the GazettE – TOXIC October 17, 2011

Track Listing

1. INFUSE INTO
2. VENOMOUS SPIDER’S WEB
3. SLUDGY CULT
4. RED
5. THE SUICIDE CIRCUS
6. SHIVER
7. MY DEVIL ON THE BED
8. UNTITLED
9. PLEDGE
10. RUTHLESS DEED
11. PSYCHOPATH
12. VORTEX
13. TOMORROW NEVER DIES
14. OMEGA

1. INFUSE INTO

As the intro to the album, INFUSE INTO is one of the oddball songs on the album since it’s more techno/dance-based songs and doesn’t reallt feature the band at all.  Just static sound and RUKI (I think) saying something but is under filters.  Interesting intro, but not what I was expecting hah.

2. VENOMOUS SPIDER’S WEB

Which oddly does a nice job leading into the first vocal song.  VENOMOUS SPIDER’S WEB starts with RUKI in filters with a heavy dance beat.  Luckily the guitarists join in after a little beat before the rest of the band rushes in.  I kind of like the dark and gloomy feel of the song but keeping up with a little bit of the dancebeat.  I will say that RUKI continuing to be under filters through the song is a little disappointing but the chorus was powerful since it removes it and there’s a bit of yelling.  I’m already liking this song a lot and showed a lot of force from the band from an early start.

3. SLUDGY CULT

I find it sweet that the next song on the album speeds things even more, but also removes the dark techno stuff the previous song had so it’s more just of the band rockin’ out.  I’m also enjoying the song since the guitarists do a great job keeping up with the song.  So does KAI (their drummer), he’s just pounding away on the drums and I love it.  Awesome song!

4. RED

It’s funny that after two hardcore songs, RED would actually be one of the lighter and more mainstream of the songs on the album.  With that being said, RED is kind of interesting still to me since the melody is more of an importance and it doesn’t just have power behind but something nicer.  On the album compared to the single, RED does stand out much better and I can actually remember it ^_^.

5. THE SUICIDE CIRCUS

Another new song joins in and I was surprised at the intro of the song having synths involved but RUKI not under filters for that was interesting.  It’s a strange song to listen to because it goes into different areas and of course some of the song has him under filters but they’re short passages.  I do think that it’s one of the more slower songs but I felt that when the band plays, the song gets stronger.  It’s a song to get used to but I liked it overall.

6. SHIVER

Since SHIVER began the era, I was kind of surprised at how basic it really sounded once the other singles were released.  I’m not sure why but SHIVER did nothing for me since it has a weaker melodic line to it when compared to “RED” which is essentially the same sound.  Still ranks as my least favorites of the A-sides released.

7. MY DEVIL ON THE BED

I didn’t clearly understand the introduction to our next song very well since it sounds like static and other stuff.  I’m kind of not enjoying this song very much since I’m kind of tired hearing RUKI singing under filters and the songs darker tones doesn’t really speak out to me but it’s nice to hear some new vocal styles being tackled like growling/yelling and something more high-pitched.  Otherwise, this song felt a little too messy for me.

8. UNTITLED

After that excitement and brash loudness from “MY DEVIL ON THE BED”, it’s a bit of a surprise that UNTITLED is one of the lightest songs the album has to offer.  I was curious about the reason this was placed after the song since it stops everything for a more light rock feel and I do like this because RUKI vocals have much more room to fill the speakers and he sounds nice when he actually is singing.  A little surprise midway through the album, but a nice one at that!

9. PLEDGE

Makes sense that the ballad A-side would come after a similar song haha.  As the era’s 3rd A-side and my first reviewed song for the group, I was taken aback by the whole thing since I wasn’t expecting a ballad to be my first.  It’s still a pretty song no doubt since I love RUKI’s vocals here more than in “UNTITLED”.  Add the fact that there’s piano at first before the band joins in was really awesome.  I really liked it and if it wasn’t for “VORTEX”, I would’ve called this my favorite A-side of the era.

10. RUTHLESS DEED

After the two ballad songs, it was time to jump back into some of the band’s harder songs starting with RUTHLESS DEED which came off to me as a Dir en Grey knockoff because it has this mysterious, yet creepy arrangement mixed in with RUKI’s yelling and that sealed the deal for me because it really did come off as that to me.  I won’t say that I didn’t enjoy it because I actually did since it’s unlike the other songs and has its own identity.  It’s different, that I’ll say but nice hahah.

11. PSYCHOPATH

Seems like all the menacing songs are coming in towards the end of the album but I have no problem with that since this was what I thought the GazettE sounded like before going major.  PSYCHOPATH is the band’s most furious track on the album and it shows with how fast and aggressive it is.  Then again RUKI is growling/yelling this entire song so it might not be everyone’s cup of tea (definitely not mine).  It just didn’t connect with me very well nor could I understand what was being said for the most part.

12. VORTEX

As the 4th and final single of the TOXIC era (omitting the fact that “REMEMBER THE URGE” isn’t on this album at all), VORTEX is definitely my favorite of the A-side for sure.  It is a little weird that since it’s one of the rock/synth hybrids like the songs in the first half of the album seeing it hear after that mess of “PSYCHOPATH” is awesome and makes this even better.  I mean we get clear vocals from RUKI and he uses a lot of vocal manipulations to get by and I loved it.  Even though some might call it a bit like “SHIVER” and “RED”, but the electronic elements make it pop out better.  Powerful and just all-around epic!

13. TOMORROW NEVER DIES

As the final vocal track appears, TOMORROW NEVER DIES takes it a bit lighter than “VORTEX” did and manages to keep up the strong arrangement as well.  It’s actually quite good and I’m loving RUKI’s vocals a lot in this song.  It reminds me of a more positive sounding “RED” but there’s other things I notice like the growling as well.  Yeah, not bad here LOL

14. OMEGA

As the outro of the album, OMEGA is kind of freaky and creepy all rolled into one short tune.  There’s music but it’s filtered out a little before coming in and being all Matrix-like.  It does tie in with “INFUSE INTO” by RUKI saying stuff in the background but then it slows down to a stop….kind of reminds me of horror film arrangements hahaha.

Tracks Recommended

• VORTEX
• PLEDGE
• VENOMOUS SPIDER’S WEB
• UNTITLED
• SLUDGY CULT

Song of Avoidance

• PSYCHOPATH

Since I can’t really compare to the band’s previous albums, I must go by what I thought of this album purely and I must say that TOXIC isn’t a bad album by them at all.  They’ve got some smart ideas in the songs (especially the ones with the rock/synth mixes since it brings out more experimentation.  I wonder if they did that in previous eras but like I said I wouldn’t know anything about their previous stuff.  Still, TOXIC is a pretty strong album!

the GazettE – RED October 5, 2011

Track Listing

1. RED
2. VERMIN
3. AN UNBEARABLE FACT (Auditory Impression only)

1. RED

At first I had hope with the way RED opened up, but soon enough it felt like it was just only a small hop better than “SHIVER” but I will say the guitars were better and the melody was stronger so it didn’t feel so bland to me.  Otherwise, I don’t feel much different for this song, but it’s passable at least and sets the stone for “VORTEX” to be epic!

2. VERMIN

VERMIN is kind of like what happens if they really put a lot of effort in their music and throw it out there.  I really like the speedy feel of the song and it has a great melody mixed with RUKI’s vocals that had a lot of character this time around.  It does kind of reminds me of “HESITATING MEANS DEATH” but a bit brighter…hmmm.

3. AN UNBEARABLE ACT

I love that piano has a place in the Auditory Impression only song and to me once again feels like since it has a good movement in it, I would’ve expected this to be the A-side (like “Naraku”).  It doesn’t stick like said song though which is disappointing here but it’s still one of the better songs they’ve released in the era.

 

 

Second single for the “TOXIC” era and RED is essentially a clone of “SHIVER” in most way.  The things I thought about here were nearly the same all-around.  Well, I think RED and VERMIN were slightly better than their parallels and sadly AN UNBEARABLE ACT was a little disappointing.  Still it’s a better sounding single I thought.

the GazettE – SHIVER October 5, 2011

Track Listing

1. SHIVER
2. HESITATING MEANS DEATH
3. Naraku (Auditory Impression only)

1. SHIVER

Kicking the group’s first A-side on a new label, SHIVER to me sounds pretty basic (considering all the songs released after this one).  RUKI sounds good but he doesn’t stand out me with his vocals in this one for some reason.  I mean this song could be considered a D song for all I know and I wouldn’t know the difference.  I do like the energy of the band though I will say that!

2. HESITATING MEANS DEATH

The B-side on both versions of the single picks up the mess after “SHIVER” and gives us this harder song…A MUCH HARDER song which surprised me but at the same time again I didn’t expect RUKI to scream his guts out in this one.  Beyond the screaming, the song is really cool and the toned down parts are really nice and surprising.  I must say this was a pretty awesome song and surprised this was just merely a B-side.

3. Naraku

Of course with each single in the era, the Auditory Impression versions always includes an extra track.  Naraku is a bit more tame when compared to either of the tracks before, but Naraku sounds like something they would release as an A-side because it feels complete and has an epic feel to it.  I must say this was the best off the single.

 

 

the GazettE began their new era (and under a new label) with a rather disappointing A-side in SHIVER.  Even though this kind of ranks low (with “Red”) SHIVER just didn’t really sound like it was gonna stand out from other songs that have a similar styling from other bands.  However, HESITATING MEANS DEATH and Naraku both felt so much stronger and really captured their sound in both tracks.  Makes me wonder why they chose SHIVER to be an A-side.

the GazettE – REMEMBER THE URGE August 30, 2011

Track Listing

1. REMEMBER THE URGE
2. CLEVER MONKEY
3. Chiyou (Auditory Impression only)

1. REMEMBER THE URGE

Unlike the previous singles I’ve reviewed it feels like REMEMBER THE URGE is the lightest and funnest song from the song and I’m happy they went back to basics and not do the stuff they did with “VORTEX” (you know all the vocal manipulations going with RUKI).  I really like the energy and force of the song but compared to both “PLEDGE” and “VORTEX” this seems to be in their normal side of sound so it’s nice and the growling section was impressive XD

2. CLEVER MONKEY

So we get a 3 minute song with CLEVER MONKEY and it hits hard especially being after “REMEMBER THE URGE”.  The biggest thing for me is the filters in the vocals, the growling, and the chorus which feels that it shouldn’t belong there but in another song.  To me I’m not a fan of this one because of RUKI’s growling but it’s a lot more understandable than Kyo of DIR EN GREY’s or D’s ASAGI.  Ehhh….

3. Chiyou

Closing the single out with the Auditory Impression version’s Chiyou.  Unlike the other two songs, Chiyou is a bit lighter and slower than them but yet powerful when it gets into the chorus.  I mean RUKI’s growl/scream is starting to nerve me here and it’s here quite a bit more than in “CLEVER MONKEY” (ok, maybe they’re equal).  At least the song itself is workable and RUKI sounds good when he isn’t in screamo mode.

 

 

Finally closing the “TOXIC” era with their 5th single, REMEMBER THE URGE didn’t seem to stand out for me like their previous two singles did.  It just seemed basic out of the A-side and the B-sides was a bad time to throw in all the growling/yelling.  It just didn’t work for me as well as “PLEDGE” did…hopefully the album won’t have as much screaming to deal with >.>

the GazettE – VORTEX May 25, 2011

Track Listing

1. VORTEX
2. UNCERTAIN SENSE
3. BREAK ME (Auditory Impression only)

1. VORTEX

I must say as much as I like ballads from this band, their edgier songs also capture my interest and with VORTEX, they do a pretty epic job of fulfilling that need.  RUKI does a pretty epic job of singing in the song and keeping up with the rockin’ arrangement.  The thing that caught me was the fact that RUKI’s vocals were tampered with in different ways and that impressed a lot and showed vocal versatility IMO.  Powerful song and I actually liked it a whole lot ^_^

2. UNCERTAIN SENSE

Take out the synths from “VORTEX” and we get what UNCERTAIN SENSE is mostly about.  It’s quite calming as well, but still pretty hard from the band.  Other members do contribute in vocals as well and while I don’t know who’s singing along with RUKI, they sound pretty good too if I’m not mistaken.  Also going along, it’s weird to find out that this song is in English…I like it no doubt, but the A-side left a better mark.

3. BREAK ME

Only on the Auditory Impression edition of the single, the second B-side, BREAK ME opens up with a pretty kickass guitar riff from the two guitarists.  RUKI comes in, but he’s under filters for the verses while he comes into full force for the chorus.  I thought it was OK, but with the previous two songs, they were more impressive…they didn’t have a repetitive chorus either…

As the band’s fifth single in the era (album time yet guys???) VORTEX brought the badass back for sure.  I love VORTEX and the different feels it has but keeping it real to their sound.  However, I must say as a single, it’s not as colorful as “PLEDGE” was but it was streamlined rock goodness from them.

the GazettE – PLEDGE December 17, 2010

Track Listing

1. PLEDGE
2. THE TRUE MURDEROUS INTENT
3. VOICELESS FEAR (Auditory Impression only)

1. PLEDGE

Being my first A-side and song to listen to by the GazettE, I was surprised that it was actually a ballad from the group.  I actually liked this pleasant arrangement from the band and RUKI’s vocals are fitting and sweet to listen to since they have a good tendency to sound emotional and yet powerful as well.  Definitely not the song I was expecting, but definitely great for them and great strings solo as well!

2. THE TRUE MURDEROUS INTENT

For the B-side found on both editions, THE TRUE MURDEROUS INTENT was more along the lines of what I was expecting since it’s very hard-hitting and full of edge and rock hard.  I was surprised with female vocals opening the song, but once RUKI comes in and just blows the song right out of the water with his screaming.  I actually think his yell is so much better than D’s frontman, ASAGI.  I actually am digging this song right now, so much dark in one song and I love it.

3. VOICELESS FEAR

As the extra song found on the Auditory Impression version of the single, it slows back down to a more “PLEDGE”-like atmosphere and the mood does sound great, but the surprise is that is becomes hard and edgy like the previous song and it’s an interesting twist at the beginning.  As the song continues, VOICELESS FEAR is the probably the normal song from the GazettE, but I love the riffs from the guitarists and just sounds like an A-side.

Finally all that time and I’ve finally put a review of the GazettE on the blog.  I’ve actually have known of their music since the release of “Hyena”, but never really took notice until recently and for the place I started, PLEDGE was definitely a good place since the entire single is a solid and great piece.  Though being the 4th single of the era, I’m wondering if their 5th album will be next ^_^