Bara no Seidou
Encyclopedia
is the fourth and final album by Malice Mizer
released on August 23, 2000. The title roughly translates as "Church of Roses" or "Sanctuary of Roses". In February 2007, Bara no Seidou was re-released, packaged in both jewel case and slipcase versions, both including an additional DVD
, titled Cardinal. The disc contains music video
s for the album's singles, as well as alternate versions of videos for the subsequent singles "Gardenia" and "Beast of Blood".
and Roxy Music
. The band's sound switched from a normal art rock
sound into a dark, gothic metal
one; however, they still continued to use the violins, harpsichords and other instruments present in their older works and also added in a pipe organ and a choir for a haunting, melancholic, and religious feel to the album. For example, the song "Seinaru Toki Eien no Inori" is based around an organ and the choir but still includes dual-guitars and drums, which gives it the gothic metal
feel. Fan favorite "Kyomu no Naka de no Yuugi" is a track that uses an organ and harpsichord mixed with a synthesizer and drum machine for more of a dark wave element. This song is influenced by gothic rock
/industrial music
and features a different image in the video, but still retains the dark themes of the album.
After the death of Kami, it could be argued that the "funeral goth" element present in their attire is because of his death, and the song "Saikai no Chi to Bara
" is a reference, and tribute, to him.
. Like their previous tour, "Merveilles L'Espace", this tour was very theatrical, having a Gothic
cathedral on the cover of the album as a stage prop and a moon that changed colors several times during the performance. However, unlike the previous tours, it did not completely consist of the members playing their instruments and relied more on the theatrics.
Malice Mizer
Malice Mizer was a visual kei rock band from Japan. They were active from August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by Mana and Közi, the band's name stands for "malice and misery", extracted from "nothing but a being of malice and misery" — their reply to the question "what is human?"...
released on August 23, 2000. The title roughly translates as "Church of Roses" or "Sanctuary of Roses". In February 2007, Bara no Seidou was re-released, packaged in both jewel case and slipcase versions, both including an additional DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, titled Cardinal. The disc contains music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for the album's singles, as well as alternate versions of videos for the subsequent singles "Gardenia" and "Beast of Blood".
Track listing
Influences
Bara no Seidou is a major change from Malice Mizer's previous albums with less of a focus on the twin guitar sound that was present in their previous discography, but retaining a chameleon trait like artists such as GenesisGenesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
and Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
. The band's sound switched from a normal art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
sound into a dark, gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
one; however, they still continued to use the violins, harpsichords and other instruments present in their older works and also added in a pipe organ and a choir for a haunting, melancholic, and religious feel to the album. For example, the song "Seinaru Toki Eien no Inori" is based around an organ and the choir but still includes dual-guitars and drums, which gives it the gothic metal
Gothic metal
Gothic metal or goth metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that combines the aggression of doom metal with the dark melancholy of gothic rock. The music of gothic metal is diverse with bands known to adopt the gothic approach to different styles of heavy metal music...
feel. Fan favorite "Kyomu no Naka de no Yuugi" is a track that uses an organ and harpsichord mixed with a synthesizer and drum machine for more of a dark wave element. This song is influenced by gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
/industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
and features a different image in the video, but still retains the dark themes of the album.
After the death of Kami, it could be argued that the "funeral goth" element present in their attire is because of his death, and the song "Saikai no Chi to Bara
Saikai no chi to bara
"Saikai no Chi to Bara" is Malice Mizer's eighth single, released on November 3, 1999. It was composed by Mana upon the death of their former drummer, Kami. It is composed entirely of orchestral music, including strings, harpsichord, organ, bells, and a music box in the beginning...
" is a reference, and tribute, to him.
Live promotion
The band released the DVD Bara ni Irodorareta Akui to Higeki no Makuake of their 2-day live at the Nippon BudokanNippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena in central Tokyo, Japan.This is the location where many "Live at the Budokan" albums were recorded...
. Like their previous tour, "Merveilles L'Espace", this tour was very theatrical, having a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
cathedral on the cover of the album as a stage prop and a moon that changed colors several times during the performance. However, unlike the previous tours, it did not completely consist of the members playing their instruments and relied more on the theatrics.
Personnel
- ManaMana (musician)Mana is a Japanese musician and fashion designer, best known for his role as leader and guitarist of the visual kei band Malice Mizer. His clothing label, Moi-même-Moitié, helped popularize Japan's Gothic Lolita fashion movement. Mana is currently working on his solo project Moi dix...
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
on 2, 4, 8, and 9, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, vocals on 3 (distorted) and 10 (whispered); electronic drum programming on 3-7 - KöziKöziKözi is a Japanese musician who plays guitar, piano, keyboard and synthesizer. Közi is best known as guitarist for the visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. After the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, he joined the industrial rock act Eve of Destiny and also started a solo career...
– guitar on 2, 4, 8, and 9, synthesizer, vocals on 3 (distorted), 6 (backing and distorted) and 10 (whispered), electronic drum programming on 3-7 - Yu~ki – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals on 3 (distorted) and 10 (whispered), electronic drum programming on 3-7 - Shu – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- KlahaKlaha, aka Klaha, is a Japanese singer-songwriter. He is best known as the third vocalist for visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. His first band was the new wave group Pride of Mind, active from 1992-1996. He first played with Malice Mizer in 2000, on their single, "Shiroi Hada ni Kuruu Ai to Kanashimi...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
on 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 - Maki Okada – vocals on 2
- Youko Takai – vocals on 7
- Yuichiro Goto – stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
on 2, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
on 4, 9 and 10 - Motohide Tanaka – directorMusic directorA music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
- Masao Nakazato – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Teruhisa Abe – art directionArt directorThe art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
, designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan... - Kenji Tsukagoshi – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Taqueya Yamashita – cover artCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e...
- Yukie Itoh – executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
- Kami – "eternal blood relative"