Janne da Arc - RED ZONE

The re-release of Janne da Arc's very first single in their major career is a nice way to meet this talented band. The original RED ZONE was released on May 19th, 1999 and became a success in the Japanese charts. This latter edition was released two years later with a remixed track added to the previous ones.

The first track, RED ZONE, is a powerful rock song that will make the listener want to jump. Shuji's drums are really something and while Kiyo and Kayu follow this quick pace, You plays fast and hard during the whole song. The rhythm becomes a bit slower during the first verse while Yasu sings a dramatic melody with a touch of rage to it. The chorus is energetic and Yasu's reaching voice lets us feel his desperation. This is a great song not only for the catchy melody, but for the talent and skill that the band shows.

The second track is seal and it begins with a extremely fast solo by You, while the rest of the band waits a few seconds to join him. The beginning of the song is fast but not as quick as RED ZONE; the keyboards have a starring role in this with some strange but interesting sounds. The chorus is quite dark but catchy, as in a lot of Janne da Arc songs, and of course it has a large guitar solo with You showing us his great guitar skills. Definitively a perfect partner for RED ZONE.

After these two tracks we find seal -Gang bang in Soviet mix-. This mix is different from a lot of remixes that these kinds of singles tend to have. The main beat could be called a rock beat, but it's completely different from the one that Shuji recorded in the original track. Although a lot of the guitar chords played by You in the original version are present in this mix, hKayu's bass and Kiyo's keyboards are not present at all. Yasu's voice is still the same aside a few seconds where it's distorted.

This single is the perfect introduction to this great band. Their catchy melodies are present in each of the three tracks and making them something that every rock-pop fan should give a listen.