LYNCH EXODUS EP

[Ro plz 1290]

What do you guys think about this release? I honestly believe this is one of LYNCH's best releases...Its like they've evolved into a legit metal band, which is what I think KING RECORDS is shaping them to be or what they've always aspired to be. INVINCIBLE is my fav track and NIGHT was a sick promo song that legit gives me the Nightime feeling whenever I listen to it. I am so pumped for their new album after listening to this. Amazing job.

 

9.0/10

[Jigsaw9 6783]

I was kinda looking forward to this release because I surprisingly enjoyed lynch.'s last few singles, so I thought maybe this will be nice too but... I was let-down big time.

 

Although the EP starts out promising with the short and heavier EXODUS and the nice post-whatevercore of ASHES (the highlight for me on the whole record) with its dreamy minimalistic main guitar melody, it all quickly takes a sharp turn towards Boresville throughout the following tracks. Two songs deserve mentioning here, rising out of this pile of samey faceless muck: BE STRONG is prolly the most whimpy and embarrassing song lynch. has put out so far (or at least a strong contender), no matter how much Hazuki's vocals try to save it he succumbs to the dumbed-down atmosphere too it seems, in the form of cringeworthy "la la la"s that go on for almost a minute. The other track is NIGHT, however this one swings the other way: it's actually almost kind of memorable and bearable, but below the enjoyability factor of the first two songs.

 

My tolerance is usually pretty high when it comes to the sound/recording quality of visual kei (or VK-associated) acts but I feel like I must mention here how absolutely ass the whole EP sounds, especially when the "heavy" guitars go on and on, coupled with whatever cymbals the drummer could smash at the moment - it's a recipe for a hissing muddled mess of noise. It doesn't help that the guitars sound like the unfortunate encounter of a block of sandpaper and harmless buzz saws made out of plush. Like, VANISH might be a cool song but I just cannot tell at all what they're playing so whether it actually is a good song or not will probably remain a mystery to me. :'D  I wouldn't go nitpicking on this if this was some Z-tier indies fail-kei band but with the slick major-produced metallic image lynch. is trying to convey it's utterly laughable.

 

If this was a single with only EXODUS / ASHES / NIGHT on it, it would be kinda okay but as an EP it's pretty boring and a pain to listen to in the long run (see: previous paragraph).

 

| insert T-shirt saying "the band put out a new record and all I got was a lousy-sounding bootleg with remnants of a good EP"

[Furik 832]

I really really enjoyed this EP. It blew me away. Makes up from the lackluster past albums after SHADOWS. Solid release. I give it a 7/10. There's like one track I didn't care for like BE STRONG but everything else flows perfectly and keeps my attention. I'm really pleased with it.

[relentless 254]

The problem with this kind of Visual Kei is that the music is usually Hard Rock dressed up as Metal. There's a "heavy" intro which doubles as the chorus (and in the case of INVINCIBLE, the breakdown), which then goes into a sped up tempo until it slows it back down for an atmospheric verse ("soft"). Lynch and every other VK band that tries really hard to be brutal has suffered from this. It turns the music into something formulaic and imitation.

 

That is ultimately what the "EXODUS EP" (notice not a 'mini album' anymore) suffers from. A desire to touch on extreme metal without ever fully committing because they need to keep the catchy pop hooks in. It could be argued that this is a style all in its own; but that would only ring true if lynch was the only one to do this. Dir en grey, GazettE, Nega, Sadie, lynch, and Deathgaze (all from the top of my head) do this. It may be a style; but it's one that's formulaic and what WE ALL have seen and heard countless times on this forum. Lynch has stuck to the same formula, even when they're now using 7 string guitars.

 

This is not to say that this was a terrible release in every facet of its presentation. When the 7 string chugging stops, you have a far more enjoyable experience because the open palm-muted chugging (which, by the way, is the chorus in two songs which I remember distinctly: EXODUS and INVINCIBLE -- both featuring eerily similar rhythms) gets tiring when that's ALL they're doing.

 

Dressing your music up with a "heavier sound" does not = growth. They need to realize this.

 

3/10

[Zeus 7997]

Score: | When the guitar amp at 10 isn't enough, turn it up to 11

---

INFERIORITY COMPLEX wasn't received well. Too heavy, too samey, too poseurish. I personally enjoyed it but the album felt rushed and Hazuki admitted as much. Their last few offerings smoothed things over a bit with four lighter, upbeat songs. It worked partly as an attempt to remind people of I BELIEVE IN ME and partly as an apology for trying something new and generally failing to captivate fans with it. So EXODUS is crafted as INFERIORITY COMPLEX 2 with all of the duller bits cut out. Leaner, meaner, and intended to strike like a hollow point to the chest to take everyone by surprise, lynch. was set to try again with a more refined sound. The whole idea was to throw in a cumshot of ferocity with the title track to get listeners hooked, keep a midtempo number around the middle to switch it up, and stuff the rest to the brim with the new sound.

It doesn't work.

Part of the blame lies in lynch.'s unwillingness to compromise on core aspects of their sound, including the pop sensibilities they keep trying to suppress. It shines through even when they try to bill themselves as a metal band and it takes away from the overall package. INFERIORITY COMPLEX embraced these aspects and worked them into the music. EXODUS is a complete rejection of those qualities, and the result is that lynch. without lynch. qualities is a band that plays unremarkable "we're really serious this time" music. Song after song on this mini is laced with forced aggression and attitude that does little to impress or convince me of their new sound. By the end of NIGHT, I felt that this mini wasn't for us. EXODUS is a trial run for lynch. to see if they can fit in with the big boys, and it's proof that they still have work to do.

What needs to be done is that lynch. has to make that very uncomfortable transition into the metal band they so desperately want to be. But much like Dir en grey around THE MARROW OF A BONE, they keep making conscious sacrifices to their sound so that their music is a mix of old and new, and the result is a disfigured mess. lynch. needs to commit 100% and be willing to tweak or throw out any part of their sound that doesn't fit in with the image they're trying to create. If they don't, this is all we'll ever get.

[nekkichi 6042]

this is probably my fav. japanese release of 2013 so far.

lynch peaked at the avoided sun and rapidly went downhill after that (idk what really happened, I guess they switched producer themselves or marginal works didn't care enough about their 3rd album's quality); 

enjoyed every song except for the night, which sounds like a typical lynch a-side and I have no idea if at least a single lynch fan is not tired of listening to the same tune for the 5th or 6th time through the recent past years.

otherwise really cool release, wish 12012 were relevant enough to get a kind records deal.

[morbiusss 10]

I'm just totally devastated about the horrible production/mixing. It sounds like a huve bunch lf mud. Lynh, have you ever heard ablut a thing called dynamics? Depth?

I loved inferiority complex minus anima, and somehow this is the same stuff but oh lord that production kills me. Unlistenable!

[Original Saku 1593]

Well Iv'e only listened to it once so far, But I can tell you I don't hate any of the songs, so that's good I suppose. I really didn't notice the crappy mixing / production everyone is going on about, but that could change with time. I need to listen more and then I can properly evaluate this ep, but so far my impressions are pretty good

[sai 868]

Agreeing with Saku, tbqh I don't hear what you guys are all complaining about. You act like this stuff was recorded with a toilet but apart from the guitars being a bit muddled in the mix I don't think it's really THAT bad. I've heard way worse mixing with bands that had an even higher budget, so this is hardly unlistenable.

 

Overall I didn't really like this EP. I'm going to explain why but you probably won't be able to follow my logic but gomen i only slept 3 hours lol.

 

lynch.' main problem is that they don't know what direction they want to go in. Or perhaps they do know, but they aren't pulling it off properly yet. Inferiority Complex and EXODUS are both releases that showed the more "metal-like" direction of lynch., in comparison to I BELIEVE IN ME, LIGHTNING and BALLAD. The main problem of EXODUS is that they're trying to advance from Inferiority Complex, yet the poppy hooks they incorporate in their music are ALWAYS there. I doubt they keep them in for the sake of commercialism (seeing how EXODUS as a whole is not commercial at all), but the feeling I get is that lynch. doesn't know or understand yet how they can take the step to a full metal band. Not sure if that's what they want themselves or if it's the direction King Records is pushing them in, but they haven't mastered it yet and that's why I didn't like EXODUS.

 

The main problem is how disjointed the songs sound. I'm going to take ASHES as an example. ASHES starts with a really melodic, light intro that reminds me of their BALLAD single, then progresses into heavier sections with lots of metal elements. The chorus is more sped up, yet is too poppy to really fit in with the rest of the metal elements. However, in the middle of the song the light melodic riffs come back followed by the chorus once again, and in an instant the chorus sounds so much better when mixed with these lighter parts! It's like listening to two separate songs that don't flow well together.

 

You can hate on BE STRONG, but it's the only song on the EP that has one tempo and no aggressive parts, which actually makes it one of the better songs on the EP (not that I really like it THAT much, but I enjoyed listening to it more than the other songs). NIGHT is the song where lynch. does it right. The metal-like parts and the poppy hooks flow into eachother nicely and it's a track I would've seen on I BELIEVE IN ME. NIGHT therefore is the only track on this EP that I really enjoy.

 

Imo lynch. is at their best when it comes to songs like NIGHT, MIRRORS, I BELIEVE IN ME, BALLAD etc. I can understand people want to see them go a more metal-direction, but I'd prefer them not to, because they obviously haven't mastered it yet (and I don't like those songs anyway so I have no objections against another I BELIEVE IN ME).

 

[Elazmus 1873]

My favorite release of the summer, EASILY. I cannot wait for more of this by them. Too much I could say about it I have work soon lol. Vocals are gorgeous as usual and for long-time fans of lynch, the opening sound to EXODUS instantly makes sure that you know who you are listening to.

 

in order of preference

 

EXODUS

Invincible

Be Strong

Night

Vanish

Ashes

 

this being said, I liked them all