I tend to listen to all types of music. From jazz, to metal, to pop, to hip-hop, to even classical occasionally, I really enjoy any type of music. However, the music genre I listen to the most is undoubtedly rock. I find it to be a really expansive and diverse genre, consisting of many interesting subgenres and fusion genres across the globe. So, you could imagine my excitement and intrigue when I stumbled upon an album from a band that I hadn’t previously heard of, which was known for a particular subgenre of alternative rock that I wasn’t previously familiar with. That album is in the direction of sunrise and night light by the band deadman.
From what I’ve gathered from further looking into the group, deadman is a Japanese band, from Nagoya specifically, that got its start in 2000, contributing greatly to the rock subgenre of “visual kei” which literally means “visual style.” As you might’ve guessed from that name, visual kei puts quite a lot of emphasis on the aesthetics of its performers and, in that sense, is similar to the subgenre of glamrock. However, visual kei does not necessarily sound like glam rock. While visual kei’s origins are rooted in it, the genre has taken on a life of its own, being fused with many other rock subgenres such as metal or gothic rock. In actuality, there is no true “visual kei sound,” only a particular look. In the case of deadman, their music was often referred to as Nagoya kei; a subgenre of visual kei originating from Nagoya, of course, with a noticeably darker and heavier sound generally.
I first found the band’s 2005 album (now 20 years old, having celebrated its anniversary on 14 December) through their song “additional cause for sorrow,” a track that I recall gaining some online popularity in certain corners around a year or two ago. The songs had interested me enough in the band that I decided to check out the album, which would prove to be a great decision. I found the album to be, overall, a thoroughly enjoyable project, with some songs from it easily becoming favorites of mine.
The album has a notably melancholic color to it throughout its entirety, with even some of the more energetic songs leaning more towards an aggressive tone, which I think is delivered well. Tracks such as the aforementioned “additional cause for sorrow” or, my personal favorite, “this day. this rain.” lean into this melancholy heavily, creating an interesting and memorable atmosphere. The track “this day. this rain.” specifically, through its use of reverb, a very catchy, feedback-heavy riff, and easily being the best-produced song on the album, makes itself a standout. Truly, the whole album is loaded with catchy choruses and riffs as well as a very grungy tone on certain tracks, with the guitar feedback on “this day. this rain.” distinctly reminds me of Nirvana’s In Utero, to provide comparison. Songs like “raison d’être” and especially “asthenia bullet stain” lean heavily into this grunge tone instrumentally and vocally. Honestly, there are quite a few songs that sound like they easily could’ve been made in the early 90s, the peak years of grunge, as opposed to 2005. The album still has its fair share of experimentation, however. Notably, the track “dim quiet”, ironically the heaviest and loudest song on the album, introduces a more metal inspired sound. The track, much like the whole album, has really nice, expressive vocals, too.
Though there are still aspects to this project that I find to be lacking. The most obvious of these would be the production quality. While, as previously stated, there are songs that are generally well produced, such as “additional cause for sorrow” and “this day. this rain.”, overall, the production on this album is pretty muddy, with vocals and instrumentals sounding unclear and washed out at times. I think the most obvious example of this is the track “follow the night light.” Musically, it pales in comparison to the other, better written tracks that come before and after it, and it definitely suffers from poor recording, which is most evident on the vocals. So, while this record is definitely a great release, it’s certainly not perfect.
My overall feelings on this project are still overwhelmingly positive. While the production is lacking on the majority of the tracks, the atmosphere and musicality of the project still make for a great release. I’d say if you’re the kind of person who’s interested in alternative rock generally, and you’d like to try listening to a new artist (and aren’t opposed to lyrics not in English), then I’d definitely recommend you check out the band which is still active, having released their latest album just last year in 2024.
