GRANRODEO are back with thunderous single. Setsuna no Ai is a box filled with surprises coming from a band that doesn’t need labels and is constantly re-inventing itself.
Title: セツナの愛 (Setsuna no Ai) Label: Lantis Release date: 08/05/2019 Genre: Hardrock/Rock
Tracklist:
1. セツナの愛 2. フォルテ 3. セツナの愛 (OFF VOCAL) 4. フォルテ (OFF VOCAL)
Track by track analysis:
1. セツナの愛
GRANRODEO kicks off this release with power. Setsuna no Ai brings to the table heavy guitar riffs on top of a stripped-down, bass-oriented sound. When GRANRODEO’s fans think that the band has already experimented with everything, the band comes up with a new release and impresses.
The instrumental lends elements from hardrock, electronica, and pop and plays around with each genres’ strengths in order to create what we just listened to.
Setsuna no Ai is an addictive song with an edgy, aggressive touch but also with an extremely easy listening twist, perfect for those that are not fans of the band’s high throttle, heavier songs.
On the vocal end, KISHOW delivers a lush performance – his standard -, playing around with legato, crescendos, falsetto and vibrato, adding nice details to this powerful song.
Additionally, the chants/pitch vocals are a nice touch to this song. Addictive and fresh, Setsuna no Ai is a must-listen.
2. フォルテ
The paradigm changes completely when GRANRODEO mix hardrock with baroque instrumentalization, creating Forte. This mix can be, at times, incredibly tricky to work, especially on a first-time basis. However, for this band, it was a simple task.
Baroque instrumentalization is added in the verses through the sound of a lute or a mandolin as well as playful violin melodies. That, mixed with rock, creates a picturesque and unique soundscape that attracts the listener.
KISHOW delivers a fancy performance that adapted with ease to the shifts between hardrock and baroque rock, showcasing his versatility and quality on the vocal end. Fresher performance is impossible to find.
Final considerations
Setsuna no Ai showcases a band that is constantly reinventing itself, searching for the next big melody, a fancy progression, or even a different approach to a previous idea of theirs.
The title track caught us off guard. Setsuna no Ai is a powerful song however it doesn’t need to embrace speed nor dirty guitar riffs to have that edge. A simple listen to this song is enough to understand how simple it is.
Focusing on melodic, 80’s guitar riffs with a touch of aggressiveness, simple, snare-driven drums, and a thunderous bass line was more than enough to make this song shine. Add to it KISHOW‘s all-rounded, top-tier performance and you get another hit song.
On the other side, we have Forte, song that brought baroque elements to their repertoire. And this is exactly what he meant when we mentioned that this band continues to re-invent itself. Bringing baroque, picturesque instrumentalization to the table and incorporating elements of it in their trademark sound without sounding out of place is no easy task.
It is also easier to keep up exploring the same genres and progressions that have brought the spotlight to them in the past. However, GRANRODEO does not stop at that.
They explore other avenues and bring a unique sound that fans had yet to experience from them. The perfect balance between rock and baroque elements makes this song a must-listen.
All in all, Setsuna no Ai continues GRANRODEO‘s positive trend of releasing high-quality music while maintaining consistency within each release.
Setsuna no Ai is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
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