01. Ice Romancer
02. MarionettE
03. Recall
04. Psychedelic Chemical Movie
Ice Romancer starts this maxi off with a bang, although I'm unsure as to what the title is supposed to mean. On my very first listen, I SWORE I was listening to Kyo from Macabre or maybe Kisou. We know that you idolize Kyo but goddammit does everyone have to sound like him now? Mao sounding a whole lot like him takes off a bit from the song because it doesn’t seem as fresh, but the screaming and the verses are more original. Speaking of the verses, they divide into a quiet section followed by an aria from Mao’s demonic, Kyo-inspired other half. Overall, this is a pretty solid song and one of those worth listening to if you haven’t heard it yet. Definitely one of their better offerings as a "single".
Don't be fooled by the first ten seconds of MarionettE: it's actually a hard rock number that's just a tad edgier than the first. The transition into the chorus is lighter but it's done in such a way that Mao keeps the energy in his vocals and keeps the pace interesting. His death vocals at the end are also pretty damn good. Mao also sounds less like Kyo and more like his natural self even though the entire structure is reminiscent of a Diru-style rocker. The last few seconds of his singing are a little too typical and the "breakdown" section could have been better but otherwise I also recommend this.
Recall threw me for a loop and I remember screaming a mental "what the fuck is this SADIE DOESN'T DO JAZZY BALLADS" in my head. Then I remembered back to Grieving the Dead Soul and namely Hakanai risou wazuka na ai and how much I liked that song when I gave it a chance so I decided to give Recall a chance (even though it comes out of fucking nowhere). Compared to Hakanai Risou Wazuka na Ai this feels more alive and vibrant and comes off as an intentional delivery instead of an accidental discovery. I do find this single to be oddly placed and it feels like they were trying to be diverse just to be diverse and forgot who it is that listens to Sadie. It's nice to see them branching out and trying new things and for all intents and purposes they rocked this but on an album with three viciously hard songs something like Recall doesn't quite fit in with it's jazzy nature. Perhaps if it wasn't such a hard transition from testicle smashing metal to light, jazzy tunes I would get into it more.
If you like what it is I described take a listen but I can't bash something done well and I can't call it one of my favorites so listen and see. Then again, if you like jazz why are you listening to a heavy metal band?
Psychedelic Chemical Movie ends this single off with a bang. The only thing I can complain is that it didn't go as epic at the end as I wanted it to but other than that it feels like the entire band put their soul into smashing your temples with some vicious rock. The solo is simple but channels rage better than something technical would and instead of getting off track with fancy additions and unneeded portions everyone keeps the pace simple, straightforward, and brutal. Mao's death vocals are especially effective when the band concentrates and makes the song about him and not about playing just for playing's sake. Like I said, the ending could have rocketed off into the stratosphere but as it stands it's a good way to end this single off.
I don't need to tell you that I recommend the entire single. From beginning to end Sadie actually made me retract my statement of playing like expert crap to sucker you in for the album because this single is solid from beginning to end. Some may trip up on Recall because if it's odd placing but otherwise I'm sure there's something in here for anyone no matter what mood they're in (although there's really just two: anger and post-anger).
Recommended:
The whole thing
Score: 85%
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