CEREMONY ~ BUDDHA MEET ROCK

(From PA blog "Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX")

Blended Rock with Buddhism was approved only by a part of psychedelic rock maniacs.

"Prologue" is the suggester - like a percussion, a dazzling variety of wooden clogs' clip-clops come here. And down-tempo drumming and orchestration can put enthusiasm into you coming across the meeting. However, yet you cannot realize this wondrous rendezvous only on it. Trust me, the curtain of this meeting will rise just the next track "Shomyo - Part 1". Gong. Beat, beat, dub, dub...eerie atmosphere will wrap you up, and Kimio's 'eavy 'uzzy guitar solo with a wooden percussion can shoot some rock flavour. A sutra - the Buddhist (and also Japanese) solemn culture - comes into the rock sounds and this song can be realized completely. This mono-tone sutra should be as impressive as such persistent guitar waves...absolutely the friendship between Buddhism and Psychedelic Rock. In the latter part, the rhythm gets slower a while and Kimio's aggressive guitar solo plus eccentric drumming and comfortable wooden kicks starts - with eerie sutra and thingy around him - as if he wears a Buddhist sound surplice. Maybe this mixture was (and is) hard for you and us to clarify...therefore this project might be short-lived I consider. "Gatha", the third one, is much graver for you I imagine. Kimio's sitar can blow your mind terribly in spite of such a quiet airspace. Oh sorry terrifically, not terribly. :-P ...Jokin' aside, quieter percussion, filling up the space between sounds, should be fantastically solemn as well. Honestly, on the religious ritual percussion (wooden, metallic, or so) must push all believer into trance, passion and happiness. In the next "Flower Strewing" Hideaki's repetitive bass tones can get active, and give a hypnotic and transcendental atmosphere on this song based on Shomyo - sutra. Even such a mono-tone bass sound can throw dream and fantasy for you, if the bass player is a believer... "Shomyo - Part 2" is very simple but simultaneously very important. Here are a simple wooden percussion, quiet guitar and bass sounds, easy-listening keyboard solo, and a rhythmical sutra - you know, that's all. No need for you to consider, you can act naturally in such a simple Shomyo. I wanna emphasize that this song is a masterpiece in the album on the point of view - namely, 'simple is the best for Religion'. "Prayer - Part 1" & "Prayer - Part 2" are exactly trans-senders - primeval percussion and shouts in a trance by trippin' ladies sound rather weird and painful...at least for me. "Epilogue" may be a burnt-out situation...with pretty twitters and magnificent orchestration...but no human breath at all...what a vacant impression...?

PEOPLE left such a problematic and suggestive stuff for us psychedelic progressive rock fans, and it's absolutely right. On the contrary, sad to say, very hard to listen from beginning to finish. Therefore, as mentioned above, this project might break up soon a while.