Jesu has added experimental metal band Yakuza to a few of their US shows in support of the new Yakuza album, Transmutations. Yakuza’s music is described as “a metal base with progressive flair, while somehow also incorporating elements of jazz, world beat, and post-rock ambience” and “psychedelic elements alongside stretching, doomy movements and the band’s trademark jazz-influences, while also incorporating breakneck grind riffs and grooves at the same time.” With that many different elements coming together in such a fluid and evolving sound, you can see why I would refrain from trying to describe them in my own words! This one place where I will let the PR people figure it out… I really like their music though. It’s extreme to say the least, but with very classical elements. Almost like post-rock band Do Make Say Think if you played their music at 78 rpm…
Prosthetic Records released the new album from Yakuza last week and you can listen to “Praying For Asteroids” and “Egocide” on Yakuza’s metal $pace. The album was recorded by Sanford Parker, who the band had worked with on their previous album. Yakuza said that Parker was “great to work with,” with frontman Bruce Lamont stating:
We really feel he has refined his craft over the past half a dozen recordings he’s done. He’s known the band for a long time and helped with our last release, so he is already aware of our studio tendencies. With him the process felt almost effortless.
Transmutations Album Art
Transmutations Tracklist
1. meat curtains
2. egocide
3. congestive art-failure
4. praying for asteroids
5. raus
6. steal the fire
7. the blinding
8. existence into oblivion
9. perception management
10. black market liver
11. zombies
The Onion AV Club reviewed the album and described it thus:
Though the group has a vocalist, Bruce Lamont, who doubles on reeds, and though it has the clout to snag legendary free-jazz percussionists Hamid Drake and Michael Zerang, it still loads Transmutations with atmospheres that are neither jazz nor psychedelia nor Neurosis-esque post-metal, but a cataclysmic collision of all three.
The band will play material off this album, as well as their 2006 release Samsara. You can listen to “Cancer of Industry” on their metal $pace as well as “Chicago Typewriter from their 2002 release Way of the Dead.
Tour dates thus far:
Sept 22 2007 EMPTY BOTTLE Chicago, Illinois w/ Zoroaster and Withered
Oct 28 2007 THE PICADOR Iowa City, Iowa w/ Jesu and Torche
Oct 29 2007 POP’S Saguet, Illinois w/ Jesu and Torche
Oct 30 2007 THE BOTTLENECK Lawrence, Kansas w/ Jesu and Torche
Oct 31 2007 MARQUIS THEATRE Denver, Colorado w/ Jesu and Torche
European and Canadian shows are in the works and will be announced when they are confirmed.
Yakuza’s Samsara Is Re-Issued On Eyes of Sound
The UK record label, Eyes of Sound, announced today that they are re-releasing Samsara as a limited edition gatefold album with 180g vinyl. Only 500 copies will be produced and they are available for pre-order now. Samsara will be available worldwide on October 20th. This album features guest appearances by the pianist Jim Baker and the cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm as well as multi-instrumentalist (and producer of their newest album) Sanford Parker, plus Mastadon’s Troy Sanders! The new Samsara package also includes an exclusive remix of “Back to the Mountain” by James Plotkin - a man who has made his mark on experimental metal with bands like Khanate, Sunn O))), Earth, Scorn, KK Null, to mention only a few.
Die Monitr Bats
If you like this kind of speed-metal/furious jazz fusion, you definitely need to check out Die Monitr Bats. They are a west coast US band that does a similar thing with saxophone, drums, guitar and screams. They opened for Numbers on tour a few years back and have been rocking underground warehouse shows for years. I honestly don’t know if they are still together, or if they have created a new incarnation these days. But nonetheless, they have some releases out on 7″ so if you see one, grab it and give it a listen. Two of my faves are the split 7-inches - one with Matmos on the flip side and one with Sissy Spacek.
Links
Yakuza metal $pace
Prosthetic Records
For loads more info about Yakuza, check out the press release on Solid PR’s blog.
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