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Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
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Tracklist |
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01 - THEME OF JUNKHEAD vs TRASH BOY
02 - NEW TRUTH
03 - BURN UP THE CELL
04 - 脳内フリクション (Nounai Friction)
05 - HELL OR HEAVEN
06 - 煉獄XTC (Rengoku XTC)
07 - SUNBURST BROKEN
08 - I WANNA LIVE
09 - UNKNOWN SUICIDE
10 - LAST GASP |
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Review |
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When former cowpers vocalist/guitarist Takebayashi Gendo decided to form a new band under the pseudonym GGTRASH!!!! along with 200MPH drummer Hera (a.k.a. "junkhead herAx"), indie fans took notice. The later acquisition of ex-Number Girl bassist "quesso" BOY, known by most as Nakao Kentaro, only generated even more buzz as the band Spiral Chord spread the word of its exploits through a demo CD-R and live performances. Their first formal outing, Nounai Friction, carries on a few of the elements left from cowpers, but it sheds a lot of the weight left by the band's legendary predecessor to become leaner, meaner, and faster.
Raw and unabashed, Nounai Friction doesn't let up with its energy, one of the biggest differences between Spiral Chord and Takebayashi Gendo's former band. Whereas cowpers incorporated a multitude of different rock styles and was quite comfortable with slower songs that spanned as long as seven or more minutes, Spiral Chord keep songs moving with nary a slowdown in Hera's drums nor a song that reaches five minutes. The intentional underproduction only enhances the garage punk feel, as guitars are noisy, bass is boomy, and drum cymbals crash like a hammer hitting sheet metal. Songs like "Rengoku XTC" fly by before the atonal melodies have a chance to even sink in, belted out with rough abandon.
That being said, it's difficult to avoid hearing cowpers among some of the tracks in the album, a given considering Takebayashi was a strong voice behind both bands. Besides his distinctly scratchy vocals, Takebayashi's guitar brings nostalgia in spite of the fact that the arrangements aren't as intricately layered due to a single player. Sustaining as a three piece over cowpers' four piece setup was a smart move, as it allows members Hera and Nakao put in enough of their own touches to avoid being derivative. The chorus in "HELL OR HEAVEN" could have easily been taken from a cowpers song, but verses owe more to Nakao's pounding bass and simple, buzzsaw guitar chords.
It's easy to see that Spiral Chord is a different type of animal altogether from Takebayashi's former band cowpers, even when a few elements are shared between the two. The band's intensity and drive is on a whole nother level, and those "cowpers elements" only serve to differentiate Spiral Chord from other garage rock acts. Whereas cowpers is akin to a lion, strong and tough yet prone to move at its own pace, Spiral Chord is a lean cheetah always ready to pounce on its prey. Whichever cat one prefers is entirely left to the listener, but those looking for some driving hard garage rock should give Friction a spin. |
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