ARGONAVIS and GYROAXIA’s joint single is quite entertaining and nostalgic as both bands show their colors and cover classic anisong songs to showcase their talents.
Title: VOICE／MANIFESTO Label: Bushiroad Music Release date: 15/01/2020 Genre: Rock
Tracklist:
01. VOICE (Argonavis) 02. MANIFESTO (GYROAXIA) 03. メリッサ (Argonavis) 04. 現状ディストラクション (GYROAXIA) 05. Voice Drama「Argonavis × GYROAXIA」
Track by track analysis:
1 – VOICE
VOICE is a different iteration for this band. The song focus itself in its acoustic sound in which acoustic guitars and a noticeable bass line, lead the way, creating a warm melody that catches your attention.
The vocals and lyrics are inspiring and motivational and the teamwork shows in this track, with everyone sounding as one in the powerful chorus and complementing each other in the verses with a lot of enthusiasm.
Exciting tune that will certainly make your blood pump a little bit faster.
2 – MANIFESTO
GYROAXIA make their big debut with MANIFESTO, song that channels pop-up vibes in the style of old school One Ok Rock.
Shredding guitars, a thunderous bass line and powerful, fast-paced drums shape this song into an absolute rock banger. The verses are softer than the intro and the textbook pop-punk chorus.
On the vocal end, Jin Ogasawara has a tricky performance, from rap in the verses to raw singing in the intro and chorus, he has his vocals well worked. Everything in this song is high throttle and exciting, making it impossible not to headband along to it.
03. メリッサ
ARGONAVIS cover Melissa, song by veteran rockers Porno Graffiti. The song is known for its uptempo and funky sound, drawing the listener in.
ARGONAVIS’ touch on this classic track (released in 2003) among anime fans gives it a modern sound, with groovier, louder but still the same old Melissa we all know. This is beat by beat cover of the original. Well done on the instrumental and vocal ends.
04. 現状ディストラクション
GYROAXIA wrap up this release with a cover of Spyair‘s Genjo Destruction.
While Spyair are a pop-rock outfit with their shades of punk-rock, their songs are mostly made to amp up the listener and being extremely catchy, characteristic we can easily attribute to their power pop undertones.
As an edgier outfit, GYROAXIA actually toned down their fast paced, edgier sound in favor of a more contained pop-rock sound, with a close to perfect rendition of the original song.
Jin Ogasawara has less vibrato on his vocals, which makes his performance slightly different from Ike, giving it a unique touch. All rounded cover.
Final considerations
ARGONAVIS and GYROAXIA’s joint single is quite an entertaining and nostalgic release. From ARGONAVIS’ exciting pop-rock to GYROAXIA’s fast-paced and edgy punk-pop sound, fans have quite a good release on their hands.
ARGONAVIS embraced acoustic guitars and a simpler sound for VOICE. Still, the band was able to pull off the inspiring vibe in the lyrics and materialize it into an entertaining rock tune.
Their take on Melissa was nostalgic and so close to the original track that we can’t help but to praise the band for it. On the vocal end, the band sounds great, with all vocals fitting well together.
On the other hand, GYROAXIA gave us a first touch of their feisty pop-punk sound with addictive lyrics and a high throttle rock instrumental that certainly left a mark.
Jin Ogasawara comes off as a surprise for us, delivering a strong performance in MANIFESTO and a unique performance in Genjo Destruction.
All in all, VOICE / MANIFESTO is a recommended listen that serves as an introduction for GYROAXIA but also to show the talent of both bands as they cover two iconic songs in anisong history.
This release is available for streaming on Spotify.
VOICE／MANIFESTO is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
[…] [As previously reviewed] […]