EvoHavok
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Last Active 12-30-22 5:00 pm
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 Lists
03.11.22 A full decade on Sputnik06.07.17 Rating=year (2k milestone)
03.11.17 Half a decade on Sputnik02.18.16 Dir En Grey Ranking
12.12.15 Buck-Tick Ranking03.11.15 3 Years
12.23.14 Anathema Ranking11.02.14 My Dying Bride Ranking
09.18.14 Paradise Lost Ranking12.26.13 Finnish Albums I Enjoy
05.10.13 Birthday11.18.12 Last 10 Songs On Shuffle
03.27.12 Tell Me About Some Good Alternative/Har

Buck-Tick Ranking

A ranked list of the Japanese rock band with lyrics from favourite tracks off each album, based on fan translations found on https://sites.google.com/site/lyricsyndrome/lyrics/buck-tick/albums. Disclaimer: If you can't stand j-rock under any form, don't even bother.
19BUCK-TICK
Sexual XXXXX!

The major label debut with a rather silly title has no quarrel with showing its intentions from the very start and presents a batch of enjoyable “positive punk” tunes, with music and texts written almost exclusively by the guitarist Hisashi Imai. If this isn’t enough of a hint, I’ll just drop you a bone by saying that the lyrics with dirtier content or peculiar English phrasing seen in their discography are created by him.
“A fantasy in the morning I was sick of waiting for, my trembling voice can't reach to your heart”
18BUCK-TICK
Mona Lisa Overdrive

Atsushi Sakurai’s angsty swearing on the opener is nothing short of hilarious. Drowned in synthesizer work and a no-fucks-given attitude, Buck-Tick’s last cyberpunk electro-rock record is full of energy and defiance. It makes for a great, fun listen, just overshadowed by most of the band’s extremely consistent catalogue. Initially planned as the second part of a double album with “Kyokutou I LOVE YOU”.
“Ruins, remains, ruthlessly burning while you dream that tomorrow will come, beaten by the pounding rain”
17BUCK-TICK
Hurry Up Mode

Released on April 1st 1987 and remixed three years later, the birth album of Buck-Tick and its adjacent launch show (whose marketing strategy almost got their staff arrested) sparked the audience with a sound dubbed “positive punk”, full of youthful energy and a knack for hooks that attracted curious music fans and record companies alike. Simplistic in nature, it does a fair job at displaying the members’ talent, but with no indication of how the band would evolve.
“Let sorrow be yesterday”
16BUCK-TICK
Taboo

Deciding to bring in a dimmer tone and branch out from typical love songs ever present on their earlier material, “Taboo” sees the band composing less cheerful, but very catchy pieces of what could be considered a poppy post-punk sound with darkwave tendencies. Certain tracks also represent the first glimpse of Atsushi’s more sensual vocals and his affection for sombreness that would be expanded on certain newer records.
“Even the whispers of mayflies are wrapped in the veil of the darkness”
15BUCK-TICK
Sexy Stream Liner

As the title suggests, likable, straightforward electro-pop-rock tracks dominate the second instalment of the cyberpunk album series. The percussion and sound effects give a futuristic feel, while the sparing guitar chords enrich the otherwise fairly minimalist style. Furthermore, it’s the first time Imai uses a theremin, namely on the antepenultimate song.
“Let’s search for paradise, for the stars of the angels, pure-white heroin, we embark on a limitless journey”
14BUCK-TICK
Seventh Heaven

“Seventh Heaven” shows how the band isn’t set on just sticking to the formula set by their first two outputs, having brought a few more ideas to the table, easily observed on the coldly beautiful and atmospheric “Oriental Love Story” or the mystical “Castle in the Air” with its well-placed sound effects and backing vocals.
“In a dream in a shallow slumber, hold me, if we only have a moment”
13BUCK-TICK
Arui wa Anarchy

Buck-Tick, whose members are all around the age of 50 now, hasn’t run out of steam on the 19th release and provides some novelties in the form of the odd track winking at Dadaistic craziness, tropical beats or retro-pop, along the prevailing electro-tinged balladry. The album neatly exhibits the band’s ability to compose soft, emotional songs, and the closer serves as a firm evidence.
“Step on my shadow, come play with me until they can't see us anymore”
12BUCK-TICK
Tenshi no Revolver

Desiring a compact band sound, “Tenshi no Revolver” reduces the studio flourishes of past efforts and opts for a so-called “straight rock” approach. Imai and Hide’s guitar work is pushed to the forefront with infectious distorted riffs and blistering solos. A few softer songs are brought as counterpoints, while the slick “La Vie en Rose” and “Zekkai”, with their truly irresistible allure, put the finishing touches. As usual, Atsushi has no trouble adjusting to every mood.
“Vagueness, volatility, vicissitude, this world”
11BUCK-TICK
Aku no Hana

The sinister and the decadent dance together in a gothic-tinged darkwave/post-punk hybrid grown from the dark seeds planted by “Taboo”. Driving guitar riffs and solos are abetted by gloomy bass lines and young Atsushi Sakurai’s charming, aloof and enigmatic vocal performance. Moody yet inviting, the Baudelaire-inspired “Aku no Hana” marks the culmination of Buck-Tick’s early sound and the most commercially successful album to date.
“I haven't forgotten my burning blood, sweet warmth just froze my eyes. The world turns in the cracks between my fingers, hot and glittering, I hold the knife against my heart”
10BUCK-TICK
Memento Mori

The outing continues the “straight rock” direction started by “Tenshi no Revolver”, holding plenty of bangers of different tempos and a strangely celebratory title track. Not a concept album, yet it often advocates living life to its fullest instead of an austere depiction of everyone’s imminent end. Length may be an issue for some, but all in all, it’s modern alternative rock done very well.
“Walking towards your clapping hands… I’m almost there, your shadow flickering, I crawl on sluggishly… I’ll go”
9BUCK-TICK
Kyokutou I Love You

If “Mona Lisa OVERDRIVE” is the naughty, extravagant sister, then “Kyokutou I LOVE YOU” is the smooth, collected brother. With the exception of the two rocking singles, “21st Cherry Boy” and “Kyokutou Yori Ai wo Komete”, and the gritty “Trigger”, the record is a mellower, dreamier affair that even approaches shoegaze territory on the reverb-soaked “Oukoku Kingdom Come”. While still part of the cyberpunk years, it gives a less pronounced sci-fi feel and rather a sensation of floating on clouds. The centrepiece of the album is a heartfelt dedication to Sakurai’s deceased mother, concealed among warping resonances, trip-hop-like percussion and melancholic guitar playing.
“I won't see you for a while, so I’ll say goodnight, with this phone call, for the last time...”
8BUCK-TICK
Cosmos

The beginning of the cyberpunk-influenced era, “Cosmos” has a more layered sound than its predecessor through the increased use of electronics and leaves a lingering impression of being lost in space. There’s a pretty interesting clash of introspective, philosophical tunes with noisier ones. Just like the imminent hit of an asteroid when you thought you were having a safe trip for deep thoughts in your fancy ship, right?
“Wonderful, destruction and birth, and the cosmos that has no end; beautiful till we lie in our graves, the love that will never run out”
7BUCK-TICK
Six/Nine

Buck-Tick’s longest, heaviest and most bizarre album, with music videos done for every track. It showcases Sakurai’s unusual styles, as he ventures into spoken parts on the bookends, the racy bleating on “Kimi no Vanilla”, near-rapping on “Aikawarazu…” (sometimes heard behind Imai's lead vocals) and shouting on “Detarame Yarou”. Abrasive industrial rock riffs, scattered acoustic guitar chords and various sound effects set a dark and mechanical tone that points at the bleak, deranged concept intended. Quite divisive among fans, “Six/Nine” surely needs repeated listens until one can appreciate its hypnotic and quirky nature.
“Selling my dreams, I surrender myself into despair”
6BUCK-TICK
Razzle Dazzle

Dance rock mingles with insanely catchy choruses in the band’s most spirited release. Easily memorable, exotic yet not lacking in depth, it’s fascinating how refreshing “Razzle Dazzle” remains with every listen; a vibrant demonstration of accessibility and songwriting prowess. Despite very poppy music not being entirely his cup of tea, Atsushi exudes jauntiness and complements the music flawlessly. Tightly fastened seatbelts are compulsory in this electrifying rollercoaster ride where no second is wasted.
“And he’s there-and-gone, changeable, never the same in the daylight; he’s a daredevil, hurricane, lightning speed, you’ll never catch him”
5BUCK-TICK
One Life, One Death

Arguably the best of the cyberpunk era, “One Life, One Death” delivers on all fronts with the right balance between industrial rock-imbued sci-fi lunacy and well-crafted musing atmospheres. The small details are, however, the ones responsible for further elevating the quality of this record, such as the markedly mesmerising vocals from “Cain” and their contrast with the strident noises of its middle segment or the lonesome acoustic guitar chords wandering around Sakurai’s vulnerability on “Megami”.
“Mind torn apart, rain in scarlet, we're drifting, you and I, toward midnight...”
4BUCK-TICK
Darker Than Darkness (Style 93)

Variety and experimentation are the key words on this album embellished with elements ranging from thumping bass grooves, revving guitars and carnival melodies to wistful ballads, bluesy rhythms and hints of jazz. The production does a great job at maintaining a balance for every style employed and it makes the stellar songwriting of tracks like “Yuuwaku”, “Ao no Sekai” or “Dress” stand out even more; drums in particular can be quite punchy. A versatile and gripping experience.
“In an ocean of alcohol, my gaze swims in mid-air”
3BUCK-TICK
Yume Miru Uchuu

An intoxicating cocktail of the alternative and dance rock style they’ve been honing in the last few years. Mainly noticed on mellower tunes and on clean sections of the heavier ones, what separates “Yume Miru Uchuu” from similar outings is the spacey sound of the brilliantly integrated electronic effects that offer the impression of sailing the waters during the night, gazing at the starry sky, akin to the very fitting cover art.
“Rather than just a song come on and punch me in the face with a harder sound”
2BUCK-TICK
13-kai wa Gekkou

The album where Buck-Tick fully embraces the gothic rock they occasionally flirted with in the past marks a tremendous achievement. An enticing atmosphere unique to the band’s repertoire is created with the help of the excellent incorporation of piano, organ, celesta and synthesizers provided by Kazutoshi Yokohama, aiding the ominous guitar textures and highly evocative vocals. With terrific musicianship, a concept loosely based on the Russian ballet “Petrushka” and a band image adopted specifically for this project, “13kai wa Gekkou” stands as a masterpiece drenched in darkness, elegance and distress. May candle lights and a glass of red wine be thy escorts as you bask in a theatrical scenery of shadows! Also check Atsushi Sakurai’s new solo project, The Mortal, while you’re at it; the man’s timbre and charisma are just impeccable for this type of music.
“Only the light of the moon forgives me”
1BUCK-TICK
Kurutta Taiyou

A remarkable improvement had been done over the course of one year as the follow-up to the well-received “Aku no Hana” was unleashed. Atsushi gives one of his most outstanding performances, Imai and Hide master energetic or laid back guitar lines, while U-ta and Toll provide a continually engaging rhythm backbone. Whether it’s the heartening vivacity of the two opening tracks, the playful urgency of “M.A.D.” and “Chikashitsu no Melody” or the hazy melancholy of “Sakura” and the closer, every moment of this album signifies a definite testament to the band’s abilities. Forget your qualms and let us ride under the crazy sun with one of Japanese rock’s most accomplished works!
“Going till my skin could tear away, holding my breath, I swallow the whole world. Staring at the glass rain and all the lit-up buildings, am I dreaming here, while I'm still myself?”
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