~Noble makes it clear that Versailles is destined to rule today, tomorrow, now, and forever!

Review for Versailles ~ Noble

By Aracely Reyes

Noble, the first major album from Versailles placed the crown on the group’s heads and showed the world they are a force to be reckoned with. The thirteen track disc features the bonus track “Prince” and a re-vamped version of “The Revenant Choir” Versailles’ first single. The highly anticipated disc was well worth the wait. From the moment the prelude begins, we are already swept away to a world of darkness and beauty. The sounds invite us in and the same time warns us. Because once you step into the walls of Versailles, there is no going back. KAMIJO’s voice lures and seduces you to beckon deeper and deeper. The rest of the band locks you inside. In other words, the music is terribly addictive and you refuse to stop the disc until every song has been played.
The disc is an evolution from their previous work. The band takes on new challenges and risks, playing with the genre of combined metal and the classic European inspired symphonies. There is something really sexy about this disc, and it’s not just KAMIJO’s voice. The guitars sound more raw, more harsh. I found myself able to dance more to a lot of these tracks. But there are still the soft moments of just beautiful music. There is a great deal of elegance in Versailles’ music. In the way it is constructed and performed. They play as if it was really for royalty, but the sound is pleasing to the young, dark, and daring at heart.
This time round, KAMIJO, HIZAKI, and TERU worked together to create the compositions for this disc, and I applauded the collaboration because it brought out the very best from the band. It would also explain a lot of the fresh qualities and new sounds. This disc still has the Versailles signature, but there’s something more, something more intense and new. This is a very exciting disc because it shows that Versailles has the potential to grow. There is so much more to these performers than what meets the eye, and presented in previous works. They truly are a band and work as such. The group works and performs as one, this time taking things up a thousand notches. There are some surprising tracks in this album, such as “ZOMBIE” and “TO THE CHAOS INSIDE” and “SUZERAIN”, where the music is ruthless. It sounds so different but incredible at the same time. There is always a concern when a band or a familiar singer tries something new. Will it work? Is it too different that that performer has lost what made them unique and brilliant? In Versailles’ case, they are only getting better and crowd is screaming for more.
This album is many things, including a time capsule. It embodies the familiar Versailles we fell in love with and a newer, more dangerous Versailles that rewards our bravery with pride and fond surprise. It is also the keeper the past that reminds us of the old that is still treasured now. Some tracks bring back the groups past endeavors and inspirations. Particularly the track, appropriately name “EPISODE.” This is KAMIJO as he was in his Lareine years. His voice: soft, sweet, and perhaps not as innocence as it once was. But it does feel as if we’ve gone back in time. To when he was still just starting out, a lone singer with a piano as his only band mate. He had an incredible spark and quality then, and it has followed and grown with him. I think a lot of Lareine fan, such as myself were pleased to hear this track. As I indicated above, the new is exciting and very much enjoyed but it’s always nice to hear the classic as well. This track is a personal gift from KAMIJO, one that is very much appreciated.
I can’t get enough of this disc! Once again I’m thoroughly impressed by all the work, passion and a genuine joy put into to this album. And the love that is given is equally returned as Versailles’ popularity continues to grow. The disc as a whole is “smashing!” But I do have some personal favorites, including: “ARISTOCRAT’S SYMPHONY,” “THE REVENANT CHOIR,” “PRINCE,” and “HISTORY OF THE OTHER SIDE.” It is a beautiful disc, and definitely deserves a spot on your shelf.
In closing, I would like to touch upon the bonus track. I thought was a golden piece that deserved to be included in the disc. The track is an introduction of what’s next for Versailles and what can we expect which as this album proves to be the unexpected. The track is fresh, it’s sexy, it’s mysterious, and definitely a lot of fun to listen to. This is Versailles at their very, VERY best! The name for it is also well done. I find that all of Versailles’ sounds are properly named, but this one even more so. The music is welcoming royalty into our minds and hearts, and KAMIJO sounds exactly the way a Prince should sound. Enticing but still aloof. A lover and a warrior. Man and vampire. That is Versailles!