Super Eurobeat 203

[Jay]

Regardless of how similar Capaldi's riffs sound they're still kick ass for the most part. I wonder how much longer until I get tired of them though...

I was asking that very question back when 'Big Bad and Hot Love' was released, haha.

Given how samey eurobeat is lately, I think it's okay to pass off these generic Capaldi riffs so long as the rest of the song is decent and compliments the riff. It'll only become a problem if he's still using the same old tricks in 5 years time.

Edit: May as well finish the rest of the review.

07. THE SNAKE / THE SNAKE AROUND

This was one of the highlights from the samples. Heaps of energy, the catchy chorus and a fantastic guitar solo are the high points of this production. There's nothing negative I can pick out, really; it's what you'd expect to hear from The Snake.

RATING: 7.5

08. DOMINO / ONE-O-NINE

I haven't been as supportive of Gatti as I should've been lately, or GGM overall for that matter, so I thought it'd be nice to remain somewhat hopeful for this song to try and reignite my interest in the label. 'One-O-Nine' turned out alright, actually, but it's not an amazing song. The Japanese lyrics don't bug me as much as some other people, but maybe it's just the sameness of GGM that's getting to me more and more. As others have pointed out, the riff has a bit more meat around its bones than usual and it seems to fit perfectly with the rest of the song, so that's nice to hear. Overall, though, I'd rather go listen to 'Call Me' or an older Domino song.

RATING: 6

09. CHRISTIAN / TAKE THIS WAY

I can definitely hear similarities between this song and 'Ready Forever', which already means I'm in heaven! Everything works great all around and I'm particularly loving the introduction and riff yet again. 'Take This Way' falls short of its predecessor, however, since De Leo sounds like he's trying too hard in the chorus; it's as if Dall'ora is screaming at him to sing "HARDER! FASTER! STRONGER!", so it comes off as rather forced. The thing is, De Leo doesn't really need to try and sound macho since his normal voice is powerful enough. Still a great song though despite the pompousness.

RATING: 8.5

10. LILLY / I AM A LIAR

I'm glad HRG have stepped out of their comfort zone and produced something slightly original. Having said that though, I can still hear remnants of their typical tricks used in past songs in 'I Am a Liar' that HRG can't seem to break away from. A Stargate-esque type of song from HRG is always a plus in my book, but it's just unfortunate that 'I Am a Liar' is kind of boring. Oh, and did I mention that this song seems to drag on forever? It feels like Accatino and Rimonti fell asleep on the mixing board while this track was still running. Although it's one of the better and more original HRG songs in the recent past, 'I Am a Liar' still can't quite light my fire. A good direction for HRG to stick with though if they can refine this style some more.

RATING: 5

11. DIABOLIK / DIABOLIK

I've owned this song for at least a year now, and it might just be me but I don't really understand all the hype surrounding it. Farina is absent (for once!) and the song flows incredibly well, but other than that 'Diabolik' just sounds like another typical male Saifam song to my ears. I much prefer Diabolik's other song, 'Superphenomena', which breaks from that repetitive Saifam style slightly. Anyway, this isn't a bad song, but not particularly memorable.

RATING: 7

12. STEPHY / I BELONG TO YOU

'I Belong to You' sounds significantly different to what we're accustomed to hearing in samey world of eurobeat, and that's a major plus. Given how aggressive eurobeat is lately, it's nice to hear a song like this that has a different tempo and mood to the rest. It reminds me of 'Emotions' in some ways as well. another song which I like. If there's one thing that bugs me, however, it's the chorus; Martin doesn't sing it well at all, almost sounds as if she's drunk. A patchy song, but I wouldn't mind hearing more of this interesting style.

RATING: 7.5

13. GIRL NEXT DOOR / Power of love <MORRIS CAPALDI VERSUS GND REMIX>

I had some high hopes for this song as I'm a big Morris Capaldi fan. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I noticed the similarity between this song and 'Big Bad and Hot Love' right away too. What's unfortunate is that the Leslie Parrish song was one of my favourite and most played songs of the 180s, so when listening to this J-Euro remix I was somewhat desensitised. The song seems to drag on and on without adding any new spices to the mix too. I'd have to say this is the worst of the three J-Euro remixes released so far, but it's not a bad effort.

RATING: 7

FINAL THOUGHTS

A very disappointing album, to say the least. The main problem with an album that has no major highs or lows is that it doesn't really give me much reason to come back to it at a later date. Even with albums that are inundated with bad songs and no good ones, I always seem to want to return to it and give those baddies a second chance. The only songs I feel might be worth listening to in the future are 'Toy for Love' and 'I Belong to You' simply because they're left-of-centre eurobeat. Each and every artist on this album has sung much better songs in the past, so it goes without saying that those are the songs I'll probably return to in the future.

TOP 3

1. Bon - Toy for Love
2. Christian - Take This Way
3. Daniel - Waiting for Your Hero

BOTTOM 3

1. Ace Warrior - My Dream
2. Lilly - I Am a Liar
3. Momo - Send Me an Angel

[Gorgia_v]

just got my cd (bit slow on the buying)haha

i am in love with Toy for love!!! the lyrics are sooo funy!! "drink it up im like a waterfall"!!!! oral refferences maybe hehe


and strangly diabolic has also got my in its grasp, i dont think theres something super special about it, i just love it!!

worst song?? um....let me think....its sooo tough....um....ahhh....TRY ME WTF IS WITH THIS DAVE???? i think my ears will bleed for the next month untill the nex rock mix is released!!

[drnrg]

I guess all we need now are Infinty's and Bore's reviews?

BTW, Stephy's song has had the grow on me effect this week. I mean concidering I actually liked all the songs on the cd. I think I'm still on that Speed Demon high with her vocal ability.

[Bore]

Patience young 'un.
Possibly tomorrow or by the end of the week, depending on my work schedule. It's such a drag having to work for your own money. Needa win the lottery so I can write reviews faster.

[Jay]

worst song?? um....let me think....its sooo tough....um....ahhh....TRY ME WTF IS WITH THIS DAVE???? i think my ears will bleed for the next month untill the nex rock mix is released!!

I don't even bother considering those rock mixes in my review. They don't deserve a place on a eurobeat CD, in my opinion.

[DarkSky]

I think it's one of the best songs on the albm

[SuperEuroJimmy]

To be honest, I don't really dislike the Try Me version. It's... different, yes. But not bad. :')

[Densetsu13]

I got the CD on Monday and haven't had a chance to comment on it until now.

I agree with the comments on how it's an SEB that has no ridiculous weak points and few high points. Overall it was just very average all around. The only tracks that I've actually found myself listening to are Freedom and Power of Love, but unfortunately the latter is already a beaten horse for me and not new.

Ace Warrior's track would be full of awesome if the vocals weren't so freaking weak and drowned out by everything else. I'm usually a huge Eurogrooves/Time fanboy but the Chris Stanton track does nothing at all for me. The Stephy track is interesting and wins points for originality but it doesn't musically catch me, which is a shame considering Martini's vocals are like gold.

Overall, nothing bad or horrible, just very few standouts. Oh and props to DarkSky for having shout outs from Dima in the SEB booklet. Very few, if any, of us Eurobeat fans can say that we've had that happen before

[ryosuke63]

~Super Eurobeat 203 - Review~

I had heard some less than satisfied comments about this volume suggesting that it was pretty mediocre, but just like the one before it, volume 203 didn't disappoint me one bit!
I have to admit, I am absolutely loving the range of style we're getting in these new SEBs, and every song so far has been at least respectable (except maybe a certain HRG bit hack from volume 202).
Eurobeat is going strong, so here's the review!

~~~

01. David Dima - Freedom
Rating: 7.75/10

Well the intro is pretty to-the-point, huh? Gave me a startle at first, it was so loud!
The riff gives off a nice mood between the guitars and synths, and the bridge is nice enough.
It's got a great chorus though, and I giggled a little when I heard the time-trusted "let's go" sound byte being used here (it and many other DJ samples like it are a staple in Japanese eurobeat mixes).
I also like this song because it reminds me of an Italo-Disco song from the 80s also called "Freedom," by The Winners. If you like Dima's, check it out!
The only other thing to say about this song for me, is that the lyrics are pretty good, but I'm not sure how one can "wanna" freedom... perhaps it's just a transcribing error and he was saying "want a freedom," but that still doesn't make sense.
Ah well, lyrical errors are part of what makes eurobeat fun anyway, no? Oh by the way... FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOM[/braveheart]



~~~

02. Momo - Send Me An Angel
Rating: 8.25/10

Here comes SCP again... what's more, it's even Irene again, this time as "Momo". Her last couple songs on SEB have been amazing though, so I was no less optimistic hearing this for the first time.
The synth riff came as a bit of a surprise, because as crazy as I feel saying it, it sort of reminded me of the late 90s style Delta riffs with it's bouncy pitch.
It's got a good verse which leads into a bridge that no matter how many times I listen to, seems off the beaten path of a typical eurobeat bridge. Doesn't sound bad at all - I like it a lot... just different, somehow.
As always, the chorus is the strongest point in Irene's songs (due to her powerful voice), and she pulled this off better than many others could, I think.
Pretty catchy chorus, as usual, and while it might not be at the level of Power Of My Love or Coolover, it is DAMN close! Great song.



~~~

03. Ace Warrior - My Dream
Rating: 7.5

Why on earth did I come into this one thinking of My Dream by Tension... note to self: tone down the Italo-Disco obsession a bit.
I would like to do a quick "airing of grievances" (as George Costanza might put it) before I compliment the song.
AW's vocals seem WAY subdued here - I can't hear him nearly as much as I should. With a voice like his, it's a crime not to turn it up!
With the diversity we're getting on these new SEBs, A-Beat C's... well... lack of diversity is becoming more and more apparent to me.
While production quality has always been ABC's strongest value, they have also had a knack for churning out songs left and right, using the same instruments and drum loops, effects, etc. in the same way, leaving me with a "generic" impression oftentimes (though never with Tomas Marin... but that's probably a matter of opinion).
I hate to think their style is "quantity over quality", since it's usually been quantity AND quality, but occasionally a dud will come along and make me worry a bit.
Now don't get me wrong, what I just said has little to nothing to do with this song, because while the instruments are the same as in every other ABC song, this song is in NO way a dud!
This song was very nicely written, and screams Ace Warrior all over, and I'm very glad to see he's still got it.
It didn't leave much of an impression at first, but this song really grew on me with time. I love AW's style, and this song is a great example of it!



~~~

04. Daniel - Waiting For Your Hero
Rating: 7.75

Uh oh... Daniel has been pretty hit-or-miss for me for a while now.
Stuff like Frontal Impact and One More Try are high points obviously, but there's just so many other "meh" songs... like Go Shinkansen... (LET THE FANBOYS RAAAAGE!!~)
I was pleasently surprised when I heard this song though - it's pretty great! Like "My Dream", this took a couple listens to grow on me though.
The synth lead isn't exciting. Nor the verse... but wait... nice bridge! And... woah! Epic chorus!! This song tells a manly story pretty well, I'd say.
Just an afterthough though: can anyone else picture Chris Stanton singing this song, and kicking just as much ass as Daniel in the process?!



~~~

05. Bon - Toy For Love
Rating: 6/10

"Oh cool, Bonini's got a new song," I thought. "SinclaireStyle's pretty good, so this song is sure to be great," I thought. I thought wrong.
I have no idea what the heck they did to this song to make it sound so... weird.
The beats are so heavy, it overpowers every other sound. Every note sung in every part of this song is a total re-hash of 99% of every other song he's ever done... it's so generic-sounding, nothing can even make up for the racy lyrics.
To me, this is just another generic tune, made all the worse thanks to hideous production quality that I didn't for one second expect out of a label like SS.



~~~

06. Vicky Vale - Do With Me
Rating: 9/10

Freakin' Vicky Vale to the rescue!!
Considering Moroni's recent slow tracks "Keep Fall In Love" and "Star Heart", two songs I completely love, I had high expectations for this song, and was overjoyed to see them met!
It looks like Delta's going to continue writing songs for her (and maybe some other artists) in the early '90s style.
I'm ecstatic at the idea, as this style can easily produce many different great melodies, and is a nice (and arguably well needed) throwback to what many, including myself, believe was the Golden Age of Eurobeat.
The synth riff is great, upbeat, and has a nice "flow" about it.
This song is so good, even the verse escapes the mediocrity typical of eurobeat, and sounds nice.
The bridge is amazing too, but I feel a better and more pronounced background synth line would have done (even more) wonders.
The chorus is so catchy and cheery, it somehow makes the lyrics more enjoyable.
Songs like this are a big matter personal taste, but for me, this one is stunning. Please don't drop this style, Delta!



~~~

07. The Snake - The Snake Around
Rating: 7.5

First thing I think of when I hear "The Snake" is powerful guitars and epic-style chorus, and this song delivers that and more.
We may have a competitor to Fastway here, if Snake can keep making songs like this!
The synths and guitars in the riff match perfectly, and the bridge and chorus remind me a lot of SCP's mid-00s style, which was just plain legendary.
Nice guitar solo, and vocals are just a bonus to this great song.
Just one question though: how the heck can The Snake "around"? That literaly doesn't make any sense no matter how hard I fry my brain trying to figure it out. Do you mean The Snake IS around? Maybe I take the whole "grammatical errors in eurobeat are cool in their own way" thing back...



~~~

08. Domino - One-O-Nine
Rating: Six-Point-Five

I was never a fan of Domino's Japanese songs... for a number of reasons, but anyway.
Even though this songs sounds like every other Japanese-language Domino song ever, it does have a couple tweaks here and there, and I've somehow grown to like it.
It's a pretty good sounding song, but even with my (very) limited knowledge of the language, I have no idea what this song is about.
Still a good song though, and I hope Go Go's Music will keep quality a top priority.



~~~

09. Christian - Take This Way
Rating: 6/10

"Huh? Footsteps... someone getting in a car... racing off... drum and synth intro..." How creative![/overwhelmingsarcasm]
We didn't hear this kind of intro over nine thousand times in the tons of Initial D megamixes, and certainly never in a song about a "Speedy Speed Boy"!
That aside, in this song, Eurogrooves doesn't disappoint... but certainly doesn't surprise. At all. Actually, I take it back - they disappoint badly.
The bridge is such a rip-off of Ready Forever, I want to throw up. This damn song is the last straw for me.
Time/Eurogrooves has been really pissing me off recently, because this past half-year or so, every freaking song is a carbon copy of the last. This makes HRG Attack's songs look as diverse as SCP's for goodness' sake!
This is maybe the most blatant example of "recycled rhythm" I've seen out of them since the biggest one ever, a few years ago - Take It Easy by Vanessa, which was NOTE FOR F**KING NOTE a complete and perfect copy of One Night In Tokyo by Alexis.
I don't typically tell people to go out of their way to listen to a song in reviews, but listen to those two songs (Alexis' is on SEB 172 and Vanessa's is on SEB 185).
Sorry to fill this review with stuff not about the song... but then again, I already reviewed this song LAST TIME! Goddamnit Time, kick your writers out already! Harsh words, but someone had to say it.



~~~

10. Lilly - I Am A Liar
Rating: 7.5

"Oh f**k me, HRG's here. Six minutes? I might actually have to skip thi-- WHATWHATWHAT?!"
The aishu-filled riff told me HRG's actually made a SANE song! Glory halleluiah!
Well, the instruments are kind of strange for this song, but that's probably just in my head, since I've only ever heard them used to make ungodly songs about bazookas and vodka.
While I feel rude to say it, Lilly's voice doesn't really fit this song in my opinion, but it's a great melody anyway, and I love this song.
Bonus points to ya, HRG for passing your mental health test finally!



~~~

11. DIABOLIKAAAH - DIABOLIKAAAH
Rating: DIABOLIKAAAH*

OH GOD MY EARS... THIS... TOO... GLORIOUS... give me a second alone with this song, please.
Cerin and Del Prete, I assume, wrote the bulk of this song, as at it's core composition, it's a bit different than most of Farina's works.
But when you throw the mighty Mauro Farina in to insert headache-inducing BOOM BOOM dance beats... the result is nothing short of absolute perfection.
When I heard the synth riff start up, I knew something amazing was coming... when the riff came on full-beat, I almost died.
This song is literally as driving and addicting as a trance song! A quality rarely found in eurobeat, for me.
Awesome operatic voice, and interesting lyrics cast a great mood over this song, and the chorus is pretty versatile, being used also in the riff.
My one complaint about this song is the length. I'm not sure if this is marketed as an extended mix elsewhere, but it's a bit short to be called "extended", at 4:48... but then, it's not quite an album cut (much less a radio edit), so perhaps it's fine on it's own.
"So I'm almost through with the song, how could it possibly get bette-- HELL YEAH, THAT SYNTH RIFF AGAIN!!"
This song is just amazing. 'Nuff said.

*PERFECT 10 STARS



~~~

12. Stephy - I Belong To You
Rating: 7.75

This is probably the most trance-sounding eurobeat song I've ever heard. I guess this is a good example of experimentive style in modern eurobeat, huh?
I think Dima pulled it off well, because this song has a great melody on it's own, and I really like the riff too.
Great bridge, soulful chorus... the only gripe I have is the vocal aids, which can be painfully apparent, at times.
I'm not too sure I'd like to see this style become the norm for Dima Music or eurobeat in general, but songs like this once in a while would be more than welcome!



~~~

13. Girl Next Door - Power Of Love <Morris>
Rating: 8/10

Now this was quite a flashback! This remix reminds me a LOT of the J-Euro remixes of the late '90s and early '00s, especially in the synth riff.
The chorus screams typical J-Pop all over it, and as a fan of that style, I love it.
I love this song so much, I don't really mind the six and a half minute length. This is exactly what a J-Euro remix should sound like, and is easily the best one this year (so far).
I really wish I had more to say about this song, but I don't. I guess it's more of a song you should just listen to...!



~~~

14. Dave Rodgers - Try Me
Rating: 7.5

Both Wild Reputation and Around The World had pathetic production quality, so far below the par for A-Beat C that I had extremely low expectations for this song, and was pretty much only interested in hearing how Dave's voice is, singing this song.
Thankfully, I found much better production quality in this remake than in the last two, though I'm starting to wonder how Mr. Rodgers defines "rock". There's an awful lot of synths used here...
I love the drum line in here though, and Dave's voice is the best it's been in a little while. He pulled this off very well.
Considering the lyrics, Dave singing them seems a little awkward, but I'd say this is still a worthy tribute to the original, and a decent closer to this album.



~~~


TOTAL SCORE: 107 / 140


Up until now, I was still a bit worried that this sudden surge of awesome eurobeat would end, but this is about as good as volume 201 was, so I am now 100% convinced that eurobeat is doing better than it has in a long time (as far as sound is concerned), and I'll be restlessly waiting for volume 204 to come out, because if what we've seen so far is any indicator, we have a LOT of good stuff to come!

[thejti]

I your ratings pics XD

[Bore]

Who remembers this?


And yes, the review is still under way. Since Finland is currently the hottest place in all of Europe, I'm kind of forced to spend my time off outside. Maybe I'll need to drag my laptop outside on the balcony and do the review there, mh?

[drnrg]

E.P.? I don't think I was around whan it had that layout? That big AbeatC on the top was for Lollita wasn't it?

[Jay]

I remember that layout, haha. You could choose your own skin too.

Nice memories.

[the_ditz]

Yaaaaaayyy!! I love OMG cat!

Okay here goes - it's taken quite a while, but I finally have my Super Eurobeat vol. 203 review written! Loads of 10's awarded, but they were very well-deserved!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SUPER EUROBEAT vol. 203

01 DAVID DIMA / FREEDOM (Dima Music) [05:24]
Poor old Dima seems to really be taking a bashing of late for producing samey and copycat tracks. In my eyes, the strength of these bad feelings seems a little extreme, especially when we consider the fact that Hi-NRG Attack have re-used the same melodies for the past 5 years or something, but that's another story. In my eyes, this track once again highlights everything that is good about the Dima Music label - the production is polished with a really strong direction, the vocals are well-delivered and overall, the melodies are catchy as hell! For starters, the intro for this track reminds me of a slightly more mellow version of the Save A Prayer intro - lots of whimsical synth layers teamed with the wailing guitars off in the distance creates that magical soundscape that Dima has perfected over the years. When the main synth hook kicks in, the moog synth sounds a little out of place at first, and it's only after a few listens that I am able to listen to the track without furrowing my brow when this section kicks in. The hook is a game of two halves for me - the second half with the stuttering synth chords sounds great, but the more lingering first half seems a little mismatched with the rest of the song. Vocals, as I said, are delivered very well despite the lyrics being from the lower end of the inspirational ladder (the words "success" and "suppress" in the chorus don't seem to sound quite right with David's accent somehow). The guitar solo is awesome - a definite highlight of the whole track, as it avoids being too thrashy or distorted against the background layers and instead compliments the flow of the song. Overall, while this doesn't quite top the awesome Save A Prayer, it has a very similar feel about it and it starts off this album with an assured and quality bang!
Score: 9.5

02 MOMO / SEND ME AN ANGEL (SCP) [05:26]
First of all, I'll get this out so that it doesn't impose on this song's critique - I MISS MY PAMSY!! Honestly, every single part of this song just screams Pamsy to me, and I really wish she was singing it. Anyway, let's re-focus - without a doubt, this was the star sample of the bunch for me, and that delicious 3 second teaser of the hook drove me wild. Here, in all its glory, I am overjoyed to hear the amazing melody bursting from my speakers. Easily the best synth hook since Black UFO by Lupin. Momo's vocals sound far more established and at home in this track than they did in From Heartache to Heaven, and I just love the various twists that are inserted into the melody to keep it interesting (the "beware!!" in particular lifts it above the ordinary). The chorus has a really uplifting and positive feeling and message to it, and this nicely compliments the cheery and energetic synth line during the hook. I found myself uncontrollably dancing around my bedroom to this track last night - there's just something about the combination of the magical SCP synth hook, Momo's pure innocent vocals and the mid-range BPM that compels me to move! On a cuteness note, those "woahs" during the chorus are absolutely adorable, but without the possibility of them becoming irritating like the "yeahs" in Power Of My Love's hook. I can't praise this song enough, and it is most definitely my favourite track when you consider overall composition, production quality and execution. Sadly, it ended up on the same album as Toy For Love, which as you'll read below appears to have cast some weird black magic spell over me...
Score: 10

03 ACE WARRIOR / MY DREAM (A-Beat C) [05:03]
From the first note here, we are in no doubt just who performs this track - those wailing guitars can only mean that Ace Warrior has returned to the Super Eurobeat series. I was encouraged to hear that the intro seems to have much more direction and structure than many of the A-Beat C tracks from previous decades - the use of the guitar and bass line progressions that reflect the verse and bridge sections help to tie the whole song together. The synth hook is also nicely supported by a subtle guitar accompaniment and I loved the sprightly and playful nature of the hook. One big bugbear I have with this track becomes evident at the start of the first verse - the vocals seems so quiet compared to the backing track. Some better mastering could have been done to help these stand out a bit more, as it really makes the backing track sound quite exposed in sections. The chorus doesn't suffer from the same issue, or at least not to the same degree - this is probably the best section of the track, and it's definitely the section that loops in my head. The guitars during the chorus in particular often seem like they are out of control, and they overpower the vocals even more thus distracting the listener. Dave really doesn't seem to have the same attention to detail in terms of production nowadays - comparing this track to a Dima track for example really exposes the messy errors that are left. In summary, I find this track to be a fairly decent male adrenaline track but with a few flaws in the production and mastering that just stop it from reaching the very top of pile in this highly competitive album.
Score: 8

04 DANIEL / WAITING FOR YOUR HERO (Delta) [05:20]
Daniel has had some ups (for me, Full Metal Cars) and some downs (My Gasoline) but seems to remain as one of the more anticipated Delta stars among fans in modern times. Here, we are greeted with those extended guitar chords during the intro, which immediately gets the listeners attention - I imagine an arena with a different colour of spotlight bursting into life for each different chord. The chorus gets its first full reprise during this intro, which is apt as it quickly becomes the strongest hook of this whole song (although how you guide someone through the "dan jah" as Daniel warbles is anyone's guess...) When the beat drops in the build-up to the main hook, I love the way that the melody is introduced by those orchestral hits. That little section gives this track a little edge for me, as the main synth hook itself isn't particularly memorable or notable in itself. During the vocal sections, Daniel's vocals soar through the high and low ranges with little strain - the verses sound slightly less assured than bridge and chorus, but overall it's a very strong performance. Once again I feel that the guitar chords in the background sound just a bit too loud. The ending of this track is also a bit weird as it just seems to suddenly stop with an odd melodic phrase and far too much reverb that goes on for well over 10 seconds. All in all, I'd say Daniel has a hit on his hands here, but this track more than any other suffers from the comparison factor - there are just too many tracks here that outshine it in terms of melodic originality and production.
Score: 9

05 BON / TOY FOR LOVE (SinclaireStyle) [05:05]
Oh wow, what in the name of Niko is this?? I'm hearing deep, rasping bass notes with warped (and quite frankly, creepy) vocal shouts throughout the intro. This track really doesn't hang about in getting straight into the hard stuff! That kick drum almost blew my speakers at first - I'm getting a really strong hyper-techno vibe from this track, but with a slightly more Eurobeat-style melody (which is always a bonus!) I said before that this song was the kind of simple genius that only appears every so often, and the more I listen to it the more I just feel that while this track stays firmly in the standard Sinclaire style (i.e. steering well clear of any kind of modern 21st century synth sounds!) there is the very distinct possibility that this is the track that will be getting repeat plays long after all of the other songs have lost their initial appeal. There's something about the simplistic descending melody in the verse, the hypnotic kick drum loops, the disturbing grunts of pleasure - they all merge together into a somehow irresistible track. Sure, there are faults - the more treble-heavy kick drum used during the middle section leaves the production sounding hollow and unfinished, and after repeat plays the chorus does start to sound more than a little repetitive, but somehow that doesn't matter. This song, more than any other song in the past few years, just makes me want to hit that repeat button...and that's something I never EVER thought I would think about a SinclaireStyle track. Pure unadulterated genius!! Let's all celebrate with a sexual grunt in unison. Altogether now...UUUGGHHH!!!
Score: 10,000,000 (and I don't give marks above 10!!)

06 VICKY VALE / DO WITH ME (Delta) [05:21]
Well, it had to happen I guess - the high-scoring start to this album was always going to be tough to maintain, and it falls to the fairly inconsistent Vicky Vale to bring the scores down. There's just something about most of the tracks under this alias that doesn't connect with me - whether it's the washed-out sound given to the vocals themselves, or the composition and production, more often than not they just fail to hit the mark. Indeed, the best part of this track is actually a short piece of instrumental breakdown from 04:50 to 05:02 - the italo-inspired drum rhythms and galloping bassline here are reminiscent of those classic 80's SAW productions. Sadly, the rest of this song straddles a sort of no-man's land between 80's italobeat and modern Aishu Eurobeat - the stuttering vocal effects during the intro and breakdown sections call to mind those classic Hi-NRG and italo style tracks that were everywhere in the 80's, while the vocal melodies sound like they would easily fit into a slushy mushy Norma Sheffield track (which isn't a good thing at all!) Bizarrely, Delta also seem to take their cue from Hi-NRG Attack at a couple of points, where they use the trademark trills at the end of the bridge - "set me freee-ye-eee-ye-eeee". While the Daniel track probably loses some of its power and impact when surrounded by so many strong compositions, this song perhaps gains out of the album positioning as I do find myself humming along in the car at various sections of the song just because I'm so switched on by that Bon track. But overall, it's just not a style or production that draws me back for more.
Score: 7

07 THE SNAKE / THE SNAKE AROUND (SCP) [05:26]
Okay, first of all I have to say that I hate the title of this track. It just makes me think of a stupid kid's birthday party game or something. Thankfully, they song itself couldn't be further from this image. The muted drum rolls leading up to the slow-burning intro that builds and builds until the explosive guitar synth hook is just awesome - this track is definitely a driving track with all that tension and adrenaline throughout. During the verses, the vocals sound suspiciously reminiscent of Fastway & Ace (a.k.a. Go2) in their heyday (let's face it - they've been chasing their past glories for some time now), so it's great to hear that SCP finally have a new elite male duo established at the duo. Yes, I know that this track was produced a few years ago, but it still sounds fresh and full of energy. SCP's classic production is complimented by a strutting, confident vocal team-up and aggressive, assertive melodic phrases. This track has come a long way in my estimations from the time that the samples were posted, as I originally found myself thinking that it was a little shallow and gimmicky with the cheesy title and simplistic "two-note" chorus hooks. Now, I hear a polished, assured and most importantly moreish track that highlights once more SCP's current resurgence to the forefront of the Super Eurobeat series after a decade of hit & miss compositions. Great stuff!!
Score: 10

08 DOMINO / ONE-O-NINE (Go-Go's Music) [05:07]
I try not to let the fact that certain tracks in the Super Eurobeat series have Japanese vocals and therefore cannot be sung along to influence my opinion of them, but when you get a production that is as strong as this one from the current black sheep of the SEB stable (based on the public dissing and dismissal that many fans have been subjecting it to), it's really difficult not to be disappointed at the lack of a real singalong chorus! The intro - as previously highlighted by DarkSky - draws you in and instantly creates a high level of excitement and power that carries into the awesome ascending synth hook... definitely one of Go-Go's best hooks in a while! Domino's vocals have their trademark playful, care-free style but they still maintain a certain depth - I guess that's one thing to be thankful for, as at least we don't have the nasally or "back of the throat" tone of traditional Japanese female vocalists to contend with. I suppose one thing that slightly annoys me about this track is that there is a real break section - the entire song seems to stay on the same level with no change in style or pace that's really noticeable. It does mean that by the end of the song, you feel like it's lasted for closer to 10 minutes as the repetition has started kick in. Nonetheless, the strong production values and melodic hooks ensure that this track will get some replay, but only as an interlude to give my voice a rest from singing along to the other tracks on the album!!
Score: 8.5

09 CHRISTIAN - TAKE THIS WAY (EuroGrooves) [05:22]
Initial-D much? The car effects at the start of this track strongly position it in the style of fast, aggressive, petrol-head Eurobeat - something that EuroGrooves/Time has always done well. The almost creepy Hallowe'en-style organ arpeggios during the chorus add to the drama and intrigue throughout the intro - I'd probably say that Dall'ora more than any other producer can really produce quality intros that build high tension in a relatively short space of time. There has been a bit of criticism focused towards Christian's vocals especially during the chorus where, according to some people, he sounds like he is falsely trying to imitate a strong masculine sound. Personally, I don't have an issue with the vocals at all - they have that sort of warm, raspy tone to them and they are ably assisted by a clever background production that supports the weaker higher notes and drops out to allow the slightly lower notes to shine. The more I listen to the hook and chorus bassline, the more I am drawn to the awesome step-by-step ascension of the notes. If this track was played to grand prix racers before the start of a big race, I'm pretty sure they'd accelerate out of sight as soon as those red lights burned out - the sense of power and will to succeed that this song portrays is probably its biggest asset. I have not enjoyed a EuroGrooves song so much since the awesome Euronight on Super Eurobeat 191, and I hope that it is a sign of things to come from the label for the rest of this decade.
Score: 10

10 LILLY / I AM A LIAR (Hi-NRG Attack) [05:57]
Slow BPM alert! After such a speedy and powerful track from EuroGrooves, it's really quite odd to find a Hi-NRG Attack track that doesn't go all out in the BPM stakes. Generally, their slower tracks seem to be far better received on SEB than perhaps their more traditional speedy-styled tracks (the most recent example being Stargate by Starkly Ice) so this track probably has a good head-start over the HRG entries on 201 and 202. I reckon people's expectations of this label have slowly lowered over time, as let's face it they are not the most innovative or experimental label in the world. So the single-melody synth hook and jingle-jangle sounds used throughout this song do help raise its profile. If I'm to be critical - and I have to be to be fair to other tracks on the album - I still really hate those ugly vocal warp effects that Hi-NRG Attack use during intros. Here, they aren't as offensive as those used in Who's Making Love by Lou-Lou Marina, but they still contribute to making the intro of this track a fairly rocky ride. The vocals for the rest of the time are surprisingly the star in this song - a sweet and fairly simple melody that uses gentle refrains to subtley drill into your head until you are singing along merrily with the chorus. And that's the overall feeling I'm left with at the end of this song - it makes me smile sweetly and gently sway to the beat with my head, but won't ever really challenge for the top track placing with the brasher tracks, which are ultimately more appealing to me.
Score: 8

11 DIABOLIK / DIABOLIK (Saifam/Asia) [04:48]
I was sooooo happy to see this track finally appear on Super Eurobeat. From the moment it appeared on the Saifam download website, it blew me away. To me, this track more than any other is a perfect smash-up of so many different styles of dance music - you have the typical Asia Eurobeat style with some more techno style synth lines, and a little bit of almost happy-hardcore style in the long beat break intro and outros. The sporadic and insane synth hook probably won't be to everyone's tastes, but for me it is an awesome and unique touch that raises this track above the ordinary. However, no-one can deny the might of this track's main vocal hook - who ever would've thought that "oooohs" could be so damn catchy or hooky?? Seriously, I find myself randomly oooohing to myself throughout the day - at the office photocopier, in the shower, even when I'm brushing my teeth sometimes (although it ends up as more of a gargle to be honest, lol!) This is what makes this track so effective - the simple melody and production seems to burrow inside your head and makes you want to loop the track over and over again. There is no real depth to the lyrics, and the vocals have this weird faux-opera style that is as creepy as it is powerful, but this all adds to the charm. I was surprised to see this track was the shortest on the album, but to be honest you couldn't make it much longer without it sounding a bit samey. All in all this is a unique, crazy, twisted mash-up of a track that easily outshines any male Saifam track produced in the past 2 years.
Score: 10 (yep, another 10!!)

12 STEPHY / I BELONG TO YOU (Dima Music) [05:50]
Oh wow...just.....WOW!! From the moment that first piano chord reverberates from the speakers, I am instantly hooked to the sound of this track. It takes me back to the early 1990's when a Scottish dance group called T.T.F. (The Time Frequency) were ruling the clubs of my home country with their unique brand of crossover techno-eurodance. Even Stephy's rich and diva-style vocals remind me of the lead singer of T.T.F., Mary Kiani. I can hear the so-called trance influence that has been injected in to this song (the saw gates that breeze in and out of the intro are quite dreamy). I got more than a little annoyed when most people dismissed this track out of hand almost immediately for being "not Eurobeat", but for me the Dima Music production style is still there. The kick drums and loops still hold that key Dima ingredient that is evident in his more traditional Eurobeat productions, and while the BPM is much lower it's not hard to hear the heart of an italo/Eurobeat song beating behind the more commercial veneer. The dramatic shouts and flourishes during the main synth hook remind me of Mari-San a little (only slightly more under control!), while Stephy uses those honey-coated vocal chords to paint the story of the vocals through the rest of the song. The chorus has a more bouncy galloping bassline (or perhaps it's jua bit more evident here) while the breakdown at the 04:38 mark adds a bit more depth and variation to the mix. I also adore the subtle descending piano hook in the chorus that helps to tie the whole track together with the intro. More of the same in the future please Dima - an awesome track that deserves classic status in the future.
Score: 10

13 GIRL NEXT DOOR / POWER OF LOVE <Morris> (Avex) [06:26]
I'm not going to review this track as in-depth as the previous tracks as I don't feel as drawn to j-euro in general. The synth hook here has a really irritating quality to it for my ear - it sets me on edge and just makes me want to skip past it. The vocals are quite strong compared to a lot of j-euro, and the production throughout these sections is quite assured and fairly understated. Overall, there are far better j-euro songs out there, and I have a feeling that this is the one sure-fire "skipper" on the album for me looking forward in to the future. Not really my cup of tea.
Score: 6

14 DAVE RODGERS / TRY ME <Rock> (Sun Fire) [04:34]
The intro - in typical recent Rodgers style - is pretty much just a time-filler with no real depth or variation. The synth used is a bit weedy and doesn't really inspire we with much confidence. However, when the beat drops, I am immediately intrigued by the harsh synth that compliments the hard drum sounds. It reminds me a lot of the Dark Angels track "Right Now" from the 150's - it's Eurobeat, but with a much darker heart in a way! I could never really imagine this track suiting Dave's vocals, but the production really helps in this aspect as well as his vocal tone really sounds at home in this setting, making it sound like Try Me has been his song to perform all along! The piano riffs during the choruses with those squealing synths further add to the dark underground electronic atmosphere that this track has. I would probably have to say that this is probably my favourite "Eurock" track that I've heard thus far. However, I don't think it is fair to compare it to the other tracks on the album as the style is completely different. Instead, I will just give old grandpa Dave a rousing cheer for producing such a unique take on a classic Eurobeat track. Good Job Mr. Rodgers!
Score: n/a

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
This album is one of the most consistantly strong Super Eurobeat releases that I've ever heard. I can honestly say that there are no tracks that I dislike, and even my least favourite new track - Do With Me - gets a fairly respectable score. SCP dominate this CD, with both Dima Music and EuroGrooves showing their strong traditional and experimental sides. But for the true defining moment of this disc, you don't have to look any further than the bizarrely brilliant Toy For Love. This track will be a classic of years to come - mark my words!! Volume 204 has a massive act to follow on this basis...
Overall Score: 9.5

TOP 3 TRACKS:
1st - BON / TOY FOR LOVE
2nd - MOMO / SEND ME AN ANGEL
3rd - STEPHY / I BELONG TO YOU

BOTTOM 3 TRACKS:
13th - GIRL NEXT DOOR / POWER OF LOVE <Morris> (Avex) [06:26]
12th - VICKY VALE / DO WITH ME
11th - LILLY / I AM A LIAR (and I quite like this track to be honest!!)

(VERY) HONOURABLE MENTIONS:
CHRISTIAN / TAKE THIS WAY
THE SNAKE / THE SNAKE AROUND

[#Infinity]

Wow, sounds like SEB 203 is easily one of your favorite albums in the series ever! Those are some pretty high ratings coming from you.