Tracks:

1. ASCENDEAD MASTER

2a. HALLWAY [SOUNDTRACK] / Version I

2b. PILGRIM [SOUNDTRACK] / Version II

2c. COVENANT [SOUNDTRACK] / Version III

2d. Gekkakou / CD-only

3. DESCENDANT OF THE ROSE [SOUNDTRACK] / CD-only

ASCENDEAD MASTER is Versailles’ 4th single and it was released on June 24th, 2009. It reached #8 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and has sold 9,596 copies.

NOTE: This is a review of the CD-only version because the other three versions are just instrumental tracks, and it’d be a little redundant if I reviewed those.

For Versailles’ major label debut, I thought they’d go all out with ASCENDEAD MASTER. I was kind of wrong. For me this song sounded like they just meshed all of the songs on their debut album Noble, and were done. I didn’t really get anything new out of this track, just the same old guitar solos, melodies, and vocals. I can’t say that I hate this song… I’m just disappointed is all, and since it’s a major label debut, I can cut them some slack.

Gekkakou though, is something completely new from Versailles. This song is a lot better and I LOVED the aggressive guitar riffs. They were awesome and they truly went all out on this song. Kamijo’s vocals sound a lot better in this song too. For me, this would’ve faired as a MUCH better A-side.

Overall Grade:

Tracks:

1. PRINCE

2. PRINCESS

3. SILENT KNIGHT (instrumental)

Versailles Philharmonic Quintet’s PRINCE & PRINCESS was released on December 3rd, 2008. It’s their debut single under their new name, but 3rd overall.

Originally released as a free digital download on their official website, PRINCE is typical Versailles for you. But, it still manages to catch me, right from the beginning. It opens with sweeping strings and piano but that quickly changes into an awesome, yet beautiful combination of the guitar riffs and the strings. I’m quite impressed with Kamijo’s vocals because they sound really refined and smooth. The uniqueness of his voice is just perfect with this song. And as always, the band does an amazing job with the song’s instrumental, and yes, there’s an epic guitar solo. Wouldn’t be Versailles now would it?

PRINCESS is a lot like most of their 8 minute+ songs. Plenty of hard rock, melody changes (melody recycles), and epic guitar solos. But, I really have a problem with their longer songs, because after a while I get distracted, and everything starts sounding the same. I will have to say that their instrumentals are amazing and the vocals are nice, but it’s too long for my tastes.

Overall Grade:

Tracks:

1. Prelude

2. Aristocrat’s Symphony

3. Antique in the Future

4. Second Fear -Another Descendant-

5. zombie

6. After Cloudia

7. windress

8. The Revenant Choir

9. To The Chaos Inside

10. SUZERAIN

11. History of the Other Side

12. Episode

13. The Revenant Choir (original version)

Versailles’ NOBLE was released on July 16th, 2008. It’s their debut album.

Opening the album on a dramatic note is Prelude. It sounds really dramatic like I said, and kinda sets the mood of the album.

As far as their standards go, Antique in the Future is really slowed down. I like the song and all but I wish it was a little faster because, well, to put it bluntly, it bored me. Not saying it was bad, it was just not what I expected, considering most of their songs are fast. But it’s nice to hear a slower song sometimes. Anyway, I really like the part where it kinda slows down more, and some piano comes in. It just sounds really pretty. Kamijo sounds better than ever too.

Second Fear -Another Descendant- is mainly an instrumental track, with the occaisional screamo-y whispering, with some singing at the last minute of the song. This is the normal kind of Versailles style; fast, hard rock, with the elegant twist. Pretty awesome track if you ask me.

Ooh fancy. o: After Cloudia, is fast and NOT an instrumental! ;D Everything sounds great about this song, and everything is on key. The guitar rifts are awesome, and Kamijo sounds amazing. There’s one part where Kamijo hits a higher note than before and he nailed it. Good track, good track. o:

The beginning of windress is really pretty. It begins with some piano and artificial sounding instruments. Then the guitar and stuff comes in. Kamijo sings at a quieter tone to fit along with the song. This song reminded me a lot of Forbidden Gate from their Lyrical Sympathy mini-album, because of just the style of the song. Kamijo begins the chorus on a higher note, and everything comes together. Some parts it sounds like a different song because the pretty instrumental goes away and it’s just guitar rifts. One of my favourite new tracks. :3

This album version of The Revenant Choir is the same pretty much throughout it but, cuts out the lady talking in the beginning and everything else is more refined. They completely redid the song because the first one was kinda not as good. I do, however, prefer Kamijo’s voice in the other one, even if you can’t understand what he’s saying. This one he just sounds nasally.

The only problem I had with To The Chaos Inside is the drums. They were really off-tune and they didn’t match with the music. Everything else is good. This is probably the hardest, new song on the album. Everything is a lot darker and it sounds awesome.

Clocking in at 9:38 is History of the Other Side. The song is so long but, it just floats on by because it’s so cool. I’m glad it isn’t like their last long song and just stays the same throughout it. It’s probably the best new song on the album, because it stands out SOO much, by its beauty. I HIGHLY recommend this song, because Kamijo sounds perfect and the music is awesome.

Ending the album on a softer note is Episode. This song blew me away because of the fact that Kamijo can sing ballad-like songs! This song is soooo beautiful and I thought it was the perfect way to end the abum.

I think these guys have so much potential. I really wish they would try to refine their style more. I mean, they pull off a lot of what they do, but sometimes they slip and they can’t regain their ground. they really need to focus on Kamijo’s vocals A LOT. But in the end, their debut album is surprisingly really good!

Overall Grade:

Tracks:

1. Aristocrat’s Symphony

2. Suzerain

3. Zombie

Versailles’ A Noble was Born in Chaos was released on March 19th, 2008. It’s their 2nd single.

As far as these guys go, they like to go all out. Aristocrat’s Symphony is the example. Like a lot of their songs, they have amazing guitar skills, which is both fast and well executed, and an amazing orchestra behind it. As for Kamijo, well he’s at his best. I really like how deep his voice is because it sounds dark-like, which is really good. Another amazing track from an amazing band.

Of course, as I say all these flattering things about them, I come across a song that really didn’t make an impression on me. Suzerain is slower, and Kamijo’s voice sounds really weird. The instrumental isn’t as good as the previous track either. Let’s just say it was kind of a boring song.

Zombie begins with a videogame-like instrumental, that really reminds me of marching. The tempo is slower than both of the previous tracks and has screaming. The screaming almost sounds raspy and out of breath, not the best I’ve heard. Overall this song was pretty awesome. o.o

Overall Grade:

Tracks:

1. INTRO

2. The Love from a Dead Orchestra

3. Shout & Bites

4. Beast of Desire

5. The Red Carpet Day

6. Sympathia

Versailles’ Lyrical Sympathy was released on October 31st, 2007. It’s their first mini-album.

INTRO is well… an intro. It’s got a lot of fanfare and whatnot and reminds me alot of the Legend of Zelda games. o.o

The Love from a Dead Orchestra is an amazing song. This song blew me away because of how many sounds it takes on. The beginning is electric guitar and a combination of piano and strings. The guitar rifts are great and Kamijo’s voice sounds perfect. This song is a whopping 8 minutes and 29 seconds and has different verses that sound different. The first one lasts almost half way through the song, but it cuts out and we’re greeted with fast strings and some aggressive guitar. Soon Kamijo starts talking, than a little piano and guitar solo comes in. After that, just a plain piano solo, that lasts about 30 seconds and cuts out and it returns with a more darker sounding piano which turns into an awesome guitar solo, that turns back into the normal song that we heard in the beginning.

The main promotional song for the album is oddly titled Shout & Bites. It even has a PV to go along with it! I really like how Kamijo’s sounds deep, it works really well with this song, as well as others. The guitar in this song sounds really cool, and I like the strings in the background to back it up.

Beast of Desire opens with some weird music that I can’t really describe, but that quickly turns into fast, aggressive song. I really like how fast this song is. The song lets up after the first chorus and isn’t as fast, but that quickly changes.

The next track opens with beautiful strings, and I think some harp. Forbidden Gate has more of an elegant feel to it and the first verse is the calmest so far. Once the chorus comes in, a lot more guitar is added but it leaves the string instrumental in it, which I thought was cool.

Getting back into the speedy, aggressive sound is The Red Carpet Day. Except this one has a new instrument we haven’t heard on the album, an organ (I think?) This is my least favourite song on the album because I just didn’t like the way Kamijo’s voice sounded with the song. I do, however, like the guitar solo.

The slowest on the album, and my favourite Versailles song EVER, is Sympathia. It opens with some piano, and it sounded really pretty. Soon the guitar comes in, and Kamijo sings the chorus, to start it off. I can’t really describe why I like this song, it just sounds really pretty and everything about it amazes me. When the song comes to end, it ends with a piano version of the chorus from The Revenant Choir, which I thought was neat.

Holy cow, this album is so amazing. o_o Each song on it is good, except The Red Carpet Day. I really admire these guys, their guitar skills and Kamijo’s vocals are the best. These guys are the best visual kei band that I’ve ever heard, and if you’re looking for fast rock, with a dash of elegance you should definately check them out!

Overall Grade:

Tracks:

1. The Revenant Choir

2. The Revenant Choir -Vocal Lesson-

3. The Revenant Choir -Bass Lesson-

4. The Revenant Choir -Drum Lesson-

5. The Revenant Choir -Guitar Lesson-

Versailles’ The Revenant Choir was released on June 23rd, 2007.

The Revenant Choir is sooo long, clocking in at 8:43, and about 2 minutes of it is some lady talking, sort of an intro-ish thing. But I just fast forward through that. The song is completely in EnglishEngrish. I can’t understand anything lead singer Kamijo is saying and at some parts he sounds really nasally. D8 Anyway this song is elegant, but with a visual kei twist. They have a combination of strings and electric guitar, with piano in some parts. If you like visual kei, you’ll probably like Versailles. =O

Now this single features “lessons” I’ll briefly tell you what they are:

• The vocal lesson is pretty much an instrumental. It takes the vocals away and leaves everything else. (Oh and the lessons cut out the intro with the lady talking.)
• The Bass takes away the bass and leaves everything else.
• Drum takes away the drums.
• Guitar takes away the guitars.

Just a heads up, I’m only grading this single on the actual title track.

Overall Grade: