Review: exist†trace - Ambivalence

I wanted to complete a 50 review a month quota last month but I didn’t quite get that far. Instead of coming up with a crapload of reviews to do at the last minute, all of which would come out sub-par and I would end up re-doing them at some point, I decided to carry these reviews into next month so I start off on the right foot. This month I intend to hit at least 60. Are you ready for some rampant reviewing?

01. Proof of the Blood

02. Kiba

Proof of the Blood	It’s the first A-side exist trace ever put to CD, and their greenness shows here. I get the feeling the ladies didn’t exactly know how they wanted to start this song so it just goes and it doesn’t feel right. The ending is thankfully artfully done. Some guitar also spills over into the other ear which makes for a disorienting experience and if they were planning to go for that then they succeeded. If that was an indie programmer mistake then that is bad, but since I can’t tell I won’t deduct points. Mari really needs to lay off the cymbals here because it’s continuous and incessant, but some of her rhythms here and there are pretty cool. The bass is sunk all the way to the bottom and isn’t audible at points because the twin guitars take charge of the melody. Naoto still manages to shine through here and there so that’s pleasant. The twin guitars don’t actually have a solo, but each of them get to show off for a little. Overall though, their notes are really sludgy and discerning what goes on here and there is nigh impossible. You just get a general feeling for the melody. As for Jyou, her singing in the verses are set pretty low and with everything going on she doesn’t stand out as much as a frontman in a band should. The pre-chorus is all Jyou growling, but if you haven’t heard exist trace this far back you’re going to regard this entire portion as pretty fucking bad. Her singing is better by far, but no Vanguard – of the muses – standard. The emphasis here is more on the feeling and the emphasis of what she says and how they play than on any musical aspects, but it’s all enjoyable.	8/10
Kiba	The lighter riff is an immediate contrast (HAVE to stop using this word) to the dramatic end of this last track. It’s obvious this track is much more controlled than the last one but the beginning minute is too light to fit with the lyrics. The song really switches up at the chorus, when things darken and the song becomes progressively better from there. I think this attitude fits more than the one the song started off with, and the fact it took a minute to get there takes off a few points. If Naoto’s bass was more balanced it would be prominent in this song but all I hear are Miko and Omi along with prominent cymbal abuse. At one point, they all slow down to let Jyou sing almost a cappella before they burst into another, darker chorus and then some additional singing before Kiba winds down. The last few seconds are pretty surprising because I was just expecting the song to fade out on a riff and what it does is slow down and play some notes on the left ear before it ends properly. Kiba isn’t their best, but it isn’t that bad. It floats somewhere in the middle	7/10

Ambivalence definitely is not the place for a newcomer to this band to start, and there are two reasons why. One is that I doubt they’ll ever return to this spectrum of heavy again if VANGUARD is any sign as of what’s to come and the second is that the quality of this release is so indies it takes a certain amount of appreciation for the band to fully enjoy. This is like going back to MUCC’s demo tapes and trying to listen to those without knowing what Kyuutai sounds like. It’s very different and unless you’ve become a big fan of the band you’re not going to like what you hear.

Recommended:

No, not for the new listener, but fans of exist trace might already have this one.

Score: 75%

Review: exist†trace - VANGUARD - of the muses -

I remember how I discovered this band fondly. I was in a musical slump and was browsing through JaME to find some new bands that I could get into. I asked a friend to pick a random letter and she picked E. I scroll through them all and see this band at the bottom, and the cross in the middle of their name interested me enough to click on it and read about them. A few minutes later I was downloading Annunciation - the heretic elegy onto my computer.

I mention that because the first thing I've ever heard by these girls (yes girls, not guys) does not resemble anything that's on this EP. exist†trace managed to do something most bands can't do successfully in this musical age: redefine their music and sound even better. They had a long way to go as well since they sounded like a female D'espairsRay clone dragged through some mud and poor production values before this release, and if I remember reading correctly this was their "comeback".

This is the best damn thing they've put out.

01. VANGUARD
02. ROUGE
03. Hana no Sakanai Machi
04. REQUIEM
05. ORLEANS no Shoujo
06. Lost in Helix

VANGUARD	VANGUARD is a definite step in the right direction. With more of an emphasis on the singing and instrumentation than normal, VANGUARD can be called less “goth metal” and more “alternative rock”. If you need more confirmation, Jyou doesn’t growl at all during this track even though she gets pretty close in some parts. Definitely more accessible than their earlier, darker works while retaining their signature sound. Toss in a shiny, new twin guitar sound and a judicious use of electronic effects and we have a solid opening track and not some shitty SE. Go exist†trace!	9/10
ROUGE	It isn’t as strong as the last track but it’s listenable. It sounds like they tried to blend their older style of rock with their new experimental sound and they didn’t know which way they wanted to go with it. It falters a bit in the last minute and a half with the sudden transition into lighter vocals for a bit before Jyou’s hellish vocals return. Speaking of those vocals, Jyou’s growls have evolved into roars and they sound pretty damn good alongside her singing. The fade out effect combines well with them and blends in well with the next track.	8/10
Hana no Sakanai Machi	The best damn song on this EP period, and one of my favorite exist†trace songs ever. Every aspect of this song is solid, from the evolving guitar lines to the electronic effects. The drums are at a perfect volume and keep the pace perfectly while changing speed at reasonable intervals (which is a big difference since Mari had a problem keeping time before). Jyou’s singing is brilliant and sits above the three guitarists who no longer play the same series of notes. Definitely a must listen.	10/10
Requiem	I have to say that this is an example of brilliant track placement. That beginning riff is a good contrast to the ending of the last track and it evolves into the two guitarists branching off into different directions while the bass keeps the rhythm flowing. exist†trace has also learned to balance soft with hard and quiet with loud. The middle of a track has a portion where it quiets considerably which isn’t a usual aspect of older, harder exist†trace tracks. A solid, hard rock track with a memorable chorus and an ending that is hard to forget.	8/10
ORLEANS no Shoujo	It features some more twin guitar work supported by thick bass and frantic drums and it’s all very pleasant but the only member that doesn’t seem to be holding anything back is Jyou. Her singing is bold and decisive which is a good contrast to the guitars, which alternate between melodic notes and killer riffs and sound mostly confused as to what it wants to be. The transitions are great though and the riffs work to a great extent so I’ll be nice.	9/10
Lost in Helix	Extremely underrated. A typical end-of-EP ballad that sounds totally different from the five tracks that preceded it, which works against it in the scope of the album as a whole. Perhaps it’s because Jyou’s singing is less pronounced and more delicate. Maybe it’s because the drums are toned down and the guitars stick with a lighter melody throughout. It could just be that there’s no growling. It works better as a stand-alone track. My only complaint is that it feels too short and I wanted some more.	8/10

And there we have it. With the best production value out of any CD thus far in their careers combined with a much-needed change in style, exist†trace has proved to me at least that they're not a one-trick pony. Every track is enjoyable on this release, which is a rare thing in an exist†trace CD because there's almost always one track that I feel the need to skip. Get it.

87%