02-14-2019, 04:07 PM
Visual Kei Metal Madness - 8.3/10
Astlla were a fine example of the nutty, unpredictable bands that made Japan's early visual kei scene so much fun back in the day. Astlla were hatched in 1985, and following a demo tape or two, the colorful quartet thought the next move in their career should be to put forth a proper studio release. Finding a recording studio in the back of a pub called "Vintage Bar", Astlla put together a 6 song EP which they very creatively called Brain? No', No'! Know!?, then through what I'm sure was either sheer luck or uttered threats obtained a distribution deal through the well-known Mandrake Root records and released it, only a short time before the strange band disappeared back into the void from which they came from.
An EP with a name like Brain? No', No'! Know!?, recorded by a bunch of tie-dyed visual kei kooks in the back of some random Osaka bar has absolutely no business being any good, but alas, it is, and here we are talking about it. Brain? No', No'! Know!? is a slab of late 80s heavy metal and hard rock goodness, with a sound akin to that of the more metallic side of X Japan's 1991 classic Jealousy (of course that album came out a bit after this). I can hear clear and proud X Japan influence in Astlla's sound, and it's easy to tell that they were going for a similar image too, though I don't think their look conveys the same feelings as violent looking X did, no, Astlla just looked unstable.
The first song on the EP is as unusually titled as both the EP and band itself, that being It's a So Bad Day!. A strong track, the song kicks off with Nishikawa's best attempt at one of Yoshiki's trademark flailing drum intros, (see Silent Jealousy or I'll Kill You, of course it's not quite the same quality as that, despite the clear inspiration) launching into a heavy/power metal anthem. The song features pleasant instrumental work, especially that performed by guitarist Michimukou with creative licks and catchy riffs. Nishikawa's drums while not mindblowingly technical or anything are also played very well, and in a pleasant surprise are placed perfectly in the mix not just here but throughout the whole EP. It's a So Bad Day is a wicked and creative track with a few unique quirks, for example when it finishes it whips into a backwards half minute of insanity with the 30 second track Hungry that is attached to the end of It's a So Bad Day, perfectly representing Astlla's craziness.
The fourth (fifth if you count Hungry) song on this EP, Wild Desire, is every bit as good as It's a So Bad Day!. This one begins with a totally unique scaling guitar mini-intro by Michimukou building into a killer heavy metal riff with galloping drums, a dose of bass slapping, and even a slightly awkward scream/grunt of some kind by Katayama. I believe there's some kind of weird repeat and distortion effect going on over Michimukou's guitar intro, though I'm not quite sure what exactly it would be, either way it sounds ridiculously cool. This is the fastest and most aggressive song on the EP, just barely edging out It's a So Bad Day in that regard.
The songs I Got the Body to Shake and Hold Your Eyes, while not quite as good as Wild Desire and It's a So Bad Day! are still solid heavy metal tracks. Hold Your Eyes boasts an interesting solo section which includes a small drum interlude where Nishikawa mainly utilizes a cowbell, immediately before Michimukou performs one of the best guitar solos on the EP, meanwhile I Got the Body to Shake is just plain fun, stupid chorus aside.
The final track Come On and Feel the Rock & Dirty Games is an admittedly kinda worthless, dime-a-dozen, albeit harmless hard rock ballad. If I were the band I would have gone with another speedy metal track, but this song being here doesn't detract from the EP's enjoyability at least, so there's that. I don't have a heck of a lot to complain about here otherwise, to be honest. While the band loves their X, it's not like they didn't still have some great and original ideas to offer separating their sound in large part. If I had a main complaint with the EP as a whole, while minor, it would probably be bassist Takemura being less audible in the mix than I'd generally like in certain areas. It's clear he had some exciting ideas and contributions in the varying instances where he's less obscured, I just wish his bass parts were a tad more prominent.
While it's impossible for a band like Astlla to escape comparisons to their obvious favorite band, X Japan, it's certainly worth something that they perform that style very well. They feel much more in line with being a disciple of the band, paying homage to their heroes than a cheap knock off, and they do it better and with significantly more originality than the vast majority of other bands that emulated X's style (glares in Sadist and Grow Jewel's direction), not that those bands were without talent. Astlla unfortunately split just after this EP, and vocalist Katayama and guitarist Michimukou would resurface as the band April Fool for a few short years, though while decent they were never quite as good as Astlla. While Astlla were by no means ever famous, they're without question an interesting part of the early days of Japan's visual kei scene and their bizarre quirks aside, the music they offered was well worth your time.
Astlla were a fine example of the nutty, unpredictable bands that made Japan's early visual kei scene so much fun back in the day. Astlla were hatched in 1985, and following a demo tape or two, the colorful quartet thought the next move in their career should be to put forth a proper studio release. Finding a recording studio in the back of a pub called "Vintage Bar", Astlla put together a 6 song EP which they very creatively called Brain? No', No'! Know!?, then through what I'm sure was either sheer luck or uttered threats obtained a distribution deal through the well-known Mandrake Root records and released it, only a short time before the strange band disappeared back into the void from which they came from.
An EP with a name like Brain? No', No'! Know!?, recorded by a bunch of tie-dyed visual kei kooks in the back of some random Osaka bar has absolutely no business being any good, but alas, it is, and here we are talking about it. Brain? No', No'! Know!? is a slab of late 80s heavy metal and hard rock goodness, with a sound akin to that of the more metallic side of X Japan's 1991 classic Jealousy (of course that album came out a bit after this). I can hear clear and proud X Japan influence in Astlla's sound, and it's easy to tell that they were going for a similar image too, though I don't think their look conveys the same feelings as violent looking X did, no, Astlla just looked unstable.
The first song on the EP is as unusually titled as both the EP and band itself, that being It's a So Bad Day!. A strong track, the song kicks off with Nishikawa's best attempt at one of Yoshiki's trademark flailing drum intros, (see Silent Jealousy or I'll Kill You, of course it's not quite the same quality as that, despite the clear inspiration) launching into a heavy/power metal anthem. The song features pleasant instrumental work, especially that performed by guitarist Michimukou with creative licks and catchy riffs. Nishikawa's drums while not mindblowingly technical or anything are also played very well, and in a pleasant surprise are placed perfectly in the mix not just here but throughout the whole EP. It's a So Bad Day is a wicked and creative track with a few unique quirks, for example when it finishes it whips into a backwards half minute of insanity with the 30 second track Hungry that is attached to the end of It's a So Bad Day, perfectly representing Astlla's craziness.
The fourth (fifth if you count Hungry) song on this EP, Wild Desire, is every bit as good as It's a So Bad Day!. This one begins with a totally unique scaling guitar mini-intro by Michimukou building into a killer heavy metal riff with galloping drums, a dose of bass slapping, and even a slightly awkward scream/grunt of some kind by Katayama. I believe there's some kind of weird repeat and distortion effect going on over Michimukou's guitar intro, though I'm not quite sure what exactly it would be, either way it sounds ridiculously cool. This is the fastest and most aggressive song on the EP, just barely edging out It's a So Bad Day in that regard.
The songs I Got the Body to Shake and Hold Your Eyes, while not quite as good as Wild Desire and It's a So Bad Day! are still solid heavy metal tracks. Hold Your Eyes boasts an interesting solo section which includes a small drum interlude where Nishikawa mainly utilizes a cowbell, immediately before Michimukou performs one of the best guitar solos on the EP, meanwhile I Got the Body to Shake is just plain fun, stupid chorus aside.
The final track Come On and Feel the Rock & Dirty Games is an admittedly kinda worthless, dime-a-dozen, albeit harmless hard rock ballad. If I were the band I would have gone with another speedy metal track, but this song being here doesn't detract from the EP's enjoyability at least, so there's that. I don't have a heck of a lot to complain about here otherwise, to be honest. While the band loves their X, it's not like they didn't still have some great and original ideas to offer separating their sound in large part. If I had a main complaint with the EP as a whole, while minor, it would probably be bassist Takemura being less audible in the mix than I'd generally like in certain areas. It's clear he had some exciting ideas and contributions in the varying instances where he's less obscured, I just wish his bass parts were a tad more prominent.
While it's impossible for a band like Astlla to escape comparisons to their obvious favorite band, X Japan, it's certainly worth something that they perform that style very well. They feel much more in line with being a disciple of the band, paying homage to their heroes than a cheap knock off, and they do it better and with significantly more originality than the vast majority of other bands that emulated X's style (glares in Sadist and Grow Jewel's direction), not that those bands were without talent. Astlla unfortunately split just after this EP, and vocalist Katayama and guitarist Michimukou would resurface as the band April Fool for a few short years, though while decent they were never quite as good as Astlla. While Astlla were by no means ever famous, they're without question an interesting part of the early days of Japan's visual kei scene and their bizarre quirks aside, the music they offered was well worth your time.
Japan's Earliest Metal Bands | 80s All-Female and Female Fronted Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Bands
Looking to add to your collection? Read up on a few sellers to trust or avoid. I'd also be happy to help you out with Obscure Band Research/Questions.
Looking to add to your collection? Read up on a few sellers to trust or avoid. I'd also be happy to help you out with Obscure Band Research/Questions.