ECHOES OF THE END RELEASE DATE SERIES

With drums that stutter and slice more like Trent Reznor than Tricky, 'Initiation' handily defines what separates the Weeknd from other R&B acts, folding in the post-punk influences, the industrial touches, and that oddly alluring menace into four minutes of captivating hell. 'cause all we ever do is love.' It's transparently deceptive, and it slips into 'Initiation', a cringe-inducingly detailed tale of drug-fueled kidnapping and gang-rape told through the part-grunted, part-rapped exhortations of an inhuman goblin.

Album centerpiece 'XO / The Host' is a stomach-turning tale of corruption and coercion, featuring one of the record's most uncomfortable moments: After Tesfaye sings of reducing some nameless girl to destitution, the beat goes quiet as he self-satisfyingly mocks, 'And if they won't let you in/ You know where to find me. With a clearer and less obtuse narrative arc than Thursday, the album finds his snaky, manipulative persona at its most blatantly corrosive. In lyrical terms, Echoes of Silence is Tesfaye's strongest work. And his conversational intonation emphasizes the lingering threat that underlies every lyric. The slinky, spectral 'Montreal' is the closest thing to a pure pop song Tesfaye has written since 'What You Need'.

The songwriting is tighter and more streamlined. Where House of Balloons was a debut tour-de-force, and Thursday an arduous journey into the internal turmoil of a self-loathing narcissist, Echoes of Silence exudes a brazen, animalistic confidence: The production is impeccable but never showy. The ease with which Tesfaye can shock and awe listeners at this point feels like something of a victory lap. It's an audacious intro even for an artist whose output has already stretched lyrical and musical themes to depraved extremes. Paired with the voiced dialogue, the rich personalities of your most loyal companions and fiercest enemies are brought to life, so you can fully immerse yourself in this quest to discover the LuminaryвЂ™s true heritage and awaken your power.Well, it turns out Tesfaye isn't out of surprises: As his fans now know, opening track 'D.D.' stands for 'Dirty Diana', and Tesfaye channels the King of Pop with an eerily accurate vocal facsimile. Like all past DRAGON QUEST games, this oneвЂ™s character designs are based on the signature style of famed artist Akira Toriyama.

ECHOES OF THE END RELEASE DATE SERIES

Complete the tale with new character-focused stories, and travel to past DRAGON QUEST worlds!ДЄcross the land, youвЂ™ll meet the mysterious Tockles-creatures that allow you to visit 2D, 16-bit versions of areas from popular entries in the series like DRAGON QUEST IV and DRAGON QUEST VIII! ItвЂ™s fun to see these classic worlds reimagined in retro style, meshing perfectly with the main gameвЂ™s 2D mode. Forge gear, develop party membersвЂ™ skills, and alter their outfits without changing gear in this edition of the game! This version also lets you ride and attack with monsters on the field to earn experience points, as well as change between HD or 16-bit visuals, symphonic or synth music, and English or Japanese audio. With a ragtag band of adventurers, youвЂ™ll engage in well-balanced, turn-based battles and embark on quests across the kingdom of Erdrea. You are the Luminary, the hunted hero who will protect the land from destruction in the latest RPG from the iconic DRAGON QUESTВ® series.

Echoes of the end release date