It's very difficult for a band to release full-length album only a year apart. And yet, just under a year after they released FOCUS, DIAURA has followed it up with another full-length album. Less of an independent CD and more of a sequel to FOCUS, DIAURA's Triangle is succeeds in improving on the elements explored in its predecessor while adding in some new sounds of a its own.
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| Triangle Regular Edition |
Tracklist:
1. Triangle Vision(SE)
2. ID
3. Menace
4. Moratorium
5. Shinsekai
6. Hypnosis
7. Case of Massmurder
8. Silent Majority
9. Aria
10. Kairi
11. Horizon
12. Jikai
What interests me most about Triangle is its frequent use of distorted guitar and layered notes. What's even more interesting is how often DIAURA succeeds in keeping the songs that use these notes and sound fresh and varied, given how often they appear throughout the album. However, there are times when the notes are over-layered, which can make the track muddled and difficult to follow. Extremely subtle programming and vocal distortion adds subtle touches to the overall sound of the album. The catchy choruses and unique verse that so many love about DIAURA are here in full force as the foundation, so longtime fans can rest easy. Overall, Triangle sports an added layer of depth that was missing in FOCUS. It's worth noting that, while the newer tracks have a lot to offer the listener, the promotional tracks ("Menace", "Moratorium", "Silent Majority", and "Horizon") are clearly the strongest ones.
The album starts off strong with an intriguing introduction and frantic-yet-melodic sound portrayed in "ID". "Menace" is the best song on the LP, and my favorite DIAURA song to date. "Moratorium" is a fresh and addictive song that suffers slightly from the previously-mentioned muddling by excessive layering. It is followed by "Shinsekai", a generic upbeat DIAURA song whose verses have been tinged with an ominously enticing sound. "Hypnosis" alternates between a similar sound and rocking (almost jazzy) guitar riffs. The chorus is tailored to fit the song very well, and this is a trend that I would like to see more of from DIAURA and other indie visual kei bands that have developed a bad habit of forcing songs to transition into out-of-place choruses with mainstream appeal.
"Case of Massmurder" will still your brain with it's plodding, sinister sound. Distorted guitars are used often and in interesting ways throughout the track, with satisfying results. "Silent Majority" is my second-favorite song on the album. It's somber and powerful, alternating between layered, anxious guitar notes and a melodic chorus. An awesome distorted bass solo is followed by a slow and powerful guitar duet. It is followed by "Aria", another light track, and "Kairi", another somber song. There's nothing particularly special about these songs, but if you like DIAURA then you will definitely enjoy them.
"Horizon" initially sounded cheap and forced to me, but it's actually one of the more varied tracks on the LP. If you let the layering in the beginning wash over you as I eventually did, you will fall for its solid instrumentation and relaxing sound in no time. My main critique is that there's a little too much going on in the chorus. DIAURA makes an interesting choice of track to close out the album: "Jikai" is a very emotional and surprisingly energetic song. It is reminiscent of older DIAURA tracks, for better and for worse.
Triangle is a combination of something old and something new. Like many of DIAURA's releases, it requires multiple listens, an open mind, and some extra attention from the listener in order to be fully appreciated, but it's definitely worth the effort. Triangle is an improvement for DIAURA (even if it's just a small one), who continues to succeed in making music that is difficult to classify, but easy to fall for once you've paid it the proper attention. Just don't go in expecting ear candy, except for "Menace" — I'm obsessed with that track.
The album starts off strong with an intriguing introduction and frantic-yet-melodic sound portrayed in "ID". "Menace" is the best song on the LP, and my favorite DIAURA song to date. "Moratorium" is a fresh and addictive song that suffers slightly from the previously-mentioned muddling by excessive layering. It is followed by "Shinsekai", a generic upbeat DIAURA song whose verses have been tinged with an ominously enticing sound. "Hypnosis" alternates between a similar sound and rocking (almost jazzy) guitar riffs. The chorus is tailored to fit the song very well, and this is a trend that I would like to see more of from DIAURA and other indie visual kei bands that have developed a bad habit of forcing songs to transition into out-of-place choruses with mainstream appeal.
"Case of Massmurder" will still your brain with it's plodding, sinister sound. Distorted guitars are used often and in interesting ways throughout the track, with satisfying results. "Silent Majority" is my second-favorite song on the album. It's somber and powerful, alternating between layered, anxious guitar notes and a melodic chorus. An awesome distorted bass solo is followed by a slow and powerful guitar duet. It is followed by "Aria", another light track, and "Kairi", another somber song. There's nothing particularly special about these songs, but if you like DIAURA then you will definitely enjoy them.
"Horizon" initially sounded cheap and forced to me, but it's actually one of the more varied tracks on the LP. If you let the layering in the beginning wash over you as I eventually did, you will fall for its solid instrumentation and relaxing sound in no time. My main critique is that there's a little too much going on in the chorus. DIAURA makes an interesting choice of track to close out the album: "Jikai" is a very emotional and surprisingly energetic song. It is reminiscent of older DIAURA tracks, for better and for worse.
Triangle is a combination of something old and something new. Like many of DIAURA's releases, it requires multiple listens, an open mind, and some extra attention from the listener in order to be fully appreciated, but it's definitely worth the effort. Triangle is an improvement for DIAURA (even if it's just a small one), who continues to succeed in making music that is difficult to classify, but easy to fall for once you've paid it the proper attention. Just don't go in expecting ear candy, except for "Menace" — I'm obsessed with that track.
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