SONIC LOVER RECKLESS - PHOENIX

Just when they thought they had her back, she goes missing again. That was the situation Aya Kamiki fans faced in 2016 when UROBOROS, a supergroup she co-founded with ex-Asriel maestro Kurose Keisuke in 2015, suddenly went quiet. Kamiki eventually picked up her recording career in late 2017, as one half of rock duo SONIC LOVER RECKLESS. Her partner was guitarist MIYAKO, then known as mi-ya, a veteran of the ‘girls metal’ movement whose international profile has since sky-rocketed through her work with LOVEBITES. The duo’s debut single PHOENIX was released digitally in November the same year.

Based on the look of SLR’s leather-clad publicity shots, PHOENIX gets off to a surprisingly breezy start. The howling guitar solo MIYAKO lays down on the title track feels a little mismatched with the melodic rock vibe. This situation isn’t repeated on Rock N' Roll Revolution. While there’s nothing remotely revolutionary in Chewing High!! guitarist AYANO’s composition, the titular refrain alone makes it the single’s catchiest offering. TRAGIC SKY pales in comparison, but its relentless tempo makes a breathless end to the record.

In some ways, SLR’s debut feels like a return to her roots for Kamiki. Lest we forget, her 2006 breakthrough single was a cover of rock duo B’z’s Pierrot. Then again, the songs on PHOENIX pack more punch than anything the singer recorded in her solo career, but with a guitarist of MIYAKO’s talents on hand, that’s to be expected. It remains to be seen if or when the women will expand on this promising start.