J-Metal Reviews: Gargoyle "Misogi"

By Badman

The Badman is back from a long hiatus! I know it has been a hot minute, but the train cannot be completely stopped! Today’s band is one of the most beloved gems to ever rise from Osaka Prefecture. I humbly welcome to the iron-clad stage, Gargoyle!

Gargoyle is the whole package. Their on stage presence, costumes, and makeup are astoundingly eye-catching, rivaling the likes of X JAPAN and Seikima-II. Are they all flash and no substance? They have all the substance! What makes them really outshine their contemporaries is their bewildering brand of progressive thrash metal. Out of the numerous J-Metal bands I have listened to, I cannot deny that Gargoyle is the MOST unique band to come from Japan’s 80’s metal era. With the formalities out of the way, let’s dive right into this album review. I present to all you Gargoyle’s album "Misogi".

"Misogi" is full of twists and turns, all due to Gargoyles eccentric brand of progressive thrash. I cannot comprehend what went through the band’s mind in the writing process, but whatever sound they thought would work in each song pretty much came together flawlessly. On the first song "Destroy" there are small sections of the song where violins play along with the guitar solo, and later in the song a middle eastern flute can be heard playing over heavy riffage. The song "Certain Feel" is one hell of a wild ride mixing Dirty Blues, Metal, and Pop Rock. Heck, it even has a saxophone solo ripping it up like it’s no one's business. But wait, there’s more! "Misogi" has a ballad, a killer instrumental, and a Groove Metal-ish song. These boys had their hands in every cookie jar and they sure definitely owned it!

What is my verdict? A hell f**king yeah! It has been a hot minute since I’ve had such a helluva fun listen. "Misogi" satisfyingly scratches that itch that my eardrums so desperately needed. This record is full of catchy heavy riffs to make heads roll but doesn’t skip out on creativity. The twists and turns throughout the album keeps it refreshing from start to finish. So get up off your asses and get jammin’ to Gargoyle’s Misogi! 

Standouts:
Destroy
Certain Feel
Purple Heaven
Ningyou No Mori
Bara Bara Vala
Cogito, Ergo Sum 

The entire album can be listened to (probably not the most authorized of sources) via the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLwnpFqwayg