金剛九尾

Due to its polished, almost glossy production and the relatively mellow nature of its songs, ‘Kongo Kyubi’ initially was one of my least favorite Onmyo-za albums. After letting the album – and, presumably, myself – mature for a while, my appreciation for the album increased rapidly. It is quite unique in the Onmyo-za canon in that there is an abundance of clean and twelve string guitars, but only three of the songs qualify as a ballad. Instead, ‘Kongo Kyubi’ channels all the band’s melodic sensibilities and puts them on the crossroads of traditional heavy metal, eighties hardrock, mildly progressive rock and J-rock.

Had Onmyo-za continued down a softer road following ‘Kongo Kyubi’, it would have been seen as a transitional album, but since it was followed by one of the darkest records the band ever made, it can probably be considered a melodic experiment that works surprisingly well. That does not mean the album feels like a stylistic detour; songs like ‘Aoki Dokugan’ and ‘Sokoku’ contain everything Onmyo-za fans would want; NWOBHM inspired riffs, melodic lead guitar themes, highly memorable melodies and – always a defining feature of the band – the excellent dual lead vocals of bassist Matatabi and his wife Kuroneko.

Still, ‘Kongo Kyubi’ has a few amazing songs that would have sounded out of place on other Onmyo-za albums. ‘Banka’, for instance, is the most bluesy track the band ever released, albeit in an eighties Gary Moore blues ballad kind of way. Furthermore, ‘Baku’ sets the mood for the album very effectively. It is based on some shimmering twelve string parts courtesy of guitarist Maneki, but also has a few pulsating riffs, a notably upbeat chorus and some of Matatabi’s busiest bass work to date. ‘Izayoi No Ame’ does a brilliant job combining Onmyo-za’s trademark melodic J-metal with melodic hard rock.

That does not mean that ‘Kongo Kyubi’ is without its heavy moments. ‘Kuzaku Ninpocho’ is a masterpiece of a speed metal track, while the three-song suite ‘Kumikyoku Kyubi’ is remarkable in being the only Onmyo-za suite so far that does not contain a distinct ballad-esque track. Sure, its first part ‘Tamamo-No-Mae’ has a bouncy, almost disco-like rhythm as its foundation, but the epic Iron Maiden vibe of ‘Shomakyo’ and the riff-fest ‘Sessho-Seki’ keep it firmly within the metal realm. In addition, ‘Kuraiau’ – yes, I also first thought it was “cry out” – is the best of Onmyo-za’s upbeat closers, which often are a little lightweight. By contrast, ‘Kuraiau’ has a powerful seventies hardrock feel.

Once ‘Kongo Kyubi’ clicked with me, I learned to appreciate it for what it is: an extremely well-written, perfectly arranged and flawlessly produced album. Onmyo-za found a way to perfectly balance their sense of melodicism with some surprisingly inventive riff work which sounds standard enough, but really isn’t once you find out the chord structures. As for myself, I am glad I love this band enough to give this album a few extra chances, after which it proved that it is not a watered down version of Onmyo-za, but instead a very successful attempt at highlighting the band’s more romantic side. The latter half of the album is surprisingly metallic though.

Recommended tracks: ‘Kuzaku Ninpocho’, ‘Izayoi No Ame’, ‘Kumikyoku “Kyubi” ~ Shomakyo’, ‘Kuraiau’

Originally written for my Kevy Metal weblog

It's safe to say that Onmyo-Za is Japan's very best female fronted metal band. While a recent crop of such bands have sprung up, vainly attempting to mix the symphonic style of Nightwish with visual kei aesthetics, Onmyo-Za sticks to their guns, performing 80s style speed/heavy metal and consigning their own visual elements (the band's traditional garb) to the stage and video. Like many Japanese artists, the band is prolific, releasing a slew of singles, DVDs, and albums. Kongo Kyubi is their 9th full-length in just a decade, and not the best, but it will appeal to fans of their j-rock/pop meets classic metal style.

Flowing, melodic and inoffensive, just about any of the tracks on Kongo Kyubi could be featured as an anime OP/ED (like their Basilisk theme a few years back). This is accomplished through their catchy hooks and the dual female/male vocals of Kuroneko and Matatabi, which interweave fluently throughout the tracks. Some of the better tracks on this album include "Soukoku", the very 80s hard rock of "Izayoi no ame" and the most metal tracks on the record, "Aoki Dokugan" and "Kuraiau". The band breaks it up for some bluesy tracks ("Banka") and the three-track mini cycle "Kumikyoku (Kyuubi)", which is quite good.

Enjoyment of Kongo Kyubi, like many of the band's records, will depend on how well you favor classic radio metal of the 80s, j-pop vocals and melodies that shadow the romantic energy of the band. Onmyo-Za is a pretty unique entity, and not for everyone. If you're new to the band, I'd advise you start with previous efforts like Hyakki Ryouran or the great Garyotensei, but if you're already enamored of the band's style and poise, there should be enough here to tide you over until their next album (you probably won't be waiting long.)

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com