D'espairsRay - Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana - Type A

After a long and painful draught, I've finally gotten my hands on some new J-Rock: D'espairsRay's latest offering, the single entitled Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana.

Seeing as this is a single that consists of only three tracks, we'll break it down and analyze each one.

1- Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana: "Whoa." That's the first thing I said after popping this one in. The title/opening track doesn't really give you much time to breathe as it kicks into high gear relatively early. Very dark sounding and yet the chorus is so melodic that it exudes something almost similar to pop. Hizumi stores the growls in a closet and keeps to clean stuff for this one. Needless to say, it's an extremely catchy song. The instrumentation throughout is top notch.

2- Maze: Now then! While the first track offers us a new perspective on the band, this one slowly returns to style with bizarre background noises and a heavier guitar lick. There's even some subtle violin hints here and there, although they are few and far between. The chorus remains a very catchy one, just like track one and some of their more recent efforts. Some purists fear these new "D'espairsPop" songs, but I think they are a breath of fresh air! Definitely A-grade material!

3- PIG: This track is for the D'espairsRay fans who have been around for a long time. Hizumi finally lets the growls out on this one. Also, the guitar retains that classic "creepy, horror movie" feel we've come to love from the guys. This one is a sure-fire hit for both longtime fans and newcomers alike!

This single really hits the nail on the head. Whether you're a die-hard fanatic or just a J-rocker looking for something a little heavier than what's featured in anime, this single is a GREAT way to get into D'espairsRay.