After a brief drought, during which we were abingdon boys school deprived, the sensitive band graces us this spring and summer with a selection of promising new singles. Feb 25th saw the release of STRENGTH, a high-powered, glittery silver hard-rock new-comer. May 20th delivered JAP, heavy pop/rock with brand-new overtones for our classicist band, and 8/26 will bring Kimi no Uta.

However, what comes would never come without what already is already being there. So let us take a step back to a 2007 release that set a whole new mood for Jrock. To be honest, I don’t remember 2007 so well– hey, while we’re at the confessional, I don’t remember last week that well…But if there is one thing that stands out clearly in my mind, it’s the advent of glory: the incredible ABS’ first full-length album, abingdon boys school.

abingdon boys school is heavier than most of the Jrock we’ve been listening to lately. (Excluding those evil VK bands that are just basically jousting vocally for supreme darkest band). But that being said, the heavy duo guitar riffs, drum track, up-front bass lines and tricky real-time remixing are smoothed out perfectly by a level of creditable temperance, taste, and lyrical melody. Even through the heaviest songs (HOWLING, Innocent Sorrow) there’s a balladic beauty to Nishikawa’s high but powerful vocals, and as in the best of Jrock, an unshakable loyalty to damn good melody.  These guys are obviously not trying to nuke the water– they’re just trying to create waves, and waves they are creating.

The sound of the album is extremely even– no insane genre bobbing that Jrockers need to get used to–and fast– and tend to learn to love. This creates a very particular texture to the aural satisfaction of the album; it’s like listening to a story told through from beginning to end; a novel, rather than a collection of shorts or poetry. Each song, or chapter, has its own unique texture, but the underlying qualities tie it to the songs that precede and follow, so there is a congruency, a connectedness. Listening to the album feels like getting swept into a whirlpool, where you spin around and around, whipped along in a cacophony of extreme awesomeness, and then at the end you are set back down on the ground.

The album is peppered with English lyrics, from the all-English pieces  (As One, LOST REASON, stay away,) to pieces with English lines or words (HOWLING). Yeah, you remember my rant on English lyrics. Surprisingly, ABS recruited lyric-advisers to work with them on the English lyrics, so they make sense– grammatically, anyway. Nishikawa doesn’t slur through them, either, but belts them out with a passionate pride, and they hit their mark with surprising (or not, as the case may be) satisfaction.

abingdon boys school opens with AS ONE. A melodic, low-key opening that sets us up for a not-so-steady, yet euphoric, ascent to heavy. An all-English album opening may sound sketchy, but trust me and trust them and all will be well– AS ONE is the perfect garden-gate into the vintage English castle where one could easily imagine tiny prince Nishikawa ruling over no one and driving old-fashioned and expensive cars down dusty dirt roads.

AS ONE pushes us easily into HOWLING-INCH UP-, and things really get going here. Nishikawa shows his many-colors brilliantly, getting a little metal-head (Nishikawa style, of course) in with lusty howls that soar along on metal-style heavy shredding. From AS ONE the band immediately begins stirring up the whirlpool, which they preserve majestically throughout the entire album, sealing you in with Nishikawa’s vocals (although you’re really locked in the world created by the incredible musical backing). That tremulous voice is the Virgil to our Dante, and Kishi and Shibasaki have written an Inferno all of their own for us drifting mortals to wander in.

Although I have heard Howling as being the “heavy” song for the album, that’s sort of a great leap to malformed conclusions, IMPO. ABS likes to use a blend of ballad-style melody with ultra-heavy guitars and drums. The beauty of the vocals is supported by the tinkling notes of a piano and the heavy thrum of the bass, which creates an exciting experience of aural confusion. It’s hard to tell if you’re listening to a ballad, or “the” heavy track. This collage of styles is showcased brilliantly in the third track on the album, Via Dolorosa, which begins with some wicked hardcore guitar riffs and then plays neatly into a melodic, lilting instrumental break, and downright pretty break with vocals on top of light piano backing. The track swings right back into the huge, thick backing of the full ensemble to close, but the pure, exquisite vocals keep up, playing perfectly with the heavy accompaniment and yet defying it at the same time.

For people who had collected ABS’ previously released singles, you may feel a little jipped, as (then) 3 of 4 singles are repeated on abingdon boys school. The exceptions are BLADE CHORD and FrE@k $HoW. Yup, you guessed it– the 4th track on the album is ABS’ ‘crowning glory’, their ‘making song’, INNOCENT SORROW. This song won them a brilliant debut due to its use in the anime D Gray Man (which I hear is hugely popular, although I personally am not of that ilk). Undoubtedly an amazing song, somehow in the extensive garden of other songs, it feels strangely overrated, and it’d be laughable to say it was their best.

On the other hand, the album finds its footing in the highlight of songs such as DOWN TO YOU, アテナ、Nephilim, and DESIRE.

A few prizes that weren’t expected were two songs released on other more difficult to acquire albums, one being a track ABS wrote for use under the BLACKSTONES name for the Love for Nana ~ Only 1 Tribute~ album which is now out of print, and you’d be lucky to find it in a used CD shop in Japan. The song is a truly cool, bass-heavy rock’n'roll piece that screams BLACKSTONES, its guitar and drums melody rolling with a curious rhythmic quality that flows along like water into the great tsunamis of the tres Nana Osaki-esque lean-and-mean choruses.

Another side-project inclusion, and really one of the albums’ true moments of glory– Hoshino Higurashi  and Sakurai Atsushi de BUCK-TICK’s ドレス　[DRESS,] covered masterfully to such perfection that it actually might rival the original masterpiece, were they not so drastically different. What BT did with deadly class, ABS elevates to supreme hard-core. DRESS is one of the highlights of the album, an intricate dance of vocal melody (which sticks true to the original), extreme turn-table-remixing and keyboards, and a guitar solo to kill.

Ok: the controversial song on the album. The one song everyone hates, which is surprisingly still one of ABS’ best songs: LOST REASON. So, what’s wrong with it. Well, here’s the thing, ABS took the original LOST REASON and, y’know…sort of, well, changed it. Yeah, they changed it. They decided it would be fun to kind of, I dunno, remix it. Don’t flee in horror– really it’s not as bad as it sounds. Why does everyone hate this new version? Because it features MICRO from Home Made 家族　[HOME MADE KAZOKU]– yes, he’s a… rapper. Well, when I first learned this, I know I was fleeing in horror. I have this tentative truce with Japanese hip-hop– like, if it doesn’t mess with me, I don’t mess with it. Therefore it can be sort of mortifying when it encroaches on one of your favorite bands. Well, it encroached, it’s very present on this song, and let me say this– it’s kinda cool. Crazy, but cool. LOST REASON, yup, the album-version, is one of my favorite songs on the album. Granted this is purely a matter of personal opinion, let’s try and look at it this way– granted the instrumental-break-filling rap is somewhat bizarre and incongruous, the inclusion of MICRO’s lines during Nishikawa’s vocals is somehow cool. You have to admit– these guys can get away with some pretty crazy stuff. Obviously the people who spend so much time bashing this song are taking it all too seriously– varied taste much anyone?

At 12 songs, the album is just long enough that you’re left feeling fulfilled, but also just a few tracks short enough that you can easily have the time and energy to go back and listen to several tracks over again before needing a glass of water or, although I can’t understand why, a venture out into the world– but if that’s the case, I can promise you’ll be taking abingdon boys school with you.

Official website [Japanese, sound, load-time]

School’s out for the summer– for everyone but Jrock’s best-kept secret, the band abingdon boys school. The Nishikawa Takanori (formerly solo as T.M. Revolution) fronted hard-rock band which has found moderate success despite few releases and even spottier tour dates, seems back in action this year with a selection of new singles.

Although it could be called a ‘kid-band’, as it was only started in 2005, there is nothing kiddie about this hardcore Jrock group. ABS was founded by keyboardist Kishi Toshiyuki, guitarists SUNAO and Shibasaki Hiroshi, and fronted by vocalist Nishikawa Takanori, perhaps better known from his pop-prince solo act, T.M. Revolution (where he worked alongside SUNAO).

However, let me say this : for anyone who came to ABS

expecting more of T.M. Revolution’s futuristic sub-Gundam electro-pop, 2 words: Not. Happening. I think (yeah, I read the blogs too) a lot of people were surprised that this amazingly (absolutely no offense intended) fruity, and possibly the shortest pop-star in Japan, could front a project so dramatically opposite his solo work, as ABS.

Well you can put it in red marker and add a star-shaped sticker too, for the versatility of Nishikawa’s unbelievable vocal style. Whether he’s draped in supple snow-white  leather suits, or reaching 5′5″ in a pair of platform creepers and a striped private-school-style uniform, Nishikawa’s high, heady warble is unlike any other, and a gift to the Jrock world.

Aside from the quite singular vocal talents of Nishikawa, the rest of the ABS lineup may be names you haven’t heard– but we can quite quickly decapitate that disturbance and move on, because the sooner you hear them, the sooner you’ll be thanking yourself.

Although I have been listening to ABS for the past few years, there was something about them that always seemed, well, elusive. Hardly anyone seemed to have anything to say about them, and they never released any music. All the radio would play was Innocent Sorrow, and that just thanks to D Gray Man.

Kishi, Nishikawa, Shibasaki, SUNAO

Yeah, well, part of the problem may be that these are not cute guys. I mean– Nishikawa has this kind of aura of studliness, but let’s face it, it’s an aura. So you look at the GazettE and Alice Nine and all those guys, they’re like puking good-looks. Well, I’ll tell you, ABS may not look like much, but these guys know where and how to pack a helluva punch. (BUCK-TICK’s early lineup was concerned about their vocalist being tall enough…they apparently never considered hiring Nishikawa, who maxes out at 5′3″.)

ABS is first and foremost comprised of a deadly ensemble of musicians. Like, holy…these guys have a pact with the devil.

ABS reveals only 4 faces of their lineup: 2 guitars, vocals, and keyboards/turn-tables. Where is the drummer, the bass? Theory one is that they are session musicians borrowed from bands so excitingly outrageously incredibly popular that record companies don’t want ABS flashing the faces they snagged. Yeah? No? Hey, if you have a better idea, pass it on. I can tell you one thing, the bassist who worked with ABS on abingdon boys school, IKUO, is apparently one sick player, because he recently tore a hole of throbbing thick-stringed bass madness on GACKT’s recent release Koakuma Heaven. Any guess as to where GACKT picked this guy up? Possibly on a certain [b]ass-kicking (forgive the inexcusable joke) album that rocked the custom-shredded socks of the VK kingdom in 2007…

However, the drummer, who incites the greatest rage of curiosity within, is carefully hidden, his face turned at every sneaky shot during TV performances and lives. You see a sharp cheek and some wild long hair, and that’s about it. Could be anyone. Could not. His name is Kozy Hasegawa, and apparently he is some kind of freakishly awesome and incredibly prolific work of art. 

The mastermind behind the project, as it were, is really Kishi Toshiyuki, programmer and keyboards, who splits song-composing duties with guitarist Shibasaki Hiroshi. ‘Programmer’ ‘keyboards’ yes– turn tables.

NO, just don’t even say it. Turn-tables in a rock band? Yeah, I know. No, no, no, I’m not trying to rope you into some kind of weird sub-trance group…This is rock– ooh boy is it rock. Turn-tables. And rock. These oh-so-questionable turn-tables spin ABS into a whole new arena than the other rockers out there– turn-tables allow for incredible mixing both on stage and in the studio. Kishi adds layers of intense effects and remixing to the already heavy hard-rock style double guitars. You can hear the mixing, but Kishi’s taste is impeccable, and by the end of the first song, it’s all you’ll be talking about.

On top of the unique music, their image is incredible. However, it’s sort of like, what’s with the getup? The name abingdon boys school comes from the name of the school in England where Radiohead was founded. Therefore the image is in keeping with this story– the members dress in private-school uniforms (with an ABS badge, of course), and one would be hard-pressed to find any one of them devoid of some plaid.

As mentioned earlier, the band is only 4 years old. Started in 2005, ABS runs alongside T.M.Revolution’s solo projects, to which both Nishikawa and SUNAO devote time. So in that time, where’s all the music? Good question, really. ABS doesn’t appear to be a full-time project, or at least they don’t seem concerned about keeping a steady deluge of albums and singles raining down upon us. In their so-far four year reign, ABS has released only one full-length album (and that including 3 of 4 then-released singles) and 6 singles (as of July, 2009).

SUNAO

As well as having done the OP song for the ultra-popular anime series D Gray Man, many of ABS’ singles have been used in shows and anime. But that’s not all, ABS has been invited to work on several memorial albums– Nishikawa belted out stay away for the Black Stones on the Love for Nana ~Only 1 Tribute~ album, their cover of Luna Sea’s Sweetest Coma Again was a hit on Luna Sea~ Memorial Album, and their cover of Buck-Tick’s DRESS absolutely stole the BT cover album: Parade~ Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick.

For contrast, check out the original:

Although ABS’ discography may be small, each release is a powerful selection of music not to be missed. Their utterly unique sound and image set them apart from the mainstream influx of 20-something cutie-boys, and their devotion to amazing music elevate them among the ranks of long-standing classic favorites. Their style creates a generous bridge where Visual Kei and classic Jrock fans can meet halfway. Do yourself a favor and pick up their full-length album, abingdon boys school.

Shibasaki Hiroshi

Disculpen la tardanza, es que estaba preparando esta actualización que por fin he terminado. Y ahora sí paso a contestar a las personas que han dejado comentarios y tienen dudas respecto a los mangas:

• LaCaPi: Con respecto a tu propuesta, te he mandado un correo con la respuesta, así que en cuanto lo leas mandame uno a mí para saber si estás de acuerdo ^^.

• haruhi^^: Claro que puedo subir esas series, sólo pido un poco de paciencia, ya que yo solita llevo el blog y no tengo más ayuda que mi alma xD, pero igual puedes visitar otras páginas como Anime Veoh donde encontrarás una gran lista de anime online. Y en cuanto a Loveless, sólo hay 12 capítulos + los Omakes, de ahí en fuera sólo el manga, el cual lo puedes encontrar en Clamp Fansub.

• kyou: No sabría decirte cada cuando sacan capítulos (UAF & YukiNF no tiene fechas programadas, cada que pueden sacan release), sólo hay que estar pendientes en sus páginas: UAF – YukiNF. Y gracias por avisarme, que si no, no me doy cuenta >.<

• Lia_EGB: T-T… no te entendí, si te refieres a cada cuando sale un capítulo, pues como le dije a kyou, cada que el grupo puede, saca release. Y si te refieres a cuanto me tardo en ponerlos aquí en el blog, pues después de que el grupo haya sacado el capítulo, yo lo subo el mismo día o al siguiente, siempre y cuando no se me pasen a mi las release ¬.¬ (como ahorita con GRAVITATION T_T, o que me de flojera xD).

• Agusal: Tienes razón T_T, ya baje el Vol.07 de MegaUpload y a mi también me da error, así que dentro de poco lo vuelvo a subir. Mientras tanto, si usas WinRAR puedes ir al menu “Herramientas” y ahí hay una opción que dice “Reparar archivo”, una vez hecho ya puedes abrir el capítulo 04 con normalidad.

También gracias a todas las personas que se toman la molestia de dejar comentarios y agradecer las subidas…

Y ahora sí, la actua de hoy es un Especial de “abingdon boys school“. Desde que salió se convirtió en una de mis bandas favoritas y apesar de que no tiene una gran discografía, todas y cada una de las canciones que han sacado me fascinan. Es una gran banda así que espero les guste…

Singles

• [OP Single] D.Gray-man / INNOCENT SORROW
• [OP Single] DARKER THAN BLACK / HOWLING
• [Single] Nephilim
• [Single] BLADE CHORD

Album

• [Album] abingdon boys school

Albums Tributo

• [Album] LOVE for NANA ~Only 1 Tribute~
• [Album] PARADE ~Respective Tracks of BUCK-TICK~
• [Album] LUNA SEA / Memorial Cover Album -Re:birth-

Y también avisarles que UAF ya ha sacado el Vol. 03 de GRAVITATION Completo, gracias kyou por el aviso >.<
Manga en Descarga Directa

• [Manga] GRAVITATION [v03]

Tracklist :

01. As One
02. HOWLING -INCH UP-
03. Via Dolorosa
04. INNOCENT SORROW
05. DOWN TO YOU
06. Atena
07. stay away
08. Nephilim
09. LOST REASON feat MICRO from HOME MADE Kazoku
10. Desire
11. Dress (Buck-Tick Cover)
12. ReBirth+ReVerse

Descargar [Scans incluidos] :

• Re-subiendo…

Online :

• Imeem

]]> http://kaorublade.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/abingdon-boys-schoolself-titled/ Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:29:14 +0000 kaorublade http://kaorublade.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/abingdon-boys-schoolself-titled/

Just surfed the net yesterday and I just found out that this album had been around for some time. I have listened to it a couple of times and I have to say that I’m very satisfied with their accomplishment. It’s been a long time since I heard any J-Rock song, maybe for almost a year. The only J-Rock band that is around right is Visual Kei band with such a bad singing voice and such a metal-wanna-be sound, which is suck!! That’s why I’m happy with the present of Abingdon Boys School. They are bringing life back to the world J-Rock

Track listing

1. As One
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
2. HOWLING -Inch Up-
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
3. Via Dolorosa
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
4. INNOCENT SORROW
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
5. DOWN TO YOU
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
6. Athena (アテナ)
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
7. stay away
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
8. Nephilim
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
9. LOST REASON – feat. Micro from Home Made Kazoku
   1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa, Micro.
   2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
10. DESIRE
    1. Lyrics: Takanori Nishikawa
    2. Music: Hiroshi Shibasaki
11. Dress (ドレス)
    1. Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi
    2. Music: Hideki Hoshino
    3. Original: Buck-Tick
12. ReBirth + ReVerse
    1. Lyrics and music: Toshiyuki Kishi

One thing that I like about this album is that Nishikawa used many lyrics part in English in some of the song and His English is quite good I have to say. In this album you will also find a mixture between Rock, Hip Hop, and techno beats. The sound is very new to me and therefore very fresh, never heard in other band before, maybe the one who used this kind of sound is an American band, “Linkin Park” but, the way they used it just feels different.

Download Here:

http://www.indowebster.com/Abingdon_Boys_School.html

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