Thursday, July 14, 2011

Review: ViViD- BLUE [Single]

Tracklist:
1. BLUE
2. CRISIS
3. ReLoad


BLUE- First of all, I'd like to say that even if I hadn't originally liked this song, I'm sure I would have by now, because ViViD is everywhere and I'd already heard this song about a million times before it was released. Thus, it's a bit hard for me to be objective about this song now, but I'll do my best. BLUE clearly has a great hook to it, there is no way that can be denied at all. I'm extremely fond of the rhythm the verses sit on, as well as the guitar from 38 to 44 seconds in. All the instrumentals are terrific, top to bottom, from basic rhythm to guitar solo. One of the things that stands out to me the most about ViViD is that no matter how short the song, you can always hear everything, every part of the band is clearly recognized, there is no need to strain in order to hear an istrument. I also quite like the electronic elements that have been placed throughout the song.

CRISIS- This is my personal favorite, best song on this single! I really enjoy the opening verse to this song, and even the heavier verses that introduce those background ascending notes, as well as the rap like elements are quite rousing. The use of the guitar here is, to be frank, absolutely stunning, I'm a bit dumbfounded really. I have so many comments and compliments about the guitar line during this song. But, by all rights, the downright best guitar is from 2:30 to 3:06. The fingering of the guitar strings leading into the solo, and the solo itself are superb! Of course, I'm not just talking about the lead guitar here, within this 36 seconds the rhythm and bass guitars are also present and those are fantastic as well. There are also numerous squeals and change ups in the guitar riff, I particularly like the guitar work in the beginning and second verse, 1:28 to 1:50. Also, I really enjoy Shin's vocals during the slower verses, I'm reminded a little of Gackt (maybe from Redemption), if I were to give you something specific I'd say the notes Shin hits at both 40 and 52 secs in, are good examples, and also sound very attractive.

ReLoad- I love this opening, though it does remind me of something I've heard before, a bit speed metal-like. The main riff and chorus are quite catching, and I really enjoy the high electronic notes that lie underneath everything else, best heard from 3:17 to 3:36. Additionally, I think I should have previously complimented the drummer but I feel that this song, in particular, really showcases his talents and perhaps makes the drumline the most noticable out of the three songs. I can not get enough of these guitar players, the guitar work here is more than well done, most specifically 2:22 to 2:35, this also gives you hint of the drummers great playing as well.


Dismissing the fact that none of these songs are even four minutes long, I really have no complaints about this single whatsoever. It's great, actually who am I kidding, it's fantastic! Though I do feel that all of these songs may be in danger of "overflowing", but there is a nice balance that keeps that from happening.

My Grade: A+, 5/5

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review!

    I think this single is good overall, but I'm not overly impressed by it (maybe 3.5/5 ?). I liked the title track the most, and also liked Crisis. I didn't really like the last track, probably because I'm not a big fan of speed-metal-like music.

    All in all, I'm not sure I will be listening to these guys any more than I did before. I just enjoy some of their songs, and think they're quite a good band.

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  2. Honestly, there was really nothing about this single that I didn't like, and because of that I, personally, felt like I couldn't score it any lower. I definitely like it much more than their last single (as a whole).

    I'm a big fan of ViViD, I think that all of the members are really talented, especially the lead guitar player. I've always been very impressed with him. There are some wonderful guitarist in J-Rock, but I don't often hear this type of playing anymore.

    Thank you for reading, and commenting, I always look forward to reading what you think :)

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  3. Oh! The pleasure was mine :)

    About ViViD itself, I can't say anything negative about the band. They're among the few bands I don't have any complaints about.

    But when it comes to appreciating music itself, I always try to approach it on 3 levels: The first, as you pointed out, is the vocals and instrumentation (ViViD is really good on this level, and everyone generally knows it when a band is playing well). The second is originality/creativity (people will have varying opinions on this level, based on what they've listened to before, and especially whether it's across different genres and eras - I think ViViD is relatively original/creative). The last one is related to whether or not I feel anything while listening to the music (energy, adrenaline rush, surge of emotions, melancholy ...), and this is where ViViD doesn't always score high with me. I can't speak for other people, but the music I tend to like is the one that generates the most vivid (xD!) imagery in my head.

    That's why I might listen to a song with a great sounding solo but it might not stick around for long, because I just don't get any feelings from it.

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  4. Of course, I've never precisely thought about it that way but I take those three things into consideration as well when I'm listening to a song. And like you said I think it's all a matter of personal opinion or the feeling that you get when you listen to something, everyone's is going to differ, so I completely understand where you're soming from. It's nice to hear someone's opinion, other than my own :P

    By the way, do you have facebook? You can add me if you'd like, since we're always talking on here (http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=739675594, and also leave me a message so I know who you are), if not and you would like to maintain a relative amount of mystery, that's cool too lol.

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  5. I don't have a facebook account. I don't have a blog either xD! I have an account with the same username (Outnumbered) on Monochrome Heaven, but I mainly use that account to download releases and thank uploaders. I guess I'll have to stick to the mystery then ^^'!

    About music and opinions, that's the reason I actually like this blog. Most JRock blogs are focused on news and downloads. Yours is probably among the few that have good/honest reviews, and are not limited to a tiny niche/subgenre in JRock/Visual Kei/Asian Music, which makes it one the best JRock blogs I know of.

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  6. Mystery it is!
    And thank you so much for the compliment and for reading!

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