Determination

Determination joins Aldious’ bright twin guitars, speed-driven rhythm and soaring vocals into bright, forward-looking melodic metal on the band’s second album. From the fast start of “Disclose,” the songs keep their choruses sharply defined even at pace, turning technical playing into a source of melodic excitement. Aggressive cuts such as “Spirit Black” and “Eternal Delusion” alternate with the lyricism and Japanese shading of “灰の雪” and “夜想曲,” giving the record a good balance of light and shade. On “Spellbind” and “Carry Out!,” cutting riffs and wide-open hooks sit side by side to communicate the band’s energy directly, and the “determination” of the title shows in the music’s very drive. Balancing color and hardness, speed and melody, it sharpens the momentum of the debut into something more assured — a polished record from a defining moment in early Japanese girls’ metal.