Zeus 7997 Posted April 19, 2014 Score: | I hope you kept the receipt... This mini-album is tragic. THE STALIN -666- is the best example of stereotypical modern visual kei in all of it's trappings. There is no good track on this mini-album. I got nothing out of the listening experience. I don't often skip tracks when I do them to write a review, but I skipped half of the album before deleting the files. This is the first record I have ever given a flat 1 to and it deserves it. The chief failures to note are Ryouga's "edgy roar", the constant and spontaneous changes in stylistic mood, and the inability to develop a song that doesn't sound like a collage of lame riffing and short jingles. The cheap pop hooks and useless interlude are just bonuses and reinforces the idea that no one in this band is trying. It's the same formula that they've beaten to death since their inception in 2004, but they sound more starved for new ideas than ever. The title is also dull and contrived. In it's attempt to sound dark and edgy, it just looks and sounds embarrassing and has nothing to do with the music. This is the newest entry into the not-so-metaphorical race to the bottom in this scene where bands try to outdo one another in producing the most generic alternative metal music they can as often as possible. I would love to see your faces when you listen for yourself and realize that they spent two days making this and you dropped a good $50 on some flashy packaging and a coaster. I don't know who spent money on this, but next time you can just give it to me instead. 5 nullmoon, Youko_o, ghost and 2 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kodama-kun 25 Posted April 19, 2014 Oh my gosh... I'm not the "let's write a review-type" guy, but this CD is so bad.. Back then I kinda liked Born's music. Until Vigour. That album had some really great tracks but it also had its downhills. After Vigour.. I don't know what happened to them. I liked Blasted Animals but I felt it's just decent. (And I won't say a single word about that outfit.) The other singles weren't my cup of tea. Now here's this mini-album... THE STALIN: I kinda liked the preview. I had hopes but they ruined it. The refrain's catchy, I liked it. That's all. SKIN: What the hell were they thinking? The autotune is really bad. The song itself is like Mejibray's worms to me. (I really don't like that song at all.) The solo had some melody... DIARY: The best song on this crappy release but this doesn't make it a good song. I liked the riffs and Ryouga's singing. It sounds like it could've been on Vigour. Just an okay song but I like it. ↑HUMAN HOLE↓: It reminded me a lot of THE END (NIL intro) by the Gazette. Altough I really like the Gazette's one. The "BORN-version" is just a pointless track.排梳ノ蝶: Nice vibes at the start. After then just noise. The melodic parts weren't bad but the whole song is just a mess. 磔: I don't wanna talk about it. Just don't... BREAKTHROUGH: It's like two different songs. Dunno what to say. It's just bad. I have no idea why I had hopes for this. Really... what the heck is this?Score: (For THE STALIN's refrain and for the DIARY itself.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ghost 2687 Posted April 19, 2014 Belongs in the recycle bin. No, the digital incinerator to burn it into ashes, the compactor to crush it to dust, and then buried inside the core of a star to sear its binary essence out of existence. Pretty much each song has its main "trailer material" melody and then completely unrelated everything else. Taking "the Stalin" for example, we're drawn in by a dark sounding cadence and then the rest of the song is your average poppy vk rock song. Why even have that intro? Nothing is cohesive on this album and the only parts that sounded interesting were the parts the band showed in the trailer to sucker in people who were tricked into thinking the band actually tried. "Human Hole" is the only song I kind of like (But, what's up with the name?). It's an instrumental and was the song the band had on their OHP for a while. 2/10 because of Human Hole. 1 nullmoon reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youko_o 51 Posted July 28, 2014 The funny thing is this mini-album is really too bad that not much people cared enough to discuss about it. It's just "let's agree with Zess, there's not much more to say" haha When they first revealed they were making a new mini-album for their anniversary, I got excited for it. I thought "wow something big is coming" and then they released a preview for STALIN. They just put some random catchy refrain on it. Ruined for me. Then I waited till the mini-album to be released. What a... what's that? e-e I liked Haisou no Chou a little bit to be honest, but I can't even remember it, it's not the kind of song I listen ten times a day. Maybe BORN can already disband? 1 paradoxal reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
morbiusss 10 Posted July 29, 2014 they went downhill since they signed with PSC. thats the truth. I remember their first album Abnormal Head Machine, I remember their felony single...I remember they were brilliant, dark and serious. all gone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Youko_o 51 Posted July 29, 2014 I remember they were brilliant, dark and serious. all gone. When they lost it, I lost the passion I had for them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
