Genre-breaking female quintet Nemophila offers thirty-eight minutes of joyful entertainment in ten vibrant songs on third studio output Evolve whose cover artwork is as colourful as the material presented to us. The band has been keeping its quirky identity while steadily improving its songwriting skills as Evolve qualifies as the greatest studio record by the Japanese all-rounders.

This album kicks off powerfully with concise opener and title track ''Evolve''. The combination of aggressive metalcore passages and melodic heavy metal stylistics works in a balanced, fluid and memorable way and qualifies as one of the greatest songs in the band's career. Futuristic synthesizer sounds collide with skillfully played melodic guitar sounds. Drum patterns and bass guitar sounds develop a galloping energy. The rasping screaming intertwined with enchantingly melodic sections of the lead singer transmits a refreshingly youthful spirit. The chorus is a notch more melodic and turns out to be particularly memorable. This song truly incorporates the band's steadily improved songwriting and is a worthy title song for sure.

The same things could be said about new band anthem ''OSKR'' as aggressive, fast and loud verses meet a catchy, danceable and melodic chorus. The band's musicianship truly stands out on this album highlight. The drum play is chaotic, fast and liberating. The bass guitar sounds dominant, vibrant and playful throughout. The guitar riffs have a confident swagger intertwined with melodious breaks. The vocals convincingly mix unchained screams and catchy sing-along passages. Fans of contemporary female-fronted Japanese rock and metal bands will most certainly enjoy this instant genre classic. In my opinion, this song is the shining highlight on this record.

The quintet also walks off the beaten path every now and then. ''Ama-Te-Ras'' mixes contemporary groove metal soundscapes and metalcore elements with cleverly interwoven folk metal passages in form of mantra-like chants, exotic melodies and tribal percussive patterns. This combination of past and present works impressively on this experimental tune.

''Night Flight'' mixes the group's steady heavy metal patterns with danceable electronic pop elements and soothing idol pop vocals. This song won't only appeal to fans of contemporary Japanese rock and metal music but also to fans of quirky pop music and the idol scene. Traditionalists should certainly abstain from listening to this quirky tune on the pulse of time. This song works very well as a refreshing break between much faster tunes.

Album closer ''Yell ～軌跡～'' is best described as an epic power ballad that showcases the group's excellent melodic guitar play and the powerful clean vocals magnificently on this record. This is a wonderful song to dance and sing along at a concert with a radiant smile upon your face. Such a song would also make for a wonderful title track of a new anime series and should appeal to a wider audience.

At the end of the day, Nemophila's third studio record Evolve is an early album highlight of the new year. The record entertains throughout, impresses with its relentless energy and also showcases great musicianship and wonderful melodies. If you have never heard of Nemophila before, imagine a more intense version of bands such as Band-Maid, Brats and Mary's Blood. You might as well start your discovery of this fascinating quintet with this brand-new output. Let's hope the band's career will continue to soar and regularly lead them abroad for concerts and festivals.

Final Rating: 85%