Which basically means I'm treating this as a different band altogether that just HAPPENS to be called Black:List.
You would also notice (if I was motivated enough to put up a tracklist) that they included a re-recorded version of the B-side on this release. In this era of Black:List's formation they HAD an official bassist and a different vocalist. Kyotarou also rewrote the lyrics for the second version of Melancholy so those two tracks are actually different enough to be enjoyable in the sense that you're not listening to the same track twice (nor that you have two of the same song on your media player). With different vocalists and slightly altered lyrics between them, I could treat this version of Melancholy as a half of a song (since I skipped straight to the end with these guys) although I don't think that I should be comparing these two incarnations of Black:List so early on in the review when I said I would treat them as two different bands :x
01. DESPERATE
02. MELANCHOLY
02. MELANCHOLY
In an attempt to not compare the two tracks I'm going to mention the title track for a paragraph or two. If Kyotarou's departure from √eight was the worst thing to happen to that band then his arrival in Black:List was the best thing to happen to this band. Vocalist Ryo's voice doesn't suck but it isn't a breath of fresh air either. I've heard his type of voice somewhere before and even though it fits with Black:List's sound well I wish at times that he was more unique in his delivery. I will admit that Desperate's chorus is the most memorable and redeeming part of this song. It's just so catchy and it automatically picks up the song and gets me into it. Nothing else in the song is as memorable as that part except for the drum rolls + bass duet at the beginning that amp up a sense of tension.
That basically means the verses are fucked up and that's mostly due to the fact that I can't hear him. Boo bad mixing.
Once Melancholy (Desperate version) opens up you'll immediately notice a sharp contrast between that recording and the new one on the Melancholy single. The opening effects aren't as sound like a wind-up toy and Ryo's voice are drowned out in the raging guitars of the verses. Another difference, but neither negative nor positive, is the fact that Ryo's lyrics are different from Kyotarou's lyrics. This is pretty much where all the comparisons stop, since Ryo's lyrics and vocal rhythms change the sounds of the compositions to fit him better. So, no more Kyotarou mentions until the end of the next paragraph.
For what it is Melancholy is an OK track but the re-recording on their last single fixes up all the rough patches I'll mention here. The first is too much guitar and some acoustic was needed in the verses. The second was the inclusion of the programmed drums in the beginning because for me they are a touch distracting and lessen the impact of the guitars, which is what pulled me into the second version of Melancholy in the first place. The bass guitar also stands out more in this mix but I attribute that to having a set bass player with his own playing style. The inclusion of the special effects at the beginning (which sound strangely similar to the Ai no Uta opening from illational) were a risk that came out in their favor but once again they redid it better on the re-recording and they don't quite fit in the middle of the track. Perhaps the worst feature of this track is the fact that Ryo is drowned out in the verses and I can't hear his voice singing. I do like the scream that he unleashes at the end (Kyotarou elected not to do that) and with this being the last track on the single it fits well with the whole spiraling-into-sadness vibe the track almost gives off.
If you can't tell I only did this single to review the differences between the two Melancholy songs. Overall, I get a better audio trip when I listen to the Melancholy single so I would suggest you pick up that single and let those sounds paint the inside of your cerebrum all sorts of depressing, angsty colors. The main fault with this single lies not in the band but in the mastering process, which favors the guitars over everything else and messes up everyone else in the mix. Black:List fans may want to pick this up just because it's Black:List but Kuso-honeys usually came into the band because Kyotarou was here so I'm going to have to treat this as a band that only released one single and tell you to check it out and see if you like it.
Score: 65%
My birthday is tomorrow ^_^ so a Black:List review for today is the present I'm giving myself just in case I don't get around to doing one tomorrow (although I think I might).
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