Single: since1889 - DIABOLOS

DIABOLOS

Date released: 4.6.2008

Track list:
1. I/M
2. ESCARGOT
3. THE 「C」BLOOD MANIFEST
4. celtic

As I've said this month is a month that requires some deeper scratching under the surface to find some releases. And as it's with Visual kei, going under surface means finding obscure indies. One of them who had a release this month is the awkwardly named band since1889 (whatever that year means to them).

DIABOLOS is a fierce release of this obviously fierce band. Just listening to industrial-screech monster intro like I/M will remind you of the also industrial-fused intro End of Finale by UnsraW. It's some kind of a ritual for every Visual-hardcore band to have this some kind of techno-like intro.

The band bombs with growling/death-grunts (I like them especially on the first few moments of ESCAGORT), heavy distorted guitars and double bass attacks on all of the DIABOLOS while the singer Kouta changes his voice from bestial to singing on the somewhat mellow choruses. It's interesing how his growls are loud and firm, while his singing voice is really gentle, quite and mellow, thus not giving enough charge to the choruses.

THE 「C」BLOOD MANIFEST has got some less growl parts, but rather a sinister feel and a melodious chorus. The song directly attached to it is the best on the album: celtic. celtic may not sound as the name suggests, but it has got this buzzing, shivering guitar-riff that creats a mysterious feel before launching a full-frontal attack of metal madness that will make every metal fans heart beat faster. Even the choruses have more crunch to them than on the other songs with Kouta's voice sounding ethreal, streching and shrinking building up a light mood to this heavy song. I like the silence-loudness attacks right after the first chorus.

DIABOLOS is just a kind of a single everybody should have in their music collection, not because it's outstanding or something, but because everybody gets the impulse for vicious growling and bashing once in a while. since1889 deliver a balanced fury package not sounding to extreme like Dir en grey, but yet with more breathing-space than UnsraW (and with a better vocalist up to the top, though I like Yuki's growls). Fans of the both bands will surely like the metalcore influenced since1889. Not outstanding, but not bad either.