[Album & MV Review] VIXX - 'Hades / Fantasy'

AKP STAFF

VIXX - HADES

Track List:

1. Fantasy
2. Love Me Do
3. Butterfly Effect
4. Fantasy (Inst.)

For their sixth single album, VIXX delves into the underworld with 'Hades.' This is the second Greek myth-themed album, part of the year-long VIXX 2016 Conception project. The title track "Fantasy" was composed by hit-makers Devine Channel. Like usual, Ravi wrote all the rap lyrics for all the tracks, even that one.

If I wasn't a particular fan of their last release, "Fantasy" redeems the boys a lot. This song pops from beginning to end. The beginning riffs off Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" a lot, but after that, it picks up steam and delivers that signature dark sound. Ken and Leo steal the show here, Ken in particular delivers the chorus so powerfully they probably heard it in Hades. Ravi sounds positively enraged here. The lyrics are evocative too. "My burnt and black heaven" and "the addiction that fills me pierces my heart" are but two examples.

"Love Me Do" is an interesting composition; at times, it almost sounds like it wants to be a dance tune. Thankfully, it remains restrained, and that only heightens the tension in this delightfully creepy piece. It's like there's an element of danger here, a thrilling hint of what's happening in the tune. I like the mood a lot, as well as the electronic filters in this piece. Obviously, this has nothing to do with the Beatles tune of the same name.

On the "Butterfly Effect" they seem to abandon their dark concept and go for a more tender one instead. Suffused with emotional falsetto and longing lyrics, it's a stranger on this disc. It's not that they haven't done ballads before, but it stands out starkly against the other two songs. It still sounds like VIXX, but I would have preferred something a little more sinister.

As you might surmise, I really like the first two tracks and am not crazy about the third. VIXX is known for their disturbing concepts and ominous compositions, so it should come as no surprise if I criticize them for breaking it. Still, the rest of these songs are the bomb. I like these concept albums and can't wait for what's next.

MV REVIEW

"Fantasy" is a cornucopia of all the unsettling imagery that we could hope for in a VIXX MV: thorns worn like jewelry, blood, mad scientist labs, members� bound by ropes, and gloomy environments are what's in store for the viewer. It's buoyed by the song, as well, making this an effective, sexy chiller at three-and-a-half minutes.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, this is a fantastic journey into a macabre wonderland, and I loved every minute of it. There was always something new to see, and I was never bored once. I even liked the sudden scene transitions during the dancing sequences, even though I could tell how they were done (hint: they stop moving as the scene changes).