Roman (album)

Moira
Studio album by Sound Horizon
Released Japan September 03, 2008
Genre Symphonic metal
Metal Opera
Label King Records
Sound Horizon chronology

Seisen no Iberia Roman
(2006)		 Moira
(2008)

Roman is the fifth story CD released by the fantasy band Sound Horizon. It was released on November 22, 2006 through King Records. From Roman Revo himself started singing in the songs. Katsura Yukimaru also made a manga inspirated by Roman under the same name.

Plot

Hiver Laurant died before he was born, and sends out the two dolls Violette and Hortense to show him the stories of the world he was never born into.

1. 朝と夜の物語 (Asa to Yoru no Monogatari - The Story of Morning and Night) Roman's prelude, in which Hiver Laurant wonders about the meaning of himself and of the world to which he should have been born. Thus he orders his two marionettes, Violette and Hortense, to begin searching for "Roman" of his life while he watches over them using a scarlet-colored jewel.

2. 焔 (Honoo - The Flame) This song is about Hiver's funeral and how they buried him together with the two marionettes, Violette and Hortense. The funeral lasted from daybreak till twilight, through which the course of time flew by endlessly. As night passes by, morning comes again. In this song, the kanji 『焔』 is sung as both "honoo" (flame) and "hikari" (light).

"独りで寂しくないように　『双児の人形』を傍らに 小さな棺の揺り籠で　目覚めぬ君を送ろう 歓びに揺れたのは『紫色の花』　哀しみに濡れたのは『水色の花』 誰かが綴った此の詩を　生まれぬ君に贈ろう……" "So that you shall not feel lonely, I put the two marionettes next to you Inside this little casket, I send them to you, my child who shall never awaken Violet flower is swinging the cradle of happiness, Hortensia flower is soaked in tears of sadness. This song composed by somebody from the old times, I send it to you, my child who was never born..."

3. 見えざる腕 (Miezaru Ude - The Unseen Arm) A story about two men both named Laurant, one with blond hair and one with red hair. During a battle, red-haired Laurant severed blond-haired Laurant's arm. Blond-haired Laurant sworn that he would avenge this, but he simply couldn't find himself a job to work for, and was always ached by his body's injure. His mind almost turned to a beast's, he even beat his pregnant wife. Till one day the wife said "I love you, but you are not worthy of being a father for our child" and she left.

One day blond-haired Laurant found red-haired Laurant in a local bar. He unsheathed his sword, and was about to kill him when he saw red-haired Laurant was drunk, and had lost an eyes (something that happens often on battlefields). That's when he realized that they both were living meaningless lives. But when blond-haired Laurant was standing there, a young man named Laurencin appeared and stabbed red-haired Laurant using a black sword. Blond-haired Laurant couldn't do anything but observing everything. He then eventually realized that his arm being cut off had its own meaning as well.

4. 呪われし宝石 (Norowareshi Houseki - The Cursed Jewel) There existed a 30-carat diamond named "Reine Michèle" (Queen of Death Michèle). This jewel always curse its owner by evoking human greed. It had passed through countless owners and being stolen countless times.

There was a man named Hiver, presumably related to Hiver Laurant. He left home to the mines in order to find something valuable enough for his sister, Noël to be wed. But, right when Hiver dug up the diamond, while holding the jewel in his hands and trembling in happiness, he was hit over the head by the owner of the mine. He died immediately, and the mining crew killed each other for the diamond. Noël, seemingly unaware of what happened, refused to marry just to wait for her brother, who would never again have a chance to come back.

5. 星屑の革紐 (Hoshikuzu no Kawahimo - The Leash of Stardust) Etoile (whose name means "star" in French) is a blind little girl. One day, her father brought home a black dog named Pleut ("rain" in French), who would be her lifetime friend (it's a kind of guide dog for blind people). They lived together happily as a real family till one day, Pleut became so old, weak and couldn't even move. Etoile cried so much because she knew it was dying, but from Pleut's frozen cold body she could feel a warmth. She recognized that the dog was pregnant, and would soon give birth to many more little puppies.

6. 緋色の風車 (Hiiro no Fuusha - The Scarlet Windmill) A couple was escaping from their home, ravaged by war. Quickly pursued, they ran into the forest. The pursuers were able to catch up to them and take the girl. The boy ran away without her, her frightened eyes burning into his memory. The boy, regretting his actions, promises to stay by her side to the end if they were to be reborn.

While it is never stated who the boy is, it is implied that he is a younger Laurencin, the man who would come and kill the red haired Laurant.

7. 天使の彫像 (Tenshi no Chouzou - The Sculpture of Angel) Auguste Laurant is a famous artisan, and his last creation was an angel sculpture. He took inspiration from his deceased wife who had died when giving birth to their child. Auguste couldn't overcome such great loss, that's why he sent his child into an orphanage and sworn that they would never meet again. But in the end he couldn't take it, and he often secretly entered the orphanage just to be able to hear the innocent laughters of the children.

8. 美しきもの (Utsukushiki Mono - Beautiful Things) A girl was singing about her deceased little brother. According to her singing, the meaning of "being born" is to come to this world to search for "beauty" and the meaning of "death" is also to depart to another world to search for "beauty."

The "beauty" she was singing is the peaceful sceneries of her village, and the colors of each season that passed by. Her pure singing voice and her bright harmonica sound would forever continue her little brother's song.

The deceased little brother's name is Laurant.

9. 歓びと哀しみの葡萄酒 (Yorokobi to Kanashimi no Budoushu - The Wine of Joy and Sadness) Loraine de Saint-Laurent is the daughter of a noble family traditionally manufacturing grape wine. However, she fell in love with a servant whose name she didn't even know. Meanwhile her stepmother only cared about fashions and banquets, and didn't care at all about the family's future. To ensure the family's future, Loraine's father arranged a marriage between her and an even richer family. Unable to stand that, Loraine and her servant arranged an escape but they were caught. The servant was killed right away.

Back at home, Loraine escaped again, and on the way she found the person who killed her lover, and killed him. Since then, she spent the rest of her life taking care of the grape trees just like what her loved servant had done.

10. 黄昏の賢者 (Tasogare no Kenja - The Sage of Twilight) This song is about an encounter between Chloe, a young woman troubled over deciding whether or not to give birth, and a mysterious nobleman named "Savant" ("sage" in French). Savant's real name was Christophe Jean-Jacques Saint-Laurent. He gave her many hard-to-understand advices that were as mysterious as himself. Those advices are the key to solve Roman's "Dark" side. Could it be because twilight is the moment between Light and Darkness, and thus Savant is a wise man who stands in this interval and understands everything about all Roman regardless of "Light" and "Dark" sides?

"As the "Windmill" keeps revolving, quietly weaving "Beautiful" illusions Under the flickering "Flame" those fools who extended their "Arms" Trying to seize the "Jewel" but then kept wandering in the interval of "Morning and Night" Even though the "Stardust" glitters, the "Wine" continues to invoke people into its intoxicated dream From the cage in which the "Sage" escapes, the true meaning of the "Message" is being questioned As the "Angel" sings farewell song, the Fifth Roman will be explained by the "Horizon""

11. １１文字の伝言 (11 Moji no Dengon - The 11-letter Message) There are two explanations for this song. It could be about a mother singing for her deceased son, or about a mother who is already dead after giving birth to her son. Nevertheless, the setting is the same - a cold Winter morning ("Hiver" means "Winter" in French).

This song is the key to solve Roman's "Light" side.

Track listing

All tracks composed and arranged and lyrics written by Revo.

  1. "Story of day and night" (Asa to yoru no Roman)
  2. "Flame" (Honoo)
  3. "The Invisible Arm" (Miezaru Ude)
  4. "The Cursed Jewel" (Norowareshi Houseki)
  5. "The Leash of Stardust" (Hoshikuzu no Kawahimo)
  6. "The Crimson Windmill" (Moulin Rouge/Hiiro no Fusha)
  7. "Sculpture of an Angel" (Tenshi no Chouzou)
  8. "Beautiful things" (Utsukushiki Mono)
  9. "The Wine of Joy and Sorrow" (Yorokobi to Kanashimi no Budoushu)
  10. "Sage of Twilight" (Tasogare no Savant)
  11. "11-lettered message (11-moji no Dengon)

Personnel

Band Members