‘Division’ has been poorly represented on The Gazette’s live sets for nearly every tour after its tour cycle ended. Personally, I don’t really understand why. When it was released, it was their best release by a significant margin. And though it has since been surpassed – and then some – by ‘Dogma’, ‘Division’ still contains some of the best songs the visual kei giants have released to date. There is a slightly bigger emphasis on melodies than on every album since they discovered nu-metal, allowing their biggest asset – the warm, clear baritone of Ruki – more space than before in an abundance of excellent melodies.

The Gazette’s status in Japan is comparable to that of a boyband, except their music is a blend of modern metal, J-rock and alternative rock. Their early work never really appealed to me, but they suddenly turned into a surprisingly adventurous modern hardrock band with ‘Dim’ (2009). On follow-up ‘Toxic’ (2011), the band started experimenting with electronics, but often it felt like the heavy riffs and the electronics were trying to push each other off the album. ‘Division’ creates a much better balance between the two extremes, feeling like the songs were conceived as rock songs first, only to have other elements added later if necessary.

What really pulled me into ‘Division’ was its opening track ‘Gabriel On The Gallows’ – if you have JPU’s international version, at least. While the downtuned riffs on that song aren’t necessarily anything special, their off-kilter rhythmic placement is really cool and the open chorus is fantastic. Opening the original Japanese release is another highlight in the shape of ‘Ibitsu’. The track appears to translate the lighter J-rock melodies of the band’s earlier work to the thicker, heavier modern production style of their later releases. A similar approach can be heard on ‘Hedoro’, of which the rhythms and the teasing guitar line bring Buck-Tick to mind.

One area in which The Gazette always outshines their peers is their ballads. Having an incredible singer like Ruki helps, but where many Japanese rock ballads quickly devolve into schmaltzy territory, The Gazette often manages to combine their dark melancholy with a slighty different take on structuring them. The particularly dark ‘Yoin’ paints an oppressive atmosphere brilliantly, whereas ‘Kagefumi’ has the vibe of a ballad, though not necessarily the sonic approach. The same can be said about the fantastic ‘Dripping Insanity’, which has some fairly heavy guitar riffs, but also the melancholic grandeur that characterizes most of The Gazette’s ballads. Also, its chorus is incredible.

How The Gazette did it is beyond me, but they managed to combine elements which are usually turn-offs for me into an irresistible cocktail here. They often go overboard with modern elements themselves, but everything is in near-perfect balance on ‘Division’. Even a song that would otherwise be too noisy for me like ‘Attitude’ is made listenable by their keen ear for melodies. ‘Dogma’ will always be my favorite The Gazette album due to its strong gothic vibe, but if you want to get acquainted with the band through the best representation of themselves possible, you really cannot go wrong with ‘Division’.

Recommended tracks: ‘Gabriel On The Gallows’, ‘Dripping Insanity’, ‘Ibitsu’, ‘Yoin’

Order ‘Division’ from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan below

Division [Regular Edition]

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