Search - Back-On :: Baby Rock

Japan's Link Park? The first official release (mini-album)

Dennis A. Amith (kndy) | California | 08/10/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A band that is really catching the attention of many music listeners worldwide is BACK-ON, a group that combines rock and hip-hop effectively and can be compared to American bands LINKIN PARK, LIMP BIZKET (sans the hard core screaming) and some tracks that are reminiscent of rock bands BLINK182 and Simple Plan.



"BABY ROCK" is the band's first official release (a mini-album) with a major label which features their awesome hit song "GAKU-TEN" which is very catchy and has a cool hip-hop influence combined with chiming guitars.



It's one of the few songs from BACK-ON that you will hear the whole band rapping in unison.



Nevertheless, it has that LIMP BIZKET feeling to it and a song that will definitely resonate well with their American audience when the group performs in Houston at Anime Matsuri (April 2007) and Vancouver for Anime Evolution (August 2007).



The song "BLOW" actually has more of a LINKIN PARK influence with vocalist KENJI03 and band MC, TEEDA rapping together and then KENJI03 busting out with cool vocals.



"Flydom" has a Blink182 vibe with its cheery sound, sing-song vocal style combined with dense word barrages that makes it one hell of a catchy song.



The song "~Feel~" is a very short but a cool song nonetheless. Mainly a song with just an acoustic guitar with the sounds of waves crashing and TEEDA doing a short rap diddly.



The final song "So Many Tears" is a pretty cool rock ballad. With heavy guitar playing and then the song slows down to allow for the rap of TEEDA and in the background the vocals of KENJI03, as both voices mesh, and effectively focusing on one and then to the other. A very inflected rock song with breezy rhythms and chiming guitars.



All in all, "BABY ROCK" is definitely a pleasing debut mini-album that would later lead to great things to come for the band with hit songs such as "CHAIN" and their second mini- album "NEW WORLD".



Although some of their music does have a sound similar to American bands mentioned, BACK-ON has effectively combinedhip-hop and rock. Their music is their own and even their style separates them with other similar type of bands in Japan.



Definitely keep your eye BACK-ON. They definitely have a potential to go big!

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