Visual band SCREW's first release as a five member band demonstrates their versatility.
RAGING BLOOD is an important release in SCREW's repertoire, as it is the first release with guitarist Manabu and it was the single that came out just before their first countrywide oneman tour. Available in three types, each type features three songs, but this review will address all four possible tracks.
Created by guitarist kazuki, title track RAGING BLOOD is extreme, animalistic and invigorating. It opens with a menacing fast pace and dark guitars. From the beginning Byo uses death voices of various types and continues throughout the song, always whispering, croaking, growling or screaming in demonic fashion. Rather than making the chorus lighter and melodious as their aggressive numbers in the past have done, RAGING BLOOD keeps that explosive raging energy in the chorus. The lyrics are entirely in English and according to Byo, the words are cool while the sound is hot; with this polarization, he was going for the image of a "volcano of water." More creatively than usual, Byo really stretches his vocal abilities, showing the broad range of noises and sounds human vocal chords are capable of producing. With driving guitars, energizing drum variations from Jin and truly inspired screams from "Murder Byo", the most primal form of rage simmers, builds and explodes throughout the song.
While RAGING BLOOD is a song you can listen to on repeat, Scarlet really is not. Composed by Manabu, it was created with the image of playing at a live show. While it does show off more interesting vocal emissions from Byo, its happy go lucky feel and too simple chorus do not offer anything that warrants a second listen. Bassist Yuuto predicted the song would grow in a live setting and he's probably right, but on CD it doesn't rank with the other songs this group has put out.
Sanagi was also composed by Manabu, and it is a much more flattering representation of his talents. Overall a song with a dark, plunging feel, its gradually climbing melodies in the chorus, while very simple, are also stunningly beautiful. The guitars in the bridge are angsty and wallowing, and Byo fills the piece with feelings that convey the depth reflected in his lyrics; the title "Sanagi" refers to a chrysalis or cocoon, and the gist is that what's in the chrysalis might grow wings and fly, or it might just die. Byo compared that concept to their own situation at the time.
Dearest Wish, available on all three types, is an outstanding track, at once feeling like a ballad and a sprinting pop tune. Composed by drummer Jin, its tone and tempo are bright and uplifting. While the lyrics are about two lovers, Byo explains its meaning is not limited to lovers, but is an expression of thanks to their fans.
Largely due to Byo's vocal talents and charisma, but also thanks to the compositions of the other band members, it's no wonder SCREW is gaining popularity in the visual scene. Though not every song they put out is able to demonstrate their positive qualities, RAGING BLOOD is a fair representation. A must-have for any SCREW fan, this single shows the growth of the band from quartet to quintet and the early stages where they become a truly cohesive and distinctive group.
