Thoughts on Lovebites' Budokan live show:

I bit the bullet and decided to live stream this.  Not live live but you know what I mean. I peeked at the setlist ahead of time so I'd say I know 95% of it, just not 100% when and where.

Let's go holy diving....

1) First and foremost I am so happy and so proud of the ladies for selling it out. I was really nervous them announcing this show, as they are about to cross the "old" threshold, in age and band time. But they sold it out, and it likely bought them some time in the business.

2) The ladies are properly singing backup vocals rather than using a track, and they sound pretty good (although they were a little too low on Stand & Deliver)

3) as a general rule if the band isn't promoting a new album, the first three tracks of their shows should always be The Awakening, The Hammer of Wrath, and When Destinies Align, in that order.

4) Speaking of new album, only two songs were performed from it, The Castaway & Eternally. Fine, fine choices, both which sounded spectacular live, although Asami still sounds like she has marbles in her mouth on the former. No "Reaper's Lullaby" though, and while I like both songs better than it, that just causes more speculation on whether the song is an unplayable studio trick, ala "The Serpent & The King."

5) Playing more of the new album was eschewed in favor of a "best of set." Where the hell was "Thunder Vengeance," "Set The World On Fire," "Judgement Day" and "Winds of Transylvania?" 4 of their top 10 (though not the top 4) viewed songs on youtube?

6) The first few songs, I felt....not bored, but I felt like I was watching No More Tragedies again (not helped by despite the difference in capacity, the venues looked the same). Like I know I just said what the first 3 songs should be, but that doesn't mean "Rising" and "Unchained" should necessarily come next.

7) Dear PIA, you charged me an extra 950 yen for "English Delivery." There should have been a free translation/subtitles with that delivery (it's not like you guys haven't had time to do so) because listening to Asami prattle on in, yes her native tongue, but a tongue I don't understand was kind of obnxious. Then again I've heard some of her English banter and I'm not sure I would have liked that more. Either way I want that 950 yen back.

8) In addition to hearing the background vocals, I can also hear the keyboard tracks/stings that accentuate the sound and...ladies those suck, get rid of them. The number one rule of metal is keyboards should never overpower the guitars in the mix. And part of the joy of listening to your live albums is a more raw mix where we hear the guitars full and clear, as opposed to being kind of a puzzle to the "typical power metal mix."

9) I had heard about the violins on "Under The Red Sky," and I completely forgot about them until that song came up. At first I was wondering "I mean it's cool but why," but then it came to the breakdown and I remembered they were a part of the song. Honestly a lot of the keyboards on their albums sound like violins, why did they only use them for just that song? Lovebites with violins or even an orchestra? Hell yeah I'd listen to that. My favorite thing about Lovebites is how they unintentionally kick the shit out of Nightwish and all the other riff-deficient symphonic metal bands.

10) I understand that I'm one of maybe 3 Lovebites fans that doesn't particularly enjoy hearing We The United, so I'm gonna have to hear it no matter what (especially since its their fastest rising song on youtube), but did it have to come after Under The Red Sky? Couldn't you have put it before it? The crash end after that song is an ultimate showstopper. Another song directly after "Under The Red Sky" felt really weird.

11) Lovebites still play a fair amount of Miho songs, in this case including the first and last songs! This makes me happy, as she was a fine metal writer (and it will take some time before Fami properly replaces her, if she ever does). I'm glad they still play her songs despite having probably not the best relationship*, and they aren't one of those bands that stop playing an ex-member's songs ***cough cough Battle Beast cough cough****.

12) Dearest Harupi sweetchu, what the hell was that? If you're gonna do a drum solo, do a real drum solo. Peter Criss Psycho Circus era drum solos are more creative. Goddamn.

13) Real life acoustic guitars for "Addicted," schweet!

14) On that subject and "Eternally" and "Soldier Stands Solitarily" were the highlights of the set for me, although the guitars dropping during the bass solo in the middle has got to stop. That part after the solo is about the vicious riffing, not Fami's bass. I mean she can play with it, sure. But don't drop the thrash.

15) The filming and camera work was spectacular! I was a little afraid a drone was gonna konk one of them in the head though.

16) I get why the set was what it was and why there weren't too many songs not played before (originally I thought it was just the Outstanding Power songs, but then "Someone's Dream" popped in to say hello. My least favorite song from the EP.

All in all, spectacular performance, though I must say I think I prefered No More Tragedies setlist. Either way this was a monumental accomplishment for the ladies and even though Outstanding Power didn't top Electric Pentagram for me, I hope it becomes their American breakthrough.

*Though reportedly Miho did send them flowers to their Budokan show, so that's nice.

Next stop, Tokyo Dome?