Matsuri - Endship (2010)

I've always loved the counteracting extremes withing screamo. When I first heard Kulara a couple years ago, going from the rapid, thrashy-ness of something like Bridge to the soft acoustic beauty of Episodes was incredible. The beauty of each style work with and against each other into and incredible feeling. Matsuri is no different. In fact, it's evident from the first song. The beginning of a four part piece goes in and out of these two styles, beginning with the serene, adding harsh vocals, then clashing everything together and back. Bittersweet melodies flow and ebb in and out of the foreground and the entire sound just seems so jarring on the surface. Everything is so well-done, though, and as this album continues on, you'll notice how incredibly flush everything sounds. All in its right place, for sure.

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