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.

Crossfaith - SPECIES (Review)

My association with band Crossfaith is EP Zion (2012). All the rest of their work I don't like. Yes, I can mention several songs from album Xeno, for example, Raise Your Voice, Devil's Party and Paint it Black - I listened to them with pleasure. But you understood my main point.

My Rating: 75/100 Best song: Truth Of Insanity

Earlier, I wrote my opinion about album “Ex_Machina”: I noted too much emphasis on emotions, which had a bad effect on the methods of solving artistic tasks. And now I am ready to express my opinion on EP “Species”. While listening, it seemed that they heard this criticism. This is a pleasant fact. However, not all so simple.

In the new album you can hear technical riffs, a wide variety of synthesizers, extreme vocal techniques (some segments with recitative). At first glance, it looks simple, but when you hear it - emotions begin to pour over the edge. However, for some reason it seemed to me that all five songs grew out of one idea. That is, there was one idea that was implemented in five different ways. I don’t know if this is true or not, but such a feeling is present. However, this time there were no trash and it’s nice to know.

Now about the vocalist - he is good. Here you can hear both pure and extreme vocal techniques. Such a variety is a pleasant fact. However, something here can also be noticed. For example, clean vocals in the refrain of the 3rd track - I think that such a sound is not suitable for such a song (although, for example, in the 5th track it sounds cool). But overall, the vocalist is very cool.

Instrumental parts are impressive. I don’t think that I will be able to write a lot, as there is a big bet on the general idea. But something is possible to highlight. For example, guitars sound interesting. This album has very technical riffs in a very low tuning (if I'm not mistaken, Drop B). More precisely, the guitarist is trying to portray technicality: I immediately realized how this is played. However, there are also slam (4 track) riffs. The rhythm section is very powerful. Here you can hear very intense drum loops. Even at an middle tempo, you can hear the drummer holding a hurricane rhythm. But one cannot say that the rhythm section is overloaded - it's noticeable that the drummer knows his job. And I would like to say that the drummer is the best band member. But no: in my opinion, this title belongs to the keyboard player. Here again, a big bet on synthesizers is noticeable - their number exceeds all conceivable limits. But there is also no overloading feeling - this is exactly what you need.

Will I listen to this album in the future? Perhaps yes - in general, the album is cool. This is a worthy work of professionals. Yeah, I can say that hiding flaws with help of emotions is a bad idea. And usually after such words I list a few bands that made such a bet and whose results were dubious. However, the level of training is felt even through similar methods. However, it's still noticeable that some of their methods have already been established and are not subject to revision. “Special, unique style” - a similar characteristic, although it's respected, but most often it's doubtful. Does this inspire respect in this case - everyone will decide for himself. In the meantime, I can say that the guys did a good job.

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.

Trivium - What The Dead Men Say (Review)

As you can remember, I rarely listen to music from USA. However, I recently received a newsletter on my email with a proposal to listen to Trivium new album. Also in some of my recommendations on Youtube there were several covers for songs from this album. Well, this means that today we will have very cool guys from America.

My Rating: 84/100 Best song: Bending the Arc to Fear

Service Yandex Music determined that the song Sickness Unto You is similar to Open the Hell's Gate (EACH OF THE DAYS) - that’s all you need to know about how such algorithms work.

And then we will act. I read a lot of articles on art and culture. And often I notice one point among the authors: a magnificent train of thought, but the emphasis is ugly. Something like this can be said about this album. Obviously, the guys wanted to make a very technical and very complex album, but at the same time still make something attractive to average listener. And just then, with such a desire, some uncomfortable feeling begins. For example, this is noticeable in the album structure: an increasing intro, then three very powerful tracks, and then the 5th track, which seemed to me too difficult to understand. On track 6, I wanted to turn off this album. A pleasant surprise was that the 7th, 8th and 9th tracks were the best in the album. And the last track seemed to have been made just to somehow end the album. In general, the impressions of the album are positive. There is no sense of incompleteness that I usually have after such albums.

The vocalist is flawless. There is a weak variety of vocal techniques - it's noticeable that the idea prevails here, and not the vocalist's skill's shades. However, the voice is very strong, which, coupled with sharp lyrics, gives a tangible effect. However, there is one interesting point. It consists approximately of the following: from the point of view of instrumental parts, it's extreme metal, but there are few extreme vocal techniques. It might look strange, but it looks interesting here.

Instrumental parts: this situation is twofold. On the one side, riffs are very hooky and very groovy. For example, I liked the main riff from Catastrophist so much that I immediately wanted to tune my guitar on Standard A# and play it. It can also be noted that riffs have a very high technical complexity: I didn't immediately understand how this is played and this is a pleasant fact. On the other side, in some segments you can hear stroking the power chords using the simplest alternate picking technique. I think this is a negative point - I didn't expect this from these guys. Now about the rhythm section. Bass has a pronounced upper part of tone. Because of this, the bass is clearly audible in the mix - this is a nice detail, especially when you listen through cheap headphones. However, the bassist doesn't have a lot of interesting parts - I can’t single out one thing. Drums - everything is pretty predictable here. Here you can hear very intense drum loops. However, it's not possible to tell too much about drums - the composer's attention on guitars is noticeably too much.

Usually mainstream rock bands completely disappoint me. Yes, this can be understood: in the modern world, popularity requires far from what experts say. But these guys are one of the very few exceptions. They have such a high skill level that their flaws can only be felt. Specifically, in this album, a big bet on the general idea and on guitars is noticeable: sharp lyrics and difficult riffs. Whether this bet has played or not - perhaps everyone will decide for himself. But I can say that this album is cool.

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.

Scandal - Kiss from the darkness (Review)

Highly popular musical projects are always a matter of debate. On the one side, the best praise is the rustling of cash. On the other side, art doesn't have to be understood by everyone. As for band Scandal, any person who is at least a little interested in the eastern music has heard about these girls. Therefore, the album released on February 12 was difficult to miss.

My Rating: 52/100 Best song: A.M.D.K.J.

I quite often listen to the album several times and only after that I start to write something. Here, one listening was enough - everything was clear from the very first seconds. The album immediately gives the impression of a typical mainstream: simple patterns, simple lyrics and a lot of pathos. The first thing that catches your eye is some strange, I would even say, avant-garde album cover. At least, this group has not seen anything like it before. What did the author want to say? One can only guess. What follows is the name of the album - is this a hint of something mysterious? And again I have to guess. It should also be noted the primitive naming of songs - this is evidence in favor of the version of weak fantasy.

Next we have the composer. Composer's work is somehow weak. It seems that there was no composer, but there were several ideas. Okay, everyone has their own methods. However, this led to a simple structure of compositions with inserts of “something”. Of course, you can argue that such music (if I'm not mistaken, this genre is called “power pop”) is simple from the beginning. But you could come up with something interesting. Members, apparently, had a different opinion.

The vocalist is good. More precisely, vocalists - there are noticeably many (more than two) voices. True, the ranges are very similar, which somehow doesn’t really add charm to vocal parts. Of course, there is one song where only the upper part of range is used, but this is hardly a variety. However, it should be noted that everything is in order here.

One can also say something about instrumental parts. Guitars - everything is pretty simple here. Somewhere you can hear songs on clean, somewhere - on overdrive. It's noticeable here that guitars are used in the simplest way - as an addition to voice. That is, this is not an independent instrument, but just another element of the overall structure. I am inclined to see this as a negative point, since it was possible to come up with something more interesting. But the rhythm section is surprisingly powerful. And if the bass player has little interesting, then drummer is really cool. There is a relative variety of drum loops, and the intensity is high (for pop music). Additional instruments should also be noted, as the situation here is less clear. Here you can hear strings (1, 11 tracks), acid (4 tracks), Hammond's organ (4 tracks), bell ringing (8 tracks), shamisen (8 tracks), piano (11 tracks) and even a drum machine (1 and 8 tracks). There is a funny situation with synthesizers: in some tracks it seems that they are not enough, while in others (for example, in track 8), it seems that there are too many of them. Perhaps due to the fact that it was invented by different people. Perhaps due to the fact that it was inserted at the very last moment. Be that as it may, I get strange sensations.

Once I heard a very apt expression: “Overrated band is any well-known band.” Because high popularity is often incompatible with the classical criteria of mastery. And these girls are just another confirmation of this regularity. Songs from this album are suitable for airplay or for anime OP. But aesthetic person like me will not enjoy listening this.

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.

Octaviagrace - Radiant (Review)

Octaviagrace - after this title, comments are always redundant. Over their five-year history, they have repeatedly shown high skill. And today the release of their new album is always a remarkable event not only on the eastern, but also on the world stage.

My Rating: 90/100 Best song: pray

I can understand that every time surprising the audience is not an easy job. However, understanding this fact becomes more interesting. Accordingly, I met their album with great joy and great expectations. Just press "play" - and you are immediately immersed in a sense of euphoria that does not pass for a long time.

Here you can hear a high voice, technically complex parts for guitar and bass, as well as a large number of synthesizers. General album structure is as follows: very powerful songs with an industrial synthesizer (1, 2 tracks), a very powerful song with a piano (3 tracks), typical power metal (4, 5 tracks), a light song with a piano (6 tracks), songs with a change of tempo (7, 8 tracks) and at the end the three most powerful songs. At the first listening it sounds interesting. But with careful listening to the composer's work, some questions arise. For example, about the general idea of ​​1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8 tracks. Not about everything at once, but in pairs. It seems that the next track is a continuation of previous one. That is, the second track is a continuation of first, the fifth is a continuation of fourth, and the eighth, respectively, of seventh. I monitored their social networks and came to the following conclusion: this is a consequence of the fact that album was recorded quickly. However, the overall quality of the methods for solving artistic tasks was not affected. This is a pleasant fact.

It's also nice to listen to vocalist. You should not expect a particularly large variety of vocal parts - you can notice that the idea prevails here, and not vocal mastery shades. But it's also noticeable that the voice is very strong.

Instrumental parts are something unbelievable. First of all, it's worth noting a wide variety of synthesizers - here a lot of attention is paid to this. Also here you can hear the high technical complexity of the instrumental parts. As usual, I note that I did not immediately understand how this is played and this is a pleasant moment. The section where guitarist and bassist perform the same part looks interesting - it was so beautiful that I forgot what track it was in. Now specifically about the guitarist. Guitarist is so high that the name “Hanako Fujiwara” is not just 4 kanji in the string “guitar”. This is a magnificent performance of virtuoso parts that are forgotten not soon. This album was no exception - I still can not repeat it. Now about the bassist. You can hear him well in the mix - you can hear all the splendor of his technique. It's noticeable that bassist is improving his sound - in this album his sound has reached the highest point. For example, this is noticeable in the fact that the sound of his instrument does not conflict with other instruments, as was the case in Polyhedra EP. Bass lines are incredible: they are very complex and interesting. However, it's difficult to describe in words, it's better to listen. Drummer also looks cool. The only thing I don’t like is pop patterns in the 3rd track. The rest looks cool. Synthesizers - everything is great here. It’s not just filling the space between instruments, it’s a really big amount of work.

As a result, I didn’t tell much directly about the album - it’s too great for a detailed description. Yes, so far nothing can compare with Polyhedra EP. But these guys for the sixth time in a row show their high skill level. Very bright, very saturated album, where every little thing speaks of a serious level. And it's a worthy release not only in 2019, but also for a whole decade. Well done guys: every time they try to surprise the listener and they succeed all the better - I don't think that he wants to remove the headphones after this.

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.

Blood Prophecy - After Life (Review)

I don’t really like to discuss singles: they don't always fully reveal the author’s idea - that’s historically so. But the first release of a new band always arouses my interest, moreover, regardless of the format. And today I will tell you what interest I had in a project from Tokyo called Blood Prophecy.

My Rating: 74/100 Best song: Get Freedom

Here you can hear patterns characteristic of melodic death metal on a extended-range guitar and bass. After the phrase “Melodic Death Metal”, I'm already triggered. For me, the reference sound is the In Flames band from 1996 to 2002. And those who know already realized that the word “Trigger” I inserted for a reason.

However, I will continue about the guys from Tokyo. The general idea is pretty harsh and sharp, although the songs are nice to listen. However, I like the fact that they did not become just another copy of some famous Scandinavian band - for this they have special respect. These are not my fantasies, such cases really happened, for example, with band Devil Within.

The album structure is as follows. First track is a high-tempo song with three types of blast beat. Second track is a song with alternating tempo and slow solo. And at the end - a song with a groove riff and a brakedown. At first glance, the overall picture looks exactly as it should. But I am haunted by the implementation shades. I get the impression that initially there was one very powerful composition and one that was made for quantity. And the second one came up with a sequel (in the form of the third track) with a groove riff. I can’t say that this is a good idea, although the performance looks interesting.

Vocalist also looks interesting. Lyrics are poorly distinguishable - this does not mean poor pronunciation, it indicates the correct recording of extreme vocals. In general, the vocalist showed himself well - it's very difficult to find fault with something.

Instrumental parts look cool. Instrumental parts structures are not particularly complex (if you don't take into account the fast scales in second track), however, they significantly affect emotions. Guitar riffs are simple - I realized how this is played during the first listening. Lead guitar parts also don't differ in anything supernatural. I will not hide the fact that I was expecting a part in the style of some Alphoenix when I saw a extended-range guitar. However, I can say that the work of the guitarist is interesting. And, as you already noticed, I liked the main riff from the third song more. Now about the rhythm section. It's noticeable that a lot of attention is paid to the rhythm section. Bassist doesn't have very complicated parts, but he looks cool. Drums also look cool. Here the composer really did everything for a change - here you have several types of blast beats and standard heavy metal drumming. Accordingly, the drummer will not make you bored either.

Despite the fact that this is a new project (since 2019, that is, recently), the members noticeable serious abilities. Technically, the album is not very complicated. Also, I don’t really like some of the shades of the general idea - in this regard, I would like something else that would somehow balance the general rigidity. But I can say that this album is nice to listen. There is still a lot of work to do, but overall, the release is good.

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.

Grudge Against Personality - The Monster (Review)

What happens when Japanese try to be Americans or Europeans? Usually nothing good. Take for example any band: famous Lovebites or little-known Absolute. Everywhere there will be one and the same thing: the same patterns, pathos narrative, high emphasis on strong emotions, ect.

My Rating: 70/100 Best song: The Monster

If you just thought that I was very biased about this, then I dare to assure you that this is not so. I just report what I hear. And also I read what is called “between the lines”. More precisely, between notes, but this is not the point. Fortunately, here it's not taken to such an extreme - still a decent professional level is felt. There are only two tracks, so you can write about them relatively much. Strong statement. Of course, I will not check it.

And I’ll very much notice the “western” sound. But what is the sound there, even band name is a colloquial expression that means “take offense at the personality”. Yeah, it's rather difficult not to notice such a number of Western ideas. Yes, I don't hide the fact that I have prejudices about copying. But let's continue about the sound. Here you can hear something like nu-metal in the spirit of Disturbed. It's good when some projects influence others projects. It's bad when there is small amount of originality.

About a small amount of originality, I started for a reason. It's noticeable that the composer made a very big bet on emotions. His work as a whole looks cool - there is no arguing here. But when you look, due to what, the charm is somewhat dissipated.

The vocalist is good. More precisely, vocalists - two voices are noticeable here. It's also noticeable that composer's main goal is to convey emotions, not a skill demonstration. Actually, this affects the vocalists work - there are exactly as many as needed. However, something interesting can be noticed. For example, vocal parts structure also looks interesting.

Instrumental parts - everything is quite simple here. As I noted earlier, the composer makes a big bet on emotions. And this is reflected in every element of the compositions. Guitar parts are simple. In the first track, a two riffs. In second - predominantly, one groove riff that stretches throughout the composition. And, as usual, I note that I understood how this is played during listening - I tend to see a negative point in this. Bassist is hard to hear in the mix - very low tuning of the instrument affects it. However, in second track you can clearly hear the upper tone part - this indicates a brightly pronounced attack. Although, if you did not hear the bassist, then you lost a little - nothing complicated was noticed here either. However, the other rhythm section part - drummer - looks great. He is trying to somehow portray diversity, but from a technical point of view it comes out weakly. But the drum patterns sound cool - the composer's high bet on emotions affects it. Additional instruments are also worth paying attention to. At the beginning of the first track, the synthesizer creates an intriguing beginning - this is a good sign. And then, over the course of both compositions, it creates an atmosphere. Well, this is a relatively good way to diversify the composition.

Such a great talent, but in the end we see only a copy of modern Western bands, even a quite high-quality. It bothers me a bit: these guys have a decent level, but their own (original) ideas are poorly traced. It reminds me of a typical rock band from Russia - a great talent, but ideas, for the most part, are borrowed. Well, I like that they do their job efficiently - this can be seen extremely rarely. But still, it's worth remembering that no matter how you try to repeat someone, there is still someone who will do it better.

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.

BLOOD STAIN CHILD - AMATERAS (Review)

Blood Stain Child - after this name comment is always redundant - not all people live such a long as this guys play interesting music. However, this time the situation is somewhat more complicated.

My Rating: 81/100 Best song: 8bit Blackhole

Here situation is complicated by the side project Yuzukingdom. New album has already received crushing criticism from me for the release of previously released songs and strange methods for solving artistic tasks. However, I will not find fault with the intricacies of their strategy, I will get down to business.

This guys really did something interesting in this release. And these interesting things start from the very beginning. Very first thing I would like to note is a great general idea. It's difficult to see it the first time, although mastery is always felt. Yes, I don’t really like the naming of some songs. But overall, the album looks interesting.

Unlike the general idea, composer's work is not so straightforward. Here you can hear patterns characteristic of death metal with a lot of melody, a little hardcore influence and a synthesizer. This is a good idea. In general, album sound is very powerful. However, the downside is the lack of something very special. This upset me a bit, as I expected something special from these guys. Well, the album is interesting without bells and whistles. Although in some compositions you can see quickie, for example 3 track. By the way, an interesting idea: to start an album with two very powerful tracks, and then insert quickie - this minimally spoils the impression of album.

The vocalist is good. He perfectly copes with both classic and extreme techniques. It's difficult to say more, because feels high skill and professionalism.

Instrumental parts are quite powerful and diverse. However, as expected. First thing you can hear is guitars. Usually I write a lot about guitar parts, but here I can't write a lot of words. It’s hard for me to single out something specific - album itself is powerful. Yes, this is such an interesting feature: sound is powerful, but there is nothing special to highlight. Bassist also does not lag behind: sound is impressive. Although bassist also has nothing special. However, the other part of rhythm section - drummer - sounds very cool. Here's an interesting set of patterns. The only thing that I did not quite understand was the logic in the selection and sequence of patterns in 3 tracks. Otherwise, the sound is cool. And, of course, synthesizers must be noted. The sound of the synthesizers is quite diverse - this makes each composition unique. Perhaps the entire instrumental is drawn due to additional instrument that bring something special to this album.

What can be said at the end? I think it would be better if the Blood Stain Child was engaged in the Blood Stain Child, and not Yuzukingdom. Because nothing good will come of Yuzukingdom anyway, and at least they will do something more like high art. These two albums show that it's impossible to do everything at once and of equal high quality - you must sacrifice something. I can’t know how they work, but these guys most likely sacrifice the Yuzukingdom. I believe that this is correct: they, of course, do it well, but when you look at their ways, you start to feel a little sad. Well, specifically, this work was done well and it's highly appreciated.

Yuzukingdom - Dadaism (Review)

And again, Blood Stain Child with his side project. Four months - and now in the stores a new album, moreover, full-length. Such a regularity would deserve respect. However, here the case is somewhat different.

My Rating: 47/100 Best song: -

I was disturbed by the fact that the second full-length was released quite quickly. Indeed, quite often a large amount of work is performed due to its low level. And something like that I can say about this release. First, half of the tracks in the album had previously been released. Question: why? There was no inspiration, but should it be released? The mere fact of having such questions looks strange.

Then what do we have? Composer's work? It seems that here the composer is just a formality. In new songs, composer's work is kind of sluggish. That is, the instrumentalists performed their parts well - there are no complaints. But the feeling remains that the original idea is somehow weak. Because of this, overall sound is not perceived so brightly. Because of this, I will not even describe the album structure. Also, I don’t like different volume level of the songs, and the volume level of individual instrumental tracks raises some uncomfortable questions (for example, guitar track that do sweep picking in 3 tracks).

Now the vocalist is good. In the mix you can hear some tricks in the spirit of Steven Slate and this is a nice detail. Contrasts game is also interesting: extreme vocal techniques are replaced by a cute voice in a second. However, even the vocal parts have a feeling of not fully developed idea.

Instrumental parts are difficult to discuss for a long time. Here you can hear patterns typical for death metal with a lot of melody, a lot of synthesizer, dropped guitar tuning and a strong influence of pop music. It would seem that it's very difficult to spoil the work in such a framework. Well, if you don't take into account the fact that not all the songs are original, then we can say that the instrumentalists did a good job. However, the sound of instrumental parts as a whole is not so bright. I could describe guitar parts from beginning to end. However, in this album it's not necessary. On album Genesis, the guitar parts sound good. Here they just sound. Now the rhythm section, which in some places is not as intense as we would like. In previous release, even pop patterns sounded bright. And here? The only thing worth paying attention to is a synthesizer. Although, most likely, due to the fact that you don't expect much from this.

So, this is not an album. These are some album bits that were roughly paste together and put into the store. Okay, nobody's perfect. However, this work is completely incompatible with the high status of its participants. Disadvantage of previous release, I found a somewhat strange fit of instrumental to the lyrics. But this album is one continuous disadvantage. Instrumental is good, but when you start looking at the shades of composer's work, you want to turn it off. Yes, they do something like a game of contrasts, but you can’t get far at this trick. I cannot order them, but one thing I can say for sure: need more original material. Don't be afraid to create even if it will be quickie - any creativity is always held in high esteem. So, work is done.

Deviloof - Oni (Review)

And today I have powerful guys whose sound will be forgotten very soon. You can insert many words in intro, but today I have Deviloof with new album - usually there are no comments here.

My Rating: 77/100 Best song: Creepy

And this case is no exception. In general, about the album we can say that it's good. However, even here there are some uncomfortable moments, moreover, from the very beginning. Firstly, I don’t really like the fact that there is material that has already been released. Moreover, it's interesting that two previously released songs are at the beginning (2 and 3 tracks). Apparently, they wanted to achieve the maximum amount of emotions for the listener, but they did not come up with anything except to insert compositions that had already brought success. Nuff said. Secondly, I don’t really like the general idea of ​​this album: it looks a little awkward. Otherwise, I can say that album is good.

Composer's work is good. Here you can hear patterns typical for death metal and metalcore in a very low guitar tuning (if my hearing doesn’t fail me, then this is Drop A). Usually in such a framework, eastern bands try to repeat Nocturnal Bloodlust, but not these guys. There is a noticeable amount of labor. Moreover, not just piling on top of a large number of techniques, but a good result, which is nice to listen to. In general, there are no complaints about the composer - the sound of the album is very interesting and emotional.

Next in line vocalist. Voice sound is very powerful and diverse. Lyrics are very hard to hear - this indicates the correct recording of extreme vocals. Together with rather hard lyrics, it gives a great picture. Here you can add only that the voice should not be worried.

Instrumental parts - not everything is so simple here. After word "deathcore" you usually represent very simple guitar parts with the second type of blast beat. But here everything is somewhat more complicated. Guitar parts are quite complex and diverse - it's nice to listen. Being a guitarist, I tried to repeat it, - it turned out with difficulty. However, you can say a little about guitarists. Bassist is hard to hear in the mix - low tuning affects. But the little that can still be heard is amazing. Bassist's parts are relatively complex, although not particularly original. And the other part of rhythm section - drums - sounds interesting. There is a very high intensity of drums, and the patterns are quite diverse. I would also like to mention additional instruments. There is nothing unusual here - synthesizer only creates the basis for sound of other instruments. However, there are not just three notes in sampler, but a thorough work on the atmosphere.

Well done guys - I can say that their album turned out to be good. However, they lacked a little courage: I would like more new material instead of those two previously released songs. And also the general concept could be made more interesting - I feel that they can do it. Well, they wanted to guarantee success - and they did everything for this. Not quite an interesting general idea, not all the material is original, and one can also say little about guitar parts - these are the three errors that separate them from the masterpiece release. In the meantime, I’ll just say “Good job.”

Nocturnal Bloodlust - Unleash (Review)

So, today I have a review on a very cool album. After name Nocturnal Bloodlust, everything usually becomes clear - this is a project of high-class musicians, where high professionalism is noticeable in every action. Therefore, each new album is a real holiday for ears.

My Rating: 71/100 Best song: ー

However, this was before release Whiteout EP, which was wasted. And after this it was necessary to recoup, that is, to release something really powerful. No sooner said than done. However, not quite done as desired. This album contains a fairly large number of strong emotions. However, when listening to it creates a feeling of incompleteness, as if something is missing.

Composer's work is not very difficult. I got the feeling that the composer hastily glued the songs from patterns that first came to mind. Most likely, this work did not quite like that, but still there is a feeling that the methods of solving artistic tasks are not very thorough. Here you can hear the patterns characteristic of the deathcore in a very low guitar tuning (if not mistaken, Drop G) and with rather diverse vocal parts. For this band, this is a typical picture. However, there is a very high emphasis on emotions, and not on diversity. And, so much so that you can select only the last track. Also separately I would like to highlight a very brutal brakedown in track 5.

Vocalist - everything is great here. Hiroyuki is a very big talent. Accordingly, the result of his work is a very interesting vocal sound and a very large variety of vocal techniques. The only awkward moment is that the lyrics are not everywhere worked out to the end. As if the songwriter had very little time.

Instrumental parts sound cool. In general, parts can hardly be called complex, but the sound is a pleasure. Let's start with guitars - they sound good. But I still wanted to hear something more complicated from the point of view of a guitarist. There are so many Djent riffs here that the Russian community even jokingly called the band Nocturnal Djentlust. Bassist is also good. Bassist is relatively well heard in the mix and this is a nice touch. It should also be noted slap on bass at the beginning of track 6 - this is the second track with slap on bass (the first was Desperate). Drummer is about the same here. Everything is pretty predictable, but the high intensity of drum patterns also sounds cool. Otherwise, there is nothing more to say about instruments.

Professionals of such a high level cannot do their job badly. Actually, the result speaks for itself - this album is cool. However, something prevented the guys and as a result the album turned out to be somehow one-sided. That is, there are a lot of emotions in the album, but at the same time the methods for solving artistic tasks are not very diverse. I can't even single out any one song from the album and call it the best. Well, after a misunderstanding called Whiteout, this work is like a breath of fresh air - you still feel a high skill level. However, now they sound worse than at the time of their first albums. I do not quite understand what they were hoping for? Hiding flaws with emotion? This is a rather controversial decision, since not all listeners have the same perception. And I know a lot of good projects (for example, IScream Never Ground, Bakudan Koukiatsu, Phantom Excaliver), which made a big bet on emotions and did not achieve a tangible result. So there is something to think about.

Gyze - Asian Chaos (Review)

I think will be a superfluous to reminder of who these serious guys from the north of Japan. However, previous full-length album did not make a very clear impression on me. Although it would seem that professionals of this level do everything and are always great. But recently guys released new album. And now I will tell you what's interesting here.

My Rating: 85/100     Best Song: Asian Chaos

First you need to clarify that the versions for different markets are different. I listened to "World Edition" from German label Out of Line, which was released on July 12, and now I am writing a review on it.

The first thing that can be said about this album is that it turned out to be quite racy. Composer had a task to make an oriental sound - and it turned out excellent. Composer's work is incredibly difficult. It's noticeable that the composer performed an impressive amount of work. Although, it would seem, here not all the material is new. Nevertheless, it should be noted that a lot of work and ideas were invested in the composition. Although I don’t like the whole album. First thing I don’t like about the composer’s work is contrast between 2 (11) and the rest tracks, which is strongly felt. Because of this, it seems that the bulk of attention was directed to 2 (11) track. I also don't quite understand what this instrumental for track 4 is for and what it is for. Otherwise, composer's work is excellent. Even a cover at the end of album does not look superfluous.

Now, about vocalist. Extreme techniques sound cool. Although it is noticeable that this is not the best side of the leader. Also worth mentioning is the presence of other participants. This is Mark Hudson (Dragonforce) in track 8 and some female voice, performing several lines in Russian in track 2 (11) (not included in line-up).

Instrumental parts sound great. Good sound at high speed is a separate topic, as high speed effectively hides some flaws. However, there is a high skill level. First thing that causes these feelings is guitar. More precisely, guitars - two guitarists can be felt. The rest is not possible to describe, since the level of skill is too high for my knowledge. I can only say that guitar parts are good both in terms of technic and in terms of emotions. Bassist is also good, though not everywhere. Bassist has several interesting segments, for example, in main riff (6 track), but the rest is not worth attention. However, another part of rhythm section - drums - sounds much better. Here is a very high speed and very high intensity. Drum patterns are hardly interesting, however, it can be said that the drummer did a good job. There are also additional instruments. In track 2 (11) there are a lot of traditional Japanese instruments. Also, track 4 consists entirely of a piano and flute. But in the rest of the tracks, additional instruments are not enough - a synthesizer in track 5, a piano in track 7, as well as a flute and shamisen in track 10.

After the ambiguous album, this guys still released a really decent work. I can say that album will take not the last place among best works of this year. Yes, this album is not ideal everywhere: it's felt that in some segments they sacrificed intellectual value for the sake of production speed. Well, the masters of such a high level don't have to be clear to everyone. The result is an album that is difficult to discuss - such work is better just to listen.