Alice Nine - Gemini

It's been a while since I last mentioned any VK. But since I'm really into this album, I thought I might as well have a little squee over it.

First Impression

I'll be honest. I have always found a9's compositions to be awkward to listen to, and Shou's voice didn't always suit what he was singing. As a result, I only liked maybe 2 or 3 songs of theirs.

I got this album because I was quite tickled by the single they released prior, Senkou, but nevertheless I was a little apprehensive about it. I set myself up to not like it very much at all... However, I'm glad I gave it a chance, because it has really impressed me!

The feel of Gemini is quite...artistic, for lack of a better word. It seems that a lot of attention has been paid to each song, and none of it is awkward (i.e., having a nonsensical melodic progression. That's the best way I can describe it...). Mind you, I guess you could say that it sounds...well, 'major'. It's really not that bad though, and I can actually stand listening to every song from beginning to end. I remember listening to some of their older albums and stopping halfway through every song because I couldn't take it...

The Songs

So the album starts off with I., a lovely whimsical number that starts off nice and orchestral. The song is just really nice to listen to. (Since I'm not of musical persuasion, I won't delve into technical things since I'm not qualified.)

Rumwolf is a funky piece (again for lack of a better word) that I can imagine turning up really loud and headbanging with. It's not heavy, as I know heavy to be, but it's got a good beat that you can just go a bit crazy to. Can't say much about the solos, but I never really could anyway.

Next up is Stargazer. The opening has the feel of magic and wonder and sparkles, and the rest of the song has a cute, magical feel to it too. I really love this song; it's good to hear Shou sing a cute song and actually suit it. (I'm slapping my own wrist for that mean comment haha.) Honestly, listening to this song makes me feel like I'm flying through the clouds and sliding down rainbows...

Stargazer PV

4U doesn't sound like VK at all. It's very pop-y, but again quite whimsical-sounding and easy to listen to. Tbh, it's nice, but nothing about it jumps out at me. I like to listen to it on the bus to work - it helps me relax.

I didn't really like the way Shinkirou opened...but I was won over by the riff after it xD Still, this song has traces of awkward composition in it, but it doesn't get in the way too much. God I love that riff...

King&Queen didn't do much for me. The music is good, but the melody... just not my cup of tea, I guess. Nao is really going for it on the drums though. 8D

Then we get a little SE interlude with Entr'acte. What can I say about an SE? It does remind me of the opening of Still from Togainu no Chi though xD

Senkou really shines (see what I did there?) here, it's a good place to start where we left off in terms of songs. I love the melody, it's engaging and in my opinion, different from their past works. And I've always been a sucker for Shou's harmonies~

Senkou PV

I wasn't expecting much from Fuurin in the first few seconds, just from Shou singing alone, but when the music started, oh lord. This is my kinda song. Probably my favourite from this album, in fact. That is all.

Gemini-0-Eternal started off all mysterious and whatnot - I thought it would lead to disaster, but it didn't really. I like the little riffs and how they carry on into the rest of the Gemini trilogy, although sometimes I feel they played it a bit too much... There's a bit of Shou being awkward with the melody again, but it's just in one bit and the rest is good and epic-sounding. And unlike some of the other songs, I love the solo in this! It's very smooth but very emotional. And the break down afterwards is good too. I like how the beat changes in this song - keeps things interesting.

Gemini-0-Eternal PV

Gemini-I-The Void had a good strong start to it. It was very VK-sounding to me, but not that raw, unrefined sound - this has a very clean feeling to it. It's like a refreshing splash of water. Gawd I'm awful with my metaphors... Again, this song changes the pace a lot. It's like you're being taken through different chapters of a story. The little organ bit was super cool too - that was what triggered my opinion of it being 'artistic'. The song transitions nicely into something mellow towards the end, leading up to the next song.

In Gemini-II-The Luv, we get that riff that was in Gemini-0-Eternal. This piece has a really epic feeling to it, kinda what you expect to hear in the end credits of a hero movie. xD It also has the acoustic bit that was in Gemini-I-The Void. Basically it incorporates bits from the first two songs, which is good for closure and stuff. I do like how they stuck with an instrumental for the last few seconds of the song too.

Birth in the Death is a dreamy, melancholic number. I also really like songs like this, even though I don't have much to say about this particular song.

Overture is an interesting way to end the album. It sounds like a game ending or BGM to me...actually it'd be pretty good to use as one...

Conclusion

I like the general feel of the tracks - the dreaminess, the epic-ness - it's all very magical, celestial if you will. The album certainly suits its title! All in all, Gemini leaves me feeling quite good about the a9 boys. They're not just a bunch of pretty faces after all!