Review | RUBIA Leopard “Prisoner”

RUBIA Leopard go hard with Prisoner, their 1st entry in DIG-ROCK DUEL FES drama CD series.

DUEL FES is a series that counts with the participation of the franchise’s bands – Impish Crow and RUBIA Leopard – in 4 consecutive releases.

RUBIA Leopard is a popular rock band within the franchise. It is fronted by AKANE (CV: Makoto Furukawa) and counts with guitarist KURONO (CV: Kaito Ishikawa), bassist MASHIRO (CV: Takuya Sato) and drummer HAIJI (CV: Natsuki Hanae).

Title: DIG-ROCK ―DUEL FES― Vol.1 Type:RL
Label: TEAM Entertainment Inc. 
Release date: 24/06/2020 
Genre: Grunge / Rock

Tracklist:

1 - ファースト・ミーティング
2 - プレイヤーズ・セッション
3 - 変化の事由
4 - 勝って当然の試合だろ？
5 - 最高の音楽
6 - BLAST・ライブMC
7 - Prisoner (RUBIA Leopard song)
8 - チアーズ

Track analysis:

7 – Prisoner

RUBIA Leopard is back after a couple of months since the release of Higher Ground. However, much has changed about the band’s sound that, finally, is back to a darker and heavier approach to their sound, very reminiscing of their debut.

Prisoner brings shredding guitar riffs, an electrifying bassline – sharing the top spot as RUBIA Leopard’s best bass line with Chained to You – and clean, snare-driven drums, creating a heavier and dirtier sound than usual in the verses.

The song carries over pretty well into the chorus, exploding into a catchy and slow-paced chorus that you’ll want to jam along to.

RUBIA Leopard’s transition into a heavier – still not too heavy – sound suits them well. After all, I am talking about a band that, right from the start, has been representing with pride the grunge rock colors.

At the same time, Makoto Furukawa’s vocals – that are known for a certain versatility – managed well the shift from performing softer rock tunes and even ballads that we’ve got in previous singles, into powerful, high octane performances that snatch your attention right from the bat.

Prisoner is a pure, textbook rock song that doesn’t go overboard with its exploration of its heavier sound, at the same time, it delivers yet another masterful performance by Furukawa that continues to showcase his vocal chops, this time around, in a heavier and lower register.

DIG-ROCK ―DUEL FES― Vol.1 Type：RL is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.

DIG-ROCK -DUEL FES- Vol.1 Type:RL

Drama CD