VIXX Error Album Review

Because I sometimes have the attention span of a goldfish, I totally forgot that I wanted to review albums more often. It's a good thing that I was reminded about it or else I would have just let this go and never have though about it. Hooray for internet friends!



The first track on this EP is "Steel Heart" and it is an intro song. It's only about 50 seconds long, but it sets a nice tone for the rest of the album. The "song" starts and ends with what sounds like a mechanics shop and in between is a simple melody that is soon joined by heavy dubstep. It concludes with some heavy breathing as though something has been created during the short into. I think that it is a great way to introduce this album and the whole cyborg angle they are going for. It's almost like the album is being created in those 50 seconds and now we get to hear what came to life at the end. It also sounds like someone says fart during the song. Don't tell me you don't hear it as well.

Next comes out title song "Error" and I already talked about this extensively in my review of the MV so I don't have much to say about it now. It's still a great song and it is followed very cleanly by the next track "After Dark". There is so much happening in this song with the vocals, synths, dubstep, and other things that I don't have names for. This song actually makes me think of SHINee a little bit. I think it's because it has all the layers upon layers of sounds and that is something that I often attribute to SHINee songs.

This may be one of my favorite songs on the album, but I have to say that I don't love Ravi's part. I find it to be a little jarring. There is no build up to it, it just happens and I am not a fan of raps just suddenly happening in songs. I also don't think that the song really needed a rap. I felt that the singing complimented the insanity that was the background music better than Ravi's part. At the same time though, the more I listen to the song, the more it is growing on me.

We are finally given a break from all the synths with the next track "Youth Hurts" which is the required ballad on the album. Ever since the album started, it has been auditory overload with all the layers of sounds; this is the listener's chance to take a deep breath and listen to VIXX's vocals. Songs like this make me think that VIXX has a good future ahead of them because they can sing, especially Ken and Leo. Those two can wail their little hearts out and you know that this is a group that has no where to go but forward.

The break doesn't last for long, "Time Machine" brings us back to a faster tempo. This song reminds me a little of "G.R.8.U" and Ravi's rap makes me think of "Girls, Why?". I think one of VIXX's weaker points is because they spend so much time on these amazing edgy songs, their 'normal' songs are left behind a little. It's not a bad song, but there isn't really anything special about it either.

Titles like this next one makes my English teacher side cry, just spell out the word 'you'! It's not hard! "What U Waiting For" is the song that builds the bridge between the first two songs and the previous two songs. It is a step above the more relaxed sound of "Youth Hurts" and "Time Machine" but it is not as the same level of insanity as "Error" and "After Dark". There is also some vocal distortion used during the song as well which gives it a little something extra.

Ravi wrote and composed this whole song and I have to say that I am impressed. "Secret Night" was one of my favorite songs on the VooDoo album so I am glad to see Ravi once again making a really good song on his own.

Overall, this is a pretty good album. I'm not in love with it, but it's a good album. I liked that they carried the cyborg theme from beginning to end and that Ravi got to showcase his writing talents in the album. Like I said, VIXX is a group that is only going to continue to get better and I am excited to continue to listen to the music that they put forward.

~ Alora