Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas – Just Awake August 2, 2012

Track Listing

1. Just Awake
2. Break Out Your Stained Brain

1. Just Awake

As it’s my first song from the band and reasoning is from ORICON, Just Awake is an interesting mix of different ideas like electropop, rock, and screamo which might not be to everyone’s tastes.  To be honest, I’m not liking the fact that So (their vocalist) is under heavy auto-tune and add that Minami (another vocalist) is doing the emo screams, plus So does too…It really makes the picture look disjointed and kind of messy. I will say the instrumental is quite exciting and the jazzy piano interlude was random.  So many ideas clashing into one another…there’s parts that I really like but others that I just despise.

2. Break Out Your Stained Brain

I didn’t know what to expect coming into their B-side, but it sounds a lot more darker than “Just Awake” and has a lot more coming from the band rather than just the keyboards.  At first I was thinking I was listening to DIR EN GREY with how Minami was just exploding with his screams.  Though I think I hear So doing the screams as well.  Though I found it weird that there is parts where So is (auto-tuned) singing but it feels so out of place!  I don’t know >.>

 

 

I really don’t know how to feel about the band to be honest.  I can hear that there’s genius to be found in the group but it’s muddled by those ideas clashing and just ending up as odd and messy songs just by this single.  I will say I do prefer Just Awake because it was brighter and there was less of a mess going on but that B-side is just too much for me.

Kanako Ito – Sora no Shita no Sokanzu

Track Listing

1. Sora no Shita no Sokanzu
2. zero hour
3. Sora no Shita no Sokanzu (off Vocal)
4. zero hour (off Vocal)

1. Sora no Shita no Sokanzu

It’s nice to hear that Kanako’s new A-side is a ballad which is a change of pace after the last couple of singles.  I actually liked this song quite a bit because her voice was solid and the melody is really strong…a lot more than “Amaranthine”.  Also, I seemed to enjoy the space-like atmosphere in the background too…really good song here.

2. zero hour

For the fans that wanted a little more edge, we have zero hour which kind is at the same tempo but heavier with gutiars.  I’m kind of disappointed by it for some reason, it’s missing a lot of bass and the chorus really felt weak to me for some reason.  I hear sparkly sounds as well (kind of like the ones in the A-side).  It’s unusual and I kind of liked that but it could’ve been handled better.

 

 

Second single after “VECTOR” and Sora no Shita no Sokanzu really worked as a ballad for some reason…it’s a lot more demanding and really powerful.  zero hour tries for a harder sound and while it’s a good try, it feels like it lacks the backbone to keep it afloat…but it’s not a terrible song, just executed pooly.