When I got this album I had no idea that it would be
Kagerous swan song, and since hearing of their forthcoming break-up Ive been afraid of either reviewing
Kurohata through rose-coloured glasses or overcompensating and finding problems where none exist. However, on listening with a more discerning ear it transpires that the album has enough ups and downs to satisfy even me.
On a positive note, the songs are variously paced, including fairly rapid numbers like
Baita no Yuutsu, with its frenetic drumming, and slower songs like
Rakku Suru Yume. However, the general tone and volume tends to be on the same level throughout the album. It is true that some songs, for example,
Lilly and
Baita no Yuutsu, have nice areas of loud/soft contrast within them, but somehow the songs have a tendency to find their way back to the same level, giving the album a homogenous feel and making it harder for individual tracks to stand out.
This could be a fault of the production, which struck me as just a little too slick. Some songs feel too muddy and indistincy, as though they would benefit from a bit of crisping up to allow the various layers to shine through, but overall it seems that the production, while very professional, causes some songs to lose the life that they could easily have had. For instance,
Seisai to Hangyaku, which has a metal-ish edge to the sound, could have been heavier and more raw, to contrast with some of the quieter, sinister areas and give the song more punch.
Yuana shows that he is capable of some slick fast playing, for example at the end of
Tonarimachi no Kanojo and the solo in
Shitsuren Toiu na no Mujou. It would have been nice to hear this more often for instance, the break in
Aka no Kyoshoku was indistinct and uninteresting.
Kazu is also not used to his full potential. There are some extremely pretty bass moments the bassline stands out in
Aka no Kyoshoku, and there are also good basslines in
Kogarashi and
Seisai to Hangyaku and a lovely bass melody shines in
Shizumu Sora, but in other songs it seems rather stunted, often showing a promising bassline and then failing to follow through with anything remarkable. The drumming, although appearing perfectly competent, is also a touch mundane.
Daisukes voice is best for growling and yelling, and he gets some opportunity to show this off in this album. However, the vocals arent always strong enough, particularly in the gentler songs, of which there are a fair few. Sometimes this is a question of volume, such as in
Lilly and
Shitsuren Toiu na no Mujou, which seems to be more of an issue of sound balance between vocals/instruments. But his voice is also not strong enough to carry melodies well. He puts plenty of emotion into his singing but just does not have the capacity to make his voice soar and cut through where some songs could benefit from it. This is particularly noticeable in
Shizumu Sora. However, in
Aka no Kyoshoku and
Kusatta Umi de Oborekaketeiru boku wo Sukuttekureta kimi he does cope very well with the demands of these melodies. Particularly in
Kusatta Umi de Oborekaketeiru boku wo Sukuttekureta kimi I feel its a shame that his efforts were let down by the soporific effect of the instrumental arrangement and inexorable drumbeat.
So, some high points and some low points, and for me there are two songs that illustrate each extreme on this album:
Shitsuren Toiu na no Mujou and
Zettyou Spice.
Shitsuren Toiu na no Mujou disintegrates from the first moment; disorientating, the melody roams all over the place without going anywhere, the song bores me and the vocals are indistinct even the guitar solo cant redeem it. By contrast,
Zettyou Spice has a powerful opening with vocals and drums together, followed by crunchy guitars and interesting licks and riffs which grabbed my attention. At first the melody seems almost non-existent, and then it comes into its own
Daisuke absolutely nails this one, including the high notes. A winner.
OVERALL SCORE: 6/10. Solid musical ability let down by a rather pedestrian production and a lack of zing.
FREELANCE REVIEW BY:
Kinsao-- kinsao_ikioa@hotmail.co.uk
