
Track Listing
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Ai Senshi
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Metamorphoze
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Kimi ga Matteiru Kara
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Mind Forest
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Suna no Jyuujika ~interlude~
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Dybbuk
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Dears
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Love Letter
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Meguriai
1. Ai Senshi
We begin this concept album with a new track from Gackt. It’s pretty cool that there’s a new track and it did serve as a promotional track for tha album and for its GUNDAM tie-in. It’s your typical fare of your normal epic Gackt sound. The problem I have with the song was that it seemed so cluttered together and just messy. I do like the solos in the song and Gackt’s quite parts, but other than that, I was pretty turned off from the track.
2. Metamorphoze
Released previously on “DIABOLOS”. Metamorphoze was a good track to include on the album since it doesn’t sound messy when compared to “Ai Senshi”. It sounds more appropriate to the GUNDAM series as well, giving a more space-like sound and Gackt’s vocals here just fit. Even the flute part in the song was pretty epic in itself. I think it’s one of his best tracks he’s done in recent times.
3. Kimi ga Matteiru Kara
Released previously on “Crescent” and not the track from the “Metamorphoze” single, Kimi ga Matteiru Kara is a lot more serious sounding as there’s a sense of dread. Then again it could be the strings that are making it sound so depressing. His vocals are messed around with a little bit, but it’s not like “GHOST”. The acoustic interlude in the song was a nice touch as well. Another strong track.
4. Mind Forest
Also returning from “Crescent”, Mind Forest is a interesting track, especially the opening the’s all covered in flutes and such. After that, I’m kind of dreading Gackt’s overuse of his vibrato and defintely took me out of the song. That chorus was just ugh+. I guess it it wasn’t for the nice arrangement, this song would’ve been downright suckish.
5. Suna no Jyuujika ~interlude~
A 3 minute interlude? It’s odd to see one on a Gackt album, but nonetheless, it sounds like a guitar interlude that sounds like it was filtered a bit. It’s a bit too long-winded, but it does sound like music you’d picture the desert would have…so I guess that’s good.
6. Dybbuk
Another track from the “Crescent” era? It’s funny because it was also in the single leading up to this album. Dybbuk is clearly a hot mess of a song mixing the hardest rock sound of the album with the cold, electronica feel in the bridge. The verses between Gackt and Ju-ken is a bit strange and well…fast. Though when Gackt goes under vocoder and hits the synth, it’s just amazing how it flows and takes you in before the in-your-face chorus comes it. That’s why I consider this is one of my favorite Gackt tunes just because it forces you to change emotions so fast….Genius.
7. Dears
The next two tracks are off his “Love Letter” album and starting with Dears, I can tell why he enjoys this song so much that he named his fanclub after this song. It’s a ballad, but once the chorus comes in, the rock returns in the track and yes, it’s just that good and more carefree than normal. It’s a pretty song I’ll give it that. Another good track.
8. Love Letter
The single that really represented the era, Love Letter still is one long borefest for me. It makes “Dears” Look like the best track he had on the album. Love Letter is more closer as a ballad track, but once again he drags the song across the entire time. It is leagues better than “No ni Saku Hana You ni” I can admire that fact, but Love Letter is nothing too special and he’s had better ballads.
9. Meguriai
I’m pretty sure this is a cover track, but whatever. Meguriai is not surprisingly another ballad with a twist. At least this one is a bit more interesting because it’s all piano and the song sounds a little mysterious. After a while, the strings fade in the song and well adds more to the effect. Then he enters the chorus where it goes all-rock and it’s loud….I didn’t expect it….Once it ends though it cuts off back into the piano-ladened part…It’s like “Dybbuk”, it makes you switch moods almost immediately.
Tracks Recommended
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Dybbuk
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Metamorphoze
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Meguriai
Gackt’s concept album did come in three versions. One is the regular version (one I reviewed) and the other two were based off of two characters: Amuro Ray & Char Aznable. They have speaking parts here and there on the album, but other than that same tracklist, just a little longer album time. Even though two “new” songs were on the album, Meguriai was the only one really worth it. The rest were already previously released material, so it was a bit more of like a best-of in some cases. It’s alright and it did fill in the space when Gackt was on his hiatus.