Fake Island is a Japanese metalcore quartet founded three years ago in Tokyo. The group released its self-entitled extended play that very same year. This release included five tracks with a total running time of eighteen minutes. This year, the group has released its first full length effort entitled Cell Division. It includes nine songs with a total running time of only twenty-seven minutes. This is a particularly short release that doesn't offer much value for money, especially since the album costs about twenty-two Canadian dollars.

The band shows enough promise to keep an eye on it. Fake Island combines aggressive and technical guitar riffs with effect-ridden keyboard sections. However, there are also a few calmer moments with more melodic guitar play and laid-back rhythm section. The most interesting element about this band are the two female vocalists. Erica performs energetic growls that remind me a little bit Ladybaby's Arima Emily. YuuriBjoux performs the clean vocals that make the songs rather catchy and add some commercial flavour as well. She has performed in the rather experimental electronic rock project Outside the Coma earlier in her career.

While this description sounds very interesting on paper, Fake Island's Cell Division is only above average to good. The main issue is the song writing that fails to combine the heavier with the smoother sounds in a fluid way. The songs are also rather short and fail to develop initially promising ideas. The record rather sounds like a collection of ideas that haven't been properly put together yet.

Still, I'm not going to be giving up on this band anytime soon as the combination of metalcore with electronic elements and two female lead singers is unique, quirky and promising. If the band improved its song writing skills, it could get more attention and acclaim in the future.

Final rating: 65%

Outside the Coma, formerly known as Outpatients is a British-Japanese electronic rock quintet around singers Mikee W. Goodman and Yuuri B Joux. The former is known for his work in progressive metal band SikTh while the latter is now the singer of metalcore group Fake Island. The band's only release The Battle of Being includes eleven songs with a running time of thirty-six minutes.

The record is certainly an acquired taste. Mechanical guitar riffs meet cold samples and keyboard sounds. The bass guitar sounds stoic while the drum play and percussive elements are quite varied as they meander from steady heavy rock rhythms to more danceable robotic patterns. Male lead singer Mikee W. Goodman convinces with hysterical screams and nervous passages while female lead singer Yuuri B. Joux offers some catchier melodic vocals to sing along to or dream yourself far away. The only band with a similar style that comes to mind is French breakcore project Igorrr that is however a notch heavier while some of the sudden changes in pace and sound might recall System of a Down.

The album includes quite a few experimental tunes that might need several spins to open up. ''Walk the Plank'' is such an example with its artificial drum patterns, nervous electronic patterns and overlapping vocal duels. The weirdest song might be the instrumental interlude ''Who's There?'' that could come straight from the soundtrack of some independent science-fiction movie made by a group of young drug addicted film students.

Expect the unexpected is the best way to approach this release which might be the reason why it has been overlooked and wasn't commercially successful at all. If you are looking for more accessible songs, your best chances might be dynamic opener ''Outpatients'' that sounds like a J-Rock song on acid and the epic and melodic ''L.I.F.E.''. 

In the end, Outside the Coma's The Battle of Being is highly recommended to fans of experimental electronic rock music in particular or any rock music fan who likes to think outside the box and discover something fresh. Make sure to listen to some of the songs before purchasing this release however. You will either entirely dig this unique style or loathe it as this record is everything but average, mixed or ordinary. Personally, I couldn't listen to this type of music all the time but it offers a fresh change of style from time to time.

Final rating: 75%

Perennial Quest's self-titled extended play is a step in the right direction in many ways for the power metal sextet from Boston that offers passionate early DragonForce worship. The cover artwork makes think of a comic book for children but is nevertheless quite unique and certainly much better than the simplistic artwork of the predecessor. The production has improved by a mile as the bass guitar is audible this time around, the keyboards take much more space than before and the drums deliver much more energy. The song writing is also much better as calm and atmospheric passages are fluidly interwoven with faster sections dominated by ecstatic guitar play. The song material itself features quite a few new sing-along passages that would invite for energetic live performances. The four songs with a total running time of twenty-eight minutes don't overstay their welcome and entertain from start to finish.

The indidvidual performances have also improved over the past three years. The melodic vocals blend in even better than before. The drums sound energetic, playful and varied. The bass guitar offers energy and strength. The keyboards have improved by a notch and offer some creative passages with decent cinematic, folkloristic and symphonic inspirations. It's hard to believe but the already excellent guitar play has also improved as the three guitarist complement one another even better than before. While other bands with three guitarists sound overloaded, Perennial Quest's approach sounds balanced, diversified and structured.

To keep it short, Perennial Quest's self-titled extended play is one of the best melodic power metal releases of the year. While all musicians deliver very good to excellent performances, the absolutely outstanding guitar play might even approach excellence. If you like DragonForce's first four studio albums, you should give this band a chance. The Bostonian sextet deserves to get signed by a big label as energetic, fast and technical power metal music offered by enthusiastic newcomers has become a rarity these days.

Final rating: 85%