HELIOS

Release date

July 6, 2011

August 16, 2011 (Korean edition)

Label

King Records

Dope Entertainment Music Company (Korean edition)

Type

Single

Limited edition

This release has 2 different Limited edition versions. Type-A comes with the extra tracks Magnolia and Kizuna as well as a different version of the song Helios, ''Helios (A prayer to Helios ver.)'', which has an extended intro and outro. Type-B comes with no extra songs but it does come with a DVD with the music video for Helios as well as 5 alternative versions of the music video that focus on one band member individually (mutli-angle).

Originally these releases came with a random photocard ('another jacket'). There were six types (with the individual members or one group photo). There were various stores this release was sold at, the way the photocards were distributed differed per store. Details are in the trivia section. The photocard distribution took place in the first half of June.

Catalog number

KICM 91348 (limited edition) Type A
KICM 91349 (limited edition) Type B
KICM 1350 (regular edition)
DE 17132 (Korean edition)

Barcode

4988003406684  (limited edition) Type A
4988003406691  (limited edition) Type B
4988003406677 (regular edition)
8809053136832 (Korean edition)

Price
¥1, 050 (tax included) ¥1, 000 (tax excluded) (limited edition) Type A+B+Regular edition
₩16,500 (Korean editon)

Trivia

Comes with the B-side song Adult Children. 

Although commonly believed to be the band's first release with King Records, it is actually not! Abyss was.

A Korean edition was released as a combi CD with Abyss titled: Abyss ・ Helios SPECIAL EDITION. It comes with a special sticker set.

For promotional reasons, Matenrou Opera had a blog in Korean (updated by their Korean label) at the time.

Details on the photocard distribution per store were as follows:

Tower Records gave away chekis (polaroids, however I am not sure if they accidentally wrote chekis instead of photocards). If someone purchased all 3 variants of the Helios single together, they would receive 2 random chekis. There was no group photo, all chekis included one individual member.

JishubanCLUB gave away two photocards per CD, it was possible to get every single photocard by just buying all 3 variants of the single together. If you bought just one variant, the photocards were distributed as follows:

Limited version type A = group photo, individual photo A
Limited version type B = individual photo B+C
Regular edition = individual photo D+E

Zeal Link gave away two photocards per CD. There were six variants. The cards were randomized.

Disk Union gave away a postcard for every CD sold. It is unclear if there were different versions.

THE NACK5 TOWN gave away one photocard per CD sold. Again, it is unclear how many variations there were, if there were variations (I assume it is the same set of 6 photocards as with other stores).

Neo Wing gave away 2 large sized portraits (photocards I assume?) if all three variants of the single were purchased together. It is unclear if there were more than 2 different versions.

Puresound gave away two photocards per CD sold. It would include the group photo and then one of the 5 individual photos. As for the individual photos, it would be a random one.

Brand-X had a similar policy, but you needed to purchase all three variant CDs.

Like an Edison gave the group photo away if you bought only one copy. If you bought two copies together however you would get the set of 5 individual photos instead.

Little Hearts had the same policy as Like and Edison.

HMV on-line had a lottery you could enter if you bought all 3 copies together. 5 people would be announced the winner and would receive a Helios announcement poster with signatures. (I mean the kind of poster that would announce that there would be a new release, in this case Helios.)

The King Records E-shop gave away group photos as a photocard. They had a different one depending on which version of the release you purchased. Pictures are in the gallery below. Unfortunately I could not get any larger versions. They were also giving away a poster with preorders. It was a similar poster, but it wasn't signed.

On the King Records webshop for Matenrou Opera, they had the following text as a description for Helios. It speaks of the events of the Fukushima triple disaster that inspired the song's lyrics:

A Matenrou Opera style ''Hymn of life"
An unprecedented event occurred in early spring that made everyone shudder.

I think everyone ended up facing each other in a variety of circumstances and situations
"What it means to live..."
"The things we are facing right now..."
"Being forced to reflect upon what it means to be born..."
"And, whatever happens after this..."
while they were living their natural regular every day life.
It's plain and simple what is meant with words like "what will we do from now on... and, what can we do...".
It is what people felt in that moment under those circumstances, and the message they want to send.
Through those thoughts, our 1st single "Helios" came into being.
In this work, "Helios", Matenrou Opera release a firm performance and singing skill, along with a symphonic keyboard arrangement.
It's a sound brimming through solemness and intensity.
And the literary lyrics woven together by the vocalist Sono.
It has become a work that comebines all of these elements.

摩天楼オペラ的　「生命の讃歌」

誰しもが、おののきめいた初春におきた未曾有の出来事。

誰しもが、有り触れた日常という当たり前の生活・時間の中で

「生きるって事は…」

「いまを向き合うって事は…」

「生まれて来た意味さえも考えさせられた事…」

「そして、これからの事…」

様々な状況と局面に向かい会う事となったと思います。

「これから何を…そして、何が出来るんだろう…」言葉で言うのは容易です。

そんな状況下の中で、彼らがいまを感じ、そして伝えたいメッセージ。

そんな思いから、1st Single「Helios」が産声を上げました。

今作「Helios」では、摩天楼オペラが放す確かな演奏力と歌唱力、そしてシンフォニックなキーボードアレンジ。

重厚さと激しさの中に溢れるサウンド。

そして、ボーカル苑が紡ぎ出す文学的歌詞。

その全てを合わせ持つ作品となった。

As per usual, this release too came with a little flyer (image in the gallery below). Every version came with the same flyer with the following information about their then upcoming "Beyond the Helios" tour. It also had the same information as always about their fanclub, listing the prices of then as ¥3,500 for the annual fee and an additional ¥500 as a sign up fee.

2011.7.29（Fri）　ShinjukuBLAZE　OPEN/18:00 START/19:00 info. DISK GARAGE 03-5436-9600
2011.8.03（Wed）　NagoyaElectric Lady Land　OPEN/18:30 START/19:00 info. Zoom Enterprise 052-290-0909
2011.8.05（Fri）　OsakaFANJtwice　OPEN/18:00 START/19:00 info. Kyodo Information 06-7732-8888
2011.8.06（Thu）　OsakaFANJtwice　OPEN/17:00 START/17:30 info. Kyodo Information 06-7732-8888
Ticket fee: all standing　Presales¥3,675　/　On the day¥4,200　（tax included / beverage fee is separate）

2011.7.29（金）　新宿BLAZE　OPEN/18:00 START/19:00 info. DISK GARAGE 03-5436-9600
2011.8.03（水）　名古屋Electric Lady Land　OPEN/18:30 START/19:00 info. ズームエンタープライズ 052-290-0909
2011.8.05（金）　大阪FANJtwice　OPEN/18:00 START/19:00 info. キョードーインフォメーション 06-7732-8888
2011.8.06（土）　大阪FANJtwice　OPEN/17:00 START/17:30 info. キョードーインフォメーション 06-7732-8888
チケット料金：オールスタンディング　前売¥3,675　/　当日¥4,200　（税込・ドリンク代別）

Limited edition Type-A:

1. Helios (A prayer to Helios ver.)
2. マグノリア / MAGNOLIA
3. 絆 / Kizuna

Disc 1 (Limited edition Type-B):

1. Helios

Disc 2 (DVD) (Limited edition Type-B):

1. Helios

Regular edition:

1. Helios
2. Adult Children

Disc 1 (Abyss ・ Helios SPECIAL EDITION - Korean edition):

1. INDEPENDENT
2. もう一人の花嫁 / Mou Hitori no Hanayome (또 한 명의 신부)
3. frill
4. coal tar
5. Double Clutch
6. フタリ / FUTARI (두 사람)
7. Finale…

Disc 2 (Abyss ・ Helios SPECIAL EDITION - Korean edition):

1. Helios (A prayer to Helios ver.)
2. マグノリア / MAGNOLIA (매그놀리아)
3. Bonus Track 絆 / Kizuna (인연)

Vocal: 苑/Sono
Guitar: Anzi
Keyboards: 彩雨/Ayame
Bass: 燿/Yo
Drums: 悠/Yu

Produced by 摩天楼オペラ/Matenrou Opera

Arranged by 摩天楼オペラ/Matenrou Opera
Strings Arranged  by Susumu Ueda

Additional Musician: RUSH strings ( "Helios" )

Director: Shinya Yamada (KING RECORDS)

Recording & Mix Engineer: Shintaro Inoue (King Sekiguchidai Studio)
Recording & Mix Studio: King Sekiguchidai Studio

Mastering Engineer: Ken Shibusawa (King Sekiguchidai Studio)
Mastering Studio: King Sekiguchidai Studio

Drum - Tech: MASUO
Guitar - Tech: Kazutaka Minemori (Master Tone)

Musician Coordinator: Yoichi Yamauchi (HOT WAVE)

Promotion Planner: Shinya Aochi (KING RECORDS)
Sales Planner: Emiko Hosoda (KING RECORDS)

Art Direction and Design: Koji Yoda (Quan)
Graphic Design: Mayumi Hoshino (Quan)
Photographer: Susumu Miyawaki (PROGRESS-M)
Hair & Make Up: Mihoko Hatanaka (APT)
Stylist: Emi Takahashi (JELLY FISH)
Artwork Coordination: Takafumi Kitsuda (KING RECORDS) / Kiyomi Hashimoto (KING RECORDS)

Artist Management: Atsushi Takeda (Bellwood Records)
Management Desk: Aki Uemura (Bellwood Records)

Tour Manager: Makoto Sugimoto (BACK STAGE PROJECT)

Fan Club Staff: Masayuki Wada, Tomoyuki Maruyama, Tomiko Ishiyama  (Xarts)

Supervisor: Mayumi Kojima (delacroix) / Keiji Sugimoto (BACK STAGE PROJECT)

Executive Producer: Masato Asanuma(KING RECORDS) / Akira Fukuzumi (Bellwood Records)

Special Thanks: CLUB摩天楼
Soultoul | Combat | TAMA | EVANS drumheads | Marshall | Ex-pro | Roland | Zildjian
Sherow Artist Society

Very Special Thanks: All our fans

http://matenrou-opera.jp

DVD  Staff (Translator's note: this is only in the limited edition type-B)
Camera: Wataru Sekiguchi (MOCAL)
Light: Ryohey Watanabe (Office Doing)
Production Assistant: Kazuyasu Matasumoto (MOCAL) (Translator's note: this might just be a typo for Matsumoto)
Line Producer: Koichiro Nogawa (MOCAL)
Director: Jiei Mogi

King Records Co., Ltd. 1-2-3 Otowa Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 112-0013 Japan. http://www.kingrecords.co.jp

Korean version additions:

www.dopemusic.co.kr

Formed in 2007 by the vocalist Sono and drummer Yu, Matenrou Opera was created by combining the 'skyscraper' which symbolizes a modern city, and opera, a symbol of classical beauty, as reflected in the band's name. It is a band that pursues a symphonic sound with a basis in HR/heavy metal.

★Helios, the essense of the symphonic sound that resonates in Matenrou Opera

★Abyss, the song of the sun rising from the abyss.

★A special price for combining the two major debut EP and single especially for the Korean fans!

★Including first press limited bonus stickers

In December 2007, guitarist Anzi and keyboardist Ayame joined the band and made it what is it like today. They toured together. While the band is ever expanding their fanbase with a steady release schedule and live activities, they released their first full album ANOMIE in 2009 and held their first completely sold-out one-man show in July that same year at Akasaka BLITZ, Japan's largest, most prominent concert hall.

On May 6, 2010, Matenrou Opera announced their major debut at a concert commemorating their 3rd anniversary and released their major debut mini-album Abyss through KING RECORDS in December 2010, followed by their major debut July 2011. Their first single, Helios was released and ranked #16 on the Oricon Weekly chart. At last, this talented Visual Kei band Matenrou Opera's Korean special 2CD "Abyss+Helios" is coming to their Korean fans. (Text:RIHA)

2007년 보컬의 苑~sono~와 드럼의 悠~yu~를 중심으로 결성된 마텐로오페라는 현대의 도시를 상징하는 마천루와 고전적 양식미의 상징인 오페라를 결합하여 만든 밴드 명에서 알 수 있듯이, HR/헤비메탈을 기조로 심포닉 사운드를 추구하는 밴드이다.

★ 마천루를 울리는 심포닉 사운드의 정수 Helios

★ 심연에서 떠오르는 태양의 노래 Abyss

★ 메이저 데뷔 EP와 싱글을 한국팬들을 위해 합본 SPECIAL PRICE 책정 결정 !

★ 초도 한정 특전 스티커 수록

2007년 12월 기타의 Anzi와 키보드의 彩雨~Ayame~가 합류하여 지금의 모습이 되었고, 탄탄한 실력을 바탕으로 2008년 봄 비주얼계의 대표적 밴드인 Versailles와 함께 유럽 5개국 투어를 마쳤다. 꾸준한 음원 발표와 라이브 활동으로 팬 층을 넓혀가던 중, 2009년 첫 풀 앨범인 `ANOMIE`를 발표, 같은 해 7월 일본의 대표적 대형 공연장인 아카사카 BLITZ에서의 첫 단독공연을 매진시키며 최초의 ONE MAN 단독을 성황리에 마쳤다.

2010년 5월 6일, 결성 3주년 기념 라이브에서 메이저 데뷔를 발표한 마텐로 오페라는 2010년 12월 KING RECORDS를 통해 메이저 데뷔 미니앨범인 `Abyss`를 발표하고, 2011년 7월에는 메이저 데뷔 이후 첫 싱글인 `Helios`를 발매, 오리콘 위클리 차트 16위를 기록했다. 그리고 드디어, 실력파 비주얼계 밴드 마텐로오페라의 한국 특별반 2CD `Abyss + Helios`가 한국의 팬들을 찾아간다. [글:RIHA]


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