When a band doesn’t change, the number of people saying they’ve stopped evolving and become boring is usually no smaller than those who complain about change 
Bands like Kizu or the GazettE, who focus heavily on lyrics and melodies, tend to have a lot of fans who are open to experimentation and love it, and their popularity doesn’t really suffer.
But DEXCORE have much less room to move. I think it would be hard for them to step away from their usual sound without losing a large part of their audience.
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Wow, a Jane take that i vibe with.
More to what Zeus was saying though, and to continue on my previous thought, i feel like this kind of homogeneous sound that Metalcore artists are striving for right now is exceptionally boring. Theres not a lot of risk in selecting guitar tones or drum hits in that regard because its all just preset use. The lynch. album works because these are old songs that needed the facelift, the DEXCORE album fails because it says the same thing 14 different ways, ballads not excepting. I’ve said this about this type of production before: its great for legacy songs. Works for Sadie. Worked for lynch., and currently working for Kizu. However, DEXCORE’s mixing on the album is the definition of “The Great Sound Wall of Japan”. Its too loud.
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100%, always gonna have people not happy its not the same and people that are not happy because its not different.
I like to think many people here listen to a lot of different styles of music and you listen to what suits the mood. So essentially, if youre in the mood for something loud and brutal, then Dexcore is a decent shout, except for one album you now have the choice of two. Its really not that deep. Dunno why VK fans are so ridiculously critical about the bands they supposedly like. Haha.
“Hey man, i loved their first album it was great, super heavy and killer riffs. Dont like the second album though because it’s still super heavy and killer riffs, just different ones” ffs, i give up. 
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At the end of the day it’s about all the different variations on how to do the UGHHH… FUCK!!! breakdown after it’s been played out by hundreds of bands the world over for the past two decades.
The difference between the previous album and this is rather minute, some poppier sensibility in parts perhaps and a handful of new musician’s tricks. The difference between this and the stuff from the 2010s I’d say is as substantial as you’re going to get from the same band playing in a style without large variation to begin with (when compared to visual kei which is extraordinarily varied for something that’s metal adjacent). Lineup changes and almost a decade of music making will naturally do that when you’ve got people with different abilities coming in and out regardless of who is the songwriter.
My rating is a few tracks go off in the gym out of ten
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interesting choice to open an album with their own take on G.D.S. (oh ffs) if they are attempting to distance themselves from vk scene… they also didn’t have -core bro features on the album, or lead-up singles.
I’m surprised how much more aggressive the first part here is compared to what they’ve released before, but most of it really blends together after a while.
I really like TRACE, I think it’s their best song they’ve done since naoki departed, and I’m looking forward to what they’re going to do next.
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Just a fast one here but Deathgaze’s music was SO MUCH more catchy than this band’s output (I say this after listening to this new album and the one before that). More than Deathgaze Dexcore indeed feels like “being loud/broootal for the sake of being loud/broootal”, like someone wrote.
To me Dexcore sounds like any generic american/EU metalcore band, and bands in the us/EU have been doing this sound for decades now. And Dexcore aren’t evolving at all, and never will. I have a slight… feeling that some just want to like this because they are japanese, which is more “exotic”, but its not.
My hot, or maybe.. cold take.
Turns on Deathgaze’s Glory Sky 
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imitation, dex’ 1st PV single, is better than everything deathgaze ever did. it’s p much the anthem of the current generation of indie vk, tbh.
they changed their sound to be less vk and more appealing to reg core crowd, and throughout that shift naoki left them, but as long as kagami and vk looks are there, they’ll stand out.
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“is better than everything deathgaze ever did”
That’s a bold statement. In my opinion Deathgaze has so many catchy songs in their discography, even many beautiful ballads. While again Dexcore just sounds like any generic metalcore band from the west, who again… have been doing that kind of music for decades before Japanese bands started to copy it. Catchy choruses is what makes music memorable for me, when I listened to Deathcore’s new album I had to stop halfway through because I started to get a headache, and all the songs just blend together with nothing standing out. But peace to you all we all have our different opinions and I definitely respect yours!
Turns on Deathgaze - Amends
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well idk - I loved deathgaze while the infatuation lasted, but I had that “ouch shit lol” moment when the tea on how much they ripped off other artists, i.e. static x, came out, and I never could get back into them following that expose. it just did not have the same feeling anymore.
I agree that dexcore tend to overly rely on sounding western, brootal, and non-VK, and they lost a good amount of accessibility for non-core crowd for no clear reason, but the catchiness and appeal was there - I’d say up to brainwashing, included, while they still were following the PV single + 2 b-side tracks vk release formula.
again, I don’t think this is a bad album, and it fills a niche in heavier leaning VK while the other artists are either on a break, have postponed their plans or haven’t announced new stuff yet, but I want something else from this band in the future.
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I don’t think you can even compare DEXCORE and DEATHGAZE, honestly. Other than the Naoki tie-in, nothing about this band resembles DEATHGAZE imho.
Finally got my copy of the new album, and I will say I’m enjoying it. I’m not fatigued like some people here have stated the are, but my gripe is that there’s not enough individuality between tracks, like METEMPSYCHOSIS had. It’s a wild ride, but it’s just not as interesting as their first album.
I would’ve liked to hear more singing and the over-reliance on the br00tal breakdown formula is a bit tiring.
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I find it amazing people complain about a band not evolving after they’ve released their second album… If this was like album 12 and it was still same old same old, fair enough but come on… + If this is the type of music these guys legit like and want to do, why should they change for the critics??
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Because Metempsychosis. & 18 had pretty great song writing, and this is just Gym-Bro-Kei.
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Funny you say that as actually used to listen to their stuff quite a lot at the gym when i used to actually go.
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Also my band of choice at the gym LOL
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Well, they are in my gym playlist
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Looks like Dexcore are starting a Gymkei trend. Maybe soon theyll drop the makeup and come out wearing vests and shorts.
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I have a lot to say on this particular topic also this review is kinda tieing in on some things that zeus said already but adding to it. Before i begin I heard deathgaze thrown into comparisons when lets be honest. Comparing deathgaze and dexcore is like trying to compare melodic metalcore and black metal. It just doesn’t amount to anything. Deathgaze was one of the very first bands to start the Loud-kei sound in japan. They have some generic trope about them but thats also what makes them unique as well. Their influence helped pave the path for other loud-kei bands to grow and develop.
100% this yes. Thank you! 
Deathgaze vocals cleans will sound more melodic then anything Kagami (架神) has dished out in my opinion. Not to say kagami cant sing clean parts or isnt good at them. He has songs that show he can do it however this album… it shows that he straying too far from the melodic harmonies he used to give us in early dexcore.
The Bad
A lot the vocal cleans in this album use a Autotuning filter over Kagami’s voice which his vocals sound so un-natural. LOL what makes this even more funnier if you compare tracks like: SKINDEEP, Savior (album ver.), THE LIGHT (album ver.) all the compilation tracks which are on the same album, you can tell the differences of when he’s not using the filter to when he is using it and its HUGE at least for my ears. Side note: Turbulent Heart as a track just needs to get canceled as a dexcore track altogether its bad…
Quoting zues here who said this perfectly and how i also feel:
This here 100% 
.
The Good
I love to see the kinda rap-ish screaming elements thrown into this album it was done so peak and perfect (despite it being off set by the cleans which were really bad). I also like how they tuned the bass in this album. It probably has to do with our old bassist friend returning to the band. Kagami also has gotten so much better had controlling his higher scream register and in this album that shows a bit more. Also kagami has gotten a bit better with his english skills. Honestly cool to see.
The In-between
I quote zeus again he mentioned this also perfectly:
Everything said here is i agree. This album is like a in-between bitter but sweet type of thing.
I also wanna talk about how others mentioned it sounds like a western metal core album. Everything about Loud-kei is suppose to sound western like. That is sort of the troupe however one can argue they are vkei but i guess Dexcore is rn on that borderline for now. DEXCORE is trying to be the generic loud-kei type of band unfortunately, however this move can also help Vkei get some more exposure to western audiences which is fine i guess.
Conclusion
Despite the amazingly good instrumentals and screaming parts, this album suffers from being a bit overwhelming sound and also bad autotuning. Like to me im fine with autotuning if they meet this below:
A.) Done in the right range
B.) Executed/timed carefully in a track
C.) Is not layered onto your clean vocals for the whole song
(This is just my personal thing of course others might have a different opinion could be saved for another topic)
This album overall isnt terrible but kinda is that bitter sweet double edged sword. I wanna like the whole thing but i cant because of some small details that were put in that i feel should have been fine tuned.
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Some of y’all thinking far too deep about this album. It’s simply, more Dexcore, no more no less, no better nor worse. If you find the album too overbearing just listen to your favourite songs from it and enjoy the rest when in the mood for them, take it or leave it, is up to you.
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Yeah, i don’t enjoy it at all, but i still spin Metempsychosis and 18 because those are different bands under the DEXCORE name, pretty much. Kagami’s Wannabe Metal Circus.
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What do you all think about them ending the album with a kind of a soft dad rock song?