It's quite difficult to pick just one!
X is by far my favourite band, and on my top 3 favourite bands ever, regardless of genre. To me X is the only Japanese rock band that transcends the "J-rock" label thing. I really, really like many of the others but in order to enjoy them I kind of need to get into the "J-rock mindset", if that makes sense. Not that they're any less than Western bands, it's just that I can't throw them in the same bag as, say, Black Sabbath or Aerosmith. I need context (and a little help with the themes and lyrics) to fully enjoy them. This doesn't happen with X: I never needed to translate their lyrics or to really look into what certain references mean to folks in the Far East in order to feel a total connection. I guess the glue that ties their stuff together is of the pretty universal kind.
I don't know much about Dir en Grey, but the more I listen to them, the more conviced I am that they're similar to X in that sense. Which could also explain why they're so palatable for Western audiences, unlike good old Luna Sea or Buck-Tick, who remain pretty niche.
TL;DR: Anyone can cry to X, if you want to cry to Luna Sea, you need to know what the heck is happening in their songs.
« Last Edit: September 06, 2018, 03:22:49 PM by matsumoto »
Woah, I can haz admin colour.