born - Abnormal Head Machine

Visual kei band born is attracting considerable attention in the visual scene in Japan, and for the first time they will venture to the United States to perform for an American audience. Those in attendance at Oni-Con in Houston this fall will be able to experience live the songs from their first album, which was released in February of this year. As most of these songs are very live-centric, energetic and intense, the guests at the convention will be in for a real treat.

The album opens with the instrumental track -A.H.M.-, an electronic-style number with a relaxed beat and plenty of synths. The track’s ending notes segue into the new beat of the next song, Extremely Waltz. Its structure is somewhat unconventional: while the first half of the song is soft and mysterious, about midway through, Ryoga lets out a scream that gives way to a dark section of ominous bass and guitars. The chorus is lighter, the atmosphere changing completely at the emotional, almost desperate singing, which is echoed by an anguished guitar line that escalates toward the conclusion.

Track three, Vermin’s Cry, is clearly a song made for the live house. Opening with death vocals, it launches into fast paced, headbanging intro and verses. As the pace changes, so does Ryoga’s singing style - from scream-singing to proper singing, death vocals to ominous talking. The chorus is a complete shift as the guitars become light and glinting. The beat lightens up while maintaining its speed, and the vocal melody is beautiful and optimistic. Despite the violent early sections, Vermin’s Cry demonstrates born’s aptness for the catchy, beautiful and moving, making this one of the strongest tracks on the album.

with hate is a genuine head banging rock song the whole way through, with a hot and heavy beat, plenty of screamed vocals and diabolic guitars. KIFUMI’s low, rumbling bass is prominent in the verses and the bridge. For the final chorus, Ryoga screams out his lines in a higher register while TOMO’s pace intensifies. No doubt this will be another fan favorite at lives.

The fifth track, Chemical Romance, is a purely enchanting number you’ll want to enjoy over and over. Aggressive and full of rhythmic death vocals and a casually dark attitude, the song becomes more pop-like in the chorus. Ryoga’s digitized, optimistic singing is accompanied by the whole band singing one line, and the cheery beat is infectious. One of the most magical moments comes after the final chorus, where Ryoga sings a new melody line that is soft but powerful in its beauty and earnestness.

The following Tragedy is psychedelic, mysterious and balladic. It's unusual with its quiet rapping in the verses. The lead-in to the chorus is poignant and pulls at your heart strings, mostly thanks to a duet where Ryoga pours out his heart and the guitar commiserates with him. While the chorus incorporates some death vocals, it also includes proper singing - emotional and at times in falsetto. Track seven, white harmony, has a catchy, mid-paced beat, and the twin guitars of Ray and K diverge in the choruses, lending a sense of spontaneity as they venture down different paths from one verse to the next. The chorus is catchy and driven, with a pop-like beat. We are also treated to a brief but impressive guitar solo that climbs all over the scale.

Innocent Bullet opens fiercely with a relentless, fast pace, dark guitars and intense screaming. The desperate pace is maintained in the melodic and earnest chorus, which also has an otherworldly effect with the celestial glinting of guitars and falsetto singing. The succeeding Rotten Cherry is hot and dark, a genuine headbanging number with inventive guitars, electronic effects and digital death vocals.

The heavy trend continues with tHINk, a creative fast-paced number with an air of derangement. The zany, screeching guitars, screaming and unconventional vocal melodies throughout work together to create an atmosphere of madness, though the falsetto areas and light guitars layered on give it a tinge of normalcy. The tenth track was released as the group's first single and is already a fan favorite. Dust Pain opens as an aggressive piece of demonic screams and dark atmosphere. The first part of the chorus features unusual melodies that will grow on you, and KIFUMI’s bass is especially present. The rest of the chorus is catchy and ensnaring, with addictive but surprising melody lines and a fast beat.

The guitar-centric Ruisai no hana (Tear-colored flower) is the only proper ballad on the disc, and it is gorgeous. Also the only track with a Japanese title, it is an especially intimate track. The lyrics speak of heartache and good-byes, and when the chorus breaks in, it is powerful and poignant ("I don't want to cry again, so I'll sing.") The vocal echoes are a surprising element, and the heart-wrenching melodies are bewitching, drawing us into a world of magic, despite their sadness. Although their milieu is the loud, live setting, this group can make ballads look like their forte.

The album switches gears for its closing number, the relentless and heavy THE END. The vocal echoes reappear in the verses, drawing out notes like a lone figure’s cries echoing in a desolate mountain region. The chorus is fast paced, full of death vocals and violent guitar play.

born is an exceptional band, as this album demonstrates, creating songs that range from catchy and pop-like to the psychedelic and beautifully deranged. As most of their songs demonstrate a mix of all of these, their compositions are original and imaginative, and Ryoga shows his skill with a number of vocal styles. We look forward to more releases from this group and hopefully more chances to experience them live in America - and elsewhere.