Kiss from the darkness [w/ DVD, Limited Edition / Type A]

Firstly, I must say that I have rated this album poorly by Scandal standards, purely on the recording methods. The songs are first rate and an affirmation that Scandal are truly still a force to be reckoned with. It is so disappointing to listen to these tunes through a wall of distorted sound. Haruna has been made to sound like 'Alvin' from 'The Chipmunks' on a lot of the tracks. At times, identifying the vocalist on a particular track is an exercise in frustration.There are some notable exceptions. What a breath of fresh air are songs such as Track 5(I don't read or understand Japanese, so don't know it's title) Individual instruments are actually heard, and Tomomis' voice is mostly 'untouched' by technology. As these releases are not cheap to we overseas buyers, a bit of effort to supply English lyrics would lift our level of appreciation, much, much higher. This is true of the video also, as, although it appears very informative, is is only so if you comprehend the Japanese language (I am trying to).If I cut back the high end on my system, the sound becomes bearable, however the auto-tune/vocaloid sound is beginning to turn me away from the band, which I have loved dearly up until this 'scratchy' new sound appeared. First rate songs and performances, but second rate recording techniques. Hopefully some descent live footage will eventually emerge?