Gackt is without a doubt one of the biggest musicians in Japan. Many people credit him as the one who made Malice Mizer famous back in the 90's. Once he left Malice Mizer, he embarked on a solo career that took Japan by storm. Playing to sold out arenas and stadiums all over Japan, Gackt became one of the biggest celebrities in Japan and has since been a hero to many modern bands and artists in Japan. His music ranges from pop, rock, and some people even say he has metal thrown into some of his songs as well. One thing Gackt has done quite a bit of is soundtrack songs. While many them have gone on to be hits, one that I feel is underrated is "Journey Through The Decade".
This song does a good job of mixing mystery and hard rock. The song starts out relatively slow, soft, with the bass doing some lead work in the verse. Then when the chorus comes, the song gets a lot more energetic and heavier. The transition to that heaviness is done very well and doesn't feel out of left field. The song then continues with the heavy feel from then on and while the rhythm patterns and chord progressions are pretty standard for the most part, the song sounds good and maintains a good heavy energy.
One of my favorite elements of this song is the guitar solo. One problem I have had with some Gackt songs is how repetitive the guitar solos can be. Some examples that come to mind are the solos in the songs "Redemption" and "Flower". Basically, the guitar solos in those songs are simply repeating a flow while adding an additional note at each repeat and some times it comes off as very simple and predictable. However, in this song you get a good melodic solo with some bits of speed tossed in and it sounds really good. It is not the best guitar solo I have ever heard, but it is good and considering the guitar solos in some of Gackt's other songs, it feels refreshing.
Lyrically, this song is about going on a journey of discovering who you are and realizing your potential. Very fitting for the show "Kamen Rider Decade" that this song is the theme for. The message is very uplifting and good to take in when you are not in a good mood, or just need a good mental boost. While I do like the message, I must admit that it is very generic and is super common in Japan. I also get a sense that Gackt made it more for the Kamen show rather then have it coming from a personal and authentic place in his soul. Having said that, the lyrics still flow well and this is a message I would rather listen to all day then songs about sex and partying. Overall, pretty good lyrics.
This is a good song and in my opinion one of Gackt's best songs. The music is good, Gackt sounds good, and the message is good. The instrument work is good in this song and is very refreshing compared to some other songs by Gackt. I give "Journey Through the Decade" a 4 out of 5.
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