C83 Review: Gothic Opera

Hatsuki Yura - Mitsuyaku Langhage
Sweet but no less poisonous. This album deviates somewhat from the gothic style Yura is known for, though she goes back to what she does best towards the end with the track composed by Drop. There's also lots of guitar in this album, with three different guitarists playing in three different tracks.

Eclipseed - Itetsuita Guren no Honoo ni Sabaki wo
The latest concoction from [S] and Hoshio Yuka begins on a grand, fierce note very much like the style of the group's previous incarnation, Ayutrica. Track 2 ("Hi no Eternal Chain") is a personal favourite. The single ends on a quiet note with piano and vocal, which lingers on long after the song ends.

Rokugen Alice - Fushigi no Kuni no Ontetsuraku ~Mayakashi Hen Senken
This single marks a departure from Rokugen Alice's Omen of Seven series. There's a whimsical, Tim Burton-esque atmosphere to the first song, particularly when Sakurai Anna sings in a girly voice. A nightmare in Alice's Wonderland. The 2nd song somewhat harks back to Rokugen Alice's previous outings, but more restrained.

Queen of Wand - Preview CD for spring
It's a preview CD for the group's next album, so there's only two songs, and one of them is a Christmas song. The other song is typical Wand of Queen, and I assume the song will show up again in the upcoming album.

Ether - gothic
With death as the theme, this single is intense, perhaps the spark before the end or one final cry in life? The last track ("Romantic Poison") reminds me a bit of Romeo and Juliet, a violent waltz that ends with the vow "not even death can do us part".