Customer Reviews

Akuma No Uta

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Here's the thing about Boris that many reviewers neglect to mention. They sure can write a tune and they sure know how to rock. The comparisons to doom/drone rock don't really give the full picture of how varied Boris are. One minute there is a gentle, slow Mogwai style tune the next an acid rock freakout. Boris are heavy rock combined with a great big dollop of post-rock. This album is one of their best. There are elements of Mogwai (Rock Action), Motorhead, Pink Floyd, Melvins etc in Boris's music. This is one of the most accessible Boris albums and my favorite.

Boris is a brutal delicacy, that rare concoction that does all things for all people. If everyone knew it and consumed it in extremis, though, it would stop being a delicacy, right? Oh well, everyone else's loss. _Akuma No Uta_ is a drop-dead masterpiece, from the punishing drone of the opener to the gong-inititiated reprise of the intro on the last song, the title track (translated as "The Evil Song.") They can do it all and just about better than all the competition:
--Sludge? I don't hear anyone who can blend a blaring punk melody with sludge in such a truly sickly-sweet manner as Boris does on their upbeat tracks;
--Metal? Ozzy probably doesn't even know it, but these guys are the real heirs to the heavy-as-hell legacy; way more than anyone on Ozzfest;
--Drone? To say the least, but that doesn't stop them from rocking like mad when they choose to push their own boundaries.
--Psychedelic? Believe me, when you turn _Akuma No Uta_ up as loud as you need to, there are few more mind-and-body-altering experience than this one (really your body churns!!!);
--Punk? Yeah . . . we can call this band "punk as f**k." To those who like their music in boxes and think that "punk as f**k" means the latest Exploited retread, well, Boris is too punk for you. For the rest of us, Boris may be the band who can cash in on the late, great Refused's promise of _The Shape of Punk to Come_. Like the Refused, Boris takes any style and makes it their own in their awe-inspiring music machine (minus the jazziness of the Nordic screamers, but plus the sludge, drone, psychedelia, etc. . . .). Also like the Refused, Boris are forward-looking, taking the listener on a gleeful death ride that leaves you absolutely free. It doesn't get more punk than that, kids.

When you take into account that Boris are Japanese and rock harder and better than pretty much any of us in the Anglo world, it's clear to see where our eyes should be turning to discover where the future of rock lay. I realize that I've talked them up more than I've reviewed the songs, but words can hardly describe. I'll just say that it compares 100% favorably with their newest opus _Pink_, just more succinct. Oh, did I mention they play their instruments to within an inch of their literal existences? (I don't think I've heard an amp abused as much as on _Akuma No Uta_). Wata is one wicked, original, and visceral guitarist. I could go on and on, but I'm just gonna let you buy this album; wait for it to come in the mail; put it on your stereo's highest setting (jack up the bass!!!); and feel your perception, and hence your life, change.
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I haven't heard Flood. Yet. After listening to this disk, oh, I'd say a dozen times, I feel that it rocks. The first track is great. After that, it is pure Japanese guitar freak-outery. Some of it reminds me of Acid Mothers Temple's Electric Heavyland album, and not because both groups hail from Japan. If you like listening to the sound of electric guitars, this disk has 'em.

Akuma No Uta is one of my personal fave Boris albums & it's totally different to my other fave, Flood
Akuma No Uta is uptempo heavy rocking at it's finest...
but please checkout Flood too it's a more ambient soundscape work for fans of Mogwai,GYBE!,Explosions In The Sky,Sunn0))) etc
The Boris dvd is also killer, to get a sample of Boris live featuring the best female guitarist in the biz Wata!!!

FAST HEAVY DISTORTIONS!!!
This is what REAL rock is! This is what rock is meant to be...creating some fantastic noise, and adding in fast and well written distorted tracks with vocals being YELLED and solos being SHREDDED with no regard for what people think. Buy it now because BORIS are better than you!!!!!

A heavy, droney album, starts off with big fat bass chords going nuts in slow motion through a long long intro that just builds and builds with sound layers. "Ibisu" is a heavy, fast rocker that is a live favorite - they've released at least three live versions of it (also, check out Stupid Babies Go Mad's crazy cover of it). "Furi" is rockin', but less fun (if only slightly less). "Naki Kyoku" is long and slow, with an acoustic intro that drones on and on for about 2.5 minutes before the electric guitar and bass are unleashed, at first slowly, and then with increasing bluesy momentum. Some great stretch-outs here as the band really swings (and when does Boris ever do that?). The band winds it down... and then brings it right back up. Takeshi's long, wailing lyrics are a thing of beauty. Masterful. "Ano Onna No Onryou" is a pretty regular song, while the title track album closer is a monster of noise, starting out with gong smashes, then big buzzing riffs, a vicious snarling riff pattern in full rock mode, and then the song with its whoopin' and hollerin'. An instrumental rock number with all the majesty of the best of Black Sabbath. This one's a keeper!

The Boris "Akuma no Uta" cover is a ripoff/tribute to Nick Drake's "Bryter Layer" cover - I don't know what the connection is, except that Takeshi does look a bit like Nick (and the band does make a melody from "Horn" part of "Farewell", the opening song on Pink). Check out how much cooler Takeshi's guitar is, his shoes as well...

This cd is great like all their cds!
I started with pink..and didnt like it..(Now I couldn't live without it!)
Then I got blown out of my socks by the incredible japanese version of SMILE
So I got feedbacker..what?Incredible just what a great cd!
then Absolutego:Heavy like shxt and a doom-black classic
Flood...lost for words..stunning!
Then amplifier Worship:with a title like that.;you cant go wrong,and Boris doesnt
Heavy Rocks:Not to be found here:again stunning booklet this one's pretty punky!But again 10 stars!
And now we have this beauty.
Should you buy it?
Do you want to know the future?
would you go and see the velvets in 69?
or the Pistols in 76?
The Birthday Party in 81?
The Clash in 77?
The Swans in 81?
Be warned buy and listen to 1 boris cd..and after a while you ll be hooked
like never before.
I just saw them live
as a 5 piece....Mamamia!
also get rockdream limited edition 2xcd..(if you have seen them live!)..you will I m sure!
Boris are incredible musicians.;and then can get truly heavy!
Be warned

you really can't go wrong with this band. this album is yet another example of that. they are the best thing going on planet earth right now -- don't miss out.

I assume they are named after a Melvins song, and the tribute is apt. Played at any volume, you can appreciate that when these songs were recorded, the volume was cranked at 11 throughout. Some is slow, some is fairly fast, none of it at a speed-metal pace. Actually reminds me of the best Black Flag, the way their clear enthusiasm for volume and ugly noise competes with simple, good song structure. I would imagine they're quite a good live show.