G.O.D. -Guitarists on Demand- 111
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Album Title: G.O.D. -Guitarists on Demand- 111 |
| Record Label: ViViX |
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| Catalog No.: VIVI-0008 |
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| Release Date: April 27, 2016 |
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| Purchase: Buy at CD Japan |
Overview
G.O.D. 111 is the third original album released by ViViX for the Guitarists on Demand group and features a variety of instrumental rock tunes. Although the name is a play on the number 3, it actually refers to 111 seconds, which is approximately the standard time for a rhythm game track. As such, all of the music is approximately this length, imitating what could be featured in rhythm games, such as Gitadora. In fact, some of the music is already featured in rhythm games, such as Godspeed and setsat’s tunes. As previously stated, these artists are a younger generation of guitarists compared to Masahiro Aoki’s other group of artists, the G5 Project. How does this concept album turn out?
Body
The album opens with Godspeed’s “Blaze,” featured on a recent Gitadora game, an energetic tune with lots of guitar runs, some orchestral backing, and an excellent melody. Following that, “NAMAHAM,” by Yamato, has a bit more of a metal influence, although there are some funk influences as well. The melody itself, when present, is quite nice. Oka Satoshi’s “Ghost hacker” is a bit more progressive in nature and also features a nice melody alongside some distortion effects. Gibson’s “R.S.P.C.” is a favorite of mine with its rock/Asian fusion sound. It features plenty of slap bass, synth, and a bit of a dance vibe, all while sporting an excellent melody. Another Asian rock piece is Ren’s “Beauties of Nature.” Its blend of orchestra, rock, Asian elements, and piano, including an excellent piano solo, make for a fantastic listen. Mayer’s “Eccentric Aspect” has a funk influence and a fun vibe overall. Its sound, at times, is reminiscent of more modern Persona games and the tune boasts an extremely strong melody accentuated by some beautiful piano accents.
Vogue’s “nightscape” also fits the modern Persona vibe with its bubbly synth meets rock approach. The melody itself is also extremely strong and the overall vibe of the tune is quite funky. “Fatal Attraction,” by Mitsuyo, features both guitar and piano and has a somewhat heavy feel to it. The melody is nice, but it isn’t as much in the foreground compared to many of the other melodically driven tunes on the album. “Terra Car,” from Sebon, is a bit more progressive in nature and also less melodically focused. The melody is there, but it is certainly more intricately interwoven with the rest of the piece compared to some of the others. Seku’s “trefoil scaccus” is a bit heavy metal meets progressive rock. There are some softer sections featuring some orchestral elements as well. Lastly, setsat’s “Stellar Notes,” also featured in a recent Gitadora game, is a bright tune featuring a mix of guitar and violin, of which he plays both. The melody is excellent and the frenetic pace works well with the concept of the album. Overall, it’s a solid way to end the album.
Summary
The most recent offering from ViViX’s label is one that certainly fits the concept quite nicely. Each tune features lots of intricacies and, for the most part, a focus on melody. Due to the nature of a rhythm game, I would say that the short time doesn’t allow some of the tunes to develop as nicely as they would given longer times, as seen in previous G.O.D. albums. In the end, fans of this series by ViViX, will feel quite at home with this entry as well, especially if they like music to guitar driven rhythm games.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
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Posted on August 16, 2016 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on August 16, 2016.
About the Author
Don Kotowski Currently residing in Philadelphia. I spend my days working in vaccine characterization and dedicate some of my spare time in the evening to the vast world of video game music, both reviewing soundtracks as well as maintaining relationships with composers overseas in Europe and in Japan.
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