Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

Review by DamoXt7942
Collaborator Psych/Space Team

I've seen a real avant-jazz band in Japan playing flexibly.

What a tensive and unequivocal but enjoyable and relaxed play they could give to us! Now the more and more I listen to the live work, the stronger and stronger my impression and amazement can be. At first listen to it! The sharp saxophone sounds can tell us all about the album. Their music style is basically jazzy, funky, freaky, and free-formed one, with complex and improvisatory rhythm and play. Really...really we should be fallen into their battles with a saxophone, guitars, and percussion - especially the rhythm section can make all sounds twisted and sharp-edged but strict and steady...have the key role I consider! Indeed there are lots of 'big waves' with alternative beats (so difficult for the outfit to play, harmonize strictly and steadily), but on the stage they could build the songs up freely, naturally. Wanna say, you can't believe this work be of some of their live performances, can you? I'm sure this recording condition should be quite good with heavy and clear instrumental sounds and, on the other hand their skill of playing should be beyond expression. Their intention and purpose - they should kick the core or medulla of avant-jazz rock deeply into our brain - can move and blow us away without any stop.

Although we may not have notice this be a live album without applause between some songs, let me say that the audience should be an invisible (inaudible?) instrument and also the audience could make the songs with the band together. Otherwise, I guess this tension must not be born here.

Yes, this brilliant masterpiece could be born from the ground of the earth, without any artifacts or artifices.

Thanks vajrabrett for your fantastic input!

A keen hit of his piano opens the curtain of the AMYGDALA's Complex Combat show. Over 45 minutes you cannot breathe well, and your brain will be broken and melted down by lacking of oxygen and high fever of your passion. As above mentioned, the star of the show is Yoshiyuki, a keyboardist and a bassist. That is, he can play most of AMYGDALA's important roles. He writes all tracks and scripts, plays as not only the the leading actor but another supporting one. With hearing me saying that, you may assume that he should have the show all to himself... No! The important point is that two (plus one) other supporting member, a speedy and sharp guitarist Yoshihiro Yamaji, a strict and steady but much flexible drummer Daniel Jeand'heur, and a terrific KENSO's synth player Ken'ichi Oguchi (track 3 and 4) as a special guest. Such characteristic players can play together without blurring. Can you feel what a wonderful show this be? Oh yes, I could shout so in spite of myself hahhaha...

From start to finish, around the show is dark atmosphere. Not fuzzy or cloudy, but clearly and spiritually dark atmosphere, on it. The act one Double Army is a 12 minute scene without letting us feel the length. Absolutely dangerous keyboard and earachy guitar sounds with drums aggressively flunged can heat our mind and smash our brain to pieces. The sharp-edged darkness and painful killa flavour can remind us the sounds of King Crimson in the Starless And Bible Black era. I'm sure their play and stage should be with full of passion and full of coolness.

After the first act, we should be deeply sunk with the next one, without any short breath and teardrops. This Theatre Anatomy is a surrealistic pillow. Some dry coughs should mean what? The deeper we go backstage or inside of the theatre, the dustier the dressing rooms may be...? Very mysterious and spiritual world we can feel. The strings sounds in the middle part can make the backstage air itself more risky and more dangerous. Where will we go from now? I dunno, I'll never know!

Wow, we should be surprised at a Mole's Egg in the deeply underground theatre. What do this close-to-the-cliff keyboard shouts express? Should it show a mole baby born from the egg? How terribly the shouts be growling! It might kill us at a glance...how fearful! The scene is finished with heartbeat-confusing guitar squeaks. At last, a terrible beast has come here!

Ozy we can find from the title some mysterious stuffs in the stage and the scene. More improvised and more let-us-crazy style the actors can have and give to us. The magical world occupied with devils should get darker and more despaired, as the track be, I always feel. But not always there are killer sounds only but calm and solemn ones sometimes, though the result be same...dark and dangerous. This song and scene is the most improvised and wonderful one in this album and this show I consider.

The last scene Logos gets started with more rigorous and tougher sounds of keyboards and guitars. Well we are remarkably amazed at the star Yoshiyuki and the keyboard plays shining and getting sharper. Although the other instruments can make such an effort - the guitars are loud and impressive, and the drum and percussion are very strict and very serious - as hard as the star keyboard, they should be hidden behind the star player! The leading actor can play his role so gracefully but much violently. THIS IS AMYGDALA SHOW, YOU, BURN IT INTO YOUR EYES AND BRAIN OVER!

Sorry but I can't say anymore. Huh, I'm comfortably tired. And this show's highly recommended naturally!

P.S. This album was recommended to me by John Davie aka sinkadotentree. Thanks John!

We can't help discussing An Old Castle Of Transylvania suite at first when we talk about the debut album by COSMOS FACTORY. There are not any brilliant hope or happiness to live at all, but dark, painful and depressive ground and sky. Tsutomu Izumi was the songwriter of this suite - for the first listening, I wondered what he was aiming at. Again and again I've listened to it, and now I can realize he should draw the picture of his death, as a dark castle in the deep forest - which could not get any bright glimmer.

The first part Forest Of The Death is just right for the depressive story. Loud, heavy and repetitive sounds with keyboards, guitars and drums - slightly heavy symphonic style rather than psychedelic one - can exactly sound as if zombies shouting loudly get up and come here one after another! Particularly Tsutomu's keyboard sounds can remind us the darkest Sodom. Terrible...no, terrific ones! The Cursed has so melancholic voices and hearts. By the zombies, people should be cursed in the bloody river under the dead forest. Even if morning comes in the castle, and even if devils fall asleep, Darkness Of The World should be on...real morning will NEVER come into An Old Castle Of Transylvania, the last part of the suite. What a sadness, what a depression! We might not be saved anymore, might we?

Apologize for the discussion in reverse order... The first 5 short pieces are also great. With full of keyboard or mellotron sounds, almost all of Japanese rock bands in those days cannot play. Tsutomu's sensation can be shot absolutely with his another organ. Namely, the keyboard is his heart or his brain. Shinwa (Maybe) is a only song composed not by Tsutomu and (at least) I can feel this is also a only song with a hopeful development of life (though the lyric is about a lonely man - myself).

How can I explain about this great album? Heavily symphonic psychedelia? How do you feel? Please listen to it and let me know. :-)