Gou On PROGRESSIVE
Artist: HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR
Album: Gou On PROGRESSIVE
Musicians: Maakii (vocals), Yuusuke (vocals), MEG (guitar), Kazuto (guitar), mACKAz (bass), SASSY (drums)
Composer/Lyricist:
Release Date: 5 Apr 2006
| Gou On PROGRESSIVE – HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR Tracklisting:Â Â 01. Ichirin no Hana *Bold titles – recommended listening. |
 |
OVERVIEW
To paraphrase HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR, they play heavy backgrounds to accompany Maakii’s melody. This combination makes for a very unique mix of hard rock, rugged male vocals and the enchanting voice of lead singer, Maakii. HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR’s second album, Gou On PROGRESSIVE showcases the amazing talent of this new up and coming Japanese band. An influence from American bands, that brought almost all of these Okinawan musicians into the realm of rock, is present in some of their songs, but HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR’s unique feel adds a special twist that just has to be heard.
THE GOOD
Ichirin no Hana
Yuusuke’s and Maakii’s vocal talents shine as the rest of the band plays an outstanding background. “Ichirin no Hana†showcases enough of each of HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR’s members to give the listener a feel for their style. Maakii’s opening vocals will draw you in and the backgrounds will keep you listening, just as they promised.
Mizutama RAMUNE
My favorite song on Gou On PROGRESSIVE, “Mizutama RAMUNE†is HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR at their best. Maakii sings with all her soul, Yuusuke provides a catchy chorus and, closer to the end of the song, a nice rap. MEG and Kazuto build the stage with their guitar rifts while SASSY keeps the tempo. All of them are synced in perfect unison. “Mizutama RAMUNE†flows as smooth as Ramune soda once the water-bead breaks.
Haitaku no Jounetsu
A definite punk band influence is felt in the lyrics of “Haitaku no Jounetsuâ€, but it’s given the HIGH and MIGHTY twist, provided by Yuusuke’s chorus. SASSY leads the charge with a jungle drum beat, followed by an astounding guitar solo. Yuusuke and Maakii take over from here out, contrasting each other’s tone with hard and soft respectfully. “Haitaku no Jounetsu†is a more impressive showcasing of Yuusuke’s style than anything else, and shouldn’t be overlooked.
Hoshizora ni Furu Yuki
“Hoshizora ni Furu Yuki†stands out in Gou On PROGRESSIVE because of its noteworthy guitar and bass backgrounds and solos. Accented by the vocals, MEG, Kazuto and mACKAz once again deliver on their band description. Their guitar and bass background gives the rest of HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR a ground to stand on. It is easy to overlook their playing under Maakii’s and Yuusuke’s beautiful voices, but it is their toil that truly makes Maakii and Yuusuke sound so good in “Hoshizora ni Furu Yukiâ€.
Garden of MY Heart
“Garden of MY Heart†shows a side to Yuusuke’s vocals not heard until this song – a softer tone different from his usually harsher one. Maakii seems to feed from her remarkable background (a detail that cannot be stressed enough), giving her peak performance in this song. The same can be said of SASSY, MEG, mACKAz and Kazuto as well, as they make up the mighty background for Yuusuke and Maakii’s colorful voices.
The Rating: 8
Reviewed by: Kurier
