PIERROT - HELLO

When PIERROT disbanded earlier this year, fans could barely believe the news. It saddened the J-rock community to learn that one it's most beloved names was ceasing all activities and that members were starting new and different sounding projects. Somewhere in the midst of all the commotion, people nearly forgot that the band still had a single due to be released a few months down the road.

Hello finally hit shelves a few days ago, a final testament to the huge impact the band had on the Japanese music scene. Although it’s far from being their best material, the single does not disappoint and manages to end Pierrot’s career on a positive note.

01-Hello
The first thing fans will notice is that this tune takes a small step backwards through time, to an era before Freeze. Sure, it's still very heavy, but the main riff has a melody reminiscent of songs found on earlier/mid-career albums. I guess you could say both eras were combined to create a memorable song that is fun to sing along to and great to bang your head to. The chorus isn’t anything to write home about, but it's enough of a hook to keep you around for many repeated listens.

A solid track that will not disappoint fans.

02-Utopia
The riff kicks in and you immediately start thinking of which PIERROT song sounds exactly like it, or close to. Once you get past the "Hmmm sounds kind of uninspired" thoughts crawling around inside your head, you realize this song actually delivers what you want. Great guitars, a solid chorus that brands a spot in your head and a great little solo that, while on the short side, manages to get your fingers in on the action.

A great b-side that makes this single feel that much cooler.

The only obvious complaint is that two tracks are far from enough. A third track could've helped this one score a little higher. Then again, this is better than having some pointless instrumental version of Hello.

The single itself is a great, must-have purchase for fans seeing as it’s the last release in the band's catalogue and also because it just plain rocks. Casual Jrock listeners will also get a kick out of this one seeing as it can appeal to more mainstream fans. It's a shame nothing else will follow in this one’s footsteps; a new album in a similar vein could've really rocked the world!

I still can't get over the irony of it all. Ah well.

OVERALL SCORE: 8/10 for two great songs that do the band’s career justice. Nothing weak about this release, except for the amount of tracks. But hey, we can't complain now can we? Let's just be happy we got this single!