Japanther

Japanther manage to cover more diverse, bizarre sonic ground in 15 sample-filled minutes than most bands do in their entire careers. A very different beast on record than in a live setting, the band’s songs take on a far colder, digital feeling when being committed to tape, and were it not for their energetic, organic live performances, this might be a bad thing. As it stands, however, Yer Living Grave, along with the rest of the band’s recorded output, is a fine companion to the visual and aural insanity that embodies the band as they move from city to city. A short, untitled track begins the CD with a collection of samples, some of which appeared on their recently released split with the Viking Club. The sense of continuity this provides helps lead the listener into "Wolfswan,” the record’s first true song. Like an incredibly lo-fi version of the Cult, the song features a well-disguised hook that compliments the buried, strained vocal track that accompanies it. "The Whales” features, well, whales, plus as energetic a finale as the band have ever performed, leading into "Selfish Kids,” which seems to have partially lifted it’s melody from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme. When it comes to creative, challenging music that’s simultaneously hard to listen to and hooky as hell, Japanther remain the band to beat.