Review | Executioner “MEIZU”

Executioner

Executioner’s “MEIZU” introduces a dark and intense atmosphere but slightly misses the mark with an overcrowded composition.

What is Executioner?

Executioner is an original mixed media project created by HOTZIPANG and features character designs by Ajichika. The music is distributed by UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN.

The 3 bands, “Beelze Executioner’s“, “Asta Executioner’s“, and “Balbe Executioner’s“, each contract with demons and engage in a death battle for the future of humanity.

The franchise’s frontmen perform the song. For reference, they are:

  • Beelze Executioner’s Akamaru Akatsuki (CV: Masaaki Mizunaka),
  • Asta Executioner’s Momiji Beniyashiki (CV: Jin Ogasawara), and
  • Balbe Executioner’s Monica Shumon (CV: Shunichi Toki).

The music uses the latest original works by Japanese visual-kei rock artists, and the members’ stories unfold around the powerful and refined music to be released.

To know more about this project, check the guide here on the website!

Review

Executioner MEIZU
Title: MEIZU (迷図) 
Release date: 28/07/2023
Label: UNIVERSAL MUSIC JAPAN
Genre: Visual-kei Rock

Tracklist:

1 - 迷図

Track analysis:

1 – MEIZU

Executioner, band featuring vocals by Masaaki Mizunaka, Jin Ogasawara, and Shunichi Toki, is back with another visual-kei rock tune.

“MEIZU” brings to the spotlight a dark sound in which guitars go ballistic right off the bat alongside glitchy synths.

But soon you will notice this song going a heavy, violent path, as the drums go on a ridiculously fast tempo, sounding almost like a machine gun for the first verse leading up to the chorus.

The guitars and bass are low and dirty for the most part, matching the tone of the song. However, as the song progresses, you will notice the intensity of the drums subduing, welcoming different elements to the song. 

Deliberately slowing down with trap elements, the build-up to the chorus is quite awesome yet simplistic.

The chorus is a thing of beauty for both fans of fast-paced, heavy rock and good singing. The vocals are a bit technical in this section with all members harmonizing before returning to their powerful rock-style singing.

Expect a heavy guitar solo leading up to Jin Ogasawara’s powerful screamo parts. But what follows is a slow-paced part in which trap elements take over, the singers shift to rapping and the tone is mocking. This is quite the change however one that I don’t feel is not clean nor smooth.

There are many layers to this song and different “phases” to it. There are no two verses that sound the same or even have all the same instruments in it. This ambition leads to some parts within this song sounding too out of place or having odd transitions between each other. 

This is something stylistic and deliberate but on my end, I would have appreciated a smoother transition between the full-throttle chorus and the slower verses or even the heavy rock and trap section prior to the bridge.

On the vocal end, it keeps on being interesting how the project mixes the clean singing by all members, adds some rapping parts – only in the bridge though – and never fails to bring in a powerful screamo part to spice things up and take you to the mosh pit right away.

This dynamic on the vocal end, adding to the fact that this trio – Mizunaka, Ogasawara, and Toki – covers different singing styles and vocal ranges (or even distinct voice tones), makes their performances not only rich but also a delight to listen to.

Executioner’s “MEIZU” is quite ambitious in its concept and while the song is a definitive visual-kei rock banger, it sounds unnecessarily busy and messy in some parts of the composition. If you can go past the “busy” vibe of the song, this is one you will thoroughly enjoy.

What is Executioner?

Executioner is an original mixed media project by HOTZIPANG featuring character designs by Ajichika.

The project promises to be all about battle action, combining apocalyptic thinking (endless loop of the end of the century), Sentai heroes, and visual-kei rock.

The 3 bands, “Beelze Executioner’s“, “Asta Executioner’s“, and “Balbe Executioner’s“, each contract with demons and engage in a death battle for the future of humanity.

The music uses the latest original works by Japanese visual-kei rock artists. The members’ stories unfold around the powerful and refined music.

In addition, using attractive characters, a profound story, and exhilarating battle action, Executioner aims to create a new type of entertainment content and plans to develop it across multiple media platforms.

To know more about this project, check the guide here on the website!


“MEIZU” is available for streaming on Spotify.


Do not support piracy. Remember to support the Executioner franchise by streaming via official outlets.

Vanessa Silva
Vanessa Silvahttps://www.handthatfeedshq.com
The Hand That Feeds HQ founder, content creator, and music reviewer. Basically, the only person managing everything at The Hand That Feeds HQ. Stumbling upon Mamoru Miyano's "Orpheus" in 2011 was the start of this journey. If music is thought-provoking or deep, you may find her writing almost essays (not limited to, but it happens a lot with Soma Saito's music). She's the producer and host of the male seiyuu-centric podcast, SEIYUU LOUNGE (see Spotify link in this profile).

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REVIEW OVERVIEW

MEIZU

SUMMARY

"MEIZU" introduces a dark atmosphere with intense guitars and glitchy synths. The song evolves into a heavy, aggressive piece, with drums initially firing at a rapid machine-gun pace, setting the tone for the first verse and chorus. The guitars and bass maintain a gritty quality that suits the song's mood. As the track progresses, the drum intensity lessens, making space for diverse elements. "MEIZU" features distinct phases, with each verse having unique instruments and layers. While this deliberate stylistic choice is interesting, it sometimes results in odd transitions between segments, such as moving from a full-throttle chorus to slower verses or from heavy rock to a trap-influenced bridge. Vocally, the trio's blend of clean singing, sporadic rap, and forceful screamo sections adds dynamism to the performances. The variety in vocal styles and ranges among Mizunaka, Ogasawara, and Toki enhances the track's richness. Despite its ambitious concept, "MEIZU" occasionally feels overly busy and messy due to its multifaceted composition. If listeners can overlook this aspect, they're likely to enjoy this energetic visual-kei rock track.

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"MEIZU" introduces a dark atmosphere with intense guitars and glitchy synths. The song evolves into a heavy, aggressive piece, with drums initially firing at a rapid machine-gun pace, setting the tone for the first verse and chorus. The guitars and bass maintain a gritty quality that suits the song's mood. As the track progresses, the drum intensity lessens, making space for diverse elements. "MEIZU" features distinct phases, with each verse having unique instruments and layers. While this deliberate stylistic choice is interesting, it sometimes results in odd transitions between segments, such as moving from a full-throttle chorus to slower verses or from heavy rock to a trap-influenced bridge. Vocally, the trio's blend of clean singing, sporadic rap, and forceful screamo sections adds dynamism to the performances. The variety in vocal styles and ranges among Mizunaka, Ogasawara, and Toki enhances the track's richness. Despite its ambitious concept, "MEIZU" occasionally feels overly busy and messy due to its multifaceted composition. If listeners can overlook this aspect, they're likely to enjoy this energetic visual-kei rock track.Review | Executioner "MEIZU"