Overdrive Hell 25 -Hizumi Tengoku Hissatsu Abarenbou Sousamou-
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Album Title: Overdrive Hell 25 -Hizumi Tengoku Hissatsu Abarenbou Sousamou- |
| Record Label: Troubadour Record |
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| Catalog No.: HZMT-0025 |
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| Release Date: December 29, 2017 |
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| Purchase: Buy at Sweep Record |
Overview
overdrive hell 25 -Hizumi Tengoku Hissatsu Abarenbou Sousamou- is the twenty fifth iteration in a series of hardcore and experimental electronic EPs featuring Ayako Saso and Shinji Hosoe. While not for everyone, it does feature some interesting music for those fans of this style of electronic music. In addition, this album features returning vocals by DeathmotoDie-s K a.k.a MMDS. How does this album compare to the previous entries in the ongoing series?
Body
The album opens with “Lesson.114 Rowdy Shogun.” Unlike recent albums, this is a purely instrumental tune that has a very game-like sound, reminding me of a character theme in general terms, in the melody. The catchy and bubbly melody, amidst hardcore beats and riffs, is one of the best tunes in recent releases, despite its simplicity. Bringing back the vocals of DeathmotoDie-s K, “Lesson.115 MITSU-KUNI” is more typical in sound. The vocals themselves have a nice rhythm to them that complements the hardcore accompaniment, giving the piece and exhilarating rhythm. “Lesson.116 Death burglar” opens with Spanish horn, giving the feeling of a spaghetti Western. The vocal samples are a bit odd in this tune, sounding, to me, like a barking dog due to the way the samples are cut. The accompaniment starts off rather basic and uninteresting, but as it progresses, the tune becomes instrumental in the middle, with an extremely catchy melody, also reminiscent of game, and a fun beat with vocal samples that accentuate the overall feel.
“Lesson.117 Wolf & Cub” doesn’t live up to the other tunes on the release. Its basic hardcore beats and vocal samples don’t particularly stand out and the vocals themselves are certainly the most distracting on the album. The album closes with “Lesson.118 OEDO NETWORK,” that opens with an orchestral overture before moving into a hybrid of orchestral and hardcore electronics. The melody on the orchestral side has an anthemic sound to it, like an older news program theme song. The vocal samples in this tune are very limited and rather subtle compared to others on the album and the quirky nature of the tune provides another interesting tone to the piece.
Summary
To me, overdrive hell 25 -Hizumi Tengoku Hissatsu Abarenbou Sousamou- is a marked improvement over recent albums in the series. The blend of instrumental and vocal based samples provide a nice mix, ensuring there is something for fans of the previous entries in the series and the more recent vocal focused releases. Fans of hardcore electronic music with a game-like quality might want to check this one out.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
3.5
Posted on March 23, 2018 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on March 23, 2018.
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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