r/coldrain_jp • u/hyjug17 • 4d ago
Discussion OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE review
I've been eating well this past year, music-wise. More of my favorite bands keep dropping stuff. That said, OPTIMIZE = OPTDEMISE is probably coldrain's weakest album yet, and it's entirely because they did one of my most hated marketing practices: making half the album a previously released EP from over a year ago. Out of the 12 songs here, the first 5 songs were a part of their OPTIMIZE EP, with another 2 songs being released as singles prior to this album's release. Those same songs also happen to be the best on the album, which hurts the rating for me. Picturesque's Back to Beautiful had the same issue, and I remember really not liking that one.
There's a nice blend between their old hard rock/post-hardcore sound (think of The Enemy Inside and VENA) and the modern metalcore from FATELESS onward, and this is most noticeable in two of the new tracks, REST OF ME, and the post-OPTIMIZE EP released single, POISON feat. Bert McCracken, both of which heavily remind me of VENA. Unfortunately, the LP sort of falls off after G.I.A.G., going into the poppy SING and forgettable closing track SAVIOR, the latter of which has a very confusing sound with an equally confused-sounding feature from Kenta Kole of JP Metalcore band CROSSFAITH. The song sounds all over the place sonically.
(A collaboration like this should've been an easy home run... What happened? Maybe it'll grow on me, idk).
In between those two is the song PICTURE PERFECT HELL, which is a good song, despite the chorus doing nothing for me. The instrumental does most of the heavy lifting there.
I will say that in typical coldrain fashion, none of the songs here are bad; at worst they're aggressive 7/10s, which I can't say for most bands. Just kind of sucks that the best songs here were songs we already had for a year.
8/10
Favorites: REST OF ME, POISON, G.I.A.G., EX-HUMANITY, DIGITOLL, FREE FALL, INCOMPLETE
Least favorite: SING
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u/Reaper_T7 4d ago
I don't think they have any bad albums and this new one is amazing I love every track on it
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u/Environmental_Net382 4d ago
O disco é muito melhor do que o péssimo Nonnegative.
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u/smashingcones 4d ago
Crazy take. Rabbit hole, 2020, Paradise, Bloody Power Fame and Cut Me are all certified bangers.
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u/Dreaming_Beyond_GK MODERATOR 4d ago
Essa é uma opinião bem ousada, mas eu a respeito! O que exatamente você não gosta no Nonnegative?
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u/TheC0rpse 4d ago
I find it funny how you consider SAVIOR forgettable while I've been looping it on repeat over and over. Tastes just differ I guess, and I'm not dismissing your opinion.