One thing that I really enjoy on doing album reviews is discovering freshly formed bands and some new musical genres. This time through MARIONETTE's debut album Spite I learned something more than just a band. I learned that there is a Japanese manga comic series entitled Saber Marionette that deals with a lot that weird stuff one can find in these type of anime novels. Secondly and actually more interesting I discovered a new musical movement that also hails from the land of the rising sun; it's called Visual Kei and has to do with extreme outfits and hairstyles that sometimes can be confusing in terms of the artist's genre.
I came across to the above information during my search on MARIONETTE, a band that is kind of inspired by the Visual Kei scene as it is said in their biography. I have to warn not to do the same mistake with me and look at the band's photos prior to the album listening. Yes, they have these annoying almost Emo looks that will definitely remind you of the band TOKIO HOTEL (if you don't know them then trust me and keep it that way).
Fortunately, their music keeps a safe distant from that entire Emo bizarre scene (I am trying to be politically correct here by not saying gay or crap scene). Their initial idea was to mix all that Japanese aesthetics to the Gothenburg sound. The songs are pretty aggressive with screaming vocals that in some point sound too distorted for my ears. Despite their intentions to bring the Swedish Metal sound in their compositions you will find it difficult to discover melodic or even catchy guitar riffs apart from the obvious Parasite and To Make Men. The drums especially in Release share the same atmosphere with that used in the latest METALLICA album Saint Anger. The album is not bad and actually features some good ideas with the strange electronic sounds as heard in songs like Flies or Burn Me (see the video below). There is an IN FLAMES vibe in MARIONETTE's music that kind of convinced me not to leave them on the Apothetae where Spartans left the defective or weak babies to die. Indeed, I could find myself  get into some headbanging during the groovy Dead Boys and Girls or the riff driven  Black Hand. The album closer This Is The End is the best of the 12 tracks where there are some very good guitar leads, some nice melodies and some interesting keyboard work.
I think that MARIONETTE deserve some credit for trying to create their own sound and in some point they have succeeded. Of course, they need additional work to clarify their sound and also to decide whether they need the extreme looks to attract the fans attention. As I said in the beginning first listen and then look; I mean it guys, you will be prejudiced against them and this is not a politically correct way, or is it?