GACKT ARMY

some of my faves anyway, what are yours?

I was chatting with Capt. Ntkufreak online, and he mentioned having to buy some paper towels. And I mentioned I liked Scott's paper towels, he said he likes Bounty, another friend said Brawny, but I said, ah Scott's is the GACKT of paper towels!

And I think I said this once before to spouse, when I like something very much I say, ah, that is the GACKT of cars - or cell phones - something sleek, beautiful and naturally expensive.

So, what is your favorite thing you could say is the 'GACKT' of it's kind?

Gackt has long held the belief that an onyx pendant - borrowed from his friend - saved his life. This is why he wears onyx beads, and gives presents of onyx to all his Staff, as well as makes onyx beads available to fans through Dark Side Inhabitants jewelry shop.

Gackt has recently worn a sapphire earring, because that was lost, changed to a red stone.

Do you have a favorite gemstone that you identify with? Or a particular piece from DARTS that you crave?

Gackt's new mic stand for the RR2 Tour


Not the clearest of images, but the only one I've found - The stand comprises a woman's naked torso, headless, armless, with the legs chopped off at the knees.  Your thoughts on Gackt's possible metaphor with this? (not that anyone has to analyze in depth, what's your first reaction? erotic? creepy?)

If any of you have seen the show and want to explain it's use in comparison to the staging and other props, I'd be interested!

**all remarks are the opinion of those posting. Please be considerate and thoughtful in your responses, we look forward to your personal thoughts on what Gackt's new work means to you.


I was pondering where Gackt was going with the JESUS concept, and knowing that he is revisiting the themes from his REBIRTH album of 2001, down to the Neo-Nazi costumes, I wondered how truly 'new' the sound would be.

As the song opens, we hear the static sound that opens Secret Garden, as well as the accelerating notes from Redemption so the shouts that come after are almost a relief. The melody line, I feel, does not copy any existing Gackt song, and gets you right up to speed. Not being a musician, I can't be specific, but everything sounds tight to me.

I think Gackt sounds great in this song, a comfortable range for him, and the English was a not unpleasant surprise. I usually prefer songs in all one language, but I just think, how odd to just shout out in English in a Japanese song, though I hear this constantly in Jpop-Jrock. I can comprehend the English fairly well.

The song has a great drive, I enjoyed the little layers (machine gun behind the drum beats) and the shouting chorus works for me. (This will be great to drive to VERY LOUD in rush hour traffic)I think you can fit it in the category of Gackt Sound, but it's new enough to me to be enjoyable. I think it's a newer sound than last year's RETURNER.

Now, as for the theme of the lyrics, I've heard some say, this is a song about suicide, but I think that's too simple. I think 'wake me up' and 'take me out' and references to pleading to a prophet (any prophet be they religious or even political, or Gackt himself) are about Rebirth, the desire to move on, move forward, in this life. And Gackt's goading you to 'just do it' don't look to a deity* but find the power within you. That's the personal interpretation I'm sticking with, just going on lyrics and not the visuals.

*I've read a translation of the article in PatiPati where Gackt states the cry 'Jesus' in the song challenges (any) god if they are out there to 'come and help' - so I'm glad I got that right.

THE VIDEO -

Clammy, claustrophobic and dark, if Gackt had to get back to Requiem et Reminiscence, it looks more realized this time. I only wish we could see a little more, as the screen stays quite dark, and I don't get clear shots of GacktJOB. The focus is however, on Gackt and the figure of the man in the Luftwaffe Uniform.

The NAZI reference here is interesting, I don't know if it's intentional that the uniform of the protagonist is grey and not black. The uniforms of the regular Soliders were grey, the uniforms of the Secret Police within the Nazi Army were black - which is what Gackt and GacktJOB are wearing.

The idea of ritual suicide among the military is not exclusive to the Japanese, it was also Roman, and many of the Nazi Army's insignia (standards) harkened to ancient Rome. The scenes in Gackt's JESUS brought to mind the story of the German General named Edwin Rommel (Known as the Desert Fox) the one adversary who was laudable to the winning Allied powers after the Second World War because of his honor toward captured enemy soldiers, a refusal to persecute 'undesirables' by sending them to concentration camps, and becoming involved in a attempted coup on the Dictator Hitler. As he was a popular Hero in Germany, instead of being killed in an execution, his family's lives were to be spared if he agreed to commit suicide, which he did.

This makes Gackt's role as instigator in the video, goading the man to put a gun to his head, an interesting figure. I enjoyed the flashes of the skull through his face, and after so many repeated scenes of the gun to the head, the only way it could have ended satisfactorily *spoiler*
( Read more... )but by the reaction of my friends list, quite powerful.

Art exists as a reflection of nature, but it also reflects human culture. Religion has been a part of human culture since its inception.

For an artist to create work with a religious theme, be it 'Jesus Christ Superstar' or 'The Satanic Verses' is to take certain concepts and put them in a modern context. The purpose of these works are to explore the metaphors and symbols that permeate culture, such as Redemption, Forgiveness and Enlightenment, not to mock them.

To say an artist 'blasphemes' by including a religious figure or a symbol in their work is not only doing disservice to the artist, but the notion of freedom of expression.

It also is a disservice to deny oneself the opportunity, sight unseen or unheard, to find a new concept to agree with, or, to miss a chance to discuss a different point of view in a considerate, thoughtful way.

Every work of art should stand on its own merit, and succeed or fail as it deserves.

But, every musician, painter, composer, writer, and Gackt, is also a person who has the right to explore these themes, in fact, an artist should be lauded for tackling weighty metaphors and challenging their audience.