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Melodic Power Metal: Sunrise - Absolute Clarity (2016)

83 / 100 Absolute Clarity is the most emotionally resonant and mature release so far, benefiting greatly from atmosphere, nostalgia, and improved cohesion. Once again, there is an unexpected connection to Stratovarius when I revisited the third album by their Ukrainian-born son, Sunrise , through Absolute Clarity , where two of its songs had already appeared earlier on the Hope and Pray EP in 2011. Imagine this: the album was released in January 2016, while Destiny by the “father” band received another remastered edition at the end of the same year. What kind of coincidence is that?! Line-up changes happened once more within Sunrise , yet Naumenko remained as the vocalist, even contributing drums at times and inviting his wife, Daria, for backing vocals. New members include Eduard Sarkits (drums) and Marat Adiev (keyboards), while Ruslan Vakuliuk (bass) has been part of the band since 2010. Interestingly, Ruslan and Daria also play together ...

Indie/J-Pop: Eri Sasaki - Comma (2024)

78 / 100 Comma is a warmer, more intimate Eri Sasaki album that trades modern polish for acoustic sincerity. After releasing the more modern-sounding Colon , Eri Sasaki finally returns with a simpler, acoustic-leaning pop approach—like sitting near a fireplace in winter 2024 —through her third album, Comma . Unlike the previous two albums that featured Eri Sasaki herself on the cover in her signature Polaroid style, Comma instead shows a dog staring into a blank pallid white background. Strangely enough, it feels emotional at a glance and truly represents the album’s content. The indie-styled acoustic guitar sound finds its place here, especially after getting used to “ Fuyubiyori ” and “ Haru no Tonari ” as ending themes for Yuru Camp , which were later supported by post-rock/ambient influences over the years. Because of this, Comma sinks in more deeply than Colon . The most pop-oriented and contrasting track—and my weakest pick—is “...

Experimental/Soundtrack: 7328 - 2016 (2016)

66 / 100 2016 solidifies 7328 ’s identity as an experimental, lo-fi soundtrack project that leans into discomfort as part of its charm. 7328 continued working toward the end of 2016 with an EP titled 2016 , using the same recording equipment: an MP3 Sony Walkman NWZ B162F . 2016 by 7328 For me, 2016 feels like a continuation of the soundtrack style introduced in his most earlier release—something like a sleep aid that is slightly disturbing, or in other words, a nightmare-like ambience. It is pleasant and unpleasant at the same time, because the clipping noise becomes an essential part of 7328 ’s aesthetic. This reminds me of my own attempts at making piano music using the Walk Band app , and yes, the output was quite similar. Unfortunately, most of those tracks are now lost, and the remaining ones still feel like they need polishing—although it seems almost impossible for them to turn into something significantly better. The most prominent pian...

Experimental/Soundtrack: 7328 - Para Bárbara (2016)

61 / 100 Para Bárbara is a flawed but compelling early experiment. Well, I thought 00 was 7328 ’s debut, but it turns out I misread the timeline. A month earlier in 2016, Para Bárbara had already been released, containing four tracks. Para Bárbara by 7328 “Track 01” feels directly connected to “Track 02,” both presenting a piano-based soundtrack style blended with reversed audio. I have to admit, it sounds good and pleasant, although the recording—done using an Mp3 Sony Walkman NWZ B162F —makes it noticeably noisy. Other sounds include field recordings of someone coughing—possibly 7328 himself—at the end of the second track and again at the intro of the fourth track. This is followed by a monologue in “Track 03,” which all seems to have been recorded live in the same session and is admittedly quite distracting. “Track 04,” on the other hand, leans more toward ambient synth rather than piano, evoking a nighttime rural setting suggested ...

Experimental/Soundtrack: 7328 - 00 (2016)

59 / 100 A rough, low-fidelity experiment that leans more toward an eerie concept piece than a replayable release. An experimental/soundtrack project from Trelew, Argentina , called 7328 , began its journey in 2016 with an EP titled Para Bárbara then 00 followed by. It was produced using a Sony Walkman NWZ-B162F MP3 player , which explains why the resulting output isn’t particularly clean—there is noticeable clipping noise, whether intentional or not. 00 by 7328 00 consists of six relatively short tracks built from audio samples , piano, and some form of synth to add color. Tracks “2” and “4” function like interludes, relying mainly on audio samples that seem to be fragments of Latin film and anime , while “5” is a snippet of a city-pop –like piece slowed down and feels as if it leads directly into the final track. The material in “1”, “3”, and “6” feels stranger, like an unfamiliar, quiet nighttime atmosphere in a suburban area or small...

J-Pop: Eri Sasaki - Colon (2021)

67 / 100 Colon marks a stylistic shift toward modern electronic pop, showing Eri Sasaki ’s willingness to experiment. Feeling satisfied enough with Period , I initially planned to move straight on to Colon , released in the summer of 2021—but my expectations turned out to be slightly off. That’s why I temporarily ran to another playlist out of reluctance. Only after listening to her third release, Comma , did I finally decide to come back and start this album properly. Alright. Here, Eri Sasaki presents a more modern pop approach, largely driven by electronic/electronica influences across most tracks. One of the most eccentric examples is “ British Robot ”, with its iconic lyric, “meow, meow, meow” —not unlike “ Shampoo ” from the previous album. However, the track that fits my ears best is “ Majstång ”, with its clear house-music groove. There’s also a particularly unique song that uses German—or at least a closely related language. When search...

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