Damn..
I just logged in to write in my LJ for the first time in 78 weeks. Can we say hiatus?
Anyway I'm gonna use most of my time reviewing some of the awesome junk I happen to like. I really have nowhere to go with this paragraph so I'm just gonna get right into it:
CHEMISTRY = LIFE GOES ON
This song is catchy and I really like this sound. It's following this whole 80's synth/electro vibe and I noticed a few rock songs using the same feel. The pv is nuts, too; a lot of funky dancing and bad costumes that totally makes the melds with the song. The B side (or D side, as it's labelled in the single folder), is a complete 180 from the actual song. Oh, it's the same song, but they took the awesome 80's sound and opted for a slower acoustic style, which makes me go meh in approval. I give this an A since the B/D side takes it down a few notches, and it hasn't totally gotten stuck in my mind, unlike...
OBLIVION DUST = GIRL IN MONO
Oh my god, this single could not be any better than anything I've heard this year.
The lyrics are what stand out the most to me: Finding the girl of your dreams, quite literally, and hoping you could see her again and again every time you sleep. Absolutely beautiful. Ken Lloyd has always had a way with words, and this song is no exception. Of course, the rest of the band kicks it hard in the ass, too, with a simple yet addicting sound that hasn't let me go since I first heard the samples to this song. The B side, Bed of Roses, is just as good, if not better than the initial track. It has a more upbeat pace to it, but somehow flows well with the theme of the song.
I usually rate my songs by how many times I won't pass over it on my playlist, and anytime these two songs come on I always listen. Hell, I often find myself looking for them when I turn my player on~
Grade: A+
Next on my list is:
MUCC - AGEHA
When I heard that Ken (of L'Arc~en~Ciel fame) was producing this single, I was instantly excited. MUCC had never really been a hit with me, as I had never really felt their music, and Tatsurou's voice didn't quite agree with me. But that was years ago, when I had no real concept of japanese rock as a whole. Yes yes, I know...jrock isn't a genre, it's a complete world of its own, but let's face it: we tend to mix up the actual genres as a complete entity rather than the individuals they really are. It's not like we can be blamed for it: Often the artists try different styles and it's hard to peg them down into one group. That being said, I had recently gotten into MUCC from their single FUZZ, as it piqued my interest with its electro groove. After hearing FUZZ, I went on a journey to find the entire discography of MUCC, and quickly became a fan.
Ageha is no exception to my fanatacism.
The intro is beautiful, yet confusing acoustic/electric guitar mix which makes you think the song is going to be a ballad. That feeling quickly washes away once the heaviness of the drums and bass come clawing at your throat.
It seems the boys have taken inspiration from their Taste of Chaos tour friends Avenged Sevenfold and blended their style with the MUCC we've come to know and love. Tatsurou's voice usually makes the songs with its rawness, but the drums really kick it in for me with this song. I can only see great things for the group, and I can't wait to see them in December because I know this song will destroy live.
The B side didn't do it for me. I dunno what it is lately but the B sides do a sharp turn from the first track and go with a slow/jazzy route. Meh.
Grade: A
DIR EN GREY = GLASS SKIN
This song is beautiful. A ballad from the men of Diru as they come out of the skin of their previous album, Marrow of a Bone. They promised us an album that is going to be the greatest jrock album ever, and so far I haven't been too let down. I say this because I want some Vulgar-esque hard songs for their next singles, and I don't care what anyone says: Vulgar was their best album ever.
Back to this song: It strikes a feel of Luna Sea with me, with a somberness you could only get from one of the greatest bands ever. The bassline of Glass Skin makes it for me, a rumbling amongst the cry of Kaoru's lead guitar. Nothing too fancy, but it sets the mood perfectly. Kyo's voice, who I may very well be the only person in the world to love, comes through perfectly. Normally, we're used to hearing his screeching and growling and guttural screams of death, but he opts for an actual singer's voice and I think it's great. The B sides are, once again, meh, with a slight exception for Agitated Scream of Maggots only because it sounds like someone dying in a haunted mansion. Awesome.
Ok no more reviews until tomorrow I suppose.
In other news, I'm sending out my comic by the end of this week, so wish my good luck~ If you'd like to see my artwork, head over to http://piratekingtai.deviantart.com and tell me what you think.
Peace out errrbody~
Anyway I'm gonna use most of my time reviewing some of the awesome junk I happen to like. I really have nowhere to go with this paragraph so I'm just gonna get right into it:
CHEMISTRY = LIFE GOES ON
This song is catchy and I really like this sound. It's following this whole 80's synth/electro vibe and I noticed a few rock songs using the same feel. The pv is nuts, too; a lot of funky dancing and bad costumes that totally makes the melds with the song. The B side (or D side, as it's labelled in the single folder), is a complete 180 from the actual song. Oh, it's the same song, but they took the awesome 80's sound and opted for a slower acoustic style, which makes me go meh in approval. I give this an A since the B/D side takes it down a few notches, and it hasn't totally gotten stuck in my mind, unlike...
OBLIVION DUST = GIRL IN MONO
Oh my god, this single could not be any better than anything I've heard this year.
The lyrics are what stand out the most to me: Finding the girl of your dreams, quite literally, and hoping you could see her again and again every time you sleep. Absolutely beautiful. Ken Lloyd has always had a way with words, and this song is no exception. Of course, the rest of the band kicks it hard in the ass, too, with a simple yet addicting sound that hasn't let me go since I first heard the samples to this song. The B side, Bed of Roses, is just as good, if not better than the initial track. It has a more upbeat pace to it, but somehow flows well with the theme of the song.
I usually rate my songs by how many times I won't pass over it on my playlist, and anytime these two songs come on I always listen. Hell, I often find myself looking for them when I turn my player on~
Grade: A+
Next on my list is:
MUCC - AGEHA
When I heard that Ken (of L'Arc~en~Ciel fame) was producing this single, I was instantly excited. MUCC had never really been a hit with me, as I had never really felt their music, and Tatsurou's voice didn't quite agree with me. But that was years ago, when I had no real concept of japanese rock as a whole. Yes yes, I know...jrock isn't a genre, it's a complete world of its own, but let's face it: we tend to mix up the actual genres as a complete entity rather than the individuals they really are. It's not like we can be blamed for it: Often the artists try different styles and it's hard to peg them down into one group. That being said, I had recently gotten into MUCC from their single FUZZ, as it piqued my interest with its electro groove. After hearing FUZZ, I went on a journey to find the entire discography of MUCC, and quickly became a fan.
Ageha is no exception to my fanatacism.
The intro is beautiful, yet confusing acoustic/electric guitar mix which makes you think the song is going to be a ballad. That feeling quickly washes away once the heaviness of the drums and bass come clawing at your throat.
It seems the boys have taken inspiration from their Taste of Chaos tour friends Avenged Sevenfold and blended their style with the MUCC we've come to know and love. Tatsurou's voice usually makes the songs with its rawness, but the drums really kick it in for me with this song. I can only see great things for the group, and I can't wait to see them in December because I know this song will destroy live.
The B side didn't do it for me. I dunno what it is lately but the B sides do a sharp turn from the first track and go with a slow/jazzy route. Meh.
Grade: A
DIR EN GREY = GLASS SKIN
This song is beautiful. A ballad from the men of Diru as they come out of the skin of their previous album, Marrow of a Bone. They promised us an album that is going to be the greatest jrock album ever, and so far I haven't been too let down. I say this because I want some Vulgar-esque hard songs for their next singles, and I don't care what anyone says: Vulgar was their best album ever.
Back to this song: It strikes a feel of Luna Sea with me, with a somberness you could only get from one of the greatest bands ever. The bassline of Glass Skin makes it for me, a rumbling amongst the cry of Kaoru's lead guitar. Nothing too fancy, but it sets the mood perfectly. Kyo's voice, who I may very well be the only person in the world to love, comes through perfectly. Normally, we're used to hearing his screeching and growling and guttural screams of death, but he opts for an actual singer's voice and I think it's great. The B sides are, once again, meh, with a slight exception for Agitated Scream of Maggots only because it sounds like someone dying in a haunted mansion. Awesome.
Ok no more reviews until tomorrow I suppose.
In other news, I'm sending out my comic by the end of this week, so wish my good luck~ If you'd like to see my artwork, head over to http://piratekingtai.deviantart.com and tell me what you think.
Peace out errrbody~