Rumbless. is still a relative newcomer in the ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) scene, but vocalist Roku has been in other projects (like “Project zero”, “Re;zero”, “End;Re” and “Sith”) prior to Rumbless. Despite being rather new to the scene, Roku, Takaki, Sin and Tva have a very good image of what they want. They appeal to a wide audience by making use of both Jpop and metal in their works, combined with ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) elements.
“Σ-sigma-“ is the second part in the story they started with their first mini-album “φ-phi-“, but what can you expect from Rumbless. and their work? Let’s find out!
Σ -sigma-
The first track on the mini album is an instrumental one, sharing the same title as the release itself. It combines low and high tones into an illusory theme, giving the listener a little peek in the world Rumbless. have created.
montage
We already know that Rumbless. combine the influence of two extreme sides of the music industry, namely JPop and metal, but they’re already showing the metal side of their influence with this piece. Don’t let this fool you into thinking Rumbless. is a heavy-style band though, the influence may linger throughout the entire song, but vocalist Roku incorporates their pop influence through his vocals perfectly.
déraciné
“déraciné” picks up what “montage.” put down and runs with it, showing off the heavier influence of Rumbless. while painting a more sinister, darker atmosphere. It also allows Roku to use this influence in his vocals through growls and shouts – something he’s surprisingly good at despite his earlier display of the friendly JPop style.
All of these choices combine into “déraciné” being the heaviest song you’ll find on this release, but it’s also worthy of being on a horror movie soundtrack.
amber dream
“amber dream” creates more of a middle ground between both influences of the group, but remains slightly on the heavier side of the spectrum instrumentally. “amber dream” is the type of song that will appeal to a wide range of listeners due to it’s heavier influence being added sparingly rather than being the main attraction. It adds to the song rather than overpowering it and drawing it further into the metal side of the genre.
reverse.
Rumbless. are very open about their JPop and metal influence in their work, but these two are not the only two genres they make use of. Another prominent genre that has been popping up throughout the entire release is the electronic influence which make up for a large part of the illusory style “Σ-sigma-“ has been trying to convince. The main attraction however are Roku’s vocals, which seem to be carrying the song.
終雪 (shu-setsu)
Translating to “Last Snow” in English, “終雪” (Shu-Setsu) shows the diversity of the group in both their genre as well as their vocal performance with long, lengthy vocals being mixed with normal ones. It is definitely the ballad song for this release, but it’s not a slow ballad by any means. It might be the last song on this release, but it will definitely not be melting away in favor of the other songs.
Conclusion:
Rumbless. are without a doubt the type of band that will appeal to a lot of listeners because of their wide choice of genres and the combination of them. They’ll appeal to the lovers of rock music, but also manage to entertain fans of music that’s generally heavier than Rumbless. The combination of JPop with metal sounds like it’s going to be a hit or miss combination, and while Rumbless.’ overall sound borders more on the JPop side, it’s still nice to hear the heavier influence being used throughout their works.
Release information
Are you interested in supporting the band by getting your own copy of the release? Here is something to get you started:
 | 01. Σ-sigma- 02. montage. 03. déraciné 04. amber dream 05. reverse. 06. 終雪 (Shu-Setsu) |
Artist: Rumbless.
Release: Σ-sigma- (mini-album)
Release date: February 22, 2020
CD number: RBDC-02/2020
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雪 (Yuki) is the owner and driving force behind Arlequin.
She originally started the project in 2009 as a photographer under the name of Arlequin Photography, but developed an interest in journalism and translation ever since. Because of these interests interviews and reviews were added to the project, until it eventually hit the limits as a "photographer" in 2021, and Arlequin Magazine was added to the mix.
雪 (Yuki) is a native Dutch speaker with a graphic design degree, which means she is also the main person behind Arlequin Creations.
After all these years she is still the main person who does interviews the interviews and live photos that you see on Arlequin, but also a large chunk of the reviews and behind-the-scenes work and communication goes through her.
She speaks Dutch and English on a native level, but also understands Japanese and German.