Aki - conflict

For fans of Laputa, who are used to darker rock sounds, aki's first album CONFLICT might come as something of a surprise. CONFLICT is the third of aki's solo releases and is in-your-face electronic rock to the extreme. The release did not only attract ex-Laputa fans but also fans of the support musicians, as CONFLICT featured great additions: aie of deadman and Kazutoshi Yokoyama on additional instrumentals and arrangement on the album, just to name a few.

The album starts off shaky, with Come into Conflict musically distorted enough to induce a headache. It's clear aki is going for a dark wave electronic sound, but between the static noise and incomprehensible lyrics, this song makes you wonder if your bass is on too high or if something went wrong in recording. This would be a great one minute opener, but with the song dragging on for four minutes, it doesn't get the album off on the right foot.

BUMP picks us back up, however, as a strong opener with a catchy drum beat. Along with shouted background vocals of "Fire! Fire!" the music introduces a brief headbanging section before returning to the original sound. The song maintains a fast pace, even when aki's whiny vocals begin to accompany the melody.

The first slower song on the album is hana, and it's a beauty to behold. Unlike wannabe ballads we've heard in the past, hana delivers an old school rock beat that still gives us a soothing melody and charming lyrics. The guitar solo by aie owns this song and helps it to be one of the nicest on the album. In the following Love Messiah and Trust, aki introduces electronics. The latter of the two is where the futuristic electronic sounds really come out, twining with the lyrics and muting out most of the instruments. This is unlike Love Messiah, where the roles are almost reversed, and the electronics are an undertone for the overall sound.

Brilliant Jesus has a gorgeous composition that is arranged by Kazutoshi Yokoyama. However, when aki starts singing, it makes you wonder if he hadn't taken lessons from Gackt in terms of how the song progresses, with the highest points being sonorous vocals and a strong symphonic melody.

The beauty of the previous song is crushed by Seven, the intermission track which abruptly drops us into a plethora of machine voices and rough electronic sound manipulations. This song is to prepare us for Lack Of..., our first dark wave track with harsh sound and heavy electronic distortions. The song is very slow with wailed vocals and an industrial drumbeat. Lack Of... is across the map in ideas, finally cutting off with an abruptly fading guitar that we hadn't heard anywhere else in the song, giving us a lack of closure.

Visionary was a track previously released on a single that has been manipulated by heavy electronic sound for CONFLICT. The song has a very haunting feel, but once we reach the chorus we feel as though we're floating on clouds; aki sings with echoed vocals, and the angelic sound drops us back into the darkness abruptly. It's a fun track, and a nice addition to the album.

One of aki's most popular songs, Neo Hero, is the song that makes this entire album worth purchasing. Arranged by Kazutoshi Yokoyama, its sound is reminiscent of Metronome with a cheerful electronic beat and distorted vocals that launch us into an amazing chorus. With machine voices chanting "Hero," aki's vocals are crystal clear and are a perfect complement to the accompanying instruments before the song falls back into its digital arrangement. The sound of happiness and hope soars during these high points. This is the first track to really get us dancing and jumping, and its addictive sound will get into your head and stay there.

Asian Moon starts with an authentic oriental sound, but falls short in Neo Hero's shadow. It has a pretty cliche electronic sound, one we typically hear with female vocalists, not aki's nasally crooned vocals. The overall pretty composition really adds to the song though, keeping it from being a total flop.

There is little difference between how The End closes the CD and Come into Conflict opened it, except the much mellower sound. The noise aspects of the song are grating, but this time, we can actually understand and appreciate the vocals. The ballad-like chorus would have made this song a beautiful addition to the album if it weren't for the manipulated static add-ins. This keeps you from being able to really enjoy this track and gives it a very sloppy final impression.

CONFLICT lined the road for a handful of other releases by aki during the four years he produced solo works. While the album is full of experimentation, it is also home to some great pieces, making the album one that is worth a listen.