Editor’s Pick SINCREA’s Fresh New Sound: Hello FEST VAINQUEUR!

SINCREA returns to visual kei with new nomenclature as FEST VAINQUEUR, in a self-titled mini album.

FEST VAINQUEUR’s first mini album is bound to spin the band off on a long, successful career. While the material may seem extremely original, it actually contains a sound we’ve heard before in the VK indy scene that has never before been compiled in such high quality. The whole album, from vocals to instrumentals to rhythm, is fresh, bright, and satisfying.

In only seven seconds, the song “UNLIMITED” defines FEST VAINQUEUR’s new musical styling. The opening line of “No reply, the limitless now, sing to the sky,” will haunt you for days in with clarity, strength, and meaning and then the song turns heavy with an opening instrumental to rock you. The verse is simple and effective, featuring strong lyrics that fit firmly in the foreground. Then, the exciting, full music and uplifting chorus tops off that powerful opening phrase with a short, clever guitar solo and bridge as the song continues. Clocking in at 4 minutes and 37 seconds, the average length of the track feels disappointingly short, and therein lies the true measure of compositional skill which FEST VAINQUEUR have in abundance.

“TRAGIC THE MAIDEN” is almost as influential as the opening track. It introduces a medieval spin that’s usually heard in quirky, smaller bands via a flourish of violin. What makes “TRAGIC THE MAIDEN” different and far more successful than similarly quirky songs in the genre is the sense that FEST VAINQUEUR aren’t overdoing the period tune. Guitar and drums play a strong hand throughout the piece and the solos are carried out in fashionable modern style. The sweet exit melody features Hal’s piercing voice accompanied by a flourish of strings. At the last, the instrumental section lets loose for a final chance to send your hair flying before yet another all-too-short number comes to an end.

In “RAVE,” a wicked opening riff reveals the album’s dark side, hinted at in earlier tracks. The sexy cadence of the lyrics speak of dangerous temptation and alternate between Japanese and
English, depicting the euphoria and despair of an intense rave.

The final two tracks secure FEST VAINQUEUR as a brilliant album, even if in “CORE BURST” it’s easy to identify a weak point in the strained tones of Hal’s scream and rap. Nevertheless, the enticing guitar, bass, and drums are a real pleasure and the melodious sections in verse and chorus nothing less than expected of Hal.

FEST VAINQUEUR have finally nailed the sound that so many bands have been grasping at recently. The lyrics are simple and emotive and the music is just as impressive live if not more so than the
recorded material. ROKKYUU expects to see much more of this returnee to the VK scene in the near future.

The mini album comes in two versions: The original December 2010 release and the remastered, March 2011 release.

Original:

Five track CD

Remastered:

Five track CD + DVD (“UNLIMITED” music video)

Track List

1. UNLIMITED
2. TRAGIC THE MAIDEN
3. RAVE
4. APOCALYPSE
5. CORE BURST