THE BACK HORN

(1998-)
My definitive lineup:
菅波栄純 (Suganami Eijun) - guitars
岡峰光舟 (Okamine Koushu) - bass
山田将司 (Yamada Masashi) - vocals
松田晋二 (Matsuda Shinji) - drums

Slowly but steadily have THE BACK HORN become one of my biggest favorites from Japanese bands. Having discovered them through Project J back in late 2003, I've followed their evolution with some interest for almost a decade now. Originally they were a pretty regular punk band, somehow distinguished by their outstanding, passionate lead singer, 山田将司 (Yamada Masashi).

During their early days Masashi's vocals were not that special, but they quickly evolved to become perhaps the most defining aspect of the band's music - his emotional singing carries out all the pain, anguish and sorrow he has written in his lyrics, ranging from soulful, passionate singing to a hoarse, raspy holler, to an excruciating scream. Many times I've just listened to their songs, wondering how he can reach that level of fierce emotion, oft times sliding smoothly from a soft singing to an agonized scream with ease.

The songs themselves are stylistically mainly punk, punk rock or alternative rock (especially punk during the early days), often also verging on the early 90's grunge music, but frequently they also incorporate jazzy elements to their music, such as extended seventh chords in a place where one would expect nothing more than a regular triad, and many times the songs have sudden shifts in mood or style in the middle of a song, creating sudden moments of surprise to a song that would seem quite regular beforehand. This also makes their songs very distinct from each other yet remaining stylistically similar. However it seems that as of late, they have started to downplay their more fiercer side in favor of more lighter and accessible sound.

Their instrumental side is mainly based on a power-trio lineup - consisting of a bass, drums and a guitar - but occasionally Masashi joins the rest of the guys with a secondary guitar, accordion or a harmonica. Though these guys responsible of the instruments form pretty impressive a trio, and I respect their often quite minimal yet always skillful and effective output, I need to bring special attention to 岡峰光舟 (Okamine Koushu); their bassist that was for a long time just a guest musician, before being promoted to a full-fledged band member. His incredible, fluctuating bass lines, that ofttimes borrow from different styles of jazz music, are pure balm to my ears whenever they can be heard. He has also that incredible sense of style that not every song is full of blistering bass work, but instead he throws in a neat bass fill here and there, otherwise just doing his job as a regular bassist. This makes it feel that he is not all over my face, but he has the uncanny ability to remind me now and then how great bassist he really is.

Though they might be too raw and punk to people who are used to lighter styles of music, whereas they might be also too raw and punk to people who are used to heavier brands of metal, I strongly encourage anyone who has a place in their heart for music that is strongly emotional and passionate, disregarding other aspects of musical styles. It might not be your stuff, but the chances are that with a little effort you will find a new, amazing band. You don't need to worry if you don't understand a word from Japanese lyrics - the vocals tell it all.

***

My top-10 list of songs that are worth checking out:
雨 (Ame)
何処へ行く (Doko e Iku)
ヘッドフォンチルドレン (Headphone Children)
未来 (Mirai)
涙がこぼれたら (Namida ga Koboretara)
生命線 (Seimeisen)
サニー (Sunny)
惑星メランコリー (Wakusei Melancholy)
野生の太陽 (Yasei no Taiyou)
夢の花 (Yume no Hana)

***

Reviewed albums:
太陽の中の生活 (Taiyou no Naka no Seikatsu, 2006) - 65/100

THE BACK HORN // 太陽の中の生活

Album: The Back Horn - 太陽の中の生活 (Taiyou no Naka no Seikatsu, 2006)
11 tracks / 52:11
Acquired: August 2011

Vocals, trumpets, accordion: 山田将司 (Yamada Masashi)
Guitars, background vocals: 菅波栄純 (Suganami Eijun)
Bass, background vocals: 岡峰光舟 (Okamine Koushu)
Drums, background vocals: 松田晋二 (Matsuda Shinji)

Suddenly the random number generator picked my newest acquisition - the 6th album of one of my favorite Japanese bands, which I obtained like two days ago! I really haven't listened to this album much beforehand, and I really wanted only because it had some fairly ok songs I knew. Otherwise I have had an impression that it isn't as good as the earlier albums are. Well, we'll see about that in a short time.

At this point I really have nothing to say about that album, except that its cover art is pretty, um, striking. Let's just say that I've seen album covers that have been a bit more impressive.

1. カオスダイバー (Chaos Diver, 4:50)

The album begins with a song that sounds quite massive compared to regular The Back Horn (from now on abbreviated as TBH) standards. The guitar melodies are nice, simple yet memorable, and once again Masashi manages to take unsuspected corners in his vocal melodies, but somehow this song doesn't quite cut the mustard. It feels as if the band are holding themselves back.

TBH is especially a band that can express raw, unrestrained emotions with impressive energy, and though I am aware that not every song of theirs is flooding with anger and sorrow, this track could have used some.
7/10

2. アポトーシス (Apoptosis, 4:51)

The calm, drowsy introduction suddenly explodes into a regular rocker. However, also this song feels that they are lacking in the feeling department. Especially Masashi's vocals don't feel as amazing as they have used to. The screams in the bridge and coda sections come quite close, but still no cigar.

A quite energetic rock song that fails to stir up any big emotions for me.
5/10

3. 証明, (Shoumei, 4:38)

A slower, groovier song, that actually has a really nice beat. Also Masashi's vocals seem to have put on a spurt and have reached the level of emotion their music deserves. Especially the raw energy of his voice in the chorus really hits the spot. Once again he sounds like the singer whose fierce voice got me hooked on their music some eight years ago.

Also worth pointing out is that in this song Koushu, the bassist, seems to play as much stuff as the rest of the band combined. Impressive bass licks all over the place.
8/10

4. ホワイトノイズ (White Noise, 5:08)

A lighter, more upbeat song. The raw anger from Masashi's voice is gone, but the emotion remains. The vocals range from light whispers to stirring falsettos, and the song rolls on easily, showcasing the more beautiful, gentler side of TBH.

Though the song does not reach the pure awesomeness of their best upbeat songs, such as "夢の花" ("Yume no Hana"), it is a quite strong performance nonetheless.
8/10

5. 世界の果てで (Sekai no Hate de, 4:38)

Another upbeat, fresh song (of which vocal melody reminds me of a song by Finnish band Eleanoora Rosenholm, "Suljetun osaston astronautti"), but somehow lacks once again in the awesome department.

It's a nice song, with pretty, hum-along vocal melodies, but once again it fails to make me feel anything more than a mild interest. It's not a bad song, but I know this band can do a lot better.
6/10

6. 天気予報 (Tenki Yohou, 3:11)

Suddenly the band kicked in the weird gear. The main motif is a weird, clean guitar melody, which is played over spoken word sections by Shinji their drummer. Chorus section is a short, distant and echoed section sung by Masashi. The song closes with a chorus part accompanied with an accordion.

I really don't know what to think after this. I guess the band wanted to have fun, or something. Still, not my cup of tea.
4/10

7. ファイティングマンブルース (Fighting Man Blues, 4:15)

Opening with heavy, crashing introduction, which progresses with a fuzzy, groovy, Them Crooked Vultures -like stomping verse.

It's a groovy track, as if like being very heavy blues, having its fair share of raw anger, but also showing some more melodic and catchier sides. Not really their best work, but shows that there was music not unlike the stuff Them Crooked Vultures played many years before that band was formed.
7/10

8. ブラックホールバースデイ (Black Hole Birthday, 5:35)

One of their hit singles opens with a melodic bass line before the other instruments kick in, and the song grows into a rumbling, dissonant monster.

The song is unfortunately rather repetitive, with its quite dull, discordant verse and adrenaline-heavy punk-chorus. In my opinion the song lacks many of the melodic aspects
that make the band amazing, and only part that I really enjoy in this song is the rumbling half-tempo section in the end, otherwise this is pretty "meh" to be released as a hit single. This album really has better songs than this.
6/10

9. 浮世の波 (Ukiyo no Nami, 4:25)

This song seems to borrow a lot from the American punk-rock contemporaries. The chord progressions are definitely regular TBH, but the chorus section and some riffs bring a legion of American punk rock bands into my mind. However, this is really not a bad thing at all. The song manages to be rather ok and catchy throughout, and though is nothing that special, it still is quite interesting and pleasant a track.
8/10

10. ゆりかご (Yurikago, 5:19)

Ok, this song begins with one of the most retarded drum figures ever, and the drums stay prettu much unchanged throughout the song.

Despite that, the song rolls nicely on its own, being mostly a lightweight, pop rock song, before moving on to the heavier, fuzzier mid section and solo, that make the song suddenly a much more impressive and more massive track.

Nevertheless, the song doesn't remain that splendid, though the mid section does a lot. In the end it is one of those songs that don't move me one way or the other.
5/10

11. 初めての呼吸で (Hajimete no Kokyuu de, 5:15)

Beginning with heavily distorted bass line, and ultimately evolving into a regular TBH song, "Hajimete no Kokyuu de" is an ok way to close the album. Though at first Masashi's vocals seem to be jaded and bored, they garner suddenly much energy when the chorus section comes.

I'm just not sure if they should have moved this song closer to the beginning - now the album's stronger moments are interspersed all over the album, but they are cut off with weaker tracks. Should it have been better if all the great tracks were in the beginning, or is it good this way when they are evenly spread?
8/10

***

Final verdict
My hunch was right - this album was not up to par with the older albums by The Back Horn. In many songs it seemed that the band was lacking in ideas or direction, and though some songs had potential, they didn't manage to grasp it, making this sound mainly like watered down shadow of the older TBH.

Though some of the songs are also pretty boring as compositions, the major foible is the voice of Yamada Masashi. Up until their previous album, ヘッドフォンチルドレン(Headphone Children), his voice has been the driving force behind the whole band, capable of ranging from soft whispers to painful screams, really capable of delivering intense emotions with them. In this album, it seemed that either his voice has weakened, or he was keeping it back for some stylistic reasons or something. Whatever the case may be, the result was that the album was far less impressive than the others have been, unfortunately.

太陽の中の生活 (Taiyou no Naka no Seikatsu) is not outright bad album; just rather dull and very plain one. It may have its place in the CD shelf, but it is not in the top of the "must-buy albums" list.

Score: 65/100

Mono

(1999-)

My definitive lineup:
Yoda - Guitars
Kunishi Tamaki - Bass, piano
Takada Yasunori - Drums
Goto Takaakira - Guitars

Japanese Mono have been one of the forerunners of bands who create music that is as much rock music as it is classical yet not being either one of them. Though not as influential as the great godfather of post-rock, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mono is still one of the most recognized names in the world of post-rock.

During their first albums the band named some shoegaze bands as their greatest influences, which can be heard especially from their earlier music - it lends much from earlier post-rock bands, yet it nods to the direction of instrumental shoegaze as well. However, during their last few albums they have drawn heavy influence from classical music, which is underlined with the use of a chamber orchestra in their 2009 album, Hymn to the Immortal Wind. Despite this, their songs have always been very reminiscent of classical music - with the exception that it is played with traditional rock instruments. The songs are usually very long, having very minimalist composition, being based more on repetition and introduction of new layers of instrumentation instead of changing riffs and catchy melodies. Also many times leitmotif-type ideas are introduced and varied throughout the song, in vein of classical music. The main difference between their early and later works is that their earlier works are mostly bright, pretty and somehow nostalgic, whereas the couple more recent albums are dripping with intense melancholy and sorrow, borderlining between pathetic movie music and breathtakingly beautiful contemporary classical music.

I've heard some people grouping Mono together with the so-called "quiet/loud/quiet"-post-rock bands, which superficially may be true, but most of these bands base their music on simply parts that are loud and heavy and parts that are quiet and calm, which then are contrasted one after another. How Mono then differs from these bands, is the use of full dynamic spectrum in their music - the loud and heavy parts don't come right after the quiet ones, or the other way around, but instead slowly grow and evolve from them, making it occasionally impossible to point out when the quiet movement turned into a loud one.

To this day Mono's line-up has remained unchanged, and the band is led by their main composer and guitarist Goto Takaakira. One of the main distinctive feature of Mono's sound is Goto's, and their rhythm guitarist Yoda's, extensive use of delay and reverb, creating a dreamy and wavy feel to the songs. Also Mono seems to have polished the incredibly massive wall-of-sound guitar assault to the brightest already during their first works. Fuzz-and-delay-heavy guitar sound that is tremolo-picked creates this massive guitar noise that sounds more like a distorted, bowed instrument than a regular guitar lead, creating a massive sound that is perfect to underline an important crescendo part during a lengthy song. It was used already during their debut album and to this date it remains probably the single most important feature of the so-called recognizable Mono-sound - even though it also has become one of the most mimicked features of the modern quiet/loud/quiet bands.

Also after having seen one of their live shows, I must point out that these guys really put on an impressive show. It seems to be impossible that a band of which only one person (bassist Kunishi Tamaki) is standing up - rest of them playing seated - could play with such intensity, but it is really possible. During the quiet parts the players are almost still, only moving a little to the rhythm, but once the songs reach their climax, the players heave and sway frantically, as if in trance in which they don't move to the music, but the music moves them. Combined with the incredible sound and soundscapes they create, Mono is truly an instrumental band that needs to be seen.

***

My top-10 list of songs that are worth checking out:
2 Candles, 1 Wish
Burial at Sea
COM(?)
Error #9
Halcyon (Beautiful Days)
Halo
The Battle to Heaven
The Flames Beyond the Cold Mountain
The Kidnapper Bell
Yearning

***

Reviewed albums:
Under the Pipal Tree (2001) - 90/100

Mono // Under the Pipal Tree

Album: Mono - Under the Pipal Tree (2001)
8 tracks / 63:44
Acquired: September 2010

Guitars: Goto Takaakira
Guitars: Yoda
Bass: Kunishi Tamaki
Drums: Takada Yasunori

Mono was one of the first post-rock bands I've listened to back in 2005 or 2006 and Under the Pipal Tree was the first Mono album I found. However, after I found more of their more recent stuff, I somehow started ignoring this album unconsciously and that's why it took me some five years before I managed to buy a physical copy.

In a nutshell, this is an album full of lengthy, completely instrumental songs, and even though an occasional cello in two of the songs can be heard, all of them are performed with traditional rock outfit - bass, drums and two guitars - yet more connections to classical music can be made than to rock music.

Now we shall delve into the debut album of one of the greatest names in the post-rock front.

1. Karelia (Opus 2) (12:30)

The album opens with calm introduction played with clean, delay-heavy guitars that fade in very slowly. However, very quickly this song opens up into a Mono regular: distinct guitar textures, frenetic drumming and finally a massive, fuzz-heavy wall-of-sound guitar.

The song goes through its massive ups and fragile, cello-tinted downs with ease, carefully using the whole dynamic range. Even when my speakers are almost up to eleven, the interlude in the middle is pretty damn quiet, until interrupted by wailing guitar bends that kick the song into full speed once again.

"Karelia (Opus 2)" is both one of the few somehow Finland-related tracks, and an excellent Mono song. It is a perfect example what post-rock is all about: making the song a real rollercoaster using both slow and quiet parts, contrasted with massive and crushing parts. The song is well over 10 minutes long, yet it always feels to be of excellent length - too short, if anything.

For some time, this remained as one of my most favorite Mono songs. It still is pretty amazing, but I really can't give it full points as I know there are even better ones out there.
9/10

2. The Kidnapper Bell (10:00)

As "Karelia" fades out, The Kidnapper Bell starts to fade in - and as slowly as the starter. With Mono in lead, there's no need to rush. The songs take several minutes to open and once they do, they feel like they could contain a lifetime of music yet never making me feel bored. The Kidnapper Bell is a song song in this vein - melodies of intricate beauty, held steady with melodic bass lines and rock-steady drumming. The further the song goes, the more it feels that the song takes up the whole aural atmosphere and fills everything with interweaving, harmonious textures.

Especially the latter half is really massive, almost crushing with its immense heaviness (not in heavy-metal way) created by pulsating bass guitar chords and Goto's trademark guitar wall-of-sound.

"The Kidnapper Bell" really has no distinct, sing-along melodies, yet it is one of their most amazing works to this date being made of musical beauty of almost unreal quality. It is incredible to see how Goto has been one of the most stunning post-rock composers all the way from their first full-length album.
10/10

3. Jackie Says (7:31)

Though not kicking in at full speed, "Jackie Says" still shows it true colors a bit faster than the two previous ones did - and is also a bit lighter than those two darker songs. "Jackie Says" sways on with slow, massive pace in which heavy bass chords are contrasted with light and twangy guitar melodies and harmonies.

However, as post-rock is more about soundscapes than compositions, this song seems a bit "hollow" due to its lack of midranges. The guitars twinkle and wail at high registers, while the bass pounds the low ones, but this song seems to be lacking the massiveness up until the final quarter, making this song feel a bit unbalanced. But maybe I've just grown too accustomed to the regular Mono sound and when they want to do something otherwise, it just doesn't hit the spot for me.

Anyways, a nice song, but I must say it lacks that special something that many Mono songs have.
7/10

4. OP Beach (5:48)
The guitar-drums-duet opening "OP Beach" evolve quickly into a slow, fragile swayer of strong melancholic feel. A sorrowful and somehow nostalgic piece yet not lacking in hope. A great song showcasing that Mono don't need to use wah-fuzz-delay combo in every song - they can make tremendous songs only with a couple of clean guitars backed by bass and drums.
9/10

5. Holy (1:40)
"Holy" is more of an interlude than a song, consisting of a melancholic guitar melody played with reverse delay, suddenly creating an unreal, even a bit eerie atmosphere right after the soothing "OP Beach". However, a nice intermission that remains enjoyable because of its moderate duration.
9/10

6. Error #9 (12:30)
Another really lengthy piece that begins with quiet, atmospheric effects that mask the sound of guitar completely until another distinct guitar melody with the bass appear.

"Error #9" is another very Mono-esque track with pulsating rhythm created with the steady teamwork by Kunishi and Takada, on which the guitars weave aural bliss with delay-heavy guitars. These guys really seem to have the uncanny ability to know when to remain quiet and when to crush everything in sight with unrelenting sonic onslaught. Especially the quieter parts which are very bass-driven moments are really enjoyable, even though the whole song is as great as any Mono track.

The whole first, quiet half of the song serves as a contrast to the suddenly exploding loud part that encompasses the latter half almost completely, making this song into a combination of two distinct and unlike phases that still work together seamlessly. Together they make an amazing song, whereas both separately would be pretty great but a lot more one-sided, unbalanced.
10/10

7. L'America (4:37)

Another soothing slow-tempo track. Remaining bright and peaceful throughout, it works as a great counterpart to the preceding heavy part of "Error #9". It really doesn't go anywhere, just lulls around in a peaceful sway, though having a short climatic moment somewhere in its last third.

As a relatively short song - taking the average song length in this album into consideration - this song serves purpose both as a separate song and as an interlude between two lengthier tracks. All in all, a short but very enjoyable piece.
9/10

8. Human Highway (9:05)

The album closes with another lengthy epic, "Human Highway". It doesn't add anything new to the Mono palette, it simply does what the band is good at.

A small deviation from the general sound is the inclusion of a cello; bringing more depth and warmth to the already-winsome sound of the band.

"Human Highway" is a gentle giant, having layers upon layers of melodic guitar textures and rumbling bass chords intertwined with soft cello melodies. Once again, dynamic scale is used to the full extent to underline the emotional climaxes and to bring peace to the calmer moments. A perfect way to end the album; "Human Highway" never reaches a full-scale wall-of-sound crusher, but takes a turn to the quieter direction in place of it, and starts to slowly die out, until only a handful of silent notes linger on.
9/10

***

Final Verdict
Under the Pipal Tree is incredibly mature for a debut album, full of instrumental bliss from the beginning to the end. Instead of emphasizing rock instrumentation performed in post-rock aesthetics, Mono use their instruments and composition to create a blend of rock and classical music. With Godspeed You! Black Emperor's work, this album is a benchmark for post-rock bands that don't just play instrumental rock music, but also put on a great deal of emphasis on the dynamics and the dramatic play of the songs.

But also being a noteworthy album, it is also a very enjoyable and impressive one. Though the songs together aren't as coherent as the ones in the later albums, they are amazing post-rock songs on their own, and though Mono has done some really impressive works later on, their debut album is not overshadowed by them, and still remains as outstanding as ever. Under the Pipal Tree is really a "must" album for any post-rock listener.

Score: 90/100