Redeemer

D’espairsRay make a second run at an American audience with their fifth studio album overall. Like their contemporaries Dir en Grey, they sing in Japanese over a mix of metal, screamo, industrial, and goth, but language barriers aside, D’espairsRay are much more arena- and radio-friendly than DEG. Their songs are anthemic, energetic, and raucous, with big choruses, exciting solos from both the keyboardist(s) and guitarist(s), and a generally charged-up feeling. “Brilliant” could easily appeal to fans of melodic shred-metal like Children of Bodom, while the title track offers a snarling rock & roll sound reminiscent of Avenged Sevenfold. As is always the case with Japanese pop and rock, the production is impeccable, with not a sound out of place — the only U.S. hard rock/metal album with this kind of flawless sheen is Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy, which isn’t a bad thing. Like CD, Redeemer offers a kind of excess in the pursuit of the perfect hook that’s at first merely fascinating, but ultimately quite appealing. Rock fans who can appreciate a good riff and a great chorus, no matter what language it’s sung in, will definitely find Redeemer worth their time. – Phil Freeman