Album Selection of 2020 | August
Kenshi Yonezu - Stray Sheep (05.08.2020) [★★★★★] *REVIEW*
In the vastity of Japanese pop scene, Kenshi Yonezu is a incredible exception, thanks to a fascinating commistion between music and arts. With his fifth album, he confirmed to deserve his growing popularity, bringing up a nice genre variety on the plate, going from upbeat themes to more melancholic and nostalgical ones, helped by his compelling singing style. Thanks to this recent work, Kenshi’s music will definitely see a bigger audience, for a which exceeds the imposed limits of pop music.
ARTIST REVIEW
REVIEWS: Diorama (16.05.2012), Yankee (23.04.2014), Peace Sign (analysis)
TRACKLIST
Campanella
Flamingo
Kanden (Electroshock)
Placebo (ft. Yojiro Noda)
Paprika
Uma to shika (Horse and deer)
Yasashii hito (Kind person)
Lemon
Machigai sagashi (Look for a mistake)
Himawari (Sunflower)
Mayoeru hitsuji (Stray sheep)
Décolleté
Teenage Riot
Umi no yuurei (Spirits of the sea)
Canary
Mary’s Blood - Re>Animator (26.08.2020) [★★★★★]
Already appeared with: Revenant (2018) ,Confessions (2019)
Like many other metal bands in Japan, even Mary’s Blood decided to take a turn from their musical path, releasing a cover album which quite reflects their own skills. The band chose to bring famous anime themes into a new life, filling them with energetic notes, strong rhythms and charismatic vocals, where the tones change according to the song’s style. These four girls could definitely make an anime opening of their own and this album is a strong confirmation of this.
TRACKLIST
Pegasus Fantasy (Make-up cover)
Kouga ninpouchou (Ninja scroll of Kouga) (Onmyo-za cover)
Magia (Kalafina cover)
Syuukyoku Battler -Kouryoutaru shinsekai- (Final song battler -Desolate new world-)
Unravel (Tk from Ling Tosite Sigure cover)
Forever Love (X Japan cover)
Zankoku na tenshi no teeze (Cruel angel’s thesis) (Yoko Takahashi cover)
Invoke (TM Revolution cover)
Driver’s High (L'Arc~en~Ciel cover)
Exterminate (Nana Mizuki cover)
We Are! (Hiroshi Kitadani cover)
Nothing’s Carved in Stone - Futures (26.08.2020) [★★★★]
Already appeared with: Maze (2015), Existence (2016)
Nothing’s Carved in Stone has built a solid image in their eleven years of career, bringing on a paced and refreshing rock sound. For their latest work the band decided to cover some of their most famous themes, in an album made of two discs, where their sound is the result of their maturity, including catchy themes and great rhythmic touches. This band has grown so much since their debut and there’s a lot of interest of what the future has in store for them.
REVIEWS: Parallel Lives (06.05.2009)
TRACKLIST
DISC 1
New Horizon
Isolation
Spirit Inspiration
November 15th
Red Light
Rendaman
Hakutyuu (Day)
Out of Control
Like a Shooting Star
Kirameki no hana (Shining flower)
DISC 2
Dream in the Dark
Youth City
In Future
Brotherhood
Midnight Train
Around the Clock
Milestone
Pride
Tsubame Crimson (Swallow crimson)
Blue Shadow
Crystal Lake - The Voyages (05.08.2020) [★★★★]
Staying on the subject of self-cover albums, the metal band Crystal Lake has repurposed some of their old songs, precisely the ones made with Kentaro Nishimura as singer, this time empowered and modernized by Ryo’s harsher tone, along with a more refined sound and an improved technique. Despite being a brand-new release, Crystal Lake managed to make it fresh and addicting, and we can’t wait to hear more of their music.
TRACKLIST
Fabricated Refuge
Twisted Fate
Open Water (ft. Daniel McWhorter and Takashi Uesugi)
The Passage (ft. Kentaro Nishimura)
The Burden
Freewill
Innocence
Daylight (ft. Go Nakaharada)
Voyages
Into the Great Beyond (ft. Kentaro Nishimura)
Arlequin - The laughing man (19.08.2020) [★★★★]
Already appeared with: Utopia (2016)
After four years made of a bunch of singles and a mini-album in the middle, the visual kei band Arlequin delivers a full album, disproving whoever thought that their sound had become boring. The album is made of distinct songs, ranging from energetic ones, which see a reinforcement of the rhythmical component which characterized them since their debut, to passionate ones, mixing cheerful and aggressive notes without any effort. If you think that visual kei has nothing to offer, maybe Arlequin’s latest work will surprise you.
REVIEWS: Near Equal (12.11.2014), Dilemma (25.02.2015), Utopia (08.06.2016), Puzzle (analysis), Exist (15.03.2018)
TRACKLIST
In the Mirror
Veludo
Ikasama (Trickery)
Sora ni ochiru (Falling into the sky)
Kasabuta (Scab)
Todome wo sashite (Stop it)
Fireworks
Himawari (Sunflower)
Kimi to no Aida ni (Between you)
The laughing man
-HONORABLE MENTIONS-
Seventeen Years Old and Berlin Wall - Abstract (05.08.2020)
The first mention of the month is for the not-so-known shoegaze band Seventeen Years Old and Berlin Wall, active since 2015 and become quite notable thanks to the indie music platform BandCamp. Their latest EP sees a really enigmatic sound, with shaded notes, electronic vibes and a cohesive rhythm, creating an unique atmosphere, driven by an awesome vocal work by the singers Yusei Tsuruta and Eriko Takano. Literally made for shoegaze lovers and not only.
TRACKLIST
Rakuen wanai (There’s no paradise)
Paraglide
Machi no tobira (Doors of the town)
Touketsu-chi (Frozen land)
Darekaga ita umi (Someone by the sea)
Tounen (Ten years)
Tatsuya Kitani - Demagog (26.08.2020)
Tatsuya Kitani might not be a familiar name for you, but maybe you know the Vocaloid band Sajou no hana, whose he is the bassist. Between a single and the other, he has found time to shape up a solo project of his own and releasing also some album. The latest one offers a catchy pop-rock sound, well driven by his good vocals, along with electronic, dance beats and funky vibes. Tatsuya Kitani may be another name which can rise within the Japanese pop scene and this album is definitely worth checking.
TRACKLIST
Hide and Seek
Panopticon
Dead Weight
Humanlike
Bad Dream
Demagog
Lotuses
Spoilman - Body (05.08.2020)
The final mention is for a pretty indie rock band, Spoilman, active since 2019 but came out only last year with an album. Their sound is quite adrenalinic, with roots into noise and punk rock, empowered by quite heavy vocals, energetic riffs and bass lashes, making each track more pumping of the previous. Spoilman can definitely shake the ground of Japanese rock and they deserve more recognition.
TRACKLIST
Amaryllis
Declaration
Ghost
Inner Haze
Sunday
Drunken Man
Cloudy Eyes
Monotonous
Comfortable
Life is REM
Body
Pail and Ladder
Rampage
Woodcutter
Utonagan
TO BE CONTINUED...
