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Review - BULLET - Duel Jewel

Feb 22, 2008
3 comments

Here it finally is.
This is their first major album release. (I noted that a lot of ex-indie bands are now signing with major labels now, which makes me quite happy.) Interestingly enough, I noted that this is already out of print on CDJapan.

(Note: Some of the PVs are linked to the original song, because the versions of es and Hana Uta are both remixes on the album.)

BULLET Cover

Tracklist:

1. SEIREN

2. 追憶の軌跡 (Tsuioku no Kiseki)

3. 「華唄〜桜華繚乱〜」(Hana Uta ~ Sakura Ryouran~) [PV]

4. BULLETxSTAR [PV]

3. 君と見た雪 (Kimi To Mita Yuki)

6. ライムドロップスo (Lime Drops)

7. 「NIGHT WALKER」

8. マイノリティコンプレックス (Minority Complex)

9. es -Distored MIX- [PV]

10. Shine of Air

Duel Jewel started out with a more unpolished and rough sound, but definitely lots of talent. Their single Aishuu Melancholia really perked up my ears as a very good single! Duel Jewel's style has many many sides, from an almost 12012 hard rock style to a Kagrra, traditional sound. They also have a great knack for composing very catchy hooks and melodies.

This release has impressed me to no end with its maturity and quality. SEIREN hits things right off, and immediately you pick up the best things from Duel Jewel: Hayato's great (Gackt-like) voice, the perfectly balanced instrumentation, and good melody. It develops into an pretty epic track, starting with the synth riff in the beginning.

The song rides on top of this escalated wave for a while, and we get launched into Tsuioku no Kiseki, which feels like a sequel to SEIREN. It doesn't really go anywhere, and is very enjoyable, but gets a bit boring, and leaves you asking for something more.

Hana Uta ~Sakura Ryouran~ then comes in with a Kagrra,-like introduction and then suddenly you are thrust into the turbulent, hard rock verse. Its very cool, and then Duel Jewel hits you with one of the catchiest refrains: "Sakura, sakura". I can't actually hear too much difference from the original song, except for the instrumental opening. Shun and Yuya, the guitarists accent this song with sharp, jabbing riffs, and Baru, the drummer keeps the fast, speedy beat going. The album version is much, much better and polished compared to the original Hana Uta single. A very enjoyable track.

The promoting single for this album, BULLETxSTAR, sounds a bit like alice nine.'s cosmic world, except with.....rapping? It's an interesting experimentation, but I like it when Hayato sings a bit more. Like cosmic world, it doesn't really stick, and it isn't quite as catchy as cosmic world. The track is highlighted with a playful guitar solo, but this is still one of the weaker tracks on the album.

Kimi To Mita Yuki has a traditional feel, and the opening almost reminds me of some kind of anime opening. This song also has a more pop feel, and has a nice easy listening, walking feel, with a touch of melancholy. The flamenco guitar solo fits very very nicely. This is one of the more experimental tracks, and a high point of the album. Great stuff from Duel Jewel. But....

Next track, Night Walker says "Yeah, right." to the soft style of Kimi to Mita Yuki. Although it does have a melodic refrain, this hard rocker is still one of the hardest track on the album - reminding me of 12012. Suddenly the bridge has this strange synth interlude, then back to the chorus. However, this track is still overshadowed by some of the other ones in terms of melody AND hardrocker-ness.

The next IS the hardest track on the album. Minority Complex has an awesome hard rock feel, never going TOO Dir-en-Grey hard. The chorus, like all the other songs, is very catchy, and this stands out to me quite well. Only Duel Jewel has been able to, for me, achieve this great mix of hard rock and melodic rock. One of my favorites.

In es-Distored MIX- (No, that's not a typo, it really is engrish "Distored"), I can't hear much difference from the original version except a few more effects and synth (They sure do they love using this now!) sounds. In my opinion, the original Es was a much better song, being more epic and emotional. The original version had a more Neo-Japanesque feel also. (The PV is just gorgeous, you really ought to see if you haven't yet) If they had just put the normal version of Es on the album, it would definitely be a better track.

Shine of Air is a soft piano based ballad, where Hayato (vocalist) really shines. This is by far the most mature song by Duel Jewel so far. It has a sad, mournful, nostalgic touch, and never fails to move me. From all of Jrock, even all my favorite music, this is one of my favorite ballads, reminding me a bit of Shizuku by Kagrra,, also a favorite. The song climaxes with so much passion, and as it fades away with the orchestral background, it becomes only the band softly singing "la, la, lala, lalala, lalalala" This harmony really cuts to your heart, and finishes this amazing album on a very wistful note.

Overall, this album is a great introduction for any new Duel Jewel fan, and shows great growth and depth from the band. This is definitely a release you can (and I will) listen to again and again, and see the musical complexity and enjoyability that Duel Jewel is able to offer. I look forward to great things from this band in the future.

4.5/5 - Great