| Through Clarity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | July 4, 2012 | |||
| Studio | House of Loud (Elmwood Park, New Jersey) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 21:25 | |||
| Label | VAP | |||
| Producer | David Bendeth | |||
| Coldrain chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Through Clarity | ||||
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Through Clarity is the second EP by Japanese rock band Coldrain, released in Japan on July 4, 2012, and in Europe on January 27, 2014. [2]
The lead single, "No Escape", is featured in the official Japanese trailer for Resident Evil: Raccoon City . [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Rock Sound | 8/10 [4] |
| Contact Music |   [5] |
| Dead Press! | 7/10 [6] |
| Hit The Floor | 6/10 [7] |
The EP received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Greg Spencer of Dead Press! praised the opener, "No Escape", for its pacing and energy. "Through Clarity begins with "No Escape", which is a rip roaring beast of a track. Its frenetic pacing and unstoppable energy combined with a catchy chorus make for a fantastic beginning to the EP. It isn't the heaviest of songs, but that actually works in the band's favour as frontman Masato has a really melodic presence as a vocalist and he carries the track forward with his vocals which range from heavy screams to Jason Butler style softer intonations." He criticised the following two tracks, "Persona" and "The Future". "The next two tracks, "Persona" and "The Future", unfortunately dredge the band into a more corny and slightly lackadaisical phase of the EP. Both tracks just feel slightly forced, the latter especially feels ultra fatuous and lacks any real emotion or genuine spark. Instead, it actually seems like one of the most generic songs you could possibly hear on a rock album." [6]
These criticisms are shot down by Nathan Mack of Contact Music, who labelled all of the tracks as 'outstanding'. He wrote, "A personal favourite on this mini-album would be "Never Look Away". Beginning with delicate vocals and a soft intricate riff, it lulls us into a false feeling that we're soon to be given a break from with the subsequent torrential onslaught. Yet, the track rises in volume and intensity before reaching a crescendo with the first chorus, retaining momentum until the very end." [5]
While generally praised by Rock Sound , it slammed the lyrics of frontman Masato Hayakawa. Leading it as the main problem with Through Clarity. "Sure, the lyrics are a bit crap (such is the problem with language barriers in heavy music), but if you can overlook that, Coldrain have enough ideas and intricacies on Through Clarity to really start something big." [4]
Matt Borucki of Hit the Floor, compared the sound on the EP to that of a metalcore titanic band. "From the moment "No Escape" kicks in, it screams of early Bullet for My Valentine. In fact, so does much of the album." [7]
All lyrics are written by Masato Hayakawa; all music is composed by Masato Hayakwa and Ryo Yokochi, [8] except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "No Escape" | 3:08 | |
| 2. | "Persona" | Masato Hayakawa | 3:21 |
| 3. | "The Future" |
| 3:30 |
| 4. | "Six Feet Under" | 3:39 | |
| 5. | "Never Look Away" | 3:41 | |
| 6. | "Inside of Me" |
| 4:06 |
| Total length: | 21:25 | ||
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [9] | 14 |
| Japanese Albums ( Billboard ) [10] | 13 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | July 4, 2012 | CD, digital download | VAP |
| Europe | January 27, 2014 |
Coldrain are a Japanese rock band from Nagoya, Japan, who were formed in 2007. The band combines melodic singing with screams typical of the post-hardcore genre. Although the band is Japanese, all of their songs are written in English. Since its formation in 2007, the band retained the same lineup with no member changes. The lineup consists of lead vocalist Masato Hayakawa, guitarists Ryo Yokochi (Y.K.C.) and Kazuya Sugiyama (Sugi), bassist Ryo Shimizu (RxYxO) and drummer Katsuma Minatani. Hayakawa has a Japanese father and an American mother and speaks both Japanese and English fluently.
Final Destination is the debut studio album by Japanese rock band Coldrain. Recorded at Studio Sonorous Audio in Tokyo, Japan which was self produced by Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi, it was released on October 28, 2009 by VAP.
Nothing Lasts Forever is the first EP by Japanese rock band Coldrain. Recorded at Sound Crew Studio in Tokyo, Japan, which was self-produced by band members Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi. It was released on June 23, 2010 by VAP.
The Enemy Inside is the second studio album by Japanese rock band Coldrain. Recorded at Innig Recording Hostelry in Fujisawa, Japan, which was self-produced by Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi, it was released on February 16, 2011, by VAP.
Until the End is the third EP by Japanese rock band Coldrain, released on June 18, 2014 in Japan.
Three Days of Adrenaline is the first live DVD by Japanese rock band Coldrain, released on December 7, 2011.
Evolve is the second live DVD by Japanese rock band Coldrain, which was released on April 30, 2014.
Vena II is the third maxi-single by Japanese rock band Coldrain, released on 17 August 2016.
"8AM" is the second maxi-single by Japanese rock band Coldrain, it was released on April 8, 2009. "8AM" was used as the ending theme for the anime Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger. "8AM" was the only song on the maxi-single to be remastered on the band's debut album, Final Destination. It also contains an unplugged version of their debut single, "Fiction".
20180206 Live at Budokan is the third live DVD by Japanese rock band Coldrain, released on September 26, 2018. The end credits of the DVD/Blu-ray is the song "My Addiction" from the first studio album Final Destination.
"Gone" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the lead single for their fourth studio album Vena, produced by Brandon Paddock, written by Masato Hayakawa, Ryo Yokochi and Brandon Paddock, and was released on 16 September 2015. It was the first song written for the album, and received critical success among critics. The song is often regarded as the best that Coldrain has to offer, and is a popular staple song at live shows among international fans.
Masato David Hayakawa, known professionally as Masato, is a Japanese singer, musician, songwriter, producer and model. He is known for being the bandleader and vocalist of the Japanese rock band Coldrain since their formation in 2007. He was a former member of AVER, alongside one of his fellow Coldrain members, drummer Katsuma Minatani.
"Revolution" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the lead single for their sixth studio album The Side Effects, produced by Michael Baskette, written by Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi, and was released on 12 December 2018.
"Coexist" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the second lead single for their sixth studio album The Side Effects, produced by Michael Baskette, written by Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi, and was released on 4 July 2019.
"January 1st" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the third single and sixth track on their sixth studio album The Side Effects, produced by Michael Baskette, written by Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi, and was released on 8 August 2019.
"Mayday" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the fifth single from their sixth studio album The Side Effects, produced by Michael Baskette, written by Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi, and was released on 2 November 2019. "Mayday" features Ryo Kinoshita from Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake.
"The War Is On" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It is the second single for their third studio album The Revelation, produced by David Bendeth, written by Masato Hayakawa and Ryo Yokochi, and was released on 25 July 2013.
"Paradise (Kill the Silence)" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It was promoted as a single but was instead released as an extended play with five other versions of the same song. This would also make it the fourth EP released by the band, the first since 2014's Japanese exclusive Until the End. It was written by frontman Masato Hayakawa and lead guitarist Ryo Yokochi, and produced by Michael Baskette. It was released as the lead single from their seventh studio album Nonnegative on 17 September 2021. The track became an instant radio hit in both Japan and Germany.
"Calling" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. It was released as the second single from the band's seventh studio album Nonnegative, written by frontman Masato Hayakawa and lead guitarist Ryo Yokochi, and produced by Michael Baskette. It was released on 17 April 2022 to coincide with the band's fifteenth anniversary.
"Before I Go" is a song by Japanese rock band Coldrain. Written by frontman Masato Hayakawa and lead guitarist Ryo Yokochi, and produced by Michael Baskette, it was released as the third single from the band's seventh studio album Nonnegative, on 8 June 2022.