[The Great Album Debate] MUCC: 朽木の灯 vs 志恩

[doombox 4421]

 

We're back with what I can gather are the two most popular albums MUCC have ever released, and both hold deep-rooted crowd favorites.

As with previous debates, albums were chosen because they represent distinct eras in the band's history and cater to different types of fans.

Which is your favorite? What songs have proved timeless or have they lost their shine over the years? 

 

Your challengers:

 朽木の灯 vs 志恩 

(Kuchiki no tou   vs   Shion)

 

Which one will you pick?

[Bear 1817]

I will pick Kuchiki no tou, but that's not because I think it is a great album. It's a mediocre album that's a lot better than the godawful Shion.

[doombox 4421]

I will pick Kuchiki no tou, but that's not because I think it is a great album. It's a mediocre album that's a lot better than the godawful Shion.

What makes it so much better? Just out of curiosity. (Not here to argue/change your opinion, just have a genuine interest in the difference of the albums for you.)

[Bear 1817]

Everything basically. Fuzz is a decent and catchy pop song, but other than that there's nothing of value on Shion in my ear. The songs suck, the production is boring and Tatsurou sounds unspired.

 

 

I'm not a big fan of Kuchiki no To either, but it's got a few decent songs and Tatsurou doesn't sound as boring as on Shion, but even on this album I think he'd lost most of his punch, which might seem a bit weird as I think he was amazing and at his very best just one year earlier. But I just think he'd lost much of that desperation, hurt and honesty that made his vocals so enjoyable on Zekuu, as well as his vocals sounding kinda out of place on Kuchiki no To. The production is pretty bad, though.

 

So Kuchiki no To at least has something for me to enjoy, something which Shion doesn't with the exception of one decent song. But neither is something I'd listen to ever again from my own will. That's for sure.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Shion all the way for me! It's catchy with lots of cool songs, while I could never get into Kuchiki no tou that much... not to say it's bad, because it's still pretty good, just not something I'd listen to regularly. It drags on for quite a bit and most of it sounds too boring to hold my interest (unless I'm just listening to it in the background).

[Pretsy 1343]

Shion definitely - and why?

 

KnT is surely one of those many consider to be as "Mucc essentials" - yes, the album deserved its status for being one of the few, nicely done "concept-based" vk albums at that time. On the other hand though, as Jig mentioned, "Kuchiki" does not really have any "everyday listening" value. It's not a bad album, no  -the album itself is just too "heavy "(as in emotionally) to digest and requires a lot of focus from a normal listener. 

 

Edit: yes, our community includes certain individuals who don't mind blowing out angstfests like "Isho" or the title track while shopping/going out (as a case in point - whatever floats your boat though). Consider my comment to be more at a general level - no judging etc.

 

Shion has a wide palette of genres which Mucc managed to explore and experiment successfully, not to mention some classics from single ("Fuzz", "Libra") and non-single ("Fukurou no Yurikago", "Anjelier") territory - would you imagine those 4 in the same album? I wouldn't either, and that is what makes Shion more awesome and much worthier when we speak of listening values. In addition to everything I mentioned above, I often acknowledged that Mucc was always about "change" - and they emphasized it clearly in here.

[doombox 4421]

I definitely understand the attraction to an album that is more emotionally raw and visceral in nature as KnT. And it's easy to hear those emotions were very real, they weren't simply put on to make a point. KnT was probably the first album they recorded where the band wasn't about to break up every other day as most of MUCC's early days were volatile. As far as I remember from articles, some of the infighting still went on through Hoyoku, but much less and I think the band let those emotions come through in the songs. But I've yet to hear any band that can keep that kind of rawness for more than an album or two. And I agree with the prior comments, sometimes albums like that become hard to listen to because a person isn't always in that frame of mind. At least, I can't relate to something that specific all the time. 

 

Shion covered a vast amount of influences and styles. I think it's a lot stronger not only in composition but in each members growth of technique instrumentally. Miya wrote 90% of KnT, but Shion had imput from all the members, Satochi's compositions were the most surprising for me in the amount of ground he covered. I mean, without Satochi's additions the album would have been good but he really took it to the next level and made the album great, imo. (I actually feel he did this for Gokusai as well). Also Shion was the first time I remember the electronic elements having a real presence on an album which made it further stand alone from the rest of their discography at the time. Which I can't say that KnT did, as I think that album was doing all it could to hold footing with Zekuu. Don't get me wrong, numbers prove that it did hold its own, but I just don't feel like it's remembered as MUCC's best album, just the end of their first era which most people hold dear for nostalgia's sake. 

 

Normally I don't join in on these discussions because I don't want them to seem biased. I truly just want to know how people feel about these albums and which one they feel is stronger. But I've been following MUCC for most of their career and I couldn't help myself this time. lol. 

[rebelstrik 111]

oh i wont vote, cuz i like them both. And yeah its right they each suit for different emotional status.