GRANRODEO maintains its signature creative and energetic approach to rock music in the single “Tetsu no Ori”.
Title: 鉄の檻 (Tetsu no Ori) Label: Lantis Release date: 30/08/2023 Genre: Rock
Tracklist:
1 - 鉄の檻
2 - Don’t worry be happy
3 - どこかで知った偶然と
4 - 鉄の檻 (OFF VOCAL)
5 - Don’t worry be happy (OFF VOCAL)
6 - どこかで知った偶然と (OFF VOCAL)
Track by track analysis:
1 – Tetsu no Ori
GRANRODEO kicks off this CD with the leading track “Tetsu no Ori“.
And the band does shy from kicking off aggressively for this song. Guitars are heavy, sharing the stage with a zither-like melody (I’m torn between a sitar and a shamisen – however the latter being heavily processed).
The drums are riveting and powerful right from the start, only having a breather in the meeting, distant verses.
The verses are surprisingly quiet in comparison with the rest of the song. From their almost empty, slightly eerie soundscape even down to their tempo, the verses make a big contrast in this composition.
The pre-chorus cranks up the speed and intensity with relentless snary-drums and overdriven guitars setting the stage for KISHOW’s commanding performance.
The bridge features a high-octane guitar solo shredding its way through the soundscape while hyping you up for what’s left of this song.
“Tetsu no Ori” kicked open this single making quite a powerful statement.
2 – Don’t worry be happy
The gears change a little bit with GRANRODEO performing “Don’t worry be happy” song that goes strong on its classic rock & roll sound.
The verses are fun and quite punchy with the bassline standing out as the drums complement it. The guitars build up the tension for the chorus, part in which they take the lead.
When you get to the chorus, you will be immersed in a rockabilly style of song, all with a jaunty piano playing in the background.
This part also includes backing vocals by children which ends up being an odd choice in my opinion.
Expect a lot of power and energy coming from KISHOW’s performance, capitalizing on the fun instrumental listeners are presented within this song.
Strong outing by the band.
3 – Dokoka de Shitta Guzen to
And wrapping up this single is “Dokoka de Shitta Guzen to“, song that takes GRANRODEO back to ballad territory.
Kicking off with a delicate piano melody, the song progresses to the verses with KISHOW and the piano introducing you to the nostalgic story going on in these lyrics.
Slowly, drums, bass, and strings make their entrance into the song, raising the drama in the instrumental to a point in which, when the chorus arrives, you will have goosebumps all over you.
This is one of those songs in which you have to anticipate an emotional performance by KISHOW. And he certainly delivers it in a subliminal way. The little details with a bit of vibrato make it sound like the words are wavering, the way he goes for those legato long notes… everything in his performance is made to make you invested in the story unfolding in this song.
When the song reaches its climax, you have the strings and bassline leading the way as a choir song in the background. This is a song that I believe will work like a charm in a live setting, especially seeing how it wraps up as an acapella. I want to see this being performed live.
All in all, GRANRODEO nails it yet again with a nostalgic ballad.
Final considerations
GRANRODEO continues to be fun in their approach to rock music and in “Tetsu no Ori” you get to hear them yet again having a blast with their music.
The title track is a banger that has interesting mood swings between its eerie, quieter verses and the relentless, heavy pre-chorus and then the shredding chorus. All these changes may sound a bit odd to some listeners but the truth is, they show a band that is having fun with their sound.
They already have a well-defined color and sound (even down to the performance style by KISHOW) but they always go the extra mile to mix influences and deliver something refreshing to fans.
“Don’t worry be happy” is a simpler rock & roll song with nods to rockabilly but the children’s choir threw me off big time.
Especially in a song that, while fun and inspiring in its lyrics, has a mature vibe, finding the children’s choir came out of nowhere to me and in my opinion didn’t add anything good to the song.
Just listen to the instrumental version of this song and check how it would be if there was no choir in the song. By itself the song is plenty of fun and, in my opinion, this choir added little to the song.
And, of course, GRANRODEO’s ballads have become a staple of high-quality instrumentals and emotional performances that are always immersive, making the listener instantly invested in them.
I have said this countless times but I’ll say it again, KISHOW is an impressive rock frontman with an unmatched quality, control, and range. But it is in ballads that he shines the most to me.
GRANRODEO has a way with how they craft their ballads that I always end up fascinated by.
And in “Dokoka de Shitta Guzen to” the band did it again for me. Emotional, with a beautiful build-up with the strings and electric guitar putting your emotions in check, this is a spine-chilling ballad and, for me, the best song in this single.
All in all, GRANRODEO made its long-awaited single release and reminded me once again why I love them so much. The fun in their rock sound, their emotional, energetic performances, and the mix of all the good things from the ’70s up until ’90s rock has me always with a big smile on my face.
While far from perfect, “Tetsu no Ori” is another single you can’t miss.
“Tetsu no Ori” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN. You can also find it on Amazon Japan (they ship internationally).
“Tetsu no Ori” is available for streaming on Spotify.
Do not support piracy. Remember to support GRANRODEO by streaming via official outlets.
