A Controversial But Compelling Vocalist

Re:NO, the somewhat controversial vocalist of Aldious, departed in December 2018, after six years with the band. Re:NO herself had replaced the legendary Rami, who left the band after two albums. And while Aldious had success with Rami, it was during Re:NO’s tenure that they truly became a global sensation. Nevertheless, some fans never warmed to her. It was the same old story: an original member leaves, and the new person just can’t seem to replace the original in some fans’ hearts. *

Aldious started life as a straightforward metal band. They were hard-driving and aggressive. Songs were firmly rooted in the minor modes. The albums with Rami each featured exactly one power ballad to give the listener some much-needed relief. But Aldious was basically a relentless speed metal band.

Re:NO was in many ways responsible for broadening the repertoire of Aldious beyond the power metal category. She wrote songs that clearly belong in other genres, such as power pop anthems and acoustic ballads. Those songs attracted new fans. In addition, her hyper-cool stage presence was a major contributor to the excitement of Aldious performing live in concert. In the case of Aldious, the band arguably became more successful following the change from Rami to Re:NO. At the least, the change had little impact on their growing popularity. Therefore, it is worth reflecting on the contributions that Re:NO made to the group’s success.

Luft

Following the departure of Rami and her replacement by Re:NO, there was some immediate backlash. This backlash somewhat intensified as time passed. There were three main objections against Re:NO. First, she came from a pop and fashion background. That made her automatically suspect. In that respect, she may have been the first of the genre shifters. There have been others since her, including some very successful and respected artists.

Secondly, her voice, with its stunningly gorgeous tone, seemed too “pretty” for what was essentially a thrash metal band. Yet stylistically, Re:NO’s voice is not very different from Rami’s voice. Both have a clean timbre and smooth delivery. Neither has much grit. As if to prove the point, the first release with Re:NO, the single “White Crow,” included Re:NO’s cover of “Deep,” from the first Aldious album with Rami, Deep Exceed. Listening to the two versions side by side, the easiest way to describe the difference in their voices is that Rami’s voice has a certain iciness or tightness, while Re:NO’s has more warmth or openness.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the material changed after Re:NO joined the band. Aldious became much more stylistically diverse. They no longer focused almost exclusively on head bangers. In fact, every Aldious album since Re:NO’s arrival contained a baffling smorgasbord of songs. The songs included:

1. The traditional kick-ass metal songs with killer riffs and memorable hooks (the classic live rave-up “Yozakura,” the 2018 single “Monster,” and many more);
2. Power pop songs in major keys that are not too different from the typical Green Day song (“Without You,” “Red Strings,” “Die for You”);
3. Ballads with strong and evocative melodies, including power ballads (“fragile,” “Alright”) and acoustic ballads (“Happy Birthday” or “I Don’t Like Me);
4. Jams, in which Aldious leaves the world of the double kick drum and enters that of off-the-beat vamps. “Scabby Heart” and “Puffy Eyes,” both written by Re:NO, are in this category;
5. The occasional anomaly that does not fit into any of the other categories, such as the song “Travelers,” written by drummer Marina Bozzio.

Dual Personality

That’s a lot for any band to pull off. And which of these categories do they do well? That’s simple: all of the above. If you can appreciate variety, you should enjoy listening to any Aldious release, despite the occasional cognitive dissonance. If you became a fan during the predominantly metal days when the Rami was fronting the band, then you may not like some of the subsequent output. And it goes without saying that Re:NO was the songwriter responsible for the songs in the new styles.

But hey, we live in a world in which the Rolling Stones can go disco, and the critics canonize them. It’s hard to criticize Aldious for the occasional power pop excursion, especially when it results in songs with hooks that don’t quit such as “Red Strings” or “Die for You.” These songs elicit incredible audience engagement and participation in live concert, so there’s a strategic element to them as well.

Spellbind

The most important factor that Re:NO contributes to Aldious is her voice. Re:NO’s voice has a bell-like clarity. There are no sharp edges in timbre or vibrato. She has an almost effortless projection. In concert, she could growl with effect, but she was never going to let loose with an all-out rock and roll scream. And there’s the rub. The translucence of Re:NO’s voice can be disorienting in the context of a power metal band. But that is actually one of the most compelling aspects of Aldious’ appeal. The contrast of her hyper-cool voice with the hard-driving songs is a huge part of their appeal.

And every great singer, regardless of genre, has at least one distinguishing characteristic. In Re:NO’s case, her voice has one thing that distinguishes it from many other Japanese female rock singers –  maturity. When Re:NO sings, you are hearing a grown woman. She’s cool and confident. She is self-aware. She recognizes her strengths and weaknesses. Yes, Re:No can express vulnerability, as in the ballad “I Don’t Like Me,” but she infuses the vulnerability with a sense of worldly resignation rather than youthful despair. She’s the rock and roll equivalent of Renee Fleming as Marie Therese in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. That is high praise indeed.

Puffy Eyes

If one looks beneath the surface, it becomes obvious that Re:NO is more than a singer. She is also a truly impressive musician and songwriter. The aforementioned jams, “Scabby Heart” and “Puffy Eyes,” which Re:NO wrote, may be the most interesting songs of Aldious’ entire output. Such songs would be out of the ordinary for any rock band. They add a stylistic variety to their respective albums that is both unusual and welcome. And they give the rest of the band, especially the drummer and bass player, the opportunity to demonstrate a higher level of technical proficiency beyond simply rocking out with head-banging 4/4 rhythms.

Re:NO was also responsible for writing many of the ballads. Some of these songs may have somewhat jarring lyrical content (“I Don’t Like Me,” “Happy Birthday”), but the melodies are gorgeous. She makes powerful use of the wider intervals of the musical scale. The fact that she plays both of the acoustic guitar parts on “Happy Birthday,” on the album We Are, is evidence that Re:NO is not just a singer, but a true musician. She is also confident enough in her guitar chops to sit down with her acoustic guitar on stage and finger pick like a 21^st century James Taylor, with Toki accompanying her.

Female Warrior

The other members of Aldious are long-time members Yoshi and Toki on guitar and Sawa on bass. They are joined by fiery newcomer Marina Bozzio, stepdaughter of American drum legend Terry Bozzio, on drums. All exhibit outstanding musicianship, which is hardly surprising to anyone who follows Japanese rock music. They all write songs. Yoshi and Toki seem to pretty evenly split the guitar solo duties. They are technically proficient and at times positively flashy. They excel at dual guitar harmonies. They punctuate the songs with some of the most effective and crunchy power chords you’ll ever hear. And Sawa is, yawn, yet another virtuoso Japanese bass player.

In live concert, Aldious for the most part continued to focus on the barely controlled mayhem of songs like “ジレンマ (Dilemma)” and “梅華 (Cherry Trees at Evening),” both from the raucous 2017 album Unlimited Diffusion. There is no shortage of live Aldious DVDs in which one can watch Re:NO and the others of Aldious perform. As the lead singer, Re:NO carried the bulk of the responsibility for delivering the band’s message to the audience. This is what one would expect from the front person of a theatrical rock band. In live performance, they all perform with engagement and energy. It makes a difference when a band looks as if it is having fun on stage.

Dominator

It may sound simple, but is actually difficult to pull off. Re:NO was always up to the task. She was the consummate pro. She gave it all she had, and, by the way, she knew that she had it. When all was said and done, that stage belonged to Re:NO. She made damned sure you knew it. Re:NO performed with a maximum cool that even Mick Jagger would respect. It is hardly necessary to note that Re:NO never succumbed to the self-caricature of latter-day Jagger. Re:NO was cool. Period. That’s all.

It is impossible to conceive of the band having achieved so much success without Re:NO. Aldious is carrying on with new vocalist R!N. Good for them. Yet, bizarrely, for the band’s next release, Aldious and R!N are rerecording a number of songs initially performed by Rami and Re:No. It is not clear whether or not the band will redo the backing tracks. A live album or DVD with R!N would be much more interesting. It may be an effective holding pattern while they decide how to move on. Given the recent hiatus taken by Toki, who recently became a mother, they may need more time to work on new material. Regardless, they are talented enough and established enough to continue to have great success.

Without You

But when all is said and done, can anyone really replace Re:NO? Can any singer, no matter how talented, contribute the levels of musicianship and showmanship that Re:NO did during her tenure in Aldious? She spent over six years with Yoshi, Toki and Sawa. Together, they refined their collective art. They shared moments of musical greatness. They probably weathered some bad times. But they worked together and made decisions together. They matured together. Re:NO proved herself an exquisitely gifted singer, songwriter, musician and performer. She was critical to the success of Aldious.

No matter what happens in the future, Re:NO’s departure from Aldious really does mark the end of a golden era. 

 

*Aldious has an extensive fan base around the world. Please share any favorite memories in the comments section or by re-tweeting with your comments.