Maximum the Hormone - Buiikikaesu (2007)

1. Buiikikaesu
2. Zetsubou Billy
3. Kuso Breakin Nou Breakin Lily
4. Louisiana Bob
5. Policeman Benz
6. Black Yen Power G-man Spy
7. Akagi
8. Kyoukatsu
9. Bikini Sports Punchin
10. What's Up People!
11. Chu Chu Lovely Muni Muni Mura Mura Purin Purin Boron Nururu Rero Rero
12. Shimi
13. Koi No Mega Lover

ADHD Japanese Band on Crack – 8/10

Sometimes we meet bands or artists that produce music we deem classics. These are mostly very serious artists that make their work sound very thought out and brilliantly composed. Well… Maximum the Hormone sure isn't anything like that. In case the front cover didn’t already tell you, this is freak rock at its freakiest and at its most Japanese. In their spontaneous enthusiasm, Maximum the Hormone cover more musical styles and genres one this single album than most bands do in their entire career.

The sheer image this band has adopted is one that makes anyone smile: a big friendly guitarist, a psycho metal-rapper frontman, a bass player with a strange haircut and a female drummer with dyed hair. They each represent one element of the band’s sound. The friendly guitarist Ryo Kawakita stands for the friendly sound they adopt when they go punk rock all the way; the psycho rapper Daisuke Tsuda comes in when they’re up for some serious ass kicking metal; the bass player Futoshi Uehara shows they go know what they’re at when you hear him slapping in a metal song and the female drummer Nao Kawakita represents the softer side with her voice. On drums on the other hand, she is as crazy as the others. The band flies from one style to the other and adopts many faces without losing their own face. Musically they have a real chemistry as they easily know how to perform these weird pieces live on stage in the same insane atmosphere. Technically, they all know what they’re doing. Combine both and Maximum the Hormone becomes one of the better bands from Japan you’ve heard.

With “Buiikikaesu” we are immediately exposed to the band’s inventive sound. Heavy guitars, the weird rap-grunts and a really funky bass underneath. If you thought that was it, they go towards a catchy punk rock in the chorus. We get to hear the Ryo’s more friendly voice on “Zetsubou Billy”, which is more or less part of the soundtrack to the famous Death Note anime. Nao’s voice on “Kuso Breakin’ Nou Breakin’ Lily” instantly turns the song into a cute children’s anthem and the catchy punk rock once again takes over in the chorus. After that “Louisiana Bob” shows the real metal side of the band with the harsh vocals of Daisuke Tsuda spicing up the song. The chorus once again takes the song to a happy end with punk rock influences. Basically the album further consists of these metal/punk hybrid songs, executed in a crowded and energetic way. The exotic sound of the Japanese language helps providing the uniqueness in the songs. Further highlights include the heavy-as-hell “What’s Up People!”, another song from the Death Note soundtrack, the childish-sounding “Chu Chu Lovely […]”, which just brings a smile to anyone’s face, and my personal favourite “Koi No Mega Lover”, which starts of with a punk riff, until a dance-theme takes over in the chorus and then goes heavy metal. The quick pronunciation of the Japanese language adds a lot to the metal part.

While basically every song is worth listening on this album, as a record it becomes a little tedious on “Kyoukatsu”, “Akagi” and “Bikini Sports Punching”. Every album has its weaker tracks and these songs just lack the inventiveness and intensity the other tracks have so much. What more can be said about an album that’s basically a great album? I’d recommend this to each and every fan of experimental music genres and J-rock in general. Personally, I would love to hear more of this unique band.

Strongest tracks: “Buiikikaesu”, “Louisiana Bob”, “What’s Up People” and “Koi No Mega Lover”.
Weakest tracks: “Akagi”, “Kyoukatsu” and “Bikini Sports Punchin’”.