20 years old and you gotta let me know

Welcome to 20 years old, a one-page dedication to the Japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK. Though it's only been a few months since I first discovered the band, they've captured my heart completely, and I wanted to make some sort of dedication to them. You won't find any in-depth information or graphics here, but rather my reviews of the band's material and some thoughts on them as a whole. Enjoy!

last updated 4 August 2009 · part of the second mourning · listed at the amassment directory

the band

ONE OK ROCK, so named because the band used to meet to practice at one o'clock, was formed in 2005 by Toru (guitar, vocals), Alex (guitar), and Ryota (bass). They recruited Taka as a vocalist, and though Tomoya played drums for them on the indies releases he didn't officially join until their major-label debut in 2007. Alex left the band in the spring of 2009 after a scandal.

So how did I get into them? I happened to read a blog entry about what ten albums one blogger, pengie, would take on a trip and out of all of those listed I decided to try out Kanjou Effect. I hadn't even heard Taka's voice yet when I knew I was going to love them: "恋ノアイボウ心ノクピド" captivated me and the music didn't let me go until the final track. After that I knew I absolutely had to hear more of this band and see their PVs, and I was hooked in short order.

How can I hear them?

Check out some of OOR's songs on Youtube and see if they appeal to your musical tastes. If so, you can buy their music at the following online retailers:

discography

As far as Japanese discographies go, ONE OK ROCK's is fairly unusual. Most artists release a number of singles (sometimes 1-3, sometimes half a dozen) before each album, while ONE OK ROCK has two mini-albums, three singles, and three albums. Perhaps in their case it's quality over quantity? In any event, I've decided to review each of their releases in order. Please note that Japanese characters will be used for the song and album titles, so if you don't have Asian fonts installed they may not display correctly.

skip ahead: mini-albums · singles · albums

Mini-albums

ONE OK ROCK

ONE OK ROCK

released 26 July 2006 / AZCL-10003 (indies)

  1. もしも太陽がなくなったとしたら・・・ (Moshimo Taiyou ga Nakunatta Toshitara...)
  2. 日常エボリューション (Nichijou Evolution)
  3. You've Broken My Heart
  4. ROSE BLOOD

The band's first release! "もしも太陽がなくなったとしたら・・・" starts out slow but soon breaks out into a proper rock track and introduces Taka's & Toru's dueling voices alongside drums and a harmonica, of all things, with the bass in the background. "日常エボリューション" feels like a continuation, though without the harmonica. "You've Broken My Heart" is more of a ballad and serves as a good introduction to Taka's vocal capabilities. "ROSE BLOOD" is the band's first song that primarily uses English, and though Taka's pronunciation isn't perfect, it's not terrible either.

Thoughts

All told, I wouldn't call their debut mini-album anything spectacular. It's pretty standard J-rock fare for the most part (aside, perhaps, from the harmonica). Were I reviewing this when it came out, I'd probably say the band was nothing new but worth looking out for in the future.

Keep it real

Keep it real

released 16 December 2006 / AZCL-10006 (indies)

  1. Keep it real
  2. 辛い＋一＝幸せ (Tsurai + Ichi = Shiawase)
  3. P.P.S.H.
  4. And I know

Keep it real was their second mini-album and last indies release before their debut. It's my second-favorite album of theirs overall, because it does a great job of introducing the listener to the band. "Keep it real" opens it up to the listener and gives a taste of both their rock style and how Taka and Toru sing together, between Taka's sung lyrics and Toru's rapped ones. That continues in "辛い＋一＝幸せ," which is another great rock track. "P.P.S.H." starts out with the band members talking to each other before they break into the song. As cheerful as it sounds, it's actually more about saying "please stay here!" (to their girlfriends, maybe?) Finally, "And I know" is a sharp 180 into a rock ballad that's easily one of my favorite OOR songs.

thoughts

If I was reviewing this when it came out, as I said above, this mini-album would probably be point that I fell in love with the band. The four songs each have their own identities, which make them memorable. As a whole, if I was recommending this band to a friend who wasn't willing to try an album first, I'd suggest this mini-album.

Singles

ONE OK ROCK made their major-label debut after that, and put out three singles in 2007, each with their own individual sound.

Naihi Shinsho

内秘心書

released 25 April 2007 / AZCL-35005

  1. 内秘心書 (Naihi Shinsho)
  2. 過去は教科書に未来は宿題 (Kako wa Kyoukasho ni Mirai wa Shukudai)

"内秘心書" may be a fairly standard J-rock song, but it's also a more polished sound than their indie releases. Lyrically, they show Taka's adult mindset with questions about morality. The B-side, "過去は教科書に未来は宿題," has a harder sound, especially because Toru has verses playing off of Taka's lighter ones. Once again, Taka's lyrics are mature as he sings about facing forward, along with fascinating mental imagery from the title ("the past is in a textbook, with the future as homework").

Thoughts

内秘心書 is a strong start for their major debut, showcasing their unique sound in the J-rock genre. Really, how can any J-rock fan not want to hear more of ONE OK ROCK after this single?

Yume Yume

努努-ゆめゆめ-

released 25 July 2007 / AZCL-35008

  1. 努努-ゆめゆめ- (Yume Yume)
  2. カラス (Karasu)

I have to admit some bias here — "努努-ゆめゆめ-" is my favorite ONE OK ROCK song. While it starts out focused on Toru's and Taka's vocals and (relatively) quiet background music, it goes all out at about 45 seconds in with the chorus, making you sit up and listen. The lyrics talk about moving forward and grabbing hold of your dreams. "カラス," comparatively, doesn't grab your attention the same way "努努-ゆめゆめ-" does, but it instead has softer verses and loud choruses.

Thoughts

While 内秘心書 was more about joining the rock scene properly, 努努-ゆめゆめ- is starting to find individualism in their releases and breaking free from the typical J-rock sound. That said, I think it stands better as a single as a release from an established artist: I doubt it would have worked as well if it had been their debut single.

If you like "努努-ゆめゆめ-" too, why not join the fanlisting?

Etcetera

エトセトラ

released 24 October 2007 / AZCL-35012

  1. エトセトラ (Etcetera)
  2. 後悔役に立たず (Koukai Yaku ni Tatazu)

"エトセトラ" is a rock ballad and a slower song than both "内秘心書" and "努努-ゆめゆめ-" apart from the choruses. It's actually a breakup song, and although that's not really obvious from the music along at least it's more so than "P.P.S.H." "後悔役に立たず" is more upbeat than "エトセトラ" and isn't terribly unique, though that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable.

Thoughts

"エトセトラ" is a depressing song for a single, and definitely wouldn't have worked as well if it had been any earlier than their third single. The B-side could have easily been the A-side, as it's an upbeat, marketable track, but I think it was better for the band to have "エトセトラ" show their range.

Albums

After their three singles, ONE OK ROCK released their first album in late 2007, followed by a second in early 2008 and a third later that year. As I said above, it's an unusual release schedule for a Japanese artist, but the lack of singles certainly didn't hurt their creativity.

Etcetera

ゼイタクビョウ (Zeitakubyou)

released 24 October 2007 / AZCL-35012

  1. 内秘心書 (Naihi Shinsho)
  2. Borderline
  3. (you can do)everything
  4. 夜にしか咲かない満月 (Yoru ni Shika Sakanai Mangetsu)
  5. 努努-ゆめゆめ- (Yume Yume)
  6. カゲロウ (Kagerou)
  7. Lujo
  8. ケムリ (Kemuri)
  9. 欲望に満ちた青年団 (Yokubou ni Michi ta Seinendan)
  10. エトセトラ (Etcetera)
  11. A new one for all, All for the new one

"内秘心書" is a strong start to the album and is still a great introduction to the band. "Borderline" and "(you can do)everything" continue as good J-rock tracks, as does "夜にしか咲かない満月." But to make sure you're still paying attention, "努努-ゆめゆめ-" blasts through your ears and grabs your attention before continuing the solid rock trend with "カゲロウ," which does have a stronger focus on Taka's vocals. "Lujo" starts out by distorting Torus' voice and has an overall different sound from the other tracks as a result. "ケムリ" has a smoother sound, and I love how Toru joins in during the chorus. "欲望に満ちた青年団" focuses more on Taka's vocals again, letting the lyrics shine through more than the music. "エトセトラ" is a great transition here, slowly building up and peaking before going back down to lead into "A new one for all, All for the new one." The final track is slow, and though I don't know what's being sung, the "sayonara" is a fitting ending.

Thoughts

The music is great, don't get me wrong, but the first four tracks essentially sound the same — in fact, when I first listened to the album, it wasn't until "努努-ゆめゆめ-" that I really started paying attention. It's a solid J-rock album, but it sounds like any J-rock artist could have sung half the songs, especially those without Toru's vocals. Rearranging the order of the songs probably would have helped it a lot.

BEAM OF LIGHT

BEAM OF LIGHT

released 28 May 2008 / AZCL-10017

  1. 必然メーカー (Hitsuzen Maker)
  2. Melody Lineの死亡率 (Melody Line no Shibouritsu)
  3. 100%(hundred percent)
  4. Abduction-Interlude
  5. 燦さん星 (San-san Dama)
  6. 光芒 (Koubou)
  7. Crazy Botch
  8. Yap

As usual with OOR, "必然メーカー" starts us off strong, with a lot of Engrish between the lyrics and Taka's pronunciation. "Melody Lineの死亡率" is one song that never feels like the background and the words are separate; instead, they play off of each other for a single sound. "100%(hundred percent)" is one of the band's few English songs, though I'm still not sure what the lyrics actually mean. The next song, "Abduction-Interlude," is true to its name and is a brief respite from the rock songs, which continue with "燦さん星." "燦さん星" features a lot of English lyrics again and talks about always searching for the light and having hope for the future and is a great song overall. "光芒" has both English and a fast-paced Japanese chorus and is a well-arranged song. "Crazy Botch" feels dizzy and restless in both the music and lyrics. Lastly, "Yap" is the short, rapid-fire conclusion to the album.

Thoughts

Really, my only complaints with this album are its classification and length: it's not even 30 minutes long and should be a mini-album. As it is, it just seems like a very short album. The content of the album is great, at least, although there aren't any real standout tracks.

Kanjou Effect

感情エフェクト (Kanjou Effect)

released 12 November 2008 / AZCB-1001

  1. 恋ノアイボウ心ノクピド (Koi no Aibou Kokoro no Cupido)
  2. どっぺるゲンガー (Doppelgänger)
  3. 皆無 (Kaimu)
  4. 20 years old
  5. Living Dolls
  6. Break My Strings
  7. 存在証明 (Sonzai Shoumei)
  8. CONVINCING
  9. My sweet baby
  10. Reflection
  11. Viva Violent Fellow ～美しきモッシュピット～ (Utsukushiki Moshpit)
  12. JUST
  13. Bossa Nova (bonus track at the end of JUST)

"恋ノアイボウ心ノクピド" starts the album off with a bang, and shows us a polished (albeit short) song of a band that knows exactly what it's doing. "どっぺるゲンガー" follows it very well, and though it's a strong song on its own, it's overshadowed by the next song, "皆無." "皆無" had been played at OOR lives before 感情エフェクト, and it's easy to see how it's a fan favorite: it's incredibly catchy and fun to sing along to. At the same time, the lyrics have incredible depth: they liken the planet to a fishbowl and its inhabitants to the fish in the tank, that this is all an illusion: "this is the nothingness we exist in."

"20 years old" is another strong song, and though I'm not sure what the lyrics are I imagine it's about growing up and becoming an adult (20 years is when the Japanese come of age). "Living Dolls" slows it down from the rock tracks to more of a ballad. "Break My Strings" is another standout track, returning us to rock and showcasing the band's talent. "存在証明" is pure rock, as is "CONVINCING." "My sweet baby" honestly reminds me of the Backstreet Boys or something with the way they harmonized, but otherwise it's a great ballad. "Reflection" is another one of the band's English songs, and though it too suffers from grammar and punctuation issues it's clear Taka's improved. "Viva Violent Fellow ～美しきモッシュピット～" gives me the mental image of a concert with its imagery. Finally, "JUST" is a fitting ending to the album until you realize there's a bonus track, "Bossa Nova," at the end.

Thoughts

I should probably preface this with the fact that I consider 感情エフェクト my second favorite album of all time. For a J-rock fan like myself, it is pure aural bliss, and I just had a sense that I'd absolutely love it from the first five seconds of the first song. From a reviewer's point of view, I consider 感情エフェクト a very strong album from start to finish, and one I could recommend to any J-rock fan in a heartbeat. If I had to name one flaw, it would be the extremely long pause between "JUST" and "Bossa Nova," but aside from that there is nothing.

If you like "感情エフェクト" too, why not join the fanlisting?

miscellany

about the site

I originally had no intention of making any sort of OOR fansite; there's already a great one in &tc., and anything I did would feel like a cheap knock-off. But it occurred to me that I didn't have to do anything big and all-encompassing; I could do something small and personal. Plus, I was running a one-page shrine marathon at Amassment — why not do OOR? The result is what you see here.

So why OOR? When I first found them, I blogged about them, but I had no idea I'd found one of my favorite bands. As I got more and more hooked on 感情エフェクト and how it really did affect my emotions (if I listened to it when I was down, I'd soon cheer back up), I found myself wanting to listen to the band more and more.

I can't really explain why I love their sound so much. Maybe it's just the fact that it's my favorite genre done very well, maybe it's Taka's voice. Whatever it is, I absolutely love them and can't imagine not having them to listen to. There's not a single song in their discography I dislike; in fact, I keep finding new favorites. And I can't wait to see what they do next!

Why "20 years old"? For one, it's a fantastic song, but it's also closely related to both the band and me. Most of the band members turned 20 last year and had to start growing up and moving forward. As I'm about to turn 20 myself as of this writing (August 2009), I thought it fitting.

credits

&tc. for the images and track romanization, as well as all lyric translations I've found. If you're an OOR fan and haven't visited this great site, what are you waiting for? The pattern used all over was found at Swagstream.

link back

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No infringement intended. 20 years old and its original content is © Larissa, 2009.