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Review Summary: A group of brilliant musicians finally becoming a band For the most part, the second major release for a supergroup is the decider for the band’s future. Where a first album is often chock full of creative ideas that members couldn’t slot in to their parent bands albums, the second album is what determines whether they will disappear into the aether as an ideas purge or take on an identity of their own. It’s paramount for the band to try to develop their own unique brand, however despite this, I found myself getting excited about ADORATIO for all the wrong reasons. “Hopefully this next album is a bit more like Dir En Grey”. That wishful thinking ended up being way off the mark; however, in this case, I’m stoked to have been so wrong.
The band emphasized in interviews prior to this release that Sukekiyo would be an entirely different beast compared to their associated acts. The group consists of members of some of the most unique bands in Japan’s visual kei movement, brought together by DEG’s frontman Kyo. Their debut album Immortalis, while impressive at points, was a wild ride of disparate ideas sewn together in a crude fashion. Swinging erratically from a brilliant idea at one moment to stretches of filler bridging the gap to the next brilliant idea, it played out more like a patchwork of clever ideas than a cohesive album. Here we see the members working together and developing tracks more as a unit, forming a delectable melting pot with the best ingredients from the groups parent bands (soft/heavy dynamics of Rentrer en Soi and Dir En Grey and atmospherics akin to 9GOATS BLACK OUT) along with some fresher ones in the form of electronica and a heavy classical influence.
ADORATIO is a dense and exhausting listen. While some of the newfound influences exist more as quirky breaks from the layered intensity throughout, often they provide a suffocating new dimension to the album. The 1-2 punch of ‘Shiryou no Ariana’ and ‘Naburi’ exemplifies this, with tribal percussion meshing seamlessly with the newfound electronic elements (including some trancelike grooves), while Kyo flexes his intimidating vocal range to form one of the most discomforting portions of the album. It’s a somewhat uneven listen, with the second half especially running wild with experimentation and rough transitions, but it all gives the album that truly unique character that the group craved. Plus the moments where it all falls into place (the soaring melodies capping off the build in ‘Mimi Zozo’ or the gorgeous piano/guitar interplay forming the backbone of ‘Jyunboku’) catapults these tracks head and shoulders over the bands previous works.
In an interview prior to the album’s release, Kyo and YUCHI stated that this was not an ‘album’ as such, as they felt the term was too limiting. However, despite the band themselves insisting that this was a collection of songs, it’s the first release where everyone sounds like they’re on the same page. Here they’ve become attuned to what each member is capable of, and from reading the aforementioned interview, you can tell they’ve clicked as a band instead of merely existing as a creative outlet for the members. ADORATIO showcases a group firing on all cylinders and finding their collective feet, while finally realizing the potential that has been lurking beneath the surface since their formation in 2013. It displays the cohesion and direction that they’ve been missing since their inception, and if they continue down this path, what they produce next will be a spectacle to behold.
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Album Rating: 4.0
Here's the interview I refer to in the review, it's well worth reading: http://sanaginoyume.blogspot.com.au/2017/06/sukekiyo-kyo-and-yuchi-interview-by-vif.html
It's been a long while since I reviewed, but I just really felt like writing something up for this one as it's quickly becoming a fave for the year. As always, feedback is welcomed and appreciated.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Still need to check this out. Good review man, have a pos.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Very nice review! It pointed out its strengths well, even if I would have given further specific examples, with so much hapenning. Certainly my AOTY so far.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I was going to say "wow, really?", but giving anything a 5 straight off the bat is serious biz.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Excellent review, one of the best of the year for sure
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Haha, yeah, I listened to most songs at least 10 times so far, that must tell everything.
Also, I gotta say the summary started applying on the live discs, where the old material and the members' chemistry really shine.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Cheers Gonzo
@Evo, I agree I definitely could've talked more specifics, but I found once I started talking about particular parts of songs I ended up rattling off over half the tracks haha. It's too dense to be able to do it justice in that way without a review double this length
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Yeah idk if you have already read that interview I linked, but they talk a lot about how rejuvenated they've felt as a band this last year and how eager they are to push forward and tour further. Definitely translated to those live discs well
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Oh, I did read that on another site. You saw Persuasio and Mutans?
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Yes to Persuasio (I think I saw calc say it was one of his fave live performances? Not sure why) but no to Mutans, put it on my list after this dropped
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
It's certainly somewhere in my top 3 live performances, Kyo's doing really well there (best "Elisabeth Addict" version that will never be topped), the more natural production fits the songs and makes them stand out much more, and the generally cold, muted colour palette makes for a fantastic visual presentation, aided by the editing and clever usage of the black bars.
As for Mutans, it's a massive 3-hour show that covers all their pre-Adoratio songs with added instrumentals, extended intros and a whole story behind it, but using more bizarre visuals and different sound production.
For a while I would think the band can only show its best appeal live, but I'm glad to be proven wrong by this record.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
My prayers have been answered now I can finally talk about this more haha thanks Daddy with the goods.
As Evo said, only thing I disagree with in the review is the summary. Persuasio is when they finally became a band, Anima and Mutans are when the band was finally coming together into what they want artistically (as Kyo said before in the past). Adoratio is as you said, them firing on all cylinders, just getting more wild and having fun with it, along with constantly improving. Mutans was essentially the restart button for them, leaving the past 2 eras of the band behind and I couldn't he happier with the new path and success this is getting. This album was essential for them since they needed to prove they could make a cohesive well produced album, and they did it.
"(I think I saw calc say it was one of his fave live performances?"
You'd be correct, to this day I still call that show perfect top to bottom. I can't recommend Mutans enough either but it's the most inaccessible thing they've done due to it being 3 hours, a helpful thing to do is to take a 10 minute break or something at the half way point of the main part of the setlist which is around 80 minutes in.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
ayyeee you're welcome calc, these guys were well overdue for a review on something anyway.
Especially keen to see how all this translates to the live setting, because the OG Immortalis can't even compare to Persuasio. If this takes a similar step up after that treatment it'll be insane. I'll make sure I get onto Mutans ASAP though, that dual stamp of approval pretty much guarantees a solid dig for me
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
I don't know how the live is gonna turn out, especially with all the electronic moments on here (but the Blu Ray the album comes with gives us a slight preview of how they'll be done). Only guarantee is that visually it's gonna be incredible.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
http://vnshkk.tumblr.com/post/162890144567
A few more details about the songwriting and themes.
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Will need to check
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
It doesn't surprise me that Kyo did what he did at the Merry collab show on a whim xD
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Ever-spontaneous person.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
I still laugh that he can't remember what he did at the Nippon Budokan show for Arche minus the Day 2 M.Bison attire.
| | | Album Rating: 5.0
Part 2 of the interview Evo posted: http://vnshkk.tumblr.com/post/163224845172
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