You'll find no sushi here, boy. (Tokyo Flashback Vol.1)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Tokyo Flashback Vol.1
Date:	15/06/09 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Two great tracks, pockets of quality in other songs, innovative sounds

Disadvantages: Possibly two of the worst tracks to exist

Not really sure how I came across this but the idea of listening to a compilation of underground Japanese psychedelic bands seemed to appeal.

The album starts with a progressive track as you will find 22 February 1991 by the oddly named Marble Sheep & The Run Down Sun's Children is pretty good by the time it's built up to a chaotic intense party sound with an awesome guitar riff, it does however take a long time to get there.

Mad Hendrixesque guitar playing from the start to finish of "Mainline" by High Rise, another one which goes on for a little bit long though - although you can at least listen in admiration throughout! Ghost is a slightly mad depressive track that sounds like a Japanese bloke stranded in a toilet - an almost raw predecessor to Radiohead. Impressively weird vocals but not something you'd want to listen to on a regular basis. A few minutes too long as well for me!

Omae Kotchi - a wall of sound in a noise rock capacity, insane Japanese shouting vocals adding very little - remind me of Crass, improves later on when there becomes a sort of rap rock music sound which is about a decade ahead of its time.

Blind Promise by White Heaven is one of the more accesible numbers as they combine catchy riffs with rock n roll vocals that have a bit of power to them but retain a warbly croon not too dissimilar from Jim Morrison, Danzig or even Roy Orbison on speed , it's garagey and fun.

"Heavy" has A heavy, sludgy almost doom metal sound which comes across as angry and constipated before occasionally breaking loose with an overdose of reverb. The untitled piece at the end - an out of tune horrible mess is by Hikari Sokaiyi is probably one of the worst pieces of music I've ever heard. The same goes for the very last untitled track by Keiji Haino - just sounds like a drunk vomiting.

There aren't that many songs (8), most of them tend to be a bit too long and the last 2 are awful, Blind Promise and Mainline are decent songs but for the most part this album is not that impressive, despite being ahead of its time musically for 1991.

This review is also posted on my website http://www.musicneverdied.com

Summary: Not really worth buying