Koenji Hyakkei

Angherr Shisspa

Label: Magaibutsu/Skingraft Country: Japan

"Four years passed between the release of this album and Koenjihyakkei's previous effort, Nivraym. But no one can accuse bandleader Tatsuya Yoshida of resting on his laurels. In between recordings of Koenjihyakkei, his bombastic neo-zeuhl outfit, the drummer extraordinaire has broadened his experience by gigging with bands and musicians outside the rock idiom - including several recordings with avant-jazz pianist Satoko Fujii and concerts as the drummer for John Zorn's punk-jazz trio Painkiller. This broadened musical perspective is evident on Angherr Shisspa, Koenjihyakkei's first album to receive a U.S. release.

Unlike many other Magmaphiles and avant-prog fans, what Koenjihyakkei I have heard before this album (all but the elusive II) never really impressed me. There was plenty of intensity, to be sure, and lots of over-the-top, maximalistic aggression. But what charm there might have been was totally overrun by the onslaught of strident keyboards, wild vocals, and nonstop drumming (not to mention, in the case of Nivraym at least, poor production). With that said, I'm happy to report that Angherr Shisspa, while keeping the intensity level needle in the red, seems better-paced and more accessible, and thus is the first Koenjihyakkei album that I wholeheartedly enjoy.

I'm not sure if it's thanks to Yoshida's dabblings in jazz, or if there is another factor involved altogether, but the compositions on Angherr Shisspa seem much less forced. There are frequent breaks in the previously nonstop aural assault that make the peaks stand out that much more. Further, the addition of a reeds player (mostly sticking to soprano sax) and an excellent new female vocalist have opened up the timbral palette that the band works with - much to my relief, the sax plays a melodic role that was previously taken up by somewhat obnoxious keyboards. The reeds also, at times, add a welcome jazzy tinge to some of the pieces.

Those who did enjoy the older Koenjihyakkei material have nothing to fear, of course: the trademarks are all still here. Over-the-top zeuhlish vocals, pounding hyerspeed rhythms - they haven't gone anywhere; they've just been tempered with a touch of moderation, and that makes this album much better than its immediate predecessor."-Brandon Wu, Ground and Sky