faylan – Blood teller November 8, 2011

Track Listing

1. Blood teller
2. PIANOTE
3. Blood teller (Off Vocal)
4. PIANOTE (Off Vocal)

1. Blood teller

I can’t seem to decide if I think faylan is going in a better direction or not with Blood teller.  What gets me to say that is that while it’s more of what she’s known for (as an anison singer and all) but for a song titled as such, I was expecting something harder and edgier than what we’ve got here.  It’s rockin’ but not like her past ones…it’s a bit safe and light for me.  Ehhhh…at least her vocals are solid!

2. PIANOTE

faylan’s B-sides have been pretty unique and always different going from single to single.  PIANOTE is her simplest song yet in her discography by being just like the title suggests, a piano-based ballad.  It does grow louder and hits it’s loudest near the end which is awesome and I love the fact that faylan really sung this one just right.  A bit basic, but damn she pulled it quite nicely.

 

 

So soon, so soon…it hasn’t even been that long since “ALIVE” and we’re alright kicking off faylan’s 3rd era.  I’m slightly disappointed in Blood teller because I was expecting a little more from it but it comes off as like some of the A-sides in the previous era.  PIANOTE though was pretty good ballad, not gonna lie and it showed off her vocals a lot more better than some of her other ballads.  I’m kind of thinking she’s better off releasing the B-sides as the A-sides IMO.

Chara – Utakata

Track Listing

1. Feeling Feeling
2. Magic View
3. Eien wo Shiranai ka
4. Oshiete
5. Mayonaka no Yakusoku
6. Wakannai
7. Aishitai no

1. Feeling Feeling

Just already with the first song I sense there’s a different feel than her last album, “Dark Candy”.  I mean the acoustic guitar being the major thing in the arrangement is really nice and pleasant.  I will say that I’m surprised that Chara is singing in such a quiet tone for the first track but even weirder is that it sounds good for the most part.  Maybe a little too airy/breathy for me but it’s a nice track to open the mini with I’d say.

2. Magic View

She continues to utilize her breathy vocals for the next track in Magic View but at least she sings a little louder but that’s just a big no-no because she starts sounding like a dying cat.  Luckily this track is a couple seconds under 3 minutes so it’s not going to kill anyone really.  I’m a little surprised that so far on the mini, I’ve noticed the arrangements have been bare and basic.  Ehhhh…

3. Eien wo Shiranai ka

So the third track on the mini-album is the shortest one at two minutes.  It’s so quiet at first and it doesn’t do much.  Once Chara does come in, it gets a little frustrating because her vocals kind of annoy me since they get louder and gets this echo effect going and it just kills me on the inside.  The arrangement is a little rock-based but there’s not a lot of oomph here.  Two minutes huh?  Surprised it wasn’t any longer TBH.

4. Oshiete

Shortest to longest song, Oshiete starts off with guitar before this kind of (beat?) starts to join in.  Thank god because this mini so far has been so minimalistic and it’s nice to see something a little more driven with Oshiete.  Then it just fades to just guitar and Chara, but somehow this song works for me.  It is a little long though I will admit but this is pretty nice and I don’t mind Chara’s vocals here.

5. Mayonaka no Yakusoku

Hey, there is something that sound like it could’ve been from her last album!  Mayonaka no Yakusoku really doesn’t sound like any of the previous songs before because there’s synths and Chara is singing pretty loudly.  That being said, it’s the song’s downfall.  I swear she’s pulling off DYING CAT really well.  The verses are probably the song’s safest part XD.  If it was sung by someone else >.>

6. Wakannai

After that excitement, we move back down to the quiet and lowkey sounds with Wakannai which is just Chara and piano togehter.  I try to see if she does these well.  I guess to fans, this is her bread and butter, but seriously I don’t see it very well because while the melody is sad and moving, Chara just kills the mood.  Not liking this at all.

7. Aishitai no

Finally, the seventh and final track comes up and it begins like a magical lullaby with orgel/glockenspiel.  It’s not surprising that the song is another ballad but it actually it sounds alright since Chara isn’t totally going out of bounds (but backup vocals?).  It’s alright but after the previous tracks, I’m just happy that we’re at the end!

 

 

 

I know I might be harsh, but seriously I know she’s praised on her musicality and various lyrical things…but her voice is atrocious.  It’s almost on par with MOON -Kana-’s vocals.  I mean jeeze, ballads are good and she does the arrangements quite well but singing them is just not her forte.  Girl needs to get training XD.  Utakata is definitely a step down from “Dark Candy” I say.

Asriel – Oratorium

Track Listing

1. Loreley
2. LostMoon
3. Oratorium
4. Sekiki Chou wa Yami yo ni Kiete
5. Kougyoku Zui (Canerian) no Sasayaki
6. Kuroi Hitomi no Majuu
7. Rin
8. Windalia
9. Garasu no Toiki
10. Lament
11. Romancia
12. Seiren

1. Loreley

I love the acoustic guitar that opens up Loreley for Oratorium since it’s relaxing and very pretty.  It doesn’t last very long because things get hectic when Kurose brings his goth rock arrangement in full swing.  I was surprised that it’s a pretty long intro before KOKOMI finally starts to sing.  At first I thought she did well, but then her vocals became very strange in the chorus.  It just turned me off right then.  Yeah, so much for that right?

2. LostMoon

KOKOMI doesn’t really do a good job cleaning up her vocals but it’s a little more stable here than in “Loreley” which is a plus (I think…).  The song itself is more of the same rock, but a tad anime-like in a sense.  I’m not sure what to make of it, but I do enjoy it better than the opening song.

3. Oratorium

Next comes the album’s title track and I’m loving the intro of the song the most so far from the aggressive rock tracks.  I usually don’t like these songs when there’s so much percussion being heard and it shows quite bluntly in this one.  It took me out of the song and KOKOMI didn’t help much to alleviate the problem either…I forgot 6 minutes too… >.>

4. Sekiki Chou wa Yami yo ni Kiete

Thank god Sekiki Chou wa Yami yo ni Kiete has such an awesome opening with the strings and such.  Sadly, it get overshadowed by the rest of the song which doesn’t seem to stray from the previous.  Plus, KOKOMI’s vocals are just too much for me in this song.  Way high and too much vibrato for me.

5. Kougyoku Zui (Canerian) no Sasayaki

I’m starting to wonder if this album is going to sound the same but luckily things change up with the fifth song on the album which is the album’s first ballad.  I actually like the dark atmosphere of this one and the strings play such a creepy yet cool part.  I can even say that I enjoyed KOKOMI’s vocal performance as well since it isn’t forced like the previous songs ^_^.  Though the cat sounds are humorous, not gonna lie hahah.  First song I’ve actually liked!

6. Kuroi Hitomi no Majuu

It’s interesting that the only old song on this album is this track which was the leading song from “Tsune Shie no Madoi Same Shidoku”.  I will say that the intro does comes off a little like “Sekiki Chou wa Yami yo ni Kiete” but a little more foreboding.  Luckily this is when the duo does music right since it’s strong in its arrangement and KOKOMI isn’t killing me with her vocals.  I still think the waltz interlude was strange, yet compelling and probably the best part of the song TBH.  Great song to choose to be put on the album!

7. Rin

Jeeze KOKOMI, this intro is really hard to get through!  It does kind of gets stuck being a ballad, a mid-tempo, and a rock song so it’s a little weird at first, but this song is alright but nothing terribly amazing.  Yeah, it’s just a normal Asriel song….bah…

8. Windalia

I will say that Windalia reminds me of their anime releases which is good because I’d say this is catchy and while KOKOMI is using too much vibrato once again, it’s not as bothersome and it kind of works with the arrangement just a bit.  Even Kurose’s guitar solo was pretty damn good.  I wouldn’t say it’s the best on the album, but it’s pretty passable.

9. Garasu no Toiki

Piano and acoustic opens up our next song and it seems we get another ballad.  It’s funny, I’m starting to think Asriel are better ballad creators than rock songs.  I found Garasu no Toiki such a beautiful song to listen to and it utilized KOKOMI’s vocals the best IMO.  Yeah, now this is the album’s best track hands down!

10. Lament

Is Lament supposed to be the somewhat odd one?  I noticed this because the arrangement is slow and yet there’s accordion in the arrangement hahaha.  KOKOMI sounds fluid and pretty singing in this rather minimal arrangement but still somehow can pull it off when more instruments are added.  I like this!

11. Romancia

As we near towards the ending of the album, things start to pick up with Romancia which kind of sounds like a bit of the stuff from the first half of the album but somehow a little more controlled.  It’s not too bad and I say this sort of makes up for the album’s first four songs.

12. Seiren

Closing the album is something I liked with the synthy opening.  Sad, it only lasted a couple of seconds before the song changes into another rock track.  It sounds like KOKOMI is doing a little better vocally except in the chorus but I’m used to that lol.  I wouldn’t say it made for a good end to the album but whatever lol.

Tracks Recommended

• Garasu no Toiki
• Kuroi Hitomi no Majuu
• Kougyoku Zui (Canerian) no Sasayaki
• Lament
• Windalia

Song of Avoidance

• Sekiki Chou wa Yami yo ni Kiete

I can’t seriously get through an Asriel album without feeling bored and disturbed just a little bit.  I was seriously turned off by the album’s first four songs for sure and made me wonder if that was it.  Luckily, the songs after got better and it became alright but it’s not as good as what “QuoVadis” was which was their last indies album.  I’m even starting to dread their releases nowadays x.x (album-wise at least).