What is human?

First of all, I'd like to say that the packaging of the first press of this album was phenomenal. It's the first time that I've ever seen anything like that.

As far as the album goes, I think this was a really cathartic one in all senses of the word. Malice Mizer always looked for 'What is Human?', but I think this was a great exploration of a side of humanity that Malice didn't spend a lot of time on -- desolation and anger. I think it fairly accurately sums up what happens to most of us at our darkest, and I really love it for that reason. Even now, after the band has grown and moved through different cycles with their sound, I still always manage to find my way back to this album for how raw it was. Admittedly, this one had me worried when it first came out, mainly for the intense imagery and emotion behind it (well, and how startling some of the lyrics were), because I'd never seen that kind of thing from Mana before. Luckily, Pageant came out soon after this (first on the Dix infernal DVD, then on it's own as a single) and seemed to be the proverbial 'light at the end of the tunnel', if that makes any sense.

So, even though this album has mixed reviews depending on who you ask, I'll always adore it.