L’Arc~en~Ciel’s album BUTTERFLY was released on February 8, 2012. The album arrives 4 years and 3 months after KISS, features 7 A-sides, and can be described as alternative rock, pop rock, and progressive rock.
- CHASE
- XXX
- Bye Bye
- GOOD LUCK MY WAY -BUTTERFLY Ver.-
- BLESS
- shade of season
- DRINK IT DOWN
- wild flower
- SHINE
- NEXUS 4
- 未来世界
*For this review, I will be posting the credits for lyrics and music.
CHASE
Lyrics: hyde Music: hyde, ken
Beginning the album on a strong note, CHASE opens with some synth followed by hyde’s vocals then the rest of the band. CHASE is the kind of song that builds up the more it goes and the instrumental is awesome, blending electronic and rock elements that give the song an interstellar feeling and plenty of seriousness. Half of the lyrics are in English and luckily hyde is understandable so international fans can get the message of the song. All around, CHASE is a good song a the best A-side to jump start the album.
XXX
Lyrics: hyde Music: hyde
The oddball song of the album, it’s difficult trying to describe XXX. The arrangement consists of synth, strings, brass, and the bands guitars and drum. The song has a ethnic and hypnotic feel to it half the time, the other half being the loud rock moments with the electric guitar. hyde’s vocals are his best here since he loses control here and there but sounds good nonetheless. The lyrics are also catchy and fun to sing along to like “step into fascination, trip of infatuation, kiss.” An interesting addition to the album indeed.
Bye Bye
Lyrics: hyde Music: tetsuya
Immediately the song begins with brass, strings, and hyde singing. As expected of tetsuya’s compositions, Bye Bye is very melodic, the strings, ken has a guitar solo (albeit distorted), strong bass and drums, and the use of tamborine. hyde’s singing is pretty good here and stays in control throughout, something I can’t say for most songs on this album. Nice song but not that memorable in my opinion.
GOOD LUCK MY WAY -BUTTERFLY Ver.-
Lyrics: hyde Music: tetsuya
This is where the band shows us how fast they can rock. ken’s guitar is the spotlight of the song and it gives the melody it’s aggresiveness thanks to the heavy playing. yukihiro’s drumming stands out too since the beat is loud and fast. The orchestral strings balances the agressiveness and tempo with beauty, making this song well-rounded in structure. hyde sounds great here, not getting caught up by the melody but he does have a little bit of a note control problem. And, anyone wondering what the difference between this version and the single, it’s the extended ending which you would’ve heard if you saw the PV.
BLESS
Lyrics: hyde Music: hyde
The ballad of the album, BLESS really does sound like a coronation song. There’s a strong orchestral background to this song with all the strings, brass, and that awesome clairanet(?) solo. The melody is relatively light with ken on acoustic guitar, only breaking out the electric guitar towards the end, light bass from tetsuya, and light drumming from yukihiro. hyde’s vocal are wonderful here, keeping it toned down during the verses with only the high notes coming out in the chorus.
shade of season
Lyrics: yukihiro Music: yukihiro
Since shade of season is yukihiro’s creation, it’s probably no surprise that this song gives me acid android vibes with the strong emphasis on synths. Unlike acid android however, this song is not as heavy and more melodious. Thankfully, the guitar, bass, and drums aren’t overpowered by the various synth. Even though hyde didn’t write the lyrics for this song, he still sounds good and matches his tone with the music (also, is that tetsuya doing high backing vocals?). Definitely an interesting song from the band.
DRINK IT DOWN
Lyrics: hyde Music: yukihiro
Despite being the first A-side of the era, it’s still my favorite single song after all these years. More darker than shade of season, DRINK IT DOWN is energetic, haunting, and sees the whole band rocking out. The band adds synths and strings to give the melody a sinister feel while the guitar, bass, and drums are played more heavy. hyde sounds good here, yelling a bit more here and it seems like he does very well with these somber songs. Forever loving this song.
wild flower
Lyrics: hyde Music: ken
wild flower starts of quiet with keyboard, strings, and hyde’s soft singing before the rest of the bands jumps in and turns the song into a loud rock tune. ken himself seems to go wild on his guitar and he is the spotlight of the song. tetsu and yukihiro don’t fall behind and their parts are good to listen to. hyde’s vocals are nice here, making good use of his higher register along with his normal register. Altogether, wild flower is just that, a wild and pretty song.
SHINE
Lyrics: hyde Music: tetsuya
Wasn’t this song known to fans before SEVENTH HEAVEN? Yep, it’s the oldest song on the album but it hasn’t lost its luster. The melody is uplifting with hyde’s singing inspiring lyrics and the band’s instruments. ken switches between acoustic and electric guitar and the band makes good use of synth. The bass and drums also sound great, not to soft but not to heavy. This is a great song to lift up anyone’s spirit.
NEXUS 4
Lyrics: hyde Music: tetsuya
The A-side brother of SHINE, this time NEXUS 4 comes after SHINE. Seeing as this song was used in a car commercial, it’s no wonder that the lyrics used a lot of car metaphor. Like SHINE, this song features synth along with the guitars and drums, the difference being that this song is faster and in your face than said song. The instrument that caught my attention though is the heavy bass which makes itself known right from the start. hyde sounds great here (really wondering why he sounds better before 2011 as opposed to now).
未来世界
Lyrics: hyde Music: ken
The band always likes to end their albums on a soft note and Mirai Sekai is the softest and shortest song on the album. The chimes give the song a lullaby feel but the distortion on the band’s instruments make this lullaby a weird trip. hyde’s vocals are the highlight of the song as he’s using mostly his higher register so he’s pulling off some interesting notes. Probably the weirdest song on the album but a fitting end to BUTTERFLY.
I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t pay for an album with only four new tracks but as far as quality is concerned, BUTTERFLY doesn’t disappoint. The band plays around with new ideas while keeping their core sound intact, the album’s flow is perfect, there’s a nice balance between heavy and soft songs, and every member of L”Arc shows off their skills. It’s kind of cruel comparing the album tracks to the singles since it’s a 7:4 ratio, but the album tracks are as good as their single counterparts. I’d say BUTTERFLY is on par with KISS and hopefully the band doesn’t go on another hiatus before dropping another album.
