Final Call is a bit different from the other two reviews I've done this month since I literally just got my hands on the single. Even though I've heard the title track from the music video, I don't like judging a song until I get the actual MP3 since the two tend to differ (sometimes immensely). Now that I have the Mp3 with the entire album, it's time to start this review up!
01. Final Call
02. Going on!
03. Ark in the Storm
02. Going on!
03. Ark in the Storm
In some ways I want to relate D'espairsRay to girugamesh. They both released an album (REDEEMER vs. MUSIC) that was immensely different from their other works and alienated their fanbase because "this wasn't the that I grew to like and got used to!". Both D'espa and Giru failed with their last album in the respect that the new sound they were experimenting with clashed and drowned out their older sound so that the product of the album came out sounding like the hunger cries of an aborted fetus wrapped in cellophane. Finally, both bands are similar in the fact that their post-album singles contain traces of the sound that was on their album but with a new tinge to it that actually makes these singles better than some of the tracks on the previous album.
Finally, the construction of the A-side track and certain elements they incorporated in this single sound like they took them from girugamesh and other bands that dabble in that style.
The guitar work is catchy, effective, and rather simple, cycling between a few riffs here and there so it keeps the journey changing throughout. Some of the work on REDEEMER was just as catchy as this and had more going on in the way of musicianship, so Final Call is already not making me feel that musical nirvana we all listen to music for. I imagine myself on a roller coaster during the entire song, with the beginning effects happening while I leave the station. The song blasts in when I'm on the first drop down and as I go through the verses it feels like I'm taking a lot of twists and turns. The entire song is pretty interesting but much like many roller coasters the more you go on the more similar they all begin to feel. The transition into the chorus feels like I hit a break and I stopped for a quick second before going down another steep drop; it's sudden, uncomfortable and it throws you off, but you're able to get right back into it because it moves at a million miles an hour and it's too exhilarating to ignore.
Hizumi's vocals would be the air that smacks your face as you're on this ride. You can't be on a roller coaster without some sort of air resistance but on some rides there is a such a thing as too much air blowing in your face and that ruins the entire run. Bluntly put, there is too much "air resistance" on this track. Hizumi's mumbling, echoing, lack of screams, and singing that doesn't variate too much makes it sound overdone. Much like SCREW's HEEL, he should stick to one or two types of vocals because if you overdo the vocals it becomes too piercing and difficult to enjoy (if you still need an analogy, it becomes difficult to "breathe"). I don't doubt that Hizumi knew what he wanted to do but on this recording it feels like he held back on some of the parts and overdid others, resulting in what sounds like this.
Some well-done deep vocals mixed with some forceful, clean singing and perhaps a trademark scream thrown in for good measure would have been ample for this track. When you take the entire song into perspective he doesn't mess it up too much but it is noticeable when I listen and that detracts from my experience.
The solo is the part of the song that defies all sort of roller coaster analogy, which means it's that part of the "roller coaster" where it actually makes you feel like you're soaring through the air. The feeling that Karyu captures here and the bridge Hizumi sings are the best parts of the song and the entire song should have moved at that pace. At points, this song becomes a little too fast to sit down and enjoy because it feels like it trips all over itself and the guys said "alright, let's all agree to stop here and play this part!"
Although this doesn't get it's own paragraph, the ending effect was lame, unoriginal and faded too fast. I generally don't like fade-outs unless it's a sustained note but this takes it to a whole different level and it sounds like they ran out of riffs to recycle so they just threw that on the ending and called it a day.
At the end of the day, I don't think I'll ever purposefully put this song on again because there's just so many other songs they've made that just DO more for me than this. It's purposelessly catchy, the riffs feel bland and recycled, and the electronic effects feel thrown in without careful thought.
I pretty much know Going on! is going to be the token "dark and angsty" song on this single but I can't help but like it because it sounds so damn good listening to it. D'espairsRay is just better at playing dark and heavy songs and there's nothing else to it. This pulls you in in ways that Final Call can't and didn't and I'm going to rent out D'espairsRay to girugamesh so they can teach them how to use hip-hop elements effectively.
The entire time I sat on my bed in my dorm listening to this (yes I'm in college, that's why these reviews are less frequent ;_;) I was just in shock because they took me on a fecking journey through emotions with this song and that's something they haven't done since Bullet, Scissors and Cocoon. I could feel the emotions and they didn't sound forced or lazy. Going on! moves at the same pace as Final Call but it feels more comfortable with moving that fast and the transitions between the chorus and the verses aren't as drastic and noticeable. They're nothing more than smooth drops on that roller coaster.
What caught me the most with this song was that piano-backed bridge, which I wasn't expecting at all. It comes completely out of left field and leaves me floating in a state of unease before it's just Hizumi for a few seconds and then it plunges into the madness that is the ending. Hizumi's death vocals make a reappearance on this track and not only does he sound fiercer than I've heard him in a while, he actually sounds like he is enjoying himself singing this song. You can always tell when an artist wants to sing a song and when they sing it just to sing it. This is an example of the former.
I actually would put this song on again.
Ark in the Storm is the transgendered kid that's having trouble deciding what public bathroom s/he should go into. S/he could technically fit into both but neither would actually be proper for him/her. Thus, s/he is left standing outside looking from the "light and poppy" bathroom to the "dark and heavy" struggling to figure out which one to enter because having such cut and dry definitions eludes this little oddity of a track. Normally I would say that combining both elements of the two sonically opposite genres results in an abomination most closely resembling half the stuff from Born's abnormal head machine album but in this case Ark in the Storm manages to pull through and sounds pretty damn good. The problem with most of D'espa's poppier tracks is that it's nothing more than their heavier tracks played just as fast on a higher register, which makes it all sound uncomfortable. Ark in the Storm manages to have it's ankle deep enough in the pool of dark and heavy to sound natural while still being light and containing some violins. It could have been heavier but it sounds fine as is and it goes to show that they aren't putting out heavy B-sides just because they know it works. If you're trying to measure up all the tracks that they've released that contain this post-Mirror D'espairsRay sound than Ark in the Storm easily trumps every other track.
Not like it had much competition.
(And if any of those references above offended you, they shouldn't have. I wasn't poking fun at anyone purposefully -_-;;)
Long review short: playing things faster doesn't always make it better. Final Call is too fast and too messy, Going on! is perfect as is, and Ark in the Storm is a little confused but pulls out alright in the end. I would actually recommend you pick up this single just for the last two tracks but in no way would I suggest you submit yourself to Final Call if you're not a fan of D'espairsRay messing with newer styles and doing it badly.
Recommended:
Going on!
Ark in the Storm
Score: 75%
Finally, the construction of the A-side track and certain elements they incorporated in this single sound like they took them from girugamesh and other bands that dabble in that style.
The guitar work is catchy, effective, and rather simple, cycling between a few riffs here and there so it keeps the journey changing throughout. Some of the work on REDEEMER was just as catchy as this and had more going on in the way of musicianship, so Final Call is already not making me feel that musical nirvana we all listen to music for. I imagine myself on a roller coaster during the entire song, with the beginning effects happening while I leave the station. The song blasts in when I'm on the first drop down and as I go through the verses it feels like I'm taking a lot of twists and turns. The entire song is pretty interesting but much like many roller coasters the more you go on the more similar they all begin to feel. The transition into the chorus feels like I hit a break and I stopped for a quick second before going down another steep drop; it's sudden, uncomfortable and it throws you off, but you're able to get right back into it because it moves at a million miles an hour and it's too exhilarating to ignore.
Hizumi's vocals would be the air that smacks your face as you're on this ride. You can't be on a roller coaster without some sort of air resistance but on some rides there is a such a thing as too much air blowing in your face and that ruins the entire run. Bluntly put, there is too much "air resistance" on this track. Hizumi's mumbling, echoing, lack of screams, and singing that doesn't variate too much makes it sound overdone. Much like SCREW's HEEL, he should stick to one or two types of vocals because if you overdo the vocals it becomes too piercing and difficult to enjoy (if you still need an analogy, it becomes difficult to "breathe"). I don't doubt that Hizumi knew what he wanted to do but on this recording it feels like he held back on some of the parts and overdid others, resulting in what sounds like this.
Some well-done deep vocals mixed with some forceful, clean singing and perhaps a trademark scream thrown in for good measure would have been ample for this track. When you take the entire song into perspective he doesn't mess it up too much but it is noticeable when I listen and that detracts from my experience.
The solo is the part of the song that defies all sort of roller coaster analogy, which means it's that part of the "roller coaster" where it actually makes you feel like you're soaring through the air. The feeling that Karyu captures here and the bridge Hizumi sings are the best parts of the song and the entire song should have moved at that pace. At points, this song becomes a little too fast to sit down and enjoy because it feels like it trips all over itself and the guys said "alright, let's all agree to stop here and play this part!"
Although this doesn't get it's own paragraph, the ending effect was lame, unoriginal and faded too fast. I generally don't like fade-outs unless it's a sustained note but this takes it to a whole different level and it sounds like they ran out of riffs to recycle so they just threw that on the ending and called it a day.
At the end of the day, I don't think I'll ever purposefully put this song on again because there's just so many other songs they've made that just DO more for me than this. It's purposelessly catchy, the riffs feel bland and recycled, and the electronic effects feel thrown in without careful thought.
I pretty much know Going on! is going to be the token "dark and angsty" song on this single but I can't help but like it because it sounds so damn good listening to it. D'espairsRay is just better at playing dark and heavy songs and there's nothing else to it. This pulls you in in ways that Final Call can't and didn't and I'm going to rent out D'espairsRay to girugamesh so they can teach them how to use hip-hop elements effectively.
The entire time I sat on my bed in my dorm listening to this (yes I'm in college, that's why these reviews are less frequent ;_;) I was just in shock because they took me on a fecking journey through emotions with this song and that's something they haven't done since Bullet, Scissors and Cocoon. I could feel the emotions and they didn't sound forced or lazy. Going on! moves at the same pace as Final Call but it feels more comfortable with moving that fast and the transitions between the chorus and the verses aren't as drastic and noticeable. They're nothing more than smooth drops on that roller coaster.
What caught me the most with this song was that piano-backed bridge, which I wasn't expecting at all. It comes completely out of left field and leaves me floating in a state of unease before it's just Hizumi for a few seconds and then it plunges into the madness that is the ending. Hizumi's death vocals make a reappearance on this track and not only does he sound fiercer than I've heard him in a while, he actually sounds like he is enjoying himself singing this song. You can always tell when an artist wants to sing a song and when they sing it just to sing it. This is an example of the former.
I actually would put this song on again.
Ark in the Storm is the transgendered kid that's having trouble deciding what public bathroom s/he should go into. S/he could technically fit into both but neither would actually be proper for him/her. Thus, s/he is left standing outside looking from the "light and poppy" bathroom to the "dark and heavy" struggling to figure out which one to enter because having such cut and dry definitions eludes this little oddity of a track. Normally I would say that combining both elements of the two sonically opposite genres results in an abomination most closely resembling half the stuff from Born's abnormal head machine album but in this case Ark in the Storm manages to pull through and sounds pretty damn good. The problem with most of D'espa's poppier tracks is that it's nothing more than their heavier tracks played just as fast on a higher register, which makes it all sound uncomfortable. Ark in the Storm manages to have it's ankle deep enough in the pool of dark and heavy to sound natural while still being light and containing some violins. It could have been heavier but it sounds fine as is and it goes to show that they aren't putting out heavy B-sides just because they know it works. If you're trying to measure up all the tracks that they've released that contain this post-Mirror D'espairsRay sound than Ark in the Storm easily trumps every other track.
Not like it had much competition.
(And if any of those references above offended you, they shouldn't have. I wasn't poking fun at anyone purposefully -_-;;)
Long review short: playing things faster doesn't always make it better. Final Call is too fast and too messy, Going on! is perfect as is, and Ark in the Storm is a little confused but pulls out alright in the end. I would actually recommend you pick up this single just for the last two tracks but in no way would I suggest you submit yourself to Final Call if you're not a fan of D'espairsRay messing with newer styles and doing it badly.
Recommended:
Going on!
Ark in the Storm
Score: 75%
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