Category: Reviews

In-depth analysis of albums, eps, singles and anything released by alt-idols-

メタモル!!! (METAMOL FOURZE) – Kimi no Onlywann! / Shinanaiwake / Getsyoubi Ga Hajimonday!!! / Heikoukuronosutashisu

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メタモル!!! (METAMOL FOURZE)

METAMOL!!! quadruple feature! The foursome delivered four brand new singles throughout September: let’s catch up with ‘em!

It looks as though the future is quite bright for Metamolfourze, from a pop up shop collaboration to jam packed live shows and, most recently, four brand new singles showcasing the girls are still hard at work in coming up with new tunes. For those out of the loop, Metamolfourze — more commonly stylized as METAMOL!!! — is a four member group that debuted earlier this year featuring Aigasa Moe (ex-AKB48 and their producer), Hanasaki Funa (fashion designer for the brand MAHOROBA), Shabana Minami and Aise Hina. Their concept is that they’re a group that’s not limited to any set ideal and are constantly changing, hence the name being a play on the word “metamorphosis”. Back in July they released their debut album -tensei-, which I felt did a great job showcasing their limitless musicality and served as a strong introduction. Since then, they’ve released four singles throughout September, with the most recent one coming out September 29th.

First of the bunch is “Kimi no Onlywann!”, a bright and bubbly pop banger, released on September 6th. The funky beat is backed up by the girl’s charmingly cute voices, all of which carry distinctive tones. It does a good job in being catchy and sweet, making for a simple but effective tune.

The second, “Shinanaiwake”, came out on September 7th. This one leans more to the pop rock side with the girls showcasing a stronger vocal ability and range. Each member gets her own time to shine throughout, and I can’t help but feel like Funa especially does well in these kinds of songs with her deeper voice. Featuring a guitar solo before the bridge and an epic ending chorus, it does its job well.

“Getsyoubi Ga Hajimonday!!!” is the third single, arriving on September 7th. This time around the girls are having fun with the electropop genre. The verses have a bouncy feel to them, featuring a rap-styled pre chorus, before jumping right back into a dance worthy chorus. It’s got considerable speed over the previous singles, but much like the group’s chameleon nature, around the 2:50 mark the tempo is slowed (with some nice acoustic guitar notes), but gets right back up to speed shortly thereafter. While listening to this one I found myself bouncing in my seat — with such infectious energy, I’d have to say that so far this one’s a favorite.

The final single, released on the 29th of September, was “Heikoukuronosutashisu”. It’s got a bit of a math rock vibe to it, carried by the tone of the guitars. The vocals are softer in delivery but no less energetic, rather signifying this is a bit more of an emotional track. Again, Funa’s deeper tone does well here, but all the girls sound fantastic. The guitars are a real treat though with their fast and funky fretting. The solo that comes in at the 2:41 mark is especially cool. The introduction of piano in the bridge elevates the emotional vulnerability of the song before adding a key change to the final chorus. I absolutely loved this one, it’s definitely been added to a long list of favorites from these gals.

All in all, METAMOL!!! are absolutely a group worth checking out with their impressive range of musicality and their drive to constantly elevate their sound and image. I’m hoping another album is in the works, as anything from them would absolutely be worth waiting for. Until then feel free to catch up with the members on their socials and keep your eyes peeled for any new releases and events!

INUWASI – Chimera

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Inuwasi

Release the Beast: the idol group INUWASI returns with heaviness and positivity in the fittingly titled ep Chimera.

Having only debuted almost a year ago, the six member group INUWASI have a pretty sizable discography through the release of EPs. Today we bring their latest entry, aptly titled Chimera (since their official description is an idol group that speaks for the “hybrid raptor”, a being that consists of “dogs who can’t bite, eagles that can’t fly”), that contains a whirlwind of six hard hitting tracks sure to keep the crowds moving.

“Setsuna” kicks things off with a real heavy opening riff alongside two of the girls’ vocals and an ever so faint backing vocal before exploding into synth. Throughout the course of the song, each member gets a starring role in the chorus, showcasing a higher range of their vocal ability. At times it feels like the song is dancing on the metalcore side, coming full circle around the 2:57 mark with the slowly creeping breakdown. “Israfil” brings a bit more of a lighter feeling by comparison, though still playing in the hard rock field, containing a mix of English and Japanese lyrics beaming with positivity and the desire to stay true to yourself. The frenzied drum opening and super prominent bassline — which I love — keeps things quite hardcore.

“Monotonous”, the third track, keeps the mix of hard rock and digital effects going as well as that nice bass. The pre chorus is sure to get the listener geared up as everyone chants together, flowing right into a harmony as one once the chorus hits. Around the second verse we get a nice chugging rhythm going (almost feels a little mathcore inspired) that got my head bopping — then at the 2:45 mark the song takes a dramatic turn with an increased tempo that had an interesting doppler effect, like something was coming at you, before returning to its original beat for the final chorus. “Darkness” has a boss battle feel to it, bringing back the aggressive and frenzied vibe. The lyrics appear to be on the more melancholic end, but wishing for a way to break through from the darkness the girls are feeling (expressed frequently through English bits throughout). The lead vocal in the second chorus absolutely shines during her part through the power her voice carries. At 2:19 there’s a brief, but still sick, breakdown and the final chorus gets a key change.

“Reimei no Sora” has super cool glitch-like effects that get their own moments to shine, but overall retains the hard rock vibe with a bright feeling. The chanting throughout is sure to have spirits raised and fists pumping at a live show — in the final round before the song ends, you get a little bit of the harmonies at work as the girls take over themselves and the instrumental stops. The final song, “Axenxion”, has an opening that was reminiscent, for me at least, of Bring Me The Horizon’s “Kingslayer”. Much like the rest of the album, it’s got a hard sound with an upbeat feeling about it, featuring a bridge solely in English. The key change at the end, followed with a nice guitar lead, brings everything to a fun and headbang-worthy close.

Overall, INUWASI continue to solidify themselves in the rock idol world with the release of Chimera, as well as solidifying their sound direction. Being as young of a group as they are, it makes one hopeful to see how far they go — and something tells me these girls have the energy and sound to be huge.

Satanic Punish & DEARDEVIL – Devil Margin, Vol. 1

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Satanic Punish & DEARDEVIL

Make A Deal With the Devil: Devil Margin’s premiere idol units Satanic Punish and DEARDEVIL bring forth a collaboration.

I’ve gotta say, I love just how many idol groups dabble into the realms of metalcore, djent, hardcore and more. Today’s review will be giving you just that as we take a look into an EP from Devil Margin’s groups, Satanic Punish and DEARDEVIL, titled Devil Margin, Vol. 1. Satanic Punish originally debuted as a five member group in 2019, but their initial lineup disbanded and was reformed in early 2020. Now it’s held together by members Webshiki., the leader who does some pretty impressive screams, and Himeno Usagi, who’s praised for her genreless voice. DEARDEVIL is their brand new sister group, debuting in March of 2021 and consisting of three members: Risa, the multitalented leader with a cool demeanor, Akane, the youngest with the most extensive performance history, and Arara, described as having an artistic vocal ability and a cosplayer on the side. With their debut came a single, “Calling”, and a cover of Satanic Punish’s “Heroine ≠ Heroin”, both of which are featured on this EP.

The EP opens with two songs by Satanic Punish, previously released as singles. “Alpha Omega”, which contains almost equal amounts of English and Japanese lyrics, makes a slow opening into metalcore style riffing and drums with synth effects. The girls take turns switching between lines with their smooth and emotional vocals, and at the 0:57 mark you’re hit right in the face with Webshiki.’s stellar growls — she’s easily got one of the most ferocious voices when it comes to idol screamers. When it comes to her clean singing, she’s got a nice edge in there as well, contrasting perfectly with Himeno’s that flow effortlessly. At the 2:29 mark, Webshiki.’s amazing screams come back in again as a lead towards the bridge before the two come together in the final chorus. The mix of synth and metalcore isn’t something too out of the ordinary, but the vocals help in making the song stand out amongst the crowd.

The second track, “Masgomicpanic”, leans more into their deathcore side, opening immediately with Webshiki.’s growls that she makes extensive use of throughout the song while Himeno carries in the clean vocal category. Her voice melds perfectly with the chaotic nature of the music like an eye within a storm. This track also contains a healthy balance of English, with one verse being entirely that. Though it’s on the shorter end of the songs featured, I truly feel like this one shines bright in the mix of aggression and beauty, making it my favorite on the EP.

DEARDEVIL take over the tracklist for the later half. Their first track is their debut, “Calling”, which carries a bit of a happier tune compared to the last two. It opens with a bit of atmospheric synth pop before the metalcore vibe takes over and the members rotate between their lines. Akane’s voice is just as sweet and stable as described, while Risa has more of an edge in hers. Arara’s voice leads in the chorus and at the end of the verses; the range and delivery of her vocals serves to solidify her spot as the group’s power vocal. There’s actually something quite fun about their vocals when they all come together, making the song feel like a rallying cry.

The final song, “Heroine ≠ Heroin”, is a cover of their seniors. There’s no guttural screaming to be found here (though that would be very interesting to hear from the DEARDEVIL girls), but instead a more lively jam with a hint of djent in the guitarwork. The song’s got its share of expletives as well, which was fun to watch in their debut performance where all three of the girls flip the bird towards the crowd at the first line of the second verse. The chanting part of the song at the 2:00 minute mark does well in giving Arara and Risa a shared bit of spotlight before Akane takes over in the bridge, leading to another fun and explosive chorus. The balance of aggression and sweetness once again won me over, and DEARDEVIL did a fantastic job in their cover.

For those looking for some new hardcore groups to check out, I feel that this EP would serve you well. Satanic Punish have a pretty extensive catalogue built up and DEARDEVIL are fresh faces, leading to the joy of anticipating new music — which will be on it’s way soon for both groups in October! In the meantime, follow the girls and their management on their socials to stay up to date on their forthcoming activities.

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