4 posts tagged “aie”
Free-form preview of And Hate (and I DO mean free-form, i.e. not in order, rambley as hell, etc.), as I have an official review pending. To answer the why...I'm having a rather difficult time getting words out about this album. I honestly don't think anything I can write will do it justice. X)
Gaze: ahhh, I swear, back in Deadman, that intro would have been acoustic. But don't you get the feeling Aie is trying to cut all comparisons from them? I love how Aie and Yukino finish each other's phrases. It's absolutely the most amazing musical thing in Jrock right now. I'm almost in awe at how good they are at it. Especially when you consider this is the guy that left Deadman four songs in because of "musical differences". Feedback into clean, classic Aie.
Niji no iro: there's less of that cooperation here. I miss some of Aie's usual wankery too. I still think Akairo should have been the a-side. But of course, it works on the album.
Shakunetsu wa reido: my premise will definitely be that this is the weakest song on the album. It fits though, because the album is so cohesive overall. It's just weak in comparison. But it's not Aie's either, so I can be smug about that. XD
Advance Insane: The main riff is still totally the strong point. It's obscenely fast. It also dominates the song, it's hard to hear much else. The fake ending was great though. He does that so well, I swear. I don't like how Hibiki's cymbal rape obscures the last version though.
Keishou: I initially thought this was another weak song, but it's better than I thought. Yukino or not, he gives Aie plenty of time to wank, lol, and wank he does. The tempo changes are ace though. Also, the shouting part in the chorus is not as jarring as I was initially thinking. I detect some overdubbing in spots though. Sometimes I'm surprised this is Yukino's song, as he really takes a backseat in it.
Dread: ok, this is one of the songs that makes me get all weak when I go to write about this album. I love the yelling in the background, which is Aie, lol. But more still, I love the growly guitar riffs, and that staccato playing that he is SO DAMN GOOD AT. I feel like I've repeated that too many times already. The bridge is full of airy riffs and slow tempo, before the bass and guitar get down and dirty yet again. God, I love this song. It's fucking amazing.
And Hate: and it was after this song, that I knew this album was going to be killer. What was it though? The random Engrish chorus? The bridge with the bass solo? Aie owning it in the background? I dunno.
Unsightly Stupid: and this is the reason you fail if you buy the dvd version. Ok, one of the reasons. I like this song even more than Dread. Partially because Daisuke, for once, is perfect. His angry vocals totally go. And whatever Aie's doing is just sick. I love how he has something droning on, and yet, manages to insert yet another riff. It looks insane live too and I don't understand how he does it.
<<----- HE is a genius, have I mentioned that?
Hyouryu no hana: the most interesting thing to me about this song is how he adds the wah to his riff midway through the second verse part. I also like the chorus though, because Aie's backing vocals are pretty apparent. As in, what he's contributing. The last wanky solo was fantastic too.
Aru asa: maybe the only song where Hibiki's drumming is really good, or interesting. Aie's guitar work is pretty intricate too though, and also Daisuke actually sings here. There's a bass solo too.
Outro: the other reason to buy the non-dvd one. This thing is freakin' fantastic. Do you HEAR that riffing? :O Honestly. It's too short, I can't comprehend half of what he does. Ohhhh man, and muted chords even. *___* I do....seriously love what he does with that thing.
Missing Vain: I love his use of feedback, almost without exception. And the squealing that starts out this one is...uh, no exception, lol. That muted thing would interesting to see live. Some more of that phrase completion between those two. Nice distortion-heavy, grungy solo with a little bend to mix it up.
Ok, I'm not going to bother with the Intro, because it was...pretty introish, that is, not one of my loss-for-words tracks. But my LAST word is going to be that people who don't like this album don't "get" the Studs and they need to get on over to some other fandom. This is Aie. If you're a fan of that guy, you'll be loving this shit. IF not, well....then, please, why are you here? The reason I love him so much is that he doesn't compromise. I love his minimalistic composing style, his intricate, yet, non-traditional guitaring, it's contrary and technical all at the same time. And I feel rather sad for anyone who isn't an intelligent enough listener to get that. This isn't Deadman, this isn't Kagerou, and it WON'T be. The Studs is more his band than any other in the past. And one of the things I love most about him is that he clearly doesn't give a crap about complainers. Like, releases are slow, so WHAT? He's doing the majority of the composing and you can't rush genius bb. x)
Ahh, going back to my roots, while still remaining somewhat on the subject of Nagoya and Dai Mase. Alice in Chains was one of the first bands I listened to when I started to listen to rock, back in the early to mid 90's. They were and are considered grunge, one of the four superbands to come out of Seattle. But, they actually had their roots in metal, and began as a cross-dressing glam band. Sound familiar? If you were following the Lamiel discussion back there or are familiar with Deadman's roots, you know what I'm getting at. Also, the band was and is masterminded by guitarist, leader and composer, Jerry Cantrell.
When I first heard Deadman, AIC came to mind immediately. The first similarity is the downtempo groove, this is slooow stuff man. Slow, and trudging, and melancholy, like rain all day in Seattle. Despite their metal roots, there is very little in here that reminds one of metal. No speed drums, no screaming, and only a few metal-tinged solos from JC.
Vocalist Layne Staley actually had a good voice for a grunge band, certainly better than Kurt Cobain or even Chris Cornell, and he has that same kind of drone that Mako also does. However, he doesn't have the nasal issue. He had a decent range though, and there were plenty of harmonies between him and Cantrell. Again, sound familiar? It should.
Next, drumming. I am, in fact, very reminded of Toki here. The drumming is actually the most noticeable thing about this band besides the awesome guitar. It's active, with very little cymbal, and all manner of interesting fills in places. It drives the songs, or at least, it sounds like it does.
The main difference I hear between AIC and Deadman, is the un-prominence of the bass. And they had a rhythm guitarist, whereas Aie does it all in Deadman. But, every so often, it comes out to play in an unconventional way. Like, the title song there. I wondered if I'd ever really heard that type of higher bassline before in American music. But yes, there it is.
But also, there is the sparser composition style of Aie. He allows every instrument to be heard, AIC is a little bit noisier in places, but considering the comparison, in no way should you glean that they are a noisy band, because they're far from it.
Ok, now for the main point of this whole thing. Jerry Cantrell is Aie, or Aie is Jerry Cantrell. Seriously, their styles are so similar, I swear now that I'm hearing Aie. When I first heard Deadman, I swore they sounded so much like AIC. Ultimately, yes, it is the guitars. I'd wonder about Aie never citing AIC as an influence, but he's such a liar, that maybe he refuses to mention his actual, biggest influence. I think I would die of shock if had never heard AIC.
Anyway, style comparison. First, the difference. Yes, only one. That being that JC has more of a metal-tinge to his playing and he will occasionally do those type of solos.
However, the similarities are everywhere. First of all, the repetition of simple sounding, but complex chords combined with individual notes not in the same vicinity. Then, the bends. Aie is a big fan of eliciting squeals and other tortured sounds from his guitar, with bends, or other techniques on the fretboard not involving picking. JC does the same thing. And often these sounds will substitute for a solo. Add also, the warm, fuzzy distortion they both favor, and far more low notes than high notes.
I've also figured out that both of them use some kind of pitch delay, enabling them to keep a line running, as they start on the next one. There's also the dominance. There's no doubt Aie's guitar dominates Deadman's sound, it's not a question that JC does the same in AIC. Whether he's soloing or playing the driving chords, everything definitely follows him. He doesn't use an ESP, lol, but he does use a Gibson Les Paul, which explains a little bit of that lack of heavy-metal sound.
Again, it's the lack of typicalness him and Aie share that I like so much. There's too many guitarists who play the same way, emphasizing solos based on arpeggios/scales, and when they're not doing that, play power chords. It's certainly harder to play the way Aie and JC play, requires deeper knowledge of your instrument, but the sound, the sound is so much more satisfying to the ears.
Their self-titled album, released in 1995, was their best, both in my opinion, and factually. The sound and compositions were much more mature and complex. Heaven Beside You, Head Creeps and the 8-minute song, Frogs were probably my favorites. But the whole album is amazing. Tripod - 1995
Comment if you take, plz. (You can do it at my LJ too, assuming you linked from there. XD )
Probably the main thing to take from this Deadman/AIC comparison that I didn't really touch on, is the macrocosm of Nagoya and Seattle sounds. There is a similarity there. One, that it even IS a sound, and two, the sound itself. Nagoya, while bands vary greatly lookswise, always maintains this underlying sound. It's a dark, grungy, crunchy sort of sound. The band may not be metal-tinged (Deadman), or they might be (Lynch), but there is a similar undercurrent. Dark-colored vocals, very little of that typical VK shrillness, bass prominence, and grungy guitars that rarely launch into speed solos. Also, a lot of downtempo stuff. Bands like Deadman and Merry go round, made that nearly their entire discography.
I'll probably continue this later, with another Nagoya band profile. XD
It's a funny image contrast though, innit? Jerry Cantrell is like 6'1, blond, Viking-looking, and little Aie is small and dark (though honestly, his complexion borders on sickly these days) in comparison, 5'5 and barely 100 lbs. So vastly different, but the styles, so incredibly similar.
Since his attitude and likeness is plastered all over this blog, I'll continue to praise Mr. Dai Mase. This time I have a rhetorical question, what exactly *is* Thursday?
So, back to Thursday. If Daisuke's not the song, who is? The answer is simple: Yukino and Aie. It's Aie's song, to be sure, and I give him all the accolades for the airtight, minimalistic composition. However, if those two are gonna finally get somewhere in a band, they need the exact type of cooperation found in this song between bass and guitar. The drums are simply a metronome for Yukino's chunky, rhythmic slap bass, and it's definitely him driving it. However, not to be outdone, Aie is right behind him, doing both rhythm and melody as he often does, and that is really unparalleled by any other guitarist I've heard. I love how there isn't a single inch of space between them (Aie and Yukino), when one's part stops, the other's is right there finishing his phrase.
Midway through they they break it down, and it's Aie doing the first group of slides. His quick little solo cedes this to Yukino who swiftly mirrors what Aie had done just a few seconds ago. The ending is almost like a war between bass and guitar, each seemingly going faster than the other in a race to finish the song. It's a bit like the start, except more frenetic, more urgent.
This song is really a study in cooperation and competition. Neither line could work without the other, but as both fight for rhythm and melody, it's easy to hear the competition as well. To me it says something about what their working relationship has been. Both were in the same band at the beginning of their careers, likely a highschool era band, but a band nevertheless. Then, about three years later, Aie joins Yukino in Kein for three months. And Yukino started out in Deadman when it formed, but obviously due to musical conflicts with Aie, left only one single in. Yukino composed half of the four songs for that one single and Aie composed the rest of the music for Deadman for the remaining years they were together.
Now, here they are again, in the same band. Only this time, it's very obviously Aie's project and he has the control from the start.
Thursday is not about Daisuke, and it's certainly not about Hibiki. I can't even hear them over the call and response, cooperation and competition that is the Aie and Yukino show. Maybe that's why I've listened to it over 60 times on my computer alone, even more in my car. I can't get enough of it. It's like a battle, and even though I know how it ends, it's over too quickly and I have to hear it again. I keep thinking there's something I've missed. A phrase that went by at the speed of light. Lost in the wave of Aie's lightening-fast fretting (how anyone can play barre chords and still be that fast is beyond me) or Yukino's thunderous slapping. How HE manages to get in part of a melody while only slapping is beyond me. But he can only do it, because Aie's there to back him up with his own, strong, percussive playing.
In conclusion, I LOVE this song. It's the second-most listened song on my Last FM for a damn good reason.
I freaking love Lamiel.
Next, bassist, Hiderou. He also went to Blast after Lamiel, and like Yuina hasn't appeared since they broke up. He's comparable to Yukichan (Yukino, lolz) in style, but a lot more understated, I think. However, he does have some really great lines in certain songs.
The drummer is Toki, who went to Deadman after Lamiel broke up. I've already said how much I like him with Deadman, but since Lamiel was a bit heavier, closer to metal or hard rock at least, it's nice to see that he can do that as well. He says his idol is Sakura, and you can hear some similarities in that sort of lazy, fluid playing style, but it ends there. He isn't in love with his cymbals.
Ahhhhahah, now to the guitarists. Most of the time
they had someone named Akira, and then very shortly, Iori. I'm not
sure which one's Mr. Hair, probably both, ohahah. Since I don't have
their last single though, Akira I guess takes responsibility for the
majority of the lead guitar sound. Obviously the other guitarist is
Aie, and he is the second, while Akira is the lead. But, in some
foreshadowing, I have to srsly say that his backing riffs are FAR more
interesting than the rather typical lead solos Akira coughs up. I can
generally tell who's who in any given song. However, I will say that
both of them worked well together, which is rare for bands like this.
Their lines are very clear, you can generally always pick out each one
without getting confused.
And, like with Toki, it's cool to hear
that Aie is quite capable of playing this more metal style AND capable
of working with another guitarist. But yeah, it's funny how he manages
to take center stage anyway, with his hoawesome riffs.
I really
like shura no niwa, because his backing stuff is ttly metal, and Toki's
drumming is kick-ASS. Their nine minute song, Divorce-Eins, is also
pretty freaking cool. Doesn't drag at all, and yes, I'm biased, I love
Aie's part in that one too. Actually, let's change cool to awesome,
shall we? This song is EPIC. Yuina sounds great for the most part,
again, tempo changes, and yes, growling guitar riffs. And actually what
it is, is a two part song. The first part is Divorce and is about six
minutes, then it's Eins, and it uses elements of the first one, to make
a sequel of sorts for the next three and a half minutes. Frickn' win,
yes.
Decadence is another favorite, because I love the stop-start
structure, and that was the one where Aie put his pick hand behind his
back during the rests. Sabaki no Tenbin was one I saw live on Youtube,
and the tempo changes are ACE. Great effect. I mostly liked Yuina's
singing, especially at the start.
And that's my band splooge for today. It's really too bad they were only around for 3 short years, but Aie had to move on with his genius. The great ones always move around, they say. XD
So, I would venture to say that Aie's riff in the accompanying song is extremely obvious if you're at all familiar with his sound.
And my comment for the picture is that Aie is still pretty much adorable in quasi-VK getup. It's slightly amazing to me that makeup never made him look any less masculine. Sickly sometimes, but not girly.
