凛 - Obscure Ideal

[Guest pixyfalse01.]

01 - Mist in Reminsice 9.5/10
Not a full song, just a long intro. 
But full with awesome beautiful piano solos. That's why i love Kisaki's composing. Sounds so idealistic, i could listen it forever.

02 - Re-frain 7.5/10
I very don't like the mastered singing style of first part vocal by Riku. But after it the drums give the song a very good rhythm, in the middle comes Kisaki's typical synth composing, what i love so much. Well, i think the song should start from the synth break of third minutes, than i could say it's a very good stuff.

03 - Fell Asleep 9/10
Personally i totally love melancholic songs like this, but the refrain sometimes hurt my ears when Riku tuning his voice again and again during Fell Asleep.

Well, and we arrived to the last release of the band. Summarized...
Although it is very hard, they couldn't reach the Phantasmagoria's quality so far.
I think they started very well with their self titled song, and continued acceptable with As if Forever Exists. But after it they were lost. Although i think they improved a lot in their last year (Awakening from Independent Maze new songs, The Psalms and Lamentations, Night Dreamer and this) earlier many song's arrangement and compose was full with unnecessary and idea-less parts. "Sometimes the less are more". Because of it they ruined Metamorphose, Silent to my Pain and their whole first album.
Riku hadn't so awesome lyrics idea's for example in Fairy times memory or Hikari ni furu ame.
But the most thing that missed for this band, that fuckin' awesome guitar solos and riffs by Jun. He was just simple awesome...

[Soviet_Church 125]

I really like this band. I'm going to miss them. I hope Riku continues with Chariots.

[Sakura Seven 593]

I LOVE FELL ASLEEP! I haven't even listened to Re-frain all that much because Fell Asleep kills it. Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL song! 

[Lestat 2167]

As much as a fan I am, this release might as well not have been released at all. It doesn't do anything for me. 

Riku sounds super flat and he seriously just lost heart in his voice. The band's gone downhill after Mizuki mysteriously disappeared although Psalms I could still somehow toleratefor whatever reason I don't know of. This has just been a final milking-product from Kisaki together with all the extra's you get by purchasing it through the webshop to fill up his pockets for whatever he's going to do next. 

[Guest pixyfalse01.]

The band's gone downhill after Mizuki mysteriously disappeared

What?

Lin announced in 2012 August that they will be going on hiatus in the next year's first half.

The Psalms and Lamentations released in 2012 November.

and Mizuki disappeared in 2013 January.

Moreover Fell Asleep was written in 2011, and Re-frain was written by Kisaki and Mizuki together in 2012

so i really don't understand where is the downhill because of Mizuki's disappear...

Just he escaped from the closure part of the band.

[Lestat 2167]

^ I don't really mean on the terms of composings and all. Even had things been recorded with Mizuki earlier, there of course have been re-recordings of Fell Asleep and Re-frain after Mizuki left. They're less of an unison. Even though Mizuki might not have been a solid structure in the band as he didn't write any of the majority of the songs (and as a rhythm guitarist/dualling sometimes with Kanata), I feel like they just lost it after they lost him. There's been a break in their structure and that difficult to come over musically, and bonding-wise.

 

From what I've heard from UCP insiders Kisaki and Riku haven't been on friendly terms at all as of lately and Kanata plans on stopping anyway. Reiya's always been some sort of a wallflower letting things come towards him instead of stepping in to a direction of his own. It's just like the whole band's currently being steered by everything Kisaki does and plans for them and the rest doesn't have much to say. It's at least certain there won't be coming back any Lin. 

[Guest pixyfalse01.]

yea i agree that Lin wont come back.
Riku and Kisaki's relationship i think, not the old one, like in Phantasmagoria. so he doesn't sing from his deep heart.
Kanata wants to stop music (and my opinion is he is not so talented like Jun so far)
and Reiya has problems too to stay in music industry. and i don't know how good drummer is he.

But most important reason that they stayed really as small clubs band around 150-250 ppl. Worst period of Kisaki's last 15 years.

[Lestat 2167]

It's certain to say that Kisaki made Riku, up to some point. I've heard he doesn't want to do any new projects after Lin, and he also said that if Chariots is going as bad as they are now (not having any solid label anymore) we won't be hearing of him anymore. Sadly, though, he was one of the major underrated voices in VK for the past 15 years, and to have him stop because of unfortunate situations considering whatever his bandmate/president had in mind for his own wallet. 

 

Truthfully I think it's kind of over for all of them with the uprise of this entire metalcore thing taking over the scene with bands such as Nocturnal Bloodlust, Mejibray or D.I.D. Let's face it: they're too old for to make a new jump in to the depths, especially with Kisaki's reputation it'll probably be difficult to get people to like him for his music alone even though it's always been solid. It's just sad to see such good musicians being appreciated so little.

 

I agree on the venue thing. Phantasmagoria could've filled Budokan if they wanted to, but Lin is just sad to see.