NIL (Gazette, 2006) – pt1

It’s disappointing when the first song you listen to is super-awesome, and then every song you hear after that is only average. Bearable to listen to… but is it worth it? This is pretty much Gazette for me, only slightly more positive – there’ll be something in a song that I’ll like, but then the rest of it will put me off.
          I heard NIL is the album that any Gazette fan had to make sure they listen to… and so… I’m gonna do so. Not as a fan, but rather someone trying to rediscover the awesomeness that was with that first song.
          (Which was Filth in the beauty, by the way. Those guitars. ♥ ♥ ♥ )

LET THE LISTENING COMMENCE

1). THE END. It starts off promising to be awesome, and then a whole lot of voices come from different angles. It’s bizarre to listen to, and ultimately heads nowhere. Repetitive stuff. Is this not supposed to be a real song, but an intro? As confused as I am, it’s the background music that I like the most. I’m getting the idea this album could be utterly anticlimatic ORRR…!

2). Nausea and Shudder. HERE WE GO~ Hard guitars, which then let up into something which really cruises along, with a vague dance element. What makes this song unique to me are the vocals – having been recorded, they’ve been mixed up, and played around with a whole lot, and on top of that Riku sings normally and growls, with great variation. I’m approving!

3). Bath Room. Echoing drips, and then. What is this? Ominous hip hop? Briefly reminded of Linkin Park’s earlier stuff. The guitars… are nice. Riku is just as nice, singing low… and until you get two-thirds through the song he sounds bored. However the song sounds a little sad, but it’s the miscellaneous high voices and noises in the background which do that.

4). Maggots. This starts off like “RAWR WE’RE CRAZY”. There’s screaming, and heavy guitars, that’s basically it. Riku generally babbles and screams underneath static, which I find hilarious and awesome. It’s for people who think they’re hardcore, but would rather run around and dance than headbang.

5). Namaatatakai Ame To Zaratsuita Jounetsu. This song reminds me of jazz and swing… and also Dir en grey’s “Ashita muki koufuku, komaeminaki myounichi”. Everything bounces, but in a serious “I’M A HARDCORE ROCKERRR” way. It’s very yay.

6). D.L.N. I have no idea what instrument they’re using in the beginning of this song. Accoustic guitar and a piano? It’s very soft and ~*~mysterious~*~ and I like Ruki’s singing in this – as well as what may or may not be spooky children, but not so fond of the random sparkling noises. I’m already bored halfway through though, but thinking it’d grow on me.

7). SHADOW VI II I. The beginning of this song makes me swoon. All the guitars, so dancy and so rockkyy, to the point where Ruki taking over annoys me. The chorus in particular is very upbeat, but I wish Gazette was a band without vocalist. That would have been awesome.
          Anyway! There’s a part near the end with a SEXY GUITAR thing that makes me laugh, and Ruki’s more interesting to listen to after that.

thoughts so far…

I have mad respect for the guitarists. Like, a lot. But Riku ultimately bores me, and the drums are unnoticeable. I’d listen to this band for the guitars alone, and everything else I consider a bonus. I’m also understanding why people get stroppy and compare Gazette to Dir en grey; it was “Maggots” and “Namaatatakai Ame…” that got to me in particular, but not so much that it’s worth flipping out over. Yess, we haven’t been let down and there are some killer songs.