Their music is unique. It draws you and takes you to a different time, a different dimension, while simultaneously they create an out-of-this-world emotion. Their musical capabilities are grandiose and they employed them successfully in each track.

The mysterious band Plasticzooms, with their peculiar appearance and musical style, released their latest album titled “Plasticzooms” on the 11^th of January, 2017. This band has gotten us accustomed to sounds influenced by numerous different genres: 70’s punk, 80’s post punk, new wave, goth and electro. Indeed, this release proves the diversity of their musical skills.

The album consists of 10 tracks and in general we noticed that they stay true to their usual ethereal, dark, electro style, in tracks such as “Night and Hurt”, “Frontal Attack” and “Smoke Motion”. Yet, there are also tracks that differed and those were a pleasant surprise.

The songs “The Futuer”, “Quite Clearly” and “U12” are unique songs that surprise the listener. More specifically, “The Futuer” is the 2^nd track of the album and it carries a wild feeling, reminiscent of old Visual kei songs. We were deeply impressed by this unfamiliar metal element that they introduce, preparing the listener for the rest of the album. “Quite Clearly” is somewhat lighter, and with more rock-ish elements. “U12” takes you back to the 80’s Visual kei. It is pleasant and based on old music and its style.

Contrariwise, the songs “Minds” and “Highway” have a fresh, relaxing and erotic attitude. Their pop-electro combinations are unexpected from this band. The vocals in these songs, particularly in “Minds”, are far more lyric (they have also utilized female vocals in this one).

Among this album’s tracks is “Veiled Eyes”, the song they released back in April (in case you haven’t watched their outstanding music video, you absolutely have to), which is one of their most distinctive songs.

The tracklist ends with “Breitenbach”, coming right after “Veiled Eyes”. It is certainly a very unpredictable transition, from something dark and fast to a much sweeter and a more nostalgic sound. However, we believe that they could not have picked a better sound for this album’s final song, since it left us with pleasant emotions and filled us with eagerness for their next work.

The vocals transform from ethereal, to powerful and sensual. Sho Asakawa’s voice has a distinctive tone, which is smooth and leads the listener into fully comprehending their songs’ philosophy.

The guitar and the bass are exceptional. This album doesn’t lack any “dirty” guitar solos, while quite often the bass steals the spotlight and adds more color to the music. The instrumentation is graceful and it places us right into the age that Plasticzooms wish to highlight.

In summary, Plasticzooms aren’t suitable for everyone. They’re a good match for listeners that are hard to please. You must be prepared to tune in to each song and the feeling they themselves guide you to. However, this piece of work underlines their progress and shows that Plasticzooms are not your typical industrial band. Moreover, this album includes songs that will appeal even to those who don’t prefer Japanese music. So, if you have been looking for something new, something that will make you feel a wide array of emotions and question if there are any boundaries when it comes to music, this album is for you!