Review by Lib

Spica is one of Pura's best ballads, the lyrics relate to a lost love and paint a very beautiful scene. It is amazing both in lyrics and song composition. The chorus is very strong, but the entire song maintains strength and emotion throughout. Ryu's voice stays very clear, which he seems to have a little trouble with when it comes to ballads. As CDJapan puts it, Spica is very dramatic while maintaining a heartfelt simplicity that is very "Plastic Tree". Romu doesn't match up to Spica, but they're both very good songs. My review is very late, as I had purchased this single when it was released, but I am glad that I did purchase it as it is still one of my favorite Pura songs.

I've been following MUCC since 2004, so I am an established fan. I like them mainly because of their musical versatility. Shion did disappoint. In Shion, MUCC throws together ballads, really P.O'd rock, anthems, and a handful of catchy songs. This album is more hard-rock and electronic than their previous major releases. However, some of the songs did not have the buildup to the chorus that you would expect from MUCC which is where the album is weak. I did not like the filter that they applied to Tatsu's voice in nearly every song. Miya's guitar also drowns him out. You will not find Tatsu's famous vocal harmonies in this album, but you will find screaming and his voice trying to crack. The guys got a little too background-music happy in this album. Not as good as Gokusai or Houyoku, but still a solid album if you don't mind the cheap voice filters, muddled guitar, and would like a semi-throwback to their old days. "Semi-" as in, if they were bad. If this is your first MUCC album purchase, reconsider another album. This album should only be bought by MUCC fans that know them well; This album was too long and flat.