~しょ (Sho) の BLOG - ALL ABOUT MY FAVORITE MUSIC~

Review - D'espairsRay - BRILLIANT

2008-06-18T18:34:03Z

I'll try to spend this lapse in major releases in June by making up all the reviews I skipped and I might add in a couple classic reviews too, depending if I decide to stop being lazy or not =.=.

BRILLIANT

D'espairsRay

Tracklist:

1. BRILLIANT

2. Cocoon [Audio]

BRILLIANT was the first D'espa song I had heard, and it impressed me to no end. Beginning with a quick buildup of white noise (which kinda stays for the entire song), the guitars and driving bass rage on and on, never taking their feet off of the gas pedal. Hizumi provides a solid vocal performance for the entire song, leading the group through the big anthem. Kayru also slips in lots of strong riffs, which are somewhat covered up in the thick wall of sound. The track just keeps on pounding on until the end.

The next track, Cocoon provides a slight change in pace, with more growling, and slightly more subtle verses, and despite the fact the song plateaus a little bit at the refrain, it's still another strong burner.

I would definitely gave this single full marks......until I heard their album MIRROR. Almost every song on that album has more fire than Cocoon, and although BRILLIANT, my favorite of the two songs, does possess a bit more uniqueness, I've come to see that D'espairsRay is quite good at churning out these kinds of anthemic rock songs, and that BRILLIANT really doesn't say all that much.

Although this is really a good single, and had it been the groups debut release, I would have given it a full score, I'm forced to take off a couple points for the slight lack of originality.

4/5 - Good

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Review - MIRROR BALL - アリス九號.

2008-06-07T19:43:41Z

I've been inactive for a month, and I have no excuse, except that I've been listening to a lot of other kinds of experimental music, as well as a lot of Radiohead as always. And that I'm a lazy person (whose been out of school for almost a month.) But here's my LONG overdue review of this single~!

Mirror Ball B Type Cover

Tracklist:

1. Mirror Ball [PV] [Audio]

2. 奇跡 (Kiseki) [Audio]

3. Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur- [Audio] [PV]

MIRROR BALL is like a mix of TSUBASA and Velvet. Except it's more TSUBASA then Velvet. It takes the poppy melodies of their more recent work, and fuses it with the rockiness of some of their older work. It keeps the same refined quality (some would say TOO refined) that their newer music has.

It's quite a pleasant, energetic song, without straying too far down the pop road. However, they've already released a similar song like this for their last single (TSUBASA) and I hope they'll released some more dynamic singles, ballads, and maybe hard rock songs (FANTASY and Kowloon).

Then next track, 奇跡, sounds immediately like a Switchfoot song from the beginning, but turns back into alice nine. for the refrain, then goes back to sounding American. I had to check my iPod the first time I heard it to make sure this was really an alice nine. song. The beginning riff, and the thick, distorted instrumentation all reminded me of Switchfoot. But especially the ending, with the screaming feedback and wah-wah pedal at full blast, before dying out REALLY had a Switchfoot feel.

We then get a re-arrangement (not a remix, it's not different enough) of their song on Alpha, Eraser. It's slightly softer, featuring some piano accents, and a more acoustic arrangement. The only real change to the progression of the song is probably the falsetto vocals near the end (which work out quite well), and the ending itself.

I think my biggest gripe with this single, which is a minor thing, is that there seems to be a lack of real original material. MIRROR BALL resembles TSUBASA, and Eraser -Memoire d'une Fleur- is a re-arrangement. However, I know that if alice nine. changed their sound from 2006-2007, I'm sure they'll be massaging it into something else soon. Overall quite a solid release:

4/5 - Good

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Radiohead Live...? Amazing Live Performance Video!!!!

2008-05-18T03:32:56Z

Watch this first.

Radiohead - 15 Step (live at Later...)

Then....this.

Radiohead - 15 Step Shred/Overdub

Radiohead are just amazing live. Simply amazing. I mean, in that second video, look at that amazing bassline by Colin! And the great vocal style! And the out-of-time riffs?

Don't forget the effects pedal of Ed!

Hahaha~

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Review - 紅蓮 - the GazettE

2008-05-12T06:23:09Z

NOTE: This is not a re-review, or any new content. It is simply a retyping of my first post, because I screwed up my formatting for the first version. Don't get too exited~!

Well, everyone has been reviewing this single, so I felt that I would give it a try too. (First review! Yay!) About the BULLET one, expect that one soon too, I've just been too lazy, plus this trumps that.

紅蓮 cover

Tracklist:

1. 紅蓮 (Guren) [PV] [Audio]

2. 傀儡絵 (Kugutsue) [Audio]

3. 虚無の終わり箱詰めの黙示 (Kyomunoowari Hakodzumemokushi) [Audio]

For me, the GazettE have always been a darker band. Even their ballads have been darker. I've always needed a more happy band to balance them out.

If I were to describe the band with one color, it would be purple. Their repertoire generally consists of heavy headbanging songs (DISCHARGE), melodious pieces that lie somewhere between ballad and normal rock (Bath Room), dark ballads (Chizuru), and Jazz-Rock songs (Silly God Disco)

Their latest album, STACKED RUBBISH, has been a generally brown album, with its hints of more joyful subjects, yet generally black themes.

紅蓮 completely captures the purple aspect of the GazettE. On an overall basis, the title song is what they want to show us now, and the other two songs COMPLETELY sum up the GazettE. If I wanted to show my friend this band, I would definitely give them this single.

Track by track:

紅蓮 - This song is beautiful. It really does, as everybody else says, flow. 紅蓮 is able to be an elegant ballad without becoming too layered and heavy or just sitting in one place. Think Kagrra, + the more industrial feel and touch of the GazettE, and you have 紅蓮. Ruki starts off with a gentle croon, and slowly builds the song up to a steady, yet emotional chorus, which swirls into a passionate climax, where Uruha takes over with a fitting guitar solo. The other band members paint the background for you, creating a Neo-Japanesque texture. 5/5.

傀儡絵 - Pretty much, as あさり says, this track takes all the best moments Ruki and co. have come up with these past years, and pasted them all into one song. Chizuru-like opening, Hyena guitars, NIL melody, and STACKED RUBBISH lady vocals. The piece progresses like Nausea & Shudder, albeit a bit more intense. Personally, I love the lady-vocals, they add a great refrain. The final bridge, where Ruki and ladies deliver a very melodious theme is my favorite part of the track. 4.5/5

虚無の終わり箱詰めの黙示 - This song also takes a good flow, starting off with the Perfect 5th guitar chords. The verses are softy sung, reminding me a bit of HYDE's solo work. They harmony they strike have a very forshadowing, sarcastic tone, which is fulfilled with the big, sweeping chorus. Great instrumentation and vocal delivery. It's very entertaining, and it doesn't get old. Is it a hint of what might be coming from the GazettE? Possibly... 4.5/5

As a whole, this is a thrilling single. I'm delighted by the music direction taken, and maturity of sound from the GazettE. I give this single a:

5/5 - Outstanding

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Review - Alone again, wonderful world - Plastic Tree

2008-05-06T01:07:47Z

A review-a-day! Probably because I'm just finding so much delightful music~! There's actually quite an interesting story to me and this band, so...

アローンアゲイン、ワンダフルワールド

Plastic Tree

Tracklist:

1. アローンアゲイン、ワンダフルワールド (Alone again, wonderful world) [PV]

2. サイケでリズム (Psychedelizm) [Audio]

3. 初めてのＸＸＸ (First XXX) [Audio]

4. アローンアゲイン、ワンダフルワールド～

Instrumental～

5. サイケでリズム～Instrumental～

I found out about Plastic Tree at first because of my love for Radiohead, while searching for a performance of their song, Fake Plastic Trees. (one of my all-time favorite songs, listen to it if you haven't yet) I saw that there was a Japanese band named "Plastic Tree", and thought, "Oh cool, I look up on them later." and of course, I didn't.

But then, yesterday, I stumbled upon Heroin(e)'s review of Alone again, wonderful world. I read the review, and then pressed play on the PV.

And then I felt this incredible nostalgia, because the song reminded me so much of The Bends-era Radiohead. I instantly fell in love with the song, and then Plastic Tree in general. (Later, I found out that many British alternative bands, which I listen to regularly, were some of Plastic Tree's biggest influences - including Radiohead in particular.)

The thing that drew me in at first about Alone again, wonderful world were the "dirnt-dirnt-dirnt-dirnt" crunches of the guitar. However, these chords which sound harsh at first, take a backseat to Ryuutarou's sing-song, simple vocals, which were what really made me fall in love with Plastic Tree. The way he sat, legs dangling in the PV, the airiness and lightness in his voice brought images of a young Thom Yorke (brilliant frontman of Radiohead) to my head. The simple, yet longing feelings in the song have a everyday touch to them. I just listened to Alone again, wonderful world again and again, and it never got boring or old.

Psychedelizm starts off with a odd techno beat, then a big, fat riff comes in. If the song had kept the heavy sound it had at the beginning for the entire track, I would have lost my special respect for Plastic Tree, dismissing them as just another J-rock band. Luckily, this doesn't happen, due to Ryuutarou's great vocals, which sweeten up the track. There's an effect-laden solo, and the track closes out with the same heavy riff from the opening. Quite a good song.

初めてのＸＸＸ confuses me. It starts off with some silence. Then you realize it's a "remix" of the title track. But all it really is Alone again, wonderful world, with the guitar part replaced with a synth lead, and the vocal track pitch raised very high. Then the band just chatters over it.

The single includes two more instrumental versions of the first two tracks, for you to sing along to. This maxi-single is quite excellent, especially the title song. The only thing that detracts from it is 初めてのＸＸＸ, which made me subtract a half a point from my rating. But I still adore wonderful world, and I am proud to say this single has made me a full Plastic Tree fan. I will be following all their future releases, as well as look back into their 15 year history.

Here's to one of the most underrated Japanese bands:

4.5/5 - Great

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Review - MERRY GO WORLD - 12012

2008-05-05T02:33:16Z

No prerequisite here; I'm jumping right in.

MERRY GO WORLD

12012

Tracklist:

1. MERRY GO WORLD [PV]

2. LOVERS [Audio]

3. 未来図 (Miraizu) [Audio]

4. I BELIEVE... (Type C) [Audio]

This single reminds me of Ayabie's MELT AWAY single. There seems to be a reoccurring sound/theme in each of the songs, and they all have a good sense of connection.

The theme/sound of MERRY GO WORLD is to "make as much noise as possible." Seriously. This is even reflected humorously in the PV.

Many people, after hearing the title song, simply dismissed it as "mediocre" and a bad experimentation from 12012's normal sound. But it deserves a chance, because looking underneath the poppy chorus and catchy hooks, there exists still, the aggressive and rough sound of 12012. And the guitars are just roaring, full out, with their volume up 100 % and generally just making a whirlwind of sound. They just pound at their power chords, attack and whine at the the ferocious riffs. I actually like this track for its energy and aggressiveness.

LOVERS is a power ballad, and it still has the general sound of MERRY GO WORLD. The guitars weave a pretty arpeggiated landscape around Wataru's wistful vocals. When we hit the tender refrain, however, they jump right out of the subdued sound of the verses, and blast out a wave of nostalgic-sounding noise. It almost sounds like Wataru is attempting to sing over them. It fades out, with the guitar repeating a sorrowful melody over a soundscape of strings.

未来図 is a fun song, featuring a cheery sing-along chorus. The guitars still burst out, loud as ever, but are still able to hold back at the right times. The song is actually quite catchy, and will easily get stuck in your head.

I BELIEVE... is a quite cool, dark song, which resembles THE MOON in many ways. A lot of the instrumentation and vocals remind me of some of Dir en Grey's work. The refrain is still classic 12012, and once again, the guitars are still using the same effect pedal(s) and boast the same attack.

Another attribute I noted about this single is the production value, which is very, very good. The drums are accented, the guitars are loud, the vocals are set so they stand out, but aren't overpowered (or overpowering), and the bass is big. This is one of the advantages of being signed to a major label (as well as the cool artwork), so I hope they keep this kind of quality mixing.

I don't see any flaws in this single, and it has a good sense of continuity and good individual songs. It's something I would recommend to anyone trying to get into 12012, and it shows a promising future from this band. I look forward to their next album~ (although I hope they do change up their sound a bit - too much of one sound can be boring)

5/5 - Fantastic

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[Classic Review] ain't afraid to die - Dir en Grey

2008-05-03T01:37:28Z

From now on, when I write "Classic Review", it usually means that the subject of the review was released a while ago. (At least more then 2-3 months.) However, in this case, "Classic" means that this single really is a classic.

ain't afraid to die

Dir en Grey

Tracklist:

1. ain't afraid to die [PV]

2. ain't afraid to die ~with frosted ambience~ [Audio]

3. ain't afraid to die Irresistible Mix [Audio]

I absolutely hated Dir en Grey until recently. The songs that I had heard by them, things like Agitated Screams of Maggots, Saku, and Clever Sleazoid were just terrible, heavy metal "songs". But as I grew more patient and started looking for more in music than just plain catchiness, when I realized music was an emotional thing, I gave Dir en Grey a second chance.

A couple of days ago, when I first heard ain't afraid to die, it blew me away.

And I was surprised there was very little praise and no reviews at all for such a mindblowing, amazing release. And I knew that I had to write this.

ain't afraid to die is a moving, powerful ballad that spans 7 minutes, and is just filled with feeling and emotion for every single second of it. Beginning with a mournful piano, a quiet percussion comes in, along with Kyo's passionate voice. His heartbroken vocals cut straight to your heart. The full drums enter to back him, and as the sorrow builds up, quickly, it becomes the piano and Kyo again.

There is a sudden pause, and then a blast of guitar noise. Somehow the distorted solo which follows doesn't detract from the song, but builds up the intense sadness inside you. When the children's choir enters to strengthen Kyo, it melts you down inside. The orchestra takes the song to a emotional climax, but the mournful piano enters once more, and leaves you with a strong sense of longing and loss.

I couldn't believe this was Dir en Grey. It was easily the most emotional song I had ever heard. It was even more impacting on me than November Rain. Many people will have cried listening to ain't afraid to die. The lyrics add another layer to the song. An excerpt:

"The day of last years final snow
The promises that were hard to exchange
When I remember them, they melt, and spill from my hands
The snow falls gently on a hill
Even though I can't reach you, I understand
The flower in your room that you loved is now...
All alone by the window, just staring at the snow
While remembering you, seeing you in the glass
I give you a final kiss"

Beautiful, yet and so despairing...

The next track, ain't afraid to die ~with frosted ambience~, puts a interesting spin on the title song. After the string introduction, that has a "remembering the past" feeling to it, something that sounds absolutely X Japan. But then there's a.....jazzy feeling? Although a lot of the emotion is drained away, it does restore your happiness, and you definitely swing your head. And this is Dir en Grey making this!

But when I heard ain't afraid to die Irresistible Mix, I REALLY couldn't believe my ears! A seducing beginning that features the sexy female vocals, and Kyo crooning like Gackt. Along with this provocative feel, there's also a sense of tranquilty, as if finally granting you peace of mind. But the emotion is reinserted with the dramatic piano and orchestra climax, which ends with the female vocals again, but this time, they sound eerie.

This single is THE best single I have ever heard. The amazing title track is something every person should hear in their lifetime in my opinion. I have uploaded this entire release onto my Vox page, and it's not going anywhere, so I highly suggest everyone go and listen to it.

This single surpasses my normal rating system. In these cases, I will award this single a:

"Classic - Unsurpassable"

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No listening....?

2008-04-27T03:33:21Z

When Rockerica first decided to upload Mp3's of the songs that she was reviewing, I thought it was a brilliant idea, and wanted to do that too, after all, what's the point of a review if you can't hear the music?

But then, I realized that pretty much all of my music was...320 kbps. That mean that even a 3 minute song would be about 7 megabytes, which would mean that uploading all my music would consequently take forever.

For now, I would recommend readers search for the music around Imeem.

So...does anyone have a good solution to this problem?

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Review - MUCC - Shion (志恩)

2008-04-23T07:34:23Z

I'm just plain terrible at updating consistently. Homework just gathers on me, and I do form my reviews in my head, but I never seem to get to them....

However, once school's out for me, (which is quite early) I'll be able to regularly blog, so look forward to that!

As for this review, I had a lot of new music on my hands, and I noticed a lot of my recent reviews have been on my mainstream material - so I picked something that is not any less popular, but more......rock. I also felt this great record deserved a evaluation, so here it is.

Shion Cover

Tracklist:

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 -Album ver.-) 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 -Album ver.-) PV

Before Shion, I had only heard of MUCC, and never actually heard them. And their ugly makeup (sorry~!) didn't really make me any more thrilled to listen to them. However, after reading Cliff's Shion Review, I decided to give them a try, for Cliff gave them an outstanding review. This means that before hearing Shion, I was completely new to MUCC.

I had no idea what I was in for.

Drip. Drip. This is how Suion, the instrumental introduction starts. It finds a tribal beat a couple of seconds in, and some excellent composition makes creative use of an orchestra. (Primarily plucking the strings) This track slowly eases you into the album, instantly hooking you.

This tribal theme is continued with the mystic guitar intro to Fukurou no Yurikago and Tatsurou slowly builds up the vocals until everything explodes at the chorus, hitting you with this really awesome refrain. From here, I can already see the great instrumentation and skills of this band. This track is just an absolutely stunning real opener. Just epic.

The next track just picks up that momentum and sends it spiraling with the riffs just building up and up. Nuritsubusu Nara Enji never goes overboard for one of the harder songs on the album. Some well placed growling and an uplifting refrain, along with a really cool guitar solo and outro rounds off this song.

The already released Fuzz was my first Mucc song I had ever heard. SATOchi pulls out some real beats here, and along with a fuzz infused guitar, harmonica and you've got yourself a fist pounding dance song. It's really quite addicting, and you have to admire the brilliance every single member of the band is able to bring. Right here, the percussion really stands out, highlighting this track.

Game puzzled me a bit at first. It starts out melancholy, but never becomes a real ballad - well, then again, the lyrics are about leaving a loved one and spending the final night. Many moods sweep through this song, as it picks up a bit of speed and happiness as you hit the chorus. But that quickly fades with the sad bridge....as if you're remembering a good memory, but are suddenly brought back to the harsh reality.

All sorts of happy emotions fill you, for sure this time, with Flight. It actually reminds me of THE KIDDIE. It's just some really positive, yet nostalgic rock. Both the lyrics and the music have the "move forward, surging with energy - look to the great future!" vibe.

Anjelier is total 80's disco. With its arpeggio style refrain - it'll be sure to have you either singing along, tapping your foot, or both. Tatsurou is able to reach those high falsettoes, and (now that I'm familiar with Mucc) it brings a smile to your face. The past 2 songs have all been happy, fun songs...

...but this is completely blown away with Chiisana Mado. This grand, sorrowful ballad tears my heart out. It's able to draw out such deep, deep, yet painful emotions. Literally, this will make you cry. Starting with a mournful guitar intro, it quickly builds up to a string backed chorus. During the bridge, the orchestra's ability to fill out such a space and put such colour into the music is simply overwelming. When the song reaches the final refrain, it just leaves you utterly speechless. I could go on and on about his track, but you simply must listen to it to truly understand.

Mucc are smart to put a more upbeat song next, but not a completely "happy" song. Semishigure seems almost bittersweet - it's unique in it's own way. Although it's not an outstanding track, it manages to fill the gap between Chiisana Mado and Shion quite nicely.

Shion pulls out the big riffs and the experimentation we heard in the first couple of tracks again. There's some very exotic tribal chanting and another cool chorus - along with some interesting percussion. It's an almost Indian/Middle Eastern theme. For a title track, this song really deals it out.

Sora Wasure is another experimental track, with the adventure style string opening, and the exotic twist again. This song sounds almost as if Mucc composed a normal pop/rock Mucc song, and messed around with the things they were on the other Indian/Middle Eastern tracks, except this track doesn't really sound Middle East/Indian.......err...yeah.

Woah, a pretty darn awesome riff! Shiva begins like that, but....becomes another more normal Mucc song that sounds like Flight with some strings thrown in. This is probably one of the more "normal" songs on the album, but considering all the rest of the variety, it's still good to have a couple (more) normal songs thrown in. The refrain on this song also reminds me of looking out a train window, on the past. (A theme of this album is being reborn, so I guess this does make sense.)

Libra is the year-old song that is a big mixed bag of tricks, like 3 songs thrown in one. It begins with a heavy guitar intro, which fades out to some soft rapping by Tatsurou with some gothic undertones.....and it somehow works. Then, in the bridge, this rapping verse intensifies, and crescendoes to a dark climax. The song fades out with a repeated theme first heard in the refrain, which has that "Everybody come together, and goodbye!" feel to it. And it really wraps up the album with a grand feeling of satisfaction. Libra fits just perfectly at the end of Shion.

To sum up, Shion really covers everything, with great variety in the songs, a good sense of continuity, lots of individual song potential, and lots of emotions. You feel the rage, the happiness, the sadness, the melancholia, everything in this album! This release by Mucc is just absolutely fantastic - and is a must have for anyone who....well....loves music!

Quoting Rockerica: "everyone is sure to find his/her's favorite on this remarkable album." I couldn't agree better, and I'm sure many of you will enjoy it as a whole. This album is definitely in great competition for album of the year~! If I keep writing now, I'm just going to be saying the same praise over and over again, so to the rating -

Of course, I have to give Shion a:

5/5 - Fantastic!

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Note

2008-04-08T02:11:39Z

I just wanted to add in retrospect that I just realized that YUI is releasing her new album, I LOVED YESTERDAY.

It probably wasn't the smartest idea to write my Namidairo review just now.

Oh well. I guess minna-sama (everyone) will just have to wait for my I LOVED YESTERDAY review~

(＾┏_┓＾)

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