featured review #99: 時限式:uadjet - 碧落の暁り

[Zeus 7997]

 

 

        Tracklist:

1. 碧落の暁り (Hekiraku no Satori)
2. 鴉食 (Togui)

 

| A visual band interesting enough to pique my interest?

 

Cue one disbanded Tokyo-based visual kei act IIII-Ligro-, active around the turn of the last decade to fill the throngs of indie metalcore bands best remembered as a footnote in the context of newer projects. I've never harbored ill will towards IIII-Ligro-, but they always struck me as a band that lacked a fully fleshed concept. The quartet self-destructed into the ground by losing members and direction despite the small amount of buzz they generated here during their literal fifteen minutes of fame. I was one of many fans disappointed at the outcome and left wanting more. Vocalist ヒナタ(hinata) and guitarist kazari must have felt similar, since it didn't take them long to form a new session band. Nicking a rotating cast of band members from obscure visual kei acts such as Dianslave, ino, and se-ya, 時限式:uadjet (jigenshiki:uadjet) is everything I thought it would be, and by that I mean it's the natural continuation of IIII-Ligro-. This is great news for fans looking for a substitute band, but 碧落の暁り does not address my lack of confidence in the direction these members want to take this project.

 

This criticism does not cloud my enjoyment of what are essentially unused demos.

 

My lack of confidence in IIII-Ligro- is a result of reflecting on their history. They never came as an immature band, but their music always felt constrained by 'what it means' to be visual kei this decade. Tropes are made to be subverted in order to create a memorable experience, and IIII-Ligro- toed the party line too carefully. But where IIII-Ligro- was an official band with a schedule and activities, 時限式:uadjet is a session band with only two stable members. To put them on the same level right from the start indicates that there's more than meets the eye to this session band.

 

時限式:uadjet is blessed to have hinata as a vocalist. He has interesting gutturals and an instantly recognizable singing tone that manages to be distinctly visual kei while avoiding nails-on-a-chalkboard levels of annoyance, which means this indie band won't immediately crash and burn on undelivered hype. He reminds me a lot of Jey from FIXER. kazari's guitar riffs and musical chops also received a buff; both tracks on this single are described best as standard scene metalcore with a cum shot of progression. For example, the contrasting tone of the main riff of "碧落の暁り" (Hekiraku no Satori) lacks a bit of polish, but otherwise exemplifies the strides in musicianship and adventurous approach to composing that IIII-Ligro- needed more of.

 

I am definitely not the person that you should come to if you want visual kei recommendations, as my honey moon ended in 2011 and most bands get fifteen seconds with me before they meet The Recycling Bin. These guys have persisted through that, so I guess that means I like them. Perhaps it's a little too soon to draw all the comparisons I did between the two bands, but it's as difficult to resist doing as reviewing la la larks without mentioning school food punishment or siraph once. Also, 時限式:uadjet surfaces on the positive side of enough of these comparisons to make worthwhile conclusions from them. I am interested to see this duo develop this idea into a fully functioning unit, but when that happens they need a concept and musical identity to guide their path and differentiate them from their competition. Give them two years, enough hype to kill an elephant in one injection, one really good PV, solid production, and an official mini-album with more than 100 copies available that brings it all together and I can see them rubbing shoulders with the likes of DADAROMA in a few years.

 

 

* This was a live-distributed release limited to 100 copies *

[Aferni 2381]

While "碧落の暁り"'s riffs need a bit of recording touch up, the song is a step in the right direction. So far as vk metalcore goes, Hinata's deep dramatic vocals are just so addictive. I'd have to say 鴉食 didn't really suffer from this. I'm just really at a loss for how good Hinata sounds. His pigs squeals are on point and the session instrumentalists are amazing. I believe llll-Ligro-'s ex-Drummer Hiro participated in the recording of both 時限式:uadjet singles.