Luna Sea - Shine

Luna Sea’s second to last album came out in 1998 and offered fans a new version of the band they’d come to love. While 1996’s STYLE broke some molds, some feared that Luna Sea might eventually become a one-trick pony down the road. The band also feared this, leading to a slight hiatus in activity in 1997 so that everyone could go their own way, find some new musical elements and bring them back with them. It worked, because SHINE truly took the band in new directions. Simply by listening to the opening track, Time Has Come, could one tell that this album would retain all the classic Luna Sea elements while incorporating new ones. The CD sold extremely well, garnering attention from more mainstream listeners who might have brushed the band off in the past. It was the release that made the Japanese public fall in love with Luna Sea all over again, forever cementing their place as one of the country’s most successful and influential rock bands.

Classics such as Storm (with its superb main riff and intoxicating chorus), Shine (sporting one of the best Sugizo solos, not to mention one of the most bizarre-yet-impossibly cool PVs out there) and I for You (a ballad that doesn’t break any molds, but still has golden moments) were spawned from this album and found their ways into the band’s set lists up until the Final Act at Tokyo Dome. Most of you have had encounters with said songs already, so let’s check out the rest of the album.

The first song one should pay attention to is No Pain, simply because it is a perfect example of how a band can stay in touch with its older self while injecting new life into its bloodstream. J’s bass work, the eternal guiding force behind the band’s melodies, sounds like it always has, but exudes a certain je-ne-sais-quoi in this song, driving its sexy rhythm into your heart while the guitar work simply shines (no pun intended), perfectly mixing ambience with a little touch of distorted scaling. The children’s choir found on many Luna Sea songs makes an appearance in this one as well, adding a haunting element that places the proverbial cherry at the top of this sundae of excellence.

Unlikelihood is a more aggressive song that might please fans of the heavier stuff found on STYLE, while Another stands in a category all its own (unless you take into account a few songs off Lunacy). What starts off like a ballad evolves into some kind of mellowed-out rock song that has a bluesy-riff straight out of the late 70s/early 80s. It’s a great song that has many different layers to it and truly demonstrates what this band is all about: originality. Think of it as an auditory buffet. You’ve got ambiance, you’ve got crunchy guitars, you’ve got violins… you’ve got a whole plethora of sounds just waiting to please you. I don’t think one person can hate this song; it simply offers too much. Everyone can find solace somewhere within its waves.

Millenium is a great song that has a sense of urgency at first, but quickly has the listener so entranced that its tempo feels just right. Keep an ear open for its most excellent guitar playing: true magic that can only come from Inoran and Sugizo working together. The chorus also demonstrates why Ryuichi was as popular as he was. It just seeps into your soul and lodges itself there.

Broken and Up to You are decent songs that don’t really stand out above the rest to most Luna Sea veterans, but are probably the two tracks on this album that will get the most attention from mainstream listeners. They feature some riffs that will please them, not to mention excellent musicianship throughout.

Velvet offers most excellent ambient guitar work once again, not to mention Inoran’s affinity for turn tables. This is what fans can expect from FAKE?. This song usually gets people saying: “Hey, doesn’t the drumming sound like Sunday Bloody Sunday?” Whether you hear it or not, one thing’s for sure: Shinya really didn’t have to bust his back on this one. Anyways, don’t let that stop you from enjoying this little gem.

Love Me is a song that has the same magic that Storm has. A winning riff, a rhythm that makes you bop up and down whether you like it or not and a strong solo that makes you love the song instantaneously. Also, you can’t help but love that digitized voice. Poor computer, it just wants to be held!

Breathe is probably one of the best Luna Sea songs out there. Sure, it isn’t a rock song, but damn is it ever beautiful. Everything about it, from the gentle acoustic strumming to the distant-yet-haunting vocals, makes you want to hit the repeat button on your player. This song alone is worth the price of admission and should have replaced I for You as a single release.

In summary, this release features all the elements that made the band early in their career, as well as the new ones that took them to the complete top of the rock food chain. Lunacy, their final album, attempted to recreate the perfect balance found here, getting very close, but not close enough. You want the best of both worlds? You want the band at the top of their game? This is the CD to check out.