UROBOROS

I got this album as a recommendation from a friend. I always trusted his recommendations as he's never let me down in the past, and I do have an open mind, so I thought I'd give this a go. I was blown away by the second track. Really great stuff.

This album excels for many reasons. First of all, it has a very unique sound I've never heard in a band. Then again, I'm not too familiar with Japanese metal so it could be that, but for me it's new. Another thing, something that really gives this album it's edge, is our vocalist, Kyo. Don't let his sort of cliche-sounding Japanese clean vocals fool you. Once he hits harsh, he is one of the absolute most versatile vocalists I have ever heard in my life. He delivers screams, growls, and shrieking vocals so flawlessly and differently it's jaw-dropping. I don't think anyone would be able to tell it's just one guy doing all this without knowing in advance. The musicianship is also solid and the composition for every song is perfect, showing that they put much care into their music, unlike many of these sorts of metal bands.

The only real flaw I can think of is flow. The album doesn't really have much flow to it and I find works much better as a collection of songs than as a whole, but it's really nothing to make a big deal out of.

So really, this is just an amazing metal album, and one of the best recommendations I've gotten. All of the songs are great, "Vinushka", "Reiketsu Nariseba", and "Stuck Man" probably being the highlights. I give this 5 stars without hesitation.