sukekiyo - IMMORTALIS

[Zeus 7997]

Who are you to separate bias from what people enjoy? Why do you even care? Let people enjoy the things that they enjoy and stop trying to find objective truth in subjectivity. It's extremely annoying.

[EzraEroguro 174]

everyone can be too serious for the internet. 

the novelty wears off after a while, the compositions stand alone; lots of it feels like an unwarranted love letter from someone you used to date in high school. It's great -- It's nice to know the feeling is there; But it's almost like those days are good & gone, so you enjoy it while it lasts.

[ghost 2687]

Straight and upfront: 8/10

I love the album. It has a very strong sound and atmosphere and it’s easy to get lost in the psychedelic and milky compositions. Kyo does a great job in a lot of the songs too (although many times he takes to many liberties with his wails and falsettos) As a whole I’d say this is the strongest release I’ve hear from any band in a while (maybe since 2012, Lama - Modanica?)

That being said, yeah the album isn't without its faults. So here goes my personal take on the album.

elisabeth addict -

This song is beautiful. The spanish-like guitars are so delicate and very Rentrer en Soi. Kyo sings emotionally and melodically without screaming (for the most part...)and really ties down the mood of the song. Great intro and great song.

10/10

destrudo -

I like SE; I almost feel like every album needs an opener and closer. But honestly, could've done without it. elisabeth addict does a much better job of drawing the listener into the world of the album and setting the mood and I don't think it HAS to be the transition into latour. It's a cool track in its own regard but having it play as the second track takes away from its impact.

6/10

latour -

That intro! It's so Japonesque from the melody to the use of the trickling water and super atmospheric. I love the swirling guitar melody that eventually becomes more edgy and demented as the song progresses. Kyo does a pretty great job too. I don't know though, there's something missing that really makes the track stand out. I think it's a catchy melody. When I think about it, my favorite parts are the beginning and end because of the trickling Japonesque melody.

7/10

nine melted fiction -

Compositionally 10/10.

Kyo 5/10.

DANG. IT. KYO. He was doing fine at the start of the song and then decides he'll add whatever obnoxious high notes that he can't sing to "enhance the mood". I mean yeah it's his interpretation but I just think there's a more effective way to sing in the tone of the song without making weird noises and using meandering melody.

But the instrumental work is fantastic. Awesome psychedelic guitars.

so...

7/10

zephyr -

I like the change of pace the track brings to the album. So far the album's been pretty slow and atmospheric so it's refreshing to hear something more upbeat. I'm not sure what to say about the song other than it's a pretty standard rock track with a great melody.

8/10

hidden one -

To incorporate Mozart into a song is like putting music into music so you can listen to music while you listen to music. So meta. Okay, so it's not that amazing but it's pretty cool. I've been running the original Mozart piece in my head for days now. But this song is great! I love the melody and Kyo sings well here. The guitar lines are awesome and DAT SOLO. The climax after the first guitar solo is probably my favorite moment of the album so far.

10/10

aftermath -

There's something about this mix that just isn't as satisfying as the original. I can't put my finger on it (maybe it's more reverb) but I guess it's not big enough to take away from the listening experience. This track is beautiful with it's dark yet comfortable atmosphere, melancholy expressions of emotion, and delicate execution. It's very laid back but so much is expressed. I especially love the mid section where it picks up and breaks the atmosphere for a bit. It's a nice contrast that still fits within the context of the song.

Kyo's falsetto and interesting choice of notes can turn me off at some points but it's not like....terrible. Also, I don't think the song stands as strong without the PV.

9/10

uyuu no sora -

It's a cool track. I think it does fine transitioning between aftermath and daemon's cutlery. It's menacing and foreboding. Not terribly memorable on it's own though.

6/10

daemon's cutlery -

So. I actually love this song. We finally delve into something more hard and fierce compositionally and here Kyo's screaming fits. I like the crazy guitars, the chorus, and especially those drums in the intro. The pre-chorus is pretty corny but I love corny and so love the pre-chorus. He sounds like the hound from the fox and the hound trying to sing in a opera choir. Call it my guilty pleasure but I love daemon's cutlery.

8/10

scars like velvet -

I could dance to this. The atmosphere is so thick and the song has presence. Kyo's high singing can get annoying here but it's not as bad as nine melted fiction. Overall, it works and the listen remains enjoyable. Compositionally it's more or less the same as the other songs on the album but also has a great melody.

9/10

mama -

I think the intro really is the only part that sounds like the original. I like that it's more upbeat. The album has been pretty slow so, like zephyr, it's a welcome change of pace. Typical Rock track with a pretty sweet melody and the piano is used beautifully.

9/10

vandal -

Ohhh man. This is like daemon's cutlery part II feat. Dum Spiro Spero (kind of). When the bass comes in I get so pumped and when the chorus hits I lose it. The composition is hard, demented, has moments of dark meditation, and exquisite dissonance. Kyo's vocals are outstanding in this. He can be haunting with his low singing and whispering and be aggressive and chilling with his screaming. What's great is that he controls his screams and uses them for a certain nuance not the usual unrestrained release of anger that sounds like a pregnant dolphin giving birth to whale triplets.

10/10

hemimetabolism -

I feel split on this track. I absolutely love the beginning and end parts of this song but the middle section just doesn't do it for me. Remember what I said about Kyo using his vocals strategically at the right time and place? Well, forget that because he did too in this mid section. Okay, so the mood of the song, the melody and composition, all of that I think actually fits. These different sections of the song actually flow into each other alright. But, what I really wanted was a track that was soft all through out and didn't have such contrasty parts because it kind of takes from the experience of enjoying the beauty of the track. It almost seems random to have the loud section and takes away from what could have been a great ballad/soft song. But, these quiet parts are so good. So...

8/10

kugui -

This is a wonderful ballad with warm melodies, delicate composition, and beautiful vocals by Kyo. Even his falsettos are done pretty great and his melodies are simple yet memorable. I love Takumi's use of harp (I just know it's him) especially as you hear its final plucks at the end.

If hemametabolism was more like this it would've gotten a perfect score too.

10/10

funingen -

This song is so much fun. I could dance to this too. I love the ethnic sounding guitar melodies and how exciting they are. It's upbeat and heavy yet has its moments of softness and even has that dark and meditative sound too. That "nyannyannyan" part is really corny. But...I like corny and so therefore I like this part! Okay, it's pretty overdone but he's having fun with it so I can't help but love it. I feel like this is the type of song Kyo's more recent vocals fits with best. He can scream, sing, be hammy, and it all fits.

10/10

in all weathers -

The 9goats influence just oozes out of this song. It's just wonderful. But, Kyo's vocals are kind of grating because he sings in that overly done falsetto voice. Besides that, the first half of the song is just gorgeous. The melodies are so warm, Kyo does do a great job of singing softly and melodically, and the song falls between the regions of comforting yet foreboding. But then the mid-section hits and, while it's well done and does fit, I feel makes the song lose it's original tone. It's like with hemametabolism or even Dir en Grey's Diabolos. There's nothing wrong with keeping the song one style and making variations within that. I'm personally not a big fan of the theatrical sound of having things be loud and rockin' and so it kind of killed it for me that they did that. That said, the song ends perfectly with the piano slowing down and its last notes fading into silence (or rather a thud).

8/10

I've listened to the album everyday since the first download was available and it hasn't lost it's novelty (couldnt wait for my physical copy!). In fact, I like it better now than I did on my initial listen. Yeah it's not perfect and I feel like Kyo still needs to learn that sometimes less is more, but it was above my expectations. I was half expecting an hour full of Kyo wails and thankfully he knows better than that. I'll be spinning this record for years to come and can't wait for future releases.

Sukekiyo totemo sutekiyo!

[Pretsy 1343]

^which Mozart piece did "hidden one" remind you of btw?

 

edit: my bad, Symphony no. 25 in G minor...

[ghost 2687]

Yes, that one!

[Ito 2438]

Just putting this out there, but Hisashi's remix of hidden one should be the definition of terrible dubstep remixes.

[EzraEroguro 174]

^^^ Devilslug's remix sucks too.