Super Eurobeat 195
I have no idea how you made this assumption. It is by no means a boring, stagnant song. The song has very creative lyrics and a high production level. The only complaints I have are that the intro feels a little out of place from the sabi or vice versa and a little too much Mari-San shoutingpokecapn wrote:Thinking about it, Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe is the worst song on this album and probably the worst one in dozens of albums. It's like elevator eurobeat, as long as you're not paying attention to it it sounds like everything else, but if you pay attention the song is completely empty of substance, energy, and passion.
The dance is fun and easy too
King Of The World is not the best song on this CD. It is very average Dima, and Davide has the capabliity to do a lot better. Fight & Go and Save A Prayer were a lot better than this song. King Of The World is just really repetitive and slightly boring.
I just got my CD this evening, and overall I'm gonna say that I'm slightly disappointed by this release at the moment. The album sounds quite well-rounded as I anticipated, but with expectations so high, the songs don't stand out quite as starkly as I hoped initially. I could come to enjoy the CD more soon, but I think 192 and even 193 are both superior in terms of instant appeal.
I love this album so much that I really want to take my time in doing the review for it, however there's no reason why I can't post it for you guys in installments, so hear you go...
SUPER EUROBEAT VOL. 195 ~ SPEEDY ~ REVIEW (Part 1 - Tracks 1 to 3)
01 DAVE RODGERS FEAT. ALEX DE ROSSO - BURNING LIKE FIRE (05:17) [A-Beat C]
We are in fairly familiar territory with this track in the sense that once more, it's all about Dave's slightly angsty vocals and the layers upon layers of live guitars. This one really benefits from a slightly slower BPM I think as it gives the synths and guitars more time to fill the soundworld rather than them sounding a bit rushed or hollow. Dave's vocals are perhaps the best I've heard them in a long time - the vocal melody has enough fresh ideas to maintain my interest while the bridge section in particular sounds comfortably familiar to give it that classic A-Beat C Pasquini sound. I love the breakdowns halfway through when things are stripped back and we just have the vocals, gentler guitar arpeggios and the "live" drum sounds. If I had to mention one thing that prevents this from getting a perfect grade - and it is a small thing - it would probably be the fact that I still can't really rave about Dave's vocals anymore. Sure, he's one of the most iconic male vocalists in Eurobeat, but he does sound very "tired" and I think he would really struggle in a sing-off with some of the slightly fresher voices (like Leo River). Anyway, this is a fantastic start to a fantastic album - well-done Grandpa Dave!
SCORE: 9.5/10
02 PROJECT 2 - ULTRA MI-HA DELUXE (05:19) [Go-Go's Music]
I was all set to hate this track. Mari-San's debut track is still one of the lowlights of the 180's for me, and I honestly don't think she has full control over her vocals at all times. However, much to my surprise this track has completely blown-away every preconception I had and replaced them with total awe and joy every time it comes on my CD player or iPod. Seriously, I cannot begin to describe how good this song makes me feel! Let's start with the production - from start to finish, GGM have put every ounce of production talents and creativity into creating an extremely rich and dynamic sound that draws the listener in. The beat bursts during the intro are similar to a track I'm currently working on, so that probably explains part of my admiration, but I can hear the amount of effort that has gone into making this a future classic anthem. My favourite aspect of this track - even more than the stunning production - is the absolutely excellent vocal melody and chord progression. The verse and bridge sections have the catchiest melody that I've EVER head in a Eurobeat song. A bold statement, but I would defend the song-writing skills any day as it just encapsulates everything that I love - a highly dynamic rise and fall during the verse to move the track along and a rising chord progression in the bridge. Even the sort of "shouts" during the intro that repeat during the song have found a place in my heart to the point that I find myself singing "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNN!!!" throughout the day in an overly-dramatic and husky voice (I do get odd looks from my work mates!) The combination of Mari-San's diva strains and Leo's smooth yet aggresive kick is just perfect, and the two voices seem to compliment each other in a way that I haven't heard since Pamsy & Ace in "2love, 4love" (a highly underrated masterpiece in my eyes!) Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe is just a joy to behold, and I will be playing it for months and years to come. Easily the best song of the 190's so far, and I can't wait to hear more from Project 2!
SCORE: 10/10 (if I was using the plus system, you'd still be reading plusses at the point where this sentence ends!)
03 DAVID DIMA - KING OF THE WORLD (05:20) [Dima]
Aaahhh, Mr. Dima - what on earth did I do without you on the SEB series for soooo long! Ever since 1 Week on 190, I have thought that Dima has been on his best form ever, and this masterpiece easily maintains this great run. Unlike Dave Rodgers, Dima has a knack for making a song sound pleasantly familiar without it sounding rehashed. This track displays this perfectly. On one hand, we have the familiar bass and synth sounds that populated many a Vibration hit over the years, but we are also given a vocal melody and delivery that is smack bang in 2009! I adore his more rigorous use of guitars these days - they seem to give all of his tracks that extra bite that is required to stay ahead of the competition these days. It's extremely difficult to give a fair review of a Dima track nowadays as I will happily admit that I am an absolutely massive fan of his productions, but what I will say is that this track grabs you from 00:00 and doesn't let you go until 05:20. It's the little details that I can appreciate as well after producing my first track - the subtle change in chord/note progression during the 1st verse repeat; the change between synth sounds in the main hook to give it a more dynamic and complete sound and above all, the effortless flow between hook, verse, bridge and chorus. Dima - I bow before your greatness once again. This track probably sits ever-so-slightly below Save A Prayer in my favourites, but that's most definitely not going to cost you any marks in this review!
SCORE: 10/10
To be continued...
SUPER EUROBEAT VOL. 195 ~ SPEEDY ~ REVIEW (Part 1 - Tracks 1 to 3)
01 DAVE RODGERS FEAT. ALEX DE ROSSO - BURNING LIKE FIRE (05:17) [A-Beat C]
We are in fairly familiar territory with this track in the sense that once more, it's all about Dave's slightly angsty vocals and the layers upon layers of live guitars. This one really benefits from a slightly slower BPM I think as it gives the synths and guitars more time to fill the soundworld rather than them sounding a bit rushed or hollow. Dave's vocals are perhaps the best I've heard them in a long time - the vocal melody has enough fresh ideas to maintain my interest while the bridge section in particular sounds comfortably familiar to give it that classic A-Beat C Pasquini sound. I love the breakdowns halfway through when things are stripped back and we just have the vocals, gentler guitar arpeggios and the "live" drum sounds. If I had to mention one thing that prevents this from getting a perfect grade - and it is a small thing - it would probably be the fact that I still can't really rave about Dave's vocals anymore. Sure, he's one of the most iconic male vocalists in Eurobeat, but he does sound very "tired" and I think he would really struggle in a sing-off with some of the slightly fresher voices (like Leo River). Anyway, this is a fantastic start to a fantastic album - well-done Grandpa Dave!
SCORE: 9.5/10
02 PROJECT 2 - ULTRA MI-HA DELUXE (05:19) [Go-Go's Music]
I was all set to hate this track. Mari-San's debut track is still one of the lowlights of the 180's for me, and I honestly don't think she has full control over her vocals at all times. However, much to my surprise this track has completely blown-away every preconception I had and replaced them with total awe and joy every time it comes on my CD player or iPod. Seriously, I cannot begin to describe how good this song makes me feel! Let's start with the production - from start to finish, GGM have put every ounce of production talents and creativity into creating an extremely rich and dynamic sound that draws the listener in. The beat bursts during the intro are similar to a track I'm currently working on, so that probably explains part of my admiration, but I can hear the amount of effort that has gone into making this a future classic anthem. My favourite aspect of this track - even more than the stunning production - is the absolutely excellent vocal melody and chord progression. The verse and bridge sections have the catchiest melody that I've EVER head in a Eurobeat song. A bold statement, but I would defend the song-writing skills any day as it just encapsulates everything that I love - a highly dynamic rise and fall during the verse to move the track along and a rising chord progression in the bridge. Even the sort of "shouts" during the intro that repeat during the song have found a place in my heart to the point that I find myself singing "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNN!!!" throughout the day in an overly-dramatic and husky voice (I do get odd looks from my work mates!) The combination of Mari-San's diva strains and Leo's smooth yet aggresive kick is just perfect, and the two voices seem to compliment each other in a way that I haven't heard since Pamsy & Ace in "2love, 4love" (a highly underrated masterpiece in my eyes!) Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe is just a joy to behold, and I will be playing it for months and years to come. Easily the best song of the 190's so far, and I can't wait to hear more from Project 2!
SCORE: 10/10 (if I was using the plus system, you'd still be reading plusses at the point where this sentence ends!)
03 DAVID DIMA - KING OF THE WORLD (05:20) [Dima]
Aaahhh, Mr. Dima - what on earth did I do without you on the SEB series for soooo long! Ever since 1 Week on 190, I have thought that Dima has been on his best form ever, and this masterpiece easily maintains this great run. Unlike Dave Rodgers, Dima has a knack for making a song sound pleasantly familiar without it sounding rehashed. This track displays this perfectly. On one hand, we have the familiar bass and synth sounds that populated many a Vibration hit over the years, but we are also given a vocal melody and delivery that is smack bang in 2009! I adore his more rigorous use of guitars these days - they seem to give all of his tracks that extra bite that is required to stay ahead of the competition these days. It's extremely difficult to give a fair review of a Dima track nowadays as I will happily admit that I am an absolutely massive fan of his productions, but what I will say is that this track grabs you from 00:00 and doesn't let you go until 05:20. It's the little details that I can appreciate as well after producing my first track - the subtle change in chord/note progression during the 1st verse repeat; the change between synth sounds in the main hook to give it a more dynamic and complete sound and above all, the effortless flow between hook, verse, bridge and chorus. Dima - I bow before your greatness once again. This track probably sits ever-so-slightly below Save A Prayer in my favourites, but that's most definitely not going to cost you any marks in this review!
SCORE: 10/10
To be continued...
I actually just caught a cold once my CD arrived, so that has probably really been holding me back from listening to and appreciating it more. Doesn't help that I'm bored from not being able to go running for over 3 weeks now, either.
My favorite song right now is easily Save Another Day For Me. By far this track has the strongest and most dynamic melodic progression out of the bunch for me, plus it also has one of the best and most interesting synthlines I've heard in a long time. It very much feels like a classic eurobeat presentation from the late 1990's, except boosted by modern instruments. Honorable mentions go to Kooky Spooky, Don't Belong, and Hurricane Man. KS is bubblegum eurobeat cheese at its best and definitely stands out a lot in the way of production and creativity. After a few rough edges in the otherwise amazing Secret Destination, Don't Belong has incredible vocal delivery from start to finish and truly makes me realize how tallented Mari-San really is. Hurricane Man is also quickly growing on me; it may not have the melodic edge of SADFM, but it sounds heavier and catchier every time I hear it. Rock You sounds as strong as ever, too; interesting to note that it was not only written, but also produced by Roberto Gabrielli, which probably explains why it stands out from other Delta releases.
King Of The World is really cool too, but I wouldn't mind seeing a little more variety in Dima's lineup of male vocalists; Matsuri Night was a really nice breath of fresh air from the standard formula and I would love for them to use Dream Fighter Band's (not just Dream Fighter) vocalist more often. Fever Of Love is already starting to grow on me a lot.
Monsters Ready and I Will Survive are both from the higher end of the CD for me. Monsters Ready is fairly plain for Fastway, but it feels really great to hear more of his style after being rather underexposed (excluding Go 2) for quite a few albums. I Will Survive may not be the most intense and full-on presentation ever, but it's another song with a melody that catches my attention notably. The chorus, in particular, is the highlight of the track, but the production is still very well-rounded in general and continuously sounds better the more I hear it.
Stop City Lover is a nice track, but the melody is a bit dry and it probably won't hold my attention for a massive amount of time. The beat is hard and juicy as ever, and the synths are top-notch, so it still has its merit and might become a favorite, but I'm not quite as blown away by it as I was by the awesome Your Love Is Like A Medicine. Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe, however, is so far definitely not my favorite GGM release of the 190's. Great vocalwork and solid production again, but somehow I just don't feel that the melodic structure flows very smoothly and leaves the track with a very fragmented feel that doesn't do as much justice to the song's energetic chorus as I think could've been done. Particularly the super-generic synthline disappointed me most; repeating the same note without mixing anything around does not keep things interesting in the long-run.
Shine sounds pretty decent to me right now, but I think I'll appreciate its all-out free, happy-go-lucky mood a lot more once I'm over my cold.
I'm really not all that convinced by Burning Like Fire yet as much as I'd like to be. It's got all the proper elements for a steady hit from Dave, but for some reason I find it to be kind of boring. The production values are nice, but it lacks a lot of punch when compared to such enormous standouts as Space Boy and Eldorado.
Wild Boy Bad Love is okay, but feels weak and unpolished as a whole package. Lately I've been talking to the_ditz about Hi-NRG Attack's iTunes/junodownload.com releases, and he clearly thinks that the label has not been particularly strong since the 170's due to generic melodic progressions and unimpressive production values, and honestly, being a fan of Eurobeat Anthems and especially The Trailblazers, I disagreed with him, but when I look at an example such as Wild Boy Bad Love, I can definitely see where he's coming from. It just feels very undercooked in contrast to the megahits abundant throughout the excellent Bratt Protone compilation.
Anyway, my current ratings for this album would be...
1. BURNING LIKE FIRE / DAVE RODGERS FEAT. ALEX DE ROSSO: (7½)
2. ULTRA MI-HA DELUXE / PROJECT 2: (8+)
3. KING OF THE WORLD / DAVID DIMA: (10-)
4. STOP CITY LOVER / DERRECK SIMONS: (8½)
5. HURRICANE MAN / GOLD-RAKE: (9+)
6. SAVE ANOTHER DAY FOR ME / DE LEO: (10+)
7. DON'T BELONG / MARI-SAN: (9+)
8. ROCK YOU / MAD MAX: (9½)
9. MONSTERS READY / FASTWAY: (9+)
10. I WILL SURVIVE / MEGAN: (9)
11. SHINE / MISTER MAX: (8+)
12. KOOKY SPOOKY / SCREAM TEAM: (9½)
13. WILD BOY BAD LOVE / JOE BANANA: (8-)
FINAL SCORE: (9-)
My favorite song right now is easily Save Another Day For Me. By far this track has the strongest and most dynamic melodic progression out of the bunch for me, plus it also has one of the best and most interesting synthlines I've heard in a long time. It very much feels like a classic eurobeat presentation from the late 1990's, except boosted by modern instruments. Honorable mentions go to Kooky Spooky, Don't Belong, and Hurricane Man. KS is bubblegum eurobeat cheese at its best and definitely stands out a lot in the way of production and creativity. After a few rough edges in the otherwise amazing Secret Destination, Don't Belong has incredible vocal delivery from start to finish and truly makes me realize how tallented Mari-San really is. Hurricane Man is also quickly growing on me; it may not have the melodic edge of SADFM, but it sounds heavier and catchier every time I hear it. Rock You sounds as strong as ever, too; interesting to note that it was not only written, but also produced by Roberto Gabrielli, which probably explains why it stands out from other Delta releases.
King Of The World is really cool too, but I wouldn't mind seeing a little more variety in Dima's lineup of male vocalists; Matsuri Night was a really nice breath of fresh air from the standard formula and I would love for them to use Dream Fighter Band's (not just Dream Fighter) vocalist more often. Fever Of Love is already starting to grow on me a lot.
Monsters Ready and I Will Survive are both from the higher end of the CD for me. Monsters Ready is fairly plain for Fastway, but it feels really great to hear more of his style after being rather underexposed (excluding Go 2) for quite a few albums. I Will Survive may not be the most intense and full-on presentation ever, but it's another song with a melody that catches my attention notably. The chorus, in particular, is the highlight of the track, but the production is still very well-rounded in general and continuously sounds better the more I hear it.
Stop City Lover is a nice track, but the melody is a bit dry and it probably won't hold my attention for a massive amount of time. The beat is hard and juicy as ever, and the synths are top-notch, so it still has its merit and might become a favorite, but I'm not quite as blown away by it as I was by the awesome Your Love Is Like A Medicine. Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe, however, is so far definitely not my favorite GGM release of the 190's. Great vocalwork and solid production again, but somehow I just don't feel that the melodic structure flows very smoothly and leaves the track with a very fragmented feel that doesn't do as much justice to the song's energetic chorus as I think could've been done. Particularly the super-generic synthline disappointed me most; repeating the same note without mixing anything around does not keep things interesting in the long-run.
Shine sounds pretty decent to me right now, but I think I'll appreciate its all-out free, happy-go-lucky mood a lot more once I'm over my cold.
I'm really not all that convinced by Burning Like Fire yet as much as I'd like to be. It's got all the proper elements for a steady hit from Dave, but for some reason I find it to be kind of boring. The production values are nice, but it lacks a lot of punch when compared to such enormous standouts as Space Boy and Eldorado.
Wild Boy Bad Love is okay, but feels weak and unpolished as a whole package. Lately I've been talking to the_ditz about Hi-NRG Attack's iTunes/junodownload.com releases, and he clearly thinks that the label has not been particularly strong since the 170's due to generic melodic progressions and unimpressive production values, and honestly, being a fan of Eurobeat Anthems and especially The Trailblazers, I disagreed with him, but when I look at an example such as Wild Boy Bad Love, I can definitely see where he's coming from. It just feels very undercooked in contrast to the megahits abundant throughout the excellent Bratt Protone compilation.
Anyway, my current ratings for this album would be...
1. BURNING LIKE FIRE / DAVE RODGERS FEAT. ALEX DE ROSSO: (7½)
2. ULTRA MI-HA DELUXE / PROJECT 2: (8+)
3. KING OF THE WORLD / DAVID DIMA: (10-)
4. STOP CITY LOVER / DERRECK SIMONS: (8½)
5. HURRICANE MAN / GOLD-RAKE: (9+)
6. SAVE ANOTHER DAY FOR ME / DE LEO: (10+)
7. DON'T BELONG / MARI-SAN: (9+)
8. ROCK YOU / MAD MAX: (9½)
9. MONSTERS READY / FASTWAY: (9+)
10. I WILL SURVIVE / MEGAN: (9)
11. SHINE / MISTER MAX: (8+)
12. KOOKY SPOOKY / SCREAM TEAM: (9½)
13. WILD BOY BAD LOVE / JOE BANANA: (8-)
FINAL SCORE: (9-)
'WBBL' is the first male HRG song I didn't enjoy since 'Spin Spin Baby' on 184. I had a huge rant prepared for this song, but you've summed my thoughts up nicely. The initial reviews people gave for it was nothing but praise due to its "freshness", and I couldn't quite understand where they were coming from.#Infinity wrote:Wild Boy Bad Love is okay, but feels weak and unpolished as a whole package. Lately I've been talking to the_ditz about Hi-NRG Attack's iTunes/junodownload.com releases, and he clearly thinks that the label has not been particularly strong since the 170's due to generic melodic progressions and unimpressive production values, and honestly, being a fan of Eurobeat Anthems and especially The Trailblazers, I disagreed with him, but when I look at an example such as Wild Boy Bad Love, I can definitely see where he's coming from. It just feels very undercooked in contrast to the megahits abundant throughout the excellent Bratt Protone compilation.
I ask, what is so original about 'WBBL'? The lyrics are generic and, again, highlights the lyricist's limited vocabulary of about ~100 words, the SEB-edit structure of their extendeds is still the same, and that riff...oh god that riff they use over and over and over and over is driving me bananas. The riff used in 'Wild Boy Bad Love', 'Si La Do', 'Pagal', 'SEF Deluxe' and 'Ride On My Speedy Car' are all nearly identical. I confess that I enjoyed some of these songs to a great extent, but I feel HRG needs some help; otherwise, SCP or GGM will simply take their spot on most albums.
I'll comment on the album as a whole later, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Not as good as 191, but it's refreshing to hear after the extremely mediocre 192, 193 and 194 releases.
Everytime I hear Wild Boy Bad Love I always find myself singing Hannibal The Cannibal... they sound identical to me.
"SHES PLAYING WITH THE GOD DAMN NUMBERS!" Phil on explaining Play With The Numbers
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Podcast available on iTunes & supereuropowerhour.com
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Podcast available on iTunes & supereuropowerhour.com
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drnrg
- Eurobeat Guru
- Posts: 6957
- Joined: 17 May 2005, 07:18
- Location: searching for missing Eurogrooves trax
The cd is amazing on almost all aspects. I have only given it a few spins, cause I just got it today, but I like what I hear. The only song I really didn't enjoy is "Don't Belong" Not just her over the top diva vocals , but the riff didn't draw me in either. On the other hand I liked Ultra Mi- Ha Deluxxe, were her vocals were not overused and gave more shine space to Leo; who clearly deserves it.
The only real grades I can give right now are too Eurogrooves, TIME, Dima and DELTA, cuz they are my immediate standouts. I'm kinda getting the same vibe as the rest of you on Joe Banana, but then again I didn't care for Ride In My Speedy car at first either, so I'll give WILD BOY BAD LOVE a few more spins before praising or condeming it. I love the title that's for sure.
The only real grades I can give right now are too Eurogrooves, TIME, Dima and DELTA, cuz they are my immediate standouts. I'm kinda getting the same vibe as the rest of you on Joe Banana, but then again I didn't care for Ride In My Speedy car at first either, so I'll give WILD BOY BAD LOVE a few more spins before praising or condeming it. I love the title that's for sure.
Review time!
1. Dave Rodgers feat. Alex De Rosso - Burning Like Fire
At least Dave is able to make an actual song after the trainwreck of 193. I really like this song, but I wish it was kinda faster.
8/10
2. Project 2 - Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe
The preview sounded meh worthy but this was a great turnaround. Never thought the vocals would work so well. Expecting more duets like this from GGM. Leo River + Mari-San = hot.
10/10
3. David Dima - King Of The World
Typical Dima but typical Dima is good. Sounds better than Save a Prayer. Can't be a Dima track without guitars of course.
9/10
4. Derrick Simons - Stop City Lover
This is really repetive during the chorus, but it still sounds awesome. Domino sounds sexy as backup and Tomas sounds better than ever after the exposure with A Beat C during the 180s.
10/10
5. Gold Rake - Hurricane Man
Obviously better than anything Time put out in a couple years. The riff sounds much faster than the actual song. I kinda shuttered when Feretti came in lol.
9/10
6. De Leo - Save Another Day For Me
One Touch + Time + ??? = Profit? Don't know how Time managed this. If Time made more tracks like this before their sudden removal, I would have liked their tracks more instead of REHASH REHASH.
8/10
7. Mari-San - Don't Belong
Fuck yes. Much better than Secret Destination. Fast, riff sounds sexy, vocals are top notch. Although, diving into a river? Only in eurobeat will you find off place lyrics like that.
10/10
8. Mad Max - Rock You
Onto the blunder of the CD. Pretty disappointing from Delta. The annoying ROCK during the chorus annoys me. Synths sound underproduced. Only thing it wins for is Moroni's backup.
2/10
9. Fastway - Monsters Ready
Just realized this is the first Ennio solo this decade. Sounds really good to the ear, but they missed the Halloween train.
8/10
10. Megan - I Will Survive
Well, Sinclaire doesn't disappoint. Another track that blows the others away. I really love the chorus so much.
10/10
11. Mister Max - Shine
Never a fan of Saifam so was really put-off by this. Sounds like every track they produced since they've been on SEB.
4/10
12. Scream Team - Kooky Spooky
No Pamsy QQQQQQ. But Irene yay! This tops Horror Fantasy by far. At least Ace is more recognizable here. Actually, may be better than Food Fighter.
10/10
13. Joe Banana - Wild Boy Bad Love
Generic HRG. Generic Sounds. Same melody from the last 10 tracks or so. They're not doing so hot this decade.
3/10
This CD has many tracks that are already my favorite of this decade. Yet, at the other end of the spectrum, contain some of the worst. HRG needs reinventing, or it will not bode well for them in the future.
Top 3:
Megan - I Will Survive
Mari-San - Don't Belong
Scream Team - Kooky Spooky
Bottom 3:
Mad Max - Rock You
Joe Banana - Wild Boy Bad Love
Mister Max - Shine
1. Dave Rodgers feat. Alex De Rosso - Burning Like Fire
At least Dave is able to make an actual song after the trainwreck of 193. I really like this song, but I wish it was kinda faster.
8/10
2. Project 2 - Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe
The preview sounded meh worthy but this was a great turnaround. Never thought the vocals would work so well. Expecting more duets like this from GGM. Leo River + Mari-San = hot.
10/10
3. David Dima - King Of The World
Typical Dima but typical Dima is good. Sounds better than Save a Prayer. Can't be a Dima track without guitars of course.
9/10
4. Derrick Simons - Stop City Lover
This is really repetive during the chorus, but it still sounds awesome. Domino sounds sexy as backup and Tomas sounds better than ever after the exposure with A Beat C during the 180s.
10/10
5. Gold Rake - Hurricane Man
Obviously better than anything Time put out in a couple years. The riff sounds much faster than the actual song. I kinda shuttered when Feretti came in lol.
9/10
6. De Leo - Save Another Day For Me
One Touch + Time + ??? = Profit? Don't know how Time managed this. If Time made more tracks like this before their sudden removal, I would have liked their tracks more instead of REHASH REHASH.
8/10
7. Mari-San - Don't Belong
Fuck yes. Much better than Secret Destination. Fast, riff sounds sexy, vocals are top notch. Although, diving into a river? Only in eurobeat will you find off place lyrics like that.
10/10
8. Mad Max - Rock You
Onto the blunder of the CD. Pretty disappointing from Delta. The annoying ROCK during the chorus annoys me. Synths sound underproduced. Only thing it wins for is Moroni's backup.
2/10
9. Fastway - Monsters Ready
Just realized this is the first Ennio solo this decade. Sounds really good to the ear, but they missed the Halloween train.
8/10
10. Megan - I Will Survive
Well, Sinclaire doesn't disappoint. Another track that blows the others away. I really love the chorus so much.
10/10
11. Mister Max - Shine
Never a fan of Saifam so was really put-off by this. Sounds like every track they produced since they've been on SEB.
4/10
12. Scream Team - Kooky Spooky
No Pamsy QQQQQQ. But Irene yay! This tops Horror Fantasy by far. At least Ace is more recognizable here. Actually, may be better than Food Fighter.
10/10
13. Joe Banana - Wild Boy Bad Love
Generic HRG. Generic Sounds. Same melody from the last 10 tracks or so. They're not doing so hot this decade.
3/10
This CD has many tracks that are already my favorite of this decade. Yet, at the other end of the spectrum, contain some of the worst. HRG needs reinventing, or it will not bode well for them in the future.
Top 3:
Megan - I Will Survive
Mari-San - Don't Belong
Scream Team - Kooky Spooky
Bottom 3:
Mad Max - Rock You
Joe Banana - Wild Boy Bad Love
Mister Max - Shine
Of course, that I'll be reviewing this album. XD XD
1. Burning Like Fire by Dave Rodgers Feat. Alex De Rosso [A-Beat-C]
I wasn't expecting anything with this title. This is mainly because I haven't liked one of his songs since Eldorado and SEB 193's entry was a total plane crash. So, let's go! The intro shows clear progress. The guitar is well used and produces a nice melody. The riff, for once, doesn't have guitar has the synth. And, because of that, sounds way better anything like Dave sung before this song and after Eldorado. The couplet and bridge is very well produced. For the chorus, like I said during my little preview review, would have had much more better if it had more sung voal at a faster pace. It's just me though. The guitar solo is REALLY good, I mean, it really fits in there. But the breakdown kinda destroy the energy. I would have at least, left the beat-drum. Anyway, in summary, I didn't enjoy a Dave Rodgers song for a while and this song kinda revives the fact that he can make good songs once in a while.
Rating : 9½
2. Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe by Project 2 [Go Go's Music]
I wasn't exactly looking forward to this song since the preview because the chorus kinda sound awkward. But, after listening to it the first time, it's incredible how one's opinion on something can change so easily. The intro is really energetic and up to Go Go's standards. The riffs is really powerful and energetic. The soundworld during the couplet, bridge and chorus is totally awesome and it's the kind of soundworld that makes a song so catchy. Mari-San and Leo River's vocals are really awesome and contrinute to that "catchyness". All and all, I really love this song.
Rating : 10
3. King Of The World by David Dima [Dima]
Believe me or not, I was holding my expectation for this song even I totally loved "Save A Prayer" and liked "Tsundere Night". Like that, I was sure that I wouldn't either expecting too much or too low. That intro reminds me of some kind of Basic Element intro, at least, the first part. That intro is well produced, well done and catchy. The riffs, being an harder version of the intro's synth, is really working. I love it. Davide's vocal are top notch as usual and fits well the soundworld and makes the song exciting and catchy. Extremely good song.
Rating : 10
4. Stop City Lover by Derreck Simons [Go Go's Music]
Oh boy, at first, I thought it was an A-Beat-C song and I was kinda surprised to discover it was a Go Go's Music production. OK. That intro sure is fun. I won't detail things like the 3 first song but Mega NRG Man sounds much better than its last songs. The song is really catchy in every point of view. The guitars are vell placed and fits in. The repetition of "Stop City Lover, Stop City Lover, Stop Stop Stop [...]" is actually very catchy and makes us sing along! I really liked that song.
Rating : 9¾
5. Hurricane Man by Gold-Rake [Eurogrooves]
I had huge expectation with this song. Like I said earlier, having high expectation can lead to heavily disappointed. Well, that's a little the case here. The intro starts with some rain falling sounds and thunder and we hear the music starting and then BAM!. It remakes me of the technique used in Euronight. The second part of the intro is actually catchy but not that much. Also, the intro is actually a little long : 1min is like HUH?!?. Well, Time as this habit to make long intros. Sometime, it's good but not always. Anyway, the riffs is very well produced and catchy but what I don't really like are the vocals. It sounds a little off-track but the chorus is pretty much better than the rest.
Rating : 8¾
6. Save Another Day For Me by De Leo [Time]
You don't know how much this intro puts me off. And, actually, it gets better at the second part of it. The riff is little awkward. The couplets sound energy less but the chorus sounds more powerful than the rest. This song isn't that good once you've studied. Also, it's pretty much the first song I've skipped in my car.
Rating : 6
7. Don't Belong by the awesome Mari-San [Go Go's Music]
OH SHIT DA MOST AWESOME SONG OF THE ALBUM!!!!111ELEVENONESHIFT!!!!!! I cannot stop to praise this song from every point of view. Mari-san's voice is just so fucking awesome and fits so much the energy the song has. I have no words to tell how much I love this song. It can be easily the best song in the 190's yet!
Rating : 10+++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [+ SPAM] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
8. Rock You by Mad Max [Delta]
Incredibly short song for an extended *sigh*. Since I have bought it on EM20, I thought it was a good song. I know that the riff could have been better. But, the vocals parts can easily make up for it because it's incredibly catchy. Pretty good song in general... only if that intro could be a little more catchier...
Rating : 9
9. Monsters Ready by Fastway [SCP]
SCP's first entry is kinda late but it's better than ever. The song starts with trancey intro like SCP has the habit to do. The intro is neither catchy or boring. It's just cool like that. The riff is catchy. Well, overall, it's a very catchy song some halloween-y sounds. It's a cool song all around and well produced. I cannot say much more.
A note... this song has an outro o_O Rarely seen these days.
Rating : 9¾
10. I Will Survive by Megan [SinclaireStyle]
I had very low expectation for this song and I was soooo right about it and it is SOOO far from the theme. Light synth with some standard Eurobeat BPMs. The song is far from being catchy. And, for god's sake, can Megan have a break and all of her aliases? This song is very annoying. By far, it's the worst on the album.
Rating : 5¼
11. Shine by Mister Max [Saifam]
I was made for---- huh... I mean Shine is very generic Saifam. I say that's probably the only so-so of the album. While it may be effective at some point, it fails at some other like it's trying to be catchy with that riff. It fails. Effective for it's sample production. Good vocals, by the way.
Rating : 7½
12. Kooky Spooky by Scream Team [SCP]
BOO!
LOL
Very anticipated song. For myself, I was looking forward to it but not that much. The intro is very "scary" sounding. The song is really fun to listen. It's like it was sung by some kind of witch and magicians which is kinda cool. Really cool and I found myself singin' along the first time listening to it. Yup. Love it.
Rating : 10
13. Wild Boy Bad Love by Joe Banana [Hi-NRG Attack]
I had no idea to expect but yet again, standard Hi-NRG Attack. Sometime it's a hit, sometimes it's a miss. In this case, it's a hit. The intro is a little different from the usual faire. The riff sounds as energetic as Ride On My Speedy Car and by the way, is it me or it sounds like Ride On My Speedy Car XD ? Because the chorus, how the vocal are sung, are like RomSC. Anyway, I really like this song.
Rating : 10
14. Special Megamix ~Speedy~ by DJ Ken-Bow [Avex & the labels]
Ugh... I guess it's not for nothing they put this at the end because it sounds kinda horrible. Some transitions sounds like... they were forced to be mixed. But beside that, it's ok.
Rating : 8¾
Overall, this album really kicks some major asses. I haven't like an album that much since a while. I hope Avex will keep this pace.
Overall Rating : 10
Top 3
- Mari-San - Don't Belong
- Project 2 - Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe
- Joe Banana - Wild Boy Bad Love
Honorable Mention
- Dave Rodgers Feat. Alex De Rosso - Burning Like Fire
Bottom 3
- Megan - I Will Survive
- De Leo - Save Another Day For Me
- Mister Max - Shine
1. Burning Like Fire by Dave Rodgers Feat. Alex De Rosso [A-Beat-C]
I wasn't expecting anything with this title. This is mainly because I haven't liked one of his songs since Eldorado and SEB 193's entry was a total plane crash. So, let's go! The intro shows clear progress. The guitar is well used and produces a nice melody. The riff, for once, doesn't have guitar has the synth. And, because of that, sounds way better anything like Dave sung before this song and after Eldorado. The couplet and bridge is very well produced. For the chorus, like I said during my little preview review, would have had much more better if it had more sung voal at a faster pace. It's just me though. The guitar solo is REALLY good, I mean, it really fits in there. But the breakdown kinda destroy the energy. I would have at least, left the beat-drum. Anyway, in summary, I didn't enjoy a Dave Rodgers song for a while and this song kinda revives the fact that he can make good songs once in a while.
Rating : 9½
2. Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe by Project 2 [Go Go's Music]
I wasn't exactly looking forward to this song since the preview because the chorus kinda sound awkward. But, after listening to it the first time, it's incredible how one's opinion on something can change so easily. The intro is really energetic and up to Go Go's standards. The riffs is really powerful and energetic. The soundworld during the couplet, bridge and chorus is totally awesome and it's the kind of soundworld that makes a song so catchy. Mari-San and Leo River's vocals are really awesome and contrinute to that "catchyness". All and all, I really love this song.
Rating : 10
3. King Of The World by David Dima [Dima]
Believe me or not, I was holding my expectation for this song even I totally loved "Save A Prayer" and liked "Tsundere Night". Like that, I was sure that I wouldn't either expecting too much or too low. That intro reminds me of some kind of Basic Element intro, at least, the first part. That intro is well produced, well done and catchy. The riffs, being an harder version of the intro's synth, is really working. I love it. Davide's vocal are top notch as usual and fits well the soundworld and makes the song exciting and catchy. Extremely good song.
Rating : 10
4. Stop City Lover by Derreck Simons [Go Go's Music]
Oh boy, at first, I thought it was an A-Beat-C song and I was kinda surprised to discover it was a Go Go's Music production. OK. That intro sure is fun. I won't detail things like the 3 first song but Mega NRG Man sounds much better than its last songs. The song is really catchy in every point of view. The guitars are vell placed and fits in. The repetition of "Stop City Lover, Stop City Lover, Stop Stop Stop [...]" is actually very catchy and makes us sing along! I really liked that song.
Rating : 9¾
5. Hurricane Man by Gold-Rake [Eurogrooves]
I had huge expectation with this song. Like I said earlier, having high expectation can lead to heavily disappointed. Well, that's a little the case here. The intro starts with some rain falling sounds and thunder and we hear the music starting and then BAM!. It remakes me of the technique used in Euronight. The second part of the intro is actually catchy but not that much. Also, the intro is actually a little long : 1min is like HUH?!?. Well, Time as this habit to make long intros. Sometime, it's good but not always. Anyway, the riffs is very well produced and catchy but what I don't really like are the vocals. It sounds a little off-track but the chorus is pretty much better than the rest.
Rating : 8¾
6. Save Another Day For Me by De Leo [Time]
You don't know how much this intro puts me off. And, actually, it gets better at the second part of it. The riff is little awkward. The couplets sound energy less but the chorus sounds more powerful than the rest. This song isn't that good once you've studied. Also, it's pretty much the first song I've skipped in my car.
Rating : 6
7. Don't Belong by the awesome Mari-San [Go Go's Music]
OH SHIT DA MOST AWESOME SONG OF THE ALBUM!!!!111ELEVENONESHIFT!!!!!! I cannot stop to praise this song from every point of view. Mari-san's voice is just so fucking awesome and fits so much the energy the song has. I have no words to tell how much I love this song. It can be easily the best song in the 190's yet!
Rating : 10+++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [+ SPAM] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
8. Rock You by Mad Max [Delta]
Incredibly short song for an extended *sigh*. Since I have bought it on EM20, I thought it was a good song. I know that the riff could have been better. But, the vocals parts can easily make up for it because it's incredibly catchy. Pretty good song in general... only if that intro could be a little more catchier...
Rating : 9
9. Monsters Ready by Fastway [SCP]
SCP's first entry is kinda late but it's better than ever. The song starts with trancey intro like SCP has the habit to do. The intro is neither catchy or boring. It's just cool like that. The riff is catchy. Well, overall, it's a very catchy song some halloween-y sounds. It's a cool song all around and well produced. I cannot say much more.
A note... this song has an outro o_O Rarely seen these days.
Rating : 9¾
10. I Will Survive by Megan [SinclaireStyle]
I had very low expectation for this song and I was soooo right about it and it is SOOO far from the theme. Light synth with some standard Eurobeat BPMs. The song is far from being catchy. And, for god's sake, can Megan have a break and all of her aliases? This song is very annoying. By far, it's the worst on the album.
Rating : 5¼
11. Shine by Mister Max [Saifam]
I was made for---- huh... I mean Shine is very generic Saifam. I say that's probably the only so-so of the album. While it may be effective at some point, it fails at some other like it's trying to be catchy with that riff. It fails. Effective for it's sample production. Good vocals, by the way.
Rating : 7½
12. Kooky Spooky by Scream Team [SCP]
BOO!
LOL
Very anticipated song. For myself, I was looking forward to it but not that much. The intro is very "scary" sounding. The song is really fun to listen. It's like it was sung by some kind of witch and magicians which is kinda cool. Really cool and I found myself singin' along the first time listening to it. Yup. Love it.
Rating : 10
13. Wild Boy Bad Love by Joe Banana [Hi-NRG Attack]
I had no idea to expect but yet again, standard Hi-NRG Attack. Sometime it's a hit, sometimes it's a miss. In this case, it's a hit. The intro is a little different from the usual faire. The riff sounds as energetic as Ride On My Speedy Car and by the way, is it me or it sounds like Ride On My Speedy Car XD ? Because the chorus, how the vocal are sung, are like RomSC. Anyway, I really like this song.
Rating : 10
14. Special Megamix ~Speedy~ by DJ Ken-Bow [Avex & the labels]
Ugh... I guess it's not for nothing they put this at the end because it sounds kinda horrible. Some transitions sounds like... they were forced to be mixed. But beside that, it's ok.
Rating : 8¾
Overall, this album really kicks some major asses. I haven't like an album that much since a while. I hope Avex will keep this pace.
Overall Rating : 10
Top 3
- Mari-San - Don't Belong
- Project 2 - Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe
- Joe Banana - Wild Boy Bad Love
Honorable Mention
- Dave Rodgers Feat. Alex De Rosso - Burning Like Fire
Bottom 3
- Megan - I Will Survive
- De Leo - Save Another Day For Me
- Mister Max - Shine
椛ちゃん、助けてぇぇぇぇぇ！
-
drnrg
- Eurobeat Guru
- Posts: 6957
- Joined: 17 May 2005, 07:18
- Location: searching for missing Eurogrooves trax
first off Lebon's reviews are getting so much better. Even the song you didn't cream for(DeLeo) was spared the ohh so hidious "boring", so I enjoyed reading your review BTW, I used the same formatt of your song and atrist titles.......Now.....Here comes mine.
1. Burning Like Fire by Dave Rodgers Feat. Alex De Rosso [A-Beat-C]
AbeatC starts off this new cd and what a nice surprise. Intros are what really draw me to a song and here Dave provides a rather catchy and appropriate one. I guess I should give credit to Alex who provides those very melodic guitar riffs. His style really has a taste of Nordic Metal. Still the real star here is Giancarlo. His vocals sound the best that they have in years. He sounds polished and refined in his tone. I hope this means he has gained a rebirth of love for his work. I would love to hear a new Powerful T. song while he is on this high. The comment about the song needing a few bpms works both ways. In a way a slight addition of speed could provide a more adrenalined start for the cd, but on the other side of the coin, the slower bpms really make the song a standout and an instant classic. This could easily be a hit during the 90's as well. Finally I have to add that it is refreshing to get an AbeatC song with a extended of over 5 mins. I thank the incredible break in the middle for that.
10-/10
2. Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe by Project 2 [Go Go's Music]
You can add another notch to the list of songs a really love from GoGos labels. I still sometimes wanna reach for some ear muffs everyTIME Mari starts yelling into the mike, but thankfully the high percentage of the vocal work went to Leo, who provides the atmosphere of the song and sings with the same amount of passion as he did in Runaway. As always ,the intro needs to pull me into the song and this intro not only does that, but sucks me right into it's heart. The riff is perhaps one of the strongest I've heard in GoGo's music, because it sounds like Oliva is pounding on the synths and that is music to my ears. Kudos for leaving the "airy" synths on the mixing room floor. I still think WTF everyTIME I hear the bridge & chorus. I guess the song is about some TV station. What's next? A song about a Eurobeat website? May E.P Prime.LOL! Anyway, where the lyrics lose me, the melody finds its way into my Eurobeat heart.
9-/10
3. King Of The World by David Dima [Dima]
Yes!! More pounding on the synths, but before that, lets spend some TIME praising the intro. I have to say there is magic in it's buildup from it's very first lines to the commanding synth riff and finally the fusing of the aggresssive guitars. This is DIMA at his finest hour. I'm still amazed at Save a Prayer, but damn, this man can dish out one tasty followup. Easily one of the top 3 best tracks on this cd. Any chorus with the first being "king" is bound to sound extra powerful just cause of the pronunciation itself. This song reminds me so much of Dima's classic at TIME called "King Of The Night" Another thing Dima does is capture the essence of what a song with the title King Of The World should sound like. The lyrics lack a tad of imagination as words like protection, connection, and reaction kinda sound like they were pulled out of a hat. Infact the second couplet of the second verse is exactly the same as the one in verse one. This doesn't cause any points loss, because the melody is beyond epic and because of that dynamite insertion of guitars in the third verse and of course DIMA sounds so great he could sing the words to a commercial jingle and make that sound good.
10/10
4. Stop City Lover by Derreck Simons [Go Go's Music]
This is what I like about this song. It's a Thomas Marin song, without sounding like a Mega NRG Man rehash. I remeber when songs like TNT, Take My Heat and More Than A Feeling, though all sung by Thomas had a different style to them. His vocal tone sounds a tad high than usual, but that is exactly what he needed to add that extra punch to his new material and I'm glad someone at GoGo's took it into account. As mentioned before, it's a damn catchy sing a long tune. The Devil in disguise line is a perfect close to a chorus and it sounds even better when showcased in the intro. The verses go by pretty quickly kinda like a HRG Attack song, then the small breakdown appears in the bridge with a little Domino magic, before ripping into that tremendously wicked chorus. Infact the whole song goes by pretty quickly, but with a very long lasting sing a long effect that leaves the listener craving for more.
9+/10
5. Hurricane Man by Gold-Rake [Eurogrooves]
Wow! I mean WOW!! This is by far the star of the cd. The intro gots the hurrican feel to it and I dare say a splice of HG Attack in that groovy guitar. First we have some wicked shoutouts readying the listener for what could be Iron Man part 2. Now we have Elena making a vocoder appearence and she is being backed up by some type of aggresssive sounding bells which just added more flava to the groove. The chorus tease is is always present and by the TIME we reach the actual riff, we already have almost 1 minute of Dall Ora magic without a single lyric. This riff is powerful enough to stop a pace maker. Fast, Wicked, and aggresssive enuff to suit the vocals of Christian De Leo. Now what we have here is a song with some "Super Love Super Action" Lyrical dimension that would make even Gino Caria jealous. Almost everyline is full of boastfull, narcasistic vibes that only Dall Ora can dream up. The bridge itself is probly the nastiest double meaning lyrics in a while. "Taste my force, tastye my body taste me"ah..I wonder what Mike Jay would think? The chorus, with it's "Jungle Man" and "Superman" shoutouts, screams for a parapara routine. I have to again praise the break. It's short, but powerful enuff to carry out the rest of the song, which incedently mangaes to fuse Eurogrooves most romantic female style with it's most aggresive malke artist. This all happens in the last chorus right before it all comes to an epic outro.
10++++++
6. Save Another Day For Me by De Leo [Time]
Haha! Mr. Dall Ora takes another SCP riff and and redinfines it into a more powerful and aggresssive sounding classic. He aslo magaed to make a Pamsy riff appropriate for a Mr. M. song. Fisrt thing we notice is that Chris is back, so I'm in Eurogroove heaven right now. The intro has a Kasanova feel to it, but soon after takes it's own course as the chorus tease showcases the kind os powerful track we are about to encounter. I still can't beleive this is the riff to the "One Touch" song. It totally adds another dimension of meloncholic genious to the track. I can almost anticipate Gambogi making a special appearence, but infact we again get Elena, who is best heard in the third couplet in the third chorus. That third chorus really penetrates and reminds the listener that this is indeed a De Leo sung track...and the break..channels all the Dall Ora magic that was heard in the already classic Valentin's Day- By Angie Sweet. By the TIME the track comes to an end .the listener will surly feel like they just came out of the TIME Spa. Out of breath and craving the next listen. Amazing how we get two killer outros on this cd from Mr. Dall Ora.
10/10
7. Don't Belong by Mari- San[Go Go's Music]
Ok get your torches ready cuz I'll probly be burned at the stake for this review. My only hope is for one of Dall Ora's superhuman deities to come and save me Mari-San...where to begin? How about the intro, which is the only part I liked from the song. Right from it's music box to the part right before the riff, then it all goes to downhill for me. The riff it'self is powerful enough to stand on it's own without the earscreeching yelling of Mari- San. Seldom do Eurobeat vocalist do this kinda annoying yelling. The reason being ,because it sounds so un Eurobeat and actually boarders on the thin line of those older Real Mcoy and C.O.R.O.N.A songs from the mid 90's that I for one, detest to this day. Even when she tries to use the same Leo River effect in the chorus, it sounds too forced to believe...and to my surprise I never thought I'd say that I didn't enjoy the Woa Woa's in a Eurobeat song. Like I said the song's melody is strong enuff and probly would have worked wonders for me if Domino sang it, but as it stands I could easily edit this song from intro to outro and leave out all the middle for a good song for my liking. Sorry Mari, it's not the music ,it's your over the top ridiculously DIVA sounding vocals that turn me off and since the vocals are an essential part of a song for me.... Epic Fail!
3-/10
8. Rock You by Mad Max [Delta]
Hot Damn! This tune has been growing on me ever since I heard it. It's been around for about a month and I'm more addicted to it than ever. It had everything to do with the fact that it was so short, that I played it numorous TIMEs untill it won me over. It's a Mad Max song if ever there was one. Laurent fuses the old and new style of Mad Max. The riff is sweet and so full of Italo magic. It immediatley reminded me of the very first Claudio sung Mad Max tune. I'm speaking of Don't Break My Heat. I can still remeber the magic that song provided. This round the magic is delivered from the ever so talented Roberto Gabrielli and if anything it shows in the Italo flavoured riff and to top it off we have yet another tune with a righous outro.ROCK!
10/10
9. Monsters Ready by Fastway [SCP]
The adrenaline high that Rock You provided is taken down a few notches by this new Fastway song. Not a bad song at all. Infact one of the better offerings from a Fastway solo appearence in a while. The intro wastes no TIME in delivering the goods and we get the usual SCP style shoutouts, which are still miles away from TIMEs aggressive style, but work for this song. The lyrics are odd to me, as I don't get the eerie feeling the song is supposed to provide. Calling them li'l monsters doesn't help iether. Again I can't overlook the fact that Fastway sounds pretty damn good and it adds alot of points to my final grade. In particular the bridge which for one reason or another reminds me of Old Skool Fastway style, like Space Love. The whole synth buildup gives me that vibe and since that's one of my favourite Fastway tunes, this similiar formula is refreshing to hear. This song also provides a pretty sweet outro, specifically the final cymbal.
9/10
10. I Will Survive by Megan [SinclaireStyle]
Lately I put my guard up for Sinclaire, but this TIME he provides a rather catchy melody. His style has really improved from the horrendous first showing of Niko. The soundworlds are sounding higher in bass and trebel and the competition is really starting to show. This sounds like a song he could have produced at DELTA studios. Cherry could have easily sung this. As of now Megan is sounding extremely well as a vocalist. My only gripe would be the echoish ourto. Not exactly the most powerful effect I've heard on this cd.
8-/10
11. Shine by Mister Max [Saifam]
Maybe I'm getting a little fussed up about Saifams soundworlds, especially the high trebel in the riffs, but I still love the sounds in the verses and bridge. The instrumental composition of the riff layered with a the rehashing of KISS's "I Was Made For Loving You" doesn't really "shine" this TIME around. It's actually a riff melody that ASIA used in quite a few songs in the 90's, but some how the percussion gets lost in this song. You can hear some nice drum effects trying to break out , but kinda get drowned out behind all the trebel. it's nice to hear another male vocalist take the mic, instead of Mauro, but as sit here listening to this song for the 5 TIME in a row, I can't help thinking that Mauro would have added more character to the lyrical compostion. As of now it sits nicly inbetween this Megan and the next "spooky" entry.
8/10
12. Kooky Spooky by Scream Team [SCP]
It's nice to see SCP being able to recapture the magic of SCream Team. So it's Irene huh? Why Not Pamsy? Anyway, the Halloween vibe is definatley more present on this offering than the previous entry from Fastway. The haunted house organ is perfectly showcasing that eerie Vincent Pryce"Thriller" like speech. So far so good, now we get an incredibly catchy riff. So lets see how Irene does in Pamsy's shoes. Ahhh.. She sounds very eerie in the way she sings those verses. I can imagine a band harpies backing her up. She sounds really good when she holds those notes to give it that spooky feel. The male shoutouts work wonderfully just as in Horror Fantasy. I wouldn't say this song surpasses that classic, but comes damn close and Irene is the perfect choice to fill in Trancy's Pamsy's absence. I know I know, why havn't a mentioned the lyrics? Yes they are silly, but only the ooky suky parts, the rest are perfect for Halloween. Zombies, Skeletons, mummies. What more can I ask for. Here is my question? Do the Japanese even celebrate Halloween? BTW Irene? sounds "Delicious" in her raspy vocals during the bridge.Outro Outro...BOO! nice
9+/10
13. Wild Boy Bad Love by Joe Banana [Hi-NRG Attack]
So I'm listening to this song more than others today. I have to admit ,the part that usually draws me into the song; the intro is so very lacking in imagination and goes by too fast to even try to appriciate, but by the TIME the riff starts; it grabs a hold of me like any other HRG song before. It will probly grow on me like RIMSP intro did, but right now I'm still waiting. What I love are the lrics and chorus more than RIMSP. Funny enough, the intro sounds better as a break than it did in the intro. The song is definatly craving for some repeat action , but comon why not something from the Trail Blazers compilation or some Laura Vox. HRG has some really amazing music in the catalog that for some reason gets passed over by AVEX.
9/10
14. Special Megamix ~Speedy~ by DJ Ken-Bow
again wasted space IMOP. especially at the end of the cd. What is the real point of AVEX adding these chorus only mixes. The only positive part is that Hurrican Man starts off the mix , but other than that...comon AVEX ,you can stick in one more song in those extra 10 minutes,can't you?
no rating.Waste of space.
All in All the cd is really great and close to 179 territory. The only downfall is the song "Don't belong", because I feel it just "Don't belong" on this cd. The rest of the labels did extremely well. EuroGrooves and DIMA never cease to amaze me, but SCP did. I have no complaints with HRG, because I'm enjoying so many other new material from them. DELTA and SAIFAM provided allready heard material, but I rediscovered Rock You on this compilation. Finally Dave got it 100 % right.
1. Burning Like Fire by Dave Rodgers Feat. Alex De Rosso [A-Beat-C]
AbeatC starts off this new cd and what a nice surprise. Intros are what really draw me to a song and here Dave provides a rather catchy and appropriate one. I guess I should give credit to Alex who provides those very melodic guitar riffs. His style really has a taste of Nordic Metal. Still the real star here is Giancarlo. His vocals sound the best that they have in years. He sounds polished and refined in his tone. I hope this means he has gained a rebirth of love for his work. I would love to hear a new Powerful T. song while he is on this high. The comment about the song needing a few bpms works both ways. In a way a slight addition of speed could provide a more adrenalined start for the cd, but on the other side of the coin, the slower bpms really make the song a standout and an instant classic. This could easily be a hit during the 90's as well. Finally I have to add that it is refreshing to get an AbeatC song with a extended of over 5 mins. I thank the incredible break in the middle for that.
10-/10
2. Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe by Project 2 [Go Go's Music]
You can add another notch to the list of songs a really love from GoGos labels. I still sometimes wanna reach for some ear muffs everyTIME Mari starts yelling into the mike, but thankfully the high percentage of the vocal work went to Leo, who provides the atmosphere of the song and sings with the same amount of passion as he did in Runaway. As always ,the intro needs to pull me into the song and this intro not only does that, but sucks me right into it's heart. The riff is perhaps one of the strongest I've heard in GoGo's music, because it sounds like Oliva is pounding on the synths and that is music to my ears. Kudos for leaving the "airy" synths on the mixing room floor. I still think WTF everyTIME I hear the bridge & chorus. I guess the song is about some TV station. What's next? A song about a Eurobeat website? May E.P Prime.LOL! Anyway, where the lyrics lose me, the melody finds its way into my Eurobeat heart.
9-/10
3. King Of The World by David Dima [Dima]
Yes!! More pounding on the synths, but before that, lets spend some TIME praising the intro. I have to say there is magic in it's buildup from it's very first lines to the commanding synth riff and finally the fusing of the aggresssive guitars. This is DIMA at his finest hour. I'm still amazed at Save a Prayer, but damn, this man can dish out one tasty followup. Easily one of the top 3 best tracks on this cd. Any chorus with the first being "king" is bound to sound extra powerful just cause of the pronunciation itself. This song reminds me so much of Dima's classic at TIME called "King Of The Night" Another thing Dima does is capture the essence of what a song with the title King Of The World should sound like. The lyrics lack a tad of imagination as words like protection, connection, and reaction kinda sound like they were pulled out of a hat. Infact the second couplet of the second verse is exactly the same as the one in verse one. This doesn't cause any points loss, because the melody is beyond epic and because of that dynamite insertion of guitars in the third verse and of course DIMA sounds so great he could sing the words to a commercial jingle and make that sound good.
10/10
4. Stop City Lover by Derreck Simons [Go Go's Music]
This is what I like about this song. It's a Thomas Marin song, without sounding like a Mega NRG Man rehash. I remeber when songs like TNT, Take My Heat and More Than A Feeling, though all sung by Thomas had a different style to them. His vocal tone sounds a tad high than usual, but that is exactly what he needed to add that extra punch to his new material and I'm glad someone at GoGo's took it into account. As mentioned before, it's a damn catchy sing a long tune. The Devil in disguise line is a perfect close to a chorus and it sounds even better when showcased in the intro. The verses go by pretty quickly kinda like a HRG Attack song, then the small breakdown appears in the bridge with a little Domino magic, before ripping into that tremendously wicked chorus. Infact the whole song goes by pretty quickly, but with a very long lasting sing a long effect that leaves the listener craving for more.
9+/10
5. Hurricane Man by Gold-Rake [Eurogrooves]
Wow! I mean WOW!! This is by far the star of the cd. The intro gots the hurrican feel to it and I dare say a splice of HG Attack in that groovy guitar. First we have some wicked shoutouts readying the listener for what could be Iron Man part 2. Now we have Elena making a vocoder appearence and she is being backed up by some type of aggresssive sounding bells which just added more flava to the groove. The chorus tease is is always present and by the TIME we reach the actual riff, we already have almost 1 minute of Dall Ora magic without a single lyric. This riff is powerful enough to stop a pace maker. Fast, Wicked, and aggresssive enuff to suit the vocals of Christian De Leo. Now what we have here is a song with some "Super Love Super Action" Lyrical dimension that would make even Gino Caria jealous. Almost everyline is full of boastfull, narcasistic vibes that only Dall Ora can dream up. The bridge itself is probly the nastiest double meaning lyrics in a while. "Taste my force, tastye my body taste me"ah..I wonder what Mike Jay would think? The chorus, with it's "Jungle Man" and "Superman" shoutouts, screams for a parapara routine. I have to again praise the break. It's short, but powerful enuff to carry out the rest of the song, which incedently mangaes to fuse Eurogrooves most romantic female style with it's most aggresive malke artist. This all happens in the last chorus right before it all comes to an epic outro.
10++++++
6. Save Another Day For Me by De Leo [Time]
Haha! Mr. Dall Ora takes another SCP riff and and redinfines it into a more powerful and aggresssive sounding classic. He aslo magaed to make a Pamsy riff appropriate for a Mr. M. song. Fisrt thing we notice is that Chris is back, so I'm in Eurogroove heaven right now. The intro has a Kasanova feel to it, but soon after takes it's own course as the chorus tease showcases the kind os powerful track we are about to encounter. I still can't beleive this is the riff to the "One Touch" song. It totally adds another dimension of meloncholic genious to the track. I can almost anticipate Gambogi making a special appearence, but infact we again get Elena, who is best heard in the third couplet in the third chorus. That third chorus really penetrates and reminds the listener that this is indeed a De Leo sung track...and the break..channels all the Dall Ora magic that was heard in the already classic Valentin's Day- By Angie Sweet. By the TIME the track comes to an end .the listener will surly feel like they just came out of the TIME Spa. Out of breath and craving the next listen. Amazing how we get two killer outros on this cd from Mr. Dall Ora.
10/10
7. Don't Belong by Mari- San[Go Go's Music]
Ok get your torches ready cuz I'll probly be burned at the stake for this review. My only hope is for one of Dall Ora's superhuman deities to come and save me
Mari-San...where to begin? How about the intro, which is the only part I liked from the song. Right from it's music box to the part right before the riff, then it all goes to downhill for me. The riff it'self is powerful enough to stand on it's own without the earscreeching yelling of Mari- San. Seldom do Eurobeat vocalist do this kinda annoying yelling. The reason being ,because it sounds so un Eurobeat and actually boarders on the thin line of those older Real Mcoy and C.O.R.O.N.A songs from the mid 90's that I for one, detest to this day. Even when she tries to use the same Leo River effect in the chorus, it sounds too forced to believe...and to my surprise I never thought I'd say that I didn't enjoy the Woa Woa's in a Eurobeat song. Like I said the song's melody is strong enuff and probly would have worked wonders for me if Domino sang it, but as it stands I could easily edit this song from intro to outro and leave out all the middle for a good song for my liking. Sorry Mari, it's not the music ,it's your over the top ridiculously DIVA sounding vocals that turn me off and since the vocals are an essential part of a song for me.... Epic Fail!3-/10
8. Rock You by Mad Max [Delta]
Hot Damn! This tune has been growing on me ever since I heard it. It's been around for about a month and I'm more addicted to it than ever. It had everything to do with the fact that it was so short, that I played it numorous TIMEs untill it won me over. It's a Mad Max song if ever there was one. Laurent fuses the old and new style of Mad Max. The riff is sweet and so full of Italo magic. It immediatley reminded me of the very first Claudio sung Mad Max tune. I'm speaking of Don't Break My Heat. I can still remeber the magic that song provided. This round the magic is delivered from the ever so talented Roberto Gabrielli and if anything it shows in the Italo flavoured riff and to top it off we have yet another tune with a righous outro.ROCK!
10/10
9. Monsters Ready by Fastway [SCP]
The adrenaline high that Rock You provided is taken down a few notches by this new Fastway song. Not a bad song at all. Infact one of the better offerings from a Fastway solo appearence in a while. The intro wastes no TIME in delivering the goods and we get the usual SCP style shoutouts, which are still miles away from TIMEs aggressive style, but work for this song. The lyrics are odd to me, as I don't get the eerie feeling the song is supposed to provide. Calling them li'l monsters doesn't help iether. Again I can't overlook the fact that Fastway sounds pretty damn good and it adds alot of points to my final grade. In particular the bridge which for one reason or another reminds me of Old Skool Fastway style, like Space Love. The whole synth buildup gives me that vibe and since that's one of my favourite Fastway tunes, this similiar formula is refreshing to hear. This song also provides a pretty sweet outro, specifically the final cymbal.
9/10
10. I Will Survive by Megan [SinclaireStyle]
Lately I put my guard up for Sinclaire, but this TIME he provides a rather catchy melody. His style has really improved from the horrendous first showing of Niko. The soundworlds are sounding higher in bass and trebel and the competition is really starting to show. This sounds like a song he could have produced at DELTA studios. Cherry could have easily sung this. As of now Megan is sounding extremely well as a vocalist. My only gripe would be the echoish ourto. Not exactly the most powerful effect I've heard on this cd.
8-/10
11. Shine by Mister Max [Saifam]
Maybe I'm getting a little fussed up about Saifams soundworlds, especially the high trebel in the riffs, but I still love the sounds in the verses and bridge. The instrumental composition of the riff layered with a the rehashing of KISS's "I Was Made For Loving You" doesn't really "shine" this TIME around. It's actually a riff melody that ASIA used in quite a few songs in the 90's, but some how the percussion gets lost in this song. You can hear some nice drum effects trying to break out , but kinda get drowned out behind all the trebel. it's nice to hear another male vocalist take the mic, instead of Mauro, but as sit here listening to this song for the 5 TIME in a row, I can't help thinking that Mauro would have added more character to the lyrical compostion. As of now it sits nicly inbetween this Megan and the next "spooky" entry.
8/10
12. Kooky Spooky by Scream Team [SCP]
It's nice to see SCP being able to recapture the magic of SCream Team. So it's Irene huh? Why Not Pamsy? Anyway, the Halloween vibe is definatley more present on this offering than the previous entry from Fastway. The haunted house organ is perfectly showcasing that eerie Vincent Pryce"Thriller" like speech. So far so good, now we get an incredibly catchy riff. So lets see how Irene does in Pamsy's shoes. Ahhh.. She sounds very eerie in the way she sings those verses. I can imagine a band harpies backing her up. She sounds really good when she holds those notes to give it that spooky feel. The male shoutouts work wonderfully just as in Horror Fantasy. I wouldn't say this song surpasses that classic, but comes damn close and Irene is the perfect choice to fill in Trancy's Pamsy's absence. I know I know, why havn't a mentioned the lyrics? Yes they are silly, but only the ooky suky parts, the rest are perfect for Halloween. Zombies, Skeletons, mummies. What more can I ask for. Here is my question? Do the Japanese even celebrate Halloween? BTW Irene? sounds "Delicious" in her raspy vocals during the bridge.Outro Outro...BOO! nice
9+/10
13. Wild Boy Bad Love by Joe Banana [Hi-NRG Attack]
So I'm listening to this song more than others today. I have to admit ,the part that usually draws me into the song; the intro is so very lacking in imagination and goes by too fast to even try to appriciate, but by the TIME the riff starts; it grabs a hold of me like any other HRG song before. It will probly grow on me like RIMSP intro did, but right now I'm still waiting. What I love are the lrics and chorus more than RIMSP. Funny enough, the intro sounds better as a break than it did in the intro. The song is definatly craving for some repeat action , but comon why not something from the Trail Blazers compilation or some Laura Vox. HRG has some really amazing music in the catalog that for some reason gets passed over by AVEX.
9/10
14. Special Megamix ~Speedy~ by DJ Ken-Bow
again wasted space IMOP. especially at the end of the cd. What is the real point of AVEX adding these chorus only mixes. The only positive part is that Hurrican Man starts off the mix , but other than that...comon AVEX ,you can stick in one more song in those extra 10 minutes,can't you?
no rating.Waste of space.
All in All the cd is really great and close to 179 territory. The only downfall is the song "Don't belong", because I feel it just "Don't belong" on this cd. The rest of the labels did extremely well. EuroGrooves and DIMA never cease to amaze me, but SCP did. I have no complaints with HRG, because I'm enjoying so many other new material from them. DELTA and SAIFAM provided allready heard material, but I rediscovered Rock You on this compilation. Finally Dave got it 100 % right.
SUPER EUROBEAT VOL. 195 ~ SPEEDY ~ REVIEW (Part 2 - Tracks 4 to 7)
04 DERRECK SIMONS - STOP CITY LOVER (05:10) [Go-Go's Music]
After the awesome Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe, GGM keep the energy levels high with a more "traditional" testosterone fuelled track that isn't a million miles away from Marin's tracks at A-Beat C under the Mega NRG Man titles. The intro is once again immediately urgent and explodes out of the speakers to grab you by the throat. The guitars underpin a classic Eurobeat melody and production set-up, with the stuttering synths during the hook adding to the feeling on comfortable familiarisation. The repeated patterns during the verse help to build the tension through to the chorus, and the backing vocals are always used sparingly to avoid overshadowing the lead vocal line. I love the stuttering tom-toms, and although this track fails to equal or surpass the heady heights of Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe for originality and pure replay value, I do think it presents us with yet another example of a label at the very top of their game. With the prospect of labels being chosen based on the strength of their compositions rather than any company affiliation on future albums, I can only assume that the evidence in this track proves that GGM will be populating many more SEB albums, and may even prove to be the driving force in the future sound of the series.
SCORE: 9.5/10
05 GOLD-RAKE - HURRICANE MAN (05:53) [Eurogrooves]
There seemed to be quite a bit of anticipation before the album's release for this track, which to be honest doesn't really fill me with a massive sense of excitement as very often I fail to see the merit for such frenzied hype. This track isn't so much an evolution of Time into Eurogrooves so much as a step back into something more familiar - like trying on an old jumper for the first time in 6 months. The intro has the trademark build-up that we've come to expect from Dall'ora (bizarrely around 00:20, with the muted kick drum gently beating, I kept expecting Space Invader from Delta to start playing...) and there's no doubt that he can definitely construct a classic Eurobeat structure and melodic presentation probably with his eyes closed. I love the chord progression in the chorus, and the more offbeat vocal rhythms add an extra degree of exclusivity to the track. The verses are a bit silly to be honest - the lyrics don't really do it for me, and they sound like a weird attempt at injecting some SCP frivolity into a raw male-power anthem, which of course leads to a pretty strange match. My initial disappointment at this track are slowly melting away as I appreciate the variety in the structure and production, but I still feel that Dall'ora needs to take what made Euronight such a unique step forward from Time and develop it more in these new tracks to ensure that the label continues to develop. But on a side note - YAY for proper endings!!!
SCORE: 9/10
06 DE LEO - SAVE ANOTHER DAY FOR ME (05:16) [Time]
Another classic Time-style track, but this time it is stating its claim right from the start. I love the muted, stuttering introduction to the synth hook that we have halfway through the intro - such a great little melody. The chorus itself is presented in a gentler style compared to Hurricane Man, and I think it benefits from the contrast between the smoother vocal delivery and the harsh percussion and synth patterns. I can still hear similarities between this track and some recent Delta tracks (most notably Quiero L'Amor by Paul Harris, which has a similar bridge section to this track) which is perhaps another reason why I enjoy it. It's by no means a carbon-copy, but it's nice to have that element of familiarity in the song-writing, especially during this quieter period from Delta. All in all, this track just works very well as a whole - the way in which the main hook is used throughout the song seamlessly, the gentler vocals adding a touch of sincerity and tenderness after the aggression of Hurricane Man and the simply crafted vocal melody that you could easily imagine crossing over various different genres. A really nice piece of song-writing and a very welcome addition to this album.
SCORE: 9.5/10
07 MARI-SAN - DON'T BELONG (04:56) [Go-Go's Music]
It really amuses me that suddenly everyone is noticing the potential irritation of Mari-San's vocals...where were you all when I need some back up after the terrible Secret Destinatiioiroiraioiaorianoiroaionairnoanioiroaoooaooooaonannnnnn?? Anyway, onto Mari's new track, and overall I'm pleased to hear that it seems to be a slightly more Eurobeat-centric release with far less emphasis on the diva vocals and the hyper-techno synths. The intro presents us with an industrial-style soundworld that Mari seems quite at home in, and before long we are hearing a hook that brings to mind Ester's track from 184 Never Gonna Give Up - only this time, there's slightly more attitude and bit less brooding and dark synths. The wooooaaahh-ooohhh-aaaahhhs during the main hook actually compliment the synth and help the move the song along and give it some pace. The vocal melody on the whole is once again very catchy and melodically interesting with equal amounts of drama and angst in a way that only Mari can deliver. The production is once again tailored by GGM to wrap around the vocalist and support her vocals when needed while also giving them room to flourish at other parts. Had Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe not featured on this album, I could have easily awared this one the title of the best GGM track hands down, but at times I was left feeling that I wished there was a little more Leo River to break up the harsh raspy tones of Mari. This track definitely proves to me that Mari can hopefully move away from the awkward mish-mash of style in her debut track and become an influential alias in her own right. Lolita - you have some competition in the unique female stakes at GGM!
SCORE: 9.75/10
Not a single grade below 9/10 so far - yes, that's how much I love this album!
More to follow...
04 DERRECK SIMONS - STOP CITY LOVER (05:10) [Go-Go's Music]
After the awesome Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe, GGM keep the energy levels high with a more "traditional" testosterone fuelled track that isn't a million miles away from Marin's tracks at A-Beat C under the Mega NRG Man titles. The intro is once again immediately urgent and explodes out of the speakers to grab you by the throat. The guitars underpin a classic Eurobeat melody and production set-up, with the stuttering synths during the hook adding to the feeling on comfortable familiarisation. The repeated patterns during the verse help to build the tension through to the chorus, and the backing vocals are always used sparingly to avoid overshadowing the lead vocal line. I love the stuttering tom-toms, and although this track fails to equal or surpass the heady heights of Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe for originality and pure replay value, I do think it presents us with yet another example of a label at the very top of their game. With the prospect of labels being chosen based on the strength of their compositions rather than any company affiliation on future albums, I can only assume that the evidence in this track proves that GGM will be populating many more SEB albums, and may even prove to be the driving force in the future sound of the series.
SCORE: 9.5/10
05 GOLD-RAKE - HURRICANE MAN (05:53) [Eurogrooves]
There seemed to be quite a bit of anticipation before the album's release for this track, which to be honest doesn't really fill me with a massive sense of excitement as very often I fail to see the merit for such frenzied hype. This track isn't so much an evolution of Time into Eurogrooves so much as a step back into something more familiar - like trying on an old jumper for the first time in 6 months. The intro has the trademark build-up that we've come to expect from Dall'ora (bizarrely around 00:20, with the muted kick drum gently beating, I kept expecting Space Invader from Delta to start playing...) and there's no doubt that he can definitely construct a classic Eurobeat structure and melodic presentation probably with his eyes closed. I love the chord progression in the chorus, and the more offbeat vocal rhythms add an extra degree of exclusivity to the track. The verses are a bit silly to be honest - the lyrics don't really do it for me, and they sound like a weird attempt at injecting some SCP frivolity into a raw male-power anthem, which of course leads to a pretty strange match. My initial disappointment at this track are slowly melting away as I appreciate the variety in the structure and production, but I still feel that Dall'ora needs to take what made Euronight such a unique step forward from Time and develop it more in these new tracks to ensure that the label continues to develop. But on a side note - YAY for proper endings!!!
SCORE: 9/10
06 DE LEO - SAVE ANOTHER DAY FOR ME (05:16) [Time]
Another classic Time-style track, but this time it is stating its claim right from the start. I love the muted, stuttering introduction to the synth hook that we have halfway through the intro - such a great little melody. The chorus itself is presented in a gentler style compared to Hurricane Man, and I think it benefits from the contrast between the smoother vocal delivery and the harsh percussion and synth patterns. I can still hear similarities between this track and some recent Delta tracks (most notably Quiero L'Amor by Paul Harris, which has a similar bridge section to this track) which is perhaps another reason why I enjoy it. It's by no means a carbon-copy, but it's nice to have that element of familiarity in the song-writing, especially during this quieter period from Delta. All in all, this track just works very well as a whole - the way in which the main hook is used throughout the song seamlessly, the gentler vocals adding a touch of sincerity and tenderness after the aggression of Hurricane Man and the simply crafted vocal melody that you could easily imagine crossing over various different genres. A really nice piece of song-writing and a very welcome addition to this album.
SCORE: 9.5/10
07 MARI-SAN - DON'T BELONG (04:56) [Go-Go's Music]
It really amuses me that suddenly everyone is noticing the potential irritation of Mari-San's vocals...where were you all when I need some back up after the terrible Secret Destinatiioiroiraioiaorianoiroaionairnoanioiroaoooaooooaonannnnnn?? Anyway, onto Mari's new track, and overall I'm pleased to hear that it seems to be a slightly more Eurobeat-centric release with far less emphasis on the diva vocals and the hyper-techno synths. The intro presents us with an industrial-style soundworld that Mari seems quite at home in, and before long we are hearing a hook that brings to mind Ester's track from 184 Never Gonna Give Up - only this time, there's slightly more attitude and bit less brooding and dark synths. The wooooaaahh-ooohhh-aaaahhhs during the main hook actually compliment the synth and help the move the song along and give it some pace. The vocal melody on the whole is once again very catchy and melodically interesting with equal amounts of drama and angst in a way that only Mari can deliver. The production is once again tailored by GGM to wrap around the vocalist and support her vocals when needed while also giving them room to flourish at other parts. Had Ultra Mi-Ha Deluxe not featured on this album, I could have easily awared this one the title of the best GGM track hands down, but at times I was left feeling that I wished there was a little more Leo River to break up the harsh raspy tones of Mari. This track definitely proves to me that Mari can hopefully move away from the awkward mish-mash of style in her debut track and become an influential alias in her own right. Lolita - you have some competition in the unique female stakes at GGM!
SCORE: 9.75/10
Not a single grade below 9/10 so far - yes, that's how much I love this album!
More to follow...
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