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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Black Masquerade - Holy and Bright (Jap. Ed.)-(TRCDB-6]) + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Feb-19-2017 Encoder......L3.98.4 -V0 --lowpas ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2007 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........10 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... n/a ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Black Masquerade Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Holy and Bright (Jap. Ed.)-(TRLabel : Triumph ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ It's been 4 years already since Black ║ │
│║ Masquerade's first album, Spread Your Wings. ║ │
│║ This album here takes the band further on the ║ │
│║ melodic Power Metal side of things, while still ║ │
│║ showing hints of traditional Heavy Metal - the ║ │
│║ 80s anthemic style mostly. Save for this little ║ │
│║ adjustment in style, Holy And Bright pretty much ║ │
│║ follows the same proven recipe as its ║ │
│║ predecessor - very positive-sounding music ║ │
│║ albeit occasionally with a (very) little ║ │
│║ melancholic side, a mix of Heavy/Power guitar ║ │
│║ riffing that's not too flamboyant but gets the ║ │
│║ job done. It's basic, no-frills "feel good" ║ │
│║ Power Metal that's not over the top in any way, ║ │
│║ shape or form. The vocalist does a good job, not ║ │
│║ trying to go past his comfortable range and not ║ │
│║ overdoing the higher notes, sticky to a sober ║ │
│║ style just like the music. "Follow Me" is ║ │
│║ notable for sticking out by being of a darker, ║ │
│║ more traditional Heavy Metal type of song. ║ │
│║ "Hell's Gate" on the other hand is more of the ║ │
│║ "fast Power Metal" style than the other Power ║ │
│║ songs on the album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Not much to complain about here, save for the ║ │
│║ album closer "Sanoramyun" - fine on the musical ║ │
│║ side of things, but the same thing is repeated ║ │
│║ over and over in the second half of the song and ║ │
│║ it's downright annoying. And to make matters ║ │
│║ worse, the damn thing gets stuck in your head as ║ │
│║ a result of all the repetition. It'd be skip- ║ │
│║ worthy if it wasn't for the first half which is ║ │
│║ OK. It is the only song on the album that's sung ║ │
│║ in Japanese, so it also has that going for it. ║ │
│║ There's also the instrumental "Silent Scene" ║ │
│║ which is a guitar/keyboards rendition of some ║ │
│║ classical piece whose name I just can't recall ║ │
│║ (could be an original, but it sounds pretty damn ║ │
│║ close to something I've heard before.) It's not ║ │
│║ bad, but in the context of the album it feels ║ │
│║ very odd. If you have to chose between the two ║ │
│║ albums, the first one is your best bet, but this ║ │
│║ one here is not all that far behind. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ------------------------------------------------ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Hold up a minute, we reviewed the last BLACK ║ │
│║ MASQUERADE CD ôSpread Your Wingsö in 2005, and ║ │
│║ we just got their new CD ôHoly and Bright.ö ║ │
│║ Where did all the new members come from? Well I ║ │
│║ guess just like Yngwie Malmsteen you still have ║ │
│║ the main member -- guitarist Yoshihiro Nitta who ║ │
│║ might say is BLACK MASQUERADE. ║ │
│║ Full power æScotty, blast offÆ the opening track ║ │
│║ ôJack The Ripperö shoots right out the gate ║ │
│║ making an impression with new vocalists Kenji ║ │
│║ Hayashi making former BM vocalist Takashi ║ │
│║ Sakaguchi a past memory. If you know BLACK ║ │
│║ MASQUERADE then you donÆt need to be introduced ║ │
│║ to The god Yoshihiro Nitta. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ When youÆre talking progressive shredding and ║ │
│║ amazing rock gunslinger you must be talking ║ │
│║ about Nitta, this guy is the best guitarist ║ │
│║ coming from the land of the Rising Sun and will ║ │
│║ be known worldwide, he makes Yngwie look like a ║ │
│║ second-class citizen. YngwieÆs music is getting ║ │
│║ repetitive and stale, while Nitta is fresh and ║ │
│║ about to take the throne. ║ │
│║ If you think, the first song is good you havenÆt ║ │
│║ heard anything yet! Check out ôFree Forever.ö ║ │
│║ Yeah, I know youÆll be amazed, so empty your ║ │
│║ piggy bank and pick up ôHoly and Bright.ö ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The album is not all about shredding either, you ║ │
│║ get a little pop sound with ôDonÆt Forgetö; I ║ │
│║ like the change of pace it brings more of a late ║ │
│║ Eighties feel. As I listen to the instrumental ║ │
│║ ôSilent Sceneö and start to mellow out feeling ║ │
│║ IÆm on a carousel ride, Black Masquerade breaks ║ │
│║ my eardrums with ôHellÆs Gate.ö It breaks out ║ │
│║ pounding hard metal through my headphones. That ║ │
│║ woke me up! ║ │
│║ If you want some rock, some great guitar and ║ │
│║ vocally strong with an Asian flare, You canÆt ║ │
│║ get much better than BLACK MASQUERADE. Check ║ │
│║ Hayashi pipes on ôIliya,ö that boy can sing and ║ │
│║ hitting the high notes no problem. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ LINE-UP ║ │
│║ Kenji Hayashi: vocals ║ │
│║ Yoshihiro Nitta: guitar ║ │
│║ Shinji Nagano: bass ║ │
│║ Shigenori Oya: drums ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Jack the Ripper [05:28] │
│ 02 - Free Forever [06:16] │
│ 03 - Don't Forget [05:24] │
│ 04 - Follow Me [03:45] │
│ 05 - Silent Scene [01:48] │
│ 06 - Hell's Gate [07:32] │
│ 07 - Crying for Free [05:20] │
│ 08 - Go Your Way [04:31] │
│ 09 - Iliya [04:29] │
│ 10 - Sanoramyun [03:57] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [48:30 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
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