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Band Name: Yakuza
Album Name: Transmutations
Rating: 4 / 5 User Rating: 4.2 / 5
Label: Prosthetic Records
Buy Album: Amazon.com
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Tracklist
1. Meat Curtains
2. Egocide
3. Congestive Art-Failure
4. Praying For Asteroids
5. Raus
6. Steal the Fire
7. The Blinding
8. Existence Into Oblivion
9. Perception Management
10. Black Market Liver
11. Zombies
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Upholding the reputation of Yakuza as being an extremely imaginative metal act, “Transmutations” further expands on the musical concepts of the group's last record, “Samsara,” a unique marriage of post-apocalyptic doom, highly technical grind, hyper-manic thrash and avant-garde jazz metal. Those who incessantly clamor for originality in today's scene will find much to enjoy about the group's latest effort. Passing of time has only refined the songwriting skills of Yakuza, which run the gamut from Naked City-type explosions to abrasive eruptions reminiscent of The Dillinger Escape Plan to Alice In Chains-style depression and moments of smooth-sounding jazz that sound highly abstract in contrast to the backdrop of metallic sounds laid out by the band.
“Congestive Art-Failure” offers fans the closest thing to a typical single that Yakuza has ever produced, its frantic personality fitting right in with what fans anticipate from a modern metal act. However, when the Chicago-based trio dips into the psychedelic mood swing “Raus,” it further underlines the group's penchant for crafting sounds that are deliberately unexpected. Here, the band's frontman Bruce Lamont takes on a presence that owes more to the early works of Roger Waters than anything that's metal. Such an aside further underlines the diversity inherent in the band's musical visualization. “Existence Into Oblivion” is a standout track, melding expansive vocal harmonies with the gruff attitude of black metal, all residing atop rhythms that offer progressive appeal, yet fit with the group's progressive theme. On this cut, the saxophone solo, a technique that's become the signature of Yakuza, breaks things up by bringing smoothness to the track's pointed metal edge. Conversely, the seven minute plus “Perception Management” scores big for its lush acoustic ambience and the band's dexterous inclusion of a metal bridge. All in all, this is one of the most ornate compositions we've heard from Yakuza to date.
Producer Sanford Parker (Rwake, Minsk) was the perfect man to handle knob-twisting on the record. Having an articulate musical palate himself, Parker's the kind of studio man who has the depth of musical understanding to get into the heads of Lamont and company. He makes the band's transitions between vastly differing sonic styles fluctuate smoothly. As Yakuza shifts between the ferocious death metal sounds of “Steal The Fire” to the condemning prog-doom ambience of “The Blinding,” the production is a key factor in bringing the dissimilar tracks together in a cohesive manner.
What's most likeable about the aptly-named “Transmutations” is that Yakuza doesn't try to cram sixteen different sounds into a single song. There's plenty of experimentation within each track, but the band also retains its focus, making each piece stand out on its own, while offering enough textural diversity to make the entire album an acutely attractive listen. In terms of musical personality, Yakuza offers fans more diversity than you'll hear from any group from the NWOAHM. Intelligence, passion, melody and aggressiveness collide on “Transmutations” in an inimitable fashion, making this ruthlessly creative group one of heavy metal's most uniquely interesting and artistically relevant today.
Review by: E.F.
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