Search - L'arc-En-Ciel :: Kiss

Another well-produced, well-written, well-composed and defin

Dennis A. Amith (kndy) | California | 08/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"L'Arc~en~Ciel is back with their first album in nearly two and a half years with "KISS". The album debuted at number one in Japan on the Oricon Weekly Album Chart and the album is now available in the United States via Digital Only Release through iTunes and other online musical distributors.



L'Arc~en~Ciel has been a band that I started listening to back when "Blurry Eyes" came out and many fans in the US have discovered their music through their performance at Otakon or have heard their music from anime such as "Fullmetal Alchemist" (which was shown on the Cartoon Network) or even the "FINAL FANTASY" film. Also, some may have been led to the music by following the lead singer HYDE (note: solo name is capitalized, in L'Arc his name is in lowercase) and may have been exposed by his music through "BLOOD Plus" (currently on the Cartoon Network).



Whichever way you may have discovered this band, it's pretty exciting when you get the guys which consist of hyde (vocal), ken (guitar), tetsu (bass) and yukihiro (drums) together and personally for me, I discover something new musically each time I listen to this band with each release.



The album featurs twelve tracks which include five chart topping hit CD singles such as "SEVENTH HEAVEN", "MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM", "DAYBREAK'S BELL" (theme song for the anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00, "Link-KISS Mix-" (Opening theme for Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie-Conqueror of Shambala) and their Christmas song "Hurry Xmas".



Also, with the band having their own personal success and motivation in their solo career's, for this album, each member takes their turns in composing each song.



The first track "SEVENTH HEAVEN" was released on May 30, 2007 (KSCL-1138) is a catchy song featuring ken's melodic hooks and squeals, tetsu's mind numbing, entrancing bass playing and yukihiro's dynamic percussions. The song features words and music by hyde.



The second track "Pretty girl" is a fun track along the same type of feeling of their SMILE track "FEELING FINE". Fun and enjoyable track featuring words and music by ken.



The third track "MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM" is my favorite track on the album. The CD single was released on August 29th (KSCL-1159) and I think there's a nostalgic feeling of classic L'Arc with this track but with really hypnotic guitar playing by ken and an overall awesome track that shines on this album. The song's words are by hyde and the music was composed by ken.



The fourth track "Sunadokei" is a upbeat ballad showcasing hyde's vocals, tetsu on bass, ken on guitar and yukihiro on drums. Simple solo-like segments which I enjoyed and the words and music are by tetsu.



The fifth track "spiral" is a song that features words and music by yukihiro that features galloping guitars on one spectrum and serene guitar lines the next. Awesome guitar playing and definitely something different for the band musically with each transition and great clatter percussions from yukihiro.



The sixth track "ALONE EN LA VIDA" is a song featuring words by hyde and music by ken. The song features a mid-tempo ballad and beautiful vocals but for me, listening to this song over and over, there is something I discover musically with each listen. Very cool song that showcases each members musical quality and hyde's vocals. Awesome!



The seventh track "DAYBREAK'S BELL" is a CD single released back in October 10th (KSCL-1200) and is used as the opening theme for the anime series "MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00. Words are by hyde and music by ken. A very cool song showcasing the charismatic vocals of hyde. Almost like a classic L'Arc sound and very enjoyable.



The eighth track "Umibe" features words by hyde and music by tetsu. The track starts up like a ballad with piano playing and then the drum machine kicks in and suddenly transitions to a full on rock ballad with mind numbing bass playing by tetsu. Cool!



The ninth track "THE BLACK ROSE" is a song with words and music by hyde. Features abrasive guitars and another track with mind numbing, addictive and hypnotic bass playing by tetsu. The music is very cool for this song and all in all an awesome track.



The tenth track "Link [KISS Mix]" features hyde providing the lyrics and tetsu for the music. The song is used for the opening theme for "Fullmetal Alchemist: The Movie-Conqueror of Shambala" and a very fun and catchy song along the same lines as "Pretty girl".



The eleventh track "Yuki no Ashiato" is a song written by hyde and music composed by ken. The song starts out slow with an organ and then the violin. A winter song that features infectious vocals by hyde and then midway transitions from somber and dark to a song that gets into the light and although featuring unsophisticated beats, the agile vocals by hyde and the band's chorus, reall makes this song stand out for me. Very cool guitar solo by ken!



And the final track "Hurry Xmas" was released as a CD single on November 14th (KSCL-1226) and starts out as a Christmas intro that you would hear from "It's a Wonderful Life" but then transitions to a catchy, fun Christmas track featuring a Christmas symphony injection that definitely is so different from any L'Arc~en~Ciel CD single release that I have ever heard. But it's a fun track and it works



The CD insert features a cardboard style of case with the insert glued to the case. The insert can be extended on both ends to reveal the lyrics on one end and then inside is a pictorial of the members with headphones and then right in the center is the silhouette of two people kissing.



It's always a great time to hear something new coming from L'Arc~en~Ciel. I love their music and songs such as "MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM", "Sunadokei", "ALONE EN LA VIDA", "DAYBREAK'S BELL" to name a few are among the cool tracks on this album.



You get a good balance of music from a little of the classic L'Arc sound meets modern sound with tracks such as "SEVENTH HEAVEN" to something SMILE-ish such as "Link [KISS Mix]" and something different with "Hurry Xmas" and something rockin' like the hard hitting "THE BLACK ROSE" and sultry and musically awesome with "Umibe".



I felt that with each member taking their turns of composing and adding their styles and incorporating it into the music was fun. Especially to hear these mini solos by ken on guitar and tetsu on bass was very cool! Definitely more maturity and something new on this album that L'Arc~en~Ciel manages to capture perfectly on this album.



The significance of the release of this album is that typically a new album for a major release on a major label, there is legal wrangling and a lot of red tape to get an album out to the US. Try several months to a year. In this case, "KISS" is a near simultaneous release (two weeks since it's Japan release) and that people can now download the album through iTunes or an online musical distributor.



When I first received the press release, I admit that I was very stoked because in 2007, not only have we had a Japanese film with a near simultaneous release ("Nana 2 - although shown only in New York), we are getting a near simultaneous release in the US.



With a lot of torrent sites, blogs and forums being watched by the labels, I think that perhaps this album will be a significant test to see how sales will be after its release. Also, to see how well the album does for online sales in the US.



So, I feel it will be interesting to see how online sales in North America will do for this album and I'm hoping that many people support the band and hope for more near simultaneous releases in the near future.



So, my final words on this album. L'Arc~en~Ciel's "KISS" is another well-produced, well-written, well-composed and definitely well-balanced album that I'm glad to listen to right before the Holidays and I feel that many L'Arc fans will dig it as well."

Still Amazingly Refreshing

S. Venkat | Chicago, Illinois United States | 12/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I stand by my claim that these guys really are the best J-Rock group out there. And trust me, I'm not one of those listeners who listens to the genre as a "fad" naming only groups like Ajikan, High and Mighty Color, etc... I've heard 'em all, from obscure indie bands to smash superstars like these guys. And they're the best at what they do (not counting V-Kei stuff).



This album does not disappoint and really shows that these guys are far from gone. Most L'arc fans look at the early, late 90s era as some of their best work, but in my opinion they are still up there at that peak, and haven't shown any signs of slowing down.



Taking a hint from popular trends in both Western and Easter bands, Kiss features a lot more guitar and bass work, leaning almost towards "Alternative" in its style. Standout drums, and of course...Hyde is brilliant as always. Track by track...



1) Seventh Heaven (5/5) - Loved this as a single, and love it as their opening track. They even use some popular electronica tricks (like the "stutter" effect, showing that these guys are not old-fashioned and are still fresh and experimental.



2) Pretty Girl (5/5) - This is what I'm talking about. Amazing instrumental work to accompany just and all around well-written rock song. Some might think this is too mainstream for Laruku, but those fans are being too restrictive with what they consider the band's style. If they can make songs like this and still rock out, why not?



3) My Heart Draws a Dream (5/5) - Classic Hyde with his crazy vocal range, actually classic everything. Hyde takes the spotlight, but Ken's guitar is just as standout. Again, a great single and now a great track.



4) Sunadokei (5/5) - Wow, Tetsu. This surpassed my expectations in every way. Not to say Tetsu is lacking in any way, but just that I'm so much more used to Hyde and Ken's compositions. This has the epic feel of almost something you'd hear used as an Anime OP or something. It's an awesome song with great lyrics, a sweet solo, and really nice drumwork.



5) Spiral (3/5) - This is actually a pretty good rock song, and if it was a little more hardcore could almost be metal. Unfortunately, the music and Hyde's vocals just don't mesh well enough. This is a too much of a fast-paced song to match Hyde's current style. If he threw back to his style in songs like "Shout at the Devil", the potential of this song could've been fully realized.



6) Alone en la Vida (5/5) - This is one of those gems of a track that is that much better upon a second listen. The main guitar refrain is beautiful and melodic, but this gets buried under the more popular "live"-esque tracks. Definitely worth a repeated listen.



7) Daybreak's Bell (5/5) - YES, this is the classic Hyde style all of us know and love, while still maintaining his ability to flaunt his vocal range. The beat in this is also very unique, with really outstanding drums on this track.



8) Umibe (4/5) - W-w-what was that solo?? It's a pretty unexpected surprise for this track, which really is sort of a hybrid in terms of its rock genre. Somewhat slow and forgettable at times, and then Ken and Tetsu kick in with their rocking shredding and make this song stand out a bit more. All around a pretty good track.



9) The Black Rose (4/5) - I almost got dir en grey vibes when Hyde starts singing in this track, it's a great dark, minor key rock out song. Hyde's vocals are a bit strained, and I feel the song would've been a lot better without that whole backup brass section... But very energetic, and powerful.



10) Link -Kiss Mix- (4/5) - I was never too sold on this song, but it worked really well as the FMA movie theme and this version of it really is a throwback to their smooth rock-hybrid songs from Tierra and on, with nice use of background strings. It's a "happy" sounding, major key song, and though the lyrics are almost sorta generic for a song of that style it's not a major detriment at all.



11) Yuki no ashiato (5/5) - I think we were all wondering where the "Hyde ballad" was on this CD, and here it is in great Winter style. Hyde's vocals definitely make this track, and it's a great listen. It's no Hitomi no Juunin, but it really shines and shows that he's "still got it"



12) Hurry Xmas (4/5) - Haha, you'll either love or hate this track. The beat is really reminiscent of the awesome old-school L'arc upbeat songs, like "C'est la Vie". The only thing that turns me off to this track is the lyrics. I'm not a huge fan of songs that hop on the "Christmas bandwagon", so to speak, especially if the lyrics are kinda boring. But the instrumentation is wonderful, and this is a very fun song, so that makes up for it. Thank you Jezas, for this album :D



Overall, L'arc fans rejoice...your band is still amazing. 5 star album."

KISS

pink spider | 01/12/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the 2nd L'Arc~en~ciel album I bought and I love it. I actually bought this one for DAYBREAK'S BELL, which turned out not to be the best song on the album. MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM is the best song on this album; Hyde's voice will make you want to cry in that one. Not only is that my favorite song on this album, but my favorite L'Arc~en~ciel song. SEVENTH HEAVEN is pretty cool as is Link. Pretty Girl is another of my favorites from this album. Hurry Xmas is a little trippy. This album sounds pretty different from SMILE or AWAKE, both of which I would recommend. Like the two aforementioned albums, this one of course has Japanese lyrics, with a few English lines throw in here and there. This would be great for any L'Arc~en~ciel/Jrock/Hyde fan."