D'espairsRay - Maverick

In a world of ups and downs, it's always nice to find balance where it’s required. Sometimes you have a great day, which might lead you to listen to some Hamasaki Ayumi or maybe even some Glay. Sometimes though, you just have one of those days where something a little darker, a little heavier is required. That's where this release comes in. Drawing a fine line between melody and cacophony, melancholy and ferocity, this release introduced D'espairsRay’s music to people who needed a little extra darkness in their lives.

It's hard to explain what makes D'espairsRay tick, even today after many releases. They’ve gone from being an extremely somber band to an outfit that can fuse positive undertones with darker overtones when necessary. Maverick falls into place between their first experiments with higher production values and their eventual mastery of said values. This is evident after listening to its tracks, most notably Yami ni Furu Kiseki, considered one of the band's most beautiful and recognizable songs. Eventually re-born on the Born EP (no pun intended), this original version dropped many jaws as its mixture of classical instrumentation and rock influences created one of the most mesmerizing songs heard in Japanese rock. Hizumi's sweet, gentle and overall haunting vocals find a way to capture our attention all the way to the end of the song, only outdone by Karyu’s wonderfully seductive acoustic prowess. The emotions conveyed by the piece are almost overpowering as you will feel yourself being swept away by everything it has to offer.

Emotions abound throughout the release though, as the title track demonstrates (in a different way). Maverick is the first track you'll be exposed to and is a bombastic romp through the band's mind. You’ll feel the insanity, the rage and even the despair that exudes through their music as Hizumi's infamous growls fuse with his crooning, as Karyu's shreds entwine with his harmonies, and as Zero and Tsukasa help their message get out while conveying a few of their own. Sou -bloodymary-/Marry of the Blood (also re-recorded for Born) takes a page from some of the band’s earlier pieces (such as Gothic) and, while creating an eerie atmosphere as emotionally powerful as any other piece found on this disc, pulls the listener deep inside a violent-sounding yet strangely comforting union of hard-edged metal and keyboard filled goth-rock.

Without overshadowing their other releases, it must be said that Maverick truly defines what D'espairsRay is all about: spreading some much needed darkness in a world that tries too hard to forget about all the struggles, the hardships, and the sad moments that are ever present in human society. While their music might not sit well with a number of people, you owe yourself to check it out if you haven’t yet. Who knows? You might feel something awaken inside.