Daiei Spray – Behind The Wall LP (Debauch Mood Records / Sakanade Records)

Today, we’re covering a brand new album by Daiei Spray, an interesting melodic hardcore group commencing from Tokyo, Japan. The group has started their sonic endeavors in Hirosaki, prefecture of Aomori, back in 2004, but relocated to Tokyo sometime during 2008. Since then, Daiei Spray published a couple of recordings such as Legacy Of Love CD, a split cassette with I Recover, and Isn’t Brazing 10″ record. The group also appeared on a Breaking Concept Vol. 4 alongside Kevin Baker, The Anchors, The Last Laugh, and This Time We Will Not Promise And Forgive.

Behind The Wall represents their second full-length recording, comprised of twelve profoundly melodic compositions. Daiei Spray examines melodic hardcore with gracious additions of energetic old school skate punk. At some moments, their music resembles the sound of the greats such as Dag Nasty, Naked Raygun, Fugazi, Rites Of Spring, Farside, and all other renowned groups who even at least scratched the surface of the Revolution Summer era. The resemblance with DC and Orange County hardcore punk groups is strong within Daiei Spray, but the group bursts with some unique ideas, which are unquestionably hearable throughout the entire album. These ideas keep Behind The Wall interesting and entertaining from scratch to finish.

Daiei Spray leans towards knife-sharp melodies that may seem a bit melancholic or nostalgic at the moments. However, the group undoubtfully comprehends how to incorporate some tighter guitar shreds into their music. It’s an already proven formula, used for a couple of decades, but Daiei Spray are investing much more energetic riffages into their music than their predecessors. The contemporary production trends also dictate the sound of the group, but Daiei Spray are steering in the same direction throughout the entire recording. Lead vocals are maintaing the beforementioned direction with continuous switches between melodic articulations and furious shouts. The rhythm section supports all these orchestrations with appropriate drumming performance that keeps things steady during the complete recording.

Behind The Wall undoubtfully brings back some memories of Revolution Summer groups who paved the way for so many subgenres of hardcore punk but at the same time provides a contemporary outlook at this specific subgenre. The album levitates between melodic hardcore and eighties skate punk with such ease, and all the ideas are well-combined into a comprehensive polyphonous amalgam. Behind The Wall comes on vinyl by Debauch Mood Records and Sakanade Records, but it’s also available for streaming at Bandcamp. This band deserves your attention, so give them a chance and spin their latest album.