Reviews
Dir en Grey: 03/08/2010 The KOKO London - by METZLI
Visit: The Forum Review Topic To Discuss memories of this show and the review itself. Thank you Metzli for writing such an brilliant review.
Stepping into the KOKO club, the appearance is not that of a venue about to play host to one of the rawest Japanese Rock bands to grace the British shores. With its hanging curtains, theatrical masks and ornate gold-painted balconies, this looks more the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company than a tour spot for a band such as this, as far removed from Shakespeare as seemingly possible! But looking down from my standpoint on the first balcony the crowd that fills every orifice of this club tell a different story. They fill each balcony, dangling arms appearing from every alcove, heads packed so tightly down below that they seem to share shoulders. These are the fans, the fanatics, drawn from across the globe to congregate together under the same purpose, the same passion.
And as the filler music dies away with the lighting and Sa Bir begins to rumble through speakers, the responding scream that tears itself free from innumerable unseen vocal chords leaves no doubt in the mind about just how monumental this band is.
Sa Bir lost behind the din of hundreds of hungry fans, the band enter the stage to the usual uproar of admiration, anticipation and downright excitement. Shinya enters first, his white shirt almost glowing in the blue tinted stage lights. He is followed shortly by Die, Kaoru and Toshiya all of whom throw their fists up to the audience, igniting their energy further, building it up to dangerous levels. The biggest scream, it seems, is reserved for the final and fifth member to saunter on to the stage. Kyo, unlike his band members, is characteristically stoic, seeming at first not to notice the waves of his own screamed name crashing against the stage. Instead, he walks over to where his travel companion, his trusty red crate, lays in wait at the front of the stage. As Sa Bir draws to a close, Kyo acknowledges the crowd for the first time, planting one foot upon it and punching a fist towards the upturned faces, his mouth opened in a soundless cry. Then Sa Bir ends, and all hell ensues.
The show starts as it means to go on. Heavy. As the characteristic chords of Red Soil echo across the crowd, the effect is instantaneous. The crowd roars and surges to the left, overbalancing and falling to the right. As the vocals kick in, it is easy to lose yourself in the music, beginning the self destruction that results from truly letting yourself go. At the end of the song, Kyo removes his shades in what will be the beginning of a provocative little strip tease for the pleasure of all those present. Wasting no time, the band leap into the punishing AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS, allowing no time for rest for those in the pit - or for themselves. As the first scream rips free of Kyo, you can practically feel the pain raging in your own throat in a sort of sympathetic admiration. But what would leave most hacking, leave Kyo undeterred, as he rages on, Die head banging as furiously as any of the fans, Toshiya and Kaoru feeding off each other, jumping around stage.
The Leather Jacket is undone, Kyo stands on the crate as the Shinya strikes up, The Fatal Believer delivers another blow to the crowd, those in the pit held together by adrenaline and sheer passion.
With the next song, the jacket is fully removed, cast aside as if it no longer has any value. Back to basics as if to commemorate launching into their latest single. Just the very opening beats of Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami seem to cause a chain reaction within the fans that drives them crazy. Everyone, regardless of being in the pit or stretched out over balconies, begins to thrash, threatening to render the venue to the ground. The very song that embodies the long and emotional evolution of Dir En Grey as a band deserves no lesser reaction. The crowd roars along, the devout singing the words, others simply giving in to the power of the genuine ardour forced through the notes by the members themselves.
The following songs do not ease the pounding delivered to the crowd. Leaping fluidly from Stuck Man to the deceivingly soft introduction of Gaika, Chinmoku ga nemuru koro. It is only as this song draws to its end, and the entity filling the venue takes a united gasp for breath through weakened applause that we are offered some respite. The soothing tones of Inconvenient Ideal wash out across the sweaty crowd, influencing them in a profound way turning their thrashing into a uniformed swaying. Arms, where free to move, are above head, waving along to the pulse that has consumed all. From above, the sight is quite mesmerising. Tension builds and the scream that sounds at 3:17 is so clear it seems to pierce the heat and influence the whole crowd to emulate it, copy cat screams echoing from every angle.
As this song draws to an end, the applause is cut short, as a low drone continues long after the music has died away. The stage darkened, Kyo knelt on his crate is bathed in an eerie red light, a low rumbling picks up deep in his throat. The crowd fall immediately silent as the vocalist begins one of his token ‘inward screams’ a collection of acapella harmonies and surreal sounds plucked deep from whatever drives him. Through clever record and replay, Kyo’s utterances are layered, creating a thick weave of guttural growls, ethereal chords, chilling screams and stunted poem book-esque speech that is blasted at the audience from all angles by hidden speakers at unexpected intervals. The effect is seemingly to encase the crowd in a dome of sound, holding them together as one for this fleeting moment of their lives, all eyes trained to the same spot, a thousand breaths caught in a thousand throats and the same sense of sheer wonder as the skin crawls and the senses delight.
The magic cuts out to the instantly recognisable opening of Dozing Green. The spell of serenity is broken revitalised the crowd begin to scream and jump with renewed vitality. This same energy lasts straight into the next song. The stage cast into darkness, light is first cast upon Shinya, then to Kaoru and Toshiya, then Die, finally to the crate Kyo standing just behind, cast in shadow. The vocals beginning, he chooses to sing the softer start whilst still immersed in gloom. Only when the harsher growls kick in does he choose to step forth and here he remains for the rest of the song Die throwing up encouraging fists to the crowd, Toshiya and Kaoru likewise.
Next begins a back to back blast from the past. Though they chose to play the updated version of Shokubeni, it still whisks the hardened fan back to the days when they first got their grubby mitts on a copy of VULGAR. With its prolonged, softer chorus and tendency to speed up elsewhere, this version of Shokubeni has its strict differences from the original, leaving the jury out on which of the two is better. The first signs of wear and tear begin to show here, Kyo slumping over the crate at a number of different points, pausing to recapture his breath, the signs of strain etched into his face at reaching the long notes. Half draped across the crate, he raises the mic to his lips and rattles out the command to ‘jump’. Though the call is singular and nearly lost amongst the guitars, the crowd respond in kind becoming a mass of mismatched peaks, like the heart monitor of a particularly fucked patient. Keeping in the VULGAR swing of things, the next track brings out the howls of recognition as people become airborne. OBSCURE roars out across the venue, rocking the foundations to the point that I swear I can feel the balcony shake.
Battered, and hanging by the very sinews, the crowd are afforded another ‘inward scream’ falling into practiced silence for a long period, whilst the other members of the band compose themselves in the shadows. This inward scream seems to rely more heavily on record and replay tool than the previous but after such a punishing set thus far, it can hardly be criticised.
The next track, Bugaboo, sees Kyo interacting with the crowd intimately for the first time. Crouched down low atop the crate, he points to his eyes and stares intently into the crowd, his face the very picture of judgment. Staring blankly into the crowd, he seems to focus on nothing. Slowly he lifts out a single hand, letting it weave through the air before him, over the stage ‘ I get A-D-D-I-C-T-E-D’ that one hand seeming to have a lunar effect on the tide of fans, surging towards the middle, reaching imploringly outwards in hopes of chancing their fingertips against his.
Reiketsu Nariseba bursts into action next. During the interview Kyo stands on the crate, back to the audience. With his arms spread out wide, head tilted back and his head cast upwards towards the heavens, it is almost Christlike. His new tattoo on display, carved into his back, almost adds to this idea of rebirth. The rebirth the band go through every time they grace a stage. The last song of the set is Vinushka. Meaning ‘deceiver’ in Hindi and lasting a considerable 9 minutes 37 seconds, it does not seem the most likely choice for a final song, especially given the physical exhaustion that plaguing the crowd and, judging by the amount of sweat, the band. But the song is played perfectly, all exhaustion well masked. Kyo writhes and dances on the crate, as Toshiya and Kaoru stalk the stage, Die stood for the most part in his own area of the stage, bouncing to the music. The song ends, the band leaves, no ceremony. The crowd begins to scream for an encore.
When the band returns, the hoarse screams turn frantic as The Final starts. The venue fills with a hundred voices as Kyo breaks free of the vocals, holding the mic out so that the crowd may fill in for him - I can’t live, so I can’t live drawing out the final word to near impossible lengths considering the battering his voice box has taken over the evening. Then, turning to the crowd he repeats, ‘rasht song’ several times, the scream that answers him getting louder each time. Followed by the re vamped version of Rasetsukoku it seems that the band show no sign of tiring.
To close the evening Dir En Grey explode into a particularly vigorous ZAN-. The song finishes, Kyo tosses the mic to the ground and stalks off stage not to be seen again. Meanwhile, the other members stay on the stage, pandering to the crowd, tossing pics and drum sticks respectively, dousing the ecstatic faces from bottles of water. It seems strange to me that the one member of the band that does not cater to the crowd, but seeming arrogantly dismisses them, should get the loudest cheer. But perhaps this cold indifference is what draws us in. In any case, as the rest of the band leave the stage and people begin to mill out into the refreshing chill of the dark London street this was surely an explosive gig which will stay with all those present for the rest of their lives.
Stepping into the KOKO club, the appearance is not that of a venue about to play host to one of the rawest Japanese Rock bands to grace the British shores. With its hanging curtains, theatrical masks and ornate gold-painted balconies, this looks more the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company than a tour spot for a band such as this, as far removed from Shakespeare as seemingly possible! But looking down from my standpoint on the first balcony the crowd that fills every orifice of this club tell a different story. They fill each balcony, dangling arms appearing from every alcove, heads packed so tightly down below that they seem to share shoulders. These are the fans, the fanatics, drawn from across the globe to congregate together under the same purpose, the same passion.
And as the filler music dies away with the lighting and Sa Bir begins to rumble through speakers, the responding scream that tears itself free from innumerable unseen vocal chords leaves no doubt in the mind about just how monumental this band is.
Sa Bir lost behind the din of hundreds of hungry fans, the band enter the stage to the usual uproar of admiration, anticipation and downright excitement. Shinya enters first, his white shirt almost glowing in the blue tinted stage lights. He is followed shortly by Die, Kaoru and Toshiya all of whom throw their fists up to the audience, igniting their energy further, building it up to dangerous levels. The biggest scream, it seems, is reserved for the final and fifth member to saunter on to the stage. Kyo, unlike his band members, is characteristically stoic, seeming at first not to notice the waves of his own screamed name crashing against the stage. Instead, he walks over to where his travel companion, his trusty red crate, lays in wait at the front of the stage. As Sa Bir draws to a close, Kyo acknowledges the crowd for the first time, planting one foot upon it and punching a fist towards the upturned faces, his mouth opened in a soundless cry. Then Sa Bir ends, and all hell ensues.
The show starts as it means to go on. Heavy. As the characteristic chords of Red Soil echo across the crowd, the effect is instantaneous. The crowd roars and surges to the left, overbalancing and falling to the right. As the vocals kick in, it is easy to lose yourself in the music, beginning the self destruction that results from truly letting yourself go. At the end of the song, Kyo removes his shades in what will be the beginning of a provocative little strip tease for the pleasure of all those present. Wasting no time, the band leap into the punishing AGITATED SCREAMS OF MAGGOTS, allowing no time for rest for those in the pit - or for themselves. As the first scream rips free of Kyo, you can practically feel the pain raging in your own throat in a sort of sympathetic admiration. But what would leave most hacking, leave Kyo undeterred, as he rages on, Die head banging as furiously as any of the fans, Toshiya and Kaoru feeding off each other, jumping around stage.
The Leather Jacket is undone, Kyo stands on the crate as the Shinya strikes up, The Fatal Believer delivers another blow to the crowd, those in the pit held together by adrenaline and sheer passion.
With the next song, the jacket is fully removed, cast aside as if it no longer has any value. Back to basics as if to commemorate launching into their latest single. Just the very opening beats of Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami seem to cause a chain reaction within the fans that drives them crazy. Everyone, regardless of being in the pit or stretched out over balconies, begins to thrash, threatening to render the venue to the ground. The very song that embodies the long and emotional evolution of Dir En Grey as a band deserves no lesser reaction. The crowd roars along, the devout singing the words, others simply giving in to the power of the genuine ardour forced through the notes by the members themselves.
The following songs do not ease the pounding delivered to the crowd. Leaping fluidly from Stuck Man to the deceivingly soft introduction of Gaika, Chinmoku ga nemuru koro. It is only as this song draws to its end, and the entity filling the venue takes a united gasp for breath through weakened applause that we are offered some respite. The soothing tones of Inconvenient Ideal wash out across the sweaty crowd, influencing them in a profound way turning their thrashing into a uniformed swaying. Arms, where free to move, are above head, waving along to the pulse that has consumed all. From above, the sight is quite mesmerising. Tension builds and the scream that sounds at 3:17 is so clear it seems to pierce the heat and influence the whole crowd to emulate it, copy cat screams echoing from every angle.
As this song draws to an end, the applause is cut short, as a low drone continues long after the music has died away. The stage darkened, Kyo knelt on his crate is bathed in an eerie red light, a low rumbling picks up deep in his throat. The crowd fall immediately silent as the vocalist begins one of his token ‘inward screams’ a collection of acapella harmonies and surreal sounds plucked deep from whatever drives him. Through clever record and replay, Kyo’s utterances are layered, creating a thick weave of guttural growls, ethereal chords, chilling screams and stunted poem book-esque speech that is blasted at the audience from all angles by hidden speakers at unexpected intervals. The effect is seemingly to encase the crowd in a dome of sound, holding them together as one for this fleeting moment of their lives, all eyes trained to the same spot, a thousand breaths caught in a thousand throats and the same sense of sheer wonder as the skin crawls and the senses delight.
The magic cuts out to the instantly recognisable opening of Dozing Green. The spell of serenity is broken revitalised the crowd begin to scream and jump with renewed vitality. This same energy lasts straight into the next song. The stage cast into darkness, light is first cast upon Shinya, then to Kaoru and Toshiya, then Die, finally to the crate Kyo standing just behind, cast in shadow. The vocals beginning, he chooses to sing the softer start whilst still immersed in gloom. Only when the harsher growls kick in does he choose to step forth and here he remains for the rest of the song Die throwing up encouraging fists to the crowd, Toshiya and Kaoru likewise.
Next begins a back to back blast from the past. Though they chose to play the updated version of Shokubeni, it still whisks the hardened fan back to the days when they first got their grubby mitts on a copy of VULGAR. With its prolonged, softer chorus and tendency to speed up elsewhere, this version of Shokubeni has its strict differences from the original, leaving the jury out on which of the two is better. The first signs of wear and tear begin to show here, Kyo slumping over the crate at a number of different points, pausing to recapture his breath, the signs of strain etched into his face at reaching the long notes. Half draped across the crate, he raises the mic to his lips and rattles out the command to ‘jump’. Though the call is singular and nearly lost amongst the guitars, the crowd respond in kind becoming a mass of mismatched peaks, like the heart monitor of a particularly fucked patient. Keeping in the VULGAR swing of things, the next track brings out the howls of recognition as people become airborne. OBSCURE roars out across the venue, rocking the foundations to the point that I swear I can feel the balcony shake.
Battered, and hanging by the very sinews, the crowd are afforded another ‘inward scream’ falling into practiced silence for a long period, whilst the other members of the band compose themselves in the shadows. This inward scream seems to rely more heavily on record and replay tool than the previous but after such a punishing set thus far, it can hardly be criticised.
The next track, Bugaboo, sees Kyo interacting with the crowd intimately for the first time. Crouched down low atop the crate, he points to his eyes and stares intently into the crowd, his face the very picture of judgment. Staring blankly into the crowd, he seems to focus on nothing. Slowly he lifts out a single hand, letting it weave through the air before him, over the stage ‘ I get A-D-D-I-C-T-E-D’ that one hand seeming to have a lunar effect on the tide of fans, surging towards the middle, reaching imploringly outwards in hopes of chancing their fingertips against his.
Reiketsu Nariseba bursts into action next. During the interview Kyo stands on the crate, back to the audience. With his arms spread out wide, head tilted back and his head cast upwards towards the heavens, it is almost Christlike. His new tattoo on display, carved into his back, almost adds to this idea of rebirth. The rebirth the band go through every time they grace a stage. The last song of the set is Vinushka. Meaning ‘deceiver’ in Hindi and lasting a considerable 9 minutes 37 seconds, it does not seem the most likely choice for a final song, especially given the physical exhaustion that plaguing the crowd and, judging by the amount of sweat, the band. But the song is played perfectly, all exhaustion well masked. Kyo writhes and dances on the crate, as Toshiya and Kaoru stalk the stage, Die stood for the most part in his own area of the stage, bouncing to the music. The song ends, the band leaves, no ceremony. The crowd begins to scream for an encore.
When the band returns, the hoarse screams turn frantic as The Final starts. The venue fills with a hundred voices as Kyo breaks free of the vocals, holding the mic out so that the crowd may fill in for him - I can’t live, so I can’t live drawing out the final word to near impossible lengths considering the battering his voice box has taken over the evening. Then, turning to the crowd he repeats, ‘rasht song’ several times, the scream that answers him getting louder each time. Followed by the re vamped version of Rasetsukoku it seems that the band show no sign of tiring.
To close the evening Dir En Grey explode into a particularly vigorous ZAN-. The song finishes, Kyo tosses the mic to the ground and stalks off stage not to be seen again. Meanwhile, the other members stay on the stage, pandering to the crowd, tossing pics and drum sticks respectively, dousing the ecstatic faces from bottles of water. It seems strange to me that the one member of the band that does not cater to the crowd, but seeming arrogantly dismisses them, should get the loudest cheer. But perhaps this cold indifference is what draws us in. In any case, as the rest of the band leave the stage and people begin to mill out into the refreshing chill of the dark London street this was surely an explosive gig which will stay with all those present for the rest of their lives.
Posted on 2010 Aug 16 - By Mayu
9mm Parabellum Bullet - Revolutionary Review By Bottle!
Artist: 9mm Parabellum Bullet
Album: Revolutionary
Release Date: 2010/04/21
Tracklist:
1. Lovecall From The World
2. Cold Edge
3. Invitation
4. 3031
5. Black Market Blues
6. 命のゼンマイ (Inochi no Zanmai)
7. 光の雨が降る夜に (Hikari no Ame ga Furu Yoru ni)
8. Finder
9. キャンドルの灯を (Candle no Hi wo)
10. The Revolutionary
Overview:
9mm are a band that struggle to be defined. Their sound rests between somwhere Hardcore and the most accessible of Indie Rock, the guitars are complex and almost mathematical at times, and yet all the melodies sound distinctly Japanese. Their third full length, Revolutionary, does not stray from this niche they have carved themselves at all, and instead solidifies on the previous albums, giving the listener their most consistent and effective release yet.
________
The album opens with Lovecall From The World, it’s a 49 second slap in the face. Not really an intro track, more an entire song stripped down to its rawest and has everything you’d expect from 9mm contained within. It’s packed to its limit with energy, beginning with a burst of drumming launching straight into their trademark dynamic guitars and a verse, a quick breakdown that spirals into heaviness and screams before it crashes to a halt. A second-long pause before the album’s next track, Cold Edge, begins with the same furious pace. This is the vanguard song of the album, and for me still the real highlight (even though it was released previously as a single), I find it almost impossible to sit still when listening to this song, it’s just so relentless from beginning to end. It's the way the second half of the chorus breaks into a Japanese scaled vocal melody and how the early guitar solo follows suite, which is what I love most about this track.
Invitation is the third track and perhaps to be considered the first real fresh offering from the CD. It’s starts off fairly chaotic and not exceptionally memorable, the chorus however is great and really concretes the track. 3031 is driven with a distorted bass-line, with some impressive sweeping guitar parts at times and has a really cool breakdown in the middle. Solid but not jaw-dropping.
Black Market Blues is the oldest song included on the CD, maybe from its familiarity or just its stylistic differences, but it sounds a little out of place, still enjoyable none the less. The slow build up of 命の ゼンマイ (Inochi no Zanmai) and its clean guitar parts in minor scales gives this song a distinctly ‘The Back Horn’ feel, especially reminiscent of some of that band’s earlier releases. The song is great and breaks up the album nicely. Also released as a single before the album, it works much better as an album track with the spotlight lifted away from it.
光の雨が降る夜に (Hikari no Ame ga Furu Yoru ni) is dominated with a steady bass line and the kind of simple drums that I love. The guitars again play around with minor scale parts, continuing the feel of the last track but building the pace back up for the rest of the album that follows. The chorus melody is catchy but complex and the guitar solo is very impressive.
The next track, Finder, is the weak point of the album for me. It’s almost Polka-esque in sound, and is quite enjoyable at first, however it really drags towards the end. It employs a key-change, followed by a clean-to-distorted build-up, then a drum build-up, before the final heavier repetitions of the chorus, and it’s just all a bit too much to keep my interest from waning.
キャンドルの灯を (Candle no Hi wo) won me over with the song’s switch to something vaguely Jazz after the first chorus, which they seem to pull off effortlessly. I love it when bands play with song structure, especially when the first and second verses are different melodically to each other. The album ends with its title track, The Revolutionary. The production on the guitars combined with the instrumental build-ups gives the track a very grand and epic feel that ends the album on a powerful note.
_______
9mm have really built upon their sound, especially from their last album Vampire, which included equal portions of highs and lows, this on the other-hand comes as streamlined and more polished in almost every aspect, and not to the detriment of compositional quality at all. In fact the opposite, the album flows very well, and the energy and dynamics that are what make the band so unique are much better showcased here, resulting in this being their most fluent and solid release to date.
Posted on 2010 May 12 - By Syryn
-Oz- - Wisteria (Single 24/02/2010) - By Keita!
[[Single Release: 2010/02/24]]
Tracklist
1: Pressed flower
2: Retrograde
3: Another Reign
Overview
With speed driven riffs and deathly yet beautifully harmonised vocals, -Oz- has well and truly come leaps and bounds from their earlier days, leaving their latest release of “Wisteria” as a force to be reckoned with, and giving also, much anticipation for their new single release “virdian” on the 5th May, 2010.
Pressed flower
Beginning with a fast-paced guitar riff growing from the silence at the start of the song, the instruments truly set up the feel for the whole of this single; the bass (played by Nao) is strong, with Zukki’s pounding of the drums heavy and keeping the beat of the song in place as the guitars speed over the top, laying down a catchy tempo that lasts throughout the entirety of “Pressed flower”.
After twenty five seconds of pure instrumental action, the melodic vocals of Natsuki begins, the music complimenting the males voice, matching melodic sounding verse and chorus’ with steadier nature and increasing back to the speed of the beginning when his voice changes into it’s hearty, deathly growls which somewhat seem to drown out the rhythm of the guitars, giving much more prominence to the vocalists voice.
We are also welcomed to a stunning, not-so-mediocre guitar solo, lasting a good portion of the song and allowing the skills of the Aki and Tama to shine through, which I feel is a nice touch to this piece. It shows to me, how much the band have come along, to be able to blast out a stunning solo of that quality. Although, it’s not the best solo in the world, it is truly a pleasure to listen to.
Natsuki’s growls resonate for a brief moment of time, before a singular strum of the strings sound, barely any instruments are heard as Natsuki’s emotion wrought voice sound before leaping back into the end of a very up-beat, yet very heavy ending, repeating on the opening riff to tie “Pressed flower” into its end, fading on a final slam of strings.
Retrograde
Retrograde follows with a similar style to the opening track of this single, adopting a fast and heavy beat before pounding into Natsuki’s harmonious vocals again. I feel however, the band has experimented a little more vocally in this piece, with interesting workings on Natsuki’s voice, besides his typical chorus’ work and roaring, and it’s enjoyable to listen to something a little different, yet not too extremely different. After all, each song on this single, I feel, ties into one another nicely giving a rich and pleasurable listening experience to fans of heavier genre rock music.
The riff is catchy and easily has the ability to be caught in your mind. Retrograde certainly mixes a lot in way of experimentation throughout this piece, the band obviously finding and developing their own sound. Although it is not the most unique of styles, they seem to be quite successful at switching between heavy, punchy vocals accompanied with its matching hard-hitting bass and drums, to a more harmonious match of guitars and singing to which, each works well side by side with one another.
To me, Retrograde has a similar start in sound to “Butterfly” however, it is apparent with this new work that, they have truly been setting the foundations of their sound and coming out with a stronger piece of music to stimulate the senses.
Another Reign
With a slower start than the previous two tracks, we are welcomed within the first 16 seconds to vocals low over the guitars before ripping into roaring over the other instruments. Although not so experimental with the guitars in this piece, Natsuki’s vocals make up for this tremendously in the chorus, offering us with a treat, a chorus that is very memorable and recognisable, very similar to previous -Oz- releases.
Shorter however this time, I feel that this song does not have as much to offer as “Pressed flower” and “Retrograde” have given to us.
Rating
7.5/10
Conclusion
To fans of the heavier side of Jrock, or even those who want to give heavy music a try, then I think -Oz-‘s Wisteria is as good a place as any to start out. With Natsuki’s switching vocals, the music does not seem to be too harsh on the ears as some heavier bands can seem to be. Also, each song follows its own tempo, with none of the tracks failing to deliver a pleasing listening experience; both vocals and instruments harmonise nicely with one another, matching each other in a sense, which helps to fulfil the songs and make them seem and sound, somewhat complete and whole.
Although however, they are not as strong in style or sound as other fast-paced bands, this single proves that -Oz- are trying to break their boundries, improving and doing thier utmost to give fans something new, something better to listen to, as well as attempting to entice over fans into their realm.
I bid that if you are to give an indies band a listen today, let it be -Oz-. With increasing talent and their style solidifying as they improve, I do not think any a fan of the genre could or would be disappointed. Be sure to look out for “virdian” when it is released in May !
Posted on 2010 Mar 19 - By Syryn
D'espairsray - FINAL CALL - Review by Nihility
To mark their 10 year anniversary, D'espairsray have released 'FINAL CALL'. After their recent European Tour, I'm sure fans worldwide will be grabbing this single. Hopefully from places where it costs good old fashion money.
1. FINAL CALL
2. GOING ON!
3. ARK IN THE STORM
FINAL CALL
To start of with, FINAL CALL is most definitely enjoyable. Karyu's predominantly noticeable guitar is the basis to the intro and creates a flowing current throughout with similar and varied riffs. A fairly slow solo is thrown in and it certainly blends with the song. It was nice to hear.
While managing to attain their unique sound, D'espairsray together have again created another well written song. Hizumi's vocals are punchy and powerful throughout. The song is for the most part basic but effective and while it doesn't beat the greatness of some of their other songs, it still manages to have gathered a few plays on my laptop.
It's still growing on me despite the fact that I already love it, I guess that has to be a sure sign that some of this review may differ in a few weeks.
So far so good! A good choice to base a single on.
8.5/10
GOING ON!
The intro to this song sounds slightly common and unimaginative to begin with. Hizumi adapts to a sort of rap style for the lyrics in the first verse but soon changes to his normal style of singing in the chorus. The band all seem to follow a fairly mediocre sound throughout and Tsukasa's repetitive really kill it for me.
The structure of the song is sound but so far the overall sound has failed to impress me. I find the band chants/growls scattered throughout to be moderately annoying.
There are sections throughout the song that are very well done indeed but overall to me, the song is lacking in something that FINAL CALL had. Iffy in my opinion.
5.5/10
ARK IN THE STORM
ARK IN THE STORM begins sounding like a sped up PARADOX 5. However, it really suits what's about to come. The change to a pretty dramatic verse is welcomed and it's definitely nice to hear after Going on. Hizumi's vocals mix with the song superbly and Tsukasa's drumming definitely keeps up the beat. While improving on the previous song, it still seems to lack something. The replay value for me just isn't there. It doesn't have the impact and uniqueness that FINAL CALL has. Maybe it's just me?
7/10
Overall, I'd give the single 7.5/10. FINAL CALL is a great single and I guess the other 2 are only B sides so maybe it isn't fair to judge it on them. *Shrug* Well, I'm going to listen to FINAL CALL on repeat for a while.
Posted on 2010 Jan 25 - By Syryn
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