Your thoughts on each Kalafina album

[Tyler]

I recently bought After Eden and Consolation, so I now own all Kalafina albums, yaaay . I've been gathering my thoughts on each of their albums, aaand I'm curious as to what others think about them too. Surely there have been topics like this before, but I'm too lazy to search for them, and don't feel like bumping old stuff. So yeah, lemme know your thoughts.

Seventh Heaven: The first album of theirs I bought. Some of my favorite songs are on this one. Natsu no Ringo, Mata Kaze ga Tsuyoku natta, and Serenato especially. And don't even get me started on Natsu no Ringo; that song is perfection, and no one could convince me otherwise. Lyrically, it's my favorite song. Honestly, if I could choose 1 Kalafina song to listen to forever, that would be it.

Uhhh, Oblivious is decent, Aria is great, Ongaku is way more catchy than it should be, and I just straight-up don't like Fairytale; I skip it just about every time ._.

Overall though, it's solid. I suppose the only real problem I have with it is that it doesn't flow well imo, but maybe that's just me. It's a great debut album. 8/10

Red Moon: This one surprised me the most, probably because I thought I would like it the least (of course I had no basis for that assumption, I was just unfamiliar with all the songs lol), but wow was I blown the hell away. Perfect beginning with Red Moon, perfect ending with I Have a Dream, and nothing but amazing in-between.

I don't even know how to put my thoughts about Red Moon into words. It has a really dark feel to it, fun experimental stuff like Hikari no Senritsu and TE TO TE (you can tell they had way too much fun singing this one), and I hate to use this word, but it's nothing short of epic in my eyes. The first time I popped the CD in and heard "red moon" (the song), it gave me chills all over and I loved the whole thing from beginning to end. Hell, I probably listened through it 4 or 5 times the day I got it.

The only songs I'm not terribly fond of are Yami no Uta and (DON'T HURT ME)....Lacrimo-- Yes, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not..much..of a fan of Lacrimosa, and probably for an extremely petty reason; I simply don't like the chorus ._. I find it very..unpleasing to the ears. The rest of the song, however, is awesome. Especially the "LA. CRI. MO. SA. DI. ES. I. LLA." part heh. Welp 3 paragraphs on Red Moon, and I didn't even go into detail about my favorite songs (progressive is just SO good, especially the lyrics. Also storia <3). I better stop here. But yeah 10/10. Personally I will probably never like a Kalafina album more than this one.

After Eden: Initially I honestly just did not like this album, but it has grown on me significantly. The individual songs are good, however, I find it difficult to listen to After Eden all the way through because it just about puts me to sleep. I guess "euphoric" is a good word to describe it, for better or worse.

None of the songs on After Eden are terribly impressive to me aside from Magia (which sounds like it would've fit better on just about any other album lol), magnolia, and Mune no Yukue, which would most likely be my favorite Kala song if not for Kimi no Gin no Niwa. The lyrics are perfect, and 3:42 to the end is just amazing beyond anything I can describe with words. Almost brings a tear to my eye >_< (If you talk bad about Mune no Yukue, I will fight you right here. Go ahead, say it, I dare you >:O Kidding, but seriously, I'll fight you.)

I like Kugatsu, Kagayaku sora no shijima ni wa, and neverending quite a bit. In your eyes makes me want to stab my ears ._.

I don't know if my expectations were too high after Red Moon, or if the album is really as underwhelming as I'm making it sound, but I do like it despite how much I've bashed it. 7/10

Consolation: Very refreshing. A huge step up from After Eden imo. For whatever reason, I find Consolation to be their most "beautiful" album.

al fine makes a gorgeous intro, and I love how it uses lines from other songs. Consolation, signal, obbligato, and to the beginning are all awesome. I love Door; from like 3:30 onward is just plain beautiful.

Hanataba is extremely beautiful.

Moonfesta reminds me very slightly of TE TO TE, and it's too catchy for its own good. I can see why one wouldn't like it, but it's too fun to listen to. I'm sorry, but Mirai is just awful (ok it's not bad, I just..don't like it much); Credens Justitiam should never have been a song. I feel the same about Manten :/. Hikari Furu, on the other hand, made a great transition into song from Sagitta Luminis.

The album ends beautifully (there's that word again; can't help it lol) with Yume no Daichi. So yeah, it's really good to me, but songs like Mirai and Manten kinda take away from my overall enjoyment of it ._. Still, I can't decide if I like Consolation more than Seventh Heaven or not. 8/10

Welp, that's all I got so far. I could've wrote a lot more, but I chose to spare you guys from my walls of text, heh.

 

[grunty]

Seventh Heaven: yes!
Red Moon: loud.
After Eden: Magia? more like circle of life.
Consolation: signal.

 

[ritardando]

Seventh Heaven : liked 13 out of 14 track. (Overture included, still can't bring myself to like Natsu no Ringo, love the music instruments though.)

Red Moon : liked 8 out of 13 track. Hate the titular track (red moon itself), Haru wa Kogane is a snorefest, I have a dream a close second, got a mixed feelings for Hikari no Senritsu and Yami no Uta.

After Eden : particularly don't like almost all songs from this album. Loving magnolia and symphonia, sandpiper is another snorefest, 50/50 for eden and Kugatsu, liked Mune no Yukue and Magia for awhile but it got boring after some time.

Consolation : Love all the new songs except for consolation (but still think that the reff is catchy despite Wakana sounded a bit weird). signal and obbligato ftw. to the beginning, Manten, Mirai are the snorefests for this album.

b-sides : Yes for all except for Gloria and sapphire.

 

[aki]

really, I love all Kala songs, though for some songs I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy listening to it (e.g. snow falling)
but also...

Seventh Heaven: Wakana
Red Moon: Keiko
After Eden: Hikaru
Consolation: love the new songs. I still don't think the single and b-sides mix well though but yane would've fit in perfectly gosh darn it

 

[Martin]

Seventh Heaven: still my fave. Aside from the obvious singles, Love Come Down is phenomenal (although reading the lyrics may give you a nosebleed)

Red Moon: the most consistent. The 'darkest' perhaps, but I dig that.

After Eden: the weakest. It does grow on you, and has some standout tracks.

Consolation: the best since SH. Which probably means it *is* the best when I take my personal bias out of the equation.

I still wish they'd do a b-sides/rarities or Christmas Live album. That would be great.

 

[george1234]

Seventh Heaven: Their first but their best (overall) album so far, where I loved all songs. overture doesnt really count imo.

Red Moon: liked "Red Moon", TETOTETOMETOME, Yami no Uta half way (when Hikaru joins it becomes scary), the album's ballads were really sleepy. I like I have a dream though. fantasia has something in it that that I never liked, was it hikaru's screaming or the random flute :S Lacrimosa is awesome but doesnt fit with the rest of the songs.

After Eden: Best songs are sandpiper and destination unknown, which even though its good its repeated melody makes me not wanting to listen it make times. Magnolia was good, but not really my cup of tea (I enjoyed Kyrie more). Symphonia, I really liked the TV ver with the horns, the album ver is less appealing to me. Sleepy ballads again. Mune no Yukue counts imo more like a See-Saw song (http://canta-per-me.net/live-events/1999-female/), and as such it should be judged, it might not fit with the Kalafina image, but it really does with the See-Saw one.

Consolation: Their best album since Seventh heaven, where the new songs are really well done in every aspect. The anime songs dont combine well with the new but each of them has its own good points. I hope Yuki doesnt make another Symphonia-like song, like Yume no Daichi, I am feed up with this arrangement :(

Wondering if the 5th album comes after the 3rd or 4th single, I expect it around fall or winter 2014, since Yuki and the girls will be busy with the FJ tour till late spring.

 

[aki]

I still wish they'd do a b-sides/rarities or Christmas Live album. That would be great.

YES PLEASE

Yami no Uta half way (when Hikaru joins it becomes scary)

that's the best part

Mune no Yukue counts imo more like a See-Saw song (http://canta-per-me.net/live-events/1999-female/), and as such it should be judged, it might not fit with the Kalafina image, but it really does with the See-Saw one.

woah didn't know that. Is it confirmed that they're the same song?

 

[george1234]

Re:

Mune no Yukue counts imo more like a See-Saw song (http://canta-per-me.net/live-events/1999-female/), and as such it should be judged, it might not fit with the Kalafina image, but it really does with the See-Saw one.

woah didn't know that. Is it confirmed that they're the same song?

Yes, look here viewtopic.php?p=198752#p198752

 

[Lorde-Kowz]

Seventh Heaven: is olev. Can't skip any song. Top 3: Oblivious, Spinter, Mata Kaze ga...

Red Moon: I Like most of it. Yami no Uta is my least liked of all. Sometimes I listen to it, and sometimes I skip it. Top 3: Red Moon, Kyrie, Hikari no Senritsu

After Eden: Pretty different from their previous stuff. Like grunty said around release, it would've been better if some songs from RM and AE were switched around (Kagayaku, Magia, and Magnolia for Storia, Hikari no Senritsu and I have a dream). My least liked are Symphonia (well, depending on my mood), and Kotonoha, which I always skip. Top 3: Eden, Destination Unknown, Mune no Yukue

Consolation: is life. Second favorite album. I skip Yume no Daichi sometimes, but it's usually because by the time I reach it I have to stop the music, hue. Top 3: Signal, Hanataba, Door.

I still don't think the single and b-sides mix well though but yane would've fit in perfectly gosh darn it

Adding Yane after Consolation would've make the transition from Consolation to Moonfesta less awkward.

was it hikaru's screaming or the random flute

Err, what? What screaming? What flute? Are you talking about Hoshi no Utai?

Lacrimosa is awesome but doesnt fit with the rest of the songs.

I disagree. It fits way better than Storia and Hikari no Senritsu.

I hope Yuki doesnt make another Symphonia-like song, like Yume no Daichi, I am feed up with this arrangement

The arrangements aren't really the same. I don't think they're even the same genre of music, hue.
I do agree that she could do something more interesting. Something Irish inspired and with uilleann pipes

 

[Tyler]

Seventh Heaven: yes!

Seventh Heaven : liked 13 out of 14 track.

Seventh Heaven: still my fave.

Seventh Heaven: Their first but their best (overall) album so far, where I loved all songs.

Seventh Heaven: is olev. Can't skip any song. Top 3: Oblivious, Spinter, Mata Kaze ga...

Very interesting. I'm actually surprised that SH seems to be the most favored so far. Although I can't blame you guys; it's definitely great. I'm just way too passionate about Red Moon.

Seventh Heaven: Wakana
Red Moon: Keiko
After Eden: Hikaru
Consolation: love the new songs. I still don't think the single and b-sides mix well though but yane would've fit in perfectly gosh darn it

Lol. That sounds about right.

I still wish they'd do a b-sides/rarities or Christmas Live album. That would be great.

Yes please. Speaking of which, why haven't they released their version of Anna ni Issho Datta no ni yet?

 

[Kugayama]

^ Sorry, hearing Anna ni Issho Datta no ni sung live without Chiaki Ishikawa at Yuki Kajiura Live vol. #10 made me feel sad. I'll grant you that it would be good, given a See-Saw version of Mune no Yukue also.

 

[Tyler]

Mm yeah, I can definitely understand that. I liked the song, but it's a bittersweet thing.

 

[aki]

//pats Yami no Uta
I gravitate towards the darker songs...hence I love Yami no Uta

I do wonder though...I always felt like AE was a very *together* album (meaning the single songs and the new songs merged well for the whole After Eden image), while Consolation didn't blend - and I think this might be because I was already a Kala fan when ttb, moonfesta, and Hikari Furu came out whereas for the others I heard the albums before the singles (except for AE...but I hadn't listened to Kagayaku and Magia near as much before the album came out).

My question is: for those of you who were fans when singles came out before the albums they were included in, did it feel like the new songs and single songs didn't merge well? Or is it mainly just Consolation being like this for everyone?

 

[george1234]

Re:

was it hikaru's screaming or the random flute

Err, what? What screaming? What flute? Are you talking about Hoshi no Utai?
[/quote]

Oh right, I confused those too, I think Hoshi no Utai was a Kouya Ruten wannabe but didnt make it to be cool. But I dont really like fantasia either.

 

[Martin]

Because so many of its tracks were written for a movie series, Seventh Heaven feels the most 'complete' in the sense that it was written around one theme...my explanation is a bit long-winded, so here goes.

The album is a bit like a classical piece that re-uses certain motifs and melodies. I'm not familiar with the terminology because I didn't study musical theory, but there's the same vocal sample/melodic figure in the first and last songs ('overture' and the title track), which sort-of brings things full circle and gives it an overall 'theme'. None of the other three albums have a common thread running through them in the same way.

Does that make sense?

Every time I listen to it I associate it with the KnK movie series as well, which reinforces that and increases my appreciation of it even more.

 

[ritardando]

@aki : I've got that feeling mainly for consolation - although if I were to say, Lacrimosa is somewhat placed out of order in Red Moon because it come after intermezzo, which I would say was the turning point of the darker side to the brighter side of the album (progressive, I have a dream). I'd trade its place with Hikari no Senritsu or storia, and kick Haru wa out of their discography (that song is the worst Kajiura's ever done, for me) and insert one of the B-sides of their Red Moon era.

About Yami no Uta...
(pros) : Keiko's voice is outstanding here.
(cons) : too loud. And the chorus is boring imo - my laptop kinda lagged for awhile if this song is played, because of the bombastic strings in the beginning.

Top 3 of each album :
SH : oblivious, seventh heaven, sprinter
RM : Kyrie, progressive, Te to Te to Me to Me
AE : pfft. magnolia, symphonia, and maybe Magia. (-ia tracks ftw )
Consolation : signal, obbligato, Hanataba

Worst 3 of each album :
SH : Natsu no Ringo only. These 2 tracks are on my bottom list on SH, but I like both songs : love come down and Ongaku - simply because the other tracks are more awesome for me.
RM : Haru wa, I have a dream, and maybe HnS/YnU.
AE : sandpiper, Kotonoha, snow falling (which is a shame because I like snow is falling a lot - mainly because Keiko's part in the middle, and it's gone in snow falling.)
Consolation : ttb, Manten, Mirai.

 

[casarina26]

My question is: for those of you who were fans when singles came out before the albums they were included in, did it feel like the new songs and single songs didn't merge well? Or is it mainly just Consolation being like this for everyone?

Not really for me. I thought the singles and the new songs mixed rather well. On the other hand, Consolation was a 'evenly-spread' one for me- that is, I love most of the songs (except for Al Fine), but there's no standout song for me (except for TTB which I view as being out of this world, but its a single song first and album 2nd), Door, Hanataba and Kiichigo take turns to be song of the album and the rest are on an equal footing of general like-ness.

SH wise, I never watched KnK so all songs are viewed as that- songs. I love Aria and Ashita no Keshiki to bits, like Kimi ga Hikari and Serenato, am liking Sprinter more and more, enjoy the occasional Ongaku and Mata Kaze, but that's that. I can listen to the rest if I'm on a long bus journey but I don't actively search them out to listen.

RM and AE... same as SH. I love Red Moon, Hikari no Senritsu, I have a Dream, Kugatsu and Neverending. I like Magia, Mune no Yukue, Kagayaku and Haru wa Kogane. The rest end up as 'listenable when I have the time' except for some like Kyrie, Magnolia and a couple others which well... don't get me.

Top 4 of each album:
SH: Aria, Ashita, Kimi ga Hikari, Serenato.
RM: HnS, RM, I have a Dream, Haru wa Kogane
AE: Kugatsu, Neverending, and tie between Mune and Magia.
CO: TTB, (toss-up between Door, Hanataba, Kiichigo.)

 

[garnetjester]

Let's see:

1. Seventh Heaven: It is really a masterpiece. Maybe because so much of it was created around the same motif, it sounds very cohesive, both musically and lyrically. Love come down is still one of my all time favorite Kajiura songs. Seventh heaven is the best Kalafina ballad IMO, it's just so beautiful, and the fact that they all get lines in it makes it even better for me. Serenato is also super pretty, and I adore the lyrics.

The only song I tend to skip is Mata kaze ga tsuyoku natta (I should love it, but it falls flat compared to the similar Ongaku)

2. Red Moon: This was my first Kalafina album, so I experienced it in a different way from Seventh Heaven. I like the whole "dark" theme it has, but sadly, the ballads in this album feel mostly boring to me, and they lack the emotion that made the "Seventh Heaven" ballads so great. Since I love Ali Project, it's no surprise that I adore Yami no Uta, and Hoshi no Utai too. They stand out in Kalafina's discography for being so dramatic and over the top. Red Moon too, although that one is less crazy Te to te to me to me is also a great song, and I love how flirty Keiko sounds in it Hikari no Senritsu drags for too long, but I love its melody, and Storia is my favorite Kalafina song.

Haru wa kogane and the popular I have a dream bore me to tears though, I skip them all the time. I'm not too fond of Fantasia either, it sounds uninspired.

3. After Eden: I really love this album, I feel like as opposed to Red Moon and Seventh Heaven it sounded more intimate, and less immersed in a fantasy world somehow. Almost all of the songs here feel quite relatable and I can't deny that I love the Hikaru domination, because she's my absolute favorite Kajiura vocalist

Eden is such a great song for me, it makes me happy just to listen to it. In contrast, Kugatsu and Sandpiper are heartbreaking, but still beautiful. I love the energy in Magnolia, destination unknown and Mune no Yukue, and Symphonia is amazing with that sweeping percussion.

I like the playfulness of In your eyes, and how different and sorrowful Hikaru's voice sounds in Neverending. Kotonoha is also pretty, and I prefer it to Haru wa Kogane no yume no naka. While the singles could've been swapped for the ones in Red Moon, I think they are a nice change of mood for the album, so they fit well enough. I just really like this album

4. Consolation: This one feels like a step up from the previous works Kalafina has done somehow, but I can't quite place my finger on why. I think the quality of the album songs here is really high, and it mixes intense songs like Signal with sweet songs like Kiichigo no shigemi ni. Obbligato is a great song, reminiscent of the larger than life feeling of the Red Moon album but without being so extravagant. Even al fine is fantastic, the only song that I feel falls a bit flat is Yume no Daichi, but that might be because Symphonia was so much better to me, and it feels like a lesser version of it. This album has the particularity that it has all my favorite songs from the singles except for Storia and Kimi no gin no niwa. Moonfesta is really sweet, I love Manten and Hikari furu and To the beginning sounds quite fitting here. There are no songs I skip here, and my absolute favorite is Hanataba. Definitely proving that Hikaru is fantastic at conveying emotion

 

[Seasonreaper]

They're all great.

OK, I'll go further in depth.

Seventh Heaven - Honestly, this album is just plain fantastic. It was actually the last one I bought though, only got it a couple of months ago although that was mostly hoping to find a decently priced LE, but I gave up in the end. The whole album is full of solid songs. I can't really think of anything major to fault in any of the tracks, actually, whilst Sprinter, Aria, Mata Kaze, Serenato and Kimi Ga are all standouts. The vocals in Love Come Down are a little off I'd say though, plus I prefer the re:oblivious version of Oblivious. Other than that, quality work throughout.

Red Moon - My personal favourite Kalafina album and also the one I bought first, mostly because it was before AE came out and RM simply had the better cover art. That and the LE was available. I hadn't heard anything outside of the Seventh Heaven album, Hikari no Senritsu and Lacrimosa before getting the album, so first hearing the title track was absolutely amazing. I've always loved Hikari no Senritsu anyway (that bridge is godly) and I quickly fell in love with Kyrie, Fantasia, Storia and Hoshi no Utai. The only tracks that I don't generally listen to that often are Te to Te and Intermezzo, but I still like them.

After Eden - As I was already a Kalafina fan by the time this album hit, I was obviously pretty hyped for it. I'd heard Magia as I'm also a huge PMMM fan and loved it, so it was interesting to see where this album would go. Then I heard Eden. I still don't particularly care for Eden. Honestly after listening through the album a few times, Eden and Mune no Yukue were the songs that I didn't like (and still don't, they're probably the best example of Kalafina having dull songs pre-Hikari Furu) and the rest... the rest wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Magnolia, Destination Unknown and Neverending stood out a little I guess, plus Magia which I already liked. After watching the After Eden live I absolutely fell in love with Sandpiper though, and it's still one of my favourites. The album is still their weakest in my opinion though.

Consolation - I wasn't so sure of this album pre-release as After Eden was a little disappointing and honestly I think Hikari Furu is my least favourite song of theirs. Then again I was never much of a fan of Sagitta Luminis or Credens Justitiam, so Mirai and Hikari Furu were never going to be 'great' songs to me anyway. To the Beginning was OK, but nothing special, but I did love Manten and Moonfesta. Turns out I had very little to worry about, as the album-original tracks were very solid. Hanataba is now one of my favourites, Door is probably the best ballad they've done for years and both Signal and Obbligato sound great. Hikari Furu and Mirai aside, it's probably my second favourite album behind Red Moon, around equal level to Seventh Heaven. Probably prefer it to SH just because of Hanataba.

5th Anniversary Live 2009-2012 - I love this album. So much. Sure, the actual audio quality is weaker than their studio albums, but everything feels a lot more... real. Some of the performances on this live album are just amazing, such as Utsukushisa and Serenato, whilst the acoustic version of Sprinter is damn right spectacular.

B-sides
Honestly, I'd rather not have another album release until late 2015 if they released a b-sides and rarities collection consisting of all their b-sides and some other stuff like, say, Christmas Lives or that supposed Connect cover, plus some unreleased material. Whilst I want to support the band I don't really have the disposable income to pick up numerous singles just to have legal copies of Utsukushisa, Lirica and Tsioku. On that note, those are three of Kalafina's best songs and I honestly don't know why they're relegated to b-side material.

So yeah, Red Moon is my favourite album, After Eden is my least. Sandpiper, Hanataba, Red Moon and Sprinter are my favourites from each album, whilst Mune no Yukue, Intermezzo and Hikari Furu are my least. I don't think I really have a least favourite from Seventh Heaven.

 

[Coral]

Generally, for me: Seventh Heaven = Consolation > Red Moon > After Eden

Seventh Heaven: Formerly my absolute favourite, and though Consolation is catching up to it now, I still hold it in high esteem. I paid a small fortune for the LE even though I already bought it off iTunes (don't regret it, since I got it signed at ACEN). The songs range from decent to phenomenal. I really liked the upbeat tracks at first, but the ballads definitely held up better to relistens. My only issue is the order of the songs--the second half was much too ballad heavy, and they started to mix together for me. Caused me to dismiss even the wonderful Ashita no Keshiki until much later.
Favourites: 1. Serenato 2. Oblivious 3. formerly Natsu no Ringo, currently Ashita no Keshiki
Honourable Mention: Aria, my absolute favourite when performed live. Studio version seems bland and emotionless in comparison.
Least favourite: formerly Seventh Heaven, currently Mata Kaze or Love Come Down

Red Moon: I've always liked it, though I found it underwhelming compared to Seventh Heaven, when I first listened. Then I listened some more and it became awesome. Then I listened a lot more and it... got a little repetitive. It's got a great opener (Red Moon), and a great ending (awesome three-punch of Progressive, Lacrimosa, and I have a Dream), but the stuff in the middle had a sort lifespan--didn't like it until repeated listens, liked it for a while, then grew tired of it.
Favourites: 1. Lacrimosa 2. I Have a Dream 3. Progressive or Red Moon
Least: Yami no Uta--interesting, but not that nice to listen to.

After Eden: There were some good songs on it, but ultimately I didn't see the point of the album--for virtually all the songs, I much preferred the After Eden Live versions. It has a few standards but more "filler," and the filler here isn't as good as Red Moon's.
Favourites (live): 1. Sandpiper 2. Kagayaku 3. Magnolia
Favourites (studio): ...the only song where I prefer the studio (and like the song) is Magia, so I guess that.
Least: In your eyes, Snow falling, Symphonia

Consolation: Never thought this would happen, but the listen counts for some of the songs have surpassed my Seventh Heaven favourites (granted, an iTunes update erased my old listens). The singles are nice, but the album tracks are even better. Seventh Heaven will always hold a special place in my heart, but Consolation is definitely getting played more these days.
Favourites: 1. Obbligato 2. Signal 3. Hanataba
Least: Yume no Daichi

Other songs/b-sides: Pretty much love all of them. In fact, they have a high batting average than even Seventh Heaven for me. Favourite is a tie between Lirica and Tsuioku (c'mon, it's not gonna end up on an album). Gloria is a close third--used to be my favourite, though Lirica holds up better to relistens.