The 50kaitenz – S/T LP (Sounds Of Subterrania Records)

Here’s another great one from a recent Sounds Of Subterrania batch. I rarely have a chance to experience Japanese garage bands, so this was undoubtfully a pleasant listening experience. I spent twenty-five years of my life listening to Japcore bands, but this is a completely different style. I wasn’t familiar with The 50kaitenz before, but thanks to Sounds Of Subterrania, this tremendous trio is now available on vinyl in Europe. Perhaps you might think this is their debut full-length because it is a self-titled album, but The 50kaitenz has plenty of releases to brag about within the vinyl community. According to several sources, The 50kaitenz has an impressive discography counting nine full-length recordings and four extended plays. Therefore, this self-titled material is their tenth album.

As usual, Sounds Of Subterrania paid a lot of attention to the details. The packaging aesthetics are the same as on the Can You Dig It? by Sons Of Cyrus, so the entire release looks luxurious. Once again, Sounds Of Subterrania teamed up with Suspense. For those who might not know, Suspense is a company that revolutionized the vinyl consuming experience by enabling everyone with Suspense vinyl-video phono pre-amplifier to enjoy vinyl on their TV set. Sounds Of Subterrania shapeshifts the direction of audio/visual experience, so with great assurance, I can state this vinyl record is a treat for all senses. Still, the audio part is the most important, so let’s jump straight to the sonic content.

This particular self-titled vinyl record contains twelve diverse compositions that will be entirely up your alley if you’re into pure rock’n’roll. Still, this is not a contemporary rock’n’roll sound but a proper throwback to 50s and 60s rock’n’roll music. Now, imagine that type of sound, but decorated with the 70s classic punk rock and 60s mod revival. It’s an already proven formula that never fails. However, The 50kaitenz is not just another ordinary rock’n’roll band, but the trio that strives to experiment even more with the sound. There are even some tunes that resemble an old-school rockabilly sound, reverby ambiances that resemble surf rock greats, even a folk-polka punk number, but still, you will always look back and say, “this is The 50kaitenz signature sound”. Plus, everything sounds more interesting while sung in the Japanese language.

You’ll hear a lot of similarities with the greats such as The Hellacopters, Turbonegro, The Clash, The Jam, Buzzcocks, and many other renowned groups. However, The 50kaitenz delves even deeper into rock’n’roll, garage rock, punk rock, mod sound and even explores nearly forgotten parts of the underground music universe. Besides some standard sonic virtuosities, The 50kaitenz paid a lot of attention to song structures, arrangements, accentuations, themes, and other minor or major details that define their sound. The group unquestionably bursts with brilliant ideas and exceptional musicianship, mainly showcased through loads of chord progressions, riffs, scales, melodies, harmonies, and themes. The trio operates as a singular organism, enhanced by enormous dosages of energy and dynamics. As I said before, you’ll enjoy their sound if you’re profoundly into the abovementioned genres, and the addition of the Japanese language makes this self-titled vinyl release even more ear-appealing. You should definitely consider purchasing this rock’n’roll masterpiece. Head over to the Sounds Of Subterrania Records for more information about ordering.