Album Review (Obscurus Metalus) - Septicflesh's Revolution DNA

1999 Original Cover

2016 Reissue Cover

I know I said in my last review that I was done for the rest of the month, but such is not the case with today’s review.

In recent weeks, I have finally slain my white whale. Since about the spring/summer of 2009, I have been in a on-off pursuit for the album that’s covered today. An album from a band that I didn’t like back then, but one that I absolutely enjoy now. As you can see by the review title, the band in question is Septicflesh. I’ll get into further detail in my eventual overview of the band, but let’s just say I wasn’t a Death Metal fan back then. This album, however, is rather different. While it still comes from a Death Metal band, the music in question is.....unique. So I won’t waste any more of your time, and let’s check out a Septicflesh album that’s been lost to the shadows, Revolution DNA. Let the review begin!

Background
Taken from Season of Mist's website:

"‘Revolution DNA’, the fifth full-length in the 25-year career of Greek metal luminaries SEPTICFLESH, is finally about to be reissued on Season of Mist just like its four predecessors. Originally released in 1999, ‘Revolution DNA’ occupies a unique space in the band's history. Embracing melodic and atmospheric influences that got it filed in the gothic metal movement, the album ranks amongst SEPTICFLESH’s most avant-garde works to date. The heightened atmospherics, synthesized orchestration, and mesmerising clear vocals of Sotiris Vayenas affirmed the bold and adventurous creative direction the band had begun to follow with 1998's 'A Fallen Temple'. Adorned with brand new artwork and bonus tracks that were not included on the original edition, ‘Revolution DNA’ is also available on vinyl for the very first time. Side A: Science / Chaostar / Radioactive / Little Music Box Side B: Revolution / Nephilim Sons / DNA / Telescope Side C: Last Stop To Nowhere / Dictatorship Of The Mediocre / Android / Arctic Circle Side D: Age Of New Messiahs / Misery's King / The Thief Of Innocence / Telescope [French version] "

Basic Description
The lost Septicflesh album.

There’s a perfectly good reason why I put Revolution DNA in the “Obscurus Metalus” sub-section of my album reviews. In addition to finding little on this album’s background (Apart from the CD booklet & Season of Mist's website), there’s not a lot of people talking about this album (Apart from fans). It’s bad enough to the point where this album is practically a ghost, with the album’s before it & after getting way more attention. If I had to guess as to why Septicflesh fans don’t talk about this album much.....is because it is perhaps the band’s most experimental album to date.

Up until this album, Septicflesh has remained in the realm of Death Metal. They never strayed away from their comfort zone, but at the same time always tried something new with each release. With Revolution DNA, they reached the height of experimentation. For the first (and only) time, the band went in the direction of Industrial Metal. Yes, one of the biggest Death Metal bands in the world, went Industrial. Not necessarily full Industrial however, as there are some Death Metal elements within the album, along with bits & pieces of Gothic Rock & Metal. This mix of musical elements creates one of the most unique albums in the pantheon of Heavy Metal, and one in which should be listened to by anyone even remotely curious about it!

Best Song
Gonna turn a bunch of your heads when I say this, but I consider Last Stop to Nowhere to be the best song of this album. It’s a very Philip Glassian kind of song, but what do I mean exactly? Well, Mr. Glass’s music has repetitive vocal work, repetitive instrumentation, and even repetitive sound effects. From Koyaanisqatsi all the way back in 1982, to the Russain-produced Leviathan that’s as recent as 2014, Philip Glass has taken a minimalistic & repetitive approach to his songs.

However, it’s this repetition that simultaneously gives Last Stop to Nowhere it’s strength. A Dark, moody, almost gothic atmosphere is painted through how the band manipulates music, creating a depiction of purgatory, where a lost soul is waiting for a train to wherever he destined to go. It’s a song that’s actually a little moving, and that’s something I’ll always give a metal band credit for!

Last Stop to Nowhere

Honorable mentions, however, should go to 3 extra songs. The piano-driven & operatic like Misery's King, The Thief of Innocence, and a version of Telescope with some French vocals used in parts. It should be noted that the first 2 songs were originally cut off of the original track listing, as it actually put the album's running time to just past an hour. As for the French Version of Telescope, I'm not sure if it was meant for the original or not.

Misery's King

The Thief of Innocence

Telescope (French Version)

Worst Song
Android is about the only bad song on this album, and even then it’s not really all that terrible. It fits in with the rest of Revolution DNAs sci-fi atmosphere, with it’s references to technology & such, but I find the particular usage of vocal work & effects to be grating on my ears. The vocal work is this weird raspy kind of deal, and the sound effects are at a pitch that gets annoying a little into the track. You won’t be missing anything if you skip this song, but you won’t be wasting anytime listening to it either.

Android

Perhaps more than this track, Revolution DNAs biggest problem is availability! There is a reason why I labeled this review under my “Obscurus Metalus” sub-series: finding a physical copy of this album is quite rare. A few years back Septicflesh re-released some of their older material, but for whatever reason, this album wasn’t included along with them. As such, Revolution DNA will popup at random in the weirdest of places. Pricing itself can also vary, with the highest (From what I’ve heard) reaching into the hundreds, and this applies to the original releases as well. I was fortunate enough to see a used copy available on Amazon for the price of $66.66 (Go ahead & laugh), excluding tax. I had ordered it on Monday the 2nd of this month, and it was supposed to come in on the 9th at the earliest (25th was the latest), but it got shipped on Tuesday, and got to my house on Saturday, two days before the earliest arrival. That’s good service if you ask me!

However, a reissues of the album was finally put out on the 5th of August. More specifically, this is a reissue of the 2005 reissue (Which included the 3 previously mentioned songs). A tongue twister to be sure. Pricing of this reissue is incredibly more merciful than finding an original 1999 release: at this moment in time on Amazon a new copy starts out at a nice 10 dollars in price, and the lone used copy is almost 15 dollars. I pre-ordered mine a few days before, and that cost 17 dollars & 25 cents.

Overall Impression & Rating
Revolution DNA is just one of those albums that gets lost in a sea of popularity. It’s so unique with it’s variety of genres, that it might be off putting when compared to more contemporary records of it’s time. The 90s was always a time of musical chaos, but the late 90s were especially crazy. It’s a shame that Revolution DNA got lost in the shuffle (in a sense), as it’s uniqueness really sets it apart from more generic albums. You will not regret listening to this album. Not even for a moment!

Revolution DNA gets a 9 out of 10.

So this is the real ending to May. Again, I just couldn’t contain myself when I got a hold of this album. If any of you manage to snag a physical copy after reading this, then you got lucky like me. Even if you didn’t, the digital release is readily available. See you again in June!



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If you want to listen to this album before you go out to purchase/download it, there’s a link right below:

Revolution DNA (Youtube)

(Updated on August 8, 2016. 9:24 PM, Eastern Standard Time)

Anime Review - Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne

Fellow Otaku & Metalheads, we’ve got ourselves an interesting case with today’s anime review.

Chances are, we’ve seen anime that’s dumb. Chances are, we’ve seen anime that’s smart. Once again, there’s chances that we own anime that’s incredibly stupid, or incredibly clever. However, there are plenty of series that seem to straddle the line between the two extremes. The subject of today’s review is a big example, and fairly recent as well. Depending on how you look at it, this show is smart but really dumb, or dumb but surprisingly clever. I won’t keep you waiting, so let’s take a look at the quirky Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne, and see just how it accomplishes this balancing act. Let the review begin!

Story/Setup
It has been 6 years since brother Akito Himenokoji & sister Akiko Himenokoji have seen each. Since the death of their parents, the siblings were separated, but are now going to Saint Liliana High School together (and staying at the school dorm). At first it seems as if things are fine, as Akito is pursuing a writing career along with his schoolwork, and his sister is staying by his side. However, it soon appears that something is off, as Akiko is showing incestuous desires towards her brother. It would just be annoying if it was just the two of them, but this is not the case, as there are 4 other women staying with him: the aristocratic Anastasia Nasuhara, Akito’s childhood friend Ginbei Haruomi Sawatari, the seductive Arashi Nikaido, and Akito’s future fiancee (Arisa Takanomiya. BTW, she's also 12 in the anime) shows up at a later time. With all of these oddballs around him, it creates for an interesting & unforgettable life.

Don’t be deceived by this story description! On the surface, Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne has a very basic story, and really doesn’t do anything to prove it otherwise. As the show goes on, layers are slowly pulled back, and a surprisingly clever show reveals itself. It’s still not the deepest thing around, but when it wants to be emotional & serious, it can certainly do so. You may want to have maybe 1 tissue near you when you watch this show.

Animation
I’m rather fond of this show’s animation. I wouldn’t call it godly, as in some scenes the faces seem off, and every once in a while colors are mildly faded, but on the whole it looks nice. There is a great usage of color despite the faded moments, and there’s an otherwise cute aspect that permeates all of the scenes & characters. It’s not sickeningly sweet looking like Love Hina & Oshiete! Galko-chan can be, but Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne definitely has an inviting atmosphere.

Voice Acting
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne isn’t out in the United States, and as such there’s only subtitles & Japanese dubbing out there. As for the Japanese dub, I consider it to be okay. Not god awful, but I swear I’ve heard all of these character’s voices in other shows. As such, this bleeds into the characters, and ultimately kind of stains them for me. Speaking of which......

Characters
I also swear that I’ve seen these characters before. Alright, maybe not all of them, but a majority of them are in other anime that I have watched. You’ve got the pervert/sex-fiend, the childhood friend, etc. On the surface, the cast of this show don’t really have much depth. They all play their part, and they rarely if ever deviate from their personalities. It’s frustrating, and it can really be a turnoff. It’s on the inside that really counts, and is actually the show’s biggest strength. Arashi, for example, is quite a sex fiend. Guy or girl, it doesn’t matter, as she will find some way to get to her prey. Underneath, she’s not quite what you think: she has a tender side to her (In a later episode she performs the tea ceremony for Akito, and has a softer personality during the ceremony), and has some mild motherly tendencies, as she genuinely cares for everybody at the dorm, albeit in a quasi-seductive way. Everybody in the cast is like this: a standard personality/character, but with something interesting underneath, and this is what drew me into the show once I got further in.

Availability & Pricing
Like I said earlier, Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne isn’t available for purchase in the U.S., and as such you can find it here physically. On top of that, Crunchyroll doesn’t have the series available for viewing. Your only way to watch this show is to either find it on Youtube, or on one of dozens of independent anime sites. I’ll leave a link below to the site I used. Apologies for the odd subbing in some of the episodes.

Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne (Animegg)

Overall Impression & Rating
Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne is absolutely baffling to me. On the one hand, this show’s dumb. A lot of the humor is juvenile, crude, and rather basic (Even though I love that kind of comedy most of the time). On top of that, you’ve got a story that really isn’t all that fantastic, and some of the fan service scene are odd. On the other hand, Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne has a surprising amount of heart. The characters are all very connected to one another, despite how dysfunctional they can act. All of the girls are connected to Akito in some emotional way, and Akito has a bond of friendship with each of them in turn. If you want a smart anime with dumb moments, or a dumb anime with smart moments, then Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne might be the show that’ll scratch that itch.

Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai Yo Ne gets an 8 out of 10.

So this is my last post for May. I know I’m selling myself short this month, but in June I’ve got something special coming. Hope you don’t mind the wait, and I’ll see you all in June!

Metal Overview: Alcatrazz

I had to admit that this was a tough one, fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

It’s not that the music is bad, cause it isn’t! Despite their short run, Alcatrazz released some of the finest progressive music the 80s has ever seen. Headed by Graham Bonnet, the group was quite the tour-de-force, and to this day has a respectable cult following. My problem.....is that I don’t consider this band to be metal. Make no mistake there’s a healthy does of heaviness, as you’ll soon seen, but I don’t quite hear it as Heavy Metal. With that out of the way, lets look at the short lived but awesome Alcatrazz, and see why they’re worth your time!

No Parole from Rock n Roll (1983)(Album)

Sometimes, if you can’t go back to your old comfort zone, it’s best to make a new one, and that’s Exactly what Alcatrazz was. After his time within the iconic Rainbow, and his stint in the Michael Shenker Group, Graham Bonnet decided to form a band that would replicate the groups he was in before, and thus Alcatrazz was born! Composed of Graham Bonnet on vocals, Gary Shea, Jimmy Waldo, Jan Uvena on Drums, and Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen (A man as talented as he is egotistical). Then on October 15, 1983, the band released the first of only 3 albums, No Parole from Rock n Roll. It charted on the Billboard 200 for 18 weeks, with it’s peak at no. 128. Perhaps the strangest thing about No Parole from Rock n Roll is the fact that it has a strong following in Japan, and certain tracks can still be found in karaoke bars to this day!
                                       
Best Track? Gonna have to go with Hiroshima Mon Amour. Dedicated to the survivors of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima (Hence the name of the song), this song holds a different meaning for me. You see, I had an uncle in WWII that was part of the Army Surveillance Corps, and was at Hiroshima after the bomb went off. I never met the man, but from stories I’ve been told, he wasn’t the same when he came home. He was drained by what he saw, and became rather slow. Until his dying days a few years ago, he was scarred by the horrors of war. So for me, Hiroshima Mon Amour can be a powerful song for both sides of the battle.

Hiroshima Mon Amour

Worst Track? Suffer Me is the only bad track on No Parole from Rock n Roll, but even then it’s not unbearable. Graham Bonnet is wailing as hard as he can, but it comes across as strained a little. There’s great instrumentation, but it’s all played rather slowly, and the keyboarding comes across as incredibly meh. Definitely not an awful song, but the flaws prevent me from saying it’s good.

Suffer Me

No Parole from Rock n Roll. A strong start from the band, and a interesting look at what may come in the future. The gateway into Alcatrazz, but not my favorite of their records. Next album!

Disturbing the Peace (1985)(Album)

Despite the success of Alcatrazz’s initial release, there were rumblings between Graham & Yngwie during their tour for No Parole from Rock n Roll. Eventually, these rumblings caused Yngwie to leave the group to pursue his own solo career at Polydor Records, but that’s for another time. In the search for a new guitarist, the group eventually landed upon another musical genius by the name of Steve Vai, who some of you might recognize as the man that helped introduce Devin Townsend to the world. With Vai in the group, and a new deal at Capitol Records, Alcatrazz set-out to craft another killer record, and on March 22, 1985, Disturbing the Peace was released. Staying on the Billboard 200 for 16 weeks, Disturbing the Peace was a lower-charting album than No Parole from Rock n Roll, with it’s peak at no. 145.

Best Track? God Blessed Video! Everything right & wrong with 80s rock and metal can be found in this track. Hokey, cheesy, stupid, and all sorts of fun. The mix of Steve Vai’s guitar work, couple with Graham Bonnet’s singing, makes for any awesome experience. The rest of the band does a good job too, with drumming that fits perfectly, and keyboarding that’s not too over the top, but not underwhelming either. A great way to open an album!

God Blessed Video

Worst Track? Breaking the Heart of the City. Dear god this is an awful way to end an album! I can understand the intent behind this song, but I can’t enjoy this at all. The band is playing at a snail’s pace, the keyboarding is irritating, and Graham Bonnet’s vocals really don’t work. In a lot of ways it kind of reminds me of the Heavy Duty/Defenders of the Faith combo from Judas Priest’s 1984 release, albeit a longer running time (And the fact that it’s only 1 song). Just end listening to this album at Skyfire, and you’ll be fine.

Breaking the Heart of the City

Disturbing the Peace. The middle brother of Alcatrazz’s miniature discography, but a middle brother that’s got some bite to it. A mid-80s record that you should have in your collection, or at the very least listen to it once. Next album!

Dangerous Games (1986)(Album)

Despite the acquisition of their new guitarist, success seemed to escape Alcatrazz. Things didn’t improve when Steve Vai left to join David Lee Roth’s solo. The leaving wasn’t bad this time around, as Steve & Graham remained on good terms, and Vai credits Alcatrazz as a high point in his career. His replacement came in the form of Danny Johnson, who’s prior bands included Axis, Alice Cooper, and Rod Stewart’s backup band. With their new guitarist signed, the band set out to create what would become their final album, Dangerous Games. Released in September of 1986, Dangerous Games was a drastic change from their previous two records, as a heavy Japanese style was the main influence behind this release. It didn’t really do anything positive for the record, as it failed to even chart. This was the last straw for Alcatrazz: shortly after the release of Dangerous Games, Danny Johnson left to join the group Private Life, and being disheartened by the revolving door of guitarists & shrinking album sales, Graham Bonnet broke up Alcatrazz in 1987. It’s a crying shame, as this is my favorite out of the trio of Alcatrazz’s albums, and to quote the almighty Razorfist, this is the single most 1980's album ever released.
 
Best Track? Blue Boar just seems to catch my attention, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the instrumentation, with it’s slick & sensual feeling. Maybe it’s Graham Bonnet’s singing, as he balances between soft & mild wailing perfectly. Or maybe it’s because of the Japanese-like vibes I’m getting off of this track (And the album in general). I’m not exactly sure why, but what I do know is that Blue Boar is incredibly catchy, and I’m sure that most of you will like it as much as I do.

Blue Boar

An Honorable Mention has to go to not the music, but the album cover. I have never seen such a ridiculous cover in my life: a darkened living room, in which a panther is staring right at you, with a zebra-print couch on the right, and a table with a vodka martini on the left. I challenge any of you to find a album cover that’s even more ridiculous!

Worst Track? Only....One....Woman. You see, long before his time in MSG, and his brief stint in Rainbow, and even during his commercial jingle days, Graham Bonnet was part of a brief UK duo called The Marbles. Despite being around for only a year, it actually achieved some success, and Only One Woman became their one major hit (Reaching number 5 on the UK charts). It’s actually pretty damn good, as Graham really hits the high notes throughout the whole thing, and the minimal instrumentation complements the singing.

Only One Woman (The Marbles Version)

With this version, the band is really trying too hard to replicate the sound & feel on the original. Graham is trying too hard to sound like he did back in the 60s, and the rest of the group are really holding themselves back as they try to match-up with the pacing of the 60s version. This is only one of the few times I would say to ignore a song from this band (Apart from Breaking the Heart of the City, of course). 

Only One Woman (Dangerous Games Version)

A dishonorable mention would have to Ohayo Tokyo, but even then it’s due to the mild absurdity of the thing. Graham Bonnet’s at the top of his vocal game, and the rest of the band is putting in their dues, but the keyboarding really makes this track just goofy to listen to. If anything, the tune comes across as slightly Wapanese/Weaboo, but that might be just me. Definitely not terrible, but like Suffer Me from No Parole from Rock n Roll, it’s just “Meh”.

Ohayo Tokyo

Dangerous Games. Alcatrazz’s heaviest album by far, and the only one that I would consider to be metal. Out of all of the releases that this band put out during it’s brief existence, I have to say that this might be the most essential. Definitely recommended!

So that was a look at the brief existence of Alcatrazz. Maybe not a full-blown metal band, but definitely fits the bill if you want some nice & heavy. Give these guys a go, and let me know what you think. See you next week!




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If you want to see Razorfist’s take on Alcatrazz, check out the link below:

Metal Mythos (Alcatrazz)