Re:O “Marionette” – single review

There is something truly special about Re:O’s newest single “Marionette”. I’m a big fan of everything they do and each song they put out is a real masterpiece. The British – Japanese – Italian quartet are incredibly dedicated to their craft and they wouldn’t dare to release a track they didn’t think was their best yet. Whatever their personal highly set bars seem to be, “Marionette easily soars above them all. Just like “Ronin” previously, “Marionette” is in a completely different league, probably with the best selling artists like Hanabie, Band-Maid or Maximum the Hormone. Wait, am I trying to imply that the Berkshire based group just released a certified banger? I guess this is exactly what I’m trying to say.

I can hear some of our readers grinding their teeth in annoyance. It’s a big thing to compare an upcoming band to the established icons of what is now commercially known as kawaii metal – a genre combining European metal with American alternative rock and J rock/visual kei. We get this type of comments quite often on our social media – many readers think it is unfair to the young bands. How can they even go against the big rock stars with massive budgets and international booking agencies? This is, however, a failed reasoning in my opinion. Comparing a starting band to let’s say Baby Metal or Evanescence, is not a competition – it’s a compliment.

Also, there is very little difference between the A-listers and unsigned groups. Everyone started at the bottom, and frankly, starting bands are sometimes better, more original and willing to take bigger risks than the bands from Top 20 who have more to lose. Remember what hell unleashed online when Metallica released “St Anger” and that was about 20 years ago? It is a mere child’s play in comparison to the hordes of furious fans on TikTok these days. Unsigned bands are as good as the big names, more creative, more dedicated with less burden to carry. If Re:O had a financial backing of Bring Me The Horizon, then they would be on a world tour selling large venues right now. So, I’m going to be still comparing young bands to the established ones – not to pit bands against each other, but to showcase where they are, what music they play and where they could end up if they continue, but I digress.

“Marionette” is Re:O’s 11^th single and so far it has been described as “unforgettable”, “exquisite” and the band itself was called “the ones who refuse to stay in one sonic lane”. I think this is my favourite sentence that perfectly sums them up. The song “explores the way we deal with extreme stress, the changes we go through during this time and how often it can feel like we are not in full control of ourselves” states the band in their official statement about the track.

“Marionette” sits on the crossroads of many genres – Re:O’s are masters at creating versatile and rich genre-bending tracks. This time they have given us a cocktail of British power metal, alternative rock, emo, goth and industrial EDM with elements of Japanese rock. Italian born guitarist Alex Conti adds another layer of excellence, waiving in European precision and Italian sensitivity into Re:O’s sound. I can hear Nero Di Marte‘s experimental riffs and Klogr‘s melodic structure in his guitar work.

Japanese front woman, Rio Suyama brings the love for flair and drama to the table with her strong, brooding vocals and electrifying stage presence. She is also the group’s keyboard player that creates the eerie and dark atmosphere in their songs. The band’s rhythm section comes from two Brits: James Wright (bass) and Jay Stevens (drums). Their partnership is the foundation of RE:O musical prowess: the bass is low and buzzing, drums are steady but thunderous and both create a heavy and intense background noise that will please any fan of classic and prog rock. Nobody plays that combo like those who created it (the British) – thank you very much. Add it all up and you have a song that is perfectly measured, powerful and harmonic. It is also incredibly radio friendly – the chorus is so addictive, the song should come with a warning message. Once you start singing it, you will not be able to stop – and you won’t even care that half of the lyrics are in Japanese!

Standing at 3minutes and 42 seconds, “Marionette” brings the controlled chaos, confusion and uncertainty into mainstream allowing the quartet to reach new fans. The band is touring actively this year with shows booked in London (Comic Con, Hyper Japan), Bristol, Birmingham and Southampton. Rio admitted in her last interview that their schedule is always expanding, so keep your eyes open as the band might be playing your city next!

It’s worth adding that “Marionette” comes with the band’s debut video! The group is seen playing while being locked in some strange manor. The video directed by Simon Jackman already scored nearly 2k views on YouTube.

“Marionette” is a song like no other: dark, appealing and infectious – ladies and gents, we truly have a hit on our hands.