"Was a biD evil" by Wasabi Devils

a Review by Amy Lotsberg Producer of Collected Sounds

Japanese Punk? Why not, I say. Not something you hear everyday, the Wasabi Devils are fun and unique. Oh I'm sure there are other Japanese punk bands with female lead vocals, but they aren't sending their CDs to me! No, these guys are pretty out of the ordinary.

I am not well studied in punk, but it sounds to me like they've got it down.

Lead singer, Keiko Takano has a voice that matches the music well. It's grungy, dissonant and raw…just like the music. Her pronunciation (with Japanese accent) is charming. "Surging in canyons" becomes "Sage-ing in Can-ee-ohs". It makes me smile. She obviously has a strong command of the language (English) since she wrote all the lyrics and they're quite good.

They remind me a little of Shonen Knife, though Wasabi Devils are not quite as poppy and jumpy. They're a little more dirgy for the most part, though they do have their head banging tracks.

I especially like "Hudson". There seems to be something amiss with "Amethyst" (track 4) as it's a full minute or so before any discernable sound comes out of the speakers. But then again, this may be intentional.

This is a fun CD if you want something unique to play at your next party.

Posted on February 18, 2004