15 posts tagged “album”

Killer Show

Date released: 21.5.2008.

Track list
1. パンドラ (Pandora)
2. DIRTY [PV]
3. the LAST SHOW [PV]
4. TrickSTAR
5. メビウスの憂鬱 (Moebius no Yuuutsu) [PV]
6. このは (Konoha) [PV]
7. レゾンデートル (Raison d’être) [PV]
8. WORST
9. ジャイアニズム罰 (Djaïnism batsu)
10. ジェネラル (General)
11. White Room [PV]
12. Cloudy dayz [PV]
13. 夜想曲 (Yasoukyoku)

Over a year has passed since the last Nightmare album THE WORLD RULER and Nightmare have returned with a new, again pretentiously named album Killer Show.

A glimpse at the track list reveals that almost half of the songs present on the album have been released before starting off from the dirty rock'n'roll roarer DIRTY, playful and relaxed ska song Moebius no Yuuutsu, slow and boring ballad Konoha, anthem-like, easy marching Raison d’être up to the over-the-top Cloudy Dayz. Those mostly mediocre songs somehow water down the album, with their similar refrains and sure composition.

Unlike that the rest of the album is pretty stunning compared to previous releases (which most are featured on the album). The album starts with the mesmerizing, almost meditaitive oriental rock song Pandora where Yomi's really good vocals shine with bliss and the guitar riffs sparkle mixing into a transcendental sort of feel. Very nicely done for the start. The playfulness goes even beyond on the swing and rock'n'roll hybrid the LAST SHOW delivering an almost theatrical feel to it because of the piano and horns placed at the front and the glamorous, yet settled refrain. Fun and catchy the LAST SHOW forces you kinda to get up and start dancing.

Another highlight is the excellent and upbeat TrickSTAR, my personal favorite on the album, with it's very singable and catchy refrain that has been brought to almost perfection with a hint of melancholy. Amazing and quite unpredictable for Nightmare. Even WORST is not that half bad with its surf-rock style, crazy riffs and again with an darn catchy chorus. And what would be an Nightmare album without a Djaïnism song? Killer Show's Djaïnism batsu features some really face ripping, alarming riffs and a lot of Ni~ya's slap bass, building up the tension just like in BOYS BE SUSPICIOUS and launching a loud and powerful chorus. And the explosive mass reaches with the probably most GazettE-like song ever not being written by the GazettE: Gerneral. General begins with almost identical riffs to those on the mosh-parts of alice nine.'s -Dice- and riffs of GazettE's AGONY going to the BURIAL APPLICANT like calm and omnious verses and exploding with the powrful and a bit jumpy chorus just like in CIRCLE OF SWINDLER. Surprisingly, Nightmare really manages to give out a good and fitting performance to General.

The last highlight of the album is the melancholic but strong ballad White Room which was released before, but on the live-distributed single. And then again I can't help not to notice the Kyomu no owari, hakodzume no mokushi resembling intro with a lot of dramatic riffs and piano notes. Unlike Kyomu, White Room is less darker and more firmer, though also with too much of a sure chorus just like it's GazettE pandan. The album ends with Yasoukyoku, a dreamy like parting song that you'll likely to forget.

The new songs featured on this album would have made a Killer mini-album, but unfortunately they are stuck together with the pretty mediocre former releases which in a way water down the quality of the new songs. Though this album has got less variety in songs than the WORLD ruler, Killer Show nevertheless has got more exciting songs I'll probably listen to more times. This album is worth checking, primary because of the exciting new songs that somehow return Nightmare to their fierce, dirty rock'n'roll soul. But as always with Nightmare, only fans will enjoy this album comepletely, while others will find their favorite bits.

nOiZ stAR

Date released: 14.5.2008.

Track list
1. chocoholic nOiZ
2. b.r.k
3. 虚空 (Kokuu)
4. Vi-Vi-Vi [PV]
5. ヤミツキディレイ (Yamitsuki delay)
6. 四季彩 (Shiki sai)
7. RomantiC
8. 生欲HoLiC (Seiyoku HoLiC)
9. CRIMSON SODA
10. うえすとふぁいとすと～り～ (West fight story)
11. pikaLIFE

Dear Masato (gt.), Yuji (gt.), Chiyu (bs.) and Mitsuru (dr.). Hi I'm Asari and I liked your first two singles. They were really cool (^▽^)b! Hey I was wondering if you could take a pillow and suffocate your vocalist Takeru? You know like put it on his face while he is sleeping and press it until he stops twitching? That be really great! ありがとう Love you!だいす～ぅき！ V(≧▽≦)o

Citing myself

They might just end up to be the next J-rock highlight.

(...) this talented new band SuG ...

(...) great singing...

(...) shows great potential this band has.

The album opens with the techno-like intro chocoholic nOiZ which actually sounds decent compared to the rest of the songs on the album (Maybe it's because Takeru DOESN'T sing?). As you can see from the song titles most of them are like addiction inspired titles thus giving another proof of my theory that this band's singer Takeru is a freaking LSD and speed junkie. The album continues with b.r.k which has got fun riffs, but horrid singing/rapping. Takeru's bunny voice makes my ears bleed every time I listen to them. b.r.k isn't bad as a song, but I think only Takeru has got the power to screw every song existing. Now that is a skill.

Kokuu has got deep, distorted riffs and sound's even a bit dark. This song is interesting primary because of the schizophrenic switches between dark singing and happy squealing. I like dark Takeru better. I hope this side of his split personality will really prevail. And I nearly choked when I saw that the obscure titled Vi-Vi-Vi has got a PV! Vi-Vi-Vi is like the fucking peak of Takeru's squealing abilities and the refrain will make your ears beg for mercy. I wouldn't play this song not even to my most notorious enemy, such is the cruelty of it.

Yamitsuki delay somehow tries to fix the damage done by Vi-Vi-Vi with pretty much good bass lines and ,for the first time on this album, decent chorus. The song has got some futuristic-like playful feel and well, Takeru's voice isn't so placed in the front. That still doesn't make his voice suck less. Shiki sai represents a somehow relaxing point on the album with reminiscing riffs. This song would sound voiceless almost perfect and relaxing. RomantiC then again just proves that the second half of the album is actually better than the first one in a way that it is tolerable. RomantiC has got this gentle, fleeting melody and probably the best singing on the entire album: gentle, quiet and floating.

Seiyoku HoLiC is the kind of serious and dramatic song every album should have (at least every Koteosa album) with roaring riffs and strong chorus. Then again you could only imagine how great this song would sound with a more maturer vocalist (though Takeru doesn't fail so much here on the chorus, he was probably sober). CRIMSON SODA (WTF?) is the band-be-growling aggressive piece that bands play in other for their spectators to break each other's bones. CRIMSON SODA is harsher and I like it harsher especially because it shows how the band consists of solid musicians stuck up with a retard singer. West Fight Story begins with this playful, funny instrumental part before turning into the merry-go-round happy song like An Cafe's Merrymaking, the one Oshare kei fans love the most. Takeru's singing really sounds like he is mocking the listener (Haha, this is what you get when you listen to us). And closing the album is another fast, bye-bye song type pikaLIFE I personally despise, but bands keep making them, just to put the cherry on top of their releases.

I am a tolerant person (I mean I have listened to this album IN WHOLE for like four times and am probably going to listen to it once again for the sake of my other reviews site) and I don't like flaming bands and releases, but fuck, this album is bad. It has got like 2-3 songs that sound decent, but most of them are just shallow, hyperactive, candy punk songs that'll just give you headaches. As I said on I SCREAM PARTY the greatest problem of this band is their damn vocalist Takeru which sounded pretty good on their first two singles but then suddenly turned bad. His bunny-voice is irritating and he can't be serious not even for a moment. God damn. With an other vocalist they'd sound at least decent, because the rest of the band can actually PLAY music.

Really, I mean really do you want to spend 42 minutes of your life on this? The most of this album is hardly tolerable. Unless you really, really like SuG.

Damn I hate bad releases. They often piss me out so much that I write bad reviews. But I have learned a few things from this:

1. Immature bands never redeem for their sucky releases
2. Don't trust an illiterate band that uses Z instead of S
3. Reviewing music means reviewing both good and bad releases
4. SuG should fire Takeru
   

極魂ROCK CAFE

Date released: 9.3.2008.

Track list
1. 流星ロケット (Ryuusei Rocket) [PV]
2. S☆B☆Y
3. Cherry咲く勇気!! (Cherry saku yuuki!!) [PV]
4. NYAPPY in the world 3
5. ベイビーキング (Baby King)
6. デイブレイク (Daybrake)
7. ピアス (Pierce)
8. 孤立ホスピタル (Koritsu Hospital)
9. 覚醒ヒロイズム (Kakusei Heroism) [PV]
10. 愛情サイクリング (Aijou Cycling)
11. オレンジドリーム (Orange Dream)

The third album of one of the most popular Oshare kei bands around An Cafe comes as one big, colorful, uninterrupted, 50 minute candy Harajuku rock (as An Cafe reffers to their music) party being just as colorful and vivid as the famous part of Tokyo which inspires them.

The party begins off with the fancy disco flaired rock song Ryuusei Rocket that clearly announces the style of the album: strong, fast guitar riffs, bouncy beat, playful and chunky bass lines all spiced op with charming, yet sometimes trashy keyboard sounds and Miku's irreplaceable voice. Ryuusei Rocket is, alongside my favorite Cherry saku yuuki!! and powerful Kakusei Heroism, one of the songs that were released on previous singles.

The party blasts off with the Merry Making reminiscing S☆B☆Y following up the rather disappointing third spinoff of the song Nyappy in the world and the electric organ decorated rock song Baby King before giving a short pause with the relaxed Daybrake. All of these songs show a refreshed, more mature and harder An Cafe sound that really benefited from the member change of this band because Takuya gives off some really heavy rock riffs while Yu-ki adds the fun to all the songs with the playful, electric sounds.

The album then moves on to the spectacular half with the firework of a song called Pierce, shining with a marvelous passionate refrain and a great instrumental, a song that really blows you away. Kokuritsu hospital then shakes the ground with the fierce metal riffs and fast beat. An Cafe pulls off another charming song Aijou Cycling before going to the adorable last song Orange Dream, enchanted with a beautiful piano instrumental and a cute melody which will make the sun rise on even the gloomiest day.

I think that by now everybody has realized that the change of members has proven to be a very positive thing for An Cafe resulting in a more sophisticated sound acceptable to even the non Oshare kei fans.
So get your friends up, buy cand and get ready for the wildest party in town with Gokutama ROCK CAFE.

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.

and hate

Date released: 5.3.2008.

Track list
1. intro
2. and hate [Listen]
3. 虹の色 (Niji no iro)
4. dread
5. unsightly stupid [Listen]
6. 漂流の花 (Hyouryuu no hana)
7. ある朝 (Aru asa) [Listen]
8. 灼熱は零度 (Shakunetsu wa reido)
9. gaze [Listen]
10. 警鐘 (Keishou)
11. advance insane [Listen]
12. missing vain
13. outro

It has been nearly a year since the studs have been formed and a lot of people have doubted back then about how the combination of deadman with Kagerou's fierce singer will turn out. I think by now all the doubts in this band have vaporized.

and hate is one representative studs album which contains the best elements of the band: driving, fast and effective guitar riffs, playful and very present bass lines, quite subtle but yet strong drumming with a lot of cymbal presence and innovative and dynamic way of singing. From the very first rock eruption in and hate up to the melancholic parts in missing vain the whole album simply radiates with all of these positive elements. The songs are very interesting and they sound very refreshing as the album offers a variety of songs starting off with the loud and energetic first half of the album (with the excellent dread and unsightly stupid), going on with the calmer middle (with the slower songs like Aru asa and Shakunetsu wa reido) and giving again a strong rock punch back in the end.

A bit of a minus is the fact that the album includes 4! songs that were featured on the singles released this last two months, but of them all I think advance insane fitted into the album way better than it did in the single, thus representing one of the best songs the studs have released to date. Among other songs worth mentioning is the very studs like unsightly stupid and the excellent missing vain which simply charms with it's minimalistic used instruments, thus sounding very full and emotional.

Even though this does have some shining bits and pieces it simply blends into one huge song that you know how it sounds like overall but can't remember how the parts sound like. Sad that the songs are so forgettable, but the only good in this big blending issue is the fact that the album serves as great background music ideal for listening while learning, or listening when driving in a car or just for chilling.

But with flaws aside this album still represents a very solid and enjoyable piece, slowly freeing from the deadman and Kagerou comparesion older releases had to suffer and giving some variety in the Visual kei scene, although being average when looking in the band's own context. And might I add that Daisuke is becoming a better vocalist with every new song?

Nagoya kei fans as well the fans of the band shouldn't miss this release. As for others, if you hadn't had a chance to listen to the studs by now I suggest you should and best with this album. It contains a lot of materials to get to know the studs thus making hunger for even more.

Core

Date released: 9.1.2008.

Track list
1. 彩の讃歌 (Irodori no sanka) [PV]
2. 雨情 (Ujou)
3. 四月一日(Shigatsu tsuitachi)
4. 斬帝 (Guilty)
5. 忘却の果ての凍えた孤独 (Boukyaku no kogoeta kodoku)
6. 賽 (Sai)
7. 風の記憶 (Kaze no kioku)
8. 神風 (Kamikaze)
9. 雪恋詩 (Yuki koi uta)
10. 新・百鬼夜行 (Shin Hyakkiyakou)

Kagrra,'s fifth album did surprise already in the announcement because of the English title and everybody knows that Kagrra, are hardcore Japan freaks in whose songs you won't find a single foreign word other than Japanese. So the eye stinging title really surprises.

Core is a classical wonderful Kagrra, album where all the songs are pure beauty and neo Japanesque at it's best. But just because it's beautiful it doesn't mean it's perfect. Interesting is the composition and order of the tracks on the album.

The uneven numbered tracks are typical Kagrra, wide and beautiful track with and overall Japanese sound to it, basically songs that will satisfy the most hardcore Kagrra, sound fans. Such tracks are the Utakata resembling Irodori no sanka, the catchy and yet overly "sweet" Shigatsu Tsuitachi, the potential sentimental and emotional classic Boukyaku no kogoeta kodoku and the quite forgettable yet nice Kaze no Kioku and Yuki koi uta. Those are all songs you would label as "pretty" but they are just something we hear from Kagrra, every time we play their albums. Not to mention you'll forget the half of them right after listening.

On the opposite, the evenly numbered tracks are real surprises, sound new, original, refreshing and just about more exciting than anything Kagrra, has released in like 2 years. Starting off with the most funky Kagrra, and maybe wider in Visual kei song ever Ujou you'll notice the new sound borders and great creativity while Isshi blasts with self-confident rock star singing. Even the English titled track (when you read the kanji you get actually guilty) Guilty shows great refreshing sound while combining the refrain that takes the best melodies from the ~San~ album. Excitement rises even more with the upbeat festival-like song Sai that would make everyone stand up, take a fan and dance around. Although a bit weak on the verses and passages, Kamikaze has got a great refrain and even ironically reminds on GazettE at some parts, just like other even Kagrra, songs.
The absolute highlight of the entire album is the last song Shin Hyakkiyakou and is somewhat as a sequel of the legendary song Hyakkiyakou. The sharp guitar sound in combined with a bit sinister melody, background growling and Isshi's fantastic voice this song beats most of the recent Kagrra, songs around.

So this album is about half conservative Kagrra, songs and another half are the excellent new and original songs, so this album will satisfy old as well new fans. More to say the album impresses with every further listening. Overall it is better than the last years Shizuku album, but still a weaker release than the legendary albums ~San~ and Miyako. But it's still a bit of an improvement.

Girugamesh

Date released: 26.12.2006.

Track list
1. Intro
2. patchwork
3. Vermillion [PV]
4. stupid
5. バリケード (Barricade)
6. shining
7. 白い足跡 (Shiroi ashiato)
8. CRAZY-FLAG
9. 「少女A」([Shoujo A])
10. ROCKER’S
11. Dance Rock Night
12. ドミノ (Domino)
13. 壊れていく世界 (Kowarete iku sekai) [PV]

Girugämesh deliver a second, self titled, album. This time, armed with a big budget (that left no money left for the Kowarete iku sekai PV), ambitious ideas and the hand of guidance of MUCC's guitarist Miya (responsible for the up to the top production) the four Girugämesh boys rushed into the recording studios to make a new album...

Unfortunately the kick start didn't help them. The first half of the album is a mix of neck-breaking, distorted-guitars-fast-drumming-and-non-existent-bass moshing orgies starting off with the Volcano ripoff patchwork and going to the unoriginal Barricade. I would like to see the idiot who put five growling, vocal fold killing, high distorted songs IN A ROW at the BEGINNING of the album.
The first half of the album is good if you want to annoy your neighbors with some loud nu-metal stuff, but even they will find it boring and repetitive after two songs.

The situation gets a bit better starting off with shining and delivers a row of solid songs with a great refrain (but sucky verses and bridges) which reaches it's peak with the probably best song on the album [Shoujo A]. It's a great song that combines dancey disco beat with some nasty, dirty nu-metal sound. All together it sounds excellent and original. Another try to deliver a heavy rock song onto the dance floors is Dance Rock Night, flavored with some nice funky guitarwork, but not near the brilliancy of [Shoujo A] (hey they even got two songs that feature ROCK in them, we haven't seen that in some J-rock release since Miyavi).

Domino is just a warm-up song for the most ambitious Girugämesh song ever Kowarete iku sekai. The song features some nice acoustic guitars, typical for an epic J-rock ballad strings and some intense, emotional vocals. The song has got a great concept, but a bad realization. The first half of the song is as transparent as your average kitchen food-packing foil, bursts out in a loud mash of everything in the middle and is majorly spoiled by Satoshi trying to sound desperate, but ending sounding like your average heart-broken drunkyard singing in the middle of the night in front of some building. Or like he has a heavy dysentery....

Yes I am disappointed by this album, not a lot but quite. It does have some great songs, but most of them are just boring, uninspired and unoriginal. If you dig western nu-metal/metalcore sound you might as well give this album a listen (also if you are already a fan of Girugämesh). This album has got some good ideas, but they are all realized badly and it suffers from the repetitive heavy sound a lot of Visual kei bands make recently. I must admit when it comes to heavy-with-emotion, Dir en grey is definitely better, but Girugämesh are heavy-with-style.

Want some heavy mostly brainless nu-metal goodness? Get this album!

  Sorry for the late review, but VOX was screwing with me so I couldn't post it earlier.

DIAMOND