Modern rock for those who dig deep into their music. A chronicle of a soul's descent that is at once aggressive yet introspective, melancholy without being morose, and hopeful while staring at the face of despair.

10 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Modern Rock, ROCK: Grunge

Show all album songs: Darkness Reveals the Beauty of Truth Songs


Details:
ARIES9 is a rock project of Ari Koinuma, a Japanese musician currently based in Austin, Texas, USA. The music can be described as a thinking person's modern rock and has much in common with Porcupine Tree, Alice in Chains and Bends-era Radiohead. It may also appeal to fans of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Tori Amos, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Stone Temple Pilots, Smashing Pumpkins, Oceansize and King's X.

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ALBUM DESCRIPTION:
Modern rock has always been about facing the dark side of life, and Aries9's music probes the same murky depth that giants like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains dove in. But unlike many rockers who rely solely on plaintive street language and muscular riffs, Aries9 paints on a wider canvas with a more colorful palette and diverse elements, resulting in a rich collage of seemingly disparate images. This music opens up a complex new world, where beauty and beast have melted into a single being, angels and demons act more like the opposing sides, and light and shade coexist to create a dark space that's both safe and dangerous.

Indeed, there is a lot going on here, and it's all the more impressive for the fact that this entire creation comes from one man's brain and heart â an Austin, Texas-based Japanese musician Ari Koinuma. Aries9's debut album âDarkness Reveals the Beauty of Truthâ features Ari on every element except for one song co-written by an ex-bandmate and a mastering engineer.

âThese songs were a part of the business I had to finish before I die,â confesses quietly passionate Ari. âNot that I am planning on dying soon â but I knew that if I died before letting these songs out to the world, I'd die regretting it. These songs mean a great deal to me.â

The songs do take the center stage in this collection, where none of the songs are like the others and each take up its own distinct place in the journey. There is much that catches a listener on the first listen, from sledgehammer riffing of âDiamond Sleeps Tonightâ to haunting melody of âHalf Stepâ to aural assault of âEmpire.â If what listeners desires are catchy, rocking songs, they won't be disappointed.

But the real treasure awaits those who dive deeper, for beneath the catchy surface lies a seemingly-bottomless ocean, rich with unusual metaphors, evocative images and penetrating emotions. The songs act like episodes in a series, seemingly unrelated, yet subtly weaving together a bigger picture. âSharkâ opens up with terrible invitations. âTiny Toonâ gives voice and energy to frustrations of a suffocated identity. âCultâ is a beautiful and quiet break down. âThrowing Away the Keyâ represents a decision, but it's followed by âOutcast Probe,â a crushing tragedy. It all culminates in âLucy Struck Out,â a desparate cry to end it all. For a compact 10-song album, it covers much ground, probing dimly-lit corners of human existence in the modern world.

But for a tale of descent that ends in a difficult place without clear resolution, the album feels neither morbid nor depressing. Rather, it has an energizing effect, as if the music is assuring that the listener can travel to such discomforting places but still can come out on the other end.

âFor one thing, many of the songs are quite up-tempo and driving.â analyzes Ari. âThat's something I look for in rock â music that really moves me. Plus, I also try not to forget my sense of humor â both 'Shark' and 'Lunar Ascent' reflect that. It's quite easy for me to be sulky and maudlin, so I was watching out for it. Hopefully I succeeded in avoiding it.â

If anything, those comic moments add even more breadth to Ari's world, which is uniquely his own. From cliche-free guitar parts to inventive arrangements to a singing voice that truly sounds like no other, the album works on multiple levels, offering different benefits to multitude of listeners.

âSome people are turned on by the energy of it,â explains Ari. âOthers have commented on my guitar playing. And people who've read my lyrics are quite intrigued by it. So far I'm not seeing any consensus emerging â people like it for all different reasons. And I'm really glad to hear that.â

Again, digging deep is not a requirement â perhaps the biggest feat of Aries9's music is that it appeals both to casual listeners looking for groovy rock tunes and to soul-searchers in need of life-changing experience. But Ari is clearly coming from the latter camp, so his wish is for others to come along this journey that he himself is taking.

âI'm still discovering what all this means,â comments Ari. âIt's not just about words, too â the lyrics are the last part written in most songs, so the words are interpreting what the music is telling me. It's not a cerebral decoding or analysis. It's all intuitive and feeling-based...I get the feelings from the music, and work with the words to form a picture, a story. And when it comes together, when I finally realize what it all means to me -- it's a very powerful experience. I believe that this kind of experience is life-affirming. I am making this music to affirm.â


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NOTE: the first 50 or so CDs will be personally sequenced and autographed. Also, there will soon be exclusive information and goods available to only to CD purchasers at Aries9.com. Please retain the CD's linear notes to gain access to CD-buyer-only section.

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Credits:
Mastered by Ty Tabor, www.AlienBeansStudio.com
Album cover photography by Dave Gostisha.
Album also features photography by Dez Pain, Thorsten Epping, and Jesusroxs.
Everything else by Ari Koinuma.