4

REVIEW OVERVIEW

No winter lasts forever.
pioniX's "Yama Nemuru" arrives as an anti-climatic ending to what was, up until this release, a flawless SEASONS CD series. After all that build-up in emotions across 3 out of the 4 entries, intricate performances, surprising instrumentals, and the beautiful soundscapes created in the SEASONS CD series, "No winter lasts forever." unexpectedly shoves all that aside to deliver a gentle song with winter-themed imagery however always rubbing shoulders with generic pop-rock. For many listeners, this will be a fitting wrap-up of the CD series and that is perfectly valid. However, I felt like after gradually raising the bar, "No winter lasts forever." would arrive as the song that would shake the listener to the core (emotionally) but it does no such thing. A good song and solid entry, but far from living up to all that build-up in tension and emotion that was hinted at across the first 3 entries. Now that the SEASONS CD series wrapped up, I can only wish fans get more pioniX music - possibly in a new CD series, a new take on the SEASONS series, or in a wild take, have a go at the Kachofugetsu CD series that Tsukipro's SQ and ALIVE groups have tackled in the past. Either way, I believe you and I want the same thing: more pioniX music. Here's to hoping the talented group announces new music soon.

Review | pioniX “Yama Nemuru”

By Vanessa Silva
Modified date:
5 min.
pioniX

pioniX‘s “Yama Nemuru” arrives as an anti-climatic ending to what had been, up until this release, a flawless SEASONS CD series.

infinit0 consists of Rei Sukigawa (CV: Hinata Tadokoro) and Roa Mikaze (CV: Mizuki Chiba). The duo is signed with the fictional label, Tsukipro.

TOBARI is a rock duo comprised of Shio Amagi (CV: Yoshiki Nakajima) and Kuroi Hashiba (CV: Tetsuei Sumiya). The duo is signed to the fictional label, SUNPRO (home to the pop-rock duo, ZIX).

As pioniX, they participated in the Neo X Lied series in 2020 – early 2021, counting with 4 outstanding entries. In 2021, the group tackled the “Seasons” CD series.

Title: pioniX Seasons 山眠る  
Release date: 25/02/2022
Label: Movic
Genre: Pop-rock

Tracklist:

1 - No winter lasts forever.
2 - ドラマ「山眠る」：前 
3 - ドラマ「山眠る」：後 
4 - No winter lasts forever. -off vocal-

Track analysis:

1 – No winter lasts forever.

Bright piano melodies paint a snow-covered soundscape in which beauty and nostalgia coexist. In “No winter lasts forever.”, fans can expect a simple rock sound with a pop twist in the vocals.

Snary drums coexist with big bright piano melodies and the warmth of acoustic guitars. On top of those is a punchy bassline, making the instrumental pop to the listener.

The verses are simple, leaving the stage open for the vocals to stand out. At least for the 1st half of the chorus, you have peace and beauty, with the song getting increasingly busy in the 2nd half of the verse leading to the chorus.

That dynamic repeats itself within the song, conferring it that contrast of the beauty of a cold winter day and that empty vibe of snowy days. This imagery stays with you throughout the song the chorus is equally simple, leaving the emotions to the vocals instead of the instrumental.

And, of course, pioniX can deliver an emotional performance with complete harmony between all 4 vocals. The individual parts are focused on smooth mid-tones, conferring a gentle twist to the overall performance. When it comes to the group performances, you can expect pioniX to work both in pairs in the bridge and then in unison in the chorus.

While this song is enjoyable and certainly a gentle approach to the concept of “winter”, I feel like this is, actually, the weakest entry in the SEASONS CD series.

Simplicity is good but the pop-rock sound the group has going in this song pales a bit in comparison with the big, innovative compositions in previous entries in this CD series. Of course, this is just my personal opinion based on the high expectations that the previous entries in the SEASONS CD series set for me.

When “No winter lasts forever.” wraps up, you’re left with the feeling that something is missing, that there may be something extra to wrap up this CD series neatly. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen, and “Yama Nemuru” arrives as an anti-climatic ending to what was, up until this release, a flawless CD series.

pioniX Seasons “Yama Nemuru” is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.

“Yama Nemuru” is available for streaming on Spotify.

Do not support piracy. Remember to support pioniX 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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pioniX's "Yama Nemuru" arrives as an anti-climatic ending to what was, up until this release, a flawless SEASONS CD series. After all that build-up in emotions across 3 out of the 4 entries, intricate performances, surprising instrumentals, and the beautiful soundscapes created in the SEASONS CD series, "No winter lasts forever." unexpectedly shoves all that aside to deliver a gentle song with winter-themed imagery however always rubbing shoulders with generic pop-rock. For many listeners, this will be a fitting wrap-up of the CD series and that is perfectly valid. However, I felt like after gradually raising the bar, "No winter lasts forever." would arrive as the song that would shake the listener to the core (emotionally) but it does no such thing. A good song and solid entry, but far from living up to all that build-up in tension and emotion that was hinted at across the first 3 entries. Now that the SEASONS CD series wrapped up, I can only wish fans get more pioniX music - possibly in a new CD series, a new take on the SEASONS series, or in a wild take, have a go at the Kachofugetsu CD series that Tsukipro's SQ and ALIVE groups have tackled in the past. Either way, I believe you and I want the same thing: more pioniX music. Here's to hoping the talented group announces new music soon.Review | pioniX "Yama Nemuru"

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