HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR – swamp man

author: Ruka

On September 2, HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR will release their first album with new female vocalist HALCA. It turns out the new singer possesses a strong, mature voice that belies her small stature and cute looks, and she is also endowed with a versatility that allows for angelic falsetto and rough depth. In addition, male vocalist YUSUKE, who has been with the band since its inception, actively asserts himself; at times he steals the show with his various talents, from proper singing to rapping and unbridled death screams. Fans may have wondered if, with the departure of vocalist MAKI, their beloved band would still be the same. While the group has changed, fans can rest assured. They will find in this new release much of what characterized the group early on: a heavy but energizing rock sensibility, some spectacular guitar solos, and a nice balance between soaring female vocals and the more earthly male singing, rapping and shouting.

The intro of swamp man is refreshingly different from the rest of the songs on the album. Calm and quiet, it conveys an air of mystery and intrigue through electronic noises, sounds of a rainstorm, beautiful strings and piano. The following XYZ is radical for its emphasis on YUSUKE. Much more in the vein of an all male metal band at first, the song is dominated by YUSUKE - not rapping or singing, but screaming with his death voice, until HALCA enters for a lovely, transcending chorus. The contrast between the two vocalists and singing styles is especially pronounced here, as one very successfully conveys inhuman but compelling rage, and the other monopolizes a soaring beauty and optimism easy to relate to.

The aggressive guitar play evident in track two continues in good bye, and again YUSUKE opens the song, yelling, but not in death voice. His attitude and the violent guitars match perfectly with the beat that speeds up in the chorus, and the vocals of HALCA are not as drastically different in tone as they were in the preceding track. Still soaring over the commotion of the music below, her delivery of the English lyrics transmits the same urgency evident in the song’s driving pace and YUSUKE’s backing vocals. The guitar solo is especially fun and wild, propelling the energy of the song further. The succeeding eyes opens with HALCA’s reflective singing supported by earnest guitar chords. Rather than expressing urgency, her vocal line here is optimistic and persevering, while the shouts by YUSUKE in the background are largely ornamental and serve no discernible purpose.

The following fly me to the other moon is a great departure with its digital sound. The speedy beat and synths in the chorus, along with HALCA’s falsetto vocals, make for a song where the rock element is de-emphasized in favor of pop and electronic. Despite the change, or perhaps because of it, the track is a definite success. Track six, pain, returns us to a world of heavy guitars in its intro, and mACKAz’s bass plays a duet with HALCA in the first verse, followed by a refrain which is slow and grandiose. In contrast, the second verse presents a louder but well-woven duet between heavy guitar and YUSUKE’s rap vocals, a testament to how well these two voices and musical modes can share a song without one necessarily dominating the other.

Track seven, 7.2, opens with an all too short acoustic guitar intro, and while the acoustic continues throughout the track, unfortunately it is often drowned out by the electric guitar and violins. YUSUKE’s laid back rap vocals match well with the galloping rhythm, and his backing vocals as support for HALCA are not just filler; they actually contribute to the overall melodies. However, the most exhilarating area may be the wildly emotional guitar solos in the bridge and at the song’s end.

The intensity picks up again with hate. The dazzling guitars, shouted vocals from YUSUKE and a larger than life chorus sung by HALCA all contribute to the song's atmosphere. After the second chorus, YUSUKE treats us to a brief solo of full blown death vocals, which he executes superbly in conjunction with an accelerated drum beat before reverting back to his more typical, high pitched yelling.

For the penultimate track, living, the pace picks up and HALCA’s soaring vocals combine perfectly with YUSUKE’s demonic death screams . The song features heavy guitars from MEG and KAZUTO, another inspired guitar solo in the bridge and SASSY’s relentless, driving pace in the chorus that energizes and propels the whole piece. The album ends on a strong note with you. Track ten is a HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR style ballad, slow but loud with heavy guitars, violins, and HALCA’s heavenly falsetto singing. YUSUKE’s melody lines in the verses carry something of the natural emotion found in their native Okinawan folk music. The end result is a cathartic and enjoyable conclusion to the album.

Ultimately, the album is a very positive indicator that HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR is still possesses its original charm while they make their new start. Though the majority of the album is quite heavy, there is certainly variation in their sound from song to song. There is also a noticeable shift toward sharing the spotlight, as though a conscious effort has been made to present both vocalists equally - and with positive results, as this album demonstrates. As this is only the first step in the group’s new manifestation, we look forward to seeing how they will continue to grow from here.


This review was made possible by JapanFiles.com, where the item is available for purchase.