We look forward to more releases from this exciting group. Unfortunately they haven't played outside of Japan yet, but we'll keep hoping. Overall, Royal Order should really be welcomed by fans of visual kei, and the album will no doubt inspire you to see them live. The album finishes with the album version of the generic Red Rum, which is a disappointing end - but perhaps fans who have followed the band from the beginning will be glad to see Lycaon's first single in the line-up. The combination of melodies and rhythms overall make for an exquisite live-atmosphere song and a must-hear. The chorus features a striking rambling guitar and rhythmic shouts over the melody. Fast and intense with catchy death vocal chants, the drums and shouts are used to great effect throughout. In contrast, 88 is stunning from start to finish. Overall it’s a slow, dark and less than exciting number when compared to their other songs, but it has its moments of beauty. Track ten, Kesshouka, opens quietly with a vaguely Asian melody on piano, soon complemented by heavy drums and angsty guitars. Following is Hi ame, a fun, beautiful and fast paced live song with an obvious emphasis on melody. Overall it has a sexy groove that climbs into a feel-good, jump-in-place chorus with a throbbing rhythm that will pound in your bones. Due to its live energy but relatively relaxed pace, pAIN KILLER sounds unusual from the start. The eighth track is one of the great stand-out tracks on the album. It's still an enjoyable number, though not necessarily the most representative of the band's talent. Following a break-neck pace the whole time, the song races into segments of death vocals and a catchy chorus that will play in your head long after the song ends.Ĭhains of collar has a lot of melodic segments throughout and a good showing of bass from Mio, but overall it is a relatively typical, commercial pop rock song with mere traces of the edginess that better exemplifies the group. Track six, A Box In Beautiful, opens beautifully with Yuuki singing in a high register.
Cordyseps sinensis is a beautiful love song about a failed and painful romance, though despite the song’s romantic nature, there is plenty of rocking aggression in the composition in addition to the wrenching melodies. The next two are very strong songs on the album. All the while, the rapid pace continues, keeping the energy high. The melody is enchanting and Yuuki slides masterfully into falsetto. The atmosphere transforms completely as the song takes us to a world only Lycaon can access. Track four, Declaration of War, appears to be another fast paced raging number with nothing to really distinguish it until we arrive at the bass heavy chorus.
Nevertheless, it’s a solid track, if not outstanding. The chorus melody sung by Yuuki is optimistic and cheerful, though the vocals come across as a little too saccharine.
Not the best song on the album, it’s one of the more aggressive numbers, full of shouted death vocals and some impressive rhythms from drummer Eve, which keep the intensity high. Next is the track after which the album is named, Royal Order. The bridge features some interesting, deranged guitars from Rito and Satoshi, and a classic piano brings the song to a trickling conclusion.
The melodies in the chorus are easy to drown blissfully in. Not quite a ballad, the focus of this number is its bewitching melody. Following the intro is Lily, which is one of the gems on the album. The instrumental howling starts with a wolf howl and becomes a quiet but interesting song of digital sound and new age chanting vocals. Predatory, raging and beautiful, this album offers songs that are firmly situated in the visual kei mode, but some of them happen to be quite exceptional. Royal Order is the first full album of young visual band Lycaon.