Shion (Japan Version)

Shion kicks off with a wonderful instrumental track that sets the mood and theme for the album. Marking rhythm with unique percussion and splashing water, the track builds up drama and anticipation with increasingly fast and full beats and sounds before jumping directly into progressive hard rock with Fukurou no Yurikago (Track 2). This song ambitiously invades your mind with a strong, lyrical melody and intricate arrangement that weaves loud rock with electronica and Middle Eastern accents. Nuritsubusunara enji (Track 3) takes the same principle of loud, layered, and lyrical to thrash metal, airing the madness of the world with neat jumps from gruff screaming to catchy chorus to riffing guitars. I particularly love this line in the song: "The madman laughs at the people squeezing feet into narrow shoes." Title track Shion (Track 10) also goes metal, but works more as a mood piece. After a weak start with messy beats and melody, the song grows on you with its arrangement and atmosphere, though it still feels a bit alienating overall.

Pushing and pulling at different states of mind and music, the dark and dramatic Game (Track 5) hooks with a sonorous intro and monotonic verses that give rise to a clear-voiced pop rock refrain. This grand rock piece then mellows down with an ethereal interlude before exploding into muffled noise rock. Dramatic in an anime theme kind of way, eclectic alt-rock number Anjelier (Track 7) gets into the head easily by repeating the same smooth and catchy line of notes throughout. The song's low base octave and straight ascensions from baritone to falsetto not only give vocalist Tatsurou a singing exercise, but also makes the track particularly memorable. Though a good deal softer and slower, Chiisana Mado (Track 8) shares the same melodic theme and lyrical ambience as Anjelier, pushed up a few melodramatic notches. There is an almost traditional grandeur to the instrumentals and interludes and Tatsurou's weeping voice that effectively lifts the song to its intended emotions.

Not surprisingly, the most radio-friendly pitch of the album is the single Flight (Track 6), an uptempo pop rock track with likable if indistinct melody and fun beats. The song doesn't quite fly, but it adds some extra spring to the album. MUCC's other 2007 single, FUZZ (Track 4), is a more interesting offering, a retro-electro number with psychedelic beats and 80s rock tone. The song's average composition doesn't quite live up to its fabulously catchy intro and Bon Jovi-like chorus but makes for a solid single overall. A better throwback is Sorawasure (Track 11), a soft rock ballad with an old-school refrain, dance beats, and great arrangement. Shion ends strongly with hybrid beat-driven rock number Libra which Takerou carries beautifully through the song's many moods, from clean rap to hard rock to power ballad.