Kenllre - Kuroikiseki

Kenllre was a Tokyo based band whose popularity really soared after the release of their two hit songs, Okashi no kuni no alice and tabekko doubutsu. The first is a circus type song that makes you jump up and down to the beat. During a live performance of the second, the band paused halfway through playing on stage and began feeding each other an assortment of foods while throwing leftovers at the audience. An outsider could say Kenllre was more of a joke band, however, the members took their music and fans seriously, and they were dedicated up until the end. Kuroikiseki was Kenllre's second to last release, and was a highly anticipated album released by Loop Ash Records.

Tsukiakari ni Bboreta Usotsuki na Boku is a cute, corny instrumental with heavy piano. It sounds like a beat you'd hear in the scary part of a video game or going into a fun house, making it a pretty adorable song.

We first see Kenllre's rock side when Happy People starts. It is an explosive headbanging song that shows true potential. The song has a rough beat, firm background vocals and a catchy chorus. James sounds great in this song with steady vocals, making us happy people, and making this a great track. Haikaburi is the first time we really get to hear James' vocal potential, and with the assistance of distortion, he stays on beat and sounds pretty good, even with his high pitched end notes. This song is just your typical, generic indies track with a basic beat, making it not particularly noteworthy but still entertaining.

Akuchuumu no Yumemonogatari isn't much different, starting out with very basic musical composition that sounds like a pop carnival, and the same melody is carried out through the entire track. The highest point is Aoi's guitar solo. While not highly experienced, he is still very good. James' vocals are pretty hard on the ears in this song, sounding like a young boy going through puberty. His voice cracks consistently, he slurs syllables together and is unable to hold notes, making the song very weak over all.

Giving us something new, Tora = Uma has a really catchy jazz rhythm that uses a lot of different sound styles. It's blended really nicely with the vocals, which also sound fabulous in this track, making it an extremely fun song to dance around to. James tends to sound really great with faster paced rock songs, and Tora = Uma is no exception. With an excellent guitar solo that is a shining example of Aoi's talent, it makes this song the best on the album.

Torikago no naka de... is the obligatory "rush" song on the album, and the last good rock track we get. With a viciously rough headbanging beat and much harder vocals than we've heard before, Kenllre shows us they really know how to rock it. Even though the song's chorus falls into a generic sound, the enthusiasm and Kogoe's powerful bass lines make it a really great song overall.

The final song on the CD is Akogare, and it is the worst song on the album. This song's quality is not only poor, but the composition is mundane. It's the vocals that really push this song from boring to terrible, though. James is usually quite a capable vocalist, but in recording this particular track, it wasn't his day. The song sounds like someone at a karaoke bar who recorded a person who can't sing; the whiny vocals aren't on key, notes are held when they shouldn't have been and the strains make you wince.

What Kenllre lacked in musical experience and quality, they more than made up for in enthusiasm during their concerts. However, that aside, a good live performance does not make a good band, nor does it improve the sound of the music. While Kuroikiseki is not an awful release, it is not a shining example of musical ingeniousness and leaves Kenllre on the mediocre end of the visual kei spectrum. Kuroikiseki is one of the final releases left in Kenllre's wake, and without any more concerts to anticipate, the studio recording leaves listeners wondering, what exactly was the band's appeal?