NETTAI-URIN

They might make a cynical remark to the real world via this obscure album I guess, but actually this creation could have got to be another invention for Japanese avantgarde metal scene ... I cannot say anything large under my humble knowledge for progressive metal, though (sorry).

Their heavy bizarre trip gets started fully with making good use of sound effects, samplings, percussive kicks - the first track "1" will pick us up into a meditative world in the beginning, but don't be deceived. Our transcendental meditation can be broken into pieces easily by their deep, noisy guitar explosion regulated in a fuzzbox, aggressively erected runaway drumming, and loud voices / shouts along with Napalm-y or A.C.-y grindcore hints. Only through this mixed experiment we can realize what they should like to do upon this session (they say this was a live recording in a studio). What a hoot.

Basically, just as above, into this creation they might have squeezed various essence, phenomena ... including avantgarde, psychedelic, Kraut-ish experimental, grindcore-ish metal, post-punk, and percussive ethnic. Sometimes eccentric electric loudness and senseless violent words completely accelerate their madness deeply beneath altered states of mind ... the fourth one "4" can be called as advanced metal, and the following "5" or the most speedy metal "8" is obviously a psychedelic merry-go-round like Acid Mothers Temple or Speed Guru in Seikazoku, let me say.

On the other hand, cool, distorted experiments, with comfortable percussion based upon Orientalism and cheesy voices (lol), remind us something like Krautrock. Funky percussive jacuzzi "6" or the last percussion suite "9", the most challenging and the most innovative for me, notifies us they might have fallen into tribalism via the recording session. Not simply experimental progressive metal played but also they might make a profound Sprechchor with such a mixture of progressive music. However, even now, they don't call their creation "progressive" at all, but "Nettai-urin Sound" (that's it!). In my opinion, they must get proud of this splendid production. Bravo.

The album has no track titles and I can't understand any single word if the lyrics so I'll write about the music only.

Track 1. - My first impression with the winds and the Japanese voice was a remind to the Geinoh Yamashirogumi ensemble, but it's just for one minute. After this minute we have a noisy but hypnotic metal guitar and a "Uh!" repeated as a mantra, then cries and screams on what could be called a death metal base. And it's only a two minutes track.

Track 2 - A distorted rock guitar backed by bongos....the first that come to mind are Amon Duul. The lyrics appear to be in English, maybe. A noisy freak track full of Krautrock even in the most noisy part when the drums and the distorted guitar make it VERY noisy.

Track 3 - System Of A Down for the initial seconds then Black Sabbath with weird vocals instead of Ozzy, then noise again but on a hard-rock base. I read on Damo's review that the album has been recorded live. Effectively the improvisation is what gives the Krautrock mood to something that's essentially metal. Three tracks and I have said "noisy" "kraut" "metal" and "hard rock". That's why I say the band is hard to be classified, also at minute 5 of this track there's a hint of blues-rock, too.

Track 4 - An acoustic percussion start on which a heavily distorted bass (I think there's also a bit of chorus) adds the electrics. Then clean guitar and drums....this is psychedelia. This track reminds me of Hawkwind or a heavier version of Barrett. Seven minutes of madness for the first real highlight on which the speech is an essential component. Being this a less noisy track, it's easier to appreciate the technical skill of the individuals.

Track 5 - A jazzy theme "disturbed" by a very distorted bass. Progressing it becomes more psychedelic with the speech which reminds to Jimi Hendrix. I would have liked it more without the noise produced by the bass. Knowing that this album has been recorded in one shot it could also be a production mistake. A pity because this kind of acid blues is very good. The psychedelic mood increases until the noisy final.

Track 6 - Percussion and laughs. People got drunk in a jungle? Then glasses, somebody [&*!#]ting while reading a newspaper? It's not Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast, more similar to "Several Species..." from Ummagumma. It's hypnotic and let's say that the percussionist's skill is remarkable. Another track which comes to mind is "Our Song" from Waters and Geesin's "The Body". Also in this case the percussionist makes some noise by hitting his body with his hands. Ron Geesin is the best reference for this track, I think.

Track 7 - Very noisy. The first impression is of a death metal thing, but the singing is again reminding of out-of-head Amon Duul and the guitar sometimes plays a rock-blues in Hendrix style. I'm sure that the band has had a lot of fun recording this track.

Track 8 - Total noise. This track makes me think to Acid Mothers Temple. Listening carefully the rock-blues influence appears between the noise also in this track, and it's so good that's quite a pity that it's so hidden by the noise.

Track 9 - Is a 13 minutes percussion solo. A good one if you like the genre. Whoever likes the Palmer's solo on "Tank" or the New Trolls improvisations on the B side of Concerto Grosso wouldn't have problems with it.

Very enjoyable.