[REVIEW] the GazettE makes our summer 「DIM」

After exactly 2 years, the GazettE is back with a new album. I have been a fan for years but STACKED RUBBISH left a bad aftertaste. I have to admit, I was very sceptic towards this new album. It turns out DIM doesn’t only have amazing cover art but its content mixes old and new Gazette into a perfect – but very sinister – whole.

01 「剥離」 — 「Hakuri」
02 THE INVISIBLE WALL
03 A MOTH UNDER THE SKIN
04 LEECH
05 泣ヶ原  — Nakigahara
06 「エリカ」 — 「Erika」
07 HEADACHE MAN
08 紅蓮  – Guren
09 「子宮」 — 「Shikyuu」
10 13STAIRS[-]1
11 DISTRESS AND COMA
12 「感触」 — 「Kanshoku」
13 白き優鬱 — Shiroki Yuutsu
14 IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS
15 「朦朧」– 「Morou」
16 OGRE
17 DIM SCENE

「Hakuri」 lights up the album and reminds us a bit of SA BIR by Dir en grey mixed with the instrumental version of Kugutsue that the GazettE had on their homepage a year ago. It’s quite eerie and sinister and it leads us (quite strangely) to THE INVISIBLE WALL. It’s the promo song for DIM and you can get the PV with the limited edition. It’s quite similar to DISTRESS AND COMA, the GazettE’s latest single and this mellow track certainly isn’t a bad start at all. It has an excellent drum roll and other melodic parts. Apart from Ruki’s typical (horrible) Engrish at times, this track is another favourite to add to your list. Some scratches and a catchy bass take us to the rock ’n roll party; A MOTH UNDER THE SKIN. The chorus is fun, the guitar slides make you tingle and there is enough weirdness to call this track ‘typically Gazette’. It’s followed by LEECH, the second single. An aggressive, up-beat song with a trashy break down in the middle.

Nakigahara, the first ballad on the album, shows you the lighter and emotional side of DIM. I can’t help but relate this song to Juunanasai (Gazette’s very first ballad). Despite its length (7.19) it doesn’t get boring. The song is dramatic, emotional and beautiful. The instruments stand alone to bring a powerful image of despair (most noteworthy the bass and a traditional Koto guitar) and an electronic sample is added to the whole with success rather than failure.  「Erika」 traces away the lingering drama with its electronic bells and sets the mood for the next song; HEADACHE MAN. The b-side must have been very popular to make it to the full-length. HEADACHE MAN is a hardcore party with bits of Nu Metal and Punk. Turn this up louder and let the adrenaline flow. It makes a 180° when Guren starts, their first single, and another ballad. It’s an emotional piece filled with a traditional Asian string melody.

「Shikyuu」 taps into the sinister mood again. The agonizing baby wails and eerie bells forebode you for 13STAIRS[-]1 . The vocals haunt you, only to terrorize you a second later. The guitars couldn’t sound more evil and aggressive. It’s a trip into a dark abyss and delivers a fantastic climax. DISTRESS AND COMA lifts you out of the darkness. It is familiar (see THE INVISIBLE WALL), but still emotional. The chorus is either catchy or boring; you have to decide that for yourself.

「Kanshoku」, a simple piano is followed by the softest track of the album; Shiroki Yuutsu. It is a bit poppy with an orchestra to guide the song and has a strong bass presence. IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS is a punk rock fest (I might be totally delirious but the verses remind me of Basket Case by Green Day).

「Morou」, the fifth and last interlude, breaks the sense of peace brought by the last two tracks. It’s short but vile and followed by OGRE. It spits in your face and is fast and aggressive. It leaves a disgusting taste in your mouth, but in a very good way. But did anyone notice? The first part is almost an exact copy of Disasterpiece by Slipknot. Finally, DIM SCENE drops the curtain. This last track feels epic and might as well be the end to a very melancholic story. Ruki’s vocals are powerful, the strong instruments are tragic and the violin let’s you know; the end is nigh.

the GazettE delivers a very sinister album in the middle of the summer. Shiroki Yuutsu and IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS can lift the mood but it would be better to listen to this album at night. It has an overload of interludes but luckily they fit in. Listen to this album, NOW!

rate: 4/5
+  Nakigahara, 13STAIRS[-]1, DIM SCENE
-   IN THE MIDDLE OF CHAOS

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~ by BIRDasPROPHET on July 14, 2009.