Siva - demolish

Siva's sound tends to combine heavy visual music with electronic experimentation - but sometimes they go overboard and the songs become too busy. However, there's another side to Siva's music: though heavy, it can also be very catchy, beautiful and easy to listen to. They could have put out a single that's a little more mainstream, something that would ensnare a casual visual kei fan, but both their eccentric and melodious sides are present in demolish. And as long as you know what to expect, that's really not such a bad thing.

The first track, public opinion, shows Siva experimenting. Their creative spirit is evident with the inclusion of distorters and effectors, disc scratching and an interlude of rap vocals. That willingness to try different things, their unpredictability, makes them an interesting group. But the song isn't perfect: the chorus doesn't come in until after two minutes, and when it does it's not that rewarding; the contrast between heavy to melodious works, but the melody line is a little anticlimactic at first listen. So there are a lot of interesting things going on in public opinion, but it's not an immediately gratifying number like some of their others. It seems the focus is on the mood and atmosphere, which is intricate, layered and with an ultra modern feel at times.

a conseption has a wider appeal and puts more emphasis on melodies. The guitar and vocal lines in the refrain are catchy and moving, and in the section just after that, your attention is drawn to Cell's frolicking bass. In contrast to the distorted vocals on the previous track, Kairi's words are easily decipherable here. There are also some interesting computerized sound effects that let you know they're still trying different things and not attempting to be anyone but themselves.

If you're looking for a heavy but beautiful song you can play over and over, this single is worth the purchase because of a conseption. Still, tracks like public opinion that take a few listens to grow on you have their purpose too. Even if you skip over it for a while, eventually you'll come back to it and grow to like it more and more.