7 posts tagged “the studs”
[2008.09.24] Plastic Tree - Utsusemi (album)
My relationship with Plastic Tree is sort of...simple. I like their stuff, and I like their sound. Even though yes, it's boring more often than not. It's a GOOD boring. It has this feeling of not trying to be anything. Part of this is helped by Ryutarou's ridiculously monotone singing. But the bass is usually always competent, as is the guitar. I don't really remember Nega to Posi, so I can't tell you if this one sounds like that one. To me it was much like any other Pura album. Consistent, with very few standout songs. It just sort of melts together. Although, Melt was one of those standout songs, ironically.
I haven't listened to it more than once though...
Other newish things that have been good or bad. The Unfade single from way back in August, which coincidentally is the last time I updated, was pretty boring. A lot of their stuff sounds much too much the same. SEX-ANDROID's new single was good, though unduly long. I really liked the Vistlip though. It showed a lot more polish than their first release. A band to watch, I think. The Studs singles have so far been fantastic, at least the a-sides. The lives are rather awful, but only because Daisuke is a particularly horrible live singer. I suppose you could argue that about him in general though. Similarly, Koda Kumi's Taboo single was mostly for the a-side, which was awesome, but I can't even remember the b-side. The new Lynch single was downright boring at worst and really only so-so at best. Nothing like their last one. They don't always put out strong singles though, so I'm mostly hoping there's an album coming up. Finally, if you don't currently listen to 9mm Parabellum Bullet, what the hell are you waiting for? Their follow-up to last year's Termination was every bit as awesome.
Older things I've been excited about lately...
Lance of Thrill. I'm not sure what to make of them, especially their sometimes shrill vocalist, but Iono, something about the music is pretty compelling. They're closer to metal than a lot of bands in that time period. Tourbillon are not as boring as I thought. Or they are, but it's a GOOD boring. BAISER were awesome. Something like Lareine, Phantasmagoria and Laputa rolled into one.
And that's it for now.
First of all, I have to apologize for the fact that nothing I say here can possibly do this album justice. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, prepared me for this album. I thought the singles would have, at least. But even though there are only two songs from those singles missing from this album, they absolutely did not indicate what the album would be like. I can’t quite describe what it’s like to be so thoroughly misled, and yet, so incredibly fine with it. Confused? Me too! Keep reading.
The Studs
And Hate
Genre: Nagoya, rock, grunge
Release Date: 03-05-08
Price: 3,150 ¥
Released By: Einustar Records
Tracks: 13
01.intro
02.and hate
03.niji no iro
04.dread
05.unsightly stupid
06.hyouryuu no hana
07.aru asa
08.shakunetsu wa reido
09.gaze
10.keishou
11.advance insane
12.missing vain
13.outro
The Intro is some jangly, feedback-laden guitar mixed with drums and bass that starts and stops compulsively, and after a final squeal, segues into And Hate. Daisuke’s chorus is surprisingly smooth, and I liked the raspy bluesy quality his voice took at times. The bridge has a sort of trippy guitar part and bass that is alternately mirroring and countering it. I also like when he (Aie) moves the little riff he’s playing up in scale a bit. Essentially there’s a bridge, a solo part by the guitar and then a second bridge with a bass solo and some falsetto from Daisuke. Also the last few notes by Aie seem to be a played out version of the chords at the start.
Niji no iro begins with a few bass notes before the drums
and guitar jump in. There are too many cymbal crashes for my liking,
not to mention long lines that take up space. However, the chorus is
nice from Daisuke’s standpoint, even if he is a little flat on the last
note. I detect just a tiny bit of overdubbing in the guitar too, which
is pretty unusual for Aie, especially with the Studs so far. I’ve
always loved Aie’s strategic use of rests, even when it’s not him
resting, and this song is no exception.
The abrupt ending takes us right into Dread.
This is one of the songs on here that blew me away right from the start
with its downright aggressive grungy opening guitar riff. The next
thing he plays is quickly muted notes that are making their own rhythm
while the drums fill the in between notes. This is another thing I
think Aie is incredibly good at. He’s a very rhythmic player and he
uses it cleverly. Daisuke’s yelling doesn’t seem out of place in this
song either, because it’s very aggro right from the start. The bridge
is surprising, and almost feels like a different song. Aie’s strumming
floats in the background while the bass is grumbling along in the
foreground. What I like is how the bass takes us to the next part. It
plays what Aie played to start the song, so it obviously sounds just a
bit different. And after a few stop/starts by Aie and the drums, the
guitar quickly takes over that same riff. Again, it’s the point
counterpoint that those two (Aie and Yukino) are so incredibly good at
within the context of this band.
Unsightly Stupid is next. And Aie’s riff here is kind of
like a train. It chugs along in almost a drone, before he quickly
tosses a few more notes in without missing a beat. I’ve seen him do
that kind of thing live, usually using multiple pickups, and it’s
really mind-boggling how smooth it is. The one thing I’m not liking in
this song is the hissssssshhhh of Hibki’s cymbal line. It sounds like
static and is actually quite distracting. Again Daisuke’s aggressive
vocals work really well in this song. The way he bites off the verses
is perfect. Like the previous song, it mellows out in the bridge for a
definite part-2 kind of contrast. But, just when you think it would
toss you back into the song, it actually keeps going like that, not
bringing the original premise back in until right before it ends. It
also finishes on an unresolved chord which is just…wow, love.
Hyouryu no hana comes up quickly because of that last ending. The most interesting thing to me about this song is how Aie adds the wah to his riff midway through the second verse part. It’s unexpected and it quickly ropes your attention back in, just when you might have thought it was getting repetitive. I also like the chorus though, because Aie’s backing vocals are pretty apparent. As in, what he’s contributing. It’s pretty sticky. The bridge sounds again almost like an ending, and there’s a small bass solo. The pause in the instruments, using Daisuke’s line to bring in the chorus again was effectively dramatic. And the final tremolo-style guitar work was fantastic too.
Aru asa actually starts out just with drums, and when Aie comes in, he’s again trading that rhythm with both them and the bass. Hibiki finally shows some restraint on those cymbals, and the jazzy little byplay between bass and guitar with Yukino taking solo, was, well, pretty damn cool. Daisuke actually really sings here too. The guitar almost sounds acoustic in places, but it’s probably not, just adjusted with the right amount of distortion to make it sound similar. I’ve actually yet to hear him bust that out for the Studs. I love the background solo near the end though.
Next up is another single song Shakunetsu wa reido. It’s one of two songs by Yukino on this album, and it’s ballad-like, like the previous one. However, it’s also not particularly complex and without the jazzy little touches of the previous one. Daisuke does a nice job on the chorus, though he has some subtle help in the background. Despite how well it fits into the album’s overall cohesiveness, it’s still probably the weakest song on the album. It had to be said and there had to be at least one, right?
Gaze starts with guitar for a few bars before Daisuke comes in, and again some very subtle backing vocals behind him. And that, in fact, is the whole song for one and a half minutes until Yukino comes in with a vengeance, taking over the melody briefly, before Aie returns to counter it. I love how they finish each other’s phrases, and I’m sure I’ve said that more than once. The verses from the start are repeated again, but differently, and it almost turns into a completely different song than what the beginning made you think. But it ends the same way, which is lovely.
After three mellow, acoustic-y (except not) vibed songs, Keishou is a bit of a curve ball. It’s also Yukino’s second song and definitely the stronger of the two. I wasn’t sure about this song initially. But Aie’s oddly trippy riffs are compelling and the shouty chorus isn’t as jarring as I first thought. I detect some overdubbing again in spots, but the tempo changes are ace. Sometimes I’m surprised this is Yukino’s song, as he really takes a backseat in it. It even ends on squealing Aie feedback that leads right into Advance Insane. And true to its title features an impressively insane riff by Aie. Said riff easily takes center stage, to the point where I have a hard time hearing much else, other than occasionally Hibiki’s awful cymbal lines in the background, though this one isn’t as bad as some. The fake ending around 2 minutes is pretty trademark Aie too. And again, I have nothing much to say about Daisuke, which is almost always a good thing in his case.
Missing Vain is the last actual song. I love Aie’s use of feedback, almost without exception. And the squealing that starts out this one is…uh, no exception. That muted thing would interesting to see live. Some more of that phrase completion between Yukino and Aie, and Daisuke sings very quietly, which I would also like to see if he could do that dynamic live. The bridge part has a nice distortion-heavy, grungy solo with a little bend to mix it up. It ends very much like it begins and all that extra feedback is perfect precursor to the Outro. This thing is probably the coolest minute and a half you will ever hear on an album. Truthfully it’s too short and too fast for me to accurately convey half of what Aie does here. He gets in both muted chords and that really fast jangly stuff he does, and then it’s over. And so is this amazing album.
When I first heard this album, I was speechless. I almost always
have something to say immediately following a listen, but this one, I
literally sat in front of my computer trying to think of something to
say and there just wasn’t anything. As it is, it also took me two hours
to do this review, finally. The strengths of this album are definitely
found within the composition. The structure of every song is intricate
and the fact that it’s so tight is the reason it sounds so simple. Yes,
I’m going to say it, it’s like Mozart.
Also, of course, the cooperative musicianship between Yukino and Aie
just keep getting better. Thursday (from their first mini) was
obviously just the start. Daisuke and Hibiki’s parts are the only ones
still rough around the edges, but they fit more often than not.
I should also note that there were two versions of this album, but I highly recommend this one over the one that’s missing two songs. Because those two songs happen to be two of the strongest songs on here: Unsightly Stupid and the Outro. ★★★★★
Key:
★★★★★ = Excellent, flawless, perfecto
★★★★☆ = Very good, has some minor flaws
★★★☆☆ = Good, maybe a few boring moments, but overall enjoyable
★★☆☆☆ = Fair, bad outweighs the good
★☆☆☆☆ = Poor, possibly offensive to your ears
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)
This is the second entry in the Studs’ three month, three consecutive release campaign, culminating with their first full album on March 5th. I couldn’t help but notice that the titles on this one are all in English, whereas the titles on the last single were all in Japanese. Nice contrast. Also, Yukino gets no nod here, all three songs are composed by Aie.
The Studs
Gaze
Genre: Nagoya, rock, grunge
Release Date: 02-06-08
Price: 1,575 ¥
Released By: Einustar Records
Tracks: 3
01.Gaze
02.As it Is
03.Advance Insane
Gaze starts with guitar for a few bars before Daisuke comes in, and again some very subtle backing vocals behind him. And that, in fact, is the whole song for one and a half minutes until Yukino comes in with a vengeance, taking over the melody briefly, before Aie returns to counter it. I love it when they do that. The verses from the start are repeated again, but differently, and it almost turns into a completely different song than what the beginning made you think. But it ends the same way, which is lovely.
As it is is next, and Hibiki immediately gets very
cymbal-happy. But fortunately Aie’s riffs take over, and oh what is
that? Why yes, it is in fact the famous Nirvana riff being retooled. I
swear, nearly every modern rock guitarist worth their salt, puts their
own spin on that eventually. I like it here, because it’s not the
dominant riff, just in the chorus. But, unmistakable, to me anyway.
Yukino seems a little hidden here, which is surprising. But perhaps
this one is Aie’s show. He had to get that Nirvana tribute out of his
system. There is a nice line in the bridge, however, and his bass line
is rather high throughout, so it’s easy to miss.
The chorus at the end is wonderful, with Aie’s backing vocals
la-la-la-ing. Sounds very British. Incredibly tight song, and Daisuke
is surprisingly inoffensive as well.
Advance Insane is the last one, and true to its title
features an impressively insane riff by Aie. Said riff easily takes
center stage, to the point where I have a hard time hearing much else,
other than occasionally Hibiki’s awful cymbal lines in the background.
The fake ending around 2 minutes is pretty trademark Aie too. And
again, I have nothing much to say about Daisuke, which is almost always
a good thing in his case.
Back to the contrast I mentioned at the start. The previous single was pretty bass-heavy, as in, that’s what dominated and led most of the time. In this single, it’s Aie’s riffs, and Yukino plays high and in the background. All three of them (the riffs) are very memorable. Also, Daisuke’s gotten just a little smoother yet as well. My biggest complaint is becoming Hibiki’s cymbal use. Or overuse, as it were. Or is. ★★★★☆
Key:
★★★★★ = Excellent, flawless, perfecto
★★★★☆ = Very good, has some minor flaws
★★★☆☆ = Good, maybe a few boring moments, but overall enjoyable
★★☆☆☆ = Fair, bad outweighs the good
★☆☆☆☆ = Poor, possibly offensive to your ears
Well, after the Studs exploded onto the scene last year with their self-titled mini and an awful lot of touring, fans have had roughly six months to argue about whether they sound like Kagerou or Deadman. With this single, it’s becoming increasingly clear that they will sound however Aie would like them to sound, i.e. closer to Deadman. However, there are differences from the mini; notably Daisuke’s improved vocals in places, he doesn’t sound as rough, and Yukino, the bassist, is responsible for the music in one of the tracks.
The Studs
Niji no iro
Genre: Nagoya, rock, grunge
Release Date: 01-16-08
Price: 1,575 ¥
Released By: Einustar Records
Tracks: 3
01.Niji no iro
02.Nageku akairo
03.Shakunetsu wa reido
Niji no iro begins with a few bass notes before the drums and guitar jump in. There are too many cymbal crashes for my liking, something I’m noticing with Hibiki, that I am not fond of. However, the chorus is nice from Daisuke’s standpoint, even if he is a little flat on the last note. I’ve always loved Aie’s strategic use of rests, even when it’s not him resting, and this song is no exception. The fade in the last chorus is good too, as is the abrupt ending.
Nageku akairo starts almost the exact same way, with bass.
But this time, Aie’s funky little riff quickly takes over the song.
Daisuke switches off between singing in a soft, near-falsetto, before
going back to rather harsh yelling for the chorus. The highlight
however, is really Aie’s riff and the counterpoint one being played by
Yukino. When those two cooperate in a song like that, the result is
sublime. A little trademark Aie, squealing feedback marks the
solo/bridge section, before heading into the last chorus. This is my
favorite Studs song since Thursday.
Shakunetsu wa reido would be Yukino’s first entry into
the Studs discography, and it’s probably the closest thing to a ballad
they’ve done thus far. Fortunately the vocals aren’t half-bad on it,
though there are definitely back-ups for the chorus, making it sound
fuller. They’re subtle, but they’re there. It’s not a particularly
complex song compared to Aie’s, but it is nice, especially if you’ve
been pining for smoother vocals from Daisuke.
So how did this one compare? Well, I was suitably impressed by it. The first two tracks especially. I will admit that I am not particularly hung up over Daisuke’s often less-than-stellar vocals, and as such, generally paying more attention to the composition and Aie’s always-impressive guitar work. I’ll also say that I’m liking more and more how much smoother Aie and Yukino are sounding together. On the other hand, I’m not liking Hibiki’s tendency to overdo it on the cymbals. Essentially, in spite of Aie’s incredible talent, and everyone’s experience, they’re still, in a lot of ways, a new band and I think their meshing together is still a work in progress and will only get better. ★★★★☆
Key:
★★★★★ = Excellent, flawless, perfecto
★★★★☆ = Very good, has some minor flaws
★★★☆☆ = Good, maybe a few boring moments, but overall enjoyable
★★☆☆☆ = Fair, bad outweighs the good
★☆☆☆☆ = Poor, possibly offensive to your ears
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.
Formed from the remnants of several bands, most active in the Nagoya scene, The Studs have already gotten a lot of attention, and recently performed in Europe. This is their first mini-album, and many fans were wondering what they would sound like. They have plenty to choose from. Kagerou, from whence the band’s vocalist, Daisuke came from, or maybe Deadman, with the main composer and guitarist, Aie. Bassist Yukino has played for well-known Nagoya bands Gullet and Lynch, to name a few. While the drummer, Hibiki has played for both Gullet and Blast.
The Studs
The Studs (type B)
Genre: Nagoya, rock, grunge
Release Date: 6-13-07
Price: 2415 ¥
Released By: Einustar Records
Tracks: 6
01.False the Skin
02.Disclosure
03.Rain Drop
04.Spread From Sister
05.Thursday
06.Tonight is the Night
The first song is False the Skin, and the Deadman sound is immediately evident in the dark, grungy guitar riff. The bass is right behind it though, a little higher than you would expect, but it works. Drumming is fairly simple and straightforward, with some occasional cymbal. Daisuke is more of a growler than a singer, and I was dubious about this at first, but he does blend when he has too, but otherwise his rough voice stays atop the mesmerizing instrumentation, contrasting and complimenting at the same time.
A little bass drum takes us out and into the next song, Disclosure. The guitar riff is actually surprisingly similar, but the bass is quite a bit lower. The tempo picks up a bit from the first song as well. The part where Daisuke mostly screams/growls is not particularly compelling, but he does sing a bit in the bridge, amongst a nice dark bassline. Overall I feel this song is a bit repetitive with a little too much screaming. I do like the main guitar riff though.
Next up is Rain Drop. This song immediately made me think of Deadman’s This Day This Rain, and not just because of the title. I know a lot of Deadman fans are particularly lamenting Daisuke over Mako, but for the most part, he is very able to blend into this thick, mesmerizing Nagoya sound. And this is one of those songs that suggests he does in fact know how to sing, though it is a sparse style. For the most part, he even resists being nasal, and nice controlled vibrato. That’s not to say that he doesn’t growl at all, because there are a few lines near the end where he does.
Spread From Sister is the longest song at nearly 6 minutes. Again a grungy guitar riff follows a lazy, high-ish bassline over simple drumming. Daisuke begins singing in kind of a whisper, before getting louder and then going back to a whisper. In the next line, the guitar picks up a new riff before leading into the chorus. Aie’s solos are very understated, but oddly memorable. In fact, every song on here is memorable in one way or another.
But, the best song is definitely Thursday. It starts out with a very Rage-like drum pattern, some clicky bass and probably Aie’s best riff thus far. Daisuke picks up the main lines with his standard growl-singing, and Aie and Yukino combine riffs for a interestingly staccato rhythm. In fact, I think it would be safe to say that Aie is a very rhythmic player, just in general.
Unfortunately this song is just too short, and Tonight is the Night quickly takes its place to close out the album. Daisuke goes back to singing and Yukino goes back to his high bassline, though it is pretty mobile. Aie mostly stays in the background, though he has an almost traditional solo midway through. Aie’s guitar solo leads us out, almost anti-climactically.
Overall, the Studs have a very sparse, very Nagoya sound, which may
not be everyone’s cup of tea. But, in spite of this, there are some
very catchy melodies, and even after just one run-through, you’ll
probably find a couple songs stuck in your head.
Also, Aie is the main composer, or rather, only composer here as well.
So, if you liked Deadman’s style, chances are, you’ll like the Studs.
If not…well, then probably not. ★★★★☆
Key:
★★★★★ = Excellent, flawless, perfecto
★★★★☆ = Very good, has some minor flaws
★★★☆☆ = Good, maybe a few boring moments, but overall enjoyable
★★☆☆☆ = Fair, bad outweighs the good
★☆☆☆☆ = Poor, possibly offensive to your ears
(originally published 7/8/2007)
