Coldrain, Gone Review

Coldrain has become a popular band in Japan and has developed a cult following through out the rest of the world.  With a combination of metalcore and melodic metal, these guys have developed a unique sound with hints of inspiration from the band Sevendust.  I first heard of this band, when I discovered their song, We're Not Alone, used in the opening of the anime, Rainbow Nisha Rokubou No Shihinin.  The band was pretty popular in Japan already, but when they came out their song Gone, the song blew up, becoming one of the bands biggest hits and catapulting them to big time fame in Japan and increasing their fame world wide.  

With Gone, they take more of a melodic approach to the song, both vocally and musically.  The intro and verses in this song are used as an intro that leads into a heavy, powerful intro.  I really like this set up, it really conveys the sad and angry mode this song is going for.  Masato does a great job singing on this song. His melodic voice is very effective in communicating the songs message and his voice fits the music very well.  He does a slight screaming section in the pre chorus that then leads into a powerful, hard hitting chorus that sounds awesome.  The guitar work in this song is good as well.  It isn't super technical, but it doesn't need to be.  Ryo Yokochi does a lot of melodic playing in the intro and verse that adds a bit of mysterious feel that I really like.  I do think the could have done a little bit more with his guitar solo, but it isn't bad and works with the feel of the song.  

This song is clearly a break up song when it comes to the lyrics.  It is about someone who is in a bad relationship and they want to end it.  It is about that person feeling ignored, abandoned, and unable to make the person they are in the relationship happy no matter how hard they try.  The lyrics are written very well, they are to the point and easy to understand.  The way they are written is in the form of someone talking to the other person and telling them it is over.  This is very effective because it makes the song more personal and makes the listener feel like they are the ones communicating the message.  When it comes to the lyrics, the band did a fantastic job.

I can understand why this song really boosted Coldrain's fame.  It is a good, powerful song that sounds great and has a clear message that people can relate to.  The lyrics are great and the music is awesome.  The guitar solo could be improved slightly, but it is very minor.  I give Gone a 4 out of 5.