The Super Eurobeat Vol. 229. Can you believe it's the last extended album of the current decade? It's now one and a half year since the revival of our beloved series. What brings the “final” of SEB 22x?
ACE – Brand New World (12/15)
Let's begin with my favorite SCP vocalist: ACE. His powerful voice gives a special feel to all of his songs. Sadly, his recent songs were more of a disappointment for me. “Set Me Free” or “Adrenaline” couldn't impress me that much. It was time for a hit. And finally, SCP did it. The song has a strong, SCP-like melody and great lyrics. It's really fun to listen to this wonderful production. I wish there will be more songs like this one by ACE in the future.
Manuel – Tiger (13/15)
Same thing with Manuel. His last song, “Never Say Never”, couldn't impress me. Now, he kicks ass. The intro is hilarious. At the first listen, I thought this song would be German because the “Hallo” in the beginning is pronounced like in German. Then these tiger roars and the emotionless roars of the woman in the background, I can't stop laughing when I hear this. Anyway, Manuel does what he can do best: he's screaming. It sounds amazing! The song was a big surprise for me 'cause I didn't expect that much after his last entry on 225.
Pamsy – Don't Keep Your Love Away (6/15)
Now, you'll hate me, guys. Sure, Pamsy's comeback was great and even I as a “Pamsy disliker” got hooked on her vocals. This time, the song's more trance-y. You guys seem to love that but I can't get a taste for it. The melody isn't bad, don't get me wrong, but it's not the kind of Pamsy I like. Mostly, I skip this track.
Dave Rodgers – New Race Game (7/15)
A long time ago, Dave was one of the biggest Eurobeat artists who produced one hit after another. This song sounds like a rehash of “The Race Of The Night” (207) which I didn't enjoy. I do love Dave's vocals but what he sung the last years mostly is just dreadful. He should stop making race-themed songs and produce tracks like “The House Of Fire”. At least, I enjoy this tune more than the Pamsy track...
Cherry – Unforgettable (11/15)
Bad puns incoming. This song is absolutely unforgettable. The piano intro is marvelous and the song all in all feels like a good production by Delta. Moroni's vocals are almost always nice to hear. The lyrics are somehow unusual (“smoke a million cigarettes”, eh?) but that doesn't mean I don't like it. Au contraire, it fits the tune's mood.
Remy Panther – Hot Like A Fire (14/15)
In 2014, HRG became my favorite label. Their productions are catchy as hell to me. This is really surprising since HRG couldn't impress me that much over the recent years. There were only a handful songs which stood out. Anyway, I love the singer's voice and the melody is, as I said, catchy as hell. This song quickly became one of my favorites on this album. I hope HRG will make more songs like this in the next decade.
Casanova – Crazy Love [Platinum Version] (15/15)
Let's continue with the biggest surprise. “A new Platinum Version? Hooray...” Then, Sinclaire released the preview and I got hooked. I couldn't wait for the full track and counted the days until my copy arrived. The waiting time was it worth it. Sure, the original is pretty old but that doesn't matter for a modern remake. I'm just amazed. The whole song is wonderful. I do love the lyrics, even if they are “outdated”. A love-themed Eurobeat song can be outdated? I don't think so. My favorite part is “One, you're the only one, two people who just met, three days is all I got.” This melts my heart. I wish SinclaireStyle would have produced more songs like this one this year, Crazy Love really is the first 2014 SS track I like, or better yet, even love!
Ciao Ciao – Wherever Forever (8/15)
Ciao Ciao is a hit or miss for me. “Bang Bang Crashing Of The Boom Boom” (186) and “Together” (214) both truly were masterpieces, so I still hope for a third song in this row. “Wherever Forever” surely is better than “Give Me Your Heaven” (225) which was just a dull and bland song in the end. But, on the other hand, this tune can't reach the masterpieces I named above. The track's just average. The refrain is nice but somehow forgettable.
Powerful T. – Black Shadow (7/15)
The intro is great, it sounds like preparation for a good song. But no. The track totally sounds generic. It's like the last David Dima songs: not good, not bad, just average. I'm missing the strong vocal work of “Face The Race” (204). Sun Fire Records did no good job this time.
Apropos Sun Fire, do you know which artist I'd like to see/hear again? Isabelle, the newcomer of 224...
Luke – Power And Glory (14/15)
Wow. This is Delta at their (almost) best. I didn't expect that much because Luke never was one of my favorites. But this time, a perfect racing-themed song was the result. I'm sorry that I still don't know any musical terms, so I can't describe it well. The melody is Delta-typical, nothing very special. But it's Luke's voice which makes this song a good song. The refrain is catchy and I just get flashed.
Roberta – Hey You! (10/15)
To be honest, here's the point I took a break of about eight days. I just couldn't motivate myself to write on this review. I hope I don't sound bored or something like that from now on.
Anyway, let's talk about the song. After SS only submitted flop songs this year, this year's Sinclaire entries are on a good level as I already said above. It's here the same thing that happens almost each time: I expect nothing and the artist creates a great song. Well, “great” isn't the right word here, it's more like “fine”. A bit more than just average. The melody is well-produced and has got some catchy parts. What I like the most are the intro and outro which remind me of a ticking clock. The vocals are okay, all in all, it's a song I wouldn't skip when it plays.
Dream Fighters – The Day Of The Rain (9/15)
Sigh. That's probably the first reaction when we see a new song sung by Dima. But what can I say? This song is pretty strong. I do love those piano parts in the refrain and... wait. The refrain. Sigh. The refrain ruins the whole song. The vocals just don't fit well. If we only take the bridges and all of this stuff without the chorus the song probably would get about 12 points from me.
Ultraviolet – Boom Boom Boom (9/15)
The past showed us that a “Boom” in the song's title is a free ticket for a hit. Also, it shows a lack of creativity... I fell in love with Ultraviolet with her debut song and since then, I was looking forward to each new one by her. Sadly, her first song was a big hit for me, her second one couldn't reach the level, the third one was just okay and this time it feels, as said, like a (big) lack of creativity. The song sounds similar to her last songs, I can't complain about that. But the chorus or even the whole vocals, they just can't hook me. It's sad to see such a negative development. Maybe the coming decade Dima Music gets their golden time again...?
Fastway – Dancing Out Of Danger (6/15)
“Aaaaaangel!” instead of “Daaaaaanger!” That's what I hear every time. Anyway, SCP did again what they can do best: aggressive melodies and strong vocals. But is it just me? All those testosterone-filled songs by Fastway this decade sound the same, they're generic. The sound's getting more dreary with every new song. I can't say much more, this song is one of the most skippable songs of the decade.
Tora & Dejo – For The Fans (10/15)
Now the last song. The finale of the final 220's SEB. A song by Tora alone would cause a reaction like this in me: “Nope.” Then, Dejo comes in and tries to make this song awesome. Well, he doesn't make it awesome but he makes it better. However, all in all, it's just like “Thank You – Arigatou 2.0” with less memorable melody and vocals. The song's not bad but it just doesn't kick ass, if you understand. There's something missing.
