Restoration Level➝3 is the second studio album by T.M. Revolution. Released on February 21, 1997, under Antinos Records, it charted at No. 5 on the Oricon charts, selling over 369,440 copies.
Overview Following the lukewarm release of his debut album, T.M.R. would achieve recognition with the lead single off the album, "Heart of Sword 〜Yoake Mae〜". Released on November 11th, 1996, it served as the third ending theme for the anime series, Ruroni Kenshin. It reached number 16 on Oricon and charted for 46 weeks. The single would later be re-issued on March 25, 2009.
In an interview with "WHAT's IN?" magazine, he talked about the song's success, "I poured my heart and soul into singing it, and I believe that those feelings are definitely conveyed to the listeners."
Reception A review from CDJournal was positive, complementing T.M.R's vocals and the album's production.
Track listing All tracks written by Akio Inoue and produced by Daisuke Asakura.
Charts + Weekly chartsChart (1997)PeakpositionJapanese Albums (Oricon)5 +Year-end chartsChart (1997)PositionJapanese Albums (Oricon)66
Certifications +RegionCertificationCertified units/salesJapan (RIAJ)Platinum250,000
Release history +DateEdition(s)Format(s)LabelFebruary 21, 1997Standard Antinos RecordsJune 1, 2002Re-issueCDSony Music Entertainment JapanJune 1, 2016StandardDigital Download
Personnel Adapted from Liner notes booklet. Executive Producer: Daisuke Asakura Musicians: Tetsuya Katsuragi, Hisashi Shibata, Eiji Shirasu Recording Engineers: Yasuo Matsumoto, Motonari Sasaki, Masashi Goto Mixing Engineer: Yasuo Matsumoto Mastering Engineer: Sanichi Tanaka Director: Yuko Abe
References