I'm getting a little tired of Hyde's grunge-wannabe style. As much as I loved "Faith", his forced rasp that he adopts for his hard rock songs is annoying. Hyde can sing well, just listen to his L'Arc~en~Ciel work and previous solo stuff, so I cant see any reason for his deliberate vocal sabotage.
Personally I had been holding out for a return to the style of "Roentgen" but alas it looks like those days are well and truly over. "Love Addict" is a by-the-numbers rocker with a catchy riff. End of story. Is it too much to ask for a little inspiration? The first time I heard "Jesus Christ" on the "Faith" album I thought Hyde was destined for rock stardom. Instead this hope is fading.
I hate to write this because I am such an uber-fan of L'Arc~en~Ciel but Hyde's solo work is not cutting it. The other member of VAMPS is Kaz, formerly of Spread Beaver. He's finally stepping into the spotlight after remaining mostly in the shadows of Spread Beaver and even Oblivion Dust. I just wish he had picked a better song to start with.
The other song on the disc is much better. "Time Goes By" has better vocals from Hyde and isnt as monotonous as the first track. Overall, not the best start from VAMPS, but who knows, maybe the album will be great. Heck I may even like this single eventually. I have been wrong before...
Verdict: ** (2/5)
