Track Listing
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CLOUD NINE -instrumental-
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Pearl In The Shell
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Naked arms
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resonance
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Imaginary Ark
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Mizu ni Utsuru Tsuki
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Wasteland Lost
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Thousand Mornings Refrain
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SWORD SUMMIT
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crosswise
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09 (nine) Lives
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Fate & Faith
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Reload
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Fortune Maker
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soul’s crossing
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Lakers
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Save The One, Save The All
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vestige
1. CLOUD NINE -instrumental-
As the intro to the album, CLOUD NINE like older track openings is a bit unusual and mostly synth-based intros, but I kind of like CLOUD NINE for some reason. It might because it’s slightly ominous and oddly enough, I found the synths to be pretty nifty and cool, but it doesn’t beat out “Key of SEVENTH HEAVEN” or “vertical infinity” as introductions.
2. Pearl In The Shell
Getting into the first of the new songs on the album, we’ve known about this song quite a while before it was announced it was going to be the album, but it was only performed live at the time. It’s been a while since a pretty old-sounding kind of arrangement from Daisuke, but oddly enough it’s kind of refreshing and it sounds pretty good to be honest. Takanori’s vocals of course sound great, but the arrangement might turn a few off.
3. Naked arms
If you’ve noticed there’s a giant difference between the limited editions of the album and on one of the editions we get a way expanded tracklist. On the other, Naked arms would be considered part of the first A-sides released for the album. Back to the song at hand, I love Naked arms. It’s got a powerful arrangement and almost a unique sound all its own. I do love the heavy beats and the guitar lick in the interludes of the song. One of the era’s best songs.
4. resonance
Like I said, the B version of the limited release of CLOUD NINE has a bigger tracklist that contains all the important songs that were released in between “ignited” and “Naked arms/SWORD SUMMIT”. I fondly remember resonance because it was my first review of T.M.Revolution for the blog here also because it was an opening theme to SOUL EATER so that’s another amazing reason it’s there. Likewise, I love this song since it’s so energetic and has a lot of epic guitar lines and great vocals from Takanori. Though placing it after the similar-sounding “Naked arms” was an interesting choice. I still despise the clicking at the beginning and the middle, but otherwise, kickass song!
5. Imaginary Ark
I didn’t think they’d scrape the bottom of the barrel and include the lone new song from their GUNDAM mini best-of. I still don’t enjoy it much since it’s a bit too slow and kind of out of place given that “Naked arms” and “resonance” came before it. Actually, this song feels like it should’ve been released on “the force” more than here since it sounds dated and like old Daisuke.
6. Mizu ni Utsuru Tsuki
Going back to new songs, Mizu ni Utsuru Tsuki sounds familar to me like some old T.M.R song since it has this flow about it that’s oddly light and fluffy. Once again, like with “Imaginary Ark”, this song feels rather out of place and belongs on an older album than here. I will say that the lack of power is an interesting twist and Takanori sounds quite nice. It’ll take time to enjoy this tune.
7. Wasteland Lost
I guess we’re at a new part of the album because our next track kind of gives off a similar feel to the A-sides that were shown off earlier. The biggest change is that I can hear that Takanori messed around with some vocal filters. It works, but I do like him in natural sound a whole lot more than the filtered form. I was expecting a bit more boom and power in the song, but this is alright for now.
8. Thousand Mornings Refrain
As the normal T.M.R. entree to the album, Thousand Morning Refrain is pretty different from the other ~signature songs~ since it’s a kind of slow and graceful. It does remind me of a more dramatic version of “Tears Macerate Reason” and the focus is more on the strings and piano rather than the power chords from the guitar. I still prefer the latter however, since this song takes a while to sink in.
9. SWORD SUMMIT
Also showing up on both versions of the album is the secondary A-side of the first single of the era. I did grow to somewhat tolerate this song since I didn’t like it much when it first was released because it felt like a combination of well…tracks 3 & 4. For being tied to Sengoku Basara, I was kind of expecting a much darker track and this kind of felt like “resonance’s” upbeat style. It’s gotten better, but not by much.
10. crosswise
“vestige’s” B-side makes its appearance next and it shares a lot with “SWORD SUMMIT” before it with it’s darker dance/rock style. It’s not a bad B-side for sure and I kind of enjoy it a little more than the previous song, but they are so alike that I’m kind of just a bit weirded out by the similarities.
11. 09 (nine) Lives
So back to the last batch of new songs, 09 (nine) Lives definitely pulls out the stops to try to seperate itself after the previous two tracks and does an amazing job doing so. It’s dark and ominous like the introduction we had to the album and I love that about it. It’s so lowkey and doesn’t depend on the arrangement, but has more focus on Takanori’s lyrics. It’s definitely the best of the new tracks IMHO.
12. Fate & Faith
After that little boost of darkness, I guess Daisuke wanted to lighten the mood up again (but slightly). Instead of the gritty and dark guitar riffs, we get something with synths and I kind of like this track since it doesn’t sound too dated nor felt like it was getting boring. I found that Takanori’s style of singing the song to be quite interesting and well unusual too XD. Interesting song overall, but I still liked “09 (nine) Lives” a bit more.
13. Reload
Hmmm? Takanori doing country music? That’s exactly what I thought when Reload began with only acoustic guitars only playing throughout. It’s a bit absurd and was something I wasn’t expecting on the album, but it gives the album another dose of originality and I like that every album Takanori has done, there’s an oddball song.
14. Fortune Maker
Then again, the last new song on the album really sounds like old school T.M.R. by taking notes from older songs that really sound similar like “VITAL BURNER”. There’s just something that feels off about it and reminds of the reasons I’m not too much of a big fan of the duo’s music pre”coordinate”. It’s probably my least favorite of the new tracks.
15. soul’s crossing
The rest of the album is essentially old and already released tracks starting with the B-side from “resonance”. To be honest, while it does take notes from “crosswise”, it seriously doesn’t fit on here because I feel that it’s more appropriate for an abingdon boys school release moreso than a T.M.R. track. Then again I could be wrong since it does seem to lack a powerful guitar sound. It’s alright, but nothing special.
16. Lakers
Odd that the duo would put their lone digital single on the album as well. I like the mysterious synths that open the song, but then it switches moods entirely and feels like one of their more happier songs in their discography with it’s rhythmic clapping and upbeat synths. On an album like this, it’s kind of the sore thumb, but I guess it had to fit somewhere…
17. Save The One, Save The All
Closing out Limited A and the Regular editions of the album was the second A-side released of the era and boy I didn’t think it was very fitting to close the album with this track. I mean I do find it a lot better on here and it’s edgy atmosphere is great after such light songs and now I feel like it’s a mix of “Naked arms” and “SWORD SUMMIT” which is ironic if you know what I mean. Ok, so I like it tons more than I initially did…but it still seems weird that it closes up 2/3 versions of the albums release.
18. vestige
Being the more appropriate closure to the long album, vestige (omg…so long ago) is litereally the real first A-side of the era. I’m still not really into the song (third time reviewed no doubt), but I felt it’s a much stronger song to end an album rather than the explosive “Save The One, Save The All”. It’s still one of the cooler ballads he does have and if I really put my mind on it, I could learn to somewhat enjoy it, but right now…it isn’t.
Tracks Recommended
Song of Avoidance
Wow, has it really been almost 6 years since T.M.R released their last album, “vertical infinity”? It has been quite the wait since Daisuke revived access and Takanori began his band project, abingdon boys school. CLOUD NINE Lim. A and Regular feels really weird being that the only songs that made the cut were their last two singles and oddly enough both overceded the album tracks which felt like the old T.M.R and not the style we saw in “vertical infinity”. However, Lim. B was a godsend since it added a bunch of older songs that were pretty memorable and added more color to the album. I’m not sure right now where it ranks against their other albums…but I found it to be a nice album…but long xD
