12012 - CYCLONE

Visual-kei band 12012 kept fans waiting over six months before giving them their newest single and first of 2007, CYCLONE. Released in three versions, this is a review of type B with its three tracks.

Kicking things off with a filtered guitar riff, CYCLONE suddenly bursts into life around the ten second mark with driving guitar and a background English chorus culminating in a wordless exclamation from Miyawaki. Sakai and Suga's guitar work in this tune is truly something, pushing the listener along into the catchy choruses, before the fun and unexpectedly groovy musical interaction that prefaces the break. In this the eye of the storm, Miyawaki's vocals and the guitars calm briefly before the song whips up again, whirling the listener about before finally dropping them off at the feet of the second track. butterfly establishes itself early on as a very different tune than CYCLONE with synthesized wind instruments and gentle acoustic guitar. While not technically lacking, butterfly seems to lack some of the heart that 12012's better slow songs boast, leaving it left wanting when compared to the singles released last year.

The third track on this version is ambience. Enya's bass is more easily appreciated, less subtle than it was in CYCLONE, beneath the funky guitar lines that create a spiraling, almost seductive mood. Kawauchi's contribution gives the song a very vaguely dance-like quality. Like many of 12012's newer offerings, the tune will still inspire one to move, only this time it is a slow burn instead of a wild thrashing.

Overall, CYCLONE is a very well-rounded single. The tracks give new fans a hint at the band's ability to stretch their sound between the catchy title track and the slower butterfly, while older fans should appreciate the shouts and hinted madness in ambience as a bit of a hat tip to 12012's crazed roots. It may have taken half a year for 12012 to get going again but if CYCLONE is any indication, the ride they're about to take their fans on was definitely worth the wait.