SuG’s popularity has steadily been on the rise all through 2007, and to end the year they put out their first mini-album, I SCREAM PARTY. Going along with the band’s motto of "heavy positive rock," I SCREAM PARTY features five brand new songs that are fun, energetic and filled with a pounding rock beat.
Most noticeably, it is vocalist Takeru who has improved the most. On the single released prior to the mini-album, Alterna., he has at times sounded weak and unable to hold on to his falsetto. However, starting with the first track on the album, LOVE SCREAM PARTY, Takeru’s voice holds steady the entire way through. The music finally complements his singing style, making the song a much more enjoyable experience. The song itself has pop and dance overtones, but with Chiyu on bass and MITSURU on drums, there’s no way anyone could mistake it for something other than a rock song. LOVE SCREAM PARTY is a playful, fast paced song, and it’s sure to be a real crowd pleaser during live concerts!
Track two is called Toon Daily Late Show and sounds more like mainstreamed pop/rock, but there’s a definite sarcastic edge to it. The song contains nice little guitar solo and maintains a bouncy beat that is carried to the end. It serves as a lead in for Primal, which opens grandly with digitalized sound effects. Despite the title, Primal is a mellow song and is put together more like a power ballad. In addition to another passionate guitar solo, piano playing is also featured on the song, giving it a more elegant air. This song is proof of how SuG has matured musically and could be considered the best song on the album.
Following Primal is Oreshiki Continue, a song that returns to the heavy metal-style rock sound. It’s a catchy song, though not very remarkable. Ending the album is Genjou, which was probably written around the same time as their previously released single Alterna., as the two have similar sounding beats and styles: both are light, rhythmic and set mostly in minor key, although Genjou does not include the piano.
With I SCREAM PARTY and having already debuted overseas, this young promising band has shown their capability to succeed. SuG’s energy and enthusiasm are refreshing, and we can definitely expect more "heavy positive rock" from them in the future!
The first print limited edition of I SCREAM PARTY also comes with a DVD containing the PV of I SCREAM PARTY and behind-the-scenes footage.
