Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet- - Noble

This review is for the American release of the highly anticipated debut album, Noble, from Versailles, now known in the U.S. as Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet-. It comes with the promotional video for Aristocrat's Symphony and the bonus track Prince, so far unavailable on any other release. While their smaller releases were well received, people wondered how Versailles would do with a full album. Would the songs all sound too much alike, and would we start to lose our interest? Would the new songs live up to the high expectations set by previous releases? Noble puts all these concerns to rest.

The album kicks off with Prelude, which features a choir of voices and dramatic melodies emitting an air of urgency, setting you up for a large scale, intense album. It's followed by the previously released Aristocrat's Symphony, a song of sprinting drums, unique soaring melodies, and a guitar bridge that flies all over the scale. This is the song whose 12 minute PV is included on the second disc of the album.

The third track and first full new song of the album, Antique in the Future, opens as a feel good, upbeat rock number and segues into a softer, sadder piano-vocal backed by Jasmine You's sympathetic bass. Then it brings us to a chorus that's both classical and rock. The bridge features a Spanish guitar along with the electric, as well as a very emotive violin section.

Track four, Second Fear -Another Descendant-, is a much darker, creepier number with lyrics mostly in English. You might guess that TERU composed the music for this menacing piece, and you would be right. YUKI really wails on the drums, and the vocals are sort of whisper-croaked out in an ominous way. The racing guitars and drums keep the level of intensity very high through the whole piece, though the chorus follows a gorgeous, inspiring line. This combo of beauty and horror make it one of the must-hears of the release.

Next up is the similarly horror-centric Zombie, another favorite- especially among metal fans - and one of the best even on the new album. The different moods, vocal styles and paces throughout make it a track that will never get old. After Cloudia gives a more classical feel, the drums immediately fast underneath KAMIJO's light singing. The chorus is higher than usual, its sound more nostalgic and bittersweet. The guitar plays out incredibly fast, as though in a race with the drums.

The seventh track, Windress, opens quietly in contrast, its pace slow and majestic. KAMIJO sings almost a capella during the first verse, backed up by ornamental, soft synths until the beat, powerful and slow, enters and introduces the chorus. Windress has one of the most beautiful and catchy refrains of the album, despite its slowness. KAMIJO hits his falsetto notes beautifully and the chorus in general holds an amazing emotive quality. The guitar bridge is also unusual for its slow, heavy riffs, all of which make this another must hear.

This is followed by the classic, The Revenant Choir, the song that introduced the world to the quintet's unique brand of racing rock, classical and gothic style. It still remains a fan favorite to this day. To the Chaos Inside opens with a rocking ominous guitar and heavy, fast drums, a very aggressive piece from the get-go. Though the atmosphere of the song is impressively constructed and the dark guitar sections are excellent, the chorus is a little underwhelming.

Almost without a stop between songs, Suzerain is next. Having already appeared on A Noble Was Born in Chaos with Aristocrat's Symphony and Zombie, it's a familiar song for fans, but one that still remains strong on the album. The melodies in the verses are as exciting as those in the chorus, not to mention the long and impressive guitar solo stands out even among Versailles solos, resulting in a song that won't bore you.

Track eleven, History of the Other Side, is the longest on the album at about nine and a half minutes and quite a credit to HIZAKI's composition ability. As might be expected, there are filler areas and areas that really grab your attention. It begins with a fairly slow pace that gives the piece an epic, intense feel. The verses has KAMIJO backed by a light and gothic sounding organ. After a slow chorus, we are bombarded by Yuki's rapidly pounded drums, and the song becomes fast and driven from there. Towards the end the melodies darken, and as the guitars grow more menacing KAMIJO's vocals become creepy and almost whispered before the final grand chorus, which is the most beautiful part of the song. The finale is an angsty but lovely guitar section; a better finish can't be imagined.

Episode is an unusual song, the whole piece constituting of just a soft piano (played by DaizyStripper's Kazami) and KAMIJO's vocals. His lyrics take a similar minimalist approach, only four lines total with repetitions. As usual, the lyrics evoke striking, beautiful but somewhat otherworldly images, though here in a more subtle fashion. This type of duet - classical, slow, and sweet - suits the singer and the band's image, even though its simplicity contrasts with their typical approach.

Finishing up the album is Prince, a bonus track included for the American release, and what a way to end. Prince is one of the best new songs on the album thanks to its catchy and gorgeous chorus and KAMIJO's powerful expressiveness. It also features a psychedelic, light and echoing block of guitar playing in the middle that is a welcome change. At the end, KAMIJO's last notes are echoed hauntingly; it's another beautiful technique that adds to the already epic composition.

With this release, Versailles again reasserts why they are becoming so popular and how they stand out from other bands. With a thorough emphasis on classical composition, their music still attracts hardcore metal fans, and their gothic aesthetics in music and images draws in still another fan base as well. The lyrics are also striking, dark and original, all of which are included in Japanese in the booklet that comes with the CD (aside from The Revenant Choir, which is in English). For the most part, this album gives you what you expect from Versailles, but more of it. The biggest surprise is probably Episode, and it is a welcome addition that indicates the band can experiment and show news sides without abandoning their core style.