RAMI THE REQUIEM - Serial Killer (Review)

Rami has long since gotten rid of the “ex-Aldious” label. Still, five years of hard work were not in vain. But recently she is creating her third project. Such impermanence сauses no respect. Well, I'm primarily interested in the results.

My Rating: 81/100 Best song: Liar Lady

This is the second solo project - initially I would have found it strange. However, when I saw the cover, for some reason it seemed to me that it would be something similar to Raglaia. It looks funny that I, in fact, was not mistaken: this is a stylistically similar project - the genre I can define as Heavy / Thrash / Power Metal. Actually, now it becomes clear why the second solo project was created - the genre of the previous one can be defined as Symphonic / Power Metal.

In the new single, as before, you can see a big bet on emotions. However, the more successful composer's work is noticeable here. The single's structure is as follows. The first track is an abundance of "zeros" and scales combined with thrash metal drums and string synthesizer. The second track is something very fast with an abundance of pinch harmonics and the lower end of the vocalist's range. The third track is a very hooky rhythm section with an abundance of synthesizers. The last track I would call some kind of chaotic, as if it was inserted just for the amount - it's hard for me to highlight anything in it. In short, about the structure, I can say the following words: not a bad idea, although it could have been better.

The vocalist is great again. The vocalist's voice is a lyric soprano. I love high-pitched voices. Interestingly, the whole range is used here: both the top and the bottom. However, this is not just a range demonstration. Here is a quite successful attempt to convey the maximum amount of skill shades. I definitely like it. But she still seems to be losing her unique performing style that can be heard from the early days of Aldious. Perhaps this is not true and in fact the situation looks different. But in this regard, I feel some changes.

Now about the instrumental parts. It's noticeable that the composer had the task of betting on diversity. But the other side is not a very careful choice of methods for solving artistic tasks. One gets the impression that the leader gave roughly the following instructions: “First, something groovy, then something fast and powerful, and after - something”. However, it should be admitted that the composer's work is extremely successful: the instrumental parts sound impressive. The guitarist's sound is also impressive. There are a lot of triplets with "zeros" and scales at a medium tempo (1st track), as well as many "zeros", scales and pinch harmonics at high tempo (2nd track). In the third track, the guitar gets lost in the mix and is therefore difficult to describe in detail. Rhythm section also pleases the listener with its variety. In one song (2nd track) the rhythm section is very fast and powerful, and in the other (3rd track) it's very hooky. Now about additional instruments. Only in the third track can you find an abundance of synthesizers. In the first track, you can hear a small addition to the instrumental in the form of strings. I can't say more.

In terms of rebirth, it turned out even better than Mary's Blood with the Nemophila project. Rami continues to perfect his music, rather than just repeating a successful model. Yes, it should be noted that she still relies heavily on voice and lyrics - the instrumental parts receive less attention. But her behavior has changed and it's nice to know. Hope for more interesting releases in the future.

Miyu - Metaloid (Review)

The modern, ever-changing world dictates very peculiar conditions. In them, ranks and achievements go far from the forefront. Me, being a very liberal person, have been doing this for a long time: I pay attention to past merits in the last turn.

My Rating: 67/100 Best song: Sailing

Why did I remember my principles, you ask? Before me is an album in which two teachers from MI Japan take part. In addition to the author, the following persons also take part in the album: Takayoshi Ohmura, Rami (ex-Aldious, Raglaia, solo project), Ibuki (ex-Destrose, ex-Disqualia) - this is not a complete list, but epic is already felt by these names. In the album you can see a severe fusion of heavy riffs, melodic guitar improvisation, insane bass lines, and in some segments you can notice the “industrial” synthesizer in the spirit of Korg Wavestation. This idea is a good one. But there is a feeling of something crumpled, which tried hard to align on one line. Each song is hard to listen to for longer than one minute.

You can also notice that in the general concept, acquires symbolism rather than skill. Well, everyone has their own methods. However, this idea is too complicated to understand. And if, for example, it’s clear why Rami performs a song "Alive", then what about the rest? I did not see the answer.

Vocalists are good. Several (three or more) vocalists take part in the album. After listening, the feeling remains that the vocalists were given a clear instruction to adhere to a certain framework. For example, this is noticeable in the fact that vocalists rarely use the upper part of their range. Also, the vocalists are very similar to each other - only the last track is an exception. I consider this a negative point, as it kills individuality and diversity. However, in track 4 the parties are still diverse. It should also be noted the weak originality of the lyrics. I have a special allergy to phrase “kono sekai” (“this world”) - after it I instantly turn off the song. In a cursory review of the lyrics, I found this phrase three times. Nuff said.

Instrumental parts ... How could I put it more precisely ... The guitarist sounds quite confident. Here, a big bet on the guitar is made in one track (5th). The rest is just an element of the overall structure. This is another point that I consider negative - it's best when you having fun and not just be an system element. Bass is well heard in the mix. The bass parts are emotional and diverse. Sometimes you can hear melodic improvisation and this is a nice detail. Drummer is also impressive. Here are very diverse drum loops. The only inconvenient moment: pop patterns (I don’t remember which track) - it's unpleasant to hear. Otherwise, the drummer sounds cool. Additional instruments should also be noted. Synthesizers appear only at song intro, thus adding emotions. However, in the middle (verse or chorus) they are not heard. I wouldn’t do that, because it looks illogical.

In the end, I can say that this review was one of the most difficult. This is the work of a typical high achiever: it looks good in appearance, but with careful analysis, you just want to refuse the listening. Yes, this is really serious work. But it seems that the main idea lacks some kind of insanity, if you like. The desire to fit certain elements into a certain framework has turned from a good release into “something that you can just listen to.” Such a sound is absolutely not suitable for such a high level. That's all I wanted to say.

Black Rain - Gekka Bijin (Review)

I often pay attention to projects that have recently begun their creative activity. I like to analyze the results of their creative work and monitor their professional growth. Today I decided to write a review of the first single of the new band Black Rain - apparently this is a reference to the song of the same name by Mari Hamada.

My Rating: 60/100

Source: tunecore.co.jp

Be that as it may, I still click on “Play” button and started listening. There is only one track, but there is something to tell about. Here you can hear patterns characteristic of heavy metal and power metal with a female voice. It's noticeable that the guys lack imagination, creativity. This is noticeable by the project name, by the release name, by the general concept, by the lyrics.

There is such a stereotype that the vocalist is somewhat opposite from the rest band members. Unfortunately, this project is a confirmation of this regularity. It seems that the vocalist, lyricist and creative director is one person, and the composer is another. I don't want to say that this is bad, but it significantly affects the shades in the methods of solving artistic tasks. For example, this is noticeable in the fact that the voice is too pronounced in the mix, that is, the volume of the instruments is too low.

Let's talk about the vocalist. I can say that the vocalist is good. Here you can hear interesting tricks in the spirit of Steven Slate. However, her vocal style is somewhat peculiar: some problems with the articulating apparatus are noticeable. More precisely, the vocalist’s sound “S” sounds very crooked, - I guess this is a problem with orthognathy. And also the performance of vocal parts seemed too cautious to me - perhaps the vocalist knows about own flaws. And you can also notice that the track with the voice has minimal processing. I respect such honesty: significant processing saves many musicians with weak singing abilities (for example, Rino Nikaido, ex-Aldious). But overall, the vocalist did an excellent job.

I consider the high volume of a voice track is unfortunate decision. Because the instrumental parts sound much more interesting. Perhaps the general structure of instrumental parts is their main strength. This is noticeable by the tempo change and key change. This is noticeable in each member of the rhythm group. Guitar parts are very diverse. This is not just a combination of power chords, it's quite a serious job. But the melodies seemed too familiar to me, somewhere I had heard them before (I can’t remember exactly where). However, the rhythm section also does not lag behind - there is also a great variety. It's noticeable that the drummer did not just learn several loops, he really understands what he is doing (although the timings might be more interesting). I would also like to note additional instruments. But, after listening to the song again, I realized that they were not there. What a pity. With such a concept, a Hammond organ or strings would look good. But the composer decided that it would be better without them.

The first work is not always good: it's a given that must be accepted and continued to be created. With regards to this project, it was no exception. But it’s worth noting that there is definitely potential here. This release made it clear that this guys went on stage to create and daze. But the lack of creativity, as well as some of the vocalist flaws, somewhat influenced the final result. Well, this is only the beginning and I hope for growth in the future.

Nemophila - Oiran (Review)

Band Nemophila, who was created in early September 2019, has attracted my attention from the very first post on Twitter. However, I didn't hear the first single right away: international version was released a bit later than the main one - on April 6th. However, I managed to listen this and now I will tell you what's interesting there.

My Rating: 78/100 Best song: Oiran

I know Japanese culture very well. And if you saw only five beautiful girls with very loud biographies, extended-range guitars, a drawing of a woman in Japanese clothes on the cover and a reference to David Bowie, then I saw more. Cover art, by the way, is also far from being as simple as it seems, but more on that later.

Album structure is as follows. First track is as if band Bridear make a cover on Pantera song. First track also has extreme vocal techniques. Second track is something with an “acid” synthesizer and a lot of pinch harmonics. Third track is something melodic and calm. After took off the headphones, there remains some sense of incompleteness. It was as if a big bet were made on the first track, and then “somehow”. Perhaps they wanted to do something like a contrasts game. But this turned out to be somewhat peculiar: after the super emotional first track, the others seemed kind of lethargic. Well, the attempt counted, although there is still something to work on.

A vocalist is something incredible. The vocal performance is very emotional and very convincing. Even in the least interesting song (track 3), the vocalist shows high skill. But, there is a feeling that the vocalist forces all this out of himself. That is, its limit is well known, but the attempt to overcome this takes some not quite clear forms. Well, I failure to find the other flaws. And this is a good start.

Instrumental parts - it's difficult to write a lot of text here. Nevertheless, it can be noted that the situation is twofold. In first track, the guitars sound interesting: the listeners are greeted with rather emotional parts on extended-range guitars. It's noticeable that in the first track they make a big bet: guitarists have a very groove and very angry constructions on locrian (if I'm not mistaken) scale. But then the guitars somehow fade away: in other tracks, the guitarists are lost in the mix against the background of other instruments. Rhythm section also does not stand idle. The entire release is filled with high intensity drums. Even at an average pace you can hear interesting drum loops. This is a big plus towards the drummer. Also there are additional instruments. For example, an “acid” synthesizer in the style of some Korg Wavestation (2 track), as well as an “industrial” (3 track).

Of course, I understand everything: this girls just wanted to show that they are nothing more than entertain the audience. This is noticeable in the release name itself, it's noticeable on cover art, it's noticeable in sound. But I, as a music critic, see all their flaws. And I can say this. This is something like a disease in similar bands: make a big bet on first track, and then, when the listener is already under the influence of these emotions, put all the others in playlist. Someone might say, “It's a unique style” or something like that. No guys, this is a mistake. Perhaps they are just having fun or not working at full strength. Perhaps they just wanted to quickly release their first work. In any case, it remains to be hoped that they will not curtail activity in a one or two years. Because the project has really good potential.

Li-sa-X Band - One More Chance is Enough / Just Be My Treasure (Review)

Li-sa-X - this nickname lingered in my head only in the form of several covers, several posts on twitter and one interview in Metallion magazine (Vol 65). I didn't follow the activity of this artist. As it turned out, it was in vain. In March of this year, the first single of an interesting project with her participation was released.

My Rating: 77/100 Best song: Just Be My Treasure

There are only two tracks, but I can say something about this release. The first thing you can notice is minimalistic cover. Also, something similar can be seen in the overall sound: it's interesting, but not overloaded - this is exactly what you need. First track is something progressive in the spirit of the later Dream Theater. Second track is something groove and technical with a taste of NWOBHM. Two different tracks on single is a nice detail.

Next is the composer. Сomposer's work at middle level. It's noticeable that in first track there is a lot of emphasis on melodic improvisation, and in second - on rhythm section. But all this is implemented according to the standard scheme, in which nothing significant was introduced. Yes, it's noticeable that the task was not to adhere to any strict patterns. And even in the first track there is a certain attempt to do something unusual, which is expressed in virtuoso improvisation after a small vocalist's part. This is also evident in the sighted pause and interesting timing in the spirit of Sergey Mavrin. But I don't think that anyone can be greatly surprised at this now.

Now about the vocalist. Vocalist seems to me some kind of machine that just performs the parts according the sheet music (I hope that I'm wrong). No, I don't want to say that the vocalist is bad, just the opposite. But it seems to me that the performance of vocal parts is somehow too orthodoxal, too conservative. This is especially true for segments in English. But overall, vocalist did an excellent job.

Instrumental parts sound cool. Despite the high overall intensity of sound exstraction, it's difficult to write a lot of text. First is guitars. It's noticeable that there are two guitarists with different views and different approaches to business. Shades at this level are a nice detail. There is also something to say about rhythm section. Bass is not heard in mix - that's as usual. However, drum parts are something unbelievable. If the first track does not pay much attention to drums, then in second a rather high intensity of drum loops. Additional instruments are also present here, for example, a piano in the first track. But they are used quite trivially - as an addition to the overall structure. However, this is also a nice detail.

“The brighter the flame, the faster it goes out” - I hope the leader was guided by this principle. Because the members showed not all their skills, it's noticeable that they are capable of more. Overall, this album can be called attractive. From the point of view of technic, everything is great here. From the point of view of composer work, there is little interesting here. Seriously, they have enough expression, but I can’t understand how they stand out in their region. It would be interesting if they would have more local flavor in the compositions. Well, if you take into account the age of the leader, then I can say that this is really cool work.

Lovebites - Electric Pentagram (Review)

Band Lovebites follows the strategy that I expected: if they release new songs, then obviously not in 2019, - they lefted too much strength in 2018. The absence of new albums in 2019 was a justified decision - it's noticeable that they work at the limit of their capabilities. However, there was no need to wait long for new songs: on January 29 a new album was released.

My rating: 72/100 Best song: Dancing With the Devil

The general concept looks like a new attempt to put pressure on nostalgia sense of the post-NWOBHM times. I will explain with a simple example why I don't like this concept. There is a painting by Malevich “Black Square” - it's just a black square on a simple background. This painting was sold for 20 million USD. 10 million USD were spent on advertising. That is, it turns out that anyone can draw a square, spend 10 million on advertising and sell their creation for 20 million. You don't have 10 million? Then this is not your game!

I started my previous thought for a following reason. In the naming you can see something familiar. The name of the second track is borrowed from Megadeth, the name of the fourth from Saxon, the name of the eighth from Breaking Benjamin, the name of the tenth from Annihilator, the name of the eleventh from Pantera. And I really don't want to believe that even the name of the last track is also borrowed (from Symphony X). And this is just what I personally noticed.

Something very similar can be said about composer's work. Composer again had the task of composing something epic - and again it turned out flawlessly. In general, composer again coped with the task perfectly, but again I don't like his means of solving artistic tasks. Therefore, I will not even describe the album structure.

The vocalist is again good: her voice is very strong and interesting. Varieties of vocal parts are quite worth the wait, although an attempt to convey the vocalist’s skill shades is not particularly noticeable here. An interesting game of contrasts should also be noted: sometimes the voice is calm, and sometimes it's emotional. Yes, this is implemented according to the standard scheme. But overall, the vocalist did an excellent job.

Instrumental parts - here the situation is ambiguous. On the one side, the instruments sound great again. On the other side, here you can hear something very familiar. However, there is something to tell about. Guitars sound great. Guitar parts structures are so impressive that I cannot describe it in words. And, as usual, I note that I did not immediately understand how this is played - I see this as a positive point. A high level of skill is noticeable. But I don't like a couple of points. For example, too many pinch harmonics in main riff of 4 tracks. Also in several tracks, through the twin lead guitar and triplets on rhythm guitar, the spirit of Iron Maiden is felt. Now about the rhythm section: it's really powerful and diverse. I’ll even say more: most of the impression is the drummer's work. There is a wide variety of both basic patterns and blast bits, as well as fills. Additional instruments should also be noted. There are not many here - a high bet on guitars is noticeable. But the synthesizers are used very skillfully - they perfectly complement the picture.

Reality is a cruel thing: you do everything perfectly, but there is too much load on one part - and the structure is destroyed. And again, this detail was the general idea: in it you can see the great desire to repeat patterns that are several years older than members. In general, this project is a very revealing example of how far one can go in trying to gain access to a western audience. Speaking directly about this release, I liked the album Clockwork Immortality more. Electric Pentagram could have turned out to be the best album of the band, if not for this increased desire to look like their Western colleagues. Going to your goal no matter what - it's always an honor. But everywhere there are boundaries, after which music is no longer perceived as art. These girls have crossed this border.

Bridear - Expose Your Emotions (Review)

I like to say, "If you initially don't have talent or strong ideas, then no promotion costs will help here." By analogy with the house, which stands on the foundation, a professional stands on a special type of thinking, without which it's very difficult to obtain and apply specific knowledge.

My Rating: 57/100 Best song: Ghoul

And the reason I remembered this principle is very prosaic: Bridear's “Expose Your Emotions” album is in front of me. I’ll tell you right away: it’s wasted 43 minutes. While listening to this album, it seemed to me that something was missing, and in large quantities. Now I will try to describe my feelings in as much detail as possible. After MV “Ghoul” I expected to see a powerful and good album. I assumed that the album would be filled with interesting ideas, or at least it would be interesting to influence emotions. And I can say with confidence that I was wrong. Well, as they say, the best way to live up to expectations is to expect nothing.

The first thing I noticed was the monosyllabic naming of most songs. Question: is it a lack of imagination or is it done intentionally, so that the listener can think of everything (something like Barnum's wording)? I did not see the answer. Now about further album structure. It looks like this: first a very powerful song, then something standard, then something pop and at the end again something powerful and groove. 10 tracks - 4 different types of songs - not too much variety. Well, at least they know how to control the listener's emotions and this is a nice detail. Also, I don’t like the “jumping” volume of track 9.

Now about vocalist. It's not noticeable that the vocalist was very tense. I suppose that there was an idea to show a strong personality who can easily cope with any tasks. However, it turned out quite the opposite. It should also be noted that extreme vocal techniques in track 4 (the overall design of which is clearly stealed by the Fate Gear), and besides, in the background and with voice effects, is not a good sign. Not that this is an unfortunate idea, but it could be made easier without show-off's.

Instrumental parts are not very complex. Perhaps this is one of those albums about which I can’t write a lot about the instrumental parts - there is nothing remarkable here. But still here you can notice something. Guitars - nothing surprising here. So much so that only riffs in tracks 1, 2, 3 and 8 can be noted. Even there is a song with an acoustic guitar (track 7), but something tells me that it was already inserted somewhere closer to the end of the album recording - this song is so simple. Rhythm section - everything is somewhat better here. Rhythm section formula is quite powerful. Even at a slow pace (for example, on track 6), you can hear interesting drum loops. Additional instruments are also available here. There are several synthesizer sounds: industrial (1, 2, 8 tracks), strings (3, 5 tracks), winds (6 track) and piano (5 track). Not much. Well, at least synthesizers are not necessary in this genre, so you can write these ideas into their assets.

But I don’t understand why they are popular in his own region. Maybe because I think in Western standards. Maybe because I was not able to understand the main album idea. Yes, this album will be in first places in the coming quarter. But I did not see any value here. In the Helix album, these girls showed the highest point of their abilities, showed their limits. And this was rated by me at 61 out of 100. What have they done now? I can only guess. In fact, only 1, 3 and 8 tracks are worth attention here. All others are made only for quantity. I don’t argue, I’m unlikely to do better. But if, for example, I see my flaws and work on them, then progress has ended here last year.

Galneryus - INTO THE PURGATORY (Review)

I didn’t really like the albums of this band, starting with Resurection (2010) and ending with Under the Force of Courage (2015). My opinion changed after Ultimate Sacrifice (2017), where guys presented their work from a fresh angle. This year, after a great solo album, guitarist wanted to expect the same from the main project. Did it work or not? Now I will tell.

My Rating: 83/100 Best Song: Glory

Guitarist began this year very epic with solo album. It would be logical to complete the year with the help of main project. No sooner said than done. Amplifiers to maximum, emotions to maximum - and go.

Let's start with a general idea. I don’t quite like the direction of general idea in which the album goes, although the general dramatic plot is always held in high esteem. But at the same time it's worth noting a good study of it. The following should be noted the album structure. But It's difficult to describe and I see this as a positive point. I also liked the idea of ​​lengthy (over 7 minutes) songs: they are at the beginning (2 track), in the middle (5 track) and at the end (9 track).

Separately, the composer should be noted. Composer's work is filigree. Vocal and instrumental parts structures are very complex and diverse. It's noticeable that the composer had a lot of work. The question arises: did he deal with it? Yes, he did an excellent job. Noticeable thorough study of each passage, each note. But there remains a feeling that in some segments he was a little hasty (perhaps this is not true, but such a feeling is present).

Now about the vocalist. I don’t really like that kind of voice. Yes, the voice is strong and vocal style is interesting. But the sound itself is not so hot. However, there is still something to note in a positive way - this is the vocal parts structure. It's noticeable that the vocal parts were composed with special care, given the large number of shades. As a result, in the mix you can hear the excellent vocalist's work.

Instrumental parts are very complex. So much so that I have to write too much about it. But, since I am limited to 5000 characters, I will try to describe briefly. Once again, I dare not say anything about guitarist - his level is so high. But still it's worth noting something. Firstly, high complexity: I realized how this is played only after the tenth (or more) listening, but I'm not sure about that either. Secondly, an interesting performance technique that cannot be confused with anyone. The only negative thing about guitar parts is that you can hear something very familiar. For example, in a guitar solo in track 9 (by the way, a very long one), on segment with sweep picking: something very similar could be heard earlier. We continue with the bass player - he is also good. Bass lines are breathtaking. It’s hard to hear the bassist in the mix, but when you hear him ... In general, it’s even difficult for me to describe these emotions. Now about the drummer. At the beginning of fourth track you can hear interesting patterns. However, I could not find anything more special. Synthesizer also looks interesting. It is noticeable that here is not just creating an atmosphere for other instruments, but thorough work. Also, the variety of sound is amazing.

These guys have long changed their enthusiasm for seriousness, and not everyone likes it. Well, content the main thing. Unfortunately, the second magnificent album did not come out. And not only because guitarist's solo album overshadowed this work. Still, human capabilities are limited: it's difficult to produce two full-lengths in one year. However, as I previously noted (if I am not mistaken, it was in the review of new album by Mardelas), in such situations, the level of training is visible. And these guys are all right with this level. So it’s worth recognizing that this album is good.

Ark Royal - Arise (Review)

Have you already started to think that I have only well-known projects? No. Today I have newcomers with a rather pompous name and big ambitions. More precisely, their EP, released on August 14.

My Rating: 69/100 Best Song: Holy Blood

Usually I insert in this part some kind of resonance in the spirit of “newcomers are often subject to the survivorship bias” and the like. But here I will get right to the point. First thing you can notice is a pretty standard idea. Here you can hear patterns characteristic of heavy / power metal and also in some segments there are extreme vocal techniques. It's difficult to single out one thing in the structure - compositions stand out little, although at the same time they are quite diverse. The listener may be tormented by the feeling of deja vu and this can be understood - such an idea is far from new.

Сomposer's work ... It's hard for me to say exactly ... It's noticeable that the album was created with the aim of evoking a large number of emotions from the listener, and not with the aim of conveying ideas of high art (although there are hints of the latter). Accordingly, the composer thought of only pathos, high speed and extreme vocal techniques. I can’t call such an idea a good one, since such solutions erase many shades.

But the vocalist is good. High notes don't sound very good - it feels like the vocal parts are not exactly designed for the vocalist's range. Or the fact that there was simply no sheet music with vocal parts, but was just a lyrics. Nevertheless, we can say that the vocalist has good abilities. A separate topic is extreme vocal techniques - it's not entirely clear why they are needed. However, to hide the vocalist flaws, this will do.

Instrumental parts can hardly be called very interesting, although the performance is good. The first thing you can notice is guitars. Guitar tone is flawless, and the guitar parts sound impressive. However, the structures of guitar parts are quite simple - I realized how this is played during the first listening. Now about bassist - he's good. Bass line are relatively diverse, although there are not particularly bright segments. And the most interesting thing that can be said about the bassist regarding guitarists is that a big bet on guitars is noticeable, but it did not justified. This reminded me of the situation with one of the albums of band Heterogenous Andead: there was a very high bet on guitar, but little attention to synthesizer (which sounded much better than the guitar). However, rhythm section as a whole is very powerful. And the drums continue this pattern. As befits similar methods for solving artistic tasks, the intensity of the drums is very high.

These newcomers are clearly pursuing high achievements. Why do I think so? Because there are very characteristic errors for this. And if, for example, bands such as Lovebites see and hide them, then these guys only have to do it. In the meantime, I see the maximum amount of pathos. I know many projects that use similar tactics, for example, Phantom Excaliver. And you can’t look at these freaks without a mixed sense of laughter and pain. Fortunately, for a project Ark Royal this is not taken to such an extreme. And if we talk about this EP, then this is just a good job. That is, in this release it's difficult to find something very interesting, but it feels like the work is well done. At the end of last year, I saw good prospects for these newcomers. And this work makes me think that I'm not mistaken.

Fuki - Million Scarlets (Review)

And today I have a very high-profile novelty on my blog, which is quite difficult to resist. This preface ends, as it's Fuki, on whose track record Light Bringer, Dragon Guardian, Unlucky Morpheus, as well as a solo project of guitarist from Galneryus.

My Rating: 87/100 Best Song: Sacred Bones Riot

And when you start listening to this album, you understand that these are not just beautiful words. The first thing that catches your eye: quite a variety of ideas. This album turned out to be diverse and rich in emotions. In this case, there is no feeling of congestion and this is very important, as this indicates a high skill level. The structure of the album also looks interesting. It can be described like this: very powerful songs (1, 2 and 3 tracks), a song with a touch of mystery (4 track), a typical pop song (5 track), a typical hard-n-heavy with a piano and violin (6 track), a song with a piano (7 track), a song with an acoustic guitar (8 track), a song in the style of Gacharic Spin (9 track), typical power metal with an introduction with a piano (10 track), a typical power pop with a piano and synthesizer (11 track). That is, the listener will definitely not get bored while listening - emotions change constantly throughout the album.

Is it necessary to supplement the idea with a word about composer work? I think not. And without this, it's clear that the composer's work is magnificent. One feels a very thorough work on each artistic task. It's also impossible to say that the composer overdid it: there exactly what is needed. I mentioned above that the listener will not get bored while listening - I want to listen to every song.

At beginning of the text, I mentioned that comments are redundant here. About the same thing can be said about the vocalist. In this album she once again confirms her high status. There is no point in describing more, since here you only need to listen.

Instrumental parts sound great. There is nothing complicated here, however it's really interesting to listen. The guitarist is good. Usually I write a lot about guitar parts, but here you have to write too much - this album is very diverse. Therefore, I note only a few points. In the beginning, interesting and powerful parts that maximize the effect on emotions. In the middle, something pop-like and acoustic. And in the end, something powerful and swing. Guitarist's work is quite diverse and it's nice to know. Now about bassist. The bassist does not hear anything special. The exception is track 9, where you can hear parts in the style of Gacharic Spin (and I guess who played this part). However, the other part of rhythm section - drummer - will not let you get bored. There is a rather high intensity of rhythm section, even at an middle tempo. However, drummer boasts not only intensity, but also variety. Even pop patterns sound very bright. The only thing I don't like is the drum sampler in track 5. I don’t understand this, because there are so many synthesizers in the album, why else? By the way, about additional instruments. Here, one also feels a thorough approach to batches for additional instruments. This is not just a few notes in the editor, but a thorough work on the atmosphere.

In the end, as in the beginning, you can write a little, as this artist is a real giant of the eastern scene. And this work only once again illustrates this statement. Even despite its volume of work (these are 3 active projects), this album looks great. I can confidently say that this album will take far from the last place this year.

Rie aka Suzaku - Top Runner (Review)

And today we have a very big name, whose talent does not allow me to insert many words in intro: a new album from Rie aka Suzaku has been released. This news is alarming: after the failed "Don't Hide Your Face", something really powerful must be released.

My Rating: 82/100 Best song: Furinkazan

I usually find albums of this artist on Yandex Music - Poppin Records is engaged in publishing. And the very first surprising moment for me was that I did not find it. A little later, I found out that this album was released on King Records label. I must say, this fact significantly adds fuel to the fire. I was very afraid that cooperation with a very famous label would significantly affect the intellectual value - such serious guys work for high sales. Art, most often, is secondary for them. But such fears were not justified and it's pleasant to realize.

Fortunately, here the composer did not depict something pompous, but simply did what he could. As a result, composer's work looks very cool. Here it's noticeable that emphasis was placed on attractiveness for the ordinary listener, although I am not inclined to see a positive color in such an idea. I would also like to note that the album combines many mood shades. In this regard, a detailed description of album structure is difficult to do. Here is a very conditional division into tracks. This is one of the albums that you simply turn on - and enjoy. No bells, no whistles - just put on the headphones and press "Play". But, since I need to write at least 3,500 characters, I will continue my review. Also felt the conceptuality of the album: all the tracks are united by a common idea. The only awkward moment: why release a track that was previously released?

Since the album is fully instrumental, the next item is instrumental parts. Let's start with guitar. Guitar parts can hardly be called complex. Not because the Standard E guitar tuning does not have to a very large variety. Here it's noticeable that a big bet on emotions is being made. Guitar plays beautiful melodies that are very pleasant to listen. In the rhythm section you can also hear a lot of interesting things. Here you can hear the guitar, which is quite often part of the rhythm section - this is not often heard in instrumental albums. The rhythm section continues with bassist. Bassist plays very difficult and interesting parts. It looks particularly interesting in the fifth track, where the bass at the beginning repeats the guitar, and then plays the slap. Also worth noting is the bass solo with the slap in third and fifth tracks. Drummer is cool too. Here is quite a diverse set of rhythms. Particularly interesting are the rhythms in second track. The only thing I don’t like is the pop patterns in the third track, they are in small numbers at the beginning, but I wouldn’t want to hear them. Separately, I would like to mention additional instruments. Here the composer showed a high ability to control synthesizers. Particularly interesting is flute in third track, saxophone in fourth track and Hammond organ solo in seventh track.

My first question is: "is this album of the year or is it just a good way to make some more money"? Unfortunately, this is not a masterpiece. I say "unfortunately" because this artist is able to do really good things. However, it's worth noting that the work is good. My second question is: “Has cooperation with a well-known label influenced the intellectual value of the work”? It's difficult to say unequivocally - too high talent is behind this work. My third question is: “is the album a good and interesting one”? Yes, album is great. My fourth question is: “are there any prospects for something better“? It's difficult to say - artistic personalities are very changeable. For example, take two of the newest albums of Mary’s Blood, which are very different from each other. In the end, I can say that despite the fact that I confidently answered only one question out of four, I can give a high rating.

Maki Oyama - Monster (Review)

Who would have thought - Maki Oyama, who released covers and was an support member, will finally release the original material. Yes, she had original material before - two releases. But album “Monster” became the first serious work. Well, development is always good.

My Rating: 62/100 Best song: Karma

However, here we can observe the first stage of development. That is, the moment when the musician has already formed most of his style and released first work. Well, let's start.

And let's start with the fact that I don't quite understand how the album concept and its name are connected? No, I know Japanese - I have heard many familiar words in lyrics. But I still don't understand. Is the word “Monster” just a beautiful word inserted in the “title” for a psychological effect or something more? The album does not give a clear answer to this question.

Album structure looks like this: something like hard-n-heavy with a pop drum pattern and sections on clean (1 track), true hard-n-heavy (2 track), something in between blues-rock and hard-n-heavy with “walking” bass line (3 track), something very rhythmic (4 track), something very melodic (5 track), something like hard-n-heavy with a blast beat (6 track), song with a very familiar riff (7 track) and a very powerful last track (8 track). As for the structure of the album, then everything looks interesting and you want to listen to it. I especially liked the idea of ​​inserting a powerful song at the end - this way the album leaves a pleasant aftertaste.

However, with the implementation shades is not so simple. It seems that there was originally some kind of lyric under which the instrumental was later made. Moreover, it was made by some very compromise way, because of which some of the charm was lost. Only in track 6, this feeling disappears. I heard something similar in Rami (past vocalist of Aldious) in her newest (at this moment) solo album: it gave the impression of epic ideas about vocal and instrumental parts, but when faced with reality, the ideas were cut and pasted as it came out. In this album, you can hear something similar, although this composer does not act so radically. However, I tend to see this as a negative color, since with good compositional work there are no such sensations. Also noteworthy are very familiar riffs - the feeling of déjà vu torments the listener for three tracks.

Now, about vocalist. The vocalist is good. Voice is very good - the talent is felt through the headphones. Also of note is a rather large variety of vocal parts.

Instrumental parts - there is nothing special to write here. Perhaps one of few albums in which I am not particularly ready to talk about instrumentalists. You can discuss the relative diversity for a long time, but here it's difficult to find something interesting. The only thing that can be distinguished is a guitarist who performs both “something bluesy” and hard riffs. Bassist also wants to highlight - he has a very diverse parts. Drummer is cool too. The only awkward moment - I don't like pop patterns in the first track.

I was not surprised when I learned that this album is the first serious work of this artist. Because here the composer acts within patterns that have already been heard many times. Yes, this album gives the listener exactly what they want to hear, but it does not contain anything special. Well, album is good and there is hope for future progress.

Mardelas - Ground Zero (Review)

Last year, band Mardelas shows the peak of their skills. This year they also pleased rock music fans with their mini-album.

My Rating: 79/100 Best song: Apocalypse

I will say right away: album is good, but it turned out to be somewhat different than the previous. Well, diversity is always good. But this is not so simple. I can't know how they work, but I get the feeling that most of this album was forced done. That is, the guys initially had one song, and the rest were forced out of the composer. This is very familiar to me - I have something like this (even if not very often), when in an hour I need to publish the text, but it's only 10-30% ready. But you know what is most interesting about this? The fact that in such situations is clearly visible the training level that these guys have at highest level. Actually the album turned out bright and interesting.

Now specifically. Composer's work is gorgeous - the post-apocalyptic concept is surprisingly easy to lay on a high voice and a powerful rhythm section. But still there is a feeling that someone was squeezing out of composer by force. That is, composer had an idea, but someone or something made him less carefully select methods to solve an artistic tasks. Firstly, it's felt in a not very wide variety. Secondly, it's felt in the album structure. This structure can be described something like this - something like an intro, four very powerful tracks and a boring midlle-tempo song at the end. It would be interesting if the 5th track was made a longer dive bomb (at the beginning), and the track itself would be put in place of the first one (I think that the first track is not needed). In this case, the album would start very powerfully. I also don't like monosyllabic naming of songs.

But I really like the vocalist. I can describe the virtues for a long time, but after the name “Marina Hebiishi” everything becomes clear - this is a real professional, every action of which is amazing. This album is no exception.

Instrumental parts sound very powerful. This is one of those albums where you don’t have to pay attention to the lyrics - instruments will say a lot without a vocalist. For example, guitarist is great. It was in this project that Oikawa-sensei played for real. And this album is just a continuation of the demonstration of his skills. Actually, the result is so powerful guitar parts that it makes no sense to discuss it. Bassist - here, too, everything is so interesting that it is also difficult to describe in words. At bass attack is well underlined - mediator technique is felt. Bassist also performs fairly complex parts that are impressive. Drummer is also very cool. However, I would like a greater variety of drum patterns. You should also pay attention to additional instruments. I really like that composer thought of not only creating an atmosphere for other instruments. I especially want to mention the violin and sitar at beginning of third track - this gives the song a special charm (this despite the fact that the song itself is not particularly remarkable). There are also very cool synthesizer solos in tracks 2, 3 and 5.

Ensemble named after Marina Hebiishi once again showed his high professional level. Yes, not quite the way I wanted - it’s still difficult to produce quality works every year. But these guys once again showed that they took the stage for high achieves.

Mary's Blood - Confessions (Review)

A little more than a year has passed since the release of the album Revenant, as Mary's Blood has once again released a full-length album. I really respect such productivity. However, a large amount of work is often compensated for by its low level. And before listening to the Confessions album, I really didn’t want to draw such conclusions about Mary's Blood. However, this is not so simple as you think.

My Rating: 76/100 Best song: Mermaid Serenade

I think the composer's decisions are strange. General idea is interesting, but elaboration and implementation raises too many questions. Actually, the album structure looks like this: metalcore patterns on extended range guitar (2 track), something melodic (5 track), something melodic and fast (3 track), something not quite clear with a complex rhythm and sitar (4 tracks), pop songs in the style of Scandal (6, 8 tracks), something epic (7, 10 tracks), high-speed hard-n-heavy (9 track), and at the end - a song with a "moaning" vocal and a few tempo changes. The result is an album in which you expect something special and ... you not wait. Seriously, the contrasts game at the beginning promises something incredible and unforgettable, but in the last track you just hear the last track.

Vocalist continues my review. My opinion of the vocalist remains neutral again. However, it's worth noting a very large variety of vocal parts. In album you can often hear the contrasts game - vocalist's abilities allow you to apply such methods of solving artistic tasks. I was even surprised by the recitative in track 9 - I already thought that I would never hear it.

Instrumental parts - everything is more interesting here. Guitar, as usual, sounds great. I most liked one riff on extended range guitar in 2nd track - I had long been expecting something similar from Saki. However, guitar riffs have changed somewhat - in some places more syncopation. The only thing that I don’t really like is that the guitar solos are different too. There are not very bright guitar solos here, although they have unusual guitar effects. Rhythm section - everything has always been perfect here. And this album is no exception. In this album about the bassist you can write more words. Intro in 5 track sounds interesting, where the bass is louder than the guitar. In addition, bassist's parts as a whole is quite complex and interesting. About drummer you can say about the same. A very large variety and a very high intensity of drums - these words will not describe even a hundredth part of the entire work of a drummer. The exception is track 5 - in it are too simple rhythms. Separately, I would like to mention additional (for metal) instruments. I don't quite like this approach to additional instruments. For example, in album Countdown To Evolution (Black Cat song) there is a Hammond organ with 4 different articulations. Here the whole album is a music box at the beginning of 1st track, a scale on a sitar (4 track) and several chords on organ.

These girls really know how to surprise. And in this album, they were able to surprise, even in such an unusual way. Here you can see that this work they want to say something different, compared with the previous ones. However, the change in general idea was not the best for them. No, the idea itself is interesting and, if they develop it, it will be very cool. But still it's noticeable that they hurried: 11 songs per year is a very short time for the full production cycle. And I’m willing to bet that if this album was not released in summer of 2019, but in summer of 2020, then there was a much better realization for these ideas. But now it's a given. One can only hope that this album is just a transitional moment between the remnants of a happy youth and something fundamentally new.

D_Drive - Maximum Impact (Review)

“New or old?” - this question in our life sounds quite often. I ask this question for the second time in a year - such periodicity is considered a rarity, since I am used to something new. However, I answer him again.

My Rating: 67/100 Best song: GEKIRIN

I ask this question because today I am considering a new album by D_Drive. In this album, only one new track, and the rest have previously been released. Moreover, at different times. I will not remember the funny case with the CDBaby label, I will simply communicate my general opinion: here the listener will not find something new. However, this does not negate the presence of great talent.

Now more. Let's start with composer: his work is good. However, there is no new feed for previously released songs. Yes, in 3 track, sound designer performed the panning, which differs from the original version, and intro lasts a little longer. However, this is not enough to talk about something new.

Since the album is completely instrumental, the next in line will be instrumental parts. If you don't take into account the fact that this is not a new compositions, then we can say that work was done perfectly. Why I don't take this into account, you ask? Because here it's noticeable that the album is completely overwritten. However, the first members you hear are guitarists. Guitar parts are very complex. The exception is 2 track - I realized how it's played while listening. Otherwise, we can say that such parts require high skill and guitarists cope with them excellently. Separately, I would like to mention the rhythm section. Rhythm section is uncompromising and it's nice to listen. Let's start with a bassist who shows good abilities. Also at bass attack is very well underlined. Drums - there is a good variety. Particularly interesting is the use of a crash cymbal with pop patterns in track 2. However, drums intensity is not very high for metal. The exceptions are tracks 5, 9 and 10, where you can hear the blast beat. However, in almost all tracks you can hear interesting additions to standard heavy metal drumming.

If Captain released something really new, then these guys just repeated what they had, only slightly changing some segments. Nobody forbids doing so, but I don't quite understand why? Just because of new label? Or creative flow is declining? I can guess for a long time. But one thing is certain: they do their job well. But I can not put a high rating on the material that had already been heard many years ago. If there would be another submission here, the score would be higher. Well, I hope soon they will still show something new.

SYU - Vorvados (Review)

Usually, I confine myself to the words “this is a very big talent” when I discuss such musicians as Ueda-sensei. And you, dear readers, can understand this - diffucult to say something about a person with more than 20 years of mainstream experience. However, I managed to analyze this album and now I will tell you what is interesting here.

My rating: 93/100     Best song: Reason

At first glance it may seem that shredding has already jumped the shark - sound designer's art doesn’t stand still and it's possible to express epic ideas without high instrumental skills. However, there is noticeable not just a large number of notes per second, but something much more interesting. Talking about this release is quite difficult because of its epic character - emotionality interferes with rationality. After I turned on this album, I woke up an hour later. This album is an incredible stream of pathos and epic that keeps the listener from the beginning to the end.

Composer's work is very diverse. In this album, composer chose the most difficult way - through the transfer of a large number of shades. This can afford only a high-class specialist. However, it gives impressive results. Album structure should be noted: a dramatic intro (1 track), the most powerful and pathos songs (2, 3, 5 tracks), a middle-tempo song (4 tracks), in the middle of the album there are metalcore patterns with an abundance of pinch harmonics on extended range guitar (6 tracks), again powerful songs (7, 8, 10 tracks) and at the end - something melancholic with piano (9, 11 tracks). Purely theoretically, this doesn't look very bright, but composer's talent made it possible to convey a huge amount of shades. Therefore, the picture turned out to be epic, not only on the cover art.

It should also be noted that several vocalists took part in the recording of the album. This is an interesting idea - to combine the best abilities of several vocalists. And in this album it’s hard to say something bad about vocalists, because the best sides of their talent are gathered here. However, I can say something. For the most powerful songs, the most powerful vocalists were chosen. There is nothing surprising - the amazing begins only while listening. For the middle-tempo song (4th track), in which the beauty of the song needs to be emphasized, Haruka was chosen, which has a great voice. After I heard her voice, I immediately wanted a new album of Tears Of Tragedy. Extreme techniques (6 track) - this is also a good solution in terms of diversity. By the way, such a great variety of the best vocalists for Ono-sensei (his voice can be heard in track 9) may be an occasion to ponder the question: is it really necessary for him in Galneryus?

But I continue. Now about instrumental. It's noticeable that composer paid a lot of attention to instrumental parts. And after listening to say that the result “just good” means to insult such a high talent. Guitar parts are great. Yes, these words poorly convey the magnificence of guitarist's technique. I don't have enough knowledge to describe in detail such skills. However, I can note something. For example, very interesting shades in using typical power metal patterns in most tracks. Or metalcore patterns on extended range guitar (track 6) - it was suddenly, but very interesting. The rest instruments don't look so bright against the background of guitar. However, there is also something to say about the rest. Keyboards sound interesting, but only in 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 11 tracks. In the rest it could be more interesting, considering that Yuhki was involved in this. Rhythm section is very powerful. The first part of the rhythm section is bass. Crazy bass parts are hard to hear in cheap headphones, but when you hear it, you'll shit bricks. The second part - drums - also sound very powerful. High intensity of drums (even at medium tempo) prevents the listener from relaxing.

It was very difficult for me to write this review. This is probably the second most difficult review I posted on this blog. But I can say one thing: sensei once again confirms that he is a world-class specialist. He confirms his ability to think outside the box where he really needs it. Yes, this is not a unique combination of skill and emotion - regular listeners of Japanese metal have heard similar music for a long time. However, this release is made by a real master of his craft. It was necessary to think a little better for keyboards in 5, 6, 7 and 10 tracks, and also it was not necessary to insert Ono-sensei into this release. This is the only thing I didn’t like about this album. Otherwise, the album is great.

IMARi ToNES - Overture (Review)

My last review this year is not the most difficult (the most difficult was review of ikd-sj - Yvideo). But there is one subtlety: my review may seem biased to you - I am an atheist, and this is a Christian band. But I managed to look at the positive and negative sides of this album.

My rating: 64/100   Best song - Discarded World

Overall concept is very pleasant. Also there are specific ideas. For example, an idea with an abundance of reverb on voice in the absence of it on the instruments. This is a hint of street performance, proximity to ordinary listener. Also noteworthy is the album structure. In the beginning, the classic hard-n-heavy with a high voice (1, 2, 3, 5 tracks), among which there is something pop (4 track), a song with complex chords (6 track), a calm song on a clean (7 track), acoustic songs (8, 9 tracks) and at the end (10, 11 tracks) you can again hear the classic hard-n-heavy.

Composer's work is not very difficult. It's noticeable here that the composer set himself the task of transmitting to the listener some philosophical views, and not the creation of something new. I don't want to say that this is something bad. But it seems that initially there was one idea, which was divided between 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 11 tracks, and also slightly changed in 4 tracks. And then they inserted something acoustic and on the clean in the form of 7, 8 and 9 tracks. Composer tries to portray diversity, making it accessible and understandable to ordinary listener by means. I tend to see this as a negative color, as professionals don't have to be clear.

Vocalist is good - there is a lot of variety here. Vocalist copes with their tasks. There is almost no voice processing, but with one exception. As I wrote earlier, there is a lot of reverb on the voice. It's not clear why there is no reverb on instruments.

Let's continue with instruments. Instrumental parts - everything is predictable here. Classic hard-n-heavy - this is not the platform on which in our time you can come up with something new. But, as I wrote earlier, composer had no such task. Guitar parts - there is few interesting. Guitar, mainly, has power chords. And only scales allow you to hear a little charm of this genre. However, it was not without interesting ideas - there is a complex chord in track 6. Unfortunately, interesting ideas end here. Bass lines are more interesting. Most of the rantings I give for bass lines. Another part of the rhythm section - drums - doesn't look so interesting. However, for track 3, something interesting was inserted into ordinary heavy metal drum patterns. Also note the intro in track 6. That's all.

I have already seen many such band: exists for a long period of time, but the methods for solving artistic tasks are not very impressive. Steel Emblem, Baskerville - this is just the first thing that I instantly remembered. I can also add this band to this list. Perhaps because it comes straight out from composer's heart - emotionality hinders rationality. Perhaps the listener influenced very powerful album Victory In Christ (2010), after which wants something more. It's difficult to make unambiguous conclusions. But still something can be said with confidence. The expression of philosophical views of love and kindness is good. But I would like the reader to understand one simple thought: “a good person” is not a profession.

LOVEBITES - CLOCKWORK IMMORTALITY (Review)

Before listening to new album Lovebites, I decided to pretend that there was no misunderstanding called “Battle Against Damnation”. But no matter how I pretend, I cannot change one thing: fundamental mistakes are visible even through a thick layer of talent.

My Rating 78/100   Best Song - Pledge of the Saviour

In album title you can see a interesting oxymoron. Also noteworthy is the album structure. At the beginning - acoustic intro and the most powerful songs. In the middle - middle tempo. In the end also powerful songs. The idea of ​​previous full-length album was slightly changed regarding the album structure. It's also noticeable that not all songs are completely original. Empty Daydream - one of the riffs sounds very familiar (it looks like the riff from song Beat It). We The United - here the idea is copied from Aldious. Also, there has not been without potboiler - Mastermind and The Final Collision. And also M.D.O. - quickie, as well as a copy of song The Apocalypse, but with more complex guitar riffs. The rest songs sound very powerful and interesting affect the emotions.

This time composer's work can be called good and even excellent. Composer had the task to compose something epic - this worked out well. However, this release still shows the desire to repeat successful patterns that are several years older than members. I don't want to say anything bad, but in the fourth release it was already possible to designate something more than the 30 years old patterns.

Vocalist is good. It's difficult to hear a variety here, but vocalist shows his abilities well. Just what I wanted to hear: a fairly wide range of strong voice with different emotional colors. This is not an ideal strategy - emotions can be faked. But vocalist shows himself well in such a frames.

Instrumental parts - everything is very predictable here: standard E guitar tuning does not have much variety. However, in this album the instrumental is more interesting than I thought. First of all, there is a lot of attention to guitars. Diverse and complex guitar riffs are not even half of the whole construction. The main part of attention of guitarists is turned towards guitar solos. They occupy a very large part of basic idea, and their duration is quite high. I did not immediately understand how this is played - this is a good sign. Bassist is again hard to hear in the mix. In general, bassist has something interesting in only one track, and everything else is not worth attention. However, another part of the rhythm section - drummer - look much better. There is not a very large variety of drum patterns, but they are compiled very well.

These girls are very talented and it’s useless to argue with that. But in pursuit of high achievements, they forgot one simple thing - the charm of eastern beauties has passed, and each new attempt to exploit such a model looks pathetic. This is a classic “success trap”: yesterday's successful solution had to be applied yesterday - today there will be less benefit. Here again we see increased pressure on a feeling of nostalgia for the period after NWoBHM. Yes, composer created of a slight complication of guitar parts, a slight increase in the duration of guitar solos and a slightly less standard compilation of drum patterns. However, at the level of shades it seems that the album sucked all the creative energy from composer. And for this reason I doubt that in the future they will released something more interesting. The only thing that will always be large for this band is pathos and costs of promotion.

Aldious - All Brose (Review)

Let's do this without intro. Just say that Aldious released a new album on November 21. And now I will tell you what's interesting here.

My rating: 79/100   Best Song - Monochrome

It's always difficult to make unambiguous conclusions when we discuss world-class musicians. But in general, if you try to say something unambiguous, you can say that the album looks interesting. Here is exactly what was expected from musicians of this level. But with careful listening it becomes clear that not everything is so simple.

I'm not even talking about a not very remarkable cover - Aldious has always had this bad thing. Overall album concept is difficult to understand. But there is a regularity: each track has a different composer. Also worth noting is the album structure. First and third tracks are negative in color, and the second and fourth ones are positive, as well as a slow intro in first track. I can not say that this is something brilliant, but it looks interesting. The most interesting idea is in song Monochrome. However, some parts of the general pattern and vocal parts resemble song of Galmet (forgot the song name). And when I found out who the author of this song (Sawa) was, I immediately understood everything.

Vocalist is bad again. Even for the last time, she managed to spoil everything. Not that I condemn Rino, but something more is expected from a professional vocalist. However, there is a diversity. But the main part of the diversity is the sound designer's ideas. Here you can hear very interesting tricks with a large number of tracks for voice, which are very similar to those used by Mari Hamada in her new release. Even I heard it in my cheap headphone for 30 USD.

Instrumental parts - there is something interesting here, but this is not very much. No, this time it was done without something brutal in the spirit of late Overkill (Yoshi’s favorite band). First thing you can hear is guitars. Everything is pretty simple here. So simple that I immediately understood how it was played while listening. However, Yoshi and Toki use the standard E guitar tuning, where for 20 years nothing new has been invented. Bass - as usual, super-complex parts with interesting ideas. It should also be noted that the bassist is well heard in the mix and this is a nice detail. Rhythm section continues on drummer. There is quite an interesting combination of patterns, as well as high intensity. Even in areas where you can get by with a standard heavy metal drumming, you can hear the blast beat.

What can be said at the end? Aldious is not such skill level that one decision can spoil a large amount of work. However, last year between Yoshi and Miya there was something like a “who is better show off” competition. This led to poor results. First result is the hastily crafted EP Battle Against Damnation. Second is the release I'm talking about. But the release of Aldious released later - for this reason, you can still hear something interesting here. I will not long expound this thought. I just say that competition in the field of creativity - the idea is obviously a failure, and so it's not necessary to do so. Better to just do your own thing.

Simplest japanese metal songs on 7 string guitar

Extended range guitars is always a professional choice. However, sometimes there is a simple artistic task that does not require something complicated. And in this entry I will talk about such examples.

• Galneryus - Heavy Curse (Heavy / Power / Progressive Metal, Standard B)

Usually guitarist from this band has very difficult parts. But during his career, he tried many methods of solving artistic tasks. So many, that he got in my today's list.

• Pulse Of Humanity - No Excuse (Nu-Metal / Industrial Metal, Drop A)

If you know what “Nu-Metal” is, then you will understand this.

• ISAO - Pudding Busters (Progressive Metal / Instrumental, Standart B)

This artist originally used 7 string guitars, and compositions were not very complicated. Here is one example.

• Nocturnal Bloodlust - Dead End (Deathcore / Djent, Drop G)

I also find it strange to see these guys on this list, because their music is very complicated from the point of view of a guitarist. However, there is only a complex scale in intro, the rest is simple.

The list turned out even less than usual - 4 pieces.