BAND-MAID - I'll - Ryan Mear Reacts 

It's astonishing how Band-Maid keeps getting better and better. Every time I think they've released a song that's the peak and then they outdo themselves, it's insane

During the chorus, Saiki's voice sounds like it is floating on air. Then Miku's vocalization comes in underneath it like a cloud holding Saiki's part up gently.

Saiki's carried notes in this song is pure ethereal bliss. I love when she does that the most. Even Miku coming in with the harmonies was ear candy! I agree that this song feels the most straight forward rock while still being absolutely wild is a nice feel change to all this crazy songs we have been getting. I think that's why I love it so much and quickly become at the very least a top 5 listen for me.

This is one of those songs that I've been saving and I finally listened to it for the first time today. It made me crack up laughing.When I first heard "I'll", the beginning was weird and I thought I might have found the purple unicorn that is a bad Band Maid song. Then of course it turns out to be a fantastic song and I had to laugh at the foolishness of my thoughts that I had found my unicorn

I have listened to this ep over and over again daily trying to digest how good it is . To me Band Maid is simply looking forward with style . Relentless desire to get better at there craft while keeping it pleasing sonically . Very pumped for the Dallas show . FYI older guy here and not living in the past . Ryan you always keep it real . 👍👍👍👍👍👍

I love Akane ! She’s going ham on drums. She’s more aggressive on her fills with epic wild drum rolls, which she didn’t often do before. “I’ll” is hard and heavy, kicks ass. Kanami’s is using a different effect that sounds cool. The maids are taking no prisoners ! I’ve liked everything I’ve heard on this “Unleash” EP.

Miku and Saiki did a short promotion for this cd. Saiki said that they wanted to do try something different. I’m glad they have that ability and talent to expand their music. Just look how they have progressed since “Thrill”. There are a lot of bands that never change and you know what each cd will sound like. You have to respect Band Maid for taking that step to show us their diversity and range.

True musicians loving music and pursuing the stream of their genuine creativity. They just cannot compromise to the point of bridling their talent to the sole purpose of living off of it. The narrow minded crowd of music consumers will never get it.

My fav song on the album

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY LIKE this.

My favourite from this album.

I hope i'm rich enough that i can sponsor them to make the music they want without thinking about the profit and loss in their sales which is very likely to influence them to hold back all ideas and how they express their music just because of the sales are not on target 😊 Nobody is perfect, they can't please everyone. Imho, they are perfect as if all their music was created for me and I really love their music, every fckng damn song 🔥 In comparison, there are some who think "UW" is too progressive, there are some who think "conqueror" is too poppy, too mellow, too slow and mainstream, and now there's also a debate over the EP? 🤔 Do you remember when akane asked for a song to sing while she was doing karaoke and they finally released the single "start over"??? Yeah, the world suddenly burst into flames 🤣 I'm not sure why so many people comparing an EP to FULL ALBUM, it's entirely on an different level. You know it's so fkng awesome for an EP from a "relatively unknown band" like band-maid still up on the world chart. 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻 #bandmaid #takeovertheworld #worlddomination #conquerortheworld

It's ROCK! I love this song!!

Tbh the "Unleash" EP wasn't the instant OMG album i wanted it to be (I still yearn for Mincho to take her foot off the octave harmoniser pedal). But after countless repeated listens i've come to recognise it now for the genius work of art it is.😁👌

Love this song... I'm really enjoying the EP, each song is unique and special. Thanks for the reaction.

Thanks for your reaction to I'll. The Unleash EP is epic, no less. I would be worried if Band-Maid did not evolve from album to album. A band that is getting better all the time will evolve musically. It's quite normal to do more intricate stuff when your skill level allows you to, in my world at least. Band-Maid is better than ever, there is no doubt about that. And if they end up as a progressive jazz band in the future I will be fine with that too, they will call their style for heavyhardrockfusionjazz or short, Band-Maid.

Great reaction! "I'll" easily entered my top10. ps: As a Japanese person, "Schwarzenegger" is much harder to pronounce than "I'll be back." :p

That cymbal work by Akane in the second verse.... just noticed it. Wow.

The chorus and harmonies in this song are really good, and MIKU's voice is so captivating that it's hard not to notice. NONONO! NONONO!

They're so genius right Band Maid forever they never stop surprising me🤘🤘😱😍

This has been the repeat track for me personally. Can't get enough of it

Best song on the album. They definitely need to release a video for this one.

I absolutely LOVE "I'll"!!! And I love your reaction!

Spot on reaction!!! I love the fact that Kanami rips a guitar lick in the beginning of the song and then never repeats it… they could have made a song just around the one lick. Amazing!! Your right there are so many links to the older tracks and new one in this song

It is so different for people to get so many different vibes from one band, it's just hard for some people to take! Band-Maid always surprise us and, for me anyway, never disappoint! No complaints here! Another great song from the goddesses of rock!

Band-Maid have been, are, and will continue to be awesome for the foreseeable future. Some folks are going to love some of the evolution more than others. Basic stuff. Let the Maids follow their hearts. Get over yourselves and get on board. See you in Seattle!

This song is absolutely fantastic. Love everything about it, Akane's drums, the guitars, bass and the wonderful vocals. That solo is one of my favorite solos ever.

Onya Ryan👍👍 Part of my love for this band is that they have the courage to challenge fans and listeners when they could just "safely" cookie cut their popular tunes like many other bands do, oh let's say like - and I like these bands - Purple, Cru, Quo, Acca Dacca etc fcken cetra, I get it in that I struggle initially sometimes with the newer material but bam it always hooks me in the end, cool if it doesn't appeal cause in the long run this is the Maids deciding on their direction and damn the torpedoes, how many bands have the spine to do that, Frank Zappa is smiling. Okay it's Saturday beer o'clock and I have a date with the ladies, woo hoo, viva the Maids peace and love Po 👍🎼🥁🎤🎸🍻

Super awesome song, RockN'Roll the Band Maid way👍

I fully agree with your rant Ryan! And time will confirm you're right.

I'll IMHO is a mix of old school bandmaid and the newer stuff and I love the chorus.

This is my favorite song from the EP. Kanami is going on a Black Hole style journey. A psycho-crazed guitar part that lasts the entire song and never stops. I think she just needs to get it out of her system, which I'm fine with. "I'll" enjoy the ride and look forward to the next set! Great song though! Can't wait to see them in person!

Definitely my favorite song from the new material (from now on a close second). Really hope to hear this one live!

It seems like Band-Maid is going out of its way to maintain a decent balance between classic sound and new directions. _I'll_ has a lot going on, but relative to the progress songs on UW and other songs on the EP, it's very accessible. Catchy af, but complex; and that bridge -> Kanami solo is the most sublime thing ever.

Love this song. This whole EP is so good. Love it 🤘🏻

Great song.. love the beat and your I’ll… humor lol

Music is a journey and what makes all good journeys enjoyable is the different scenery you view along the way. Some songs require more than one listen. It could be because of the complexity, or maybe it is something about ourselves (i.e. our experiences). Whatever the situation, an open mind, and sometimes more than one listening may change our point of view of something we might not have liked at first now becomes our favorite. Sorry for being wordy. Ryan thanks again for your thoughts.

Haters are a sign that Band-Maid is doing it right.

I'll and I still seek Revenge are so greasy, so in the dirt LOVE IT!!!!!!!

Agree, the new EP is like the 3rd cd of The UW limited edition 2 CD collection. All 3 progress upward from each other.

Hey Ryan. Yours was quite similar to my reaction 👍. I love the song. Omfg the bassplayer. MISA i love you. At first listening through UNLEASH this was my favorite. We'll see or hear what a second, third , fourth____ infinite listens will do with my mind. 🤯🤘

Akane relentless. In terms of people griping about this EP, I'm in agreement with Kanami's guitar tone not being my favorite. But the music itself? It's fire. The people who bitch the most are probably the older fans who want that old school rock sound of the first several albums. Old people generally dislike change (I should know, I'm old).

This is my favorite on this EP

My favorite. The melody is so good.

Ryan I'm sure you have read the Barks interview, I finally got to read it thanks to t-shinji translation, Saiki mentioned wanting to do " twin vocals w/Miku" here we have it, Kanami said she USED to listen to a lot of rock 🎸 and make notes, however she doesn't anymore realizing there would be comments that the sound could be compared to other peeps, we never have to respond to that again, as "I'll" perfectly illustrates,brother we are on the road to the Band-Maid sound Kanami has searched for,3rd thing from the interview they want reactions to their music from everyone(including you!) Why they have entire EP posted to multiple sites,I'm really excited about the Band-Maid sound coming from them right now.

This band keeps powering up. So good!

This song is a great hard driving song. Definitely one you can listen to and blast up and down the mountains, here.

I freaking LOVE it! ❤🤘🏻🔥 100% agree with the, WTF is wrong with peeps?

Best song on the album. A World Domination throwback.

I've finally listened to Polyphia's ABC. Awesome playing as you would expect from them and the poppy vocals was a nice touch. People in that comments section seems to be new to the technical playing alongside pop vocals, but we know Japan have been doing awesome with that style for a long time now. I'll is probably my favorite from this EP because of Miku's vocals. It's hyping and building up the layer and then resolves when Saiki sings the chorus. Poppy enough to hum to. Heavy enough as if Kanami is ready to go fight, and she's bringing along the whole gang.

Love this song

This is the sleeper hit from this EP, love it!

In the original Spider-man movie, Green Goblin told Spidey on the rooftop that people love a hero, but love watching them fail, or die trying more. Feels like a lot of people subscribe to that train of thought. Personally I'd rather think like Spider-man and enjoy the wild ride Band-Maid has put us on with their amazing music, as they succeed in writing track after track that you can listen to SO many times.

Great reaction! I effin' LOVE this EP and I REALLY LIKE "I'll".

I absolutely love this song. It is a such a great pure rock song. I happen to think this album is genius. I do like it better than UW. That's just my opinion. I agree that a ballad thrown in would make this album perfection if it isn't already.

Misa had it turned up to 11🤟

Brilliant groove to this song, can't help but move along to it.

The girls put their metal hat on for this one.

Thanks, Ryan! You speak from my soul. And I'm guessing from the last few things I saw from you, something has been brewing inside of you for quite some time now, hasn't it? After the release of the MV to Unleash, and especially since the EP, I've been reading similar comments pretty frequently, and also clashed once or twice with those who made them. That some people only hear what they want to hear is nothing new, but the growing number of those really worries me. Not to say, it really gets on my nerves. That's why I've kept a bit of a distance for the last days and have only seen a few of the reactions to the current songs here on YT. And I've ignored the comment sections for the most part, because I find it really 'exhausting' to read the same bs over and over again. I ask myself more and more often, what is wrong with the people out there? What do they have from this behavior, or are they really so blinded? And if I'm already feeling this way, I sometimes wonder how that must be from your point of view as a channel operator.... I can only say, "hats off". _____________________ 「 _'Our rock never dies ever. Forever!'_ 」 --- *BAND-MAID* 'Manners' 🕊

Nice

A mass of sense.❤❤❤👍

Just love those ghost notes in Akane's drumming. That's all! Nearly all radio stations don't like anything in the slightest way complicated= no interesting music.

This should be the opening song or the last song during their concerts! I think it's their hardest rocking song period! Absolute 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. Band-Maid, please make a LMV or Official music video of this song.

Actually, you nailed it. Peoples preconceptions totally affect their biases. This whole album is great!

This is heavy hard rock !!!

It's BAND-MAID doing BAND-MAID things. If someone didn't like that song, I wonder what they liked about any of their songs. 🤔

Dare I hope they'll play this live for us? 🤞

I'll is such meaty goodness... I just listened to it for dinner

I like it like that!

Even on the past albums there were odd songs here and there I didn't quite love, and this mini album is no different. Band-Maid is still doing Band-Maid thing and I hear it in their sound. I have to admit that there's one song I keep skipping. But it's just one out of 8 tracks and will still buy the CD. 5 loves, 2 likes and 1 meh...isn't bad at all. If any other bands releases an album I'd be skipping half their songs.

Say!

Ryan mate! We are in October! And the weather is so fine for once! You are so right in your reaction and comments! You must be ready to accept and enjoy their new music. Some infantile fans should show some more respect to creation! All Unleash songs are probably going to feature in their concerts in the US! And it is certainly a good idea to attend or watch as many of them! Just let me tell in all humility that I completely agree with you! Best regards, Robert-Gilles

One of my new absolute favorites from them. I was hoping that they would do a song like this, very 90's rock. A friend asked if I wanted to see Smashing Pumpkins and Jane's Addiction. I saw both back in their respective heydays, and since I am seeing B-M in two weeks in Seattle, I had to pass. One of the many things that I love about the Japanese rock scene is that there is none of the ego-driven b.s. that has for decades permeated the American scene. And SP and JA are prime examples of that. Thanks, Ryan, have enjoyed your B-M reactions from the very beginning. Best band on the planet.

Kanami has taken them full progressive... next, I expect their next album to have a touch of Tool to it.

MISA MISA MISA!!!!!

I really like this song a lot and prefer it to the chaotic stuff....plus, I love it when Saiki sings in this register as it sounds like her speaking voice which is kinda addictive....Kanami's guitar sound is more 'normal' here as well....not sure what she is using on some of the other songs that makes her guitar sound like a calliope, but in my opinion it miniaturizes her tone

Hey Ryan, I hate to distract from Band Maid, it is blasphemy, but Trident just came out with a new video, "Cry Out" just last week and I thought you might like it. On another note, Lisa X just released a new video covering Polyphia's "ABC" with Kotono singing and Hazuki playing guitar Lisa X and Hazuki actually sing a little too. In any case, I hope you are having a great night.

I'll never understand the HATE? of their current approach which has great balance, and I imagine this band can sense any would-be influencer from a mile away and ignore bad advice. Band-Maid will continue to unleash(!!!!!) great new songs from now on and leave the nay-sayers in shambles; they will never go easy and continue to shine as the brightest star in the current rock and roll universe. (Sadly, I can't think of a good way to insert Corallium into a sentence other than to say it's easily a top 5 B-M song for me just like this one is).

I can think of a dozen North American bands that would crap if they had to follow Band Maid on to the stage

AL☆Takaです。 A song you definitely want to have on your set list at Band Maid's American shows. The song you want to hear. Please make a video of 15 songs and upload it. Please also give me your reaction to the Narumi-chan CD that I sent to you.

Yes! So glad you mentioned the change during the chorus and the backup vocals. That change is one of the most beautiful things they've done, IMO, and Miku is taking "backup vocals" to a new level all over this EP. I think this song would be perfect to introduce people to Band-Maid.

But Ryan, you know they have composed a number songs perfect for USA radio like Choose Me and Daydreaming, etc. But it's just the damn language thing that keeps them out of the biased, cliquish USA music industry and media, I think. I've researched and written much about Band-Maid's Barrier of Entrance to mainstream audiences and media. It's frustration to say the least! btw I also think Kanami was inspired by her time with Slipknot's Duality in the opening and main riff of "I'll."

why no reactions to Engelbert Humperdinck?!

Is there a band-maid song you dislike?

This EP is a box of chocolates. How is one supposed to be chosen over the others? BTW: don't pay too much attention to the opinions about the "drift" of the band. In most cases they are criticizing and defending the same thing in successive comments. If there is any music that you have to let rest in your brain before giving an opinion, it is this one. Haste is a bad adviser.

You nailed it, Ryan. _(Essay about hipster poseurs contradicting themselves in attempts to feel superior that only make them look ridiculous)_ deleted.

Band Maid are selling out, they're playing simple, more conventional rock songs now. ALL of their new stuff is WAY below their talent level. THEY'RE SELLING OUT! I'm being sarcastic, just in case it's not obvious :)

lol I mean it's kinda silly to complain about people's preferences over the EP on the only (non-instrumental) song that is clearly _not_ like the others on the album. I just wish there was more of this instead of five variations of anime metal in the vein of Sense and also Sense itself. I just miss the diversity. Where is the pop-rock song? Where's the ballad? Where's the punk rock song? WHERE'S MIKU?????? I appreciate you acknowledge the point at the end there about a certain lack of diversity on the EP even down to harmonizers on the solo.

Haha the ep is nothing new to me.. just a mix of everything they have already done with the usual kanami evolutions. Some is instant eat work others grow on you with more listens

I don't think I have anything to write about here... The impression of this EP, UNLEASH, I got the impression that they were overweight but had great playing technique, and that they shook their bodies violently but didn't move at all. With the exception of the animated theme song for a TV show with a lot of outside interference, in UNLEASH Kanami experimented and I think it didn't turn out very well. Perhaps, during the past two and a half years when she was away from LIVE, I think she studied a lot of J-ROCK hit songs. She (BAND-MAID) is a repulsion against being called old style and fans are all old men (actual sounds and situations are differentg), and above all, she wants a hit in Japan. Therefore, in UNLEASH, (although there was a tendency from UNSEEN.W), it seems that the previous sound has changed greatly. Kanami's unexpected melody, which took in and sublimated the previous traditional rock riffs and phrases, is retreating, and transforming into a sound that pushes with "constant sound pressure" and "constant tempo". Yes, I think. By doing so, I imagine that Kanami's intention was to give the song a "modern sense of speed" and wrap it in a "modern excess of information". However, as a result, the concept brought BAND-MAID's sound closer to the local J-ROCK sound. I don't really like the fat sound because I can't feel the tightness. Also, if you're listening only on HEDPHONE, you might not notice it, but the mixes after UNSEEN.W are lined up side by side with each play that has no depth at all. It's a "everyone together" mix, with the vocals just a little bit in the front, and the guitar band's live feeling (which is necessary even on the studio record) doesn't feel at all. By putting Kanami and Miku's guitars side by side, the impression is flat, and sometimes it sounds like lead vocals and backing band, to me. Anyway, UNLEASH sounded like half-baked J-ROCK to me. (Well, BAND-MAID are of course J-ROCK, but what I appreciated about them was that they didn't feel the locality of J-ROCK, and they strongly felt the foundation of universal rock music. because of that) Because geniuses hate self-imitation to the extreme, they sometimes go astray. I'm looking forward to the next album after the girls have had many lives. I'm sorry for my poor English.

I feel terrible that I dislike almost everything since Different, because I really love the girls and have supported them for years. But I can’t pretend to like something I don’t. I miss when they were happy and joking around on stage together. Now everything is stupid fast and difficult and they look at their hands like old metal guys. And Mincho’s obsession with the octave harmonizer is just bizarre. This is the only song on the Ep I can stand.