Acid Black Cherry - BLACK LIST album
I had downloaded this album online ages ago, and had, of course, listened to every track multiple times. All the while I had been steadily convinced that the album just included random songs. This would be acceptable because it's a solo project, I felt. After I finally purchased the album and it arrived in the mail, one look through the book jacket made me realize that Acid Black Cherry's BLACK LIST album is a concept album. Just to be sure that all are aware, a concept album is an album on which all the songs revolve around a universal theme, not sound.
BLACK LIST has a bit to do with the tendencies of man, the uncontrollable urge to sin, ordinary relationship drama, contemplation before death, and ultimately death itself. However, the album is really centralized around sin.
In the book jacket, seven of the songs have each been assigned one of the seven deadly sins, namely Pride, Gluttony, Envy, Greed, Sloth, Lust, and Wrath. With this knowledge, it helps the listener to fully understand the concept behind the album, but even so, I'm going to go through each of the songs, mostly highlighting the songs attached to the sins.
The first track is entitled "sins", and the title fully explains the song on its own. Even so, the song describes multiple brief situations in which sin falls into place. This song isn't only a great opening to the concept, it also ties in to the last track on the album as well.
Track two is "Shoujo no Inori", (A Girl's Prayer). It is the first song to be assigned a sin, Greed, but this choice is puzzling to me. The song appears more about desperation and longing (for love, not money). In a way, the lyrics suggest prostitution (in the search of love/affection), so perhaps that's where the greed comes in. A very good song, passionate and sad, with an edge that's easy to rock out to. In a way, the melody is somewhat misleading...
Track three is the notorious "SPELL MAGIC", a song entirely about sex. No, this track was not assigned Lust. Instead, it was gifted Envy. If you dare to use a discerning eye and read between the lines, you'll find that underneath the lust and foul talk is a girl longing for attention. She seems willing to be used in order to be with this hypothetical man. For me at least, the lyrics are disgusting and unnecessary even for a song about Envy. This was also Acid Black Cherry's first single, and if I had heard this song first I never would have listened to the band again. That's just me.
Tracks four and five, "scar" and "Aishitenai" (I Don't Love You) are sad relationship songs. The only thing really dividing the two are the melodies; Aishitenai has a slightly more commercial, pop sound, whereas "scar" has a bit more significant emotion. All in all, they just make Yasu appear like a terrible boyfriend because he's constantly crying and apologizing for things. But let's not deny that those sorts of emotions and circumstances occur in real life, and they are both wonderful songs.
Track six is "Bit Stupid" a song that overall is, well, a bit stupid. It is assigned Gluttony because the song is about cheating and wanting more than one deserves. The lyrics are humorous, a funny way to look that something mean. Yasu goes on to say that it's a male psychological thing to try to get away with it, and girls are genetically master detectives with the instinct to catch them every time. And of course the song ends with apologies, etc. Even for as funny as it is, the melody gives the song a really mediocre, tacky, pop sound that doesn't represent the talent Yasu has.
"Rakuen" (Paradise) is assigned Lust. It's fitting, but the song is perhaps not as blatant as "SPELL MAGIC". In the song, the considered paradise is found in the heat of the moment, as in more sexual encounters.
My favorite single on the album, "Black Cherry" was assigned Pride. This is another tricky assignment if you don't concentrate on the lyrics. The "narrator" is pretending to accept casual sex and flings for the attention of...whoever, pretending that they don't love them, that they're satisfied this way. But the truth is, they've always loved them...pathetic but seductive. The unique melody (especially its transition) is perhaps the greatest element. I've talked about the PV on here already.
"Murder License" is assigned Wrath for really obvious reasons. There is a desire to kill, but an inability to, it appears. The song is more about hate than actual murder though. It is also entirely in English.
"Fuyu no Maboroshi" (A Winter Illusion) is perhaps the most touching song on the album. It is about winter, and the memories the season brings about a dead loved one. The "narrator" has come to love winter because their dead loved one has, even despite the chill. It's a longing to see them again, even if it's only an illusion in the snow.
"DRAGON CARNIVAL" is a particularly fun-spirited song. It sort of reminds me of teenage summers. It is assigned Sloth, perhaps because no other song could carry it, and it's just about a looking toward the future, making dreams come true. At this stage, all the sins have been assigned, and the last track ties the concept together.
"Prologue End" initially sounds like a contradictory phrase, but if you look at the lyrics, the title really seems to mean "before the end". It's a song of contemplation, beautiful in melody and lyrics. It includes the sorts of things one might think about in death, but no summary will adequately encompass the message. If you've never read the lyrics, you must!
The album ties itself together well, like a journey through sin (I didn't say it was a good journey), a realistic one that certain people could connect with. It demonstrates Yasu's talent as well, which is phenomenal. Ignoring my own personal tastes, I think that all of the songs were really well done except for "Bit Stupid"; far too amateur. I'd leave you a live to watch, but Avex always takes them off of youtube (anal jerks!) so it's not really worth it. I suppose the moral of the story is that buying CDs is way better than downloading them. Opening up the book jacket can be a true moment of enlightenment.
BLACK LIST has a bit to do with the tendencies of man, the uncontrollable urge to sin, ordinary relationship drama, contemplation before death, and ultimately death itself. However, the album is really centralized around sin.
In the book jacket, seven of the songs have each been assigned one of the seven deadly sins, namely Pride, Gluttony, Envy, Greed, Sloth, Lust, and Wrath. With this knowledge, it helps the listener to fully understand the concept behind the album, but even so, I'm going to go through each of the songs, mostly highlighting the songs attached to the sins.
The first track is entitled "sins", and the title fully explains the song on its own. Even so, the song describes multiple brief situations in which sin falls into place. This song isn't only a great opening to the concept, it also ties in to the last track on the album as well.
Track two is "Shoujo no Inori", (A Girl's Prayer). It is the first song to be assigned a sin, Greed, but this choice is puzzling to me. The song appears more about desperation and longing (for love, not money). In a way, the lyrics suggest prostitution (in the search of love/affection), so perhaps that's where the greed comes in. A very good song, passionate and sad, with an edge that's easy to rock out to. In a way, the melody is somewhat misleading...
Track three is the notorious "SPELL MAGIC", a song entirely about sex. No, this track was not assigned Lust. Instead, it was gifted Envy. If you dare to use a discerning eye and read between the lines, you'll find that underneath the lust and foul talk is a girl longing for attention. She seems willing to be used in order to be with this hypothetical man. For me at least, the lyrics are disgusting and unnecessary even for a song about Envy. This was also Acid Black Cherry's first single, and if I had heard this song first I never would have listened to the band again. That's just me.
Tracks four and five, "scar" and "Aishitenai" (I Don't Love You) are sad relationship songs. The only thing really dividing the two are the melodies; Aishitenai has a slightly more commercial, pop sound, whereas "scar" has a bit more significant emotion. All in all, they just make Yasu appear like a terrible boyfriend because he's constantly crying and apologizing for things. But let's not deny that those sorts of emotions and circumstances occur in real life, and they are both wonderful songs.
Track six is "Bit Stupid" a song that overall is, well, a bit stupid. It is assigned Gluttony because the song is about cheating and wanting more than one deserves. The lyrics are humorous, a funny way to look that something mean. Yasu goes on to say that it's a male psychological thing to try to get away with it, and girls are genetically master detectives with the instinct to catch them every time. And of course the song ends with apologies, etc. Even for as funny as it is, the melody gives the song a really mediocre, tacky, pop sound that doesn't represent the talent Yasu has.
"Rakuen" (Paradise) is assigned Lust. It's fitting, but the song is perhaps not as blatant as "SPELL MAGIC". In the song, the considered paradise is found in the heat of the moment, as in more sexual encounters.
My favorite single on the album, "Black Cherry" was assigned Pride. This is another tricky assignment if you don't concentrate on the lyrics. The "narrator" is pretending to accept casual sex and flings for the attention of...whoever, pretending that they don't love them, that they're satisfied this way. But the truth is, they've always loved them...pathetic but seductive. The unique melody (especially its transition) is perhaps the greatest element. I've talked about the PV on here already.
"Murder License" is assigned Wrath for really obvious reasons. There is a desire to kill, but an inability to, it appears. The song is more about hate than actual murder though. It is also entirely in English.
"Fuyu no Maboroshi" (A Winter Illusion) is perhaps the most touching song on the album. It is about winter, and the memories the season brings about a dead loved one. The "narrator" has come to love winter because their dead loved one has, even despite the chill. It's a longing to see them again, even if it's only an illusion in the snow.
"DRAGON CARNIVAL" is a particularly fun-spirited song. It sort of reminds me of teenage summers. It is assigned Sloth, perhaps because no other song could carry it, and it's just about a looking toward the future, making dreams come true. At this stage, all the sins have been assigned, and the last track ties the concept together.
"Prologue End" initially sounds like a contradictory phrase, but if you look at the lyrics, the title really seems to mean "before the end". It's a song of contemplation, beautiful in melody and lyrics. It includes the sorts of things one might think about in death, but no summary will adequately encompass the message. If you've never read the lyrics, you must!
The album ties itself together well, like a journey through sin (I didn't say it was a good journey), a realistic one that certain people could connect with. It demonstrates Yasu's talent as well, which is phenomenal. Ignoring my own personal tastes, I think that all of the songs were really well done except for "Bit Stupid"; far too amateur. I'd leave you a live to watch, but Avex always takes them off of youtube (anal jerks!) so it's not really worth it. I suppose the moral of the story is that buying CDs is way better than downloading them. Opening up the book jacket can be a true moment of enlightenment.