One of the most important Visual Kei bands to have ever walked the earth is back with the full original roster and a new double A-side single! So, how do they sound after years of being apart? Is their style still the same? Well, it is a bit of a mixed bag, much like their new single and its PV.
Luna Sea technically never disbanded, which makes pinpointing when they decided to start up again a tad difficult. Throughout the last decade, the band would occasionally play lives together with the same members; they simply released no new material. Deciding whether there is a break in their style or not begs for the question of how they sounded before. Ultimately, I think it is easier to look at this single as a definitive return.
Earlier this year, they released “The One ~crash to create~”, a massive twenty-some minutes song. The song was a triumphant return to the Visual Kei scene and largely echoed their previous releases’ style. The song was billed as Luna Sea’s return, yet, so was this single. And so was their DVD live in Los Angeles. This problem of locating when Luna Sea “returned” is not unique to them – just look at X Japan. When we loose the ability to have a clear timeframe, things get difficult.
Overall, “The End of the Dream” is solid on both tracks; we are dealing with some of the best musicians around. Sugizo dominates with his guitar riffs (especially for the song “Rouge”), a familiar sound for those who have listened to his most recent solo album, “Flower of Life”. Ryuichi on vocals carries “The End of the Dream” and the song flows perfectly with his dramatic singing style.
Yamada, J, and Inoran really take a backseat on these tracks. Personally, I found it difficult to believe Inoran would hide behind Sugizo’ sound, given their very different styles. Most song Inoran is featured on (see Kiyoharu’s “The Sun”) has him dominating the track with his guitar. Some of Yamada’s lack of pronounced drumming likely stems from being in the super group that was YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz, and having to compete with six other musicians. As for J, I really do not understand why the bass lines sound weak. He has done solo work and has never sounded this way, it is not typical of his solo outings.
“The End of the Dream” is certainly a group effort and is coming off as a collective sound. All the parts are solid and it sounds a lot like older Luna Sea fare, particularly in its anthem-sounding style. After “The One”, this is not necessarily an original concept, but they have not worn out their stay yet, especially with how good they sound.
“Rouge” gives the band a bit more of variety than “The One” and “The End of the Dream”. The former two tracks both went for an epic feeling, and it is nice to have a more aggressive song than the carefully structured prior two. “Rouge” really goes a long way in showing us that the band has not lost their heavy edge. It also bears worth mentioning that the PV for “Rouge” is stronger, in my opinion. There are more cuts, better lighting, and the band really seems to get into it, with the exception of the ever stoic Ryuichi.
The band also appears to have discarded some of the Visual Kei styling, which is rather ironic given that everyone, except for bassist J, has been active in the Visual Kei circuit this entire time. Yet, the band appears to be donning their typical outfits for the lives they have been playing for the past decade, which are more or less trendy clothes with some makeup. I found it interesting that despite sporting a Casual Kei look, they continue to associate themselves with the Visual Kei movement.
This is not the best material that Luna Sea has done, but that is something difficult to outdo, given the nature of their catalogue. They continue to align with the Visual Kei movement and their return is greatly appreciated, to be sure. “The End of the Dream” is a good single and if you liked old Luna Sea, you will like this. If you like your Visual Kei not on the hardcore side, this single will satiate your palate.
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