Rejoice, the most feverish expression from Japan's top group is finally available on vinyl record! Pogo for the people in the back, 9 raucous wave punk songs snaked straight to the dome. True political and societal dissent often postured by today's bands, laid out in cool fashion over smart, tense guitar and bass interplay-- but undeniably fun! Bombs away music, pacing panther through the circus bars music-- Eriko's vocals might remind one of Plastics' Chica Sato, but sung with more deranged intent. Punks slamming to the disco beat. Tatsuya's slick guitar parts chime like bells at the plant, driving the songs like a blistering flash from the sun. Urgent songs by shiny people in the new style, great music for no future. (Ian Teeple)Our take: Lumpy Records released a 12” from Japanese punk band M.A.Z.E. back in 2019, and II is their new album, also on Lumpy Records. M.A.Z.E. fits right in with the Lumpy Records crew. M.A.Z.E. doesn’t have Lumpy’s penchant for very low fidelity, but they share the label’s appreciation for Devo-inspired quirkiness and an assertively creative approach to punk rock. On II, M.A.Z.E. reminds me of Warm Bodies, and while they’re not as fast and their guitarist isn’t as virtuosic as underground axe god Ian Teeple, the knotty rhythms and out of the box vocal approach are similar. M.A.Z.E. never settles into a groove on II; like the Fall or Can, each song has its own unique pulse, and the players build out from that central rhythmic structure, not so much jamming as playing a cool part and then changing to a different, also cool part. Weird Punk, Egg Punk, Devo-Core… however you want to describe it, if you’re into labels like Lumpy and Erste Theke Tonträger, M.A.Z.E. should be on your radar.
