I've already written a bit about how overly high expectations can ruin an album. While there were many other factors involving Buck-Tick's Tenshi no Revolver that unfairly tarnished my initial views on the album, I think I can be excused this time around.
Until now, all we've heard from Versailles has been a single song. A single soaring, dueling guitar, epic metal symphony. "Revenant Choir" is eight minutes of unrelenting frills, lace and guitar shredding. It's a very catchy song and rather straightforward in its presentation.
The first thing you should know about the debut Versailles album Lyrical Sympathy is this: "Revenant Choir" is not on it. The second thing you should know is this: "Revenant Choir" is at least twice as good as anything on Lyrical Sympathy.
Now, that's not to say that anything on Lyrical Sympathy is bad. Quite the contrary. From beginning to end, the album keeps up the pace with the aforementioned guitar onslaught and syrupy vampire vocal style. Indeed there are songs like "Beast Of Desire" and "The Red Carpet Day" that are even faster and heaver than "Revenant Choir." What's missing are the hooks.
Lyrical Sympathy proves that Versailles is more of a progressive band than a straight up metal band. They throw in a ton of changes and shifts in style, often at a cost to the overall flow of the song. While playing the guitar like a madman may be impressive at first, it's the power of a catchy tune that keeps people coming back for more.
Now of course not everyone needs an obvious pop song hook to "hear" the song. I'm not saying that Lyrical Sympathy is just a collection of random scales and complex drum patterns. I think where it fails is that it's neither a math rock text book lesson, nor the melodic sing along of "Revenant Choir." It falls somewhere in between, and the visual style of the band doesn't exactly add anything to the music when all you have are a couple speakers.
Even the one ballad on the album, "Sympathia" is on the weak side. It's powerful to be sure, sort of cross between Gackt and Psycho le Cemu, but it's just not enough. The delicate piano and organ sections throughout the album add a nice change of tone to the walls of guitar distortion. However these few touches aren't enough to carry the weight of all the seemingly aimless songwriting.
The production is also rather muddy and vague, something unexpected for such an obviously technical band. Which brings me to my main bit of confusion. "Revenant Choir" was released four months prior to the album, yet it far exceeds anything on the album in every way. It has a very catchy chorus, it has a clear yet interesting structure and the production is much better, being very clear and punchy, highlighting the drums and guitar syncopation. Even Kamijo's voice seems fuller and more robust. Why it isn't on the album I'll probably never know. It's almost like hearing a different band.
Again, most of this is due to my overly high expectations. "Revenant Choir" was simply too good to be true. Perhaps with time I'll get more out of Lyrical Sympathy. All I know is that "Revenant Choir" grabbed me immediately, and the album did nothing.
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