Kana – Kikai-teki Ningen October 14, 2008

Track Listing

1. Rou no Kumi
2. Suzu
3. Kurozatou
4. Tetsukuzu
5. Mabataki
6. Anzen Pin
7. Shippo
8. Miyako
9. Kagi
10. Chimidoro
11. Tirorin
12. Nekotan
13. Kedamono
14. Mushi Naki Tsukiyo

1. Rou no Kumi

We start off with a short track.  Kana’s voice does sound a bit flat and she’s really screwing up because of the higher notes she’s trying to hit.  Damn, though she has to hold them too?  Ewww.  I think the music is nice with some harmonica and acoustic guitar.  I better change this before I hear that god-forbidden high note.

2. Suzu

Suzu sounds pretty cool making it sound like traditional japanese pop track.  The use of violin and synths may not be new, but they used it in a way to make it sounds quite new and interesting.  Kana though is hopelessly lost in her vocals.  She’s taking too many breaths and the lyrics comes out very robotic and mechanical.  When she tries though, she can sound pretty good.

3. Kurozatou

Quirky bass line.  I’m noticing that so far this album has sounded nothing like her debut.  I mean there’s more strings.  Kana sounds a little more stronger and she’s doing pretty well with her higher register.  Even though the song’s title translates to “Brown Sugar” I’m thinking it’s a holiday track because there’s jingle bells present.  It’s a good song really.

4. Tetsukuzu

Oh my, that was a high ass note…Why is she even trying to do this?  I mean this has to be one of her poorest execution of a track, even worse than “Momo”.  I mean she sounds pretty terrible and the minimalistic of the music didn’t really exactly help…Luckily it’s a short interlude so I guess I’m happy they didn’t make it long.

5. Mabataki

That’s a blood-crudling scream at the start.  She ups the tempo and actually it would make sense as an Halloween tune.  Kana has some hit and misses in the notes, but other than that I thought this was a pretty good tune also.  I thought the music was quite nice as well.

6. Anzen Pin

The only A-side to appear actually was a great idea and song.  It still carries that Halloween kind of vibe, but was so much better than the song previous.  The synth was pretty catchy and Kana didn’t really screw up, except for the high note again.  Though, I do wish there was more in the song, maybe more synth and guitar.

7. Shippo

Shippo is definitly the odd one off the album.  Musically it’s light percussion and some bouncy synths.  Kana is in that whisper kind of sound that I usually didn’t like, but this time I actually find it quite nice with the music.  Even though her choice of lyrics needs help….oh wait….it’s another interlude….w/e….

8. Miyako

Strange synths happen to start this track.  To my expectations, she hits the high note again and again she fails.  This time she failed because her vocals are all over the place.  There was something unsettling in the music as well.  Like why does it sound so unfinished? 

9. Kagi

This one does sounds pretty creepy, I’ll give her that and there’s her doing BKGD vocals as well which gave the song a more dark and gothic vibe.  Her off vocals actually worked with the song’s vibe.  I mean OMG do I hear acoustic guitar?  I like it.  Finally, a really good full song. 

10. Chimidoro

Another “blood” titled song?  I sounds a little like “Kagi” but it does sound different when you take the major things.  I means there’s some nice string moments and random sounds.  I’m starting to wonder why there hasn’t rreally been any fast tracks.  Weird to also hear accordion also after Kana’s unsupported singing.  Though once again her voice sounds right with the type of song.

11. Tirorin

Damn another interlude?  Though it’s fast paced (looks like my hope was answered).  Sadly the song is so robotic in her looks and she says ~Tirorin~ and OMG please never have Kana try to sing to different parts because it doesn’t work at all.

12. Nekotan

I think this is the first time hearing the deeper sounds of Kana.  IMO, she sounds so much better than trying to be all seiyuu-like.  The song sounds like a combination of what PUFFY would do and just pure rock.  So you can tell, I really like her deeper vocals.  Is that brass in the song?  I don’t think so, I think it’s keyboarded but still it gave definition to the song.

13. Kedamono

I was thinking that the song would’ve been aggresive, but then I heard the haunting sounds and I knew that would work as well.  Sadly the song which, has minimal stuff going on really bored me half to death.  For a song to mean “Beast” this was a half-assed try.

14. Mushi Naki Tsukiyo

All right, this is like the the album’s “Momo”…I mean I despise her vocals hear and this was a ballad for sure.  Though I do like the piano’s time on the song, Kana just killed it 100%…Why oh why did you have to do that to me Kana?

Tracks Recommended

• Kagi
• Anzen Pin
• Shippo
• Mabataki
• Nekotan

I know I like more songs on the album, but comparing this to her debut, this was terrible.  I don’t know why, but everything seemed absent and just didn’t put much effort to it.  I also noticed that she was absent of the hard-rock tracks that made her (sort-of) famous like “Hebi-Ichigo”.  She tried some new sounds which totally killed it and well she needs terrible help.  Still the 5 songs are good, but they aren’t like her first album recs.

MAXIMUM THE HORMONE – Buiikikaesu October 14, 2008

Track Listing

1. Buiikikaesu!!
2. Zetsubou Billy
3. Kuso Breakin no Breakin Lily
4. Louisiana Bob
5. Policeman Benz
6. Black￥Power G- Man Spy
7. Akagi
8. Kyokatsu
9. Bikini Sports Ponchin
10. What’s up, people?!
11. Chu chu Lovely Muni Muni Mura Mura Purin Purin Boron Nururu Nero Nero
12. Shimi
13. Koi no Megalover

1. Buiikikaesu!!

We kick things off with this pretty kickass song.  Whenever there’s a cool bass line and cooler guitar riff, you know you have a great song altogether.  Daisuke-han’s interesting mix of rapping and screaming is very unique to the band IMO.  Also interesting note is that Nao, the drummer is singing the song as well which means everyone has singing abilities.  The song shows how much the band can do.

2. Zetsubou Billy

Most notable as the ending for the 2nd season of Death Note, Zetsubou Billy is so aggressive and very hardcore.  There’s an obvious mentality that the song is very angsty and angry.  After the 2nd chorus run-through they go into an interestingly slower part and the song goes more eviler.  Then all hell breaks loose when they say ~We are kira, My name’s Kira…etc.~  That’s was awesome and is a nod to a character in Death Note as well.  Epic song!

3. Kuso Breakin no Breakin Lily

Funny, how the song starts up with a music box and then gets kinda pop/rock.  Definitly a mood change from “Zetsubou Billy”.  It’s very fun and carefree, but when you least expect it, they get very metal and dark with Daisuke-han’s vocals which was so random for the song.  I love Nao’s voice when she finishes up the song.  I mean a drummer and a singer?  Totally gains respect points!

4. Louisiana Bob

Back into the aggressive stuff, It’s either more or less surprising because it’s just like the previous track but reversed.  There’s more of the angry stuff than the fun sounds.  The fun sounds actually is only the chorus.  I really like the drum solo and dark stuff.  Then there’s the singing that was so interesting and pretty darn cool.  I think I would have enjoyed more if it was more cleaner if you know what I mean.

5. Policeman Benz

I really enjoyed this track being so in your face and full of interesting bass lines.  I mean there’s a lot of screaming and not really anything decipherable.  Then the chorus gets a strong beat and it becomes something of like an anthem.  Oh my, Daisuke-han cusses like a sailor BTW which is funny hearing him saying ~Fuck~ over and over again.

6. Black￥Power G-Man Spy

I love the entrance for the song, I totally do.  Sounds sneaky and mysterious.  It seems like Ryo was trying his hands at rapping and it sounds pretty nifty.  To be honest this is Ue-chan’s song (the bassist)  There’s just a lot of moments for him and even the song seems so short.

7. Akagi

Oh, this song is fast and full of hard rhythms and some awkward moments from Daisuke-han.  I do like when things calm down for a little for Ryo’s line.  Then after a while his voice is filtered and the song goes into a march sound and then this guitar line happens that I remembered off a single when it was in it’s beta stage.  Still it is the shortest track off the album.

8. Kyokatsu

Drum starts the song up and then there’s some screaming before Daisuke-han’s uhm rapping I guess?  It’s also very angry and just has some great momentum even with the drums changing beats every so often.  The chorus has Ryo singing and he’s not such a bad singer, which is a good thing.  Then things became odd when I heard some things that sounded like “Buiikikaesu!!” which was surprising. 

9. Bikini Sports Ponchin

Another one of the tracks that I love the start of.  Then the lines became very scary sounding and Daisuke-han gets fast again and does various things like growling and squealing.  I think the song was for the awesome rhythms it had going for.  Every line had something new to it and was awesome.  Sadly vocally, I didn’t understand anything except for Nao’s line…which was still covered by the music.

10. What’s up, people?!

Literally, the first song I heard and it was the opening theme for Death Note.  The song has a great sense of rhythm and awesome lyrics.  I really like Ryo’s vocals as it is so fast and made sense.  Then, I guess the chorus is where the bass starts playing up.  The whole song was basically awesome, until the end.  Where it got so messy and just screwy…Still the rest is awesome.

11. Chu chu Lovely Muni Muni Mura Mura Purin Purin Boron Nururu Nero Nero

Like the title is so random and I have no idea what the hell it means.  It sounds funny and upbeat at first before Daisuke-han pops in because he makes the song more metal.  Nao’s solo lines sounds so friggin awesome.  Still the chorus is very repetitive because it’s the song title.  Nao’s says half of it and the rest of the group says the other half.  It doesn’t get too annoying because I do adore the song.  I want to say this is Nao’s song because she sings most of it anyways.

12. Shimi

The song is a slow hardcore song evident by the slow drumming and guitar riffs.  Then after the beginning it speeds itself of and Daisuke-han is going all over the charts on the singing.  OMG, another Nao solo?  Anything with her voice makes the song better.  Ryo though screams his ass off and then it goes back to the slow tempo again.  I have to say though I dont like the singing in this part.  Still it’s pretty good.

13. Koi no Megalover

This song being the final song is so random because it’s the first time I’ve heard synth in a MTH song.  Even then the song sounded so fun and totally unlike them.  Then it’s lead into the stuff I’m used to, but everyone is singing so fast that it’s hard to understand what they said.  I actually ended up liking the song for some reason that c’mon synth usage!

Tracks Recommended

• Chu chu Lovely Muni Muni Mura Mura Purin Purin Boron Nururu Nero Nero
• Zetsubou Billy
• Koi no Megalover
• Kuso Breakin no Breakin Lily
• Buiikikaesu!!

Buiikikaesu, to me is such a hardcore album.  I mean all the songs are pretty much metal in some way or another.  I do like how everyone plays more roles in this album than previous ones and had to be happy to see Nao singing a lot.  This album is one of their bests and it’s great to see alot of the songs that I know of appear