Japanese gothic metal act Moi dix Mois' debut full-length record is a brooding sinner trapped between the loveliness of fashion and an urge to generate a cinematic sound. In a way, I'm referring to the project's mastermind, Mana, who was once the bandleader for Malice Mizer. Of course many are still unsure as to whether or not he was to blame for their downfall or singer-songwriter Gackt Camui warranted pointing fingers at, but that's a discussion for another time. From a songcraft point of view, the track arrangements are nothing short of thoughtful, and vocalist Juka (who now goes by the alias Shaura) has a voice that does suit most of the pieces fairly well. Instrumentation-wise, Dix Infernal could be a bit more stronger, as the guitar harmonies are kind of disappointing whilst the drum work is simply there. The good outweighs the bad, in the main, and it's not hard to admire how campy the nature of this release can occasionally become.
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