OLDCODEX are back with a new single, their first released so far this year and the follow up to OLC’s 3rd album “A Silent, within The Roar“. This time the rock band fronted by seiyuu Tatsuhisa Suzuki presents us once again a new single that, almost like a tradition, OLDCODEX deliver at least on track per year to be featured as an opening or ending for an anime. The title track is featured in this season’s anime “FREE! Eternal Summer” as the opening theme.
Dried Up Youthful Fame is available in three different editions: anime, regular and limited (CD+ DVD).
More details regarding the single:
Single: Dried Up Youthful Fame Label: Lantis Release date: 30/07/14 Genre: J-Rock / Punk Rock
Tracklist
1 | Dried Up Youthful Fame |
2 | Steal Mine |
3 | Massive Act |
Track by track analysis:
1- Dried Up Youthful Fame
We kick off this single with the title track and the opening theme for swimming anime “FREE!: Eternal Summer“. Starting off with the powerful guitars and “eye-catching” bass, Dried Up Youthful Fame follows the same formula as experimented previously with their 3rd album “A Silent Within The Roar”. In this track we have, as usual, the powerful presence of the drums and bass that once again takes the spotlight and shines by itself. The solo in this track is somewhat peculiar because when we think about OLDCODEX‘s guitar solos, usually are strong and aggressive but this guitar solo in itself is simple, without any distortions whatsoever, resorting to a speedy solo backed up by heavy guitar riffs. The distorted guitar was a pretty good addition to this song. Overall a solid track to listen to. 4/5
[youtube=http://youtu.be/tFr-dBH0Jjs]
2- Steal Mine
Guitars and Tatsuhisa‘s vocals, that’s how Steal Mine kicks off. This is one of the heaviest tracks in this single, in which one probably can reminisce of the OLDCODEX‘s first releases, especially with their strong presence of punk-rock elements like their fast and dirty drums. If there were any doubts that this track belonged to OLC, of course putting the vocals aside, the guitar would really give away the fact that it’s just textbook OLDCODEX written all over it. On the other side we mustn’t forget that the bass that is, as we’re used to, in “solo mode” since the first chorus. 4/5
3- Massive Act
Closing this single in a slightly different style, Massive Act tips more towards the industrial rock genre unlike the previous songs, more punk rock oriented. The guitar adds a little macabre feel to the track with the whole distortion going on, plus the bass and the slow pace of this song just make all the conditions perfect to turn this song into a eerie one. This is without a doubt the best track in this single with the double bassed drums at the end making the finale of this song a rather fast paced and heavy finish. 5/5
Final rating: 
Overall this single was nothing out of the usual OLDCODEX‘s genre, with the exception of Massive Act where the band showed us that they can pull off heavy rock songs with heavy industrial rock influences, without failing in the process but Dried Up Youthful Fame was also a surprise if we think that OLDCODEX once again experimented with new elements to, in the process, add a new flavour to their songs, upgrading their sound to another level. Steal Mine was probably the only track that goes back to the beginning of this band. In this single it was obvious that step by step they are trying to evolve which at the moment isn’t going, in any way, in the wrong way.
Dried Up Youthful Fame is available on CDJAPAN for all overseas fans.