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Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
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Tracklist |
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01 - 韋駄天 (Idaten)
02 - ﾗﾝﾅｰ (Runner)
03 - ﾋﾊﾞﾘ (Hibari)
04 - 浅い河を深く渡る様に (Asaikawa wo Fukaku Wataru-sama ni)
05 - 星の番人 (Hoshi no Bannin)
06 - ﾐｽﾀｰｵｰﾊﾞｰ (Mister Over)
07 - To You
08 - ごくう (Gokuu)
09 - 寒椿 (Kantsubaki)
10 - 唄っておくれ (Utatte Okure)
11 - 白と黒の中で (Shiro to Kuro no Naka de)
12 - 暁の頃 (Akatsuki no Koro)
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Review |
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When Louis Armstrong croons out "What a Wonderful World," it's unmistakable that no one can do it better, despite the fact that his gravelly voice sounds charred and almost inhuman. Some of the most memorable voices in music are loved not because their voices are beautiful, but are distinct and filled with a passion not found on American Idol. In rock music it is even more important to have a distinct voice rather than a beautiful one, as anyone from Bob Dylan to Mick Jagger can attest to this fact. Nowadays it is more difficult for vocals stand out among a sea of artists since it seems that we've all heard it before from screaming to clean sounding. Masurawo Commissioner's Bee Rock!! hurdles above that notion with unheard of vocalistic passion and controlled rawness that brings back memories of Satchmo singing "What a Wonderful World."
Masurawo Commissioner, also known as MSRW Commissioner, is a straight-up punk band much in the same vein as Ging Nang Boyz, Highway61, Hi-STANDARD, or Stance Punks. Though capable musicians, the beauty in these bands is not the complexity of their work, but the sheer energy and attitude that each band delivers their catchy songs. It may seem like a simple feat—especially in the live sense where hopping around in a spastic manner and playing really fast and hard will net you at least a few fans—but translating this energy into a recorded album successfully is what sets these bands apart from all of the ones that are easily forgotten.
Masurawo does not have this problem. Right when Endou Masashi belts out the first line of lyrics in "Idaten," jaws drop, neck hairs stand on end, and a scythe cuts straight into you, ready to harvest your soul. The vocals are out of this world when he hits those high points, a strange combination of old Satchmo, a belt sander, and Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. Endou's closest contemporaries would be Yamada Masashi (The Back Horn) and Yoshino Hisashi (eastern youth) with a dash of Teppei Inoue from Bazra, but at the same time his prominently throaty high notes dealt entirely in tune put him in a class all his own.
This isn't to say that the vocals are the only redeeming part of the album. The commissioners cover a broad range of territory from blazing fast pop punk and melodic hardcore numbers to slower ballads such as "To You," all accentuated by Endou's powerdrill singing. Uno Motofusa and Kondo Takashi work extremely well with Endou to deliver solid punk rock hits one after another. When Kondo pulls out the double time drumming in "Gokuu" while Uno and Endou stay consistently in time it's refreshing to hear a band be so precise without lacking in the passion department.
Masurawo Commissioner delivers some great punk tunes, but the gutteral howls from Endou Masashi are what set them apart from the slew of ilk. He doesn't have a pretty voice, but it's a voice full of passion, energy, and uniqueness that would put him on my list of Japan's most memorable singers. |
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