DEATHGAZE recently released the PV for their latest release "THE UNDERWORLD". In "THE UNDERWORLD", the Nagoya-kei band suprises listeners with a sound that is much different from the traditional metalcore sound that DEATHGAZE is well-known for. The result, while not quite as stellar as some of their other releases, is a very solid song that is an unexpectedly-effective change of pace for the band.
Although they've incorporated a few other elements (such as melodic death metal) into some of their past songs, DEATHGAZE are best known for their metalcore sound. Most of their songs feature clean vocals mixed with growling, along with intense drumming and virtuoso guitar instrumentation. DEATHGAZE goes in a completely different direction with this song, however. "THE UNDERWORLD" could almost described as a ballad, but it is a little too mysterious and ominous to comfortably fit under that label.
The first word that comes to mind when attempting to describe this song is "gothic". Many parts of the song feature an ambient background melody that almost sounds like it was played on a church organ, along with soft piano-playing. The vocals are well-harmonized and sung in a minor key, and the guitars are much slower than the guitars in most DEATHGAZE songs. In fact, there are no major guitar parts or solos in the song at all; instead, the guitars take it down a notch to fit better with the rest of the musical parts of the song. The PV for "THE UNDERWORLD" has a very dark and gothic feel to it. The members perform the song in a black-and-white filter, which their clothes and make-up match. I feel like there should have been a little more going on in this video than there was, but overall it is a decent PV.
At this point in the review, you're probably extremely concerned if you're a DEATHGAZE or metalcore fan. Don't be: somehow, DEATHGAZE, one of the heaviest visual-kei bands out there, has created a slow, entrancing, melodic song that is very pleasing to the ear. The verses are haunting while the chorus is emotionally powerful, and by alternating between these two feelings, DEATHGAZE keeps the listener interested and amazed. The bridge, which culminates in one of DEATHGAZE's signature growls, is both moving and climactic. So while it's difficult to put "THE UNDERWORLD" in the same category as some of DEATHGAZE's more energetic and musically-accomplished songs, there's no denying that this is a very good song.
DEATHGAZE is the last band I ever expected to experiment with a change in sound that is as drastic as the shift in style found in "THE UNDERWORLD". They're so good at releasing incredibly heavy, metalcore-infused songs that I've never gotten bored of their sound or wanted a change. But "THE UNDERWORLD", while completely unexpected, surprised me with its ability to display a melodic elegance while still (somewhat) sounding like a DEATHGAZE song. It's a surprisingly well-composed experimentation that I never expected or wanted from DEATHGAZE, but that I'm glad they've done.
0 comments:
Post a Comment