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Released : 1999
Label : Musea
Catalogue number:
FGBG 4302.AR
Total playing time : 49’42"
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Tracklist:
The gate of the 21st century (3’15") / Humanizer (6’45")
/ Entrance the visions (3’16") / Eternal sinner (8’17")
/ Unknown lives (2’37") / Wish (4’58") / The gypsy’s
parade (3’25") / End of millennium (6’40") / In the
distance (4’06") / Exit for DNA (6’18")
Musicians:
Megumi Tokuhisa - vocals
Terutsugu Hirayama - guitars
Jutaro Ohkubo - bass
Junichi Sato - drums
Shouichi Aoki - keyboards
Website:
http://music.zdnet.co.jp/terusym/
Contact:
tsympho@ca.mbn.or.jp
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For years Japanese band Teru's Symphonia has
been regarded as one of the better exponents of symphonic rock. However, for
the sensitive "western" ears the Japanese singing is a real torture,
which is also the case on the band's latest output The
Gate. A pity because the arrangements sometimes sound heavenly,
yet those weird Japanese sounds dampen the merry-making. Opening track
"The Gate Of 21st Century" holds all of the contemporary ingredients
to really make it, yet as already mentioned, the vocals spoil it. Nice eastern
flavour all around "Humanizer" with, as always in this sort of
music, a true highlight for keyboard player Shouichi Aoki. Very medieval is
"Unknown Lives" which is a dead-ringer for the 'old' Italian
symphonic rock school. In all of the songs, the mix between guitar, keyboards
and drums is perfect, whilst the music remains fascinating, which often
results in heavy AOR as in "End Of Millennium' which, as expected, has
been written the wrong way! Teru's Symphonia really is at its best during the
instrumental "In The Distance" where we find lush symphonic
textures. Certainly this is not a bad band and in Japan they will surely be
the leading band of the current army of progressive bands, but for us it
remains difficult simply because of the Japanese language. If
"sushi" and the likes is of no problem to you, then I'm sure The
Gate is something to wet your appetite after all.
Reviewed by : John 'Bobo' Bollenberg
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