I was really looking forward to this album almost since they first announced it. My expectations were heightened more with the PV previews and song samples they slowly revealed - so let's see how this release turned out!
01. [schwarz] of Hades (SE): As indicated by the title, this is an intro track. Nothing too memorable plus it's a tiny bit long, tho those chimey synths are a nice touch. This one features Kei from DIAURA on guitar btw.
02. 孤独人形症候群: A nice aggressive number that gets things going. Other than that there's not much else to say about it. It's a solid, hard and short song, just perfect after the intro.
03. true grief: Yeah, okay, I admit this song is totally Dir en grey's Yurameki with a different drumbeat here and there, and kinda dumbed down but it's pretty good nevertheless. Not the greatest track on here but it's nice to listen to.
04. 解離性同一性障害: One of my favorite songs on the album, it's a non-stop ride of cool. First we get a catchy melody, then a playful verse, and a solid chorus. The quiet section is a good addition too, before the track switches back to its fast tempo, to slow down again in the end to half-beat with the original melody. Sweet.
05. 鬼経-kikei-: Undeniable Kuroyume vibes here, and I'm likin' it! It's a mid-tempo song with a somewhat psychotic atmosphere, emphasized by the weird guitar melodies and sounds, and the vocals that unexpectedly switch styles. It's nice that they don't have to use br00tal heaviness to achieve a creepy mood.
06. 蜥-tokage-: An okay song, kinda typical late '90s fast indies-vk with random shouts... until the chorus when it switches into what sounds like an homage to Dir en grey's Cage - nice! Other than this interesting tidbit it's not the most memorable thing, so it's not too bad that it's over fairly quickly.
07. 拝啓、愛しのアイドル様へ: I'm kinda confused by this track since, just like true grief, most of this one seems to be lifted from DEG too, namely FILTH - but here I actually might like this one better than DEG's, lol. They moulded the song so that it's got a nice straightforward VK feel. Overall a pretty rockin' track.
08. 中絶: An awesome "get mental!" song, reminiscent of your typical fast-n-screamy number that gets the crowd riled up at gigs. Grieva added a nice melodic chorus too, that combined with the fast screamy parts makes this one really catchy and memorable imo. The atmosphere kinda reminded me of old-school crazy Kuroyume, like Shinai naru DEATH MASK.
09. 侵喰-shinsyoku-: I really like all the little effects and bits they incorporated into this one, and that funky slap-bass. Feels familiar yet kinda new at the same time. It does a nice job of changing it up a bit after the last few tracks, but still totally "in style". A solid track, all in all.
10. 夕刻絶交センチメンタル: If you like those really fast & poppy guitars that DEG did in their early years (or even maybe young Gazette) then there's a good chance you'll enjoy this one! It's a crazy and catchy lil' song, tho not that remarkable. Its length is just enough for it not to get too repetitive.
11. 第39条第1項「心神喪失者ノ行為ハ之ヲ罰セス」: this one's just awesome. The main fast part is reminiscent of DEG's Zan, so that's the type of song you should expect, tho a bit more varied and widely-appealing. It has a really killer, manic (but kinda melodic) chorus too. It's like a rollercoaster ride basically, totally fun. Easily one of my faves.
12. 悲しみは巡りゆく季節と眠る哀: for the end the guys slow down a bit and present us this ballad. I'm usually picky with these types of songs but it has a catchy chorus, nice atmosphere and some pretty cool guitars so I can't hate, heh. Nice build-ups here and there too. Not a favorite of mine but totally okay as a closer.
13. [Weiß] of Chaos (SE): a creepy little outro. It's short and has some weirdness that adds to the overall mood of the album so I don't mind.
All in all, this is an excellent debut album, especially coming from such a young band. I'm also overjoyed by the fact that they chose to play music in a style that's becoming extinct nowadays (or at least isn't really popular). They bring back that old-schoolish feeling I felt when discovering those short-lived indies-vk bands of the late '90s/early '00s, while also improving a bit on the sound, modernising it. Sure, they tend to take a bit more than necessary at times but I can't hate on them since they sound so good to my ears, heh.
Score: | impressive, nostalgic but fresh, catchy, the works!
