18th album is pretty loud, get your hype on. I did promise that it’s going to be loud, so how loud? Know Yuyoyuppe? Yeah, we’re stepping into hard territory now. Yuyoyuppe is pretty famous amongst you hardcore rock fans, and I am a fan of his works as well. (Not a super hardcore fan, just a fan) So, let’s take a look on one of the famous albums out there and see what I think yeah? Story of Hope, quite an old one, but quite a hard hitter.
Album: Story of Hope
Genre: Rock/Hardcore/Dark
Link: https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/story-of-hope/id561905307
Tracks: 16
Song Highlight: Story of Hope (Track 2), Palette (Track 5), Reon (Track 7), Lost Story (Track 9)
The intro is a slow intro to the next song in the album, Story of Hope. And does it do its job well? Very spectacularly, yes.
What I like
Story of Hope (Track 2) obviously talks about hope. Don’t worry; meanings aren’t too deep in these songs, I think. Here, let the subs tell you the story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzQPK3JS38s
I like the way how hard it rumbles and how Luka’s voice can be excellent for rock if properly used. This is one of the few examples where I’d call the classics back then that you should listen to.
Palette (Track 5) for some reason really caught my attention a lot. I like how it began with a very fast paced piano and continued with hard rock alongside the piano. It’s one of those songs where Luka can speak English quite properly, like, I can actually understand her. I like it when hard rock doesn’t consume the singer’s voice at all. As the title suggests, it’s about color palettes, each color with its different meanings and such. Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31CL6h-C3Nk
It’s also one of those songs with slow moments, but proper execution. Some songs are slow for too long or too short, this one is just nice. Noticed that Luka doesn’t really sing too fast, and you know I hate slow songs, this one isn’t, bad. This one is nice.
Reon (Track 7) is quite a song which feels quite dark, and I’m not a fan of dark songs, but this one somehow doesn’t shun me away. This song has enough tempos and has enough power to make me excited. The song may have referred to the afterlife and how it feels to be in the afterlife. It has a relation with the song Leia (Which wasn’t highlighted) so to summarize, Leia is like a prologue to this. I guess if I were to make a smart guess, forced love brings your own doom…? Here you go, both Leia and Reon, tell me what you think:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blrfsn_04tI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARz0rPAur0w
Lost Story (Track 9) is an instant 5 star. Yes, 5 star. I loved this song to death. I love how this song feels like a war. It puts me in the middles of war in fact. If I can direct an animation about it, I want to use this. The theme itself is dark enough. Look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_rbEM3DnOs
It has a very strong emphasis on darkness in its lyrics, almost apocalyptic. 1:45 is the best part for me. It’s intense and has so much energy in it. Miku’s strong voice alongside hard rock? What else can I ask for? To make it even better, this song feels like it was orchestrated, the feeling of that last song before you die. Yup, 5 stars, I love this.
What I don’t like
Though there are some songs I did not point out in the highlights and in my personal opinions, there’s nothing too off themed or awkward in this album, so that’s fine.
Personal Opinions
Honestly, most songs didn’t get my highlight because some kinds of rock don’t click for me for some reason. I do like rock, but not all of them. That’s why some of them only clicked for me, so if you liked other songs that I have no highlighted, just remember, I’m not a huge sucker for rock. I’m a fan, not a hyper fan of rock.
The Last 8 Bars (Track 14) for some reason feels like a song that could be used in a game where you are in some kind of room and having a visual novel session. However, that’s the background if Miku’s voice wasn’t in it. I wish I could get an instrumental of this. I usually don’t prefer singing in background music like these, so it’s my opinion. Though some songs do it well like in Persona, but let’s not go too far yeah? I’ll say the same too for 7/8 (Track 15) as well…
Okay, I didn’t highlight Hope (Track 8) and also, there is a “My Eggplant Died Yesterday ver.”. Of course, I was like, what? It’s Yuppe singing though, my hunch says so because Yuppe does sing. Anyway, I wasn’t a fan of the original; this one is just a cover, not really a fan of any of them.
Conclusion
This album will make sure you stay awake for a party or something. If you enjoy heart pounding rock, well get it.
Should you buy this album? : Yes
Will Deathspark buy this album? : Yes
Reason: It has Lost Story in it, and that’s the only reason I’m suckered enough to buy it.
4/5, though there was a 5 star, that doesn’t mean it’s the only song in the album.
Ah, there we go.. The why I think that existencialy, critiques of art are a retarded idea as a whole.
If you hadn’t found love for something, that means only it. If the critique hasn’t found love for something, and he KNOWS there are people who have, then that makes it all the more so dumb for that someone to give “rating” to something that someone loves.
Giving a rating to art is propostoreous, it’s something the world yet has to come to realise, but I myself already know it(yeh I’m advanced(jk)).
This album has caused soo many mesmerising thoughts and feelings and cringes and whatnots within men, thus it has fullfillied it’s purpose, and how can something be more perfect other than by fullfilling it’s purpose. I love it. This album, having had achieved that kind of a thing, for anyone, and in this case that anyone being me(so I know with certianty that is powered by pure knowing that I have the right to defend art), means it can not be “rated” as anything other than as having had achieved it’s goal, it’s puspose. What is the purpose of art, if not for someone to connect with it, to “feel” through it? How can you think of something that has fullfilled it’s purpose as anythung less than “perfect”? How can that something be rated? It can’t. It can only be observed as a technicality and thus be given a rating off of a subjective standpoint.
People must stop doing that with art.
This album, and so many others have achieved their purpose, even if only within me, and for that alone they have surpassed the realm of being “rated”. Simply put, they have achieved their purpose with someone, and you can only hope that they will do the same with you.
If it does not, that does not mean that the work(in this case an album) should be rated as “<5/5", it only means that you two haven't "clicked", and that you have yet to further more "work" on achieving that "5/5".
In a way, the ratings someone gives to artwork, are actually the ratings of themselfself, the ratings of how much you yourself have succeded to catalyse the purpose within yourself, of the work you're trying to rate.
No this is not an attack on you "Deathspark", nor have I in anyway spoke of you in particular, NOR do I think ANYTHING bad NOR am I implyong anything against you. This is an "objective" thought on what the rating of art is.
not sure why you are bothered, if you don’t like these review then don’t bother coming here. The guy is nice and introduced us to many underrated artists.
I guess you don’t always read what I write. I always point it out.
THIS IS MY OPINION.
Therefore, this is what I think. I don’t claim this as a serious review whereby I’m paid or anything. I’m voicing out how it feels for me. Like I said, some songs don’t click for me, that’s why it’s a personal opinion. I like certain songs because of how it is and if I don’t like it, that doesn’t mean the whole world should like it, right?
Also, if I do dislike a song, that doesn’t mean everyone should dislike it too, right? It’s trash for me sure, but it may be treasure for some. That’s why, these reviews are simply thoughts pointed out. People who think alike may agree with me, people who don’t may point out why.
It’s alright though, I understand that you love this album a lot, which is the big reason why I always point out in my personal opinions in almost every review. Sometimes, the songs don’t click FOR ME, not for everyone. Just remember that yeah? 🙂
No worries, I’m used to these kind of responses, this isn’t my first time dealing this.
chillax, dude. it’s not everyone album.
Agreed, it may be the best for some, but not for all.
hey man thanks for the recommendation 😛 seems like something new for me, the whole style
will give it a shot ^^