Generally speaking, you have to be very careful of bands who have one member from a ’supergroup. They tend to be either excellent (Liquid Tension Experiment, for example) or horrendously cheesy. There are some artists, and I won’t mention who, who really won’t work outside of the category their already existing band is in. So today we’re going to find out if Hyde, vocalist of L’arc~en~Ciel, can hold his own in another band.I’m going to talk first generally about the sound and so on of the album, then talk about a few tracks and finally wrap up. Firstly obviously the production and quality of the album is top notch. One nice touch is that the vocals are nice and real, they haven’t been put through software to make them sound better. As a result, despite having very clean production, you get a nice raw feel to the album. The guitar work is a similar affair, and works pretty nicely.

The album clocks in at just under 50 mins, and with 13 tracks most of them end up at the 4.30 mark or so. There are one or two longer songs (Deep Red and Sweet Dreams both hit over 5 mins) although I feel the style of this band, rough rock and roll, really suits shorter, sharper songs. Listening to the whole album is a nice affair and it’s tightly presented, I think adding any more to it might have been detrimental to the whole thing overall.

Ok, time for some track reviews. I’m going to start with the three singles from the album. Love Addict (which is meant to be all in capitals but I hate doing that) is a nice straight up rock song. Lots of harmonies and so on. The production, as I said, is pretty free on the vocals so that might turn off anyone looking for pop music, but it’s a decent song. I gotta kick start now was the second single, and on first listen you’re probably not going to love it a whole lot, but honestly it’s a good track. I get feelings of Feeder on the chorus, which is no bad thing. The final single is Evanescent, one of the more winding tracks on the album. I like elements of it, but overall I found it a bit plodding and directionless, which is a real shame.

Those of you looking for a ballad will find solace in Sweet Dreams which is reasonable, and I personally love the song Vampire Depression, which includes electronic and orchestral elements and stands out for me on the album. Check that song out if you can.

The album is out now and I do recommend it for fans of both L’arc~en~Ciel, JRock in general and anyone who likes some straight up rock and roll. Good stuff.

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