After the controversial full-length album CONQUEROR, where BAND-MAID tried to blend their recognizable punchy style with a huge amount of
gentle songs, the band hadn’t released any new songs for almost a year. Yes, in April, the maids released their first live DVD (and Blu-ray),
which was great, but it didn’t answer some important questions. Where will maids go next? Which music style will prevail: dynamic or soft? Finally, the definitive answer came on December 2nd in the form of a single titled Different.
It is a perfect gift
for those BAND-MAID fans who love the loud and energetic sound of the band. The two songs on the release offer non-stop, seven-minute action. They won’t let you rest for even a second. The title track might seem a bit overloaded,
especially during the opening and instrumental parts. However, this doesn’t prevent it from gaining bullet train-like speed thanks to two factors: KANAMI’s fast playing, which is slightly reminiscent of Screaming, and the vocal duo of SAIKI and
MIKU. The combination of their voices always adds dynamics to their music and is simply a pleasure to listen to.
The title track does
its job perfectly, but the single's most surprising song is the B-side Don’t be long. This is a rare instrumental track from BAND-MAID. The difficulty with such works is the obvious absence of the vocals, so all of the instruments must come
to the fore. Moreover, they should offer some interesting music patterns. Otherwise, the track will sound boring.
The maids managed to complete the task and created a really combative song involving almost all the members. Here, you’ll find vibrant
parts from MIKU and KANAMI – how juicy and rich the mix of the rhythm and solo guitar sounds! MISA once again did a great job, offering up powerful basslines. However, the most important element here is
AKANE’s loud drumming. She skillfully controls the tempo, speeding it up significantly at certain moments with her dual pedals. This all leads to a feeling that one got caught up in an epic music battle, where BAND-MAID hurl themselves into
a full-scale assault. Don’t be long is so catchy that you will definitely want to experience it again and again.
There is another track on the single. This is another version of the title track, because Different was chosen as the
opening for the anime series "Log Horizon ~ Collapse of the Round Table". It’s safe to say that this track is for the anime fans. Meanwhile, the two main songs show that the maids are still doing great creating both skillful music and
explosive tracks. Hopefully, the upcoming album will be as all-out as this small but bold single.
