Creature Creature with 'Dogs of Eros' at Shinjuku BLAZE

Creature Creature commenced Dogs of Eros, a short tour with three dates, in Shinjuku BLAZE on July 18th before continuing and ending with two sold-out concerts at Osaka ZEELA a week later.

The hall darkens and atmospheric music starts playing. The curtains open as the music intensifies and one-by-one, drummer Sasabuchi (ex-Plastic Tree), guitarists Shinobu and Hiro (La'cryma Christi) and bassist Hitoki (Kuroyume) walk on stage, grab their instruments and wait until MORRIE enters. The singer is recently back from Paris, where he performed with DEAD END.

The band starts off with Mirrors. The verse is light, and MORRIE's voice is deep and calm, but once the refrain starts, the venue lights up, the music gets heavy, and there’s more movement on stage. Hiro closes the song with one of his solos. The contrast between the choruses and instrumental breaks is striking. A soft chorus is soon followed by a much darker refrain and the guitar solos are loud; towards the end, the guitarists strum, reaching high tones and breaking the heaviness in Maboroshi. The audience cheer as the song ends. The set gradually builds up the movement of the audience. After a few songs, the audience start to headbang, and have their hands in the air, going wild during the solos.

The distinct intro of Black Hole is recognized immediately. The short instrumental parts, divided by silence, only to be pushed through it and continue. MORRIE joins the instrumentalists, softening the sound with his high-pitched voice. The song builds up and in the back, Hitoki can be seen headbanging whilst up front, the vocalist grunts out lyrics and gestures towards the audience. Shinobu shows great talent, but also knows how to entertain the crowd. While strumming the guitar and leaning towards the audience, he also often headbangs along with the audience, or provides backing vocals. The guitarist doesn’t hold back onstage.

During the set, MORRIE disposes of his shirt and throws it aside, continuing to rock out without it. Both Hiro and Shinobu stand up front a lot, showing off their talents to rile the audience up. Hitoki remains mostly in the background, playing his parts to perfection and supporting MORRIE with background vocals. Later on, he strides to the front and plays with fervor and energy.

For the last song of the set, Creature Creature start with heavy slow tune, choosing Haru no kikai for last. Like the others, the song builds slowly, layered guitar riffs adding depth, breaking the calmness. MORRIE’s clear and powerful voice is tinged with sensitivity. His stance is open, standing at the front of the stage with his arms outstretched. Around him, the sound intensifies; Sasabuchi’s sound is powerful and with another mighty guitar solo, the song concludes.

The tremor of the bass is felt across the venue as the band hits off with Violent Rose, both guitarists playing against each other, creating a contrasting melody over the heavy rhythm. The vocals modulate throughout this song, starting out with long exclamations to fast paced singing, progressing into singing higher, reaching all the notes with ease. Creature Creature take their time with the MC, and then announce the last song of the encore. The band starts out with a lot of energy, the crowd joining in and giving everything they’ve got, even getting a chance to sing along.

After the song, the band quickly retreats but the fans continue clapping and continue to shout ‘encore’. They aren’t kept waiting long. The members reappear onstage, and MORRIE gives another MC before it’s really time for the last song. Heavy chords herald the beginning of Sen no Yami-yo ni and hands fly in the air. Shinobu shows his skills in the solo, dropping to his knees whilst Hiro and MORRIE lean on each other as they play. In no time, the song ends and every member takes their time in saying goodbye. A picture with the fans is taken and not long after, Creature Creature make their final exit. In twenty-two songs over two-and-a-half hours, the band gave their all and the audience were satiated.

Creature Creature also announced two new lives for December 28th & 29th at Meguro Rockmaykan.

Set List:

01. Mirrors
02. Maboroshi
03. Dream Caller
04. Amor Fati
05. Phallus Phaser
06. Gone By Rain
07. Black Hole
08. Ataraxia
09. Golden Game
10. Psyche
11. Death Is A Flower
12. Hien (Secret Garden)
13. Tenshu-Ranman (Heavenly Ugly Blooming)
14. Rakuen e (To Elysium)
15. Dead Rider
16. Swan
17. Aurora
18. Haru no Kikai (Spring Machine)

Encore 1
19. Violent Rose
20. Hoshi-Tsuki (Star-Possessed)
21. Red

Encore 2
22. Sen no Yami-yo ni (For 1000 Dark Nights)