This is by far the weakest SEB this decade, with a grand total of zero mind-blowing songs. That's not to say there aren't any good songs here, but overall, it's nothing special.
And I'm not without my opinions either, so let's get the review on!
01. AAA - Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride <Eurobeat>
Rating: 7.5/10
First thing I noticed about this track is the length. At just over three minutes, this is hardly an extended - in fact, I've seen radio edits longer than this.
Also, this is a cover of a Disney song featured in one of their movies by the name of "Lilo & Stitch". I've never been a Disney fan, and I certainly don't think their music makes for good eurobeat, but I was pleasantly surprised by this track.
It's nice and upbeat, but not childish like you would expect from Disney. The vocals are pretty good, and the synths and beat compliment the melody nicely. It's a great example of songs you wouldn't have expected to sound good in eurobeat form.
SCP continues to demonstrate it's experimentive side, and continues to succeed.
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02. The Snake - Freedom Ride
Rating: 6.25/10
I'm gonna get a ton of flac (pun intended) for this, but I've never been a big fan of The Snake.
It's not like his songs are bad or anything, (I think they're pretty good) but I just don't think he executes aggressive eurobeat as well as artists like Fastway or Manuel.
This song's alright, and reflects The Snake's style pretty well, but it's just not my cup of tea.
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03. Kaioh - It's Like A Fire
Rating: 7/10
Hahaha, ok, so I really couldn't wait to hear this song, because I've been around the block and seen some things, and I know just how much of a hellraiser this son of Dave Rodgers seems to be.
So it looks like he'll be making/singing eurobeat at least on the side for a while. Which is good to hear, since he's not that bad. I always have a ton of fun picking up on the nuances and similarities his voice has to Dave's.
This song's not bad, but I keep scratching my head every time I hear the synth riff. I really don't like that sound, but that's just me.
That said, this is a good song in most other aspects. The bridge is great, and I really like the end of the chorus.
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04. Louise - Screaming Out The Power
Rating: 7/10
Alright, this is nice to see. HRG is still sounding good.
The chord composition is pretty basic and simple, so I definitely won't give it too many points for creativity, but it certainly does sound nice.
The vocals are pretty good, and a welcome departure from the typical "pitched-way-too-high" vocals I've come to expect from most of HRG Attack's female-sung tracks.
It's a pretty good song. Nothing as special as Cataclysm Night, but it's a whole different style, anyway.
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05. Garcon - On The Top Again
Rating: 7.25/10
Two HRG Attack songs in a row, eh? Daring move.
I really love the percussion and beats in this song, and the bridge and chorus are fantastic.
It's a nice balance of crazy and composed, I like where this song goes.
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06. Nathalie - I'll Remember Why I Love You
Rating: 8/10
So finally a good song from SinclaireStyle this year!
The melody is nice, and a bit out there (i.e. the bridge, which I love.) The chorus is bright and catchy, and paired with the synth riff gives this song a nice mood.
It's also a nice throwback to the structure and sound of eurobeat in the late '80s.
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07. Powerful T. - Louder & Faster
Rating: 6.25/10
A typical Powerful T. song - if you know his style, you know what to expect here.
Sounds good, but nothing too special.
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08. Momo - Flash & Love
Rating: 8/10
This song gets off to a good start. You can tell how well the melody is composed right away.
It's a very bright song, but not childishly so (as SCP has shown in the past.)
It's got a good bridge, and a great, dreamy chorus. The vocals aren't shabby, either, but that's to be expected of Momo, one of SCP's best female vocalists.
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09. Michelle Rose - Hard To Say I'm Sorry
Rating: 7.75/10
"Hm? Why is Cy-Ro's All Up To You playi-- oh, it's not."
A friend of mine recently said this and Cy-Ro's track would make a good double-A-side maxi-single. Truer words have never been said.
I'm kind of torn here, because it's really a great song (even better than Cy-Ro's, honestly) but the two are so similar, I feel like I have to dock it points for lack of creativity.
But then, maybe this song was produced first, so since I don't know, I'll just turn a blind eye to the similarity.
This is a great example of how flexible HRG Attack is in music production. Great melodies all around, from the synth riff to the chorus.
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10. Kate Project - In My Arms
Rating: 6.5/10
Holy shit, eurobeat, what the hell. This melody... again?!?!
I mean really, first "Never Ending Love" AND "When The Sun Goes Down" on 201, and now this song?!
Look, SAIFAM, I love you, but this chorus melody has been so overdone you would have to REALLY make up for it with lots of creativity elsewhere... which I'm not finding anywhere in this song.
Surprisingly enough, the verse and bridge are my favorite parts of the song, for me. They're nice and creative enough until the chorus comes on.
Points for effort and my unrelenting, overwhelming, inappropriately extensive SAIFAM fanboy-ism.
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11. Ace - Me & You
Rating: 8/10
For some reason, this song feels just a tad out of Ace's comfort zone. Which is good.
Naturally, it's a melodically powered song, with the kind of genius chord structure we've come to expect from Ace.
And that crisp, clear voice helps too, of course. Everything about this song sounds great, and then the chorus comes along and catches you somewhat by surprise, as it's quite energetic in comparison to the rest of the song.
It's great to see a new Ace song this year, and "Me & You" doesn't disappoint one bit.
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12. Aleky - Labyrinth Of Love
Rating: 7/10
"Hey this is a pretty cool intro." 60 seconds later, "...when does the riff start? Wait, it already started?"
It's kind of weird in that it gets right into it without an easily discernible riff. It really threw me off the first listen.
Giving it a proper listen, however, it's very good. It's a pretty good song, if a bit unorthodox.
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13. TRF - Boy Meets Girl <GoGo>
Rating: 7/10
Well, it's a decent enough song to begin with, and this eurobeat version is mixed nicely.
J-Euro, for me, is a bit more than "hit-or-miss," but not much more. I can appreciate songs in between "hit" and "miss," but I really only listen to songs I really love.
This is a good song, but I just won't want to listen to it very often. I'm not sure why that is.
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14. Dave Rodgers - Music For The People <Rock>
Rating: 5/10
"IF YOU DARE BRING SHAME TO THE EPIC WIN NAME OF JENNIFER BATTEN, SO HELP ME GOD-- oh wait, that's not too bad."
At least I thought it was fine when I heard the synth riff, which is the only decent part of this remake.
I've griped about Dave losing his voice for a while now, but this is the worst I've ever heard it in his (now) almost 30-year career.
It's really weird, because in this song it's as powerful as it was in the original, but the pitch is so different. I think it may be the original vocal, but if it is, then it's had a lot of (VERY unnecessary) editing done to it.
Either way, this (like most of the rock remixes this year) is absolutely terrible, at least in comparison to the original.
TOTAL SCORE - 98.5/140
Best Song(s): Nathalie - I'll Remember Why I Love You, Momo - Flash & Love, Ace - Me & You
Worst Song: Dave Rodgers - Music For The People <Rock>
Final Thoughts:
Not many. I can only reiterate what I said before, that this is (so far) my least favorite SEB this decade. It's got a few good songs, but a grand total of zero stand out (except for maybe Nathalie's track.)
I'm sure things will get better though, as almost every album before this has been exceptionally well done.
...if you ask me, it beats the hell 
