Welcome to V Reviews. My name is V.
And in this latest installment music video review, I will be covering JILUKA’s latest incredible track “VENΦM”.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the band, here’s a short primer on them: they are a ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) one with one of the more unique sounds I have ever heard. The only thing that can sum it up is their own words, “Electro Gothic Metal”, or EGM for short. They originated back in February of 2013, and since then they have only had one member chance in JaiL (drums) in 2015 during their restart with their current lineup: Ricko (vocals) Sena (guitar/songwriting), Boogie (bass) and Zyean (drums).
The song that I am about to cover is fresh off of the corresponding digital single “VENΦM” that dropped on September 29, 2023.
For more information about the band (and what I would call an equally awesome interview), you can check out their recent chat with 雪 (Yuki) here.
Now, on to the show! The video opens with close ups of Ricko snarling out the lyrics and the rest of the band in what feels like an industrial area. Though this short phrase does not do it any justice. Wherever it was filmed and what they added effects wise makes it seem like something straight out of Cyberpunk or Blade Runner. There is the same sense of bittersweet futuristic beauty going on here, both being clean and then not quite – like a subtle sort of decay. This is also shown by the use of religious statues and brief moments of angelic instrumental tones. Much like their previous videos “OVERKILL” and “BLVCK” there are very on point green lyrics appearing on the screen throughout the video, matching both the tone and the very appropriate color of what actual VENOM might be.
When it comes to the sound of the music video itself, lordy do they bring it. There is an intensity to Ricko’s vocals that’s hard to deny. It both sounded and felt like he was a demon, growling and snarling these lyrics. This combined with Sena’s insane guitar skills, Boogie’s matching bass line and the harshness of Zyean’s drums sets this up to be a huge potion of crazy awesomeness. There’s even a short Sena vocal section that they add unexpectedly to it, which acts as a cool bonus on this track.
I can’t deny that this track and video have totally been added to my workout list. The aggressive beat is perfect for not giving up, to keep going and push past where your body wants to give up. The lyrics hit right to the point and call you to wake up. “To make chaos to get a new fate”, to quote some of it.
JILUKA is a band that constantly improves upon their sound, and kept on surprising me with their creativity. To anyone who is on the fence about checking them out, I would highly suggest watching this video and listening to the rest of their work. Despite “VENΦM” only being the third installment in their new EGM-sound, it is just as surprising as “BLVCK” and “OVERKILL” before it.
While they have always been in the ラウド系 (Loud Kei) genre, by combining the elements they used in their music before (those being Electro, Gothic and Metal) in every new song they have created a style that is exclusively theirs. While this might disappoint fans of the very popular style they used with for example “KUMARI“, EGM seems to be the future for JILUKA – and we are here for it.
By the time this article is published, JILUKA will have made their USA debut at Anime Weekend Atlanta Convention on Friday 10/27/23. I think that I speak for all of their fans on this side of the water when I say that please let this be the first of many such concerts.
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V is a fellow Anime and ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) music lover.
Her love of both genres started in 2003, and as of 2023 she has now branched into reviews and other original content.
Her primary language is English.