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Tracklist | |
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01 - 0=ALL 02 - FREAK OUT 03 - Furu Aki (降る秋) 04 - Equal (イコール) 05 - Suisha (水写) 06 - SAI(Zenpen) (彩-SAI-(前編)) 07 - SAI(Kouhen) (彩-SAI-(後編)) 08 - Akatsuki wo Nokoshite (暁を残して) 09 - colors of the wind 10 - migration 1064 11 - cps 12 - Mawaru, Meguru, Sono Kaku he (廻る、巡る、その核へ) |
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Review | |
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With their first album Sou and worthy follow-up Loop Acidman certainly set high standards for their third album. Changes were certainly in store for the material to be included on equal, especially after the band's decision to compose more catchy songs. But certainly Acidman wouldn't be softening up after two successful major-label releases, would they? The answer to that is a resounding no. Equal remains a characteristic Acidman release, with the intensity, creativity and strong hooks that audiences have come to expect. But the sound has evolved, much more so than between Sou and Loop. Ooki's guitar steals more of the spotlight, and its frequent grungy sound of the past makes way for a jangly and more complicated style. Similarly the band's maturity reveals itself with increased restraint. This is used to its best effect in the title track, which builds slowly through the verses and finally achieves a subtle but satisfying release at the song's conclusion that is far more effective than what any loud or sudden dynamic changes could have introduced. The heart and soul of equal is undoubtedly composed of the pair of SAI tracks. The first, entitled "SAI(Zenpen)" is a reprise of the B-side off of the earlier single Suisha. Originally written to include vocals, this is one of Acidman's most sophisticated and unique compositions, and its demanding drum and bass lines are very impressive. It is followed by the softer and more lengthy "SAI(Kouhen)" which reintroduces the vocals with a beautiful melody that plays variations on the former SAI's theme. The songs together form a cohesive whole that is just about unrivaled in the rest of Acidman's catalogue. What seals of the success of equal is the band's propensity to take risks and follow through skillfully. The inclusion of the Disney song "Colors of the Wind" initially seems like a dubious choice. The song retains its original melody, but from heavy changes to the dynamics and rearranging it also sounds very much like an original Acidman song. The result is the elusively successful cover that not only adds an extra dimension to the original work but meshes very neatly with the rest of the album. Acidman's final bold stroke on equal is with the last two tracks which combine for a lengthy 11 minutes, the first half of which is remarkably similar to their older slow-paced instrumental single Slow View. At around the halfway mark the song charges into the stormy second half with waves of distortion and thundering drums, similar to hard post-rock groups like Explosions in the Sky, and wraps up the album with a powerful finish. In spite of all of the great changes included in equal, one element is regrettably missing - Satou's bass. His lines added an extra dimension to Acidman's songs and gave them a very distinctive sound, but on equal have been relegated to a more transparent (and sometimes nonexistent) role to make room for Ooki's six-string. Only on the title track and in the two instrumentals does the bass have as much presence as it used to. If Acidman needed any more proof that they are one of the premier bands in the Japanese rock scene, then this album certainly is it. The way its creativity and mainstream appeal are deftly interwoven make it one of the brightest releases of 2004, and an engrossing listen that should not be missed. |
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