Review: Shinko Syukyo Gakudan NoGoD - Ao no Daichi

I'm doing this review solely because you can't do Midori no Kaze without doing Ao no Daichi right after it. Since that is settled and I have four sentences to go, I have to make something up. Thankfully, I actually do have a topic that I feel I should discuss that is loosely related to both this single and NoGoD in general. Now we all know they have the Gokusaishiki album (which I'm half-tempted to revisit) but sometime between then and now there was also a song released also called Gokusaishiki. How original. I'm guessing it's a live only release, but I know it's out there because I found the lyrics and no song in any of NoGoD's other releases starts out with the word "Ao".

So, you figure: Why don't you search for it?

This is the huge problem: you can't just plug in the kanji and have it pop up, since it shares the same name as the album and most websites that host the album host both the kanji and the romanized name. The second biggest problem is that it's a collector's item, and it was distributed solely in Japan, so all the lucky fans that got it aren't going to up it online and share with the rest of the world. Unlike Mr.HEAVEN, which is going to be on the mini next month (and I would share it but I'm under contract by two friends not to), I have no idea when and if Gokusaishiki the Song ever will surface.

See, with the exception of NoGoD's two albums, the rest of their work is printed in limited quanitities. Once those CD's are sold, there are no more being made. There are no more being sold. If a fan doesn't have the CD, he has to rely on other generous fans to up the music online and share with the rest of the world. If no fan that has the CD is willing to, then none of us can hear these songs. That is bad.

This is the fate of Gokusaishiki the Song.

Ao no Daichi is no exception to this rule. There were only 5000 of these pressed if I remember correctly (same applies to Midori no Kaze) and they're most likely long gone and into the hands of fans the islands over. Unlike Gokusaishiki the Song, you can actually locate this single online if you search for long enough (it really shouldn't take you that long if you know how though). So, a mighty thanks to all the fans out there that uploaded this to the internet to share, and into the review we dive.

Wow, instead of a few sentences, I did a few paragraphs. At least it was interesting....

01. Yakusoku no Chi
02. Kijin Fukanshou
03. Haten Daishishi

Yakusoku no Chi is the title track here and can also be found on the album Gokusaishiki. Translating to "The Promised Land", it takes as long for this song to get started as it took for the Moses and the Hebrew Crew to actually get into Canaan. With a runtime of about six minutes, this is a very long and slow-moving piece that unravels over time. If you're into music instantly gratifying you with immediate vocals or sick riffs or whatever pleases you, Yakusoku no Chi is going to bore the shit out of you. It's going to come off as "all pretty sounding and shit but it never gets started". And I will agree with you there, but for a different reason. It works on creating more of an atmosphere than on any technical portion of the song so if you're not into atmospheric pieces you won't "get" this song. Personally, it's one of my favorite ballads just because of the atmosphere and the images it makes in my head. I'm going to translate this one day.

Kijin Fukanshou isn't as strong as the last track atmospherically, and it fails my tests when it comes to picking apart the song technically. They were both written by the same band member as well (Kyrie), so that's not an excuse either. The main problem with the track is the poppy and juxtaposed chorus, which doesn't belong in this song. It completely changes gears and it sounds very unpolished. The whole verse leading into the chorus itself would have worked better as the chorus. To make up for it, there's two solos in the song (a bass one followed by a guitar one shortly after) and that end....thing....(don't know what to call it but it ends the song off right) but even with that together the poppy chorus hurts it more than it can recover. Boo bad chorus.

Haten Daishishi is another monster altogether. It took me about three hours to find out what this title meant, just to realize that I still don't know what it means. Whilst the last one meant "Frigid Sexuality" I think this one means "Unprecedented Lion". Weird names for these titles. Well, Haten Daishishi is another one of those poppy NoGoD tracks in the vein of Dou, with some inspirational message of "going against the tide". I consider this one of the best poppy tracks they put out, mainly because I don't enjoy any other tracks of this style. The drum beats by K at around 1:58 are pretty cool and keeps the song interesting right up until it ends, but it's an average, enjoyable track all around. It's certainly nothing I would revisit on multiple occasions, but if you need a track to put you in a better mood this would be it.

And now we come to the end of the review, and you may be wondering why I switched formats once again. The reason is is that anything over five is very broad and not specific, and the specific percentage doesn't work well. SO....what I'm going to use now is a combination of the two. Ao no Daichi is right down there with Midori no Kaze for most inconsistent single, because it has one good track and two mediocre ones.

Recommended:

Gokusaishiki

Score: 62/100

『約束の地』
　　　　作詞：/作曲：Kyrie【新興宗教楽団NoGoD】


遥か先に見える
あの地平線まで続く
この広い大地の中にいた僕は
自分がとても小さく見えた

在り方を悩む日々の中
君が見せてくれた碧(アオ)

その色の輝く　　場所がある筈だから
いつか君に見て欲しい　「その思いは」
拙い言葉では　　伝えられぬ物だから
君の手を取り　　歩く道を　　僕は選ぶよ

二人初めて出逢った(※君の背中を押した※)時から
その碧を見つめるのがとても嬉しくて

僕が君に出来ること考えては
その可能性に秘かに胸躍らせていた
今この身体とこの声とこの思いを君の夢に
捧ぐからどうか迷わずにいて

吹き荒ぶ風を支える大地の様に
君が空へ飛び立つのを見守る
それだけでいい･･･

(※遥かな大地はやまない風を支える
君は風の様に僕を動かしている
だから僕は･･･※)

その色の輝く場所を探し続けて
辿り着いたその大地は　「永遠に」
失われる事ない　　強い心を宿した
約束の地と　　呼ばれる人の　　夢の軌跡


『奇人不感症』
　　　　作詞：団長/作曲：Kyrie【新興宗教楽団NoGoD】


気持ち悪い電飾
耳障りなアラーム

全ての事が記号で記されて
意味が薄れて行く
神を恐れぬ愚かな文明を
脱ぎ捨てて
さぁ今ここで

愛してるって　　その口で言ってくれ　　声が枯れるまで
必要だって　　その腕で抱きしめて　　骨が折れるまで

世界が静かに周る
壊れたオルゴールの様に
貴女は静かに笑う
壊れた僕を見ながら

歪む心臓の音を聞いてくれ
愛を欲しがる愚かな獣達
安い体が中(チュウ)を飛び交って
また嫌な匂い髪に染み付いた
誰も私を見ようとしないから
両手に杭を打ち付け(※刺して※)
白いドレスを着させてあげました
ほらすぐに汚れてしまうでしょ

愛してるって　　その口で言ってくれ　　声が枯れるまで
必要だって　　その腕で抱きしめて　　骨が折れるまで
君だけだって　　その耳で聞いてくれ　　左脳が割れるまで
僕だけだって　　その瞳焼き付けて　　光無くすまで


『破天乃獅子』
　　　　作詞：団長/作曲：Kyrie【新興宗教楽団NoGoD】


また眠れないよ
こんな夜はいつだってそう
高鳴る胸

まだ眠れないよ
不安が胸を締め付ける
暗い夜

どれだけ
旅を重ねても
また足を止めてしまう
だから伝えたい

目を覚ませ
全ての生命よ眠れる獅子よ
その手は栄光の為に
我儘で破天荒な物語
構わないさ
主人公は君の中にある(※だけだから※)

辿り着く先が例えどんな結末でも
前を向いて
大切な物は既にこの手の中にある
離さないで

変わらぬ時代に背を向けて
掲げたその旗
振り翳せ高く太陽に

目を覚ませ
全ての生命よ眠れる獅子よ
その手は栄光の為に
我儘で破天荒な物語
構わないさ
輝く日々よ
そう主人公は君の中にある(※だけだから※)

mata nemurenai yo
still sleeping

kon na yoru wa itsunatesou
this evening when

daka naru mune
my chest roars in volumes



mata nemurenai yo
still sleeping

fuan ga mune wo shime tsukeru
a strangling uneasiness is affixed to my chest

kurai yoru
this gloomy evening



doredake
to what extent

tabi wo kasanete mo
must we continue this journey

mata ashi wo tome te
until we stop going

dakara tsutae tai
along with tradition



me wo samase
my sight clears up

subete no seimei yo nemureru shishi yo
is all of life a sleeping lion?

sono te ha eikou no tame ni
this hand of glory is to your advantage

wagamama de hatenkou na monogatari
in this unprecedented legend of egoism

kamawanai sa
it is no problem

shujinkou ha kimi no naka ni aru (※dake dakara※)
your hero within is certain (just so)



tadoritsuku saki ga tatoe don na ketsumatsu demo
as an example even if you barely manage to reach your destination

mae wo muite
face ahead

taisetsu na mono ha sudeni kono te no naku ni aru
it is too late to live inside that which you hold important

hanasanaide
part with it



kawaranu jidai ni sewomukete
turn your back on the unchanging epochs

kakageta sono hata
float this flag

buri kazase takaku taiyou ni
aloft high toward the sun


me wo samase
my sight clears up

subete no seimei yo nemureru shishi yo
is all of life a sleeping lion?

sono te ha eikou no tame ni
the hand of glory is to your advantage

wagamama de hatenkou na monogatari
in this unprecedented legend of selfishness

kamawanai sa
it is no problem

kagayaku hibi yo
every day glitters

sou shujinkou ha kimi no naka ni aru (※dake dakara※)
it appears your hero within is sure (just so)