Alice Nine - SHADOWPLAY

After Daybreak, Alice Nine takes their non-conforming style and sound to the next level with the release of second consecutive maxi-single, SHADOWPLAY, on April 17th. Both tracks are touted as "metal" and deliver Alice Nine's skills in a new light, in under ten minutes.

While a large of portion of the title track is best described as melodic power metal—as Shou wanted to experiment while proving Alice Nine can indeed play metal—Saga’s passionate piano accompaniment in the opening helps mold SHADOWPLAY into something a little unusual. Shou sounds a little dramatic at times but his energy compliments the intensity of the guitar and bass lines.

The strong B-side coaxes “shadows” to come out to play with a Gothic twist. Composed by Saga with lyrics by Shou, Scarlet toys with layers of sound: the intro is laced with haunting, reverberated orchestral strings and violin and digitally modified drums as Shou whispers in the background.

Alice Nine’s recent label change to NAYUTAWAVE RECORDS has so far served the group well. Daybreak and now SHADOWPLAY has so far demonstrated Alice Nine's desire to try out new concepts and experimenting with particular music genres, and show a collective ability to be able to take ideas and make them a reality. It will be interesting to see how Alice Nine will transition from SHADOWPLAY to upcoming release, shooting star on May 29th, to any future releases.

While Alice Nine was at Nico Nico Choukaigi this week, the group aired the PV for shooting star, during a special edition of "Super Alice 9 Channel." The shift from SHADOWPLAY to shooting star, a pop ballad, is very abrupt, so be prepared. We're looking forward to hearing the b-side, Affection!

In the meantime, enjoy a short version of the PV for SHADOWPLAY--especially the many blooming flowers in the background. Saga's very passionate performance on piano is also a treat!