After spending some time with the album I think I finally got a stable opinion about it. To put things in perspective, it's very easy for me to enjoy most of the the stuff Nightmare puts out to different degrees. I don't think my enthusiasm is so hard that I have to keep my bias in check while I write. I'm trying to be fair, but if you find some of my comments too positive after giving it a try now you know why. Hope that doesn't happen, though.
So, carpe diem. This CD was said to be a celebration for the band's 15th annyversary. As someone that has followed them closely for a long while now I think I can see how they have approached it. Basically it goes something like: take something you used to do until 2009 and spin it a bit with something you have explored since then and/or something new... or just don't. What I mean by this is that what I percieve is that, unlike thir self-titled, SCUMS or To be or not to be, this time around the band seems to stick with what they know best and spice it up. I think their recent albums were either too all over the place (To be and NIGHTMARE) or overdid their theme becomning monotone (SCUMS). Carpe does a much better job at tone and flow from what I can tell.
1.Siva: great mood setter and opener and I think represents the band's mood well. It begins teasing the listener and mantaining the interest with the somber tone and spaced verses but then it delivers with very enjoyable climaxes until it goes full circle. As the following track, it's a very conservative song for the band. But given the nostalgia there is among some of the fans for the phase it references and how well executed it is, I think it can be very appealing. 9/10
2.僕の嫌いな君が死んだら、僕は笑うのだろうか?: this could have come in The World Ruler. Heavier, faster pace song with a more upbeat chorus that breaks with the verses with entering with a higher segment that ends on a lower key. Does well lifting spirits after Siva, but it probably won't be as entretaining. It retains it's virtues and faults and it's very well done so I believe it still can be captivating. But it does not take too many risks. Some vocal touches and the the slowdown after the solo have a bit of what the band did on Majestical Parade, but that's mostly it and it's fine for me. 8/10
3.TABOO: wasn't too excited about this one when it came out as single, but it has grown on me when I listened on the album. I think it contributes to it and fits very well. It's well placed in the album: there is very few energy loss from the previous track even if this is lighter, because of the pace and flow of this song is well carried out. The chorus has a good rythym change and the solo cought my attention pretty well. It is not a stellar song, just a nice one, but does a good job at mixing the more not-bright side of the band with an upbeat, chachy chorus wich has resulted in some weirdly fragmented songs in the past. 7/10
4.恍惚: from all the songs in this album, this is the one that I'm still undecided about. This was composed by Hitsugi and it shows since it retains some of the style, delivery and arrangements his solo project has. And I consider that side project to be very shitty. The thing is that production resources and talent are more aviable on this song than on the ones he does on his own. This sounds much better, of course. But it's still very cheesy for my taste specially the vocal melody on the chorus. Other vocal arrangements are also reminiscent of what Gremblins does, but they don't belong here since Yomi has not reached the vocal ineptitude of Hitsugi just yet. Having him doing some background vocals doesn't help either: some segments on this track sounded like absolute crap to me. On the other had, intrumentalization is pretty decent overall, the flow its not bad, and when Yomi sings the verses with the full band behind and Hitsugi with his mouth closed everything clicks... but lasts too little for me to even consider. Other people I talked to about this album liked it, I can not rule out it can have some appeal but it does not go there for me. Introducing Hitsugi's style is an attempt at refresging the band I appreciate but I think the smart choice would have been waiting until the dude has some actual talent or taste for music or arrangements. It would leave me confused if the song ended in a straight way, but thankfully it has an electronic segment at the end that I liked and that ties this song with Quints in I way I liked. I think it played with expectations well and the flow was handled well, but still it's no saving grace for the song itself. 3.5/10
5.Quints: amazing song and the kind of stuff Nightmare should be doing in the furture. Energetic, well paced, catchy, heavy, easy to consume and like. Having the strings players acts a chorus for Yomi worked great in lives for them, I was surprised It actually never happened on studio, but now it did and still does very well. The big but about this song is that falls on a sin Nightmare fans know too well: repetition. The song is a blast but it loops a bit too much. Having such a good hook I can see me replaying this song a lot. But just because the song itself repeats some segments a bit too much I can end up burned faster than I would like. Other major problem: engrish. Stop making Yomi sing in any languaje that is not japanese. He can't. To the point of making people laugh. Still a blast, though 9/10
6.入滅 -entering nirvana-: thought this was woing to be a slower song just to bring down the pace from Quints... I think this might be my favorite song of the album and has the best hook. A simple, well layered song with great rythym, memorable melody and some theremin-ish sounds that spice it up on the chorus' background to great effect that seals the deal for me. Still retains the mood of the ballads of older Nightmare but the tempo is completely different, everything is very bouncy but still somewhat muted and plays around a lot. I would not think I would find such a relatively creative song on this albun after I listened the first two tracks, but it's here and it fits. I don't think this particular stlyle is something I would like to see more of from this band, as it would devalue this song but I think thet should try to do more stuff with the same challenging aim and execution quality. 10/10
7.blur: how prominent the bass is and tone is helps a lot transitioning into this song, but looking at the rest of the album, how heavy and mostly low key is I'm conflicted about this being here at all. On one had I don't think it fits, even if the placement almost makes me belive so. On the other hand I want it to be because it's a decent song, pop-rock with electronic touches that is relatively new to Nightmare... but it's mostly what everybody else is or was doing. The big deal breaker for me is the guitar solo. It's actually a great solo but it's just too heavy for the rest of the song. In fact I think this solo feels on blur like blur feels on the rest of the album. It's just reversed: the solo is too heavy for blur and blur is too upbeat for this album's overal tone. Is placed among two songs that are on their own terms upbeat and playful and that helps. But when you've been listening for a minute and a half it's impossible not to notice how it detracts from the atmosphere the other songs have been building and will continue to. 7/10
7.Demand: just like nirvana, this is an unapologetic fun song that plays around with somthing that Nightmare have been doing for a lot of time wich is hard rock with very punctuated rythm accents and classical music references. Nightmare has been a band has taken itself very seriously when it comes to their hard stuff -and they still do that here on other tracks- but having this song here that retains the album's heavyness but still has fun with it and challenges it in some way is refreshing. It also helps that the song is very out there and able to surprise with its' changes even when listened several times. It's a very entretaining song and takes advantage of Yomi's decreasing vocal range smartly creating a scenario in wich a more chiba-ish approach can work mixed with his regular low, deep chants. 10/10
8.NAMELESS: with the previous track transitioning well from pop into more heavy stuff no we dive more into it. If 僕の嫌いな君が死んだら、僕は笑うのだろうか? could be a The World Ruler song, is fair to say Nameless could be a SCUMS song. All is here: the heavyness, the more heavily tuned vocals, the electronics on the background, the exotic references. How much did you like SCUMS? that's how much you probably going to like this song. I personally liked the chorus and the overall vibe even with the SCUM flashbacks but It is absolutely not the most interesting song in here. 6/10
9.Fade: I barely have anything to say about this song. It's not good. Vocals are terrible, it's very cheesy overall and Nightmare have done this much better so many times it's rather... pointless. This has to be the song with the most boring harmonics I've heard in while. Is too by-the-book, repetitive... it's a shame the solo is wasted here. 4/10
10.the DOOL: there are some songs tha have less than 43" that are worth listening. I listened to this 43" and I liked them, so I gess there's value here 6/10 maybe? hard to tell, but just like the FOOL, it's a cute short heavy rock segment. I appreciate the nod, I gess.
11.極上脳震煉獄・弐式: on practice: Gianizm 13. Heavy and screamy as as Nightmare can get (wich is not much, specially the latter). There tends to be one of this songs per album and they put a lot on effort into them as I have found most of them to be quite awesome, with lots of stuff going on interestingly harmonized and interesting developments. An awesome headbanger as usual 9/10
12.Tao: really liked this one. Interesing ryhtm and tone changes throughout. Blending the more "regular rock" Nightmare with a one a bit more somber tone creates a dynamic I enjoyed. Vocals are not on par with other stuff on the album and the solo was not very good but it's a tune I keep going back to. The piano and heavy riffs blend very well and then drums get in and it transitions into the chorus wich was introduced as soon as the song started in a less developed, unrevealing way wich is something this band has never done before if I recall correctly. That being said, its not that special and I don't think others would be as into it as I am, therefore 7/10
It has a few holes but I think it is a good effort from Nightmare. If you think Nightmare is or has turned into crap I don't think this album is going to change that -I don't think nothing is going to, given the hyperbole around this band- but I think they tackled a lot of the issues their previous avex albums have been criticised: the flow of the album has been improved by a lot compared to the "random playlist" that some people claimed NIGHTMARE and To be or not to be were. Their range of songs is still prettry good, evading the monochromatic sound SCUMS had while maintainning a mostly cohesive sound and theme. Songs can be a bit conservative early but I think they show the polish of something being done by people that has been on that kind of stuff for 15 years. On the other hand, we see them try a lot of new stuff this time around and do it well -in my opinion. They also have better results at stuff they previously failed at doing. Instrumentals are very good and they seem to be getting around Yomi's fucked up voice, even if sometimes it shows how bad can it get.
I think it's pretty good and shows that the band has not lost perspective or creativity. They have to slow down production and now that they know what tools they can use to make it work, take some time in order to not let potential on the table and put out something even more polished. 7.5/10 would be the most useful score I can give for most people.
If you want a list...
1.Anima
2.Libido
3.Killer Show
4.NIGHTMARE
5.The World Ruler
6.Ultimate Circus
7.Carpe Diem
8.To be or not to be
9.Majestical Parade
10.SCUMS
I am not sure if I like Majestical Parade less than To be or not to be or that if I like Libido much more than Killer Show. Also, NIGHTMARE should be way lower because it's a mastering disaster, but still I like the songs a lot.
