After nine months away, VIXX releases their second full album. Known for their unique and dark concepts, they're back and all 'Chained Up' in love. In addition to 9 brand new tracks, the LP contains their hits "Error" and "Eternity," as well as the Korean version of "Can't Say."

"Mistress" is the intro song, an unsettling tune filled with vague synth notes and eventually acquiring a creepy piano line. I'm not going to point out the obvious parallels between this song and the next one that discusses chains... :)



As a change of pace, we have "Chained Up," their title track. It starts out a bit creepy with ominous vocals and whispers, but soon it's unchained and goes full-on dance for the chorus. It uses synth washes really well, and Ravi busts out the raps that make this song awesome. The message is that the guys are chained to her, and they couldn't leave if they wanted to.

"Maze" is another dance song in the same vein of "Chained Up" with some significant differences. Again we have the whispers, but this time they are seductive, not spooky. It also uses guitars and has an absolutely killer hook: "running running Maze." The lyrics talk of how being with her is like running through a maze; they can't get out.



They mellow out for "Stop It Girl," a sweetly-sung, guitar-driven ballad. The other instrumentation is fairly minimal until the end, highlighting the pretty amazing vocals. I like the stop-start transition between verses and the chord progression that heads progressively down mid-verse, adding some unique elements to the track. The lyrics tell the tale: "I can't watch / you talking to some other guy."

Genre-bending "Hot Enough" is a mid-tempo funk song with some decidedly modern elements. It works pretty well, and there's a killer rap in the bridge that blends nicely with the smooth croons here. Hot enough is a song that describes in detail an encounter with a lover.



I was a little disappointed in "Spider." It starts out promising with auto-tuned vocals and an eerie intro, but then it kind of degenerates into a generic dance song. There's nothing wrong with it overall, it's just that the energy is lacking here. I like how they compare the girl to a poison spider -- I like the concept here a lot.

"Out of Sorts" is a happy, mid-tempo, soft rock tune standing in defiance of the creepy concept. There are soft, soaring vocals that make this song a soothing one. The band is not really "out of sorts" here at all -- the song is about how they've never met a girl like her.  



"Heaven" - Nice, light, and poppy, this is another tune where you wonder where the dark concept went. Which is okay because it's a fine tune in spite of the concept drift, with clever lyrics and a fixation that is dangerously close to cute. The song says the boys will be her "A.N.G.E.L."

In case you couldn't guess from the title, "Us Now" is a sweeping ballad about how they're different now, but they're still together. At times tender, at times airy, it tends not to descend into pure schmaltz, and the emotion in the vocals seems pretty sincere.



The next three have already been released, and if you're a fan, you've got your own opinions. They fit pretty well with a dark concept: "Eternity" has to do with love being a nightmare that never ends, the singer is calling himself a coward for letting her go in "Error," and what they "Can't Say" is the truth about wanting a girl.  

This is a pretty solid pop album. The dance songs are catchy for the most part with killer hooks and awesome raps. The ballads are great installments, too, with unique elements that help them pop. And the older tracks stand as a comparison, and they haven't changed much at all, still able to deliver a slick collection of songs. They've even changed up genres to show off their talents. If you're a Starlight, you owe it to yourself to give this one a spin.

MV REVIEW

The boys of VIXX show you that they're all "Chained Up" in their newest MV.

Well, not really, and if they were I'm sure MOGEF would take issue with it somehow. The location looks like some sort of old asylum, with the tile peeling off the walls, ancient bug-ridden beds, etc. It's a pretty twisted place, except for the boys themselves, as they dance around and work with the tiny thread of plot they've been handed. They're variously trapped in different places, like drapes, chains, and boxes.

What's interesting is there are also references to the song "Maze," as they walk into an enclosed area with a maze for a roof, and as they make their way through a maze (and, bizarrely, into a forest) chasing a girl.



The costuming is pretty well done, suits (without shirts) and red collars for the dance sequences, and different collars for the individual shots.

The dancing is spot on, as we know VIXX dances well. Leo does a ton of thrusts and Hongbin...well, I'm not going to spoil it all. They get an A for the dancing, and I'll leave it at that.



Overall, I was confused. When I try to describe what's going on it ends up as a big mess, so I'm assuming it's a collection of imagery that reminds one of being 'chained up.' Which is fine, because it is eminently watchable, intense and vivid, certainly not boring, and well, you're here for the boys. It was fun to watch.

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