If you've never listened to MUCC’s 2012 album
Shangri-La, do yourself a favor and go listen to it now. Go ahead; I’ll wait.
Finished? Wasn’t that
amazing? Great, let's continue. With Shangri-La, MUCC set
new standards for fusions of light and hard rock (among many other genres).
This year, they released THE END OF THE
WORLD, an album that builds on the innovative sounds from Shangri-La and experiments with them in
new ways. It’s not nearly as revolutionary as their 2012 release, but it takes
many risks with MUCC’s current style (for better or for worse), and is more
cohesive as a whole than its predecessor.
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| THE END OF THE WORLD Regular Edition Cover |
Tracklist:
1. THE END OF THE WORLD
2. ENDER ENDER -Album Edit-
3. Ms. Fear
4. HALO
5. Tell me
6. 999 -21 Century World-
7. 369 -Miroku-
8. JAPANESE
9. Hallelujah
10. World's End -In its true light-
11. Shinde Hoshii Hito
One important thing to understand about this album
is that even though there is plenty of growling, hard rock chords, and
breakdowns, I would still classify THE END OF THE WORLD as more of a “chill” album by nature.
Heavy verses are often cancelled out by the catchy choruses and auto-tuned
vocals that follow them, or are enveloped by light electronic noises to soften the blow.
This heavy/light cancellation can happen within an individual track, as well as on a
track-by-by track basis. This can make it difficult for adrenaline junkies like
me, who were enticed by the heavier songs like ENDER ENDER, to get behind the album as a whole. However, the
subtle arrangement of each song is great for those who are looking (or are willing
to look) for a more relaxed experienced. As a whole, THE END OF THE WORLD is an excellent album
to listen to if you’re looking to relax without falling asleep, and its
cool-yet-energetic vibe is quite unique.
The album begins with its title track. “THE END OF
THE WORLD” is a prime example of the relaxed side of the album. You could think
of it as a jazzier version of the relaxed “Mother” track from their 2012 album.
Backed by raw, lax guitar chords and notes supported by piano, the vocalist
shows off the best parts of his uniquely rough singing voice. He alternates
between lower, catchy verses and strong higher notes that bring out just the
right amount of roughness in his voice. The song ends in a climax of good vibes
that sent a warm tingle down my spine.
Funnily enough, the next track is a prime example of
the heavier and crazier side of THE END
OF THE WORLD. Borrowing from some western metalcore song structures, ENDER ENDER could be considered a
mixture of Shangri-La’s “Mr. Liar”
and “G.G.”. The verses alternate between strongly-sung lyrics, weak growls, and
auto-tuned vocals set to mini-breakdowns, while the hard rock sounds and crazy
electronic noises in the main breakdown bounce off of each other like tennis shoes in a
drier. This is a very energetic and very polarizing song (I personally got a
huge kick out of it).
After showing the two extremes of their latest
style, MUCC then stabilizes the flow
of the album. “Ms. Fear” continues with the heavy rock chords and growls, but
adds in lighter guitar chords and auto-tuned notes, along with a slightly
upbeat chorus that is the high point of the song. “HALO” encompasses almost every
conceivable sound the band can make; I think there might be as many as 8 or 9
different musical styles used to make this song. You could conceivably create
an entire album from this one track. “Tell Me” slows things down a bit with
ethereal melodies punctuated by slamming guitar chords, all set to a catchy
drum beat. “999-21st Century World-“ seems like a catchy follow-up to Shangri-La’s heavier “Kyouran Kyousho
~21st Century Baby~”, and is infused with the raw guitar melodies and constant
shifting in tone found in “HONEY” (also from the band's 2012 album).
Things start to calm down with “369-Miroku-”. This
track relaxes into a catchy rhythm that’s overlaid with steadily-strummed
electric guitar and rapidly-strummed acoustic guitar. The female R&B vocals
add a nice touch, and the bridge is especially powerful. “JAPANESE” mixes
acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, and orchestral music to create the
first real slow song on the album, and the result is quite moving. “Hallelujah”
begins to up the speed and intensity once more, starting out light, but adding
in more and more rocking guitar chords and melodies until it climaxes in a
breakdown and guitar solo during the bridge. “World’s End-In its true light-”
serves as an upbeat way to begin wrapping up the album. The album version of
this song sounds a little less tight than the single version did (I personally
prefer the single version myself), but it’s still a decent track. THE END OF THE WORLD closes
with “Shinde Hoshii Hito”, an epic and beautifully-composed ballad that serves as the
spiritual successor to Shangri-La’s
closing title track.
THE
END OF THE WORLD was a bit of a slow-burner for me. At
first listen, I was quite ambivalent about the album as a whole. It uses a lot
of the same sounds as Shangri-La, and
many of the songs just didn't seem to grab me. But for some reason I felt the
urge to replay the album again and again, and eventually I came to enjoy the
album’s many subtleties. MUCC is one of the few visual kei bands out there that
can incorporate this many different sounds into an album without it sounding
like a total mess. And while it does get a little messy at times, THE END OF THE WORLD really is worth
listening to, as its depth more than makes up for its awkward moments.
Buy It On CDJapan:
- Regular Edition: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AICL-2685
- Limited Edition: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/AICL-2683
Special thanks to Gan-Shin Records for providing the music for this review!
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