Diaura Universe Review

Popular Japanese Visual Kei band, Diaura, came out with a new song in February, called Universe.  Diaura has made a name for themselves among the visual kei music scene in Japan with songs such as Trigger, Lily, and their biggest hit, Lost November.  Many people have considered Diaura one of the most popular bands of the visual kei music scene in Japan.  With all that, lets see how good Universe is,

Musically, Diaura continues with the heavy melodic metal sound that the band is known for.  The first thing I would like to recognize is the melodic guitar work of Kei.  Kei does great melodic guitar soloing in this song that is superb and adds a good emotional feel to the song.  He also busts out some good heavy riffs in the songs verse that really adds to the energy.  It seems to me that with each new release for Diaura, Kei keeps on getting better as a guitar player and in this song he demonstrates it very well. Yo-ka does great vocal work in this song as usual.  His deep, melodic voice is very unique and really plays a huge part in what make this band unique and great.  

Lyrically, the band continues their deep emotional message of sticking together through hard times.  The band does a great job with these lyrics and communicates the message very well.  However, this is a message the band does a lot and as a result it feels a little generic and not unique anymore.  To be clear, the lyrics are not bad, but they are safe, the band didn't really venture into new territory with this song, lyrically.  

While the song isn't new lyrically, the music is great.  The band continues to progress musically while staying true to their core sound.  Kei seems to be getting better at his instrument and Yo-ka continues to display amazing vocal talent.  This is a song you should check out if you are a fan of Diaura and visual kei.  If you are a metal fan looking for some new music, this song is defiantly something you should check out.  With great music that show the bands progression I give Universe a 4 out of 5.  

Diaura Lily Review

Diaura is a Visual Kei band out of Tokyo Japan that started in 2010.  Famed for the deep melodic voice of the singer, Yo-Ka, and the melodic guitar playing of Kei, the band has become a fairly popular band in Japan.  They are also one of the most active bands in Japan, constantly touring and writing new music, they have certainly put out a lot of material in their career so far and most of it is pretty decent.  With that lets review Lily.

Musically, this song is a good power ballad feel with music that is heavy, but is soft enough to appeal to easy listening people.  It is not a complex song technique wise, the rhythm is pretty simple and standard, and the guitar is simple as well.  However, even with the simplicity it still sounds pretty good.  One of the biggest highlights is with out a doubt Yo-Ka's vocals.  The guy is a good singer and  his vocal melody adds a great amount of depth to the song.  Kei's guitar solo is also pretty good.  It is not technical or tricky, but it has a good melodic style to is that really works with the song.  

Lyrically this is a great song.  Basically, the song is about someone losing someone they love and the pain that causes and then at the end of the song they wake up to see their loved one is still alive.  the lyrics are a good message  to value those you love and not to let them go.  Yo-Ka has said himself that the lyrics were inspired by a dream he had about him losing his parents. I always love it when a person writes lyrics that come from a real place in their souls rather then from management telling that person what to write and for that the song gets a lot of points from me. 

The music video is pretty simple as well.  First thing to point out is that even though the band is wearing a lot of eye make up, they really are not to over the top with the make up compared to their other videos.  They are not wearing lipstick, no insane colored contacts, and their cloths are not over the top.  Compared to other Visual Kei videos I have seen this one is pretty tamed.  For the most part they look like normal guys in this video, which is refreshing to see every once in a while in Visual Kei.  As for the video it self, it is nothing to special.  I see the symbolism in the chair scene and the scene  where the band members are looking around confused, however though it isn't anything too special.  Having said that, this video goes with the mood and message of the song very well and for that I give this video props.  

While the song is simple in the instrumental section, the lyrical depth is very impressive and defiantly worth noting.  Yo-Ka's voice adds a lot of depth and makes the song feel more effective in it's tone in message.  Kei's melodic guitar solo is a nice section that really adds on to the depth they are going for.  In the end, it is a good song with a very good message and is effective in communicating that message.  I give this song a 4.5 out of 5.