After two years of absence since their latest CD single Ima wo Ikite, the new Asian Kung-Fu Generation CD single Easter (復活祭) is officialy out. This is quite a suprise in many ways.

The packaging

You all already noticed that a drawing of Yusuke Nakamura is missing to give way to a simple and minimalist design. Yusuke Nakamura has submitted a drawing for it and wasn't held as final cover. Also, Easter (復活祭) is the second CD that has no drawing from Yusuke Nakamura for the cover, The Recording at NHK CR-509 Studio being the first one released and wasn't a success in several ways.

The digipack version has a "Asian Kung-Fu Generation Easter" sentence written on a mat cardboard with a smooth relief. Inside can be found one CD and a booklet with the Japanese lyrics and credits. This is rather a beautiful item designed by Yutaka Kimura someone that is not quoted in the booklet.

Easter new songs

Asian Kung-Fu Generation CD single Easter (復活祭) features 3 new songs:

1. Easter - 復活祭
2. Parallel World - パラレルワールド
3. Seaside Sleeping - シーサイドスリーピング

Only Easter was registered in the Foo Fighters Studio 606 , mixed in T.N at Rock Falcon Studio, the whole single still being mastered by Stephen Marcussen in CA Hollywood.
Parallel World and Seaside Sleeping were registered and mixed in Japan in the usual studios.

I'm not really good in describing a song, however I will do my best to let you know where this single tends to.
Gotch first said that the new songs have in general an "emo" sound, that is to say, a sound just like Houkai Amplifier and Kimi Tsunagi Five M albums.

We all listened to Easter (復活祭), if not, check out the online music clip.
Parallel World has a high tempo coupled with a good guitar riff. Sounds like a mix between Reload Reload and Reizouko no Roku Demo nai Jooku with a touch of N2. It's a good song, though it's not something "amazing" like "Konayuki".
Do you remember that guy with a different but cool voice than Masafumi Gotoh? Yes you do, the guy who sing in a more high-pitched tone and says "Katachi nara wasurete kamawanai kedo", Seaside Sleeping is sang by Kensuke Kita and I this might be the song you will listen to the most and somehow wish that it was the single B-side. Maybe that is why Gotch does his best to not let Kita sing because Kita might become the band leader if he doesn't. It's freaking good to listen to Ken again in this mid tempo song having good verses and guitars. It sounds a little like Surf Bungaku Kamakura sometimes.

Overall, nothing new but it's so good to have them back with their rock "emo" style.

If you want to see a glimpse of  the fans comments about Easter (復活祭), check out this article

Shops

Easter has been released on CDJapan, Amazon.co.jp and also on Itunes US - Itunes JP and Itunes EU (just follow the Itunes EU link and change the country tag /uk/ in the URL by your country tag)