When I listened to the album the first time I really liked it. It’s not like I’ve been totally hyped but I barely am with new albums anyway. There often are single parts, sometimes very short I do fancy immediately and that’s been with this album, too, but that’s it.
As usual for at least the last four Gazette albums I’ve been listening to 『MASS』 a lot. Five to six weeks the album exclusively are normal for me. That added up to almost 500 spins of the album altogether.
Overall I do like the album.
But while I was a lot more hyped for the other regular albums throughout that time since 2013, that didn’t happen now. I like it. I like parts very much. But that’s it.
I was wondering why for quite a while.
That album is definitely a Gazette one. It’s even somehow a continuation of 『NINTH』. I’ve seen people agree on this and people disagree. To me it’s so obvious. It starts by the sound (just less various which I think is because it’s basically all Ruki’s songs) and ends with the logo and color for the album.
There are basically two things that are tough or whatever for me.
One is the lack in variation.
Yeah, there’s that ballad with 「MOMENT」 and it’s beautiful. When I don’t just let it play in the background but focus on the song and the lyrics and am in the right mood for it, it’s very touching. But if I’m not it’s pretty bland. I’d say simple and that’s the point that I think it shall be so that still fits even though I prefer their beautiful but less simple ballads over this one.
There are songs that will be damn great at lives. I guess 「ROLLIN’」 will be a lot of fun as well as 「BARBARIAN」 and 「FRENZY」. Not to mention 「LAST SONG」.
I like certain parts about the other songs.
Mostly 「濁」 for that heavy mooded sound.
But then there are the lyrics which’s the second thing.
From what I got by now this album follows what Ruki already said about 「BLINDING HOPE」 earlier this year. It’s about keeping on through tough times, not giving up and everything will become better again.
I had some issues with that song in the beginning for that reason but after a while it was alright. It’s one song.
A full album like this - and by the translations for by now 5 out of 10 songs with lyrics it seems to me like this goes for the whole album - to me is … well, I don’t like it.
I’ve been going through depression, anxiety disorder, trauma and a lot more for so many years, I’ve been fighting so much and things got worse again and again. Not constantly but they did. To me - and it doesn’t mean this goes for others - it feels like these songs telling me I’m not fighting enough, that it’s my own fault things don’t get better. I’m convinced Ruki ain’t even aware that people might understand the lyrics like this so I really don’t blame him on this. This might just be my own personal problem.
I also wondered how much of these lyrics are for himself/the band. Like something to hold on to to overcome these times. But well, I don’t want to get into speculations here that was just an occuring thought. To me it’s alright no matter what reasons he had putting all these lyrics that way it just doesn’t work for me and it’s the reason why I have a harder time with this album than with others before.
Even though I think it’s a continutation of 『NINTH』 for example 「HOLD」 gives me a lot of 「UGLY」 vibes. There are parts of the song when I just want to get into 「UGLY」's chorus. But even though 『DOGMA』 is different from other albums (as are the others, too) there’s still something about the last few albums that is Gazette, I think. I usually find something in a new album that reminds me of older one’s (not just the previous one) but for this song it was very intense.
Funny thing was like the intro to 「LAST SONG」 immediately reminded me of SuG’s 「Smells Like Virgin Spirit」.
Overall I don’t want to rate the single songs or the album just by a figure. I like it and it’s tough though.