew.
PARALYSIS: Translation
Die and restart
These feelings that became entangled out of instinct
Hurt more than I can even comprehend
I can’t know it
Hide out
Lies are stacking up
There’s no blank space left
It’s all been bedecked with tricks
I close off my heart because of my own weakness
My life is buried in loneliness
[Even if] I try to throw it all up the loneliness always keeps coming back again
Distress
I bought into that powerful, dubious love, and nearly drowned in it
Everything dissolved into that illusion but nevertheless, for some reason, my heart was at ease
I didn’t even realize that my emotions had become paralyzed, or that this reality is insubstantial
I can’t know it
My fate
Creepy the past inside me
I want to bury it
The facts inside me
Once more so it won’t ever come back
Past…Buried…Forever
[Before I die]
Am I so clever?
[Until I die]
Past…Buried…Forever
Can you still see it?
My built-up desires have reached their limit as if just begging to be loved
But I can’t see how that will ever happen
Creepy the past inside me
I want to bury it
Past…Buried…Forever
[Before I die]
Am I so clever?
[Until I die]
[Distress]
I bought into that powerful, dubious love, and nearly drowned in it
Everything dissolved into that illusion but nevertheless, for some reason, my heart was at ease…
Die and restart
DEUX
RUKI:
About the two personalities within myself. Within myself, there exist such aspects. For example, there's a part of me that wants to dash across the road, and there's another part that puts the brakes on that impulse. Even when I understand the danger of jumping from a high place, sometimes curiosity about what would happen if I did jump can arise. This inner struggle between reason and curiosity might also be a form of dual personality.
麗 (Uruha):
This song was actually intended to be a single. It's structured in a way that should be enjoyable even if released as a single. It has proper vocal elements, intense parts, and overall, it offers a variety within a single song. Of course, it's also an essential piece for this album, but I think it stands well on its own as a single.
葵 (Aoi):
This is the kind of song that could have been released as a standalone single given the opportunity. In fact, we performed it during the March Budokan concert, and for an album like "DOGMA," it plays a role at the entrance, making it accessible to the audience. It could be likened to the "candy" in "carrot and stick" approach. Especially within this intense album.
REITA:
This is a song we've performed live before, so many people might recognize it. Not that it's the only one, but within this album, I think it holds a position as a "precious vocal piece." When you touch upon it as an individual piece of music, the feeling might be slightly different.
戒 (Kai):
Beautiful grotesqueness. That's the impression I get. For instance, if blood were dripping down from the top of a wall, it would normally be considered a grotesque sight. However, the contrast of bright red blood against a pure white wall is aesthetic, I believe. Similarly, this song possesses not just a grotesque aspect but also a beautiful one.
DEUX (TWO): Translation
This inescapable answer is gripped by despair; I hope it’s all just a dream[Because] this is an Inferno
You’re my enemy
You make that clear when you sabotage my dreams that won’t come true
Scary night
Split mind bringing only Pain
I’m praying for a Nightmare
Weakness draws near to my closed-off heart as it floats in the darkness of unconsciousness
It’s scary to sleep in lonely silence, but whose fault is that?
This inescapable reality is gripped by despair; I hope it’s all just a dream
[Because] this is an Inferno
You’re my enemy
You make that clear when you sabotage my dreams that won’t come true
Scary night
Split mind bringing only Pain
I’m praying for a Nightmare
Cut off from my destination, bewildered, the barrier around my mind is torn apart and my heart wound up breaking
Innocent eyes full of yearning slip closed when the emotional storm has passed; without so much as a sound [tears] overflow
Our weakness superimposed atop one another, you and I will rot in the bottomless darkness
Sleeping in lonely silence, weakness blossomed into isolation; but now all I have to do is take a step forward
I won’t be of two minds anymore
You will become my dream
I sleep in lonely silence, broken as I am
So mesmerized by “the end” that awaited me, I jumped
Terror bared its fangs again but I’ll abandon my hesitation
Wouldn’t even death be sweeter than slowly growing comfortable with being toyed with?
[FATE]
-We will die-
BLEMISH
RUKI:
About the parts of myself that I think are no good, or something I lack within myself. People try to fix such flaws or try to put an end to their past, but there are times when you can't change yourself easily. I feel like my shadow is distorted because of my past. Humans live in the present while trying to repair it, but the past cannot be changed. Even if you think you've changed it, you end up realizing that you're still the same.
麗 (Uruha):
To tell you the truth, during the song selection meeting, this spot was the only vacant one. Among several candidate songs vying for this position, I really wanted the chorus of this song here, no matter what. It wasn't just about the song but specifically about having that chorus here to create a moment of openness. As a result, by rearranging the flow leading up to that chorus, this song was reborn. I think within the entire album, this chorus itself becomes a crucial moment.
葵 (Aoi):
When you think of "dogma," it gives a sense of something absolute, like a doctrine. This song feels like confronting such an absolute. It has a somewhat authoritative stance or coercive force to it. When dealing with "dogma," I had the impression that it inherently carries such elements.
REITA:
In developing the live performances accompanying the album "DOGMA," this song is absolutely necessary, indispensable. Of course, it's not limited to just this song, but it should be a very clear song. I also feel it's a song that equals our current selves.
戒 (Kai):
The immediate image when listening is a vivid red. Not like blood-red, but more like a clear, vibrant red like a red strobe light. When RUKI initially brought the original version to the early song selection meeting, it had a stronger digital tone. However, if left as it was, it would have stood out from the album's world. It was later redesigned. Still, because it existed in the initial stages, it was easy to expand upon its imagery.
BLEMISH: Translation
Killing my past
[Fuck this]
I set out, my pulse racing, but something was missing
In some respects, I had always been in denial about my own existence
I seem to lose all dazzling light
Can’t understand this broken sight
Redo the pain, pain, start all over
I want to kill the past
I feel the shame, shame, it’s never over
(SHAME, SHAME)
These days
I’m better dead
I want to be reborn
leave me alone
I had to stifle my cries when I caught sight of my own twisted shadow
Shite Fuck
What’s happened to me
Why is it always just like this?
Go to hell
God damn it fuck
What’s happened to me
Why is it always just like this?
Go to hell
Redo the pain, pain, start all over
I want to kill the past
I feel the shame, shame, it’s never over
Why do these days last?
Redo the pain, pain, start all over
I want to kill the past
I feel the shame, shame, it’s never over
These days
I’m better dead
In darker dreams
A goddess speaks to me
And it seems
I cannot see the light
Out of sight
And reborn somewhere else
Don’t just abandon me
Please
Please
Please
Please
FUCK YOU
OMINOUS
RUKI:
In a world that symbolizes ourselves lately, it feels like we've been standing there for a while. Moreover, I wanted to create a feeling that there's something more to come...
麗 (Uruha):
At the demo stage, it had a relatively cleaner song image. As the original composer reworked it and it became titled like this, the flow leading up to the chorus became more murky. Initially, there was surprise in how the chorus is so beautiful while the first half is murky, but I think it became a magnificent song with convincing grandeur suitable for the flow of the album "DOGMA." It was born beautifully but grew murky. Truly ominous.
葵 (Aoi):
This could have also been named "DOGMA," I feel. Actually, it naturally seems somewhat similar to the title track, using the same sound as in "DOGMA" in this song as well. I think even RUKI himself might have seen these two songs as a continuation or a pair. Because there's "DOGMA," there's also "OMINOUS," or rather, it's apparent that he wanted it to be that way. I believe this album wouldn't have been complete without this song. Just like how a book cannot be complete without its back cover.
REITA:
I didn't initially expect this to be the closing song. However, once the idea of placing it last came up, I couldn't imagine it anywhere else. Now, I can't think of any other place for it but here. It's a song that leads the world of "DOGMA." Without this song, the album might have ended up shallower. It was necessary to conclude it as something deeper.
戒 (Kai):
An image of everything turning pure white. However, it's not just about ending simply; rather, it's about opening another door... That might be the exit. Like "DOGMA" served as the entrance, this is quite a heavy door as well. There's an image that links with "DOGMA." These two songs have a relationship of front and back, yet they are also integral to each other.
OMINOUS: Translation
Sleep… Count me down… Again
So I’ll close my eyes
As I turn to face you
My prayer shattered into ruins
Is reflected in your eyes as you spread your wings to fly
I see you whirling with nightmares
Through a sky thick with darkness
Don’t forget
That the heart can’t die
Don’t forget
Really, dreams don’t always mean what they seem
True… Dread
Sleep… Count me down… Again
This cycle of constant change is ominous
I fall into the recurring darkness
It steals away my formless future and whenever I step forward
The sky darkens until I can no longer see
I’m killing myself with loneliness and even my screams
Won’t bring any rescue
Sleep… Count me down… Again
...
UGLY: Translation
Play in the circle
Come pay for your filthiness
The bloody scaffold and bitch
Please die… Before I die
Lies and boastful eyes
Evil fame
Inside SHARP 2
It’s completely distorted and Insane
Death to Traitors
Scaffold and bitch
Hatred ringing out, violated, nothing but a number
Death to Traitors
Scaffold and bitch
Forgetting to beg [is a] Crime
This pain doesn’t reach you
You, living with lies
You can’t sleep beside me
Are you still alive?
Play in the circle
Come pay for your filthiness
The bloody scaffold and bitch
Please die… Before I die
Lies and boastful eyes
Evil fame
Inside SHARP 2
It’s completely distorted and Insane
FUCK
Traitors
Scaffold and bitch
Hatred ringing out, violated, nothing but a number
Death to Traitors
Scaffold and bitch
Forgetting to beg [is a] Crime
Lies will always come tumbling down
You are ugly and falling apart
Even now you stand at the edge of the death’s abyss
Are you still alive?
Death to Traitors
Scaffold and bitch
Hatred ringing out, violated, nothing but a number
Death to Traitors
Scaffold and bitch
Forgetting to beg [is a] Crime
DEPRAVITY: Translation
What isn’t written on that paper
Are the absurd pretexts and hushed-up truths
Can you praise a God who doesn’t call it a sin
To heap violence upon his devout believers?
[You should die]
That’s how it always is with the hidden side of the truth
In bitter tears
[Somebody has drowned]
Linked hearts
And the hopes that traveled between them:
What will be lost when the undesired end comes?
Looking back to the past, was it really as depraved as it seemed?
My mind is filled with
Despair
What isn’t written on that paper
Are the absurd pretexts and hushed-up truths
Can you praise a God who doesn’t call it a sin
To heap violence upon his devout believers?
[You should die]
That’s how it always is with the hidden side of the truth
In tears of blood
[Somebody has drowned]
The darkness that completely engulfs me won’t let me go
Crushed by my helplessness
I lived through sleepless nights
Destroyed by my weakness
I couldn’t even cry anymore
Linked hearts
And the hopes that traveled between them:
What will be lost when the undesired end comes?
GODDESS: Translation
Suffering day after day
My reason for living
Is to embrace the answer that scratches the surface
Trapped inside, drowning in what I can’t see, I’m unable to believe in “someday”
These bleak thoughts are my sacrifice that will one day begin to thaw into a selfless, smiling heart
Drain
I want to become the stars that fill the silence
Giving voice to my multitude of sins, growing louder until it’s distorted
Floating in a haze within this shallow sleep
Your hand gently caresses my crippling despair as I face this moment
Suffering day after day
For all eternity
I simply wish that I might live
[But] it’s the end of me…
Trapped inside drowning in what I can’t see, I’m unable to believe in “someday”
These bleak thoughts are my sacrifice that will one day begin to thaw into a selfless, smiling heart
I can’t become the stars that fill the silence
Giving voice to my multitude of sins, it kills me as I struggle
[If only] I could share my grief that can’t be put into words
[If only] I could face reality and live accepting my crippling despair…
UNDYING: Translation
Sleep… Count me down… Again
I won’t arise from this
Black philosophy: the only thing left behind is a future engulfed in misery
When your unclear reality becomes a hindrance, what can you believe in? what can you hope for?
Ominous shadows completely obscure this sky
Spreading my wings, I will circle them for all eternity
7 “Disjointed thoughts”
6 “Retribution and separation”
5 “The gallows”
4 “Wishes and the future”
3 “Forbidden words and crushing heaviness”
2 “Broken dreams”
1 “Betrayal”
I deny all of it
Smothered in blackness
[Sleep…Count me down] Dancing with death
[Count me down…Again] Come, let’s end this
I screamed to drown out everything else
Have I changed at all?
What did you see in the ever-darkening sky?
My heart has been broken
Too late the truth that gushes forth was smothered by the darkness
7 Foolish courage
Crawling, smeared with destructive desires
6 Eyes feigning apathy will bring the ruin of evil
5 [Foolish courage]
[Crawling, smeared with destructive desires]
4 I mock even the God I’ve fooled
3 [Foolish courage]
[Crawling, smeared with destructive desires]
2 [Eyes feigning apathy will bring the ruin of evil]
1 [Foolish courage]
[Crawling, smeared with destructive desires]
0
The sky that represents eternity is nothing but sad
Life, don’t change my fate
God, entomb my hate
Their depth of meaning begins to vanish along with the power of these words
And even if I can see the end
The dream I had was full of unforgivable hopes
I can still see it even now
[Even now]
I’m drowning in the depths of the endless tide of sin
MALUM: Translation
I saw the abyss
Like a nightmare
Morally bankrupt and completely drenched in red like a demon
In the indiscriminate inhuman depths of extreme greed even my fantasies are half-hearted
The shards of this life are scattered
“Her body heat can’t be felt anymore”
Why did you KILL?
Though I lament
She can’t return
In a garbage heap, I degenerate into a beast dripping with malice
I will never forget
The meaning of it
Until you die / I will live
Until it KILLS you
It will never end
I know
Until you die / I will live
Until I KILL you
Pray as your eyes gaze down into the “abyss of death”
Why did you KILL? Though I lament
She can’t return
In a garbage heap, I degenerate into a beast dripping with malice
I will never forget
The meaning of it
I’m already like this
Until you die / I will live
Until it KILLS you
It will never end
I know
Until you die / I will live
Until I KILL you
Pray as your eyes gaze down into the “abyss of death”
What do you think of the death I dealt you in retaliation?
The nothingness will continue to spread until everything [is covered]
And in it, even your reason for living brings you nothing but ruin.
VACANT: Translation
[Even] as we’re tangled around each other
I understand
That it can never go back [to how it was]
What do you think?
The answer is discolored by my self-condemnation
I’ve lost sight of [our] perfect world
That trick of my unconscious mind
Prevents me from even dreaming
The setting sun brings to mind the “parting” that will happen one day
The cherry blossoms simply flutter amidst the sound of my never-ending tears
Their fleeting life will fade as the days pass by, and my grief continues to grow
Even now it won’t leave me
Just don’t forget
That the end will certainly be just like that day
[Even] as we’re tangled around each other
I understand
That it can never go back [to how it was]
On that wall of indifference [between us] that seems as if it could one day crumble away
[I pin] the end and all my broken dreams
In the misery of being unable to reconnect our threads now untied,
Time begins to pile up on itself, stopped dead in its tracks
The cherry blossoms merely flutter
I can’t escape that day
It’s as if you’re vacant, and you’re withering
I count the wishes you left me with
I grieve that I can’t change the way things are now
And remember
What I lost on that day
...
MASS lyrics book
All lyrics translations are from Defective Tragedy blog, I did some changes to Dogma and Wasteland because I felt the need to (I study DOGMA lyrics like a religious text, because it is one). The Dogma book members comments are translated by ChatGPT. All scans are from The Archive. Tumblr has once again messed up the formatting, sorry about that.
Notes to self:
Ruki calls dogma the antithesis - in hegelian philosophy it is the negation. antithesis was also written on 15th anni merch, specifically the black shirt aoi wore.
Inorganic feel - deracine - in the womb, Ninth mother/ Matrix, Uruha said The Mortal is about AI, so the Matrix, while babylons taboo is the ninth cover art track. 99.999 is the most inorganic of them all but its also the sum of all their previous works.
Ruki directly confirms that dawn and 13th anni is about the scarlet woman and the redefinition tour was part of the intro to dogma. 13th anni - 13 dogma songs - 13 the number of the high priestess card, she is on the cover of dogma. Also dawn lyrics literally say answer redefined becomes the new dogma.
Deux - the 2 triangles of a hexagram.
Blemish - redness, like a red strobe light. was supposed to have a stronger digital tone?? Inorganic??? ninth goddess. Strobe light at the beggining of the mortal live.
Bizarre 3x inorganic, she is bizarre. red visualiser, composed by uruha- gate to hell - bab - the mortal - in hell.
Ominous - whiteness ( it reads more like redness to me with the heart being torn open and bleeding in the dogmatic final performance. Blood is smeared on ninth cds but also ugly vid and also spookybox lucy cd. Did ruki mean ninth with more to come or ugly? probably both. But Kai said exit door and Door is Daleth so ninth. Maybe it's the whiteness turning into redness. )
lucy + barbarian.
This year's Manto Mitama Festival has received a calligraphy piece from Aoi of the visual kei band the GazettE. The donated calligraphy will be displayed within the shrine grounds during the festival period.
Aoi of the GazettE is from Mie Prefecture.
The GazettE has been widely active, including providing the opening theme for the TBS series anime 'Kuroshitsuji II'.
The ``Manto Mitama Festival'' is held every year at Mie Prefecture Gokoku Shrine (located in Tsu city), and approximately 6,000 lanterns and paper lanterns are hung on the shrine grounds to comfort the shrine's deities and the spirits of the dead.
Translation: Heterodoxy Pamphlet. Music Writers Reflect on 20 Years of the GazettE, Part 1/6 (2002-2004)
Hello friends! As promised long long ago, I'm starting the Heterodoxy series where music writers reflect on their work with the band in the last 20 years. This might take some time since not all the texts are ready just yet, but I will do my best to finish them as quickly as I can. This is Part 1/6, hope you enjoy it!
scan credit: @rad-is-more
Text by Hiroko Yamamoto [1]
the GazettE was born in March 2002. The band was formed by Uruha and Reita, who were dear friends from elementary school, Ruki, who they crossed in the previous band (back when he was a drummer) and who later changed to vocals, and their first drummer, Yune, who also invited his buddy from a previous band, Aoi. Two months later, they played their first show at Meguro Rokumeikan, a live venue that can be described as a gateway to success for visual kei bands. Their first maxi single "Wakaremichi" has a melancholic, catchy melody and an impressive fast-paced sound. During the encore of their 20th anniversary live at Yoyogi National Gymnasium in March this year, Ruki looked back on the beginning of the band: "We are the GazettE, and 20 years ago we got together thinking this would be the last band of our lifetimes”. It was during those young days when the band was standing on the stage with recklessness and foolhardiness when such strong headbanging songs as “Kantou Dogeza Kumiai” and “Waifu” were created, yet they continue to stay popular to this day. The band's forward momentum is best represented by the time when they had to play “Kantou Dogeza Kumiai” over and over again because they didn’t have many original songs yet. While they were firing the audience up with their so-called "violent songs", they also had an amazing ability to write emotionally rich compositions with Showa-inspired melodies, such as "Juunanasai" (later included in the pamphlet with CD for their first Nippon Budokan concert). Everything in the GazettE of those early days, up to their make-up and costumes, was elusive and funny in a good way, as conveyed by "Sentimental na Onigokko", a song about bullying, which presents the listeners with a droll world view of a locked room.
The band’s first turning point came the following year. In 2003, when their first drummer left the band, Kai, with whom they had played together in session shows, quickly took his place. This made the current five members, and the band moved to a new office. It was Ruki who made a last-minute call to Kai, and the drummer had to join in right from the next day's show. From this point on the band’s rapid progress officially began. the GazettE of those times actively participated in organized taiban [2] events. They were even nicknamed “taiban killers”, as their heat-packed shows helped them steal away fans who had come to see other bands. In the next three months they released three consecutive four-track mini-albums, "COCKAYNE SOUP", "Akuyuukai" and "Spermargarita", which increased the number of their fans in geometrical progression. Incidentally, at the time they called themselves "Dai Nippon Itan Geisha Gazetto" [3]. The name derived from the thought of what the word “Visual Kei” would sound like if it was a Japanese word [4]. On their 15th anniversary in 2017, the band held a concept show at the Yoyogi National Stadium. On that stage today's the GazettE performed songs from the Dainippon Itan Geisha era, so hopefully fans who didn’t know their early days got to know them. The sense of unity between band and fans that rose steam from the live house, the "Jump to us!" screams, and the band's stage presence all developed during that exact period. Back in September of 2003, the band sold out a two-day one-man show at Takadanobaba AREA, and only four months later, in January 2004, their one-man show "JUDGMENT DAY" at SHIBUYA-AX was sold out. On the day of the show, the venue was overflowing with fans, and the venue’s doors were barely closing. The band was not informed that the tickets had been sold out until the day of the show, and how they were surprised by the scenery in front of them and the crowd’s enthusiasm almost seems funny today.
Particular about every aspect of their performances, videos, sets, playing their music live, even coming up with their own ideas for photoshoots and never stopping the work until they are satisfied – this is the GazettE. When I was covering them in a magazine for the first time, I felt that a band of an entirely new generation that took over from the royalty of Visual Kei (although there was no such term back in the day) had entered the scene. I remembered their down-to-earth attitude, in which the live show and the fans who attend it are the most important thing. I also remembered that young the GazettE had a simple goal of keeping the band going, rather than becoming a band that was listened to by a certain number of people. Come to think of it, that hasn’t changed a bit. Truly an ironclad band.
[1] Hiroko Yamamoto / Born in Tokyo. Impacted by glam and punk rock as well as blues in her college days, she started a band and spent her life immersed in music. After working for an entertainment editorial production, she became a freelance writer. She covered the GazettE for the free papers and visual-kei specific magazines like Neo Genesis. She was particularly impressed by the band’s stance with its emphasis on live performances and believing in their music and their fans without being influenced by trends or critical opinions. Currently writes columns on music, as well as films and doramas. (From the pamphlet’s credits)
[2] 対バン (taiban) - A live with several bands performing. Usually those are beginner bands that split the venue and equipment rent as well as other costs.
[3] 大日本異端芸者 (Dai Nippon Itan Geisha) can be translated as “Heretic people of art (professional performers) of the Great Japan”. We know Ruki never chooses names for anything without putting a lot of meaning into it, and I’d say there are many layers to this title as well.
大日本 (Dai Nippon) initially referrs to the Japanese Empire (大日本帝國 Dai Nippon Teikoku, 1868–1947), which embraced the Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa eras in Japanese history, though nowadays it is considered a nationalistic way of referring to Japan. Dai Nippon expressed the overall aesthetics that the GazettE (then - Gazetto) was working with at the time: Japanese flags on the Wakaremichi cover, the silhouettes of children wearing Imperial Japan school uniforms on the COCKAYNE SOUP cover, lyrics (Oni no men) and the use of traditional melodies (Back Drop Junkie [Nancy]), their iconic indie photoshoots with lots of elements clearly inspired by Japanese culture and so on.
異端 (itan) means heresy. This word is also clearly important for the GazettE’s vision and positioning since we see it literally everywhere: in the fanclub name, 20th anniversary live name, merch etc. If we look up the meaning of the word “heresy”, we’ll see the following: “an opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted”. Not only “being profoundly different” is a key principle of Visual Kei, it is also one of the grounds the GazettE exists and continues to work on.
Finally, 芸者 (geisha, “a person of art”) is a pretty well-known word internationally. While most people associate geisha with professional female performers, the Japanese word itself doesn’t have any gender markers, and the first geisha, which appeared around the first half of the 18th century, were actually male. At the same time, it might refer to the androgynous nature of Visual Kei.
[4] “Visual Kei” is partially a gairaigo — a word that came from a foreign language. The question they asked themselves was “if the concept of v-kei had to be translated through the prism of Japanese culture and values, what would a Japanese word describing it sound like?” And the answer is, apparently, “heretic people of art”.
Ruki's first band was a punk rock band called 鎖鎌 (Kusarigama). He started it in high school with one of his classmates. After this band broke up, his friend asked him to be the drummer of a vkei band. This was Ruki's first vkei band, Sacrifice. According to vk.gy, Sacrifice formed in 1998 and disbanded in 1999.
Ruki and his friend eventually decided to leave 鎖鎌 to form a new band called 魅琴 (Mikoto). The timeline for 魅琴 is pretty messy, because Ruki and the band's vocalist have given slightly different timelines for the band. According to Ruki, he was there when they formed 魅琴. However, there are flyers that show the band had a lineup prior to Ruki joining.
According to Ruki, he and the guitarist found a vocalist for the band after seeing him perform in Yokohama. The vocalist brought along the guitarist and bassist from his band, and they formed the final lineup of 魅琴 (Mikoto).
魅琴 played their first live on 3/28/2000 at Yokohama 7th AVENUE. On 05/28/2000, both the guitarist and bassist left the band. Ruki joined as the drummer on 6/17/2000. Ruki and the guitarist 悲敬 (Hikei) joined vocalist 舞沙 (Casüga) and guitarist 憂葵 (Yuki) with support bassist 朋架 (Houka).
Meanwhile, Uruha and Reita had been in several bands throughout middle and high school. vk.gy lists Uruha's early band history as before christ → adolf → dis eine. Reita isn't listed as being in any of these bands, but he almost certainly was.
Ruki met Uruha and Reita when 魅琴 played with their band 鴉 (Karasu). Both bands were active in the Yokohama live scene, and they played together multiple times. Ruki and 舞沙 thought that Uruha and Reita were really cool, so 舞沙 eventually approached them about forming a new band with him and Ruki.
Meanwhile, Aoi moved from Mie to Tokyo in 1999/2000. He met Yune sometime after, and they formed a band called Melville. Melville played their first live on 1/27/2001 at hide MUSEUM in Yokosuka.
Mikoto played their last live on 3/22/2001 at Takadanobaba AREA. Ruki, Uruha, and Reita formed Ma'die Küsse on 4/13/2001. Ma'die Küsse played their first live a few months later on 6/13/2001 at Meguro Rock Maykan. Ruki had hoped his fans from 魅琴 would follow him to the new band, but Ma'die Küsse was a lot less popular and eventually ended up having only around 10 fans.
The band tried a few different concepts and sounds, before settling on the medical theme (with lab coats and bloody bandages). Their fans increased, but tensions built up between the members. Ruki, Uruha, and Reita formed a not-so-secret side band called L'ie:Chris ahead of Ma'die Küsse breaking up.
Melville disbanded a few months later, and played their final live on 4/14/2001 at Takadanobaba AREA. Aoi and Yune then went on to form a new band called Artia on 6/06/2001. Artia played their first live on 7/19/2001.
On 9/16/2001, L'ie:Chris played their first live as a “secret band” before the disbandment of Ma'die Küsse. Once they stopped playing secretly, they began going by Kar†te=zyAnose. They played their first official live as Kar†te=zyAnose on 11/12/2001.
Aoi and Yune met Ruki, Uruha, and Reita on 10/05/2001 when Ma'die Küsse and Artia played a live together at Meguro LIVE STATION.
Ma'die Küsse played their last live (at Takadanobaba AREA) before disbanding on 10/28/2001. On 11/04/2001, Artia then announced that they'll be disbanding after their live on 11/26/2001.
Ruki, Uruha, and Reita approached Yune about joining a new band. Yune suggested that they also let Aoi join. The members agreed, because they thought it would be good for the band to have an ikemen member.
Kar†te=zyAnose played their last live on 1/01/2002. ガゼット then formed a couple weeks later on 1/14/2001. ガゼット played their first live on 3/10/2002 at Meguro Rock Maykan.
About a year after their first live, Yune left the band, and Kai officially joined ガゼット on 2/02/2002. Yune did come back as a support drummer for a brief period when Kai suffered from hearing loss.
Aoi experiences his first Abe-chan story and he LOVES it (Rajigaze Jan 20)
Reita (reading mail): “I’m the twice-divorced Abe-chan who’s always dating shit men. No matter how old men get, they still want young and pretty/cute women, don’t they. I’m a nurse, and one day a patient pushed the call button, so I went over and kindly asked, ‘what can I do for you?’ He just looked at me and without saying anything he pushed the call button again. I said, ‘but I’m right here,’ and the patient, who was an 86 year old man btw, says ‘change,’ and pushes the button again” (laughing) “I asked him, am I not good enough? And he just nods deeply and says that he doesn’t want an ugly 40-something. The two husbands I had before would say I had a cuteness they’d never get tired of, but then they would turn around and call me ugly. I guess I’ve never really been spoiled by a man before. But I can live without relying on a man!! I’m gonna become a Buddhist priest!!!!”
(both laughing)
Aoi: I like Abe-chan!
Reita: She’s like…a positive pessimist.
Aoi: But…she’s been married twice right?
Reita: Yes.
Aoi: That’s amazing
Reita: It must mean she’s charming, right?
Aoi: Aww Abe-chan….
Reita: But they pressed the call button on her again
(both laugh)
Aoi: Stuff like that actually happens…..
Reita: I guess it does (chuckling)
Aoi: Dang….I see…..
Reita: All we can say is I see
Aoi: Right
(laughing)
Reita: We can’t say anything to u
Aoi: So she sends mail often?
Reita: She does! Last time, on the Christmas episode, she talked about…I guess it was her first husband? They were married at the time, and she’d gotten off work early, so she bought a cake and came home dressed as Santa, when she saw black heels in the entrance. And then she went inside, and saw her husband cheating on her. So, she threw the cake in the woman’s face, and shoved chicken into her husbands mouth, screamed Merry Christmas, and left the house.
(Aoi is dying laughing and clapping)
Reita: Abe-chan….really is crazy…..
Aoi: (wheezing) This is the most I’ve laughed this year
[Honestly Aoi is laughing so much at this part and it makes me so happy so I strongly urge u to listen https://youtu.be/OQ8w4BzEpgY?t=13m59s this is around where Reita is telling the climax of the story]
Aoi: Amazing.
Reita: Yes, here at Rajigaze we are fans of Abe-chan.
(HE’S STILL LAUGHING)
Reita: Maybe someday we can speak to her on the phone.
Grief as concept in The Gazette's 'Dark Age' - Part 3
Part 1
Part 2
The last three songs from Dark Age represent the fifth stage of the Kübler-Ross and Wright model—acceptance, or as Wright puts it, “the upward turn". This is apparent in the pace and melody of the songs: they revisit previously introduced themes and keywords, but with altered emphasis and arrangement, sometimes changing their significance.
DEUX already starts with a very powerful opening line: 答えは絶望の淵で 不可逆 夢落ち願う, "the answer is irreversibly in the abyss of despair, I wish this were just a bad dream". Grief has entered the "consolidation" phase, and everything that seemed uncontrollable (death) slowly gives way to controlled remembrance. The intensity of physical and mental symptoms of grief decreases, yet an unforeseen circumstance or trigger can still draw the mourner back into emotions they thought they had already dealt with.
This is exactly what happens to the narrator of DEUX: although they would like to wake up from the dream of their life burdened with loss into a happy reality, the opposite happens: they dream of the deceased, then wake up from it (You're my enemy / 逆夢喰らい示す, "you're my enemy / as you tantalize with false dreams"). The lyrics here include the word 逆夢 (sakayume), translated as “reverse dream”, appears in our culture: it's a folk belief that dreaming of someone's death means they will live a long life.
Therefore, the person who appears living in the reversed dream is dead in reality and does not let the living person rest (寡黙と眠る夜が怖いのは誰の所為？, "whose fault is it that the silent night and sleep are frightening?"), the mourner endeavors to navigate through the altered circumstances (行き場断たれ迷い 自我境界破れて 心が壊れてしまった, "I've lost my way, the boundaries of my personality have been torn apart, my heart is broken"), and there is a faint, cautious desire for the shared past to continue in a transformed shared future (君と僕は 底無しの闇に朽ちる - "you and I rot in bottomless darkness", 後は踏み出すだけ/ もう迷わない – "there's nothing left, I have to take a step forward / I can't hesitate anymore").
The second to last song, the slow, the slow, nearly lullaby-esque OMINOUS, reintroduces the notion familiar from DEUX, the "reverse dream": the mourner seeks to drift back into slumber ("Sleep...Count me down...Again") to meet the person they lost (さぁ目を閉じて/ 向かおう – "and (as) I close my eyes / I turn towards you"). However, the deceased person in the dream is restless, struggling with nightmares (悪夢と舞う君を見る – "I see you dancing with nightmares"), and n this instance, it's the mourner attempting to soothe the deceased (忘れないで / 心は死なない / 忘れないで / そう 夢は逆夢, "don't forget / the heart is immortal / don't forget / dreams sometimes lie"), almost implying: don't worry about me, your nightmares about me are not real, I will be fine now, rest peacefully.
The conversation with the departed and their reassurance that life can evolve in a different manner isn't yet tangible reality; it's more of a self-encouragement. The pain and loneliness caused by grief are still part of the present, the constant change—the constant cycle of life and death (流転, ruten)—is conceivable to the mind but not to the heart. The last verse beautifully expresses the pain that, despite the realization, remains in the survivor's soul like a constant, dull presence: 形無き明日を奪う 踏み出す度 / 翳る空で何も見ない / 悲しみに自分を殺し叫ぶ声は / 何も救えない – "every time I take a step forward (to the constant change) it steals the formless tomorrow / I see nothing in the dark sky / I kill myself with loneliness and shout in sadness / but no one can save me".
The final song of Dark Age, also its magnum opus, UNDYING, begins with the same themes with which OMINOUS ended: loneliness, insomnia, and hopelessness ("Sleep, count me down, again / I won't arise from this", 残された唯一 禍いと廻る未来 – "the only thing left, spreading misfortune"). However, as much as it seems like grief has pushed the mourner back to square one, and everything starts anew, the use of the term "Undying" already show signs of a later stage of oscillation. The apparent setbacks or emotions re-emerging due to external influences, as painful as they may be, are just as natural. In the final moments of wakefulness, the mourner seeks the building blocks of their new identity ("不透明な事実指し 何を信じ 何願う – "pointing to uncertain facts, what can I believe, what can I hope for?"), when the dream weighs upon their eyes, and in the countdown, all essential conflicts of grief appear:
After confronting each of the thoughts that appear one after another or simultaneously in the grieving process, each reinforced by the other, in a continuous feedback loop, the mourner remembers the refrain of DOGMA ("I deny all of it"), then the refrain of OMINOUS, but in a new context: “Sleep, count me down 死と踊り” ("dancing with death") / “Count me down, again さぁ終われ” ("come on, let's finish this"), and poses the question: "Have I changed?" (俺は変われたか？)
Indeed, something has changed as the experience of loss has become part of the identity, and this consolidation is reflected in the final lines of the lyrics: 終わりを見ても / 許されぬ願いに夢を見た / この眼は今もまだ / 今もまだ, "even if I see the end / I dreamed of unforgivable hopes / and these eyes still see / even now." The unforgivable desires (wishes, prayers) peak in the two English lines of the song: "Life, don’t change my fate / God, entomb my hate", and despite how ominous these words may seem, they still inspire hope.
The concept of fate in regard of grief was introduced by INCUBUS. The desire for life not to overshadow our destiny —shaped by the life of the departed, their absence, and their continued existence within us —describes the state where the bond with the deceased is redefined. Their absence has become part of life, thus forming a kind of constant, eternal, unchangeable (undying?) presence.
Our second plea to God (with whom our relationship throughout Dark Age has been turbulent, as we've only clashed with him) is a prayer seeking the divine to lay to rest our "hate" (our anger), allowing us to bury all negative emotions aimed at others and ourselves, emotions that only tear down rather than construct. These lines express the yearning for rebuilding, hope, and ultimately, the acceptance of reality.
Final thoughts
It doesn't necessarily imply from the above that grief, as both an event in life and a personal encounter, has been fully dealt with, despite the melodies and lyrics of the subsequent albums, NINTH and MASS, signifying a more positive phase.
What I consider crucial to emphasize, not strictly tied to the examination of Dark Age, is directly linked to the positive phase of grief, known as the consolidation phase: while losses cannot be reversed, one can shape a self-image, a narrative that incorporates the loss into the mourner's identity.
There isn't a definitive "right" or "wrong" way to grieve – grief, as mentioned earlier, is a natural, almost instinctive reaction we have to loss. The mourner inherently understands their needs: whether it's solitude and seclusion, or perhaps companionship, community. Perhaps the only "incorrect" approach to grieving is when the oscillacion process is impeded: if the person who suffered the loss remains fixated solely on it’s negative effects (unable to let go of the deceased and the mourning state, becoming engulfed, unwilling to feel anything but sorrow), or exclusively focuses on restoration (organizing their life, forcefully moving forward, rejecting the memory of the deceased and their connection, merely striving to feel "fine" again).
The compositions of Dark Age can be aligned with both the phased, gradual grief theories and the dual-process model. As dark and distressing as they might seem, these songs actually demonstrate a healthy, evolving grief that eventually leads us out of the darkness.
I trust that those who listen to the melodies of Shikkoku discover solace within them and uncover the concealed, encrypted message: that before dawn, the darkest hour arrives, but from these bleak times (Dark Age), the hope we have lost returns (Blinding Hope, Last Song) and eventually guides us back to the light ("Come back to the light").
Disclaimer
I want to emphasize that I am not an expert in the field of grief, nor am I a therapist or a certified grief counselor (at least not yet). This analysis serves as an overview of how The Gazette's Dogma-era represents grief, and its purpose is to hopefully provide solace to readers by offering support and reassurance that whatever emotions they may be experiencing are entirely normal. It's important to note that the original essay was written in my native language, and while I've used machine translation and AI correction to translate it as close to the original as I can, my proficiency in English may not be perfect (far far away from perfect). If you're interested, I can provide a link to the original essay on my private blog.
Any suggestions, corrections, comments are welcome.
Grief as concept in The Gazette's 'Dark Age' - Part 2
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
In the structure of Dark Age, slower and even darker songs follow, among which the first is the dignified DERACINE. The title itself ("rootless") suggests someone disconnecting from their surroundings: it brings back the isolation that characterizes grief in atomized (Western) societies. The mourner is alone, bargaining again, seeking the meaning of the loss ("In the womb / Was the fate decided?"), while struggling with its physical symptoms ("I’m going to be sick"), with the past, the emotions, and the secrets carried away by the deceased ("The feelings that I hid / 4…3…2…1 / That can’t be counted"), with the rekindled anger towards the deceased, trying to break free from pain and memory ("Go away / I say good-bye to hateful you once again") and naming their grief ("overpowering grief", "My heart is disturbed by you"). DERACINE is about the pain of realizing the loss, as if referring back to Baudelaire's poem „A Carcass" ("I know your ugliness" / "My feelings for you never change"), where the poet says: here's this carcass, look how disgusting, but when you look like this, I will still love you. In this lyrics, Ruki applies a reversed logic: he inserts some Japanese lines among the English ones, summing up only the secondary meaning of grief (裂けだした未来 / 飾る言葉が無い "our future is torn apart / there are no words to make it beautiful again"), thus the loss has permanently settled in the mourner's life, it cannot be comforted.
Within the setlist, we have arrived at the darkest phase of grief, depression, which was introduced by DERACINE, but it's actually VACANT that unfolds it. This song is found on the Undying single, specifically on its limited version, a rarely played, dark-toned song with beautiful lyrical vocal and guitar themes. Both the title ("empty") and the lyrics of VACANT suggest from the beginning that we have truly reached the depths of grief, which is the depression phase in Kübler-Ross and Wright as well, but Wright complements this with the period of loneliness and self-reflection (理解して / 取り戻せないから - "I understand / that I can't go back (to my old life/myself)"). The mourner understands that they "lost sight of the other" (在るべき姿を見失う) and their subconscious mind plays with them, they are already "unable to dream" (夢さえ見れない). As mentioned above, a common physical manifestation of grief involves alterations in sleep patterns and restfulness. During certain phases of grieving, individuals may either experience a lack of dream recollection or encounter exceptionally vivid and colorful dreams. These dreams, linked to grief, may manifest as both daytime and nighttime reveries. Mourners frequently yearn for such dreams, hoping to reunite with their departed loved ones. Conversely, the absence of these dream encounters or the relief experienced upon seeing the deceased in dreams can evoke intense emotions.
Ruki in VACANT uses expressions that almost clichély embody loss, such as "the sunset, which reminds of the moment of parting" (落陽にいつかの「別れ」を思い出す), tears, or even cherry blossoms (止まない泪を聴きながら 桜はただ揺れる, "while I listen to the unstoppable tears, the cherry blossoms sway"), which symbolize various losses in Japanese culture, from the loss of virginity to premature tragic death at a young age. The pain over the loss intensifies, and it's "still unable to disappear" (今でも消えない), even though some time has passed since the loss, and yet we have to face again that "our shared dreams are shattered" (幾つもの壊れそうな夢と終わりが). It's beautiful how Ruki mourns not only the shared future in the lyrics but also the present in which the other is no longer there (変われないままの今を嘆き / 思い出して / あの日失くしたもの, "I mourn the unchanging present / and remember / what I lost that day").
Returning to the core of the Dogma album, still in the depression phase, anger and resentment resurface in the form of GRUDGE. This is also a conceptual song, similar to BIZARRE, as Ruki was inspired by the film "Gone Girl": the agony of a woman who possesses both the ability and readiness to go to great extremes, all the while grappling with profound grief: her lost opportunities, her marital bond, and the dreams of a shared future. GRUDGE depicts an anger where love and desire to "hold you in my arms" are still present (出来ればあなたを抱いて), but we'd rather "descend into the cold sea" (冷たい海に溶けたい), into the "sea of resentment" (怨恨の海). But the situation is not as straightforward because alongside anger, there arises a desire for union in death: to sink together, knowing that there can no longer be a physical connection between the mourner and the deceased (二度と触れる事も / その手には抱えきれない, "I can never touch you again / I can no longer hold your hand").
It's worth noting that while grief process theories include depression as a stage, it's a distinct concept from clinical depression, and it's essential to differentiate between them. The mourner's desire for death typically relates to the object of grief (to reunite again with the person we lost), while the depressed person's desire for death relates to themselves, their own lack of self-worth (“I am nothing without the other person, my life is worthless, I don't matter to anyone anymore”). Distinguishing grief from depression is is best left to professionals. While there are criteria for differentiating symptoms, self-diagnosis is definitely not advised.
In addition to the longing for death, a prevalent aspect of grief is the tendency to assign blame to others. In certain instances, this escalates to a desire for retaliation, as depicted in the theme of MALUM (a Latin word meaning "bad, evil, wrong"). This song is an indictment against a murderer, which, however, can refer not only to the perpetrator of a violent death but also to innocent or even completely blameless third parties, such as doctors and nurses who (from the mourner's perspective) did not do everything to save the deceased ("Why did you KILL?), while the mourner is aware throughout that no accusation can bring back the deceased ("Though I lament / She can't return").
GODDESS is a beautiful, lyrical song about the sufferings experienced in grief: the rhythm of the song and the panting sounds almost suggest that the narrator is running or fleeing from something. The lyrics give the explanation for the rush right from the start: the mourner is searching for answers (生きる理由 / 底突く答えに抱く, "the purpose of my existence / to embrace the answers in the depths"), by reintroducing the motif of sinking into despair, stemming from GRUDGE, what remains now is not just anger towards the loss but rather a profound sense of pain and sorrow.
The last two lines express the mourner's desire for the pain to begin to subside and to be able to face life without the deceased: 言葉にできない悲しみすら分け合って / 壊れ鬱向く現実を認め生きていけたら, "if only I could share the grief I can't put into words / if only I could accept the reality of broken despair and live". These last two lines beautifully resonate with the first two tasks of J. William Worden's four tasks of grief: accepting the reality of the loss, and processing the pain of the loss.
WASTELAND once again distinguishes itself within the collection of Dark Age tracks. Like BIZARRE, it too is a conceptual piece, delving into the cruelty of our world and the judgmental nature of people. As grief is a shared experience, members of the community often anticipate certain expressions of mourning, such as specific attire or abstaining from certain activities. Those in mourning might face criticism from family and friends who feel they aren't grieving sufficiently or intensely—or someone might suggest that their grief is lasting too long, implying they shouldn't be so deeply affected by the loss.
Following the slower melodies, we transition to the faster, more intense, and angrier songs. Ruki mentioned that the main theme of the track LUCY is greed, but upon closer examination of the English-language chorus, greed is just one of the key expressions ("Greed (lust), folly (lie), bluff (crime) / Over again"). The song's protagonist seeks an escape (逃げ惑う/ 愛おしき Lucy, "you're trying to escape / beloved Lucy"), into a life tainted by sin, where desires for possession and pleasure, deceit, and lies hold sway. Neimeyer addresses avoidant grief, wherein the mourner endeavors to uphold their mental framework of the world by disregarding anything that challenges it. This marks a smooth transition from WASTELAND, contrasting the "normal" grief concept of the community with the grief of someone who indulges and lives a life very much tied to the earthly world, driven by money, sex, and power— a lifestyle society condemns, deeming it inappropriate during mourning. Stigmatization and isolation are common experiences in Western society during grief: mourners often feel alienated, yet this isn't always intentional. Rather, it reflects the struggle of both immediate and broader communities to adequately support those grieving.
INCUBUS carries on from LUCY, drawing from the myth of a nocturnal beast (the incubus is a mythological creature that visits sleeping women in their dreams and copulates with them): the protagonist returns home from a night of indulgence, but the allure of that lifestyle persists in her dreams, confronting her with all she sought to avoid ("I cannot get out away now from the maze"). In her night, "nightmares mix with reality" (現実と悪夢 交差する夜が), the shared past resurfaces (ざらついた舌に忘失の憶這わす, "forgotten memories spread on a dry tongue"), and at the boundary between dream and wakefulness, a new theme emerges: fate (“God, is this a sign / Tell me my crime / Is it my fate to suffer"), which will later take center stage in the final song, UNDYING.
As mentioned earlier, dreaming about those who have passed away often carries deep meaning for mourners. In certain cultural or religious traditions, there are even expectations about when and how the departed soul might visit their loved ones in dreams. In the lyrics, the grieving individual reunites with their departed loved one and ponders the significance of this encounter: What does it signify for them to appear now? Do they pass judgment on the mourner's actions? Is it their destiny to endure sorrow and anguish indefinitely?
INCUBUS might be the initial song in Dark Age that raises the question (and partly self-blame) of how the future self can progress and whether such progress is permissible at all—calling for the creation of a fresh identity, for adaptation. It is symbolic how Ruki puts the "you" in brackets (「君」が欲しがるもの / 何だかわからない, literally: "what (you) desire / I don't know what it is"), as the deceased person and the relationship with them evolve: communication persists, the mourner "keeps conversing" with them, summons their presence, and lets the deceased be a part of their life, even if only indirectly. Progressing forward presents the challenge of grappling with secondary grief, as aspirations for a shared life intertwine with memories of the departed (浴びるほどの悲しき憶 / 目を伏せても消えないのは / 終わりのない夢に / 自分が見えたから - "this flood of sad memories / still won't disappear when I close my eyes / because in that endless dream / I see myself"). However, it becomes clear at the end of the song that no matter how much the mourner struggles, they have not yet reached the consolidation phase—they push away the memory of the deceased and no longer seek answers ("So fuck the why / And get lost").
The anger associated with rejection and the suppression of grief is reflected in the lyrics of UGLY as well—perhaps the angriest, most aggressive song in the entire Dark Age. In this, the mourner truly expresses the anger stemming from feeling betrayed by the deceased through their death: as if there had been an agreement between them regarding who would die first ("Please die... Before I die"), and the deceased upset this agreement (虚偽と嘯く目 – roughly meaning "a lie without batting an eyelid"). The fact of death is irreversible, with the physical form of the departed already undergoing decay (醜さと散る君は, "you, who are ugly and falling apart"), yet the soul is still very much present with the mourner (今でも死の淵に立つ, "you're still standing on the brink of death"), who still sees the deceased as part of the present ("Are you still alive?"). However, this kind of communication between the mourner and the deceased already represents the oscillation phase of grief, in which the restoration of life and the consolidation of grief, as endeavors, clash: the old self, in whose identity the deceased played a role, resists making space for the new self, sustained solely by memories.
The last song of the consolidation phase of grief is BLEMISH, which not only concludes but also summarizes the aggressive, powerful, fast-paced block. BLEMISH deals with the inner anxiety and shame that many mourners experience in the healing phase: Is it acceptable for me to desire to move forward? If the pain fades, what is left of the person I lost? Is grief allowed to cease at all? Did my love for the other person lack depth if I can move forward without difficulty?
Every line of the lyrics explores the dilemmas of this struggle. Suffering is constantly present in the mourner's life ("Redo the pain pain start all over"), and they seek to remove that part of their life—the shared past—that is the source of their suffering ("I want to kill the past"), but they are tormented by guilt because of this desire ("I feel the shame shame it's never over"), often even considering how much better it would be to die after the other person ("These days / I'm better dead"), or to start their life completely anew ("I want to be reborn", "Out of sight / And reborn somewhere else"), where the lost person can no longer reach them ("Leave me alone"). In an ambivalent manner, however, alongside shame, desperation also emerges at the end of the song: they plead with the deceased not to leave them alone ("Don't just abandon me"), the plea is repeated four times (in Japanese, the number four is associated with death), but no answer is coming, so the mourner, with one last desperate cry ("Fuck you"), withdraws from the conversation.
Grief as concept in The Gazette's 'Dark Age' - Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Introduction
Grief, in its essence, encompasses a myriad of natural responses triggered by the loss of someone significant in our lives. However, grief isn't confined solely to the departure of a loved one; it extends to the loss of meaningful connections, dreams, aspirations, and even possessions. Whether it's the end of a friendship, leaving a job or home, parting with a beloved pet, or the destruction of a cherished object, each instance of loss can evoke profound feelings of grief.
The notion of "grief work," originating from Freud's perspective, implies a process of detachment from the deceased. However, this concept may not always align with our personal experiences of grief (or with modern psychology’s approach). Similarly, traditional "stage theories" of grief tend to oversimplify the complex emotional journey by delineating distinct phases. Yet, grief is inherently subjective, and our experiences of it can vary widely, making it more apt to discuss the components rather than stages of grief.
Understanding the components of grief is essential, recognizing that they are descriptive rather than prescriptive. These components may coexist simultaneously, and some may be absent altogether. Grieving is not a linear process, there is no predetermined timeline dictating when one should progress from denial to anger, for example. However, the value of stage theories lies in emphasizing that grief is indeed a journey, and every emotion experienced along the way is valid and indicative of progress towards acceptance.
The album Dogma, released in 2015, stands out as The GazettE's most intense and meaningful work to date. Its powerful visuals, deep musical arrangements, and poignant lyrics evoke strong emotions and touch on a range of topics. After the release of Dogma, the band added two singles, Ugly and Undying, to round out the album's theme. Together, these three works, along with their accompanying Dogmatic tours, are often referred to as the Dark Age. Dark Age consists of several stages (like grief itself), and this dark period ends with the Dogmatic Tour Final, symbolically titled as 漆黒 (shikkoku, "the blackest black").
Just as Shikkoku represents the darkest and most profound phase of Dark Age, the Dogma-triptych represents the pinnacle of The GazettE's exploration into darkness. The songs and overall concept of Dark Age are intricate, yet this complexity allows for personal interpretation and reflection. Dark Age acts as a mirror - a dark mirror indeed - where listeners can continually uncover new layers of meaning. Beyond its surface themes, the songs of Dark Age also delve into the complexities of grief.
In the following sections, I'll take you through the songs of the Dogma album, as well as the singles Ugly and Undying, in the same order they were performed during the Shikkoku live. We'll explore how these songs relate to theories of grief and how they navigate themes of death and loss.
Part 1
The opening track of Dogma, titled NIHIL, derives from the Latin word meaning "nothing." This term symbolizes the initial phase of grief when a sense of emptiness and emotional numbness emerges. Sometimes, we may not fully grasp the gravity of the situation, leading to a feeling of detachment from reality. This aspect of grief, characterized by emotional detachment and shock, is identified by British psychiatrist John Bowlby as the first stage of the grieving process based on attachment theory.
The album's second track and title song is DOGMA, which in both its musicality and lyrics raises a very strong theme. The ominous, mournful sound of the harpsichord reminiscent of Bach is accompanied by heartfelt singing and a deep, slow chant: “I deny everything / I deny all of it", which introduces the concept of denial. “Dogma" is a Greek-origin word and can be translated as "what has been proven right". In today's sense, we use this word for a principle of a religion or ideology that is unquestionable – and what could be more unquestionable from a spiritual point of view than death? Although our minds are aware that death is a final state, we still protest against it.
Denial, along with the shock described in NIHIL, constitutes the initial stage of the "five stages of grief”, a widely recognized theory associated with Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Originally developed for understanding the process of dying, as she was working in hospice care with terminally ill patients, this model may not fully capture the experiences of people who lost a significant person in their lives. Dr. H. Norman Wright later expanded the Kübler-Ross model into a seven-stage framework, refining its phases while preserving its fundamental structure.
DOGMA showcases a wide range of grief components: alongside the theme of denial, it also includes anger towards the stupidity of others, arguing with God, and mentions the funeral as a separating transitional rite (闇を纏い孤高は儀に向かう – "cloaked in darkness, I must face the ceremony alone"). However, the most beautiful expression of the true essence of grief may be found in the last three lines in English: "I will blacken out this world / Darkness in the world / Starts tonight" – because grief almost envelops the mourning person in darkness, marking the beginning of a new era – the Dark Age.
The third song on Dogma, titled RAGE, already alludes to the second stage of the Kübler-Ross model and the third stage of the Wright model: anger. The key question of this phase is "why did this happen to me?" (This question later recurs almost literally in BLEMISH, emphasizing that in the grieving process, the stages may repeat.) Anger during grief can manifest in various ways: towards the fact of death ("We cannot change this fact, it is done"), towards the "dumb" masses (as DOGMA also suggests) who are unable to understand what we are going through; it can be directed towards someone we consider guilty of the loss we suffered, towards the deceased who left us alne, and also - towards ourselves. In RAGE, Ruki uses vulgar expressions to express anger ("shithead", "dickhead", "shitty looser"), while outwardly addressing his words to a single person, who is none other than the "sad old geezer" (God?), who can no longer save us ("Too late / this asshole cannot be saved"), who betrayed us ("How do you use us?") and left us stranded, both as individuals and as a community ("The generation is our last one"). Addressing God is also part of the bargaining according to the Kübler-Ross and Wright modelsas spirituality frequently becomes a factor in grief, involving the higher power capable of granting and ending life.
As we move forward to the next track, DAWN, we encounter a subtle yet significant shift in tone. The very title of the song suggests the promise of emerging from darkness into light, evoking a sense of hope and renewal. However, despite this optimistic connotation, the essence of the composition remains entrenched in the depths of despair and uncertainty.
The song begins with a reminiscence, pulling us back into NIHIL (愛し果てた過去 抉り出し歌う /空白の底に - "I sing, digging up the memories of the beloved past", "An evil spell my life"). However, hope is best symbolized by the imagery of 惑乱の時を越え /あぶくを立てる感情を ("beyond the momentary confusion / emotions come to surface"), since grief requires the full spectrum of emotions for its expression.
DEPRAVITY again evokes the state of hopelessness after DAWN (どこまでも深く闇は俺を離さない - "darkness completely engulfs me and won't let go", 眠れぬ夜と生きた – "I lived through sleepless nights"), and also states that the emotions that surfaced no longer support the grief process (涙も枯れてしまった – "my tears have dried up"). However, the setback is only apparent: modern grief theories no longer think in such linear processes, but rather in a system where the griever oscillates between emotions. A "normal" grief (i.e., not "complicated" grief) follows a natural pendulum movement: sometimes focusing on experiencing the loss, sometimes shifting focus to the intention of restoration, and back. This theory of grief processing is called the associated with Margaret Stroebe and Henk Schut, and could be illustrated with the following diagram:
DEPRAVITY introduces the theme of seeking meaning with its interrogation of God (執念の塊がぶちまけた暴力を / 罪と呼ばず神と讃えれるか？- "how can you praise a god who unleashes violence without calling it sin?"), questioning what kind of god allows suffering and the death of the people created in his image. In grief and loss, seeking meaning is a natural human reaction: we create mental models of the world in which fundamental truths (DOGMA) operate ("This cannot happen to me"), and when unexpected loss occurs, it shatters our previous worldview. In the process of rebuilding, it's not just the lost person that needs to be mourned, but also the trust in life itself – because if this horror can happen, which shouldn't have happened, then basically anything can happen. This distrust, or uncertainty, is what brings the need for seeking (and finding) meaning (Dr. Robert Neimeyer's meaning reconstruction theory): it necessitates the creation of new narratives, bridging the gap between past and future, transcending the experience of loss.
DEPRAVITY brings up realizations from the depths (真実の裏はいつだってそうさ – "there's always something behind the truth"), which we were not aware of before experiencing loss: how important the lost person was to us (繋いだ心が/ 通わせ合った願いが – "connected hearts / and shared hopes"), and with them, not only did we lose the other half, but also the future we had dreamed of, where the deceased had a place, and where the void formed (望まぬ終わりに何を失う？ - "what is lost with the unexpected end?").
PARALYSIS continues along the same train of thought, but much more prominently. Ruki stated about this song that it draws from a personal experience, a specific story, and is about his own weakness, vulnerability. Personally, I find it beautiful how Ruki integrates English idioms into Japanese lyrics because it gives a sense as if he's singing words highlighted in bold and italics: everything has emphasis, and it points back to the fact that despite seeking truth, secrets remain forever hidden from us ("Lies are stacking up", "Past... Buried... Forever"). Although the title of the song means "numbness," it rather refers to a numbness of action than emotional numbness, as emotions – especially pain – come back with renewed vigor (本能のまま絡まり出した感情が / わからないくらい痛い, "these instinctively tangled emotions / hurt more than I thought"), and cannot be suppressed (寂寞に埋まる 私の生命 / 吐き出せば また孤独に還ってしま, "my life is buried in loneliness / no matter how hard I try to vomit it out, loneliness always returns"). It's significant that he wants to vomit out loneliness (吐き出す, hakidasu – "to spit out, to vomit"), as continuous nausea, seemingly independent of any bodily cause, often appears among the physical symptoms of grief. (Other commonly occurring physical symptoms include: insomnia or hypersomnia, increased appetite or loss of appetite, headaches or other bodily pains.)
BIZARRE provides a momentary glimpse into the grief process, considering that here Ruki wrote the lyrics about a specific phenomenon, juvenile crime, yet this song also contains numerous references to violence and death, as if suggesting: hell itself is the terrible place we live in, where innocent people die.
okay i hid these in the tags but you know what, i’m gonna reblog them because it gives us a good idea of the new album/single. if i had to bet, it’s an album. it’s been 3 years since Mass, and the last time we got a single was 7 years ago with Undying. the last 2 albums did not have singles either.
ANWYAY on to trailer analysis:
the “logo” at the start is made to look like those found on talismans (ofuda).
and the paper charms hanging from the roof are charms (shide) associated with shintoism.
新黒奏 roughly translates to “a new performance of darkness”. but also 黒 = black, and that has a lot of other nuances. like hell, demons, the occult, evil, death, anarchy, guilt etc.
and another talisman-esque symbol.
to add to this, this flower is the higanbana, a flower often used to symbolise hell/death/the afterlife.
