Solitude
Reach for the Sky

Here is an album that proves my point about all those good but indifferent albums that dilute the world of music these days. I did review this album in 2016 when Test Your Metal Records in America rereleased it; the original was released in their native Japan in 2015. Now Mighty Music release it Europe and digital, and I did listen to it again completely oblivious to the fact that I did already write about it in 2016 and arrived at the same conclusion as now. That it is a good but a rather pointless album, and it appears to have been a very forgettable one as well as not even listening to it triggered the sense of having heard this actual album before – I guess the blandness makes me notice less of what I hear.

It is classic heavy metal, NWOBHM inspired with traces of the hoarse singers like Lemmy of Biff. Nothing ground breaking, or earth shattering in terms of style and the same can be said about the production that is okay but nothing special. But the album is kept short and that is a good thing, the singer isn’t and they have none of those slightly special touches that most Japanese bands seems to have, this could be any heavy metal album from any bands with roots anywhere in the world – kind of like nothing of consequence and it is obviously a forgettable album, judging from experience.

It is quite good though, quite catchy and easy to play in the background without paying too much attention to it. It is an album that is too good to be poor and too poor to be great, it sits in the middle of the scale, like over 60% of the albums I have reviewed in 2019. I guess that fans of the heavy metal genre might find it appealing but chances are probably greater that they will think it is good but then they will play it a few times before forgetting all about it. Had this album not been rereleased all the time, it would not be one anyone’s mind right now, I think that even the band have forgotten it by now.

The conclusion will have to be that I don’t really see the point of releasing albums like this, albums that resonate more on an emotional level would be better and it doesn’t matter if they are good or bad. Because personally I would like to see far fewer albums released and that those that were released were albums that were either loved or hated – compromise and wide appeal is good in politics and that sort of thing but art that doesn’t elicit emotion is boring – and this album is good for a while but in the end it is rather boring and you will forget it quickly. No one will ever think of this as one of the top albums from 2015, or 2016, or 2019 – three attempts and all of those only end up diluting the selection of music available.

HHHHHHH