Review ~ the Underneath
Moon Flower
Although Moon Flower is the debut album from the Underneath, it is by no means the first release from the line-up of Taka, Tal, Masato, Ryo, and Masaki. After many years as Transtic Nerve, these guys are ready to take on the USA under a new name. With the help of JShock, who have also given us domestic releases from D'espairsRay, Moon Flower is available in America for less than a Japanese import. There is one drawback, however--the liner notes in the CD booklet are actually only the English translations of the lyrics. However, it's the music that's most important, and the Underneath are ready to fight. And they've brought the big guns.
The opening notes of Gekkoh are a strong first attack, with a barrage of excellant guitar work, backed by some nice drumming from Masaki. Taka's voice never backs down, even during the short lull partially through the song. As Gekkoh ends, Chain effortlessly picks up where it left off, and with a catchy beat, it's easy to find yourself moving to the music. The spotlight on Ryo's bass midway through the song can only be described as "breathtaking."
Marie is a great transition between the heavier music of the first two songs and the next couple tracks, Deep and Fall. Deep has a very beautiful melody, with string instruments and piano that perfectly accent the guitars, while Taka explores some of the higher notes in his range. Even without looking at the English translation of the song in the CD booklet, the pain being expressed in Deep is obvious, and almost heart-rending. Once the final notes of piano have faded away, violin guides the listener into Fall. Although this is another softer song, Taka's voice sounds jaded, giving a hard edge to the music that is backed up by the rest of the instruments.
Fat Fatty Fuckin' Pigs is exactly what you might expect from the title: a song about disgusting pigs. This song is heavy, sinister, and poisonous, just like the pigs it sings about. Bite the Bullet brings the Underneath up to full speed, with the repetitive "bite the bullet or bite the dust" a perfect chance to exercise headbanging muscles.
The suspenseful Alone Together compells the listener forward until the ninth track, Womb is Planet. The absence of sweet strings and piano on this ballad are what set it apart from the rest of the ballads on this album; however, even without those elements, it's a stunningly beautiful song. Although it keeps with the slower tempo set by Womb is Planet, Prayer, the final song on the album, has a stronger energy that seems to be sitting just beneath the surface. The energy comes out in the open just long enough before the album comes to it's end.
Moon Flower is as fresh as the band's new name, but the experience behind it's creators is evident: the album has an ebb and flow that only years can perfect. I don't think there could be a better debut album. Now the question is, can their next release live up to this?
track list
1. Gekkoh
2. Chain
3. Marie
4. Deep
5. Fall
6. Fat Fatty Fuckin' Pigs
7. Bite the Bullet
8. Alone Together
9. Womb is Planet
10. Prayer
buy this album
Review by Melony; image courtesy of JSHOCK
The Underneath Official Website
The Underneath Official MySpace
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