L'Arc~en~Ciel - CHASE

L'Arc~en~Ciel has re-entered the music world with their fortieth single, CHASE. Currently sitting at second place on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, the new single has sold over 70,000 copies since its release on December 21, 2011.

A lot of energy is packed into the track CHASE. Upon first listen, it’s easy to feel pumped and energized after hearing hyde’s vocals and the combination of tetsuya and ken’s high-tension. Drummer, yukihiro, keeps the high energy in CHASE together with a fast drum beat. There's even an underground feeling to the bass beat--very surprising! CHASE was used as the ending theme for the live-action adaption of the anime and manga franchise Wild 7, which was released on the same date as the single.

The B-side, My Dear, simmers the high energy created in CHASE by replacing the drum beat heard in the title track and the guitar line with a delicate piano melody. This delicate but fairly intricate melody helps to bring out a melodramatic feeling within hyde’s voice for later when the song morphs into a strong power ballad.

Overall, CHASE is rather catchy and, having sold this many copies already, has high chances of being a L'Arc~en~Ciel single to remember. For those rare few fans who may not have been following L'Arc~en~Ciel for a while, CHASE is definitely a reason to rediscover them.

The regular edition of the single includes ‘hydeless’ karaoke versions of both tracks while the limited edition contains the PV for CHASE. CHASE will also be included on L'Arc~en~Ciel’s new album BUTTERFLY, which is due for release in February 2012.