It seems to
be the summer of solo projects in Visual Kei (heck, NIGHTMARE’s band members
just announced two side projects) – so, it only makes sense that this summer
would deliver a follow-up to RYO:SUKE’s (Lolita23q’s bassist) first solo
project release, “Stargazer Memory”. So, how does the four-track “VAD†MAN~sorry,
this is ”MACHINATION”~” sound? A lot like a 2011-2012 GazettE mixed with some
old Lolita23q and some socially conscious lyrics – in short, good.
1. VAD†MAN
2. THE LIGHT OF EXODUS
3. ILLUMINA✡LUMINALION
4. I’ll die, but my CREATION never die.
The first track, “VAD†MAN” is the strongest track on the disc, and with the best lyrics. The song (similar to the entire album) is an excellent fusion of more dance-type elements with harder Visual Kei elements, and is a piece that you want to start dancing to just as much as you want to start head-banging. The song’s lyrics are deeper than one might expect from a summer dance/rock song such as this – including lines about God, and even a line that seems to acknowledge class differences within religion. This being said, the song is a blast from start to finish.
The second
track, “THE LIGHT OF EXODUS”, is even more electronic/dance sounding than “VAD†MAN”,
and more reliant on electronic instruments than guitars, bass, and drums. This is
the least impressive track on the disc, and the vocals also seem comparatively weak
and almost lacking the same emotion as the other tracks. The song is oddly placed, as it sets up expectations for the audience that the rest of the disc will be more electronic-themed
than rock-themed; however, the other half of the disc end up sounding much more
like “VAD†MAN”, certainly having electronic elements, but more emphasis on the
standard Visual Kei sound than “THE LIGHT OF EXODUS”.
The third
track, “ILLUMINA✡LUMINALION”,
is by far the most rock-sounding track on the album. It features some shouting,
the type that would be perfect for the crowd to mimic at a live, and this track
seems almost built specifically for a live. I hate to pigeonhole the lyrics,
however, they are very standard Visual Kei fare, and not RYO:SUKE’s best
(although the other tracks on this disc probably make the lyrics of this track
look weaker due to how strong the writing is on the other tracks). This track begins a transition away from the
saturation of electronic sounds that were on the previous track, and as a
result, this song sounds much more like it belongs on the disc than “THE LIGHT
OF EXODUS”, and fits the sound that “VAD†MAN” set up far better.
The final
track, “I’ll die, but my CREATION never die.”, may take a few listens to grow
on you, but, it has ended up being my favorite track on the disc. The lyrics
are reflective of the previous songs -that is to say having a degree of social consciousness
and worldly concern, but the lyrics on this track seem more upbeat and
inspiring, which also likely has to do with the music of the track. The song is
the least electronic sounding song of the single, which isn’t to say I don’t
like the dance sound, even dubstep at times, of the other tracks, but hearing the
instrumentation of WING WORKS (RYO:SUKE has assembled an excellent support
group) showcased along with RYO:SUKE’s vocals is nice, and allows for the
listener to develop a more well-rounded perspective of the band’s sound. This
all being said, I think the song should be re-recorded and put on the next
album that WING WORKS produces, because “I’ll die, but my CREATION never die.” could
easily have been its own single, if it was given some more production.
This disc,
while almost a bit too electronic at times, is certainly the best material to
come out of WING WORKS to date. The songs all have great lyrics, and the
supporting band is far better than most solo projects. This disc, even with
just four tracks, leaves a better impression on me than the previous LP that
WING WORKS put out, “STAR GAZER MEMORY”, just earlier this year. Releases like
this are great as they serve as documentation of the growth of a band, and when
comparing this and “STAR GAZER MEMORY”, it becomes clear that WING WORKS is
developing a concrete style that should be more evident than ever on their next
release. I highly recommend this single.
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