Tourbillon - HEAVEN

Tourbillon’s debut album HEAVEN was released in November 2005 and contains 12 tracks.

The CD starts of with bara wa chiru tame ni, which has an intro that sounds a bit weird; it reminds one of an old movie theme. Then the guitar falls in and after a few more seconds the songs really begins and turns into a soft rock track. The drums really stand out in this song and seem louder than the other instruments. The melody fits perfect with Ryuichi's vocals, most of the time his singing is flawless, but a few high notes sound just on the edge. Halfway through you can hear a few soundeffects added to the music, which gives this track an unique sound.

The second track is a nice rock ballad and the harder rock parts mix perfectly with Hayama's softer keyboarding. your place follows and this one also has a nice mix of piano and guitar parts. Ryuichi sings very calmly in this song, which gives it a relaxed feeling. After the first chorus some female background vocals are added, which goes well with Ryuichi's vocals. Overall, this song has a happy atmosphere.

Hana starts of with a gentle guitar intro. Ryuichi pushes himself fairly high in this song, and the chorus is definitely one you will sing along to. The fifth track is Replica and in this one you can hear Inoran's distorted guitar and other sound effects like turntables. Again, the drums are very present in this track. The next song is another slow rock ballad.

Kiyuu brings us an acoustic guitar, strings, and different sound effects. It sounds a bit strange at first, but it definitely creates a good atmosphere. Ryuichi's vocals are distorted, which adds to the "spacey" feel of the song. HEAVEN is the title track of the CD, and Ryuichi starts to sing in a special way, a bit like he is simply speaking, before he starts to sing properly again. The distorted guitar solo sounds great and makes for a great contrast with the slower keyboard part that follows.

The next track begins with a distorted intro and is then followed by a loud drumbeat. The bass pulsates through the whole song. Ryuichi uses a deep voice every now and then, which contrasts nicely with the higher parts. The high female vocals during the chorus adds something extra to the song. hyper na blue starts with a drumsolo before the rest of the band joins in, Ryuichi again singing in the lower ranges. This song seems to be more focused on the music, then the vocals.

mou ichido kimi ni immediately starts with Ryuichi's vocals and a piano, promising to be a great ballad. Ryuichi's singing sounds a bit strained in certain parts, but overall it's a beautiful ballad. The English chorus is also sung flawlessly. The strings really fit in this ballad and makes it a great ending for the CD.

HEAVEN is a great album for fans of soft rock music and ballads. Though, if one isn't familiar already with Tourbillon, it may take a bit of getting used to when it comes to Ryuichi's unique voice.