Gone But Not Forgotten: Rentrer en Soi.

 

As unfortunate as it is, sometimes artists and bands we're really big fans of decide to split up, disband or in some cases, retire from the industry. When thinking over the holidays on what to focus on for today's blog post, I ended up going back and listening to a band I adored a few years ago. That band being the visual kei group, Rentrer en Soi! Their name is a rather mangled way of saying Return to Self in French. 

Rentrer en Soi started out in 2001 with 4 members. Satsuki was the lead vocalist, Takumi was the lead guitarist, Ryo was the bassist and Ao was the rhythm guitarist. You may have noticed that the band lacked a drummer. They toiled around for a couple of years, releasing demo tapes with little success. It wasn't until 2003 that the band recruited Mika to fill that gap. Before Mika had joined, the band had managed to release 2 singles, Hajimari no Namida no Oto ga Kaze ni Kisareru Yori Ni in 2001 and Hitsuu Kizuato in 2002. Starting out, their sound was melodic and sounded something similar to the band Baiser in part due to the influence of their producer, Yukari. Yukari was the former vocalist of Baiser and his influence helped Rentrer en Soi achieve success. Thanks to Yukari, the band were able to sign with Free-Will, the label that would help establish them as a visual kei mainstay. Their first mini-album, Yurikago was released in 2004. Unfortunately for the band, the new found popularity brought strain and Ao, left after "undesirable behaviour" and allegedly was at one point for to apologize on stage by the vocalist of Devil Kitty. A replacement was found swiftly as Shun joined the band just a month later. They went on to close out 2004 in style by releasing a DVD with promo shots that were filmed in France. 

2005 saw them release their debut LP, Sphire-Croid. Capitalising on the momentum, the band released 2 more mini-albums, Astre no Ito and Kein no Hitsugi, that very same year. Shortly after, the band parted ways with Yukari, which was a surprising and bold move considering the success they had with him producing. The new producer also brought a new style, as the band developed a heavier sound that combined crunchy guitar riffs, growls and screams. Just listen to their first release with the new producer, their self-titled album released in 2006 and compare it to their work with Yukari. 2006 also brought about overseas success as the band were signed to European and American labels before appearing at Oni-Con in Texas the following year. Unfortunately, they couldn't play at the Clash against Commercialism event that was held in New York in 2008 due to visa issues. They did manage to play at the New Jersey event, Anime Next convention in the same year after the issues were resolved. Unfortunately, heartbreak followed as the band announced that they were disbanding. In their final year, they released a final EP titled Megiddo and a best-of album titled Ain Soph Aur.

What I loved about Rentrer en soi is the variety of sound they could produce. No 2 songs sounded the same and they created some beautiful melodic ballads, some heavy head bangers and most came with meaningful lyrics that focused on topics such as loss, depression and despair. 

Shinwa is a prime example of a ballad done right. Satsuki's beautiful, clean vocals are filled with emotion that makes you believe every syllable that flows from his vocal chords. The lyrics are typical of their discography, it's a song dealing with anguish and the loss of a loved one. On top of that, there's a gorgeous piano/keyboard tune accompanying Satsuki's voice and adding some much welcome atmosphere. Just when you think the song may be done, the rest of the band joins in and it becomes a sensational piece of rock music. 

In contrast to Shinwa, the band have songs such as Thorny Rain Break. Thorny Rain Break starts off with a beautiful acoustic guitar riff before the heavier electric riffs kick in. Backing the heavy riffs and steady drum work, the song makes great use of subtle orchestral work which gives it a gorgeous otherworldly vibe. Satsuki's vocals are a little more aggressive, but not overtly so compared to Shinwa. 

A solid example of Satsuki's use of growling and screams is the song, I Hate Myself and Want to Die. Heavy throughout, Satsuki actually sounds like he could be straining his voice at certain points. The raw emotion he emotes is superb and the range he showcases is impressive. The band have to be given credit for their ability to switch from heavy to melodic with the chorus as it's a beautiful switch which works incredibly well. The scream at the end is simply the cherry on top. 

I could go on pouring through song after song all day and from The Bottom of Chaos alone. To Infinity and Metempsychosis are 2 of my all time favourites ballads from any band to exist. 

Overall, the band released 4 albums, 4 EPs, 2 DVDs, 2 Compilations and a plethora of singles during their active time between 2001 and 2008. All are worth checking out in my humble opinion as they have gems on pretty much every release. You may also hear a bit of DIR EN GREY and particularly Kyo-san's influence on Satsuki and the band in their later work especially. 

To end on a somewhat positive note, some members of the band are still active in some capacity. Satsuki had been a part of the Kizaki project, his overseas project, Moon Stream and as a solo artist. Takumi has gone on to become the guitarist and pianist for the supergroup, Sukekiyo and helps out DIR EN GREY with manipulation allegedly. Mika had a stint as the drummer for forbidden days rhapsody before also joining Sukekiyo. Unfortunately I couldn't track down any information on what Shun and Ryo have been doing, but I am happy that most members of the band have still been active.