Ruins
drummer
Tatsuya Yoshida
leads
Koenji-Hyakkei
, and
Nivraym
is the band's third album. Former vocalist
Aki Kubota
left the group after
II
, and though fans may consider that she was irreplaceable, they're only half right:
Kenso
's
Kenichi Oguchi
easily fulfills her old role as keyboardist, and much of the music seems to have been written to suit his strengths. Additionally, new singer
Nami Sagara
certainly has the vocal chops to pull off more than her fair share of theatrics. The biggest losses here are
Kubota
's compositions, which were always among the band's most colorful. Furthermore, the sound of the recording is a bit muddy considering the amount of detail at work in the compositions. In many ways,
is the most traditional
progressive rock
record
Yoshida
has made.
's previous albums never shied away from theatrics, but tended to forgo the flashy solos common in most "symphonic"
prog
. Here,
Oguchi
gets in his licks and then some, similar to his work on
'
Symphonica
, on which he practically stole the show. In fact, much of this album is reminiscent of
, also due to a slightly lighter sound than its predecessors, and one that is more obviously tied to the symphonic style of bands like
Gentle Giant
and
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
. This suits the synths, as well as the vocal lines, which are not generally as manic as on the band's first two records. Pieces like
"Becttem Pollt"
and the excellent
"Gassttrum"
feature very complex instrumental counterpoint and a kind of playful attitude to experimentation, though
's penchant for abrasion is always a threat. Others, like
"Vissqauell,"
are similar to the angular, dissonant acrobatics of
, while the futuristic car-chase music of
"Axall Hasck"
is reminiscent of the late-'90s Japanese
avant-progressive
band
Happy Family
. Taken on its own merits,
is an accomplished, fun record, though invariably one that suffers in comparison to the band's prior output. ~ Dominique Leone