REVIEWS

THIRD WISHの、前身のGNASHからスプリット"Change It from Ideal to Real"を経て、集大成ともいえる03年リリースのフルアルバム。Switch Styleの"…to Infinity"期やSwardといった、関東のハードコアから出発し、エモーショナルなサウンドの融合していったバンドの系譜にあたり、今にしてみれば、日本のオルタナティブロック的な手法を織り交ぜ、安易にトレースできない寂寥感を伴うメロディが主軸、所謂NEWSCHOOLハードコアなサウンドをフックにしていくのがユニークで、23年経った今でも全く古くならないどころか、オーパーツ的な存在感なのが驚異的。 これに関しては関係者には耳の痛い事を書くけど、これだけの作品を埋もれさせ続けているのは、本当に文化や生き様を殺している事になる。この作品を聴くと様々な可能性が断たれている事象も確認出来てしまうのが何とも惜しい…。

THIRD WISH’s full-length album, released in 2003, stands as the culmination of everything they had built, from their earlier incarnation as GNASH through the split Change It from Ideal to Real. They belong to a lineage of bands that emerged from the Kanto hardcore scene and gradually incorporated more emotional elements into their sound, alongside bands like SWITCH STYLE during their …to Infinity era and SWARD. Looking back now, what makes THIRD WISH so unique is how they drew on elements of Japanese alternative rock, placing melodies with a sense of desolation that defies easy imitation at the heart of their music, while using what we would call NEWSCHOOL hardcore as a hook. Even 23 years later, this album hasn’t aged a bit. If anything, it’s astonishing how it feels like an artifact from a time that shouldn’t have existed, completely out of place in the best possible sense. I’m going to say something that might be uncomfortable for those involved, but allowing a record of this caliber to remain buried for so long is effectively killing off a piece of culture and a way of life. Listening to this album also makes you painfully aware of just how many possibilities have been cut short. And that’s what makes its continued obscurity all the more regrettable.