Maon Kurosaki – UNDER/SHAFT October 18, 2012

Track Listing

1. UNDER/SHAFT
2. Crimson roses
3. UNDER/SHAFT (Inst)
4. Crimson roses (Inst)

1. UNDER/SHAFT

I’m so happy Maon returned with some cool with UNDER/SHAFT.  We’re back to the dark and evil atmosphere which is something Maon should just stick with.  It still doesn’t really have to awesome atmophere that the “HELL:ium” single had but this suits her style nicely and it could grow on me in time.

2. Crimson roses

I’m surprised Crimson roses is a long track at 6 and a half minutes in length.  However, that worry goes away because this song has some EPIC guitar lines!  This is just dramatic and epic and oddly enough reminds me of “I’m still breathing…” but a tad longer. 

 

 

After that very disappointing single in “reimei”, I was more than happy to see that UNDER/SHAFT brough her back up to where she was initially with my interests.  The leading track is dark, synthy, and somewhat anison but I really loved her voice and she worked that song (though it could’ve had a little more oomph).  Crimson roses was the better track though and had a lot more going on in the arrangement.  Awesome B-side.  Overall…this is probably her second best single, behind “HELL:ium”.

Maon Kurosaki – reimei August 14, 2012

Track Listing

1. reimei
2. Hiyoku -Contrast with you-
3. reimei <instrumental>
4. Hiyoku -Contrast with you- <instrumental>

1. reimei

I wasn’t surprised that reimei wouldn’t be as hard-hitting as anything from “HELL:ium” but it’s really nice to see her go back to something that’s like stuff from her second album.  reimei is pretty much your typical anison song which could be bad but to me it’s all right but nothing like her last two singles sadly.

2. Hiyoku -Contrast with you-

I have to say that “reimei” does sound like an opening theme, but Hiyoku definitely has that closing theme part down so it quite works as the B-side.  I like the dramatic feel of the song but that’s really about it for the song because it’s super slow and while Maon sounds amazing, she just can’t keep the song interesting (at least for me).

 

 

I’m surprised at the drop from “HELL:ium here.  Of the four singles she’s released since her debut, reimei is probably her worst single.  I mean both songs reek of typical anime fare and it just doesn’t cut it this time around, especially how amazing her stuff has been.  I guess she needed a bad single and this would be it.  I do like reimei more than Hiyoku..but both are just kind of bleh from her.

Maon Kurosaki – HELL:ium May 16, 2012

Track Listing

1. Nari Hibita Kodou no Naka de, Boku wa Seijaku wo Kiku
2. I’m still breathing…
3. Just believe.
4. Nari Hibita Kodou no Naka de, Boku wa Seijaku wo Kiku -Instrumental-
5. I’m still breathing… -Instrumental-
6. Just believe. -Instrumental-

1. Nari Hibita Kodou no Naka de, Boku wa Seijaku wo Kiku

I’m surprised this single doesn’t have a song called HELL:ium since this would totally fit the description because this is pretty hardcore and rockin’ (like the stuff she released when she debuted).  I love the nature of the song and enjoying hearing Maon really power through the song like she’s been doing this for a long time.  It’s pretty badass and just really filled that rockin’ anison side I love to hear once in a while.  Epic tune!

2. I’m still breathing…

While I’m not sure if this is a B-side or not, I’m going to assume it is.  I’m still breathing… doesn’t let up on the rockin’ nature much but the song has a much creepier setup than “Nari Hibita…”.  It’s pretty dramatic and a little goth in areas but I’m still enjoying Maon’s powerful vocals here for some reason.  Loved it!

3. Just believe.

Unlike the previous two tracks, this song is kind of the ballad of the single but I like how it works since “I’m still breathing…” is kind of the bridge in between the two tracks.  It’s really good and she’s pulling off such great vocals and power behind such a quiet arrangement.  Good way to close things off!

 

 

Maon might be quite busy these days mixing her solo career and her ALTIMA works but she came back to her solo career with a kickass start with HELL:ium.  All three songs are just amazing and I was surprised she could have released something this great (don’t get me wrong I liked her second album and all but still these three songs are up there at the top!).  *RECOMMENDED*

Maon Kurosaki – Butterfly Effect December 9, 2011

Track Listing

1. Ichihiki no Chou ga Habataku Shunkan
2. VANISHING POINT
3. Magic∞world
4. Emergence!
5. LOVE 〇 JETCOASTER
6. SCARS
7. Glanz -Chinmoku no Yuki-
8. Lisianthus.
9. Baby☆maybe
10. ANSWER
11. screaming!shouting loudly!
12. Memories Last
13. hear..

1. Ichihiki no Chou ga Habataku Shunkan

For a title that’s pretty lengthy, I didn’t expect Maon to make it an introduction basically.  It’s cute and light and has some small electronic buzz/clipping going on but for an intro it’s simple and pretty for me to listen to. 

2. VANISHING POINT

Funny enough that such a cute introduction leads into the leading song off the album.  What makes it more absurd is the fact that VANISHING POINT is more like the Maon I’m used to and that’s hard rockin’ anison songs.  As the first vocal track, I was pretty impressed with this tune since it brought out the strong notes of Maon’s music and with the guitar blaring, it just stood out and kicked the album with a bang!

3. Magic∞world

It’s been a while since I’ve listened to Maon’s first A-side so it’s quite unusual getting into it again.  It’s also a bit surprising to see it appear right after “VANISHING POINT” seeing as they are totally different from one another.  Magic∞world has more of a synth/rock styled feel to it and for being her first A-side, it sounds refined (but that’s because she debuted with an album, so she passed the whole awkward debut phase).  To be honest, the arrangement sounds like something from ALTIMA (her project with motsu from m.o.v.e and sat from fripSide).  I actually like it better here nowadays actually.

4. Emergence!

A nice lengthy list of new songs are next on the album starting with Emergence! which at first sounded like a synth-based take of “Memories Last” with a good riff and an awesome arrangement to back it up.  Maon’s vocals are a little tighter but they sound good still, but the winner is the arrangement, it’s different enough from “Magic∞world” to stand out on its own.  Great song and is another early favorite.

5. LOVE 〇 JETCOASTER

It seems it gets more synthy with our next track which is surprising how slow it goes (synths are fast, but the main beat is slow).  Actually as the song continues to move on, it’s like she tried to take the song into more of a dubstep kind of direction which is a very unusual and odd moving way to take it.  At least the song turns into an nice electro song once it reaches the chorus.  A very daring move for Maon and it turned out nice but fans of Maon’s rock themes will prolly be wary of this tune to a major degree.

6. SCARS

After the shocking revelation, SCARS rushes in back with a hard rock style like “VANISHING POING” but a little more ruthless and evil sounding.  I love the angry arrangement and Maon brings it quite nicely.  It might not stand out like the previous songs though since it’s a style we see a lot from her but this great if you’re looking for that angsty kind of tune.

7. Glanz -Chinmoku no Yuki-

After “SCARS”, it was nice to calm down for Glanz but not much since we still have an electric guitar based kind of tune.  I mean it’s lighter than the last song so that’s good.  The riff of the song is quite daunting and has a little sinister glow to it but also has some light parts that features some piano as well.  It’s a little plain to me but it might have some fans I say…

8. Lisianthus.

The intro for our next song sounded like it was goign to be electronic-based like some of the earlier songs but this sounds more like stuff that would’ve been good on “Memories Last”.  I’m saying the song is sounding quite light and surprisingly I’m not into this song very much.  It just seems to be missing that magic that’s found in the previous songs on the album. 

9. Baby☆maybe

The same thing can be applied for Baby☆maybe since I don’t think it’s very memorable in the sense.  I will say it’s her poppiest song yet and there’s some things that are nice like Maon’s performance, but everything felt immensely plain and lifeless (even the chorus was pretty damn boring to me).

10. ANSWER

I’m happy that of the two B-sides she has, she added the better one to the album!  I definitely forgot how this song went but I’m happy that I’m reacquainted with it for sure.  It does remind me of “Magic∞world” with it’s arrangement being similar with it’s guitars and synths.  I’m actually pulled back into loving this song once again!!

11. screaming!shouting loudly!

In the same veins as “VANISHING POINT” and “SCARS”, s!sl! is a rockin’ song but unlike the those being dark tracks, this one is a bit a little more lighter and has some pretty good guitar lines.  Maon is also giving a pretty epic vocal performance singing loud and proud!  There’s still other good songs here though on the album.

12. Memories Last

The second A-side she released is found towards the end of the album and I still think it’s her best song she’s released right up until this album (where I start to think “Emergence!” is better).  I will say the guitar riff in this one is one of my favorites and loving the mix of strings/guitars/and piano.  It’s an anison song done just right I say! 

13. hear..

The final song on the album is not surprisingly a ballad (a six minute one at that).  It does stand out on the album because it simply as the album’s lone ballad as well.  I will say it showcased Maon’s vocals quite nicely and since we’ve seen Maon tackle ballads on “Goshiki Uta -Immortal Lovers-” this wasn’t as good as some of those ballads but this works as the finale. 

Tracks Recommended

• Emergence!
• Memories Last
• VANISHING POINT
• ANSWER
• LOVE 〇 JETCOASTER

Song of Avoidance

• Baby☆maybe

As this is literally Maon first official studio album, (“H.O.T.D.” to me felt more like a best-of since it was essentially all the ending themes to the anime but I can work with Butterfly Effect being her second album as well) Butterfly Effect was actually a pretty good album from her.  Minus three blah songs, the rest of the album was pretty awesome and I can’t wait for more material from her but I think she’s taking a small break from her solo stuff to work with ALTIMA.  Much better than some other anison albums I heard this year!

Maon Kurosaki – Goshiki Uta -Immortal Lovers- August 16, 2011

Track Listing

1. Mugen -A true love tale-
2. Kazabana -The whisper of snow falling-
3. Ran -The end of struggle-
4. Hikari -I promise you-
5. Shinjitsu -The light lasting-
6. Mugen -A true love tale- <instrumental>
7. Kazabana -The whisper of snow falling- <instrumental>
8. Ran -The end of struggle- <instrumental>
9. Hikari -I promise you- <instrumental>
10. Shinjitsu -The light lasting- <instrumental>

1. Mugen -A true love tale-

Starting the mini-album of ending themes off, Mugen actually is interesting because it’s a slow ballad from Maon.  Now it’s not like she hasn’t done this before but it’s definitely been awhile since she’s done one and this dramatic ballad really works for her.  I actually enjoyed the arrangement since it was mostly acoustic guitar, piano, and strings and percussion of course.  Soft way to kick things off but pretty song all around.

2. Kazabana -The whisper of snow falling-

I am a little surprised that Kazabana is also a ballad which could only mean the other songs would be as well.  It is slightly a bit more paced and not as dramatic as “Mugen” which is good but it’s still pretty slow otherwise.  I will say the chorus was a bit stronger for me since Maon stands out and electric guitars are present…this is something that reminds me of the ballads from “H.O.T.D.”.

3. Ran -The end of struggle-

Of the songs on the mini-album, Ran has the most excitement of the 5 tracks because I get latin vibes mixed with an anime feel from its arrangement only.  I guess it’s from the brass playing and Maon sounds like she’s having fun with this one and I can hear it in her voice.  I have to say it’s my favorite as well so that just says so much XD.

4. Hikari -I promise you-

I thought we were gonna get another ballad from Hikari but it seems to be more mid-tempo and more interesting than the first two songs in it’s pop/rock arrangement which is what Maon has been sounding like in her singles.  However, Hikari has more of an acoustic vibe instead of an electric feel.  It’s a nice song, a bit simple but still more than passable and worth a listen once in a while.

5. Shinjitsu -The light lasting-

Of course closing the mini-album is another ballad.  It does sound cute when it first starts with piano and a glockenspiel I think?  I do think that this kind of reminds me a bit too much like “Mugen” since it has essentially the same instruments.  However the chorus is booming with so much sound that it brings Maon’s vocals up to a much stronger pitch than in the beginning.  A great powerful tune to end the mini to be honest.

 

 

I was slightly surprised to see that Maon was gonna release a mini-album of ending themes to one anime but then again “H.O.T.D.” was a full album with ending themes to one anime.  Goshiki Uta is a pretty good mini-album from Maon even though it’s like her first album almost.  Nothing like the singles she released was found on here but I’d say if you like “H.O.T.D.” you’ll find something to enjoy off of here!

Maon Kurosaki – Memories Last March 2, 2011

Track Listing

1. Memories Last
2. Best friends
3. Memories Last (Instrumental)
4. Best friends (Instrumental)

1. Memories Last

At this point in time, I wasn’t sure what genre Maon would choose for her next single, but I’m actually beyond happy with what we got with Memories Last since it’s like a combination of her last single “Magic∞world”, and her “H.O.T.D.” album which is basically anime music with a huge rock following.  It’s definitely one of my current obsessions right now so that should tell you that it’s epic!

2. Best friends

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Maon tackle a ballad, but this is a first on a single.  It’s kind of like a cutesy slow song and while it seems a bit cheesy in the arrangement, Maon tries to keep in quite light and friendly…but the song is just goofy and just not her style at all.  It’s going to take a while for this song to sink in.

As it’s Maon’s second single, Memories Last is a little disappointing in the way the B-side turned out.  Best friends is so not her style and it’s just overbearingly cheesy to listen to.  However, I guess Memories Last makes up for that by being her best song yet combining with her rockish stuff from her debut album and the synthy anime style that was on her first single ^_^…maybe her next will be the best yet hopefully.

Maon Kurosaki – Magic∞world November 24, 2010

Track Listing

1. Magic∞world
2. ANSWER
3. Magic∞world (Instrumental)
4. ANSWER (Instrumental)

1. Magic∞world

 

It hasn’t been very long since Maon first started out, but since this is her first single, Magic∞world did a good job pulling Maon from her rocking style found on her debut album.  I liked that this song had much more of an anime-ish tone to it and for the most part it sounded pretty catchy and expected since the single is released through Geneon.  Good job and of course Maon sounded nice too.

 

2. ANSWER

 

The B-side of the single started off quietly with background vocals, but then it turned into this energetic dance tune that sort of reminds me of the A-side but has a little more boom and power throughout the arrangement.  It’s a bit more memorable for me though since it is easy to follow and the arrangement is soft and edgy at various points.  Good job.

So Maon Kurosaki released her first single and it turned out better than I thought it would be, but it’s a little under the stuff she released on “H.O.T.D.”.  Both songs sound great as anime songs and it shows.  Makes me wonder what she’ll release next.

Maon Kurosaki – H.O.T.D. September 24, 2010

Track Listing

1. Kimi to Taiyou ga Shinda Hi
2. color me dark
3. Return to Destiny
4. cold bullet blues
5. Memories of days gone by
6. Under The Honey Shine
7. fuss fuzz
8. The place of hope
9. Houseki no Spy
10. THE last pain
11. Hollow Men
12. The Eternal Song

1. Kimi to Taiyou ga Shinda Hi

Beginning this debut album, Kimi to Taiyou ga Shinda kicks things off with a nice rock song.  Now I’ve never heard Maon’s voice before but she’s got a pretty good voice for such an arrangement like this.  I think the best parts of the song is the more slower parts which also makes Maon sing lighter and she hits that right as well.  Otherwise, it’s kind of weird that it doesn’t end the way I thought it would but it’s still a strong song.

2. color me dark

I also have to mention that this album is purely songs that were ending themes to HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD so expect a lot of “it sounds like an ending theme for me”.  color me dark is definitely a weird twist of things because I don’t think her voice is as strong as it was in the begninning.  Add in the fact it’s a lighter track and is the first ballad to appear.  Though I’ll admit that static ending bothered me.  Not that great of a song if you ask me.

3. Return to Destiny

Thank god we went back into rock songs with Return to Destiny since once again I’m finding myself noticing that I love the arrangements on the album a lot.  I also start to think that Maon’s vocals are changing with each song and this one has her in a deeper tone in the verses while the chours brings out more.  I had an easier time remembering this over “Kimi no Taiyou ga Shinda Hi”.  So it’s pretty good hehe.

4. cold bullet blues

Are we going back and forth with rock songs and ballads?  At least cold bullet blues combines the two for a darker tone which definitely worked for me since I like those kind of songs.  Maon’s vocals sounds very effervescent and it makes things flow right.  I also liked that it builds up into this powerful chorus.  It’s a chilling tune and pretty lengthy ballad-wise for you know…5 minutes

5. Memories of days gone by

At least we take a break from the more darker stuff and get into Memories of days gone by which is such a twist of moods on the album.  It’s more pop sounding and the arrangement calls for a more happier vibe from Maon.  I like her softer vocals, but for some reason this is just not her style even though the song is nice to listen to. 

6. Under The Honey Shine

It shows even more with Under The Honey Shine.  The song is of course a ballad, but it’s a happy-sounding ballad with the whole laid-back kind of feeling and mix in with keyboard-played brass, it’s a bit strange.  Even Maon’s vocals are trying to be more cuter.  It’s kind of boring and even though I understand it’s an ending theme, it’s still doesn’t help that it was just blah.

7. fuss fuzz

At least we’re slowly making our way back to something I’d like.  fuss fuzz might be upbeat and giddy, but the clapping rhythm and guitar riff mixed with Maon’s good vocals really came together for this song and while it might not be powerful, it’s fun and exciting to listen to.  I’m sorry but right now, this song is just really fun to listen to hahaha!

8. The place of hope

For a song that I thought was going to be a ballad, The place of hope is definitely not that.  It has quite a lot of synths involved and seems to be in the veins of a lighter, but darker side.  It’s like she took “Kimi no Taiyou ga Shinda Hi” and made that so much better and I ended up loving this kind of ethereal pop tune.  It might also be a bit rock-oriented to, but it’s not heavy. 

9. Houseki no Spy

I kind of like this creepy opening to Houseki no Spy, unluckily it changes into this ballad that kind of reminds me of another song…Oh well, it’s more relaxed than most of the other songs and it does have that anime-ish sound to it.  I’m not too fond of these kind of tracks and Maon’s vocals aren’t all that good here either.

10. THE last pain

For all the slower rock songs off the album, THE last pain for me is the best to have offered because once again Maon’s vocals are shown off quite well for a rock tune.  I also felt that they’ve done more with this song than various others songs off the album.  It’s definitely one of the best songs off the album if not the best at this point. 

11. Hollow Men

Why is she putting the good songs near the end?  I love how uneasy and creepy Maon sounds in Hollow Men since it’s guitar playing quietly and add in the dark atmosphere from the series and I’m set with this song.  That’s just only the beginning because after her intro the song gets tougher and darker and I just loved this style.  I mean I already think Maon sounds better and more together in rock songs than anything else.  Best track here!

12. The Eternal Song

Another song I guessed wrong, The Eternal Song isn’t a ballad either and is more of a simpler pop/rock tune.  I also didn’t think the more positive vision for the song wasn’t fitting to end the album, but I guess it passes since Maon’s vocals are steady.  Meh, I think it’s alright, but nothing amazing like the last two tracks.

Tracks Recommended

• Hollow Men
• fuss fuzz
• The place of hope
• THE last pain
• cold bullet blues

Song of Avoidance

• color me dark

For a debut album, HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD wasn’t a bad album from Maon Kurosaki.  I mean since it was released through Geneon, I wasn’t expecting a lot since most Geneon releases are from I’ve Sound and she’s not part of that…so that being said, it wasn’t a bad album.  There some styles she just doesn’t fit in and her vocals in some songs are questionable, but when she gets rockin’, she gets epic.  Solid album and since she announced her first single, I’m excited ^_^