VUKARI
This is one of the most intriguing black-gaze/post metal albums I've come across. Rich layers of melody and skill throughout. Stunning album.
Favorite track: Spring of Passion.
hdude
Highly energetic. Oscillating between euphoria and despair. Catchy as hell. An album full of bangers. Imagine Touché Amoré with less emo and more amore. Imagine your favourite Anime theme covered by a bunch of highly skilled metalheads on MDMA.
Favorite track: In the City Where Cobalt Falls.
benjaminjhwalter
Banger after banger. Melodicism. Screaming. Variety of moods. Neat! I recommend.
Favorite track: Dogma.
dstr
Beautiful cover art, and the album itself is phenomenal. There’s an upbeat J-pop/rock sound that unexpectedly works well with the band’s blackgaze sound. It’s a bit like what Deafheaven did with Ordinary Corrupt Human Love.
Favorite track: Angel.
Luke
I worked my way backwards to this. And what you get is the expected proto-genre shifting behemoth that we get later one. But this isn't simply archival material of historical interest. A track like Easy remains among the band's best work, even as they have branched out from there.
Favorite track: Easy.
VUKARI
Gorgeous metal. I like saying that almost as much as hearing it. Asunojokei are a treat of sound.
Favorite track: Pomegranate.
アンジュ
This album is a bit darker than their newest. Misery-laden vocals that sometimes sound like sobbing. There may be a language-barrier, but the distress is palpable. Dreamy melodies and softness reminiscent of Les Discrets.
Favorite track: Easy.
Metallurgical Fire
Island is so perfect that it finally made me realize how truly exceptional Asunojokei is. They’re certainly the best and most affecting blackgaze band in the genre. Better than Deafheaven. Island is unique, thrilling, and emotionally complex. The production is so pleasant that I don’t ever want to stop listening. 3 years late, but it hit me at just the right time.
Favorite track: From the Bottom of the Biotope.
Sid
I think of these guys like the Deftones of black metal.
At first I was thrown off by their sound and style, but overtime, they've grown onto me and I find them very enjoyable. Favorite track: Heavenward.
Sudis___
I never liked the screaming vocals of black metal... HOWEVER, this album changed that. It's blackgaze with a touch of J-pop into it, and it's one of the most pleasent combination. The lyrics are disjointed and abstract but are meaningful, lots to deconstruct here.
Favorite track: Thunder.