NEMOPHILA's second album, "Seize the Fate," has been officially released as of this month. As is customary, I put a couple of playthroughs through my headphones and speakers before putting words on screen. Quick verdict: worth your listening, and then some.
I'm using a pair of Grado HF-2 as my primary headphones, along with JH Audio JH13s as my on-the-go option.
For those of you who haven't been exposed to NEMOPHILA before, they're an all-female band from Japan. The band was first formed in 2019 and they came onto my radar during the pandemic for their breakout song Oiran. The group released their first album, "Revive," in December of 2021. NEMOPHILA consists of vocalist Mayu, ex-Disqualia guitarist Hazuki, Mary's Blood (currently on hiatus) guitarist Saki, bassist Haraguchi-san, and drummer Tamu Murata. Mayu alternates between clean and dirty vocals and can give you a throaty growl with the best of them.
On a side note, Tamu Murata is married to Akira Yamaoka, who you might recognize as the man behind a lot of Silent Hill's music, and damn, I love Silent Hill's music (shout out to Mary Elizabeth McGlynn)
The album starts off with the titular song Seize the Fate, and sets the tone of the album: it's going to be aggressive and fast.
One of my favorites from the album is ?? -ENTEN-. I've always been a sucker for the Shamisen when used outside of traditional music, like with Wagakkiband. The shamisen is not of NEMOPHILA's usual instruments but they use it to add a bit of flare to this track. Backing vocals are also reminiscent of Japan's Noh dramas and contrast with Mayu's growls.
ZEN is a song that is sure to get your head banging. It's one of those heavy, on the border of sludgy but not too slow songs. Saki and Hazuki's guitars intertwine with each other but still stay distinct, especially towards the middle of the song. I dig the use of layered vocals towards the end but feel like they dropped off a bit too early, kind of off a cliff. I initially expected some sort of crescendo.
Back into the wild shifts gears to a more industrial metal song (think Fear Factory, MDFMK, maybe a little Marilyn Manson) but with that NEMOPHILA touch. Mayu uses more clean vocals in this song as opposed to the dirtiness of the two prior to it. This one is not as heavy as some of the others, but makes for a good listen.
Rock'n'Roll Is? is a bit of a polarizing song. I've seen people have both positive and negative reactions to it. I can't deny it's got some groove to it. It borders on being a power ballad and is definitely lighter than most of the songs I like from the band. It's more of a rock song than metal.
STYLE is also a polarizing song and a departure from the rest of NEMOPHILA's music. STYLE reminds me of rap-rock in the vein of KoRn. The fact it contrasts from their usual songs is part of the meaning itself (or maybe I'm reading too much into it): everyone has their own life and their own style, so think about it, and be yourself, because when it comes down to it, you are your own person and your life is yours solely.
Waiting for you is a very, very happy song. If Rock'n'Roll is? was light, this is a cloud. Like one of those inspirational anime songs, not that there's anything inherently bad about it. Very pop rockish.
If Rock'n'Roll is? is kind of like a power ballad, now I here is definitely one. It's not a song you would expect from the band given the breadth of their other music, but wouldn't be out of place if it had been a cover. They did cover Journey's Separate Ways, after all. That's got to be my favorite Journey song. With that said, I think NEMOPHILA's Life is another good example of their work, even if it is in that ballad territory.
The next two songs, A Ray of Light, and ADABANA, were two of the singles released on YouTube long before the album came out. I remember staying up until A Ray of Light's release and just had to write about it that day, sleep be damned. Didn't hurt that it was my day off. Both of these songs are bangers and I've had them on repeat for quite a bit. If the previous three songs were a break in the middle of the album, A Ray of Light and ADABANA both go hard to bring things to a close. They're both songs that I would put forward as songs that I would recommend to new listeners of the band. These are core NEMOPHILA. I'd put them right up there with Oiran, DISSENSION, and MONSTERS.
The final song, Soaring ~to be continued~ is very fitting for an ending song. It sounds like something right out of a credit roll. Very upbeat, and I would be surprised if we heard it outside of being the last song at a concert when they do the waving and the bowing and the throwing of guitar picks.
And that, my friends, is "Seize the Fate." A great second showing from the band with some solid songs to add to your playlist. If you're new to NEMOPHILA, make sure to check out their previous album, REVIVE.
Quick picks: A Ray of Light, ADABANA, and ENTEN.
Don't forget, the band will be hitting the United States next March. They'll be making stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. I'll see you there.