Charamel A Strange Band

I have come across many strange rock and metal bands in my time but few compare to the likes of Charamel.  This band displays what is called a Yuru Chara look. Yuru Chara is basically mascot looking characters except more diverse and can represent anything from video games to corporations to even creatures in mythology.   Another thing that is interesting is how anonymous they are.  There really isn't much info out there about this band other then their character names and the instruments they play.  As far as who they are under the costumes remains a mystery to this day.  The members consist of Nyango Star, the red cat apple on drums, Funassyi, the pear fairy on vocals, Akkuma, the demon bear on guitar, and Kapal, the water goblin on bass.  

This band's story starts when music publicist, Eric Alper, posted a video on twitter titled, "When You're Over Qualified For The Job".  This video displayed Nyango Star displaying some awesome drum skills and as a result, the video wen't viral with tons of retweets thus began Nyango Star's career.  Nyango Star would start a youtube channel covering many metal classics such as "Before I Forget" from Slipknot, "Faint" by Linkin Park, and "Raining Blood" from Slayer.   

Aside from his videos, he would also play at conventions and collaborate with other Japanese rock bands.  He would even gain the attention of X Japan drummer, Yoshiki.  Yoshiki had Nyango Star play some famous X Japan songs for him and Yoshiki was very impressed with his skills on drums as seen below.  

Somewhere down the road he met the rest of the band and they teamed up to create Charamel.  They debuted with their song, " Funnasy" in 2017 and have since gone on to develop a cult following in Japan and thanks to Nyango Star, the bands popularity continues to grow.  They would even get to perform at the famed Tokyo Dome in 2018.  

I must admit that this band has grown on me with time. While I'm not a fan of the look, I have to admit that these musicians are good at their instruments.  I have looked up some of their live shows and I got to say, the fact that whoever is in those costumes and play their instruments pretty well, while in those costumes, is very impressive. Some people complain about the vocals, but that's clearly part of this band's shtick and I have never found it annoying to the point that I had to turn a song off or not enjoy it.

I would also like to point out Akkuma's guitar playing.  Akkuma plays some great rock and metal riffs that I find myself wanting to headbang to.  Even though he is not the most famous member in this band, he is a good guitar player and I think deserves more attention than he currently has in the band.  

Even though these guys are far from the traditional rock band, I still recommend checking them out.  Their music is good and the fact that they can perform as well as they do  in those costumes is something to be admired.  We don't know much about them currently but in time that will change I'm sure. Until then, all we can do is enjoy the music.     

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Love and Death Meltdown Review

Brian Head Welch made a name for himself during his time as one of the guitarists for Korn in the 90s.  During that time he helped the band compose some of their biggest songs and became very distinct in the band.  However, he also became addicted to drugs and left the band.  During his rehabilitation and recovery from drug addiction he became a devout christian and would go on to form his own band called Love and Death.  One of the songs that helped that band gain traction in the christian metal scene was Meltdown

You defiantly hear the Korn influences in this song when it comes to the music, especially in the vocals.  Welch uses very quiet, eerie vocals in the verses that remind me of songs like Evolution and Freak on a Leash.  The music echoes that quiet eerie feel before we head into a heavy pre chorus.  We then head into a big chorus. This formula continues through the entire song, with the exception of a short bridge.  My favorite part of the song is  without a doubt the chorus.  It has good energy and the music matches the tone of the song perfectly.  The music isn't very technical and not to tricky which overall works for the song.  The one thing I wish they did though is instead of doing that short bridge with heavy, distorted guitar, I wish they did a deep sounding guitar solo that would work with the message and feel of the song.  I feel like that would of got the point across more effectively then the simple heavy guitar that is there instead. 

The lyrics in this song are pretty straight to the point.  They are about someone in pain, feeling like breaking down, and calling out for help.  I do like songs that address the pain that people feel, because I feel that songs like that give people a way to vent their pain.  People can also relate to songs like these because everybody goes through pain through out their lives and when you have so much music that is shallow feel good music, it is nice to see someone willing to go deep.  The message is clearly about someone's mental state when they are in pain.  Overall the lyrics do a good job of getting the message across, I do they they could be written to flow a little bit better, but it is a minor problem and it doesn't kill the song for me.

The song has a good deep message that isn't talked about much in mainstream music and I do like it when bands and artists do these kind of songs.  The music is overall good, but i do think the bridge could of been improved with a guitar solo instead of heavy guitar.  However, the music is effective overall.  I also think the lyrics are good as well.  I give Meltdown a 3 out of 5.

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Dokken Burning Like a Flame Reiew

When it comes to the 80's metal scene, you could argue that Dokken was one of the best bands from that era.  With the great vocal work of Don Dokken and the amazing guitar skills of George Lynch, you have a band destined to go places.  These two men did not get a long well, but that didn't stop them from being able to make good music together for a decade. Dokken was one first bands that introduced me to 80s and the first song I heard from them was Burning Like a Flame.

Musically, this is one of the bands more simpler songs for sure.  The rhythm is more simple and George Lynch's playing isn't over the top like in other songs.  Instead of trying to be fast and technical, Lynch is more simple and melodic and it actually works.  The melodic guitar solo sounds pretty good and works well with the layout of the song.  Don Dokken sounds good in this song as well.  The man is a good singer and he continues to display great vocal skills in this song.  Overall, a simple but still fun to listen to.

Lyrically, there isn't anything ground breaking.  Like many other songs that came out of the 80's metal scene, this is a song about woman.  To the band's credit, there are more relationship based points in this song and not just of focus on wanting sex like most other songs.  However, elements of the sex message are still there in lines such as "cause every time I touch you, you just make me go insane".  Having said that, the lyrics are written well and Don Dokken does a great job singing them.  

While I certainly do like this song, I do admit that it isn't their best, especially when you listen to other songs such as Breaking The Chains, In My Dreams, and Dream Warriors.  However, this is still a solid song and I think it is worth checking out.  I give Burning Like a Flame a 3.5 out of 5.  

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Coldrain Envy Review

I remember hearing this band for the first time when I came across their song We're Not Alone.  I thought the song was pretty good and it caused me to listen to the band from time to time.  Little by little the band grew on me and I got more into them.  However, it wouldn't be until Envy that I really got into this band.

Right at the beginning, the song hooked me with the intro.  The guitar riff, the drums, and the energy at the beginning of the song is amazing.  Sugi starts the song off with that cool opening riff that carries the intro.  Then YKC plays a pretty awesome guitar solo half way through that leads to a heavy verse.  Here, the guitar work continues to be heavy and energetic and to match that energy, Masato busts out some heavy screaming vocals.  The chorus is pretty good as well, this is where the clean vocals take over and it carries the entire chorus.  The bridge is more slow and softer on the energy, but it does fit in to the song very well and doesn't feel out of place.  The ending of this song is a great way to end the song.  YKC busts out a good solo and Masato supports the him by adding some vocal work that operates more as background rather then the main focus.  This guitar solo isn't super technical or over the top, but it sounds good and it really works well with the tone of the music. When it comes to the music, this song is solid.  

The lyrics in the song are good to vent to if you are angry at someone and feel they have wronged you.  The lyrics are about someone who is in a feud with someone the person thought was a friend and then the person feels that the friend betrayed them and now they don't get along. The lyrics flow well I didn't feel like any lines were out of place or unneeded.  I also like this message because it is something that everyone can relate to.  Everyone feels that they have been betrayed by someone at one point in their life and they need someway to let that anger out.  I think this song is a healthy way to let the anger out without getting mad at the wrong person of picking the wrong battle to fight with the person who wronged you.  

Weather you are a metal head, a rocker, or angry and need some way to vent, this is a song you should check out.  With really good music that makes you want to head bang and lyrics that helps you vent your anger, this one solid song.  Coldrain was already gaining momentum in Japan and world wide, but this song gained them a lot of traction and rightfully so.  I give Envy a 4.5 out of 5.     

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Cinderella Shake Me Review

A lot of things happened for metal in the 80's. Many people have argued that it was when the genre was at it's peek in terms of popularity.  If you look at all the hits of the 80's you certainly can make a good case for that.  This genre would come to be known as Glam Metal or Hair Metal.  Since then, there has been a divide on how this genre is viewed.  Some people call these bands posers, pretty boys, sell outs, and basically a disgrace to metal.  However, others say that these bands put out some of the best musicians in metal history and if it wasn't for them, metal never would of expanded its audience.  I personally fall in the second category and one band that executed it pretty well was Cinderella with Shake Me.

The first thing I would like to point out is Tom Keifer's voice.  This guys reminds me of ACDC when he sings.  He has that same kind of voice as Brian Johnson, high pitch screeching and he pulls it off very well.  I personally think he would of been a better choice to replace Brian Johnson in ACDC then Axl Rose.  The other great thing about this song is the guitar playing.  Tom Keifer and Jeff Labar do some great lead soloing in this song.  Guitar playing like this is what I like this era of metal.  These bands played their hearts out musically and a lot of the best and most influential guitar playing came out of the 80's and this song show cases that amazingly. 

As far as the lyrics go, this is the one area I will agree with critics of this genre on.  A lot of the songs that came out hair metal were about having sex and partying from a lyrical stand point and this song  followed that trend.  The lyrics are very generic 80's rock lyrics and the message doesn't stand out at all from anyone else.  However, to the bands credit, the lyrics do flow well and they work well with the music that the band is playing.  

While the lyrics are very generic and don't stand out, the music is superb.  The band has great musicianship and they deliver some great guitar solos.  Overall, this song is a great example of what 80's hair metal had to offer.  If you are looking some good guitar work, this one song you should check out.  I give Shake Me a 3.5 out of 5.  

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Dadaroma Dendrobium Review

Dadaroma is a band that is making headway in the visual kei scene.  Forming in 2014, they have developed an image of a dark circus band over the years with songs and music videos like Risely Circus,  The Kinky, and their latest single, Dendrobium.  The singer portrays himself as a dark, scary looking clown and their music sounds like a combo metal and carnival music.  Giving them, one of the more unique styles in visual kei.

The main intro to this song is pretty cool, the guitar in the intro  is a great way to get you hooked into the song.  The verse takes a little more of a darker feel, with the mysterious sounding vocals coming in to play.  This leads into a heavy pre chorus that makes you think you in for a big chorus.  However, this is where the songs gets weak for me.  They have this big build up that makes you think your in for a loud, big chorus and instead they drop the energy in the chorus.  It doesn't sound bad, but the way the energy drops hurts the chorus for me.  I do like the way the bridge plays out though.  The vocals sound great in that section and the combination of eerie music and heavy guitar sounds pretty cool.  Overall, the music is solid, but not great, certainly not the best this band has done in my opinion.

The lyrics in this song kinda play out like a love song. It seems like the message is about love being more of a necessity of life rather then a feeling.  This would make sense, because the title of the song, Dendrobium, is a flower that is attached to trees and needs trees to survive and when they bloom it is beautiful.  I have heard some people say that the song is actually about wanting sex but no relationship.  Given some of the bands other songs, I can see why people would interpret that but I don't think that is the case with this song.  The lyrics do flow pretty well but they are repetitive at times.  For example, the entire bridge is just one line being repeated, "She's a girl who wants real love song".  It is sung differently so it doesn't sound overly repetitive but I would of added one more line to the bridge.  Overall though, the lyrics work well.

The intro and verses to the song are great but the lower energy chorus hurts the song a little bit.  The lyrics are a little repetitive, but the flow is good and message is very interesting.  While I don't think it is this band's best song, I do enjoy listening to it and recommend checking it out.   I give Dendrobium a 3.5 out of 5.  

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Top 5 Queensryche Songs

5.  Take Hold of The Flame

I remember when my Dad got me the Warning album as a kid and how awesome it was.  I loved every song off that record and I consider it one of my first introductions to rock and metal music.  While I love all the songs on that record, the one that always stood out to me most was Take Hold Of The Flame. The soft opening makes you think your getting into a ballad and then the heavy intro comes in and the combined power of Geoff Tate's vocals and guitars blew me away.  The guitar riffs in the intro hooked me and I couldn't stop listening from then on.  The chorus is very cool in this song as well.  The combination of Geoff Tates vocals and the back up vocals of the rest of the band makes a very memorable chorus you can't help but to sing along with.

4.  I Don't Believe In Love

The guitar work really carries this song for me.  The combined guitar playing of Chris Degarmo and Michael Wilton is sounds awesome throughout the entire song.  They are able to bring a style of emotional and mystery that makes this song for me.  The mystery feel shows in the verses and then they bust out emotion in their guitar solos.  The two guitarists really brought their a game to this song.  Eddie Jackson's bass playing in this song is pretty superb as well. The notes are simple, but the way he plays them really works well with the mystery feel to the song.

3.  Jet City Woman

 

Geoff Tate's does a great job show casing his softer side in this song.  His vocals give a great emotional vibe that sounds and feels sincere.  Eddie Jackson delivers some great bass work in this song as well.  His bass intro at the beginning is really catchy and is a good build for the song.  The best part of this song, for me though, is the guitar playing of Chris Degarmo.  His melodic playing really caries this song through and his solo is very solid and superb in this song.

2.  Eyes of A Stranger

This song was a great way to wrap up to the Operation Mindcrime album.  The dual guitar playing in the intro and guitar solos in this song sounds really cool and has a dark feel that really sets up the rest of the song.  The depression in the verse and then the anger of the chorus and second verse works together very well and does a great job letting you know the fate of the protagonist in the albums story.  The structure of the song is very well executed and creates one of the most memorable songs of the album. 

1.  Queen Of The Reich

 

The opening for this song amazing and  it lead to a very cool guitar riff in the main intro.  The main intro is a great metal opening riff and leads into a heavy verse and a powerful chorus.  Geoff Tate sounds really cool in the songs chorus when he hits that long note at the end.  This then leads into a cool dual solo that then goes into one of  Chris Degarmo's best solo's, in my opinion.  The combination of speed and melodic playing is awesome and is very memorable.  Making this one of the best debut songs for a metal band.  

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