It seems like forever since Gackt released anything really new. "December Love" was a play off of a good original, and Moon seems ages ago. We Gackt fans are definitely spoiled by the speed at which Gackt releases new singles. And thankfully, we are rarely disappointed.

Ever since Gackt released "Kimi no Tameni Dekiru Koto" way back when, a lot of old-school fans have cried that things seemed to have gone downhill fast. His astoundingly sudden transition into the pop scene was a little hard for some to swallow, and many claimed they'd never listen to any of his new releases. As of his newest release, I am fervently imploring these upset fans to pick up a copy and listen. With the single "Kimi Ga Oikaketa Yume," Gackt has managed to put and keep his feet in both doors, placating his newer pop fans and still rolling out goodies for his older fans in a way we haven't heard in a long, long time.

Kimi Ga Oikaketa Yume

This is the obligatory pop song from which the single gets its name. Expect to hear this played a lot as ambient music at your local supermarket. It's musically stable, maybe even a bit underwhelming. It kind of breaks from the general Gackt formula of a slow start with a sudden change to an upbeat chorus, as the entire song maintains a fast rhythm. It's catchy, but not quite as catchy as a lot of his previous pop releases, less intense than "Wasurenai Kara" to be sure.

The guitar work is simple but nice, and the drum drives the tempo ahead very nicely, making you feel like you're heading towards a distant goal on a train full-speed ahead. The vocals are kind of bland, Gackt doesn't flaunt his wonderful vocal range as much as he could. The lyrics are quite motivational, so coupled with the driving instrumentals it makes for good pop, good driving-home-from-work music. Anyone who likes Gackt's pop music will definitely like this song, and moderate Gackt fans will probably find this palatable.

Birdcage

Old-school Gackt fans, this is the song you've been yearning for for so long. Gackt b-sides never fail to impress and satesfy the darker sides of us. "Cube", "Fragrance", "Doomsday", all were excellent bsides that pushed Gackt's sound ahead in his newer direction while still evoking memories of the days of Seki-Ray and Secret Garden. "Birdcage" is a bit of a departure from all that in that it is a complete look back, an absolutely fascinating MARS throwback. The opening measures will overwhelm any oldschool fan with nostalgia, as the acoustic guitars immediately remind you of the gentle sounds of "Leeca," the background music in a mournful minor key is astoundingly beautiful. Gackt voice is simply mellifluous, subdued but packed with meaning.

Then, very very suddenly at about 2:25 a shrill electric guitar note falls and we are thrown into the song's chorus. It sounds like your CD player accidently skipped ahead to a different song, it's very confusing at first and almost doesn't seem to work musically, as the song has rather abruptly changed into major key as well. At the end of the phrase, we go back into minor key and the background orchestrals from the quiet beginning have become aggressive and have moved to the forefront.

Then at 2:53, everything stops and a violent violin run, alone in the silence, introduces how the two previous parts (the minor key and major key part) come together. Violin solos soar over the melody intermittedly as the aggressive guitar overlays with the subdued strings, and Gackt returns to his mournful singing. All in all, an astounding piece not to be ignored.

I'm still not quite sure if Gackt based "Birdcage" on his as yet unreleased song "Kimi Ga Matteiru Kara" which he performed during his winter 2002 lives. The lyrics are a tiny bit similar but musically "Birdcage" is a far more refined and complex piece. If Gackt plans on releasing "Kimi Ga Matteiru Kara" as a seperate single, this will be yet another single old-school Gackt fans will probably want to pick up. For whatever reason, perhaps nostalgia or perhaps just exhaustion, Gackt seems to be returning to his older sounds, pleasing the older fans and still entertaining the new ones.

Album Information
Title: Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume c/w Birdcage
Company: Nippon Crown
Released Date: 03.03.19
Code: CRCP-10037
Price: 1143yen

Formed last year, Spiky comprises of Masa (vo, g),[who is probably best-known as Gackt's guitarist from his backup band, GacktJob] Dai(g), Matchy (b), Toshi (dr), [also from GacktJob] and KG the producer who's also on keyboards. They released their debut maxi-single last September and a second one in December. Spiky To Be is their debut album and having heard all three releases, this is the most polished and well done.

Spiky tends to showcase the vocalist, Masa, probably due to the fan base he has already garnered during his days as Gackt's backup guitarist. As a vocalist, Masa has improved quite some since the debut maxi-single. His voice is nasal, but at the same time, sweet and pure. Offhand, I can't think of any vocalists that sound like him. In this album, his voice sounds more polished though you can tell that he's still learning about his own voice, experimenting with ranges and effects.

As a band, their music style tends towards that of Luna Sea and Siam Shade, but lighter and more optimistic. (It might have something to do with rumors of Masa being friends with ex-Luna Sea's J, but then again, that's only an unconfirmed rumor.)

[1] Now the time [5:22]

Song starts off with the guitar repeating the same arpeggio over and over again with the drums joining in. It builds up and just as it's starting to get tired, every instrument trails off with the guitar exiting last. Masa's voice comes in against a light drumbeat for the first stanza until the instruments come in again. The tune is in a minor key and transposes slowly to a major key. The chorus is catchy and in a major key, transposing back to minor key in the last few notes. The bridge of the song is pretty standard, with a ritzy guitar solo. The main complain I have about this song is that at certain parts, Masa's voice is almost covered by the instruments, and at other parts, it almost blends in, making it hard to concentrate on either his voice or the instruments.

[2] Confidence [5:19]

The only song from the seecond single. Upbeat and bouncy. I can just imagine Masa bouncing along when he sings this song. The song managed to put a smile on my face despite the fact that I was feeling like crap today. The instruments are reduced to just rhythm as Masa's voice carries the entire melody till the keyboard enters. There was one part I found weird though, in the bridge where vocals seemed to be layered over the rest and it just sounded... weird. And I'm of the opinion that this song is slightly too long. If it was shorter by half a minute, it might have come off neater.

[3] Don't Say No Yet [5:15]

Slightly slower than the first two songs, it starts off with insistent guitar playing chords. The keyboard comes in a little while later, tinkling the melody above the guitar and drums. Masa's voice in this song sounds less polished than the above two songs in the first stanza. He's dragging his voice and drawling and that tends to expose the weakness in his vocals.

[4] Wishes [4:36]

From Spiky's debut release. I believe Moonsong did the review for this song before. It's a lot mellower. I can't help but think that there's this toning down thing from the start of the album, the songs getting progressively mellower. Masa starts out soft, barely hovering above the instruments. The drums come in after a while, and the entire song swells up in body and volume. Masa sounds, as corny as this might be, wishful.

[5] Day After Day [5:23]

Mellow guitar starts the song, with some effects in the background that I can't really recognize. Masa's voice creeps in, slowly increasing in volume. The layering of the voice over the instruments results in a very dreamy effect. Even in the chorus, when the volume increases and the song becomes more solid, the dreamy effect still remains. The melody for this song is pretty and Masa's voice really sounds a lot better when he doesn't drag it, though I did cringe when his falsetto couldn't quite hit a note in the bridge, but then, I tend to be very fussy about pitches. ^^;;

[6] ***** (tsuki no nai sora) [3:55]

Very soft, barely audible bass starts off the song and what sounds to me like a keyboard with effects joins. There's some sort of distortion over Masa's voice when he starts singing, which made me cringe. Then he starts singing softly and the contrast between them is ... wow. The distortion served to make the sweetness of Masa's voice stand out. The entire song is light and somehow reminds me of a moonlit night with the breeze blowing at you. The length of the song is appropriate too. Any longer and it might start getting draggy and sleep inducing.

[7] Rainbow Above [5:19]

Finally we stop with the chain of mellow song, not that I don't like mellow songs, but I was waiting to hear something heavier. Bass and drums start the song and Masa sings low. The beat is heavy throughout the entire song and Masa's voice sounds surprisingly solid when low. In contrast, he starts the chorus with light falsetto. This is easily one of the best songs on the album. I particularly enjoyed the bridge of the song, where Matchy and Dai do a pretty nifty bass and guitar duet around 3:24

[8] Bloom [4:36]

Another fast song. I enjoyed the start and the first bridge up until the part when Masa's voice starts to sound strained. He still has some way to go in terms of vocals. The thing about this song is that if Masa' voice was stronger, I would have adored this song. The beat is catchy, the guitar is fast and the bass has a nice solo in the bridge, where incidentally, Masa sounds the best in this song. ^^;;;

[9] Together With [5:02]

Another song from the debut release. I remember Moonsong saying that this was the best song of the release, and I do agree with her. Actually, the inclusion of this song does serve to remind me that as a vocalist, Masa did improve quite abit. Either that or he has learnt to write songs to suit his voice instead of whatever he wants to write. Even now, this is still one of my favorite songs when it comes to Spiky. The song is polished, and well laid-out, though the effects jar me at times. Spiky seems to like background effects.

[10] Moon Beam Story [3:37]

The ballad from the debut release. Very pretty and soothing. Believe it or not, I got used to Masa's voice singing this song after a while. I just wish he didn't drawl so much. The light instrumentation of this song serves to showcase Masa's voice, though I don't really like the 'squiggly' effects in the background. All in all, I guess this is a good choice to end Spiky's debut album.

Information:
Spiky official page: http://www.spikyspiky.com/

Cd Information:
Spiky on the way (debut maxi-single) **1500*****SSCM-0001 : 5 tracks Confidence **1000*****SSCS-0001 : 2 tracks
Spiky To Be (debut album) **2800*****SSCA-0001 : 10 tracks

All available at HMV.

I admit that I was disappointed when I heard Moi dix Mois's Dialogue Symphonie. It just did not sound as good as I had imagined it would be, especially after what I heard from Mana in Bara no Seidou. Almost half-heartedly, I pre-ordered Dix infernal so as to have a full collection of Moi dix Mois. And when it came, and I listened to it as a whole, it does sound much better.

Moi dix Mois is not like MALICE MIZER in their last era, a beautiful gothic and full band. Moi dix Mois defines 'Polish Gothic Rock.' The instruments are fast and hard, and the one carrying the melody most of the time is the harpsichord, piano or Juka's vocal. Once again, Mana uses the beloved harpsichord, mostly seen for classical baroque and gothic music. Only in Dix infernal do I see the direction Mana wants Moi dix Mois to go, and only in Dix infernal do I feel appreciative of it. Yet, I feel that it still can be improved on. It's polished enough, yet it lacks a little something.

Dix infernal first pressing comes in a pretty packaging, which opens up four ways, with the disc lying in the centre. All songs lyrics, composition, sound programmed and arrangement are by Mana, as long as the direction and total production. Moi dix Mois's Dix infernal has Mana on Guitar, Juka on Vocal, Kazuno on Bass and additional musician Tohru on drums, and what I hear of the tracks are as follow:

I. Dix infernal

The introduction for the album. Just the wind howling, and a voice speaking.

II. La dix croix

Right after the introduction, La dix croix starts. This song starts off hard gothic rock. Mana's guitar is louder than it has been in the MALICE MIZER days. The music stops as Juka's voice comes in, replaced by a soft choir and the harpsichord in the background. While Juka is not singing, the music returns, with a heavy drum beat which totally go against and with the harpsichord at the same time. This song ends in the typical gothic Mana harpsichord and choir, fading away. A nice start, I guess, but not too special in its own way.

III. front et baiser

A rather commanding sound follows La dix croix. Starting with muffled organ, the song starts off fast, with tremolos. The high melody stands out in the dark low background. The instruments soften as Juka's voice joined in, but the strong beats remained, with what sounded likes strings for the background melody. I adore the chorus, with a mass blend of guitar, harpsichord, drums and bass, the vocal standing out very strikingly. Around the 3.10, the song slows down, picking up a slow and rhythmic line. This continues for a while, and after the muffled organ, the song then returns. The ending sounds good, as Juka's voice trails off as the high melody comes in. Everything then softens to stop as the organ comes in once again. And, drums, bass and guitar together, they played a last note. Then it ends.

IV. Ange

The wind howls, and the thunder strikes. The drums here are much heavier and louder than the other songs. Everything seems to be speeding, except Juka's vocal and the ever soft harpsichord. His slower vocal against the racing melody sound good. There comes a harpsichord solo in the second minute, picking up pace gradually. Everything slams in once again after that. Juka's voice sounds rather desperate, actually. Maybe its due to the effect of the thunder in front, the world seems to be ending in the song. Ange starts fast, and it ends fast. Before I get to the point for this review, the song ended.

V. tentaion

Immediately after Ange, the album jumps into tentation. And once again, we hear the wind howling. The big clock strikes six times, and a voice whispers in the background. The piano starts the melody, and once again, like almost every other track in this album, it jumps into a fast and loud song. Juka sings the chorus immediately, "voice of temptation whispers you far away" sounds really good, despite the fact that you can hardly understand that it's in English. The piano plays in the background, standing out from the mass guitar, bass and drums. I like the melody for this song, sorrowful and a little hopeful sounding. The strings around 3.20 carry the melody for around 20 seconds, the drums never stopping. At the 4th minute, the harpsichord returns, with the piano. And when Juka's vocal joins in, for a while not the loud and fast background music, but ritards, and gentler. They return, of course, for once last time, before the fading wind howls and the clock chimes.

VI. Solitude

The starting for this song reminds me so much of MALICE MIZER's Shi no Butou somehow. There is a very rhythmic swing to this song, with the piano as main melody when it starts. The voice sounds so much like Gackt in Shi no Butou when it joins in that it scares me for a while. There is a very nice piano line for background around the first minute which leads to the chorus. I adore the chorus for this song. Rather catchy for Moi dix Mois, and higher than the rest of their songs. The piano creates a very nice effect in the background, clear, but not too outstanding till needed. The piano continues after the chorus, and the guitars (It sounds like two guitars to me. Layers, I guess) have a little play with the melody for a while. With the piano still carrying the melody at some parts, it goes back to the start. At 3.15, the song takes a slow and magical effect for around twenty seconds. Before ending, the swinging is repeated. All at once, everything ends, and jumps to the next song.

VII. Pessimiste

I'm not exactly very fond of this song, actually, as it sounded kind of hollow to me. The start is mysterious and shadowy, and then you hear something banging against what sounded like metal to me. A very digital sound starts the song, then a few hard notes. This song reminds me of Kyomu no Nakade no Yuugi. That digital thing comes out again, along with Juka's vocal. There is an effect for Juka's voice around 1.10, which sounded kind of weird to me. The chorus is more melodious, and like other songs, fast, with the harpsichord toying in the background. It repeats, with a nice harpsichord melody. Before the song ends, it reaches what sounded like the climax to me. And, with some strong bangs, the sound ends nicely.

VII. Gloire dans le silence

This song is in English, and, like so many other jrock bands and vocalists, you can hardly tell so. Layers of echoes lead to the typical Moi dix Mois guitar, bass and drums combination. You hear a little deep soft growl-like sound. Only at the chorus do you hear Juka's vocal, and like the start, it's with layers of echoes. A soft strangled growl/cry in about 2.10 makes me twitch a little. Towards the fourth minute, it ends. Simply.

IX. L'entelieur Dix

A very classical baroque sound to this short filler track. Slow strings play the melody, and the soft background harpsichord provides the rhythm and makes it fuller.

X. Detresse

Harpsichord starts, before jumping into hard music with a loud choir in the background. Juka's vocal stands out, loud and clear. The choir goes really well with the music, in a slow speed contrasting the instruments. The chorus got me really addicted for a while there, as probably the most melodious part of this song. The music repeats once, and at the 3rd minute, the drums stops, with just the choir. Sound of gothic goodness. Then the strings plays before everything join in with a faint strangled howl from Juka. Juka reaches a high note, and lets his voice trails off. The choir comes back, and slowly, retarding, it fades off.

XI. Priere

The gothic wind howls again. The drums beats, and the song swings slower than the rest of the songs, with a very nice keyboard carrying the main melody. I love Moi dix Mois's choruses. In Priere, it sounds good again. The slow keyboard swing is a nice touch before everything jumps in again. I like the part around 240. I adore the gentle rhythm in the background. The end is rather interesting. You hear a fast descending harpsichord, then the bang of the piano. Or at least, that was what it sounded like to me. Priere is one of my favourite song in the album, like I mentioned above, for this is the song which caught my attention the first time I heard it.

XII. Dialogue Symphonie-x

I believe many people have heard this song before. This song stands out, and I can see why Mana released it as a single before. Majestic, the song starts off with a choir, and very interesting guitars and background strings and harpsichord. Juka sounds pretty good in this song, I guess. But, like the other Moi dix Mois songs, its not too much of a vocal-dominated song. Although everything sounds good together, the harpsichord and the melody stand out more to me. Around 2.20 is where you really hear Mana's guitar clearly - what most of us initially got into Moi dix Mois for. The background is strong and fast, not at all messy, which contrasts nicely to Juka's clear, slow voice. Personally, I think it sounds better in the album than it did in the single. Not because of any difference, but just because of the whole feel.

XIII. Dix est infini

The conclusion for the album. The wind howls, the voice speaks, and there is a slow rumble of the thunder far away. It cracks, and finally, Dix infernal ends.

Album Information
Title: Dix infernal
Company: Midi:Nette Co.,Ltd.
Released Date: 03.3.19
Code: MMCD-031
Price: 3300yen