Boris
Pink
DISCLAIMER: This is a review of the version of this album released by Southern Lord Records. Your song titles/track lengths may vary. Check Wikipedia!
[Genre: Stoner Rock / Sludge Metal]
Boris, as a band, is hard to categorize. Hailing from Japan, this trio has an extensive discography of almost 20 albums in a career lasting over a decade. Comprised of Atsuo (drums/backing vocals), Wata (lead guitar, being a girl; a girl that rocks), and Takeshi (bass, lead vocals), their musical output is amazingly varied. Ranging from stoner rock to sludge metal to raw drone/noise, each album is different. Pink, the subject of this review, is much more accessible than anything the band has released before. It's straight up in-your-face rock, with influences from the legendary Japanese band Guitar Wolf, mixed with epics full of feedback and dense sound effects. Enough chatter, onto the review.
1. Farewell @ 7:33
An amazing opener. Beginning with gentle guitar noodling, space echoes and solid drumming from Atsuo, something about this song just grips you from the get-go. Then out of nowhere, BAM. An immense amount of feedback and distortion slaps you in the face. Takeshi's vocals are beautiful. Slow drumming and multitracked guitars in the background really add to the atmosphere of this song. It's extremely hard to describe the feeling I get whenever I hear this song. It's just so perfectly executed, incredibly dense... a wonderful song. It's hard for something so heavy and noisy to be so beautiful. But Boris pulls it off. Perfectly. It's hard to pick out any certain element of the song that is a highlight. Everything just meshes perfectly together. I guess the vocals grab my attention, and I don't even speak Japanese.
2. Pink @ 4:20
Wait... is this even the same album? Immediately jump into breakneck riffing and a fucking amazing drum performance from Atsuo. Wata keeps things fresh all the way through this song, somewhat reminiscent of "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix. The vocals and drums are really feeling eachother throughout the whole song, which is something I always dig. Sometimes I wonder how Boris manages how to go from a beautiful atmospheric piece of music like "Farwell" and immediately go into high gear with some sort of stoner rock/speed metal love child like the title track... and make it work. This song really makes me reach for the volume knob, but unfortunately I have to restrain myself due to my tinnitus. Fuck you, tinnitus. Fuck you and your whole goddamn family.
3. The Woman On The Screen @ 2:38
Even more :metal: and :awesome: than the last track. Most metal bands dream of being able to make riffs like Wata, the main riff on this song is nuts. Again, amazing drumming from Atsuo. This song is a real headbanger, and probably the first song I'd send to someone trying to get into Boris. Pure energy. And it doesn't feel short. It's just long enough!
4. Nothing Special @ 2:18
Not my favorite on the album. Atsuo isn't the best singer. A bit too much distortion for my tastes. The left channel sort of scratches at your ears like a chalkboard, while the right channel has a riff somewhat reminiscent of the last song. This song is, well, nothing special.
5. Blackout @ 4:49
This track isn't very solid either. Sort of makes you think "oh, sweet, 3 good songs then the rest of the album is mediocre". Just keep listening. This song doesn't really go anywhere. Just a little under five minutes of feedback. Don't stop yet. Wait for it... wait for it.. waaaaaaaait for it...
6. Electric @ 1:45
FUCK YEAH. This song kicks ass. For some reason I really enjoy Atsuo hitting wood blocks in the background. It just really goes well with the driving bassline and lightning-fast riffing. Not much else can be said about this short track. It's just a reminder that Boris hasn't exhausted itself yet, and the rest in the album has you in for a real treat.
7. Pseudo-Bread @ 4:30
I love the vocals on this song. Rise/fall, good backing vocals from Atsuo, just a great song. I love the wall of fuzz ending. Boris pulls it off well.
8. Afterburner @ 4:22
Really nice groove here. This is straight up stoner rock. Sweet studio effects, vocals, and handclaps. I have no idea what they're singing about, but it probably has something to do with drugs. The handclaps really add something to the music, along with Takeshi's repeating "fu fu fu" vocal, and Wata's almost hypnotic guitar lines. Like in my last review, I really get the impression that these three musicians really know what the fuck the others are doing. Definitely a standout track. I'm going to listen to this next time I get baked, or my name isn't Sanders.
9. Six, Three Times @ 2:53
Another great track. The best part is the textural shift; how the drums completely overtake the bass and vocals. It's just a great effect. Wish there was more Wata in this track though. Still great, regardless. Something about Takeshi's vocals really just grab me. He's not particularly talented, doesn't have the biggest range, but they're just perfect for the music.
10. My Machine @ 2:01
The finale. The penultimate track. Silence, leading into the most gentle part of the album: soft drums and a kind-yet-authoritative, pulsating guitar part. Leading to...
11. Just Abandoned My-Self @ 10:14
HELLO. THIS is the best song of 2005 for me, period. Fucking insane drumming way in the background, covered by heavily layered vocals, ambient spillage, and god only knows how much feedback and distortion from Wata's guitar. I actually had this song stuck in my head, and it's over ten minutes long. I am listening to it as I write this, and having an eargasm. A real life eargasm. I can't describe much more of the song. It's just pure awesome. 100% awesome. Whenever this song comes on, I just lean back, close my eyes, and wonder how these three nuts from Japan came up with such perfect music. If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, it would be a tossup between this and one of Chopin's Ballades. Yes, I just compared some Japanese sludge metal band to Chopin.
Conclusion: 9.5/10. If you don't like this album, I hate you. It's as simple as that. Never talk to me again.
Three tracks from the album are available on these two pages:
http://www.myspace.com/borisband
http://www.myspace.com/akumanoboris
if you can't see this, don't ask
Pink
DISCLAIMER: This is a review of the version of this album released by Southern Lord Records. Your song titles/track lengths may vary. Check Wikipedia!
[Genre: Stoner Rock / Sludge Metal]
Boris, as a band, is hard to categorize. Hailing from Japan, this trio has an extensive discography of almost 20 albums in a career lasting over a decade. Comprised of Atsuo (drums/backing vocals), Wata (lead guitar, being a girl; a girl that rocks), and Takeshi (bass, lead vocals), their musical output is amazingly varied. Ranging from stoner rock to sludge metal to raw drone/noise, each album is different. Pink, the subject of this review, is much more accessible than anything the band has released before. It's straight up in-your-face rock, with influences from the legendary Japanese band Guitar Wolf, mixed with epics full of feedback and dense sound effects. Enough chatter, onto the review.
1. Farewell @ 7:33
An amazing opener. Beginning with gentle guitar noodling, space echoes and solid drumming from Atsuo, something about this song just grips you from the get-go. Then out of nowhere, BAM. An immense amount of feedback and distortion slaps you in the face. Takeshi's vocals are beautiful. Slow drumming and multitracked guitars in the background really add to the atmosphere of this song. It's extremely hard to describe the feeling I get whenever I hear this song. It's just so perfectly executed, incredibly dense... a wonderful song. It's hard for something so heavy and noisy to be so beautiful. But Boris pulls it off. Perfectly. It's hard to pick out any certain element of the song that is a highlight. Everything just meshes perfectly together. I guess the vocals grab my attention, and I don't even speak Japanese.
2. Pink @ 4:20
Wait... is this even the same album? Immediately jump into breakneck riffing and a fucking amazing drum performance from Atsuo. Wata keeps things fresh all the way through this song, somewhat reminiscent of "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix. The vocals and drums are really feeling eachother throughout the whole song, which is something I always dig. Sometimes I wonder how Boris manages how to go from a beautiful atmospheric piece of music like "Farwell" and immediately go into high gear with some sort of stoner rock/speed metal love child like the title track... and make it work. This song really makes me reach for the volume knob, but unfortunately I have to restrain myself due to my tinnitus. Fuck you, tinnitus. Fuck you and your whole goddamn family.
3. The Woman On The Screen @ 2:38
Even more :metal: and :awesome: than the last track. Most metal bands dream of being able to make riffs like Wata, the main riff on this song is nuts. Again, amazing drumming from Atsuo. This song is a real headbanger, and probably the first song I'd send to someone trying to get into Boris. Pure energy. And it doesn't feel short. It's just long enough!
4. Nothing Special @ 2:18
Not my favorite on the album. Atsuo isn't the best singer. A bit too much distortion for my tastes. The left channel sort of scratches at your ears like a chalkboard, while the right channel has a riff somewhat reminiscent of the last song. This song is, well, nothing special.
5. Blackout @ 4:49
This track isn't very solid either. Sort of makes you think "oh, sweet, 3 good songs then the rest of the album is mediocre". Just keep listening. This song doesn't really go anywhere. Just a little under five minutes of feedback. Don't stop yet. Wait for it... wait for it.. waaaaaaaait for it...
6. Electric @ 1:45
FUCK YEAH. This song kicks ass. For some reason I really enjoy Atsuo hitting wood blocks in the background. It just really goes well with the driving bassline and lightning-fast riffing. Not much else can be said about this short track. It's just a reminder that Boris hasn't exhausted itself yet, and the rest in the album has you in for a real treat.
7. Pseudo-Bread @ 4:30
I love the vocals on this song. Rise/fall, good backing vocals from Atsuo, just a great song. I love the wall of fuzz ending. Boris pulls it off well.
8. Afterburner @ 4:22
Really nice groove here. This is straight up stoner rock. Sweet studio effects, vocals, and handclaps. I have no idea what they're singing about, but it probably has something to do with drugs. The handclaps really add something to the music, along with Takeshi's repeating "fu fu fu" vocal, and Wata's almost hypnotic guitar lines. Like in my last review, I really get the impression that these three musicians really know what the fuck the others are doing. Definitely a standout track. I'm going to listen to this next time I get baked, or my name isn't Sanders.
9. Six, Three Times @ 2:53
Another great track. The best part is the textural shift; how the drums completely overtake the bass and vocals. It's just a great effect. Wish there was more Wata in this track though. Still great, regardless. Something about Takeshi's vocals really just grab me. He's not particularly talented, doesn't have the biggest range, but they're just perfect for the music.
10. My Machine @ 2:01
The finale. The penultimate track. Silence, leading into the most gentle part of the album: soft drums and a kind-yet-authoritative, pulsating guitar part. Leading to...
11. Just Abandoned My-Self @ 10:14
HELLO. THIS is the best song of 2005 for me, period. Fucking insane drumming way in the background, covered by heavily layered vocals, ambient spillage, and god only knows how much feedback and distortion from Wata's guitar. I actually had this song stuck in my head, and it's over ten minutes long. I am listening to it as I write this, and having an eargasm. A real life eargasm. I can't describe much more of the song. It's just pure awesome. 100% awesome. Whenever this song comes on, I just lean back, close my eyes, and wonder how these three nuts from Japan came up with such perfect music. If I could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, it would be a tossup between this and one of Chopin's Ballades. Yes, I just compared some Japanese sludge metal band to Chopin.
Conclusion: 9.5/10. If you don't like this album, I hate you. It's as simple as that. Never talk to me again.
Three tracks from the album are available on these two pages:
http://www.myspace.com/borisband
http://www.myspace.com/akumanoboris
if you can't see this, don't ask
