Visual Kei is not Japan's Nu-metal?

[Alice the Sister]

[Hint: I have opinions. So do you. Our opinions are like hats. I wouldn't want you to wear my hat. If you like my hat, you are free to go buy your own that looks like it, but that's up to you.]

I continually see people comparing Visual Kei to nu-metal. I think to myself that I can see the similarities, but really...it's only in popularity and its place in that particular culture. However, that was a handful of years ago.

I don't intend on placing any negative connotations on "nu-metal" or "visual kei". Both are loosely defined 'communities' of music anyways.

I was listening to a song by Babylon the other day and the guitars and the vocals reminded me of how some of the workings were on some numetal songs. I can't quite understand the lyrics though, so I don't know if it's as cheesy as most nu-metal is. What are the audiences for Visual Kei in Japan compared to what the audience for Nu-metal is over here? Are the PVs similar? I suppose we can ignore the fact that VK dresses up, and Nu-metal might not necessarily.

Nowadays, I'm wondering what your thoughts are on this? Compare the two, I suppose. I always see people doing it, and I'd like to see what you guys think.

[signal to noise]

i think some of the guitar riffs and playing style and a tiny bit of the video imagery can be similar, but all and all together, NO. they arent the same. i cant go on to say how i think they are different without using very broad stereotypes.... so yeah.... i think most nu metal sucks balls. next time i hear a new song by Trapt or Trustcompany, im gonna slit someones throat.

[Vessicator]

No. Visual-kei is a type of band image, not a music genre.

[非難GO-GO > バクチク]

Yeah , I'm going to agree with Vessicator on that.


There are very few bands that sound nu-metal in vk. It's either generic metal-ish or some weird thrash , or just....yeah.

[Champ213]

I don't know much about nu-metal, but I'd say it's still one more or less coherent musical genre. I find it hard to put bands like, say, Shazna, UnsraW and D'air into the same musical genre.

Audience: Again, I don't know much about the "typical nu-metal" audience, but regarding the japanese vk audience I'd say: late teens, early twens, mostly girls, but not exclusively, and certainly not your typical rebellious teenager. Nowadays the girls at vk lives look like ordinary girls on the street, like small Ayumi Hamasakis rather than some estranged goth that wants to shock their parents with a lip piercing.
In either case, nu-metal in general is far more popular than vk in japan, so I don't really think you can compare the two audiences.

PVs: Depends on the band. For most vk indies bands the idea of a PV is dress up nicely, find an empty warehouse, let the vocalist do all those kabuki-esque, theatrical exaggerations like rolling eyes, odd gestures, staring around emptily etc. and then add some cheesy effect in post-production. 
If they have more budget things are of course more smooth, and maybe some random shock value is added for fun. Once they're major things get really shiney.
In nu-metal you'll probably find few bands that start producing PVs before they reached a certain level of popularity, or have the budget to do something that looks neat enough already. PVs in the west are usually produced for TV, while vk bands release them with their singles or as seperate releases, and only some of the major bands end up on television at all.

[Alice the Sister]

Yeah, I know that Visual Kei isn't really a music genre, that's why I said "Music community" I suppose. I'd rather not get into it.

There's a lot of musical styles in Visual Kei, while nu-metal is more established as a sound. However, some say that VK has an established sound in some senses. So I dunno. There are things that I find similar, but a lot that are dissimilar.

[Vessicator]

Whoever says that VK has an established sound is a dumbass.

In fact, most people say that VK is a music genre. They're dumbasses.

Some people say that J-Rock is a fashion. They're also dumbasses.

In this kind of argument it helps to be politically correct, otherwise you just make yourself look like an idiot.

[Alice the Sister]

Thread won!

[Champ213]

There's a lot of musical styles in Visual Kei, while nu-metal is more established as a sound. However, some say that VK has an established sound in some senses. So I dunno. There are things that I find similar, but a lot that are dissimilar.

I'd say there are musical genres within vk. That's where they're similar. I'm not re-inventing the wheel when I say that bands like UnsraW, Sadie and Sel'm more or less belong to the same musical genre. But they're still different from a band like Lareine or D'air. That's where they're dissimilar.

I really don't think that this much of a controversy though. *shrug*  Why is it more "political correct" to say it's a musical genre? Why would anyone care? I certainly don't.

[Vessicator]

True.

The only thing necessary for stupidity to succeed is for smart people to do nothing~

[Guidecca]

No. Visual-kei is a type of band image, not a music genre.

QFE.

[Tsunetako]

Babylon's lyrics aren't really cheesy. The new Renter en Soi's on the other hand...

[Culo]

I was listening to a song by Babylon the other day and the guitars and the vocals reminded me of how some of the workings were on some numetal songs.

just out of curiosity, may I know which song?
about babylon's lyrics, they usually tend to be more in the romantic side, pretty vk cliche. blame takuma on that. anyway sometimes he comes up with some interesting lyrics. but i don't seem them related to american nu metal.
anyway about visual kei being like nu metal, I don't think so... as everyone said, vk is not a music genre, in the same band you can have 10 songs all with different styles and genres. also in terms of scene or fanbase, mmm vk haves mostly teenager girls who look after the bishies, and a mature audience who maybe dont go to concerts too often but still listen to the bands they used to listen to in their youth (back in the day, visual kei wasn't limited to girls only).
i think in a way, you could compare vk to numetal because of the amount of teenagers listening to it... and more because to be part of some sort of scene rather than liking the actual music.

[Alice the Sister]

I don't know which song. Got a lot of songs on random, and last.fm only goes back 10 songs. Unless you know a way to find out which song you last listened to from a certain artist.

[Champ213]

I don't know which song. Got a lot of songs on random, and last.fm only goes back 10 songs. Unless you know a way to find out which song you last listened to from a certain artist.

Below your recent tracks, click on "Edit/see more…". My listening history goes back for 2 weeks there.