Thrash your brains out with this exceptional Japanese speedcore release. Full of ultrasonic quickness and metallic whines, GASTUNK rivets out three heavy barrages of good rhythms that are powerful and exciting. Featuring ex-EXECUTE singer Baki, GASTUNK does resemble a sound close to the EXECUTE, yet more metal guitar pieces. Really good stuff.
Totally mindblowing madness here from Japan. Raging speedcore thrusts out pile-driving chaotic leads and maniac raspy vocals, whose style is unique and adds character to the GASTUNK sound. Fast, maniac slices with some interspeed variations make this one of the hottest Japanese LPs since GISM.
Churning metal-punk, or perhaps even speed-metal, depending on where you draw the distinction. GISM are undoubtedly a heavy metal band who’ve been heavily influenced by hardcore, but the music is so intense and the vocals so ominous that even I’m in a state of shock. These guys make VENOM sound like the KNACK, especially on side one.
A three-song rockin’ all-female power-pop release. Two songs are more pop (a female RAMONES?), and one is a more moody post-punk tune. Good production, good record.
On the basis of their first two singles, I was expecting bouncy female vocal pop-punk with a great sense of personality. This set of tunes, however, veers into X-MAL DEUTSCHLAND territory with its sung vocals, slower tempos, and thinned out guitar sound. Too bad.
A three-song job, two of which are decent pop-punk with femme vocals, while the third has a bit more spunk, especially in the singing (cool choruses). Decent.
Too totally insane! Rapid polished of tight, well matched speedcore that charms with a quick, powerful shine. Reminiscent of GASTUNK with a hauling fury, this Japanese three-piece have combined all the right elements for the ultimate punch. Metallic bites whine as the music charged forth with a shrilling vocalist hurling lyrics outward.
Japanese skate metal thrash— what’s next? Well done, but all four songs are devoid of personality. I think Roger really likes them so they must shred.
Raging in a NYHC style, mixing metal and thrash along with ragged vocals, non-stop banging galore. Best song line: “Justice is like a dick’s hair on a toilet seat.”
Gut-crunching power thrusts a titanic wallop as the CLAY do their brand of Japanese hardcore. Fast, with enjoyable chord changes and strong leads, has metallic edges broken in with thrash punches; still, it screams with incredible bursts of energy. Potent lyrics on the political side. This is tasteful and scorches. Be sure to get this!
Totally intense! This band hits hard with a modern thrash style not unlike that of certain DC bands, in the sense that they are very tight and write songs with good hooks. (Jeff thinks they sound more like Holland’s AGENT ORANGE). Their powerful music is capped by great guitar work and the most aggressive, psychotic, ragged female screamer yet to appear on a punk record. Phew!
An exciting dose of live Japanese punk. This outfit has some potent riffs with hummable songs structures, but a studio recording of this material would be great. ZOLGE should be an exhilarating live band; the power on this record is raw and potent.
Interesting sound on this ZOLGE release, ultimately using the studio (a good one) to their advantage. A wall-of-sound rock/hardcore approach with much emphasis on the exceptional vocals that have plenty of interesting effects on them. This booms with well-produced power, different and enjoyable. A one-of-a-kind sound.
On ZOLGE’s third release, that unique wall of sound is gone, replaced with a catchy pop-punk flavoring, still not losing any potent harmonies. Strong instrumentation with tight vocals and good production make for a very sharp delivery. Has a current ’77-punk feel to it. Crafty stuff.
Professional punk that just barely maintains its roots after all the production and arrangements. Kind of like the Japanese equivalent of the DAMNED. Slightly better tunes appear on the 12″ of “Catholic Day.”
High-production punk like a lot of UK bands got in ’78 or so. Decent on both tracks with the power able to overcome the slickness.
