69 posts tagged “review”

ミカヅキノキセキ

Date released: 25.6.2008.

Track list
1.ミカヅキノキセキ (Mikadzuki no kiseki) [PV]
2.デジタルネバーランド (Digital Neverland)
3. ハレノヒ [Type B] (Hare no hi)
3. ひなげし [Type C] (Hanageshi)

Don't get me wrong, I do love the sweetness named Ayabie and their last two releases were honestly just a step away from perfection. But unfortunately I didn't like so much Mikadzuki no kiseki.

Mikadzuki no kiseki reminded me of some older Ayabie works due to it's dominate horns, guitars put in background and a parade like feel. It's charming and catchy nevertheless, but rather forgettable and average for Ayabie. Digital Neverland could be a bit over-the-top for some listeners because of the upbeat, 8-bit electro-pop sound that you're likely to hear on a colorful Harajuku Para-para party (I can even imagine Aoi's coreography for this). Really saharoze and darn catchy but the aloof verses and chorus simply don't make it crappy/crazy enough to make you get all freaky on it. SuG does this better, unfortunately.

The B-sides are somewhat better. Hare no hi is a clap-along, 80's dramatic anime ending kinda song but without the drama, more kind of a happy-jerky Ayabie kinda way. I'm glad to hear more of Yumehito's and Takehito's guitars in the front and Intetsu's bass lines are as perfect as always. Still the song is rather unexciting, though kinda cool.
Hanageshi is probably the best song on the whole single, basically being Ayabie going Kagrra, with Japanese festival like sound, semi-fast tempo, good guitarwork and Aoi's innovative singing that I really like.

Ayabie, as always, perpared a small package of sweetness, power and happiness in their Mikadzuki no Kiseki single, but unfortunately it isn't as strong nor exciting as the previous few single's were. Nevertheless if you count Ayabie as a favorite artist you'll probably count this single as a new one in your collection. Though honestly, we have heard much, much better from Ayabie.

Antlion

Date released: 18.6.2008.

Track list
1. antlion
2. 麝香漂う中で (Jakou tadayou naka de)
3. 男娼と黒猫 (antlion version) (Danshou to kuroneko)

Sugar actually turned to this month's top music discovery to me. I was going through some of their singles to warm up for their first Unplugged style single (as they've stated).

With antlion Sugar definitely proves the unhindered versatility of Visual kei, being a Visual kei band whose style can be described as jazz-rock, even more jazzier than your average jazz-ska-punks Merry and Nagoya kei lords the studs. And the resemblance of the singer Loki's voice with those of Mako is pretty tight, though Loki's voice is a bit more vibrant.

antlion sounds like the kind of music you'd hear on a terrace of a hotel at the seaside on a summer night. The kind of slow-tempo, saxophone enriched (and you don't hear a sax everyday in Visual kei at least) balladesque songs where couples (mostly old folks) go dancing slowly, close to one another. Interestingly the song goes a bit upbeat at the middle delivering a nice bass and drum solo, giving even more an impression of a jazz combo playing. And have I mentioned how floating and light Loki's voice sounds?

Jakou tadayou naka de goes a bit faster, still glimmering with the unmistakable jazzy groove and feel, making you wanna close your eyes on the passages and start dreaming. Glamorous, profound, feather-light and stylish, yes that is how you could describe this, a bit faster than antlion, ballad with this retro sound provided by the electric organ and the saxophone (which dominates this single).

I was really happy to see Danshou to Kuroneko (Manwhore and the black cat) on this single because it's my favorite Sugar song right after Blossom. And the antlion version really brings the greatness of the original in a new form. The intro opens with a slow, emotional and gentle saxophone and piano company and then goes with a tango-like melody and beat giving the song an extra rock-rebel-flair to it. LOKI's voice simply floats over the whole song, exploding together in a great chorus (sounding even more vibrant than the original thanks to the extra punch from the saxophone). The guitar solo after always blows me away with it's ingenious, minimalistic, pizzicatto like play interchanging with the saxophone and later with Loki's whispering, you just have to love it.

antlion is a excellent single, can't deny that, though it's a kind of a single music elitists would listen, even your folks would listen and not complain about it (if you have music elitist parents like I do =) ). The mature, serious and overall well composed songs really sting out of the most of the Visual kei releases, showing that Visual kei knows no borders nor dogmas, allowing almost all sound ranges as long as it can be classified as some kind of rock. That is one of the reasons I love Visual kei, it can never get boring and each band is unique.

As for Sugar, their music will suit even the most elitist tastes, though don't expect some heavy and crazy riffage, explosive choruses and agression in antlion. The almost puristic jazz-rock style may seem boring to the listener oriented more on the wild side of Visual kei. Nevertheless if you like jazz, good compositions, variety in sounds and a more unplugged and Nagoya kei approach, you might not resist the charms and style this band has. A warm recommendation. 

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.

[-tHiNk-]

Date released: 11.06.2008.

Track list
1. [ ]
2. [-tHiNk-]

[-tHiNk-] is the second demo-single by the young Visual kei band born. This single made me think about whether to consider it as a sign of a existing potential of this band or as just another average Visual kei release.

[-tHiNk-] has got this screaming, buzzing guitars running through the whole song, giving off a slight industrial feel like D'espairsRay's song PIG. The thick bass and dynamic drumming, with a lot of bass attacks speed up the song giving a extra punch and energy into it. It's not so often to hear such a power attack from a indie or demo band, so this energy is kinda plus for born. The chorus have got this singing in higher register, almost falsetto like that I really don't understand why so many singers torture themselves with such a high pitch, but luckly it's interchanged with the singer's Ryouga's normal voice higth and a young sounding timbre. What I like about the chorus is the distorted smashing of one guitar, while the other playes a simple, pulsing melody in clean, set into the background. It's like Karyu's playing in D'espairsRay, though less ingenious. Technical aspects aside, the song does have this underground feel to it, with early D'espairsRay and 2000-2003. Dir en grey flashbacks, making this song even more appealing.

born has got good influences and they do know how to use this influences in their songs, but they still have to work on their originality. Overall, without me making some philosphy about it, I kinda liked the single, not exactly something I'd listen to all the time, but once in a while it might be intereseting. If you're a fan of bands with a industrial and dark touch like D'espairsRay you'd probably like this single yet knowing that there are better songs.

Keep working hard guys, it'll pay out one day.

And they've said that there will be no PV. AHA! YOU LYING BITCHES!!!!!
But then again this isn't a actual PV, just the live performance of Brilliant from one of their recent lives mixed up with the CD version of Brilliant. LAZY BITCHEZZZZZZ!!!! In their almost ten years of existence they've released like what 6 PV's but each was a true little masterpiece for itself so this 5-minute edit feels as made just sio that the guys would get some screentime on TV. And I already had imagined the PV to be all flashy, like trickstar but with some broken glass, lotsa light effects and our boys looking as fierce as ever...
Oh well....

To the not so brillant PV for Brilliant.

Hizumi in his oh-so-dark pose

Desuupaaa on stage

Aww Karyu the schoolboy

The crowd casting a spell on Hizumi

Cükasa

Look it's Mister non-existing Bass!

Yes and as concluded this PV is mostly fan reserved and for the lovers of the song that will probably just listen to the song if the PV comes on their TV and do something else instead of watch. Oh well... better anything than nothing guess. If you're hungry for some smashing rock songs and D'espa-lives you'll like this PV.

Fangirl moment: KYAAAA ARMSS カリュの強く腕

Rockshow Japan style

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.

独

Date released: 14.5.2008.

Track list
1. 独 (Doku)
2. 13 Python

So the chariots (of Kisaki) return once more to hail our stereo players with their third (and last consecutive) monthly attack: the single Doku. So I guess only UNDER CODE is capable of releasing three singles in a monthly frequency and even the birds on the branches know what a money-ripping, tax-avoiding UNDER CODE president Kisaki is.
And since Kisaki loves to have his touch in everything related to his label, you'd hardly find an UNDER CODE release that hasn't got the producer part addressed to Kisaki.

Back to chariots, Kisaki's probably most beloved band on UNDER CODE since it consist's of a few former Phantasmagoria members (in which the allmighty Kisaki was the bassist). As I've said Doku is their third single this last three months and unfortunately it didn't bring anything new nor different from the charitos. Their last month's single Ga was kinda cool with those kote-kei untypical upbeat rock songs, but Doku is heavy old-school: metallesque guitar riffs, head-bashing riffs, obligatory strings in the backrground, dark and gloomy sound covered with a decent, though not something special vocal performance by Riku. 13 Python is a bit more lively, with good metal influenced riffs and Siva-like bridges but then again it leaves the impression like you've heard it already somewhere before, just like Doku.

So yeah nothing new here. This single is pretty much fan-reserved. It does show that the chariots have good preforming skills and a powerful production, but asides that it is the same as everything we have heard from chariots before. Shame, I was hoping to hear something surprising just like last month's single.

Off-topic actually: UNDER CODE is gaining two new bands Lamina and E'm~grief~. Judging by their pretty orthodox looks they are probably going to be just another old-school band from UNDER CODE with Kisaki's production. So look forward to a similar review to this one in July (when both bands will debut and start their series of monthly releases). wheeee.....................................................

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
   

Discord

Date released: 7.5.2008.

Track list
1. ～歪～ (Ibitsu) [Listen]
2. Discord [Listen]
3. HADES (Secret track) [Listen]

Discord is the debut single of the dark Visual kei band Lucy, who has been around for a year (interesting that the single was released on the day of their first anniversary). Besides the pretty dark look the band has proved to have a pretty dark sound.

Ibitsu roars with heavy distorted guitars and distanced shivering riffs in the background at the beginning. I couldn't help to notice that the singer Sakaki has got a very resembling voice to Distraught Overlord's singer Mikaru: velvety, deep, warm and then again pretty rough. His screaming parts really sound harsh, giving you the chills. But not only his voice is mesmerizing, the overall sound of the song is pretty dark (though the refrain has got some positive feel to it) enhanced with screeching guitars, trembling bass and very subtle drumming. Imagine pre- [Coll:set] D'espairsRay darkness but without the pumping energy and speed and you'll get Ibitsu.

Discord begins slowly, silently before turning into a distorted, loud, screaming beast of a song. I've really heard quite a lot of dark Visual kei bands, but these guys are really, really dark... Jumping from melodious, obscure parts to almost atonal frontal crashes of heavy distorted guitars and screaming. Discord yet surprises with a good refrain where Sakaki's voice really shows it's warm timbre.

Though only two songs are listed on the track list, Lucy has put an additional semi-instrumental song as a secret track (I found out that the song is called HADES). The song begins with the kind of slow and echoing drumming you'd probably hear in some 80's rock ballad, but the mere echoing presence of the drums in combination with both scratching and swaying riffs gives up a very unusual, dark atmosphere. Judging by the quality of the song, it must have been live taken. And again Lucy interchange their almost atonal noisy parts with quite ingenious melodic parts.

I must say I actually like Lucy's style though the dark atmosphere, harsh screaming and somewhat shabby compositions, but I can't deny their potential and ability to create a really strong atmosphere. In a way I have founded in Lucy something that was missing in the latest D'espairsRay single: the darkness that gradually gets under your skin.
Even though Lucy won't blow you away, their songs will pull you into their realm, somehow making you actually want to listen to them.

+DéspairsRay+ (when they were still called like that), Distraught Overlord and -OZ- fans should really consider checking Lucy out.

Thanks to precious_metals for giving the recommendation.