doombox 4421 Posted September 10, 2015 Artist: ARTEMA Album: ARTEMATE PARTY 1. Fighting Dreamer 2. Starting Over 3. Trade Off 4. TAKE ME OUT 5. FLY HIGH 6. INFINITE PARTY 7. ROLL OUT 8. To The New World 9. Stronger 10. 5:00AM 11. ONE -Let It Die- Rating: | They don't party like they used to. So far, ARTEMA have been doing a good job of retaining their pre-major label electronicore leanings mixed with melodic pop. Their debut album proved they could tone things down without losing their unique sound, and their second showed us they weren't afraid to go even heavier while they mixed it up with the big boys. I had every expectation ARTEMATE PARTY would follow a similar route and continue to build off of ARTEMA's staple "Kiracore" style. As it turns out, I was wrong about that. ARTEMATE PARTY brings us back, possibly with even more pop arrangements, to their self-titled release territory. This one offers a more mature sound, but it also feels more reserved at the same time. The problem here is that they took away aspects of themselves that stood out from the plethora of radio ready electronic rock that is overrunning the airwaves right now. It has them blending too much into their competition. And as an added side effect, it also made their new songs sound way too much like each other. "Fighting Dreamer" is an opener that's pretty typical for ARTEMA's major singles. Like the ones before it, it stays in the electronic rock field with a breakdown thrown in for added spice. The breakdown itself isn't all that neck-breaking or original, and it's awkwardly cleaved against the following guitar solo. This also keeps everything fairly tame. But the video is fun, and you do get the general idea of what ARTEMA are about. In the past, a single like this would be the lightest and most straightforward song on the album. That is not the case here. The painfully repetitious "Starting Over" along with blatant Fear, in Loathing in Las Vegas worship in "ROLL OUT" stay fairly mellow as well. I single these songs out because in the context of the album they begin to sound like unnecessary filler. One of the other issues is that they expose the melodic limitations of vocalist, Meg. He's a wonderful screamer, but his singing range is limited, and the more melodic ARTEMA become, the more he relies on extremely similar vocal arrangements. This cluster of tracks are a glaring representation of this. As well as the closing track, "ONE -Let It Die-" which is especially unmemorable, so much that it takes away from the entire album due to its placement. But don't get me wrong, ARTEMATE PARTY is not all bad, it just takes a little time to get the party officially started. "Trade Off" and "TAKE ME OUT" in succession do have a good energy about them with fun atmosphere. They also set up "FLY HIGH" to come in and finally work a nice blend of what's popular with what ARTEMA know how to do well. The catchy vocal melody is great for singing along, and it works in harmony with the punchy drum beat to get people jumping. This song is perfect to tear up a live house. "INFINITE PARTY" builds right off of that sentiment as it fuses some legit house music into electrocore and results in one of the first "big drop"/hardcore breakdowns I've ever heard out of the Japanese scene. The rest of the track may not be anything new, but the breakdown alone is worth giving it a spin. Not only did the band push a harder techno vibe with some of the songs, they even tread into nu-metal territory with "Stronger" incorporating a rap-style vocal delivery. The record as a whole has a much more modern pop feel than previous works. ARTEMA are coming to a crossroads and trying to work on expanding their arsenal of genres, but the direction of ARTEMATE PARTY suffers from being a bit lost in the process. Even with all the filler, the band doesn't sound as if they are losing any of their fighting spirit just yet. Though this might have been much stronger as an EP with leftover b-side material, in the end. I worry many old school fans won't have a strong reaction to this album, as they may be holding a candle for their heavier side much like I do. However, a few of the tunes have "grower" potential, so it's definitely an album they should give an honest chance. Support the band! ARTEMATE PARTY on CDJapan ARTEMATE PARTY on HMV ARTEMATE PARTY on YesAsia 5 CAT5, Zeus, DeithX252 and 2 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DeithX252 1266 Posted September 11, 2015 honestly this album can't be repeated in my playlist and I don't remember what song is good, so.... mediocre album but, they are still solid under 4 man band 1 doombox reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest lynchisizer Posted September 12, 2015 their first album was still the best, I think thi is their weakest album so far... 2 doombox and Visutox reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deathangel 1105 Posted September 12, 2015 meh, after i deleted it from my library after 1 and half spin. the 1 is there because i fell asleep while listening to it. so boring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackdoll 907 Posted September 15, 2015 damm it i was hoping you were way off like most of the time. but it sounds like they want to join VK and considering how dadaroma can hit those harsh vocals it's true. as a lover of Deathcore, Beatdown and some slick or brutal metalcore i must say they lost all their bars Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pandabear 414 Posted September 17, 2015 Yeah this album was probably their weakest. It's just a mediocre album at it's best. At one point these guys were one of the few Japanese bands around who were doing the rock/metal thing with electronic music any justice. Unfortunately it seems they dropped the whole metal thing on this album and they overdid it with the electronica. Nobody needs an even crappier version of Fear And Loathing In Vegas. Actually I feel the band isn't quite sure which direction to head or is trying to follow trends. Their first ep was awesome as well as the follow up singles, their debut was ok as they went a little soft, but then they struck a balance on their 2nd album and now they went way too soft. So the band has a pattern of cycling from heavy to less heavy with every release. Come on guys, decide already. Can't tell if they have an identity crisis or are trying to cash in by going soft and trying to appeal to a wider audience. There are a few songs I like from this release, but I find the majority of the album to be filler and it really affects the replay value. Also not a fan of the production at all. Way too harsh in the upper frequencies and not enough low end or body. I still enjoy this band, and will continue to keep up with them but I hope they get it together. 4/10 2 doombox and Visutox reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoseOfHizaki 131 Posted October 3, 2015 I loved the first and second album... Just listening to a few samples on youtube and it kind of makes me cringe a little.... part of it strongly reminds me of the weaksauce material that Crossfaith now produce - theres definitely a hint of it somewhere. I think i'll give the album a download before committing to a purchase. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
