Review: MUCC - Rakuen

I'm too tired to actually post a whole proper review with filler crap that doesn't matter at the moment but I do need to up something and I had written something about Rakuen on TW so I decided to port it here. Just for some background information, Rakuen is a different B-side on MUCC's Freesia single. However, for reasons I will get to now, I do not recommend you get this song on your media player.

If you mean weird as in crap then I agree with you. Both FUZZ and OZ had a rock element underneath it all so even though there were elements of synth underneath it it mixed well with the music. Rakuen sounds like they put it through the digitized factory and played everything back in MIDI. I didn't even finish this - I just didn't enjoy it any.

That's all I really had to say so I guess I'll say a little more. I find Rakuen to be complete shit. More auto-tune, more synth effects, more uninspired songwriting covered up with earnest experimentation. Rakuen is that kind of song that looked good on paper and ended up horrible in execution. None of it comes together and it's this big, grotesque spot in MUCC's territory that would be the musical equivalent of G from RE2: it looked like a good idea but by the time they were finished it was horrible and they had nowhere to store it so they let it loose.

This is worse than Shuushifu.

Review: MUCC - Freesia

*imported from Tainted World*

I actually downloaded it and forgot I had it on my iTunes until you reminded me. D: Let's get to this and I'll put down my thoughts after a few listens.

The main problem I have with the first two songs, Shuushifu moreso than Freesia, is the (ab)use of auto-tune. That shit wasn't present before Kyuutai and even though I only recall it being used slightly in Sora to Ito I still despised it's usage because I felt it interfered with the atmosphere of the song. MUCC fucking [i]raped[/i] this single with auto-tune because it's detectable in Freesia and mostly used in Shuushifu. I. Don't. Like. Auto-Tune. This single automatically isn't perfect in my book.

With that having been said, the recorded version of Freesia is much better and more majestic than the live performance let on (which was why I reserved all judgment on the song until now). Freesia is all around enjoyable, especially Miya's little solo near the end over Tatsurou's vocals. Even after 10 years MUCC's still got some ideas up their sleeves and even though their sound has changed over the years the only thing that's stayed the same is that they usually deliver. [i]Usually[/i]. I'd give this about a 9 out of 10.

I've heard Namonaki Yume but not enough to compare it to Shuushifu so I won't. However, this is the kind of song I like to hear in general and it pulled me in from the beginning until the auto-tune pissed me off. After that, the energy levels of this song really petered off for me. Whereas in Freesia I could tell why they used the auto-tune and to some degree it worked, in Shuushifu it really just annoyed the crap out of me and really prevented me from liking this song too much. 6 out of 10 for now but over time I'll revisit this again and see if my opinion changes.

From Furik's review I was expecting there to be some Tatsurou in this but two minutes in I realized he wasn't going to be there and that this was going to be pure instrumental. I'm OK with it, especially since the piano rendition of this song was great. I'm normally not into songs that were changed from pianos to guitars since for me it doesn't usually flow well but Freesia sounds great with both instruments behind this. I'd really have to give this a 10 just because if I enjoyed it this much the first time through I'm going to grow to like it more.

So yeah, the only thing I really despised about this single was the auto-tune laced all throughout it. MUCC needs to cut that shit out because Tatsurou's voice is too good for that crap. I'd give this about an 8/10 overall.

Review: MUCC - Shion

I think it's about time I touch upon something most people might actually have on their computer. Shion is actually the place where I started with MUCC and then I worked my way back to their earlier releases and knowing one of my Internet pals she's probably been looking forward to seeing what I think of this album without explicitly asking me to review it. Now she doesn't have to, since I'm going to do it today.

01. Suion
02. Fukurou no Yurikago
03. Nuritsubusunara Enji
04. Fuzz
05. Game
06. Flight -Album Version-
07. Anjelier
08. Chiissana Mado
09. Semishigure
10. Shion
11. Sorawasure
12. Shiva
13. Libra - Album Version-

I jest, I jest. I've actually listened to most of this album - just not all in one sit. Shion is pretty thick to get into and if you like it all on the first listen there's obviously something wrong with you because this album needs to grow on you. Like fine wine, good cheese and yours truly, this needs time to grow on you for you to begin to truly appreciate it.

That doesn't mean there are parts of this album that blow more than others. We'll get to those in due time.

With that said, Suion isn't one of them. It's actually one of the album intros worth listening to because Miya took a risk and put a lot of thought into it. The puddle sounds and continuous repetition are great for starting out the album out and it builds up from really simple to...not so simple. It's also the perfect length and doesn't become dull with subsequent listens. Go interesting introduction!

MUCC usually puts their strongest offerings right up at the beginning of the album, so I'm not surprised that Fukurou no Yurikago is solid. I actually expected it to be considering that in most MUCC albums the memorable songs come first or early on (Zetsubou, Bouzenjishitsu & Ware, Arubeki Basho) Fukurou no Yurikago wastes no time in getting the album started, since I don't know many people that would consider water dropping into a bucket "music". Every review out there says that this album channels "Middle-Eastern" themes and as much as I would like to be an ass and disagree I can't get the image of Aladdin flying on a rug out of my head when I listen to this song. That means Fukurou no Yurikago does sound like it borrows elements from Indian music and culture and it comes packaged with a chorus that actually does it's JOB (i.e. making the song better) so when it's repeated what would normally annoy me actually sounds epic. The fact that this song moves into Nuritsubusunara Enji smoothly only helps to add up the points even more. It's definitely worth a listen.

For some people, this mass experimentation with styles is bound to start pissing them off...now.

Nuritsubusunara Enji is a sampling of the hard, screamy MUCC from the older days mixed with some of their new influences but the piercing yells and the punk metal riffs loses steam at the chorus. In fact, the chorus is the entire low part of the song because everything else is so much better than it and the transition to it is choppy. It also feels weird coming after the soaring rock number that was Fukurou no Yurikago because the transition is not doing this song any favors. One final comment about this song is on the length because I feel that it runs on for a minute too long and the energy dissipates after the awesome solo at the three minute mark. What Nuritsubusunara Enji has going for it is raw, pulsating energy and a cleaner ending than Fukurou no Yurikago. Tatsurou's growls and screams have also improved dramatically and are pretty solid. The fade out on the guitars mixes with the intro to Fuzz cleanly and leaves this song feeling decent at worst.

If you don't like Fuzz then I cannot help you. You also might want to stop listening to this album while you're at it. Fuzz is 4:54 of win and unlike most other electronica songs it doesn't suffer from monotony. There are breakdowns every half a minute, a thick contrabass current thanks to Yukke (he can be seen playing it in the PV), and a semblance of the badass rock attitude that I expect out of every band. The acoustic strums in the first verse are also pretty fucking sweet and the touches with the harmonica take some getting used to but personally I can't see how the song would be the same without it. What I could go without are the reverb on Tatsurou's voice: it's slight at most but it does get annoying after a lot of listens. About Tatsurou's voice: it fits well into this song and it's good to see MUCC playing to his strengths instead of mashing along and forcing him to keep pace (which they incidentally do at some point later on in this album).

Game continues the genre-bending game with a thick, soaring track that combines the elements of dark and heavy without necessarily considering the two synonymous. Tatsurou's voice once again channels some Middle-Eastern influences in the verses and the way the two guitars complement each other under Yukke's bass leads to the song feeling rich with tension. I'd venture to say the best part of the song is when Miya's strumming the guitar alone before Yukke and Satochi come in with their respective instruments and have the entire song regurgitate awesome into your eardrums. The fact that MUCC decides to explode at the halfway mark and then keeps the tension throughout shows that they're not in this album to replicate what all the other bands do. They're here to do their own things and even if they sample some inspiration somewhere else they still keep it MUCC at the core.

Flight was re-recorded for Shion but this pop trash still burns in my eardrums. The good thing to this song is that it's placed right after Game to pick you up but it excels at that job and then comes off as obnoxiously happy. That irritates me to no end. For once Satochi lays off the long cymbal lines and focuses more on the rhythm and Miya's guitar is cleaner throughout. I'm not a fan of songs that sound like anime themes (and this one does) so I often give it a pass. If you like happy, upbeat songs check this one out. Then again, what the hell are you doing reading this?

ROLLER DISCO BABY! Anjelier contains the same ingredient of unnecessary upbeat sounds but what makes this song ultimately enjoyable is that it's not afraid to abandon that sound for segments at a time. The way it switches atmosphere so quickly by inserting a synthesizer here or dropping down a note there makes the song less standard and more subject to repeat listens. I'm wondering if Miya composed this just to piss Tatsurou off because the notes that he has to climb at the chorus strain his voice to the limit and I'm afraid to hear him sing this live. HOWEVER...I do have to wonder what the hell a disco anthem is doing in the middle of the album and I also have to wonder WHY MUCC chose to do disco in the first place. They did fine but Anjelier doesn't fit here.

Another ballad already? Yeah, Chiisana Mado is another ballad and it's inevitably going to be compared to Game since it follows on it's heels rather quickly. Don't even try because the two sound so different a comparison isn't going to get you anywhere. It's passionate without being overly dark and it incorporates some nice strings and some ethereal guitar strumming along with a stunning solo section complete with a piano and some acoustic guitars. Yukke threw in the entire kitchen sink composing this one and this is easily the most majestic song on Shion. Despite that it sticks closer to the album's core sound than you might think.

Semishigure irritates my eardrums at the beginning but other than that it doesn't sound much different than from when it was released on "MUCC LIVE BOOTLEG #2" in 2006. (then titled "Gokusai Part1 ~RARE TRACK~). I still don't understand why MUCC had to fuck that part up because it pierces my eardrums and it honestly hurts after repeatedly listening to it. It channels some of the atmosphere from the last track while sounding a little like Nuritsubusunara Enji and that creates another track that sounds alright but doesn't stand out too much. Tatsurou's voice remains in control here and he doesn't sound like he's straining himself here. If nothing else this sounds like a warm-up to the next track, bridging the gap between a majestic ballad and a heavy number with punkish rhythms and solid singing. Semishigure doesn't blow me away but it doesn't suck either.

The self-titled track Shion doesn't let down and in some ways sounds like the culmination of what the entire album wants to be. MUCC keeps it interesting throughout the entire five minutes and is full of singing, chanting, falsetto, and screaming along with quiet portions juxtaposed with brutal riffs and oppressive drums. Shion has so much going on that it takes more than a few listens to grasp everything that was put into this track. Some things going on in this track are so subliminal that they lend to the mood without you even noticing it. One such passage is when the track slows down into some bongos while Satochi's drums slowly speed up creating a sense of tension that explodes right back into the chorus. Tatsurou also throws in some duetting falsettos that are almost inaudible if you're not listening for them and there's a riff section going on in the chorus that I almost didn't notice the first time around. Tatsurou brandishes some death vocals on us don't translate well with the overdone chorus but do better at the slowdown which is dragged out a little too long. Other than that Shion is nothing less than mindblowing.

Sorawasure feels like it was placed here to wind the listener down from Shion. Tatsurou jumps right into the verses which is a bit different than from what I'm used to hearing and the chorus isn't too jarring. The slowdown was a little too typical but that's not too bad. Nothing about this song is pushed to the limits and because they keep the song simple while adding in slight changes to the typical formula and adding neat additions like the acoustic/string and the solo solidifies this as one of their more creative songs. I'm glad to see that they manage to keep the album going with another good song after something great like Shion. It shows you get your money's worth when you buy an MUCC album.

Shiva is that song that's going to make me eat my words. I hate Shiva with a passion. It starts out with what sounds like a speed metal riff and it keeps the deception going for a good 20 seconds before it evolves into some unlistenable pop-punk every other fucking genre under the sun shit. It tries to bring back the attitude later but that's about as believable as Barney busting into some gangster rap about friendship. This and Yasashii Uta are two songs that I could see them ending a tour with but I'm glad the album didn't end off with this. It's disappointing whe I get ready to mosh and I can't because it breaks out into a treehouse anthem. Skip.

Libra is heaven to my ears after sitting through Shiva. MUCC shows that they can be deep and sinister without having to resort to primordial screaming for five minutes on end and that showed with the transition between dark Tatsurou and the blasting guitar portions. The chorus takes away from the gothic and creepy atmosphere that the song is mostly made up of but other than that Libra does a good job of ending the album off, even with the unnecessary silence at the end of it.

In a change of pace (and because I see it pointless to review the singles for this album after this), I've placed reviews for all the singles for this album underneath (excluding the title tracks of course). Perhaps starting now will help to alleviate the "scroll syndrome" I envision having in a month or two.

The only song to talk about here is Touei. It's nowhere near as strong as Libra and actually comes off as a leftover track that could have been sandwiched in easily on Gokusai. It provides a nice contrast to Libra but if it's left to stand on it's own two feet I honestly doubt that Touei could leave much of an impression on the listener. It's got a few interesting passages but nothing that really grabs your attention overall. It's not a bad song but it's not an assertive one either so that's probably why it's delegated to the lone B-side position on this single. MUCC has created better than this and they know it.

Recommended:

Libra

Score: 70%

01. Fuzz
02. Chain Ring
03. Mae e (live)
04. Fuzz Electro Cruisin' Remix

The title track was featured in Cloverfield but even the B-side got some screen time somewhere else. Judging by the way this song sounds I would call Chain Ring an anime theme out of derision but it actually IS an anime theme (anime: Zombie Loan) which just calls for lulz. I actually remembered this song when I got up to take care of some business and when I was listening to it the first two times I wasn't paying much attention to it. Chain Ring actually isn't that bad and for a B-side it's completely superior to Touei. I find the mix between rough and light to be on point and the acoustic twangs before the chorus hits were a nice addition I didn't catch the first four times.

The third track is a live track which automatically means that without visual accompaniment it sucks. Mae e doesn't come with visual accompaniment but it does have a few nice touches like Tatsurou's harmonica portion, crowd interaction and an elongated solo section. I do believe that MUCC put this here for a reason. Even though Mae e was released back on Homura Uta and Fuzz was released on Shion there's a similar feeling both songs give that show that MUCC hasn't really changed all that much with their sound so to speak. Mae e very similar to Chain Ring was well. Compared to other lives I've heard this doesn't sound too bad vocally or instrumentally so if you don't have Homura Uta this is a good song showing you what some parts of it sounded like.

Barring some odd rhythmic patterns and the obvious effects that the remix had on the song, Fuzz electro cruisin' remix doesn't sound too different from the title track. The reverb on the voice is more noticeable but it sticks out less like a sore thumb here. What sticks out more and annoys me to no end here is Tatsurou's "whoas" in the chorus. I miss the acoustic guitar in the first verse and the punch that Yukke's contrabass had on the song in the verses so this remix pales in comparison to the title track. It still was an honest effort at trying to do something different and it didn't really fail too much. It just didn't live up to the standards set by the first track.

Recommended:

Fuzz
Chain Ring

Score: 77%

01. Flight
02. Kanashii Hanashi
03. Libra (Live)
04. Yasashii Uta (Live)

I listened to the single version of Flight before I got to Kanashii Hanashi and I have to say that Miya must have gotten fond of a certain distortion, equalizer or amp effect because it stays the same between Flight and Kanashii Hanashi. Chain Ring is still the king of B-sides here but Kanashii Hanashi doesn't lag far behind. I'm liking the fuzz effect on Yukke's bass and the attitude on the chorus is pretty cool. The classic "step up" method used in songs at the chorus to amplify it's meaning before it's over doesn't work too well here though but it's nothing that renders the song unlistenable. It's worth a listen.

Live, Libra lacks the punch that studio recording and mastering has in the way of the instruments. MUCC can't replicate all the little fancy touches that they have on the album so it's rather straightforward with some S.E. support in the background to make the song sounds somewhat like the recording on the single. I do have to mention that there are some frills here and there that remind you that this is live and they do like to take some spins on their music and the way the song ends off is smoother than the ones they've recorded for sale. Tatsurou's voice is also in prime form and for a live recording his voice is excellent.

And last in this super-spree of reviews we have...an eleven minute live recording of Yasashii Uta. Perhaps an explanation as to why it's over twice as long as the original recording is that it's the last song in a live tour in Germany (Tats says so himself in broken English at the beginning) but it really overstays it's welcome seven minutes in when all I have to hear are "lalalala" over and over again. I'm actually happy this song ended because if you're not in the moment at the concert you're not up for hearing an 11 minute track that has been condensed into a listenable 5:13 beforehand. I think the main reason this was included was because it shares similarities to Flight but it would have been nice if it was short and to the point.

Recommended:

Kanashii Hanashi

Score: 60%

Review: MUCC - Antique

I came across this sometime in the past but I never bothered to listen to it because I'm a superficial bitch and I only like listening to music with pretty covers. If you think I'm being polemic I kid you not; this album cover terrified me as much as the Goosebumps book with that damned creepy dummy on the front. I look at the cover for Antique and that's all I think of and then I just glaze over it for Horizont with the tree or Gokusai with the hand. Something in me though wanted to give this mini a listen and see if what's inside is as horrifying as what's on the outside.

01. ---------
02. Yakeato
03. Shigatsu no Rengesou
04. Orugooru
05. Kokonoka
06. Aka

I'm not too sure about the lengths of these tracks but after this one it shouldn't matter. For this one it doesn't matter either way because I couldn't give two shits about this intro. It's a bunch of static that leads into Yakeato. What's worse is that they recycled this track for Tsuuzetsu. My god I have never heard of re-recording an opening and then sticking it on ANOTHER album, much less having that opening be STATIC! Was MUCC too strapped for creativity to come up with something less imaginative than ---------? For fucking crying out loud they didn't NAME this track, so I'll name it for them - unimaginative piece of shit.

Fuck, at least Akai Oto on the first copy of the mini was more imaginative than this. They actually had to do some fucking work, instead of just turning their television on channel six and then recording that for 20 seconds. Since the tracklist for the first edition differs, Akai Oto was supposed to be an "opening" for Aka, which came second. So what did they do? Take the first few seconds of the song, lower the volume, distort the pitch a tad, and then shove it right in front of some fucking static! And then to make it worse it doesn't even segue smoothly! Both of these track are pieces of garbage that just show that a band makes more money by making some shitty sound effects and calling it an "intro". Why be creative when you can be lame because you make the same amount of money per track ANYWAY? Lazy fucktards.

Yakeato is the "new" track that they marketed for this single (and that's quite deceptive since there's actually two here but w/e). I actually like the entire haunted vibe echoing off Tatsurou's moans. It fits with the creepy cover. What I don't like is how roughly the song switches course in the middle and goes from a haunting atmosphere to a sprinting piece. I'm not being pulled into the song the same way from that point on and that transition should have been done better. Drums feel all off and the guitars feel like they're jamming just to keep it moving. Another thing is that this song relies a lot on stereo techniques, as I often sense it moving from one ear to another and it is not needed. That bastardry continues right up to the end, where there's some loud noise in one ear that's supposed to disturb me greatly. Such an ending would have been great if Yakeato had taken an approach similar to KAErazaru Kioku and kept the creepy feeling all the way to the end but it's wasted on a track that switches pace badly halfway in. It's not that bad but I'm just stuck in the thoughts that it could have been truly orgasmic.

Since I am in a negative mood today, I shall refer to this song as Shigatsu no Rengesou. Unlike Yakeato, I get nothing from this song. Shigatsu no Rengesou is a flat-out boring song, and with a runtime approaching the closer edge of five minutes it bores the crap out of me. Miya's occasional guitar plucks lighten the mood and Yukke's bass isn't deep so much as it is warm but no one does anything interesting up until the solo. Miya's solo portion is pretty good, and the rhythm portions going on underneath the wailing guitar is the best part of the song. Shigatsu no Rengesou is a standard Angura-Kei rocker, which means it's boring. Standard is vomit-inspiring boring. Give me something fresh.

Orugooru is too fucking long and the structure of the song is very simple, which leads to it getting very repetitive before the song ends. This was meant to be played live as Yukke and Miya play the same lines over and over again. By the fifth minute into this song I'm wondering why it's still going. Orugooru also abuses the presence of twin stereos and Tatsurou sings more often in different ears than he needs to. Miya's guitar also likes to switch ears often and it's not needed. MUCC is relying on these audio tricks to make up for the lack of meat in these songs and all it does is make the songs cheesier and disorienting.

Parts of Kokonoka sound very similar to the bluesy rocker Gerbera, especially around: everywhere. Tell me 1:47-1:52 doesn't sound like the solo from that song. I'm not imagining things. Well, back to the actual song here, I find Kokonoka bloated but it does enough switching up to keep the pace from stagnating like spoiled milk. There's some bass-only sections, random female voices speaking in the background, some light guitar plucking and some blues-backed section. All these changing parts make it an interesting song to hear but not one to listen to. Tatsurou's voice sucks majorly and it cracks a lot. Around the 3:30 mark he just starts singing and he doesn't stop until the guitars slow down for a little bit and then he comes in again. He is the main reason why this song drags so much; he is just not interesting to listen to this far back. He's sucked in every track so far but he just excels at sucking here.

Aka sprints at the speed of a circumcision and the pace is really interesting in that "bang my head against the wall" sort of way. This was supposed to be re-recorded from the demo tape they handed out, which means all they did was add that retarded beginning that irritates my eardrums. Despite those two setbacks, it's the best song here but what did you expect out of an A-side? It's verses have that rare quality to be very simple but very effective at sticking in your memory. Tatsurou's vocals are rough and they suck compared to the re-recording, so I suggest you take a look at this on the WORST OF MUCC collection they released. Unlike that album, it was wise of MUCC to put this track last. It's long, drawn-out nature does not suit well being the introduction to an album.

Then again, neither did the first two tracks I mentioned. Ruddy pieces of shit they are...

I'm going to tell you right now: this MUCC is not the Korn-inspired thrash fest that they were on Houmura Uta. You like Houmura Uta? Stick with that time period, trust me. This is weird, ethnic Japanese rock at it's core and not everyone's going to get it. I get it, but I'm in that large group that doesn't like it. The droning nature of Antique suits the faded cover well and by the end of Aka I feel that I didn't get anything out of listening to this album. Half these songs were too damn long and the other half of these songs were too damn suckish, which leads me to the final section of this bitch-fest.

Recommended:

Aka on WORST OF MUCC

Score: 40%

Review: MUCC - Rojiura Boku to Kimi he

When in doubt, when uninspired, or when anticipating a very big review in the upcoming few days, I find it convenient to return to an MUCC single. It just so happens that Grave of the Sacrifice will be released tomorrow and I have to prepare accordingly by conserving as much energy as possible. So, here we go.

01. Rojiura Boku to Kimi he
02. Mushi

As an aside, I find the cover and the lyrics of the first track to be a strange parallel. Notice the Japanese style houses with the trees on one side and the power line in the middle. I'm no expert but is it supposed to represent one of the not-so-glamorous suburbs of Japan? If so, then can I theorize that the person that Tatsurou is speaking for is a student that's stressed to the point of social ostracization or self-repression (ex. hikikomori)? I don't really know, but I thought it was an interesting spin on the lyrics.

Rojiura Boku to Kimi he	An emotionally brutal piece of work, with melancholic riffs and emotive vocals. A nice, clean guitar figure in the beginning switches suddenly to a massive riff with melancholic parts that sweep over you like waves. The lyrics are below since I was able to find them beforehand. The verse parts are lighter and mellower but the overall sound is heavy and gloomy. Tatsurou’s vocals here have an emphasis on singing and it isn’t until the bridge where he screams menacingly. However, it’s the choruses that soars the most in this song. You can't help but be swept into the raw emotion and passion all the members put into the song. For their first major single, it's a focused and complete effort.	9/10
Mushi	It's counterpart, however, is not as focused. The first few seconds are full of slow, deep strums. After that, downtuned guitars backed by drums move along at a brisk pace until we hit the verse. Tatsurou’s words are spit out menacingly amidst heavy guitar parts in sparse bursts until we reach the chorus. At times, the only instrument playing are the drums and sometimes the bass guitar reverbs into the background, which is a pretty cool effect in my opinion. At the chorus, everyone comes in for good and it doesn't feel as tight as it all can until after the chorus ends and the other three play around for a bit. Alternate harder parts are combined with slightly lighter parts to create an unsettling mood until Tatsurou jumps right back in seamlessly. The song remains a constantly shifting ride straight up to the brisk end and doubtless there is going to be a spot that any fan of MUCC can enjoy. I can follow the flow of the tracks and where the guitars want to go with the song, but somehow I feel like the track loses itself in it's attempt to be as good as the A-side. What you get is a decent song but ultimately just a decent song.	7/10

You can obviously do the math. The title track grew on me and the re-recording on the album Kuchiki no Tou is solid and fits in well with the atmosphere of the album. The second track is a solid B-side through and through that sadly comes off a little forgettable in parts. If you can stand Tatsurou's voice, you'll like this release.

Recommended:

Rojiura Boku to Kimi he

Score: 80%

Lyrics

Rojiura Boku To Kimi E

Lyrics: Tatsurou

sugu ni naku naru sa saisho kara wakatteta
kizukanai FURI de nigemichi wo tsukuru warui kuse to
tsukuri waraide zutto shakou shiteita sora wa ima kara ni natta

yubi wo nakushita shounen wa ai mo yume mo tsukamezu ni naita
rojiura de ikudo mo umare kawari wo nozonde nanadome no asa ni

tsugihagi darake no kotae wo kakage
doku sareru koto de yasurageru no nara
mayowazu yuuwaku no mitsu ni mi wo nageyou

aa erabarenu nara shosen watashi nado yukizuri no omocha
aa tarenagasu yami ni tsuzuru koto kireta "arigatou"

awa ni nari sakimidare ikitoshi ikeru ima subete hai ni nare
yuuretsu sou tagai no chigai chigai....
taikai ni itteki wo tarasu ga gotoku ni majiwaru nara
subete hai ni nare ai yo hai ni kise

aa teishi shita oto ni aseri heijou wo tamotezu kuruidashita MAESUTORO
ano rojiura de boku ga kakageta tsugihagi darake no "sayounara"


The Back Alley, to Me and You


I knew from the start that it will soon disappear
My bad habit of escaping by pretending I don't notice anything
The sky, always darkened by my forced laughter, is now empty
With no fingers, a boy was crying, unable to seize neither love nor dreams
In the back alley, continuously wishing for rebirth on the seventh morning
Putting together a patchwork answer,
If I can feel at ease in my being poisoned
I will throw my body in the honey of temptation without hesitation
Ah, if I am not chosen, those like me are but passing toys
Ah, in the oozing obscurity, I couldn't spell "thank you" to the end
May all things alive turn to froth and scatter now, may it all turn to ash
Superiority and inferiority, each other's differences, differences...
If they're to mingle together like a drop spilled in the ocean
May everything turn to ash, may love turn back to ash
Ah, I am a maestro who went mad, irritated by his heart that stopped, unable to keep his composure
In that back alley, I put together a patchwork "farewell"

Review: MUCC - Sora to Ito

Welcome to the single of auto-tune abuse and deceptively dark passages marked by sudden poppy transitions from the land of MUCC. I have no idea what to think of this single. At some parts it plays like a genuine hard rock track I would be worthy to shove in my wooden bookcase and collect dust with and at other parts I want to use it as a fancy coaster for my Pepsi bottle. Also including the time that it was released, which is somewhere between the Christmas holidays where we brazenly spend money on gifts we plan to return to the Valentine's Day Hoax when couples finally remember they're together, Sora to Ito falls to the wayside right next to my Game Boy Advance and the used anal probe I picked up at the thrift shop at a discount. Despite the amount of obscurity this somewhat questionable single carries, there's a lot going on and if you can chew through most of it you might find something in here you like.

Then again, if you're a fan of new-age MUCC you might as well have the album already and you won't need to pick this single up, which makes the existence of this review somewhat questionable. I did it for the B-sides.

Sora to Ito - Regular Edition
01. Sora to Ito
02. Kanaria


Sora to Ito - Limited Edition
01. Sora to Ito
02. Kikansetsu

01. Sora to Ito	This isn’t my favorite single from MUCC, but I can’t deny that it’s creative in some aspects. The verses have some annoying auto-tune courtesy of Tatsurou which was obviously included for effect but I fail to see what it is. He’s a talented vocalist and the auto-tune takes away more than it adds. That bastardized tool disappears during the chorus which I find to be the strongest part of the song The entire musicianship feels off and it feels like Miya was trying to include a bit of everything and ended up creating a mixed up monster of a track. It starts off slow and mellow for a few seconds and you know it’s going to erupt into a hard rock track but somewhere in there it merges into a poppier riff that neuters the dark feeling. If I then tell you that right after the chorus Tatsurou screams will you believe me when I say it’s rather schizophrenic in nature? Lyrically it’s rather depressing. I think it has something to do with a person that chased after his dreams failing and then looking after someone worse off than he is until he passes away. Some seriously depressing shit. The track flows well but the constant shifting styles and the loss of the badass attitude early on into the track leaves this track at an enjoyable, yet underwhelming place in my library. I’m not going to be replaying this track too often.	7/10
02. Kanaria	YUKKE’s contrabass makes a strong presence right from the beginning of the track and stays solid throughout. SATOchi’s drumming is equally as impressive and I like Miya’s electric guitar solo halfway in. I’m not a fan of MUCC’s jazzy numbers and this one is no exception, but Tatsurou’s falsetto work is pretty damn good in this track and contrasts well with his singing in the verse. Even with all the praise I’m giving this track I’m not too fond of it. It’s just not my cup of caffeinated beverage. If you’re fond of MUCC’s upbeat, fast-paced jazzy numbers, you’ll feel right at home with this one.	6/10
03. Kikansetsu	These guys sure do like their disco. Kikansetsu takes off right from the beginning with rocking, but not heavy guitars that switch pace according with Tatsurou’s voice. SATOchi’s drums also stand out in this track as he alternates his patterns to create a rhythmic pattern that keeps the listener tuned in. It’s a very optimistic and upbeat track so fans of older MUCC hoping for a reprieve will not find one here (sorry guys I’m in your boat as well) but the middle section gets a little angsty if that’s any consolation. All in all, the musicianship is solid for what it’s worth and the only thing it leaves me wondering is what anime the guys got some inspiration out of. I’m still not fond of this side of MUCC but what they did here they did well so I’m not holding it against them.	7/10

So in the end, Sora to Ito is an overall average single that showcases MUCC's talent well but doesn't get everything right. It's not my favorite and it's not the best they've ever done, but the album was a "love it or hate it" affair so the thoughts on this single vary depending on who you talk to.

Download:

Rating: 66%

Review: MUCC - Ryuusei

If you're wondering where this single came from, it's because I scrolled randomly until I came across a random cover and this happened to be second. I pulled up Tsume Tsume Tsume first and I had already done it so I went again. So, for no apparent reason, I'm doing Ryuusei.

I also think it's time I try a new format out ;D

01. Ryuusei
02. Bokura no Kage
03. Daikirai -2006-

01. Ryuusei	I actually liked this song a lot more than I originally thought I would. Translating as “Falling Stars” it’s a softer single and it includes some piano and acoustic strumming throughout. YUKKE’s bass and SATOchi’s drumming supports the track throughout and without them the track would feel rather empty since it doesn’t have the usual “loud” factor that most MUCC tracks have. The few portions with Miya’s electric guitar don’t create a feeling of alienation because it’s tuned lighter and its whiny tune fits the subdued feeling of the track. Tatsurou’s voice is consistent throughout and it slides into the track seamlessly. Lyrically I believe it’s somewhere between an apology and a love song and there’s nothing depressing about this song at all, which makes me like it even more. It’s at it’s strongest during the chorus. The transitions from verse to chorus are smooth and I find the chorus more audible than poppy so I can stand it.	9/10
02. Bokura no Kage	YUKKE’s bass was the first thing that jumped out to me in this track. The overall tone is melancholic and the lyrics are about the end of a relationship. The title translates as “Our Shadow” Lyrically, this song is the polar opposite and a perfect complement to Ryuusei. Musically, it’s almost a continuation of Ryuusei as it keeps the same subdued tone but it incorporates more electric guitar. Tatsurou’s voice is the strongest instrument, and it shows after the solo. I don’t know what to call it but it has a particular quality that fits best in this track. He later goes on to top himself near the end with his increasingly wrathful singing. My favorite part of this track is the last minute or so, when the guitar is playing and it sounds like it’s dueling with himself. Another great song.	9/10
03. Daikirai -2006-	I enjoy this song solely because it sounds like the boys are having fun. Lyrically, this song marks the general transition this album follows from tender love into passionate hate. Daikirai translates as “big hate” or “I hate you” or whatnot. Basically, a lot of hate because Tatsurou hates someone. It’s a re-recording of the original found on the “Fu wo Tataeru Uta” single and it excels the original with better recording quality, a few extra musical bits thrown in certain places and Tatsurou’s improved vocals with no more sloppy tics. It especially shows in the middle, where it sounded like the boys almost lost it in the original but here they keep it altogether. The music video is entertaining and the song fits in lyrically, but other than for some comedic value or to burn off some steam this song isn’t very creative.	6/10

Download:
- Ryuusei
- Bokura no Kage

Rating 80%

Review: MUCC - Ageha

Instead of wasting time to talk about how I feel about this single, let me just say this was the song that made me take a second look at this band.

~Regular Edition~
01. Ageha
02. Concrete 082

~Limited Edition~
01. Ageha
02. Aoi Mori

Ageha starts out very deceptively, with a mellow guitar and evolves into a raging, heavy, destructive beast that doesn't let up. Riddled with slap-bass courtesy of YUKKE, and aggressive, skillful guitar lines by Miya, Ageha shows a new sense of maturity within the band. It's heavy without being loud. It makes a fierce statement musically while remaining it's composure and finess. It's the exact type of track that shows that these musicians are getting better with age. Ageha isn't without it's faults though. I find the solo off-putting as the juxtaposition of the hard with the soft seems forced. The chorus also slows the song down considerably, which creates another hard contrast. Another problem with this song that repeats throughout the single is that MUCC used the same formula for composing their choruses, which takes away from the overall package. In a period of music where even trendsetters start following the textbook instead of writing it, this offering as a single is solid despite its flaws.

Concrete 082 runs a bit long for my taste, and it's chorus sounds almost interchangeable with Ageha's, turning that into both a positive and a negative. Jazzy and full of funk thanks to the bass, the song plays it cool until around the middle part when the guitar starts going faster and faster while the others hang back. It makes the song feel a little unsettling but then it slides back into it's laid-back stance and plays out the rest of the song. It's unusual but unique and makes the long run time a bit more bearable. It's good for what it tries to do but falls short next to the title track. A good B-side nonetheless as it provides a good contrast, but you'll probably be listening to Ageha more.

Aoi Mori wisely takes it's musical ass in a different direction than Ageha, and it ends up working out better than Concrete 082. All three songs on both editions were somewhat unusual, but this seems to have the most exotic influence out of them all. It's obviously influenced by Western music but it carries an Eastern touch that is hard to pin down in just one location. MUCC succeeds doing here what many bands fail to do, and that's mixing eastern with western to create something new. Tatsurou's singing is at it's greatest here (especially during the chorus) while no one instrument overpowers another and commands the listener's attention. The overall flow works out here better than it had in the title track. Everything flows in and out, up and down, with sudden changes fitting in despite the contrast. Just as brilliant as the title track.

This makes Ageha a damn good single no matter what edition you pick up, although I suggest you try to get your hands on the limited edition because the B-side is a lot better than the one on the regular edition. Considering it's a limited edition however, you might not have that option available to you.

Regular Edition: 8/10
Limited Edition: 9/10

Review: MUCC - Kyuutai

I figured I should start with something relatively recent.

01	Kyuutai Instrumental	球体 Instrumental
02	Houkou	咆哮
03	Ageha	アゲハ
04	Hide and Seek	ハイドアンドシーク
05	Kagerou	陽炎
06	Lemming	レミング
07	Oz	オズ
08	Fuyuu	浮遊
09	Sanbika	讃美歌
10	Sora to ito	空と糸
11	hanabi

Before I begin with the review of the album, I’ll just make it a rule of thumb that all instruments already get stuck with the “mediocre” score because I hate them. Kyuutai’s “Instrumental” is no exception. Most times, I find that they really don’t add much to an album but I can’t rate each individually for personal reasons. So Kyuutai Instrumental gets a five. I consider the real start to this album to be Houkou. Dark and sinister describes this album up until it hits the chorus, in which the song loses steam. The whole dark-light contrast in rock music kills me badly and this song is no exception. Barring the trip-up at that part of the song, Houkou is one badass song that’s a representation of what’s to come. It gets an 8.

Ageha shows how far MUCC have come from the trash metal that they used to record early on in their career. Just compare the heaviness in Ageha with the heaviness in, oh, Daikirai and you’ll notice what I mean. Ageha, a single that was released before this, is a merciless attack of smart composition and wildly fluctuating musical styles. The song begins with a seemingly innocent, mellow acoustic guitar and a whiny, bright electric guitar duo; however, this is immediately contrasted by heaviness beyond immediate comprehension. The track is riddled with slap-bass, courtesy of YUKKE, and aggressive, skillful guitar lines by Miya, showing that MUCC isn’t afraid to experiment with the absolute extremes of music. This song gets a 10. Hide and Seek immediately follows this track, and seems like an addition to Ageha more than a track all its own. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. The beginning has some techno beat followed by a guitar intro that will make your brain melt from the awesome, and that techno beat comes back a few times in this song. It helps to diversify it on this album. It still carries the attitude and funk from the previous track and even includes a similar heavy breakdown to the one used in Ageha. The lighter chorus fits in better here than in many other songs that I’ve heard, so when Hide and Seek fades out it gets a 9.

Kagerou is the breather that you know you need and thankfully it doesn’t ride off of the excellence of the first few tracks. Tatsuro’s voice is as strong (and deep and overly dramatic) as always and YUKKE’s bass is extremely noticeable in this song, moreso than Miya’s guitar. The solo is the highlight of this song for me because it’s able to highlight it’s rock and jazz influenced sound without becoming needlessly heavy or loud. Any listener that compares this track to their earlier stuff sees how much their tour with American bands have influenced them, and so far I’m getting the impression that they’ve learned to adopt the heaviness to a lighter song and still make their style effective. I give Kagerou a 9.

Lemming is another blast of hard rock, but it feels like a mixture of bands and styles. This doesn’t sound like regular MUCC, but then someone tell me what “regular” MUCC is. Can’t name it? Neither can I. Lemming isn’t a bad song, but if I wanted to listen to a hard or fast, catchy song I’d just move to the next track. Lemming does have it’s good points but it’s main curse is getting shoved in between two tracks that far outshine it. With that I leave it at an 8 and move on to Fu-, err Oz. Call this song Fuzz + psychedelic techno effects. Oz feels like the counterpart to Fuzz and it shares much in common with that song, including the attitude-driven intro. Oz immediately got a 10 from me the minute the opening riff went on, and the rest of this song went on to make it sexplox. The best part of this song is that, much like Fuzz, the chorus doesn’t lose steam. It doesn’t suddenly change from dark to light or angsty to sugary-sweet. It keeps the flow and the vibe and makes this song better. It also helps that Miya’s solo comes right after. This is definitely one of the highlights of Kyuutai.

Fuyuu was wise to go soft after Oz, because you can’t top a song like that with another of the same breed. It’s a slower-paced song that starts off on a nice stereo acoustic-guitar run and resolves to a lower-octave first. Then, in 1:08 from the right-guitar, there’s this jazzy, flowing counter-melody and it’s followed by a few chords in the left-guitar. The track starts to take shape only a few minutes in as an organ and a harmonica weave themselves into the track. Unfortunately, the instrumental variety doesn’t carry onto the chorus, so it ends up dropping this song to an 8.

If you play classical music, Sanbika will seem very familiar. This is MUCC’s rendition of Ave Maria, without the original lyrics. However, with the entrance of the vocals, it isn’t the first verse of Ave Maria quite yet. But the introduction is gorgeous and around the two minute mark the song explodes into whole-note guitar-chords and octave-vocals that are just breathtaking. The actual Ave Maria portion starts a few minutes in while Yukke keeps the bass line flowing. The guitar takes a variation of the vocal notes, which is pretty cool I guess. Tatsuro jumps back in a little later and sings Ave Maria and then jumps back into some Japanese. When the song eventually ends, I’m just wondering what hit me because it was beautiful but tame at the same time. I don’t want to call it a ballad but it eludes all sort of classification and I find that I just struggle to give it a rating.

I’ll pick a 9.

The first three seconds of Sora to Ito remind me of “Colors of the Heart”. That’s not the case at all with the rest of the track, but this track is really techno-inspired. There are more octave riffs with the guitars and Yukke keeps strumming on back there while Satochi keeps this nice steady beat as he always does. What kills me the most is how it starts hard and then moves in all poppy around 0:30. Gah, you get a 7.

Hanabi is an extremely nice closing song to the album. It starts out with solo altered-vocals and piano enters a few seconds in – of which the vocals are back to normal. It picks up slightly around the minute mark but the song gets started two and a half minutes in. It starts with a guitar riff that builds into some more drum-work and then winds down for another verse from Tatsurou. The strings and piano come back the song to balance out with the rest of the band. A nice guitar solo is in there for a few seconds before the vocal-bridge is brought out with a slow build up with some strings before giving to another guitar solo. The band drops out of the picture for a bit before they jump back in and a short bass solo followed by a guitar solo ends the album. It gets a 9. Must you ask?

For a band that I originally was on the fence with, this is an album that might push me over the edge. It’s less experimental than their previous works but in my opinion it’s more streamlined, and this makes it more accessible of the first few listens. With so few songs receiving low scores from me, I don’t need to tell you to go buy it.

BUY IT (this is for those that don’t get the message).

4.2/5

If it weren’t for that damn instrumental this album would have gotten even higher. Go on, give it a try and LIKE IT. Please?