I'm on my second listen now. So let's see what these guys came up with this time!
DISC-1
[DEPTH]: starts out real promising. I like the overall atmosphere.
Ibitsu: sounds like if they mixed two forgettable tracks from TOXIC - let's say RED and SHIVER, for example. Nothing catchy or memorable here. Boring.
Kago no sanagi: apart from the ever-irritating female backing vocals in the beginning this is an average but okay song. I particularly like the guitars in the verses. Sadly, the bland and uninspired vocals drag this one down (typical GazettE problem).
Hedoro: a more aggressive and "mechanical" sounding song. Sounds a bit like it's sewn together from past songs (looking at you, HEADACHE MAN) but it works for me: it's fun, energetic, dare I say catchy. The first track so far that's worth replaying.
Kagefumi: Regular Ordinary Gazetto Ballad Time. Bored to tears by the 2nd minute. The guitar solo gives some relief though. Next.
Yoin: at first it almost sounds like GazettE trying to copy NEGA trying to copy GazettE but thankfully that feeling quickly disappears. I really like the lingering atmospheric tone, reminds me a bit of DIM (always a good thing). A solid track. Could've been even longer.
[DIPLOSOMIA]: starts uninterestingly, then proceeds to sound like a robot being humped by something robots shouldn't be humped by. Was this really necessary?
And there we go, end of the first disc. So far it's a mixed bag for me: some good/listenable tracks, and an equal amount of forgettable filler. I'm a bit surprised even, expected more electronic influence - though I guess the outro signals that Disc-2 will provide us with that kind of sound. Anyway, so far I can say that it's kind of on the level of TOXIC; meaning that it's not bad but I'm sure I'll forget all about it in a week or two, and not listen to it ever again. I'd give DISC-1 a 5/10.
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DISC-2
[XI]: energy-filled electronic intro, and yep, we're in wub-wub-wub territory now.
DERANGEMENT: actually starts out pretty fun with the beefy guitars and random retarded electronic effects. A bit all over the place, and the "usual" chorus isn't helping either. At 2:40 I'm looking at my player and thinking "oh god 2 minutes more of this??"
REQUIRED MALFUNCTION: another electronic-tinged "kinda aggressive" song. Feels like something these guys could write in 10 minutes but it's not bad. And finally, a somewhat memorable (if simple) chorus. A nicely built-up song in my opinion.
DRIPPING INSANITY: unremarkable start, overall a forgettable song. If they made DISTRESS AND COMA a boring track, this would be it.
ATTITUDE: ...let's just say I didn't think there could be lower than the previous track. The only redeeming/interesting part is the breakdown with the high-pitched electronics. Otherwise a total mess.
GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS: at this point if they substituted a random B-side from their pre-TOXIC singles for this song I wouldn't even notice. This is Every Angsty Gazetto Song Ever. Thank god this is the last one.
[MELT]: after the previous ordeals this sounds pretty nice. The overall sound and beat reminds me of industrial rock, kinda like Nine Inch Nails. Not bad but seems to go on forever.
It's over. Finally. I'm tired to write anything substantial in conclusion but I guess you know my opinion/feelings after reading the track-by-track. DISC-2 = 4/10.
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I'd rate this album, as a whole, 4.5/10: below average, with 2-3 enjoyable songs and let's not mention the rest. After listening I'm actually kinda looking forward to their next offering - since it surely can't be worse than this.
