About the band: LOG, comprised of
vocalist Vambi, guitarists Narumi and Rumina, and bassist Yuki, is a
relatively new band in the Visual scene. Formed in February of this
year, they are known for their heavy pop melodies and electronic
beats. Brave BLUE, released August 3, is their second single.
The tracks: I want to start off this
review by saying this is NOT my typical genre of music. Normally,
when I review a release, it's from a band I am already a fan of or
I'm at least familiar with, but I came into this one completely
blind. That being said, I did my best to leave my personal biases at
the door and give it a fair listen. On to the tracks.
M1: Brave BLUE
This track kicks off with that heavily
electronic sound that is so typical in visual kei these days. I have
to be honest, I am not a fan of this trend. I think that dub
step/electronica is the worst thing to happen to rock and roll and,
if not used properly, can really ruin a record *cough TOXIC cough*.
There is a guitar in there somewhere, but it is, at times, a bit
difficult to hear over the screaming rave beats. Vambi jumps in with
an aggressive vocal melody, heavy with hip hop influence. The
electronics make way for a thick, pounding guitar line punctuated by
the sharp pop of a snare drum that got my head bobbing. Another
round of grinding dub step beats kick in at the break, this time
melding with the guitar line quite well and I can almost feel the
back-and-forth surge of a live audience as they bang their heads with
each crashing wave. A sprint of a guitar solo leads into a pop rock
melody that carries us through the rest of the track.
M2: PEACH SAMURAI ～勧善懲悪絵巻～
My first thought when seeing the title
of this song was, “Oh, sweet Jesus, what have I gotten myself
into.” This song is catchy right from the start, opening with a
machine-gun drum blast and leading right into a pop hook that had me
bouncing in my seat. The electronics are there again, but much less
offensive than in the first track and complement the melody well.
This is a quick number, clocking in at about three and a half
minutes, that almost leaves you feeling out of breath at the end.
Listen to this one at the gym. Seriously. It's relentless.
Overall, not a bad release for a young
band. Despite my personal distaste for the heavy use of electronica,
this single is a strong show of musicianship that speaks to the
potential of this group. Both tracks are extremely dancable, catchy
little numbers (PEACH SAMURAI will be stuck in my head for days) and,
if heavy pop is your thing, I definitely recommend a pick up. I
can't say I hate it and honestly, for this particular genre, that's
saying something. You can grab your copy from Like an Edision but, unfortunately, it is only available in Japan so overseas buyers will need to use a shopping service.
~Kort
