Physalis (the EP) was only released in a CD + DVD edition . Physalis (the song) is the only new track in the mini album that gets a video .
Headed by former KAT-TUN member/rapper Tanaka Koki , INKT got off to a roaring start last year with the release of their self titled debut album . Now , the rock band has returned with a mini album Physalis that reveals to listeners more of INKT's sound .
I enjoyed Physalis (the song) and this track showcased a different side from INKT , compared to the tracks that were found in their debut self titled album .
For their 1st release , I suppose INKT wanted to do a bit of a test on how fans will react to their music especially given the fact that it's fronted by an ex Johnny's but I think the band slowly wants to move away from the initial phrase and to focus on what they do best .
All in all , it's heartening to see Tanaka still being involved in the music business even though he's not a Johnny's anymore . After the initial shock announcement of his departure from KAT-TUN , it's good knowing that this has not stopped Tanaka from continuing to make music together with a group of talented musicians .
The duo's brand new song was picked to be used in the ads of Lotte GHANA's mother's day campaign . In addition , hana is used to promote their brand new tour , KOBUKURO LIVE TOUR 2015 "Kiseki" .
The music video that accompanied hana has a heartwarming approach which I guess it's what Kobukuro is trying to deliver with regards to what the song's about .
hana definitely struck a chord with me when I heard/watched the video at the same time & the fact that Mother's Day falls on 10th May , it couldn't be a more fitting song in celebrating this impending special occasion .
CD
3 CDs
3 CDs + DVD
1) number one
2) Have fun !!
3) Arigatou no Wa
4) No end
5) Tsuyoku Omou
6) beautiful
7) Gensoukyoku
8) Lose control
9) Through the ages (Self cover ver.)
10) Zutto Taisetsu na Kimochi
11) Chiisana Ashiato
12) Birthday Song
13) Nijiiro
ayaka's last album release was 2012's The beginning . In Rainbow Road , 3 singles , 2 B-sides & 2 digital singles are included in the tracklist .
Except for No end , all songs in Rainbow Road have promo tie in's .
Kicking off the album is number one which was released as ayaka's 14th single .
Last year , number one was picked to be used as the relay theme song for Fuji TV coverage on the Winter Sochi Olympics . This no. that's brimming with lots of encouragement messages behind it is a positive pop sounding track which's 1 of those songs that will always lift up a person's spirit no matter how bleak things might get .
number one follows after the album's 1st new track which's titled Have fun !! which was created to commemorate the design renewal of MetLife Life Insurance's manned airship Snoopy J-gou .
Regarding Have fun !! , ayaka commented , "Humming this song will cheer you up . Hearing this song will make you smile naturally . Hearing this song will make you want to look up at the sky . I wrote Have fun !! hoping that it will excite everyone ."
The next song Arigatou no Wa was 1st released as a digital single 2 years ago on 4th Oct & a video was made for the song .
Nestle's Kit Kat launched a campaign 2 years ago to celebrate its 40th anniversary in Japan . As such , ayaka was chosen as the campaign artist & wrote Arigatou no Wa .
Arigatou no Wa expresses one's feeling of gratitude toward people that are close to them . This is ayaka's 1st time writing a song with just Arigatou as its theme . As such , she asked fans through Twitter , "Who is the person you want to tell 'thank you' the most ?"
ayaka expressed her thoughts on the word 'thank you' , "I think the word 'thank you' is a magic word . The smile that appears when you say it & the joy you feel when it's said to you . There are moments when you wonder if you've done something for the other person & you become warmhearted . It's a word that I always treasure ."
She also further commented about Arigatou no Wa , "'Thank you' can be seen from many perspectives , so I was distraught over how to write it . However , I felt that this word had the power to spread warm feelings ."
ayaka continued , "I thought about the person I wanted to say 'thank you' to the most . The person who immediately came to mind was my mother . That was the starting point of the lyrics ."
The album's 2nd new track , a video was also made for No end which's 1 of my fave songs in Rainbow Road .
The style of No end is quite different from ayaka normally does & the reason why this's so is because No end & Lose control are the only 2 songs that she didn't wrote & composed in the album .
Still , that doesn't stop me from liking No end a lot & it would have been better if the track was a bit longer .
Tsuyoku Omou was 1st released as a digital single 3 years ago on 12th Dec . This was 1st included in a bonus CD that's bundled up with ayaka LIVE TOUR 2012 "The beginning" ~Hajimari no Toki~ DVD/Blu-ray .
Promo wise , Tsuyoku Omou was selected to be used as the theme no. for NTV's news program NEWS ZERO .
beautiful is the 1st A-side of ayaka's 13th single beautiful / Chiisana Ashiato . Promo wise , beautiful served as the theme song for the drama Share House no Koibito that starred Oizumi Yo & Mizukawa Asami .
Gensoukyoku was originally included as the B-side in ayaka's 15th single Nijiiro . This song was used in the ads of Sawai Pharmaceutical .
When I reviewed Nijiiro , at that time I mentioned I enjoyed Gensoukyoku a lot as it's a good contrast against the A-side so I don't have problems seeing Gensoukyoku included in the album as I feel it deserves to be in .
The next track Lose control was picked to be used as the image song for the movie THE NEXT GENERATION Patlabor Shuto Kessen .
Lose control is described as an upbeat rock tune that's different from ayaka's usual songs . This is the 2nd time filmmaker Oshii Mamoru & ayaka have collaborated together . Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete... (track #15 in ayaka's 2nd album Sing to the Sky) was used in Oshii Mamoru's film The Sky Crawlers .
Through the ages was originally included as the B-side in ayaka's 14th single number one . The original take of the song was sung in English by singer/songwriter Gabrielle Aplin & in actual fact , this song was written by ayaka .
For Gabrielle Aplin's version , the rendition of Through the ages that she sung was used in the movie Kuroshitsuji starring ayaka's husband Mizushima Hiro .
ayaka's version of Through the ages is sung in Japanese . Hence credits wise , it's indicated that she self covered the song in both number one & Rainbow Road .
Mizushima , who is also 1 of the producers of the Kuroshitsuji film , recommended Gabrielle Aplin to sing Through the ages . Also , producer Matsuhashi Shinzo has always wanted ayaka to write a theme song for his movie & considered her to provide the music for Kuroshitsuji .
Matsuhashi then consulted ayaka's husband Mizushima , who agreed saying , "She has known about this movie since the 1st stages of planning & has the ability to create English lyrics ." In the past , ayaka has provided a song for Kudo Shizuka but this was her 1st time providing a song for a foreign artist .
Zutto Taisetsu na Kimochi was used in the ads of wedding information website MyNavi Wedding & a video was made for the song .
This's ayaka's 1st wedding song that was written to celebrate her manager's marriage .
Regarding Zutto Taisetsu na Kimochi , ayaka commented , "I couldn't be any happier if this song becomes a switch for couples , who are already married or about to get married , that whenever something happens , they will be able to assure their relationship by listening to it while leaning on each other's shoulders ."
Chiisana Ashiato is the 2nd A-side of ayaka's 13th single beautiful / Chiisana Ashiato . Promo wise , it was used in the ads of Shiseido's MAQuillAGE & the song describes the niceties of a woman's mind , giving Shiseido's MAQuillAGE ads a worldview depth & colour .
The last new album track , Birthday Song was used in the ads of CHOYA's Natsuume . A video was made for the song but it's not included in the DVD tracklist of Rainbow Road .
This song was written for ayaka's 1st child whom will be born soon . In the video , ayaka can be seen singing to her pregnant belly , along with footage of her fans singing along to the song .
Nijiiro is ayaka's 15th single & it was used as the main/opening theme song for the TV drama series Hanako to Anne that starred Yoshitaka Yuriko .
The final number in Rainbow Road , Nijiiro was written specially for Hanako to Anne with it being a lighthearted song with a gentle melody .
ayaka , who says she was overwhelmed by the staff's passion for Hanako to Anne explained , "I wanted to write a song that would fit closely with the drama . So I worked on Nijiiro in order to express the worldview that this drama holds ."
3 years after the release of her previous album The beginning , ayaka returns with a brand new album Rainbow Road .
Rainbow Road marks a complete departure from The beginning given that for starters , it's hands down 1 album that's filled with many promo tie in's that almost all the songs received in it . In addition , The beginning had no singles preceding its release unlike Rainbow Road .
Mood wise , Rainbow Road overall feels very uplifting & upbeat unlike The beginning where it was quite sombre + serious sounding . Hence I don't think it's fair to compare both albums as they're quite different .
For me I do enjoy Rainbow Road but I guess some will not given that ayaka included almost everything in the album , inclusive of material dated back 3 years ago (Tsuyoku Omou) . As such if you purchase her other releases , you might feel a bit cheated as after you - everything , there's not really a lot of new material in Rainbow Road .
Since I don't fall into that category , I frankly do not mind . Rainbow Road could have benefitted with more new tracks but considering the circumstances , I don't think I should complain further as I still feel ayaka is 1 of the most talented female solos after she made her debut presence felt 9 years ago with I believe .
With that said , congrats to ayaka & Mizushima Hiro for becoming impending 1st time parents !
1) It's Alright !
2) 10/10
3) Jerassic
4) Kazabana
5) Juuni Hitoe
6) AB LOVE LOVE
7) JAPANESE SPIRITS pile-up
8) ELE !!!
The group's 1st album release includes a total of 8 tracks inclusive of their debut single It's Alright ! & the B-side JAPANESE SPIRITS pile-up .
THE TURTLES JAPAN is a special unit that comprised of 3 main members ; music producer Kameda Seiji whom worked extensively with Shiina Ringo during his tenure with Tokyo Jihen for 7 years & flumpool's vocalist/guitarist Yamamura Ryuuta + guitarist Sakai Kazuki .
The band was formed last July & functions as a band for a limited time . WEAVER's vocalist/keyboardist Sugimoto Yuji + drummer Kawabe Toru participated/joined in their debut single It's Alright ! .
Subsequently , 2 new members Remioromen's dummer Jinguji Osamu & pianist/keyboardist Simon Isogai were welcomed into the band .
THE TURTLES JAPAN named their debut album ELECTRONIC HUMANITY because they want to inspire people who live in the modern society of violent , mechanical & dry human relations .
Kicking off the album is the group's debut single It's Alright ! . This song was picked to be used as the opening theme for CDTV last year in Oct & Nov + also as the ending theme song for MBS MUSICEDGE + Osaka style last year in Nov & Dec .
For the concept of It's Alright ! , the members wanted to tear down borders & enjoy music freely .
10/10 & Jerassic are the 1st 2 new songs in the album . Both tracks are quite heavily EDM & Rock driven to a certain extent , there's definitely nothing boring going on for both no.s .
But between 10/10 & Jerassic , I prefer Jerassic slightly as it's more towards the Rock side , not that 10/10 is bad .
The lead promo track in ELECTRONIC HUMANITY is Kazabana . This song was 1st released as a downloadable single & goods package last month on 25th March that's only sold in Tower Records .
In addition , Kazabana is also only the new track in the album to get a video & it's used as the theme song for THE TURTLES JAPAN Zepp Tour 2015 「ELECTRONIC HUMANITY」 in which all 3 tour dates have been sold out .
I can understand why Kazabana was chosen to promote ELECTRONIC HUMANITY as it's quite a dreamy sounding no. . Unlike the other new songs , this's the only 1 that's closest to a ballad . I was intrigued when I 1st heard the song & it's quite thought provoking too .
Juuni Hitoe is an edgy aggressive no. . Somehow Ryuuta's vocals are distorted in here purposely on purpose but the melody is accompanied by strong guitar riffs .
The 2nd last new track in the album , AB LOVE LOVE is 1 of my fave tracks as it's just a fun upbeat no. . I find myself humming along to it the 1st time I hear it which's definitely a good sign .
JAPANESE SPIRITS pile-up served as the B-side of the group's debut single It's Alright ! . When I reviewed It's Alright ! on its own , I did wrote that JAPANESE SPIRITS pile-up was a B-side I enjoyed a lot & so for the group to include in their debut album , I have no complaints at all as it's still a great track .
ELE !!! is the final song & unlike the other new tracks in the album that can be quite EDM driven , ELE !!! is a rather simplistic sounding no. which makes it the perfect track to conclude ELECTRONIC HUMANITY .
Prior to the ending of ELE !!! , the melody of the song is changed to another different music style .
1 of the most interesting debut album release in recent times , THE TURTLES JAPAN definitely made their presence felt with the release of their debut album ELECTRONIC HUMANITY .
ELECTRONIC HUMANITY on whole is a very musically engaging album & frankly before I decided to give THE TURTLES JAPAN's music a listen , I was skeptical as I wondered , will their music sound like what flumpool has done given that flumpool's vocalist Ryuuta sings in this special unit .
Luckily the material that THE TURTLES JAPAN has come up with is and cannot be compared with flumpool at all as for once , I can't visualise flumpool going the EDM route .
I suppose the members from different groups they belong to decide to come together to form THE TURTLES JAPAN in order not to have any musical boundaries to hinder them when they embark in making THE TURTLES JAPAN sound unique/different .
From their get up to their EDM meets Rock music styles , it's quite evident that from the moment they were formed , THE TURTLES JAPAN was going to stand out from other bands which I respect that .
Before I go off point , I would like to say that I definitely enjoy ELECTRONIC HUMANITY a great deal as it has been quite a while that I have been impressed with a debut album . Let alone , all the songs in the album are literally a feast for my ears as each song managed to carve out a distinct unique identity .
In a way , it's a bit sad to know that THE TURTLES JAPAN serves as a temporary unit but I do hope that in the near future , they will continue to release music sporadic because I genuinely feel their music's quite something .
To sum it up , ELECTRONIC HUMANITY is not your typical mainstream debut album but if you would like to listen to something different , then this could be the album for you to jam to .
CD
CD + DVD
CD + Blu-ray
1) a Bell
2) WARNING
3) NO FUTURE
4) Anything for You
5) Last minute
6) Zutto ...
7) Out of control
8) Story
9) The GIFT
10) The Show Must Go On
11) Walk
12) Movin' on without you
Released about 9 months+ since her previous album Colours , A ONE was released on the same day as ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2014-2015 A Cirque de Minuit ~Mayonaka no Circus~ DVD/Blu-ray .
The release date of both A ONE & ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2014-2015 A Cirque de Minuit ~Mayonaka no Circus~ DVD/Blu-ray falls on exactly 17 years since ayumi's debut single poker face was released .
12 songs are included in A ONE , inclusive of ayumi's 53rd single Zutto... / Last minute / Walk . The fanclub edition of A ONE includes a 2015 updated version of ayumi's 15th anniversary commemoration song Tell All .
2 album tracks WARNING & The GIFT received music videos .
a Bell served as the album opening no. & it's also the only instrumental track in A ONE . This follows straightaway with WARNING .
WARNING is 1 of 2 album tracks that received a music video & it rightfully deserves so because it's an aggressive rock no. that's extremely catchy & memorable , something that ayumi does best .
Acclaimed producer Komuro Tetsuya composed 4 songs in A ONE in which the next 2 songs NO FUTURE & Anything for You were composed by him .
NO FUTURE is a futuristic sounding no. which has some nice surprises prior to the end of the song . On the other hand , Anything for You is a ballad & it's easily the longest track I've come across in ayumi's discography for a non remix track , clocking in at 7 mins .
Perhaps it's due to the long duration but I'm not really a fan of Anything for You . Let alone it doesn't help that it sounds a lot like Walk which ironically was composed by Komuro Tetsuya as well .
Last minute & Zutto ... are 2 of 3 ballads from ayumi's 53rd single Zutto... / Last minute / Walk . Last minute is a rock ballad while Zutto ... is a Winter ballad .
For Last minute , ayumi started to work on this song in response to her fans' fervent request . In addition , Last minute was picked to be used as the opening theme for NTV's Buzz Rhythm for this month .
When Zutto... / Last minute / Walk was released last Dec , only a video for Zutto... was made at that time . But in A ONE , a video was made for Last minute , which's included in the DVD/Blu-ray tracklist .
Up to now I still prefer Last minute a lot as compared to the other 2 ballads given that Last minute reminds me of ayumi's previous rock driven ballads which're still classics even up to now .
The next 2 songs Out of control & Story were composed by the same person whom worked on the melody of Last minute .
Between both tracks , I prefer Story as I had nostalgic vibes upon hearing it , not that Out of control is outright bad .
The GIFT is the 2nd album track that received a video & this wedding ballad was composed by Singaporean singer/songwriter JJ Lin .
No pun intended , The GIFT was reported to be a gift from JJ for ayumi & her fans . Heaping praises on The GIFT that JJ composed for her , ayumi added that the song gives off a sense of purity & she was "very happy" with how it turned out . She said , "It (the song) showcases a very good side of JJ , not just as a man but as an artiste ."
Even though I don't listen/support Chinese music , I wouldn't deny that from 1 Singaporean to another , I'm happy for JJ Lin as it's an honour for him to compose something for ayumi seeing that this will definitely raise his profile substantially .
The song itself is really touching & given that this's the 1st time JJ Lin composed something for ayumi , it's a commending effort . I do hope that this will not be the last time I'll be seeing a JJ composition as it will be great if he were to compose for ayumi again in the near future .
The Show Must Go On & Walk are the other 2 songs in A ONE that were composed by Komuro Tetsuya .
For The Show Must Go On , it was picked to be used in the ads of Samantha Thavasa . This's actually 1 of my fave tracks in A ONE & even though it sounds quite similiar with LOVE again's snowy kiss , I'm actually quite ok with it .
On the other hand , Walk is the 3rd ballad that makes up ayumi's 53rd single Zutto... / Last minute / Walk . It's still my least fave ballad among the 3 . I don't mind to listen to it but given a choice , I would skip it .
Movin' on without you is the final track in A ONE & this's a cover of Utada Hikaru's 2nd single in which this single was released 16 years ago in 17th Feb .
ayumi's cover of the song was 1st included in a tribute cover album titled Utada Hikaru no Uta which was released last year on 9th Dec to commemorate Utada's 15th anniversary in the business .
In her cover of Movin' on without you , ayumi utilised her voice in a manner that she doesn't normally does in her discography .
This's the 1st time for ayumi to include a cover in her studio albums & I did enjoyed her rendition of Utada's Movin' on without you so I have no problems with her choosing to include it as the last song in A ONE .
Celebrating her 17th anniversary in the business , ayumi hamasaki released her 16th album A ONE together with ayumi hamasaki COUNTDOWN LIVE 2014-2015 A Cirque de Minuit ~Mayonaka no Circus~ DVD/Blu-ray on the same day when her debut single poker face was released 17 years ago on 8th April .
Before listening to A ONE in full , I already had a feeling that I was going to like it a lot more than ayumi's past albums Colours & LOVE again . Sure enough , A ONE in general is quite good & certain portions of the album I have nostalgic feelings upon listening to it .
Prior to A ONE , I had somewhat dislike towards LOVE again & Colours as I didn't liked the way both albums were marketed/promoted & also the sound consistency for both albums were quite poor .
Luckily in this case , I don't really encounter that much problems in A ONE even though it's not an all rounder album . At the end of the day , A ONE is still quite ballads driven to a certain extent & it's not as musically diverse as compared to ayumi's past albums .
Another problem I noticed is that the songs that Komuro Tetsuya composed in A ONE tends to get repetitive after a few listens . Komuro Tetsuya did an amazing job composing the majority bulk of material in Love songs but what I've heard in A ONE sounded like something he has composed before for ayumi .
It was great for JJ Lin to compose for ayumi as The GIFT is a nice change from the usual group of composers ayumi usually relies on . Honestly , what I hope to hear in ayumi's next studio album is that she should get other people to compose for her because if she keeps on relying on the same group of people , things will get stagnant musically .
That said , this's definitely not the last time I'll be seeing from her as her 5th mini album will be released on 5th Aug .
On that note , here's to the next anniversary coming from the Empress of JPop .
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
The group's 1st release of 2015 , the A-side is described as a rock & dance number .
This's their 3rd single used in the ads of Glico's Watering KISSMINT , after their 3rd single SHE ! HER ! HER ! & Ki・Su・U・Ma・I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ which's the 1st A-side of 7th single Ki・Su・U・Ma・I ~KISS YOUR MIND~ / S.O.S (Smile On Smile) .
After releasing the Christmas inspired single Thank you Jan ! , the guys return back to their roots in fine form as Kiss Damashii is an aggressive driven no. that's catchy & really suits their personalities . I like it on 1st listen so that's saying something .
There're a total of 3 B-sides found in the single . Shake Body !! was used in the ads of Kowa's Mushiyoke Touban .
Just like the A-side , Shake Body !! is another stellar dance no. . The song has more electro influences but it's definitely A-side worthy .
Sakura Hirari & Past & Future are only available in the CD only edition of the single . The Spring inspired Sakura Hirari slows things down considerably after 2 back to back dance no.s while Past & Future has a rather futuristic upbeat sound .
Experience the spirit of the kiss with Kis-My-Ft2 ! Their 1st single of 2015 Kiss Damashii is a spirited rock-dance no. that's guaranteed to keep fans happy in the dance floor .
The past 2 singles that Kis-My-Ft2 released were a bit on the weak side but thankfully that's not the case for Kiss Damashii as the A-side itself is strong/memorable while the B-sides are able to stand up if not be on par with Kiss Damashii .
Kiss Damashii is something I enjoy listening to & I'm sure this wouldn't be the last time I'll be seeing from Kis-My-Ft2 .
CD
CD + DVD
1) New Era
2) Zoku・Ouin Kenbunroku -Mitou-
3) FLOWER BLOOM
4) Spirit Of Love
5) Kodou
6) YUKIDOKE
7) The Woman In The Elevator
8) R2 (Instrumental)
9) Summer Up
10) Travel Machine (DJ KATSU Electro Remix)
The duo's latest album offering comes in about 1 year 1 month+ since the release of their previous album FIVE ZERO ONE .
In REVIVAL , the tracklist includes 2 singles & 3 B-sides .
The album's opening track , New Era is also the only new track to get a video which rightfully deserves to get 1 as it's a fast paced hip hop no. that's downright catchy to boot .
The next new track in REVIVAL , it's something titled Zoku・Ouin Kenbunroku -Mitou- . The live version of this song was included as a B-side in Hilcrhyme's 17th single YUKIDOKE .
Hearing the studio/CD version of Zoku・Ouin Kenbunroku -Mitou- , it's definitely another standout track in REVIAL . The only thing is that I wish the song could have been a bit longer as it ended abruptly as so but other than that , it's something I enjoy a lot .
FLOWER BLOOM is Hilcrhyme's 16th single & it was picked to be used in NTV's Music Dragon Dragon ・ Eye . In addition , this single was released last year to celebrate the duo's 5th anniversary in the business .
Track #4 Spirit Of Love is a cover of rock band Sing Like Talking in which this was released as their 20th single in 20 years ago on 24th Nov .
This's the 1st time for Hilcrhyme to include a cover in their albums & I was wondering how come lyrically this song sounded quite strange as it's not really their style . Turns out it's a cover after I did further checking into this .
Kodou was 1st included as the 2nd B-side in Hilcrhyme's 16th single FLOWER BLOOM & now it's included in the album as track #5 .
YUKIDOKE is Hilcrhyme's 17th single . This Winter inspired no. was the latest single released prior to REVIVAL .
The next song The Woman In The Elevator is another personal fave song of mine . If New Era didn't had a video , I feel that this mid tempo no. should get 1 as so , with it being 1 of the more slower sounding tracks in the album .
After R2 (Instrumental) which's an instrumental interlude , it's the 2nd last song in REVIVAL which's Summer up .
Summer up was 1st included as the 1st B-side in Hilcrhyme's 16th single FLOWER BLOOM . Between this & Kodou , I definitely prefer Summer up as this EDM inspired no. is still a good 1 to listen to .
The final track included in REVIVAL is a remix of the duo's 6th single Travel Machine .
In this case , Travel Machine (DJ KATSU Electro Remix) served as the closing no. of the album . This remix takes the original take of Travel Machine by a notch or 2 seeing that it's a lot more electro futuristic sounding .
Following their 1st time performing at Nippon Budokan , hip-hop duo Hilchryme is back with a brand new album REVIVAL prior to the commencement of Hilcrhyme Tour 2015 REVIVAL .
Frankly , REVIVAL is not a bad album but I think for longtime fans of the duo , they might find this album a bit short changed especially since it only has 10 tracks & after you take away the singles , B-sides , cover , instrumental , remix , you're left with 3 new original tracks .
I would like to see the guys included more new songs in REVIVAL because to me , 3 new no.s is not enough even though New Era , Zoku・Ouin Kenbunroku -Mitou- & The Woman In The Elevator are equally strong/memorable .
On whole , I think REVIVAL will leave people divided on opinions in that fans will like REVIVAL if they don't buy their singles seeing that 1/2 the tracklist consists of both singles + B-sides or fans will not like the album if they dislike the lack of original material .
For me , I'm somewhere in between .
CD
CD + DVD
1) BREAKDOWN
2) BURNISH HEART
3) FLY !!
4) TWILIGHT
5) CELEBRATION
6) THIS IS DIE(T)
7) Cry Boy
8) REACH YOU
9) BRAND NEW DOOR
The group's debut album MUSCLE was released 2 years ago on 27th Nov .
Just like MUSCLE , ATTACK does not have any singles . Its lead album promo track is Cry Boy in which the band has been playing it at their live shows for a while back & it has gained popularity among their fans .
The following are songs that MUSCLE ATTACK performed live before in past concerts but are not included in ATTACK :
- WHO I AM
- CYCLE
- LIFE GOES ON ~Acoustic ver.~ {live version is included in the DVD footages of ATTACK}
The 1st 3 songs in ATTACK were written & composed by vocalist/guitarist SHINPEI . On 1st listen , BREAKDOWN sounded like an instrumental piece with random mumbling in the background but in actual fact there's lyrics accompanying the song .
On the other hand , BURNISH HEART & FLY !! are both back to back rock driven no.s .
Track #4 TWILIGHT was written & composed by bassist Jong . I think Jong is the 1 that sings in here because his singing voice is different from SHINPEI .
While the next song CELEBRATION was written & composed by guitarist Shunp . It's 1 of the slower sounding no.s in ATTACK & just like TWILIGHT , I have a feeling Shunp is the 1 singing in CELEBRATION .
THIS IS DIE(T) was written & composed by drummer HIDEHIRO . The shortest track in the album , it's also somewhat the most random sounding no. in ATTACK as well .
Cry Boy serves as the lead promo track in ATTACK & as expected , it's the most prominent sounding no. . A live video was made to accompany the song in which it deserves to have 1 .
The 2nd last song , REACH YOU is a slow down mid tempo no. just like CELEBRATION & in here , I think SHINPEI is the 1 singing it .
BRAND NEW DOOR is the final track in the album . Lyrics wise , it was written by SHINPEI while the melody was composed by Jong .
I had rather strange deja vu vibes when I heard BRAND NEW DOOR as it sounded very similar to MUSCLE's BYGONES . Let alone the fact that both tracks are incidentally the last song in each album but BRAND NEW DOOR itself is quite a good closing to ATTACK .
BREAKERZ's guitarist's SHINPEI's own band MUSCLE ATTACK (as part of BREAKERZ's own solo projects) released their 2nd music release ATTACK last month & for this album , I feel it showcased a certain amount of growth .
Let alone , ATTACK sees more personal input coming from each of the members unlike in MUSCLE where SHINPEI was the 1 that mainly did most of the writing and/or composing .
ATTACK probably could have been benefitted from including the songs that the band performed in their past live shows but are missing in the tracklist as I'm sure it will be a benefit for those whom weren't able to see them live in performance .
But on whole , ATTACK is quite a good step up or 2 from MUSCLE . And for that it's worth commending .