Album: ムック - 志恩

志恩

Date released: 26.3.2008.

Track list
1. 水恩 (Suion)
2. 梟の揺り篭 (Fukurou no yurikago)
3. 塗り潰すなら臙脂 (Nuritsubusu nara enji)
4. ファズ (FUZZ) [PV]
5. ゲーム (Game)
6. フライト -Album ver.- (Flight) [PV]
7. アンジャベル (Anjelier)
8. 小さな窓 (Chiisana mado)
9. 蝉時雨 (Semishigure)
10. 志恩 (Shion)
11. 空忘れ (Sora wasure)
12. シヴァ (Shiva)
13. リブラ -Album ver.- (Libra) [PV]

Well first off I've never been too much of a MUCC fan. I don't like the hymn-type rock most of their songs are and Tatsurou's voice seldom fits my tastes. But I have to say that Shion is one heck of an album.

Shion starts off with one quite ambiental and experimental piece Suion which combines the drippy, natural sound of water with the majestic, almost rough sounding orchestral strings and cymbals. The album finally blasts out with the epic, oriental flaired Fukurou no Yurikago that feels so majestic as thought the song itself would embrace the entire world. The width of the chorus is simply astonishing! The album carries on with another a bit less intense but bashing song Nuritsubusu nara enji, continuing the oriental feel Fukurou no Yurikago started, just a bit milder.

FUZZ launches the listener all the way to the dance floors with it's 80' disco sound and beat, folk rock elements and sing-along refrain. But that is not the only song where you feel like in the Saturday's Night fever gone Europe. Anjelier will surely entertain you with the Swedish 70's disco sound and Tatsurou hitting sky high notes will make you smile (if not piss your pants because it is hilarious). Surprisingly how I actually like this song even if it sounds like something i'd never listen to.

The album leaves an impression that all the songs come in pairs such as the dance floor FUZZ and Anjelier (and even the string dominated Sora Wasure though a bit tango like), the playful but commercial Flight and Siva as well as the two wast ballads Game and Chiisana Mado. Game gives me the shivers with it's blending layers of sentiment, sorrow, reminiscence and faint hope and an impressive worked-out and polished almost to perfection composition. Just if it weren't for the typical MUCCy poppy chorus... Yes that is my most biggest complaint on the whole album because potentially devastating good songs of epic matters are all slightly (some even a lot like Samishigure) spoiled by the popish choruses.

A song worth the mentioning is, of course, the title song Shion a song with one of the coolest riffs I've heard recently underlined with monumental tribal drumming overall sounding like a marching, oriental fight hymn that would literally scare the pants of any opponent, strengthening ones warriors morale (I just have the urge to shout THIS IS MUCCCC!!!). Legendary.

MUCC are more than ten years already around and they surely know their domain showed in the marvelously concepted album Shion. MUCC fans are surely to make an altar for this one while others will enjoy it, maybe not in whole, but everybody is sure to find his/her's favorite on this remarkable album. Worth listening.