XodiacK - "DaN" single (more like a mini-album)

The music's nice but the cover...? bleh...

TRACKLIST:
01. -Fall down Deprival-
02. Deprival and Naturally
03. Silence Mind
04. Meteoroid


[DOWNLOAD LINKS BELOW THE POST]


Last time, I asked if you have heard about DEATHGAZE (my review HERE). I’m sure, being the VK (it’s Visual Kei for you fools out there) fan you are that you have heard of them. But how about XodiacK? Heard of them? Poor you, if you haven’t! Formed in 2008, XodiacK originally consisted of Eros (vocals), Hizuki, Agito (both on guitars), Yahiro (bass) and Chiri (drums) with their music dubbed (by them, of course) “galaxy metal”. Quite a good description, since listening to them makes you feel like you’re floating aimlessly in space (at least for me it is). But then, the latter 4 “reached the end of their tenure, withdrew from XodiacK and went back to their prior human form” (in short, they returned to their lame old selves), so they were replaced by Masa (guitars), Yamihito (bass) and Kaede (drums).


“That’s enough storytelling now, La:morT! You’re being lame again!” People like these… Puh-lease…

From L to R: Kaede, Masa, Eros, Yamihito

Honestly speaking, “DaN” feels less of a “galaxy metal” release compared to their first full-length. The good thing (at least for me) is that it has more metal, more metal than their first full-length. Take “Meteoroid” as an example (actually the best example in this case). Albeit starting with electronic samples, you’ll hear nothing else but riffs, which are nothing short of being death metal (except for a few chugging riffs); pummeling drums (though repetitive, it suits the song overall); and Eros’ grunts (at least until the song is about to end), which have improved, being lower (in pitch!) and more powerful. Yeah, that’s how I like it. Remember that I said that you’ll hear only Eros’ grunts “at least until the song is about to end”? Yep, that’s right. Eros’ finally sang something (with his sexy singing voice) before the song ends, ending the vocals wail (together of course with the pummeling drums and the crushing riff). The result: EPICNESS.

Now, you may think that since the album’s more metal, it now lacks melody. Sorry, wrong again. Now take "Silence Mind" as an example, which is, again, the best example in this case. With a memorable melody, it features (you guessed it right) Eros' sexy singing voice throughout the song (almost, if you could consider the ones about at the end of the song as "screams", which I do not). With its powerful chorus (which also served as an intro) and its mellow verses, together they paved the way to another awesome song to rock ourselves to courtesy of XodiacK (AKA a modern classic).

XodiacK Deprival and Naturally

Oh I almost forgot, last but certainly not the least, "Deprival and Naturally"! Probably the meaning behind DaN, which is the single's title, if you haven't noticed the title above. The song, if I were to consider it, is more melodic than melodeath, but nevertheless extreme in its own right, since it features more of the band's extreme side, though (like all their other songs) it features (AGAIN) Eros' sexy singing vocals. I don't know what's with the guy's vocals, but all I know is that it sounds extraordinary. Got to hear it yourself to believe it.

"La:morT! You haven't told us about the last track!" It's nothing special of an intro track anyway. Just some heavy-metal-turned-to-electronic music. Well... unless you consider the fact that it paved the way for the next song, then it's nothing out of the ordinary.

Overall, their new single with the new line-up is awesome. Once again they showed that they're capable indeed of making heavy music even though they look like pretty boys (especially Eros). Consider this as a preview to their next full-length. 

8 Death skulls out of 10