ANGHERR SHISSPA

Koenjihyakkei is one of those bands I really don't feel it's fair for me to review. I'm such a big fan of everything I've heard from them (and from Yoshida Tatsuya's other projects, such as Ruins, Korekyojinn, The World Heritage, Daimonji, etc). This was the first album I listened to the whole way through by these guys (though if I remember right I ordered them all at once, so I'm about equally familiar with all four). It's one of their three which I would rate at the very least a 4.5/5. This album starts off with two of what I consider to be the best songs the band has ever recorded, "Tziidall Raszhisst" and "Rattims Freizz". There are a couple tracks on their earlier albums which trump those two, but this is probably my favorite album overall. The bass on this album is generally incredible, and Komori Keiko's reeds playing is wonderful. No need really to mention Yoshida's drumming - it's a pretty widely known fact that I'm a big fanboy of his sound/style, which is probably one of the first things that drew me to the band.

A word of warning here for the uninitiated, though; if you're not a fan of the two sample tracks currently available here on the band's PA page, I'd advise you to stay away from the band. The vocals are a big turnoff for a lot of listeners, as they're not exactly the most conventional in the world. If you do enjoy those two tracks, though (especially "Rattims Freizz") I definitely recommend checking this album out, and eventually the band's other three as well.

Not to be missed by fans of crazy instrumental interplay and bizarre vocals. As of right now, I'd tentatively call this one of the best albums of the Japanese Zeuhl scene.