赤い闇

Pretty much all I knew about Birushanah when I got this was that it was a Japanese doom metal band, or at least so I thought, ‘cause this is so much more than just doom. The opening track "Jyodo" is an instrumental bit of Japanese folk music, but in a much more dissonant and spastic manner than what you’d normally hear.

And throughout "Jyodo" I started thinking maybe that was their sound; schizoid folk music. Until the title track "Akai Yami" sets in and I find myself in a whirlwind of desperate, angered screams, distorted riffs and spastic drum patterns. The vocals carry with it such a marvelous desperation it’s almost like he’s just on the verge of completely loosing what little is left of his sanity. The sludgy riffing and drumming never really remains within pure sludge as it takes on tons of tempo changes and pattern variations that you’re not really sure what you’ve wound up in. And they continue to mix in some of that classic Japanese folk music, which adds yet another dimension of schizoid feelings.

It’s really difficult to describe their sound. It’s a bit like mixing Noothgrush, Dot(.), Dystopia and Siebensünden. Which to me (and I’m the one making the comparisons) doesn’t seem to make sense at all. But it does when you hear it. The sound that Birushanah creates is very powerful, full of conflicting emotions that in the end still comes out as completely superfluous. I’m glad I got to make this new acquaintance ‘cause it’s a band I had completely overlooked, despite the fact that it contains a former member of Corrupted, a band I’ve enjoyed for many years now. Highly recommended.

Originally written for http://www.misantropia.se

At first I was surprised that there were only 3 tracks here but then 2 of them are very long. The first song "Jyodo" serves mainly as an intro and is dominated by a long series of drones (not very deep ones by the way) punctuated by a distinct percussive rhythm that emphasises the spacious quality of the the track. Then we are straight into the long title track which starts off very much like a traditional Japanese folk song with a melancholy tune going up and then down the scale. Guitars and drums are played much like shamisen (a traditional Japanese lute) and traditional Japanese percussion. About the 5th minute Birushanah reveal their doomy metal nature in a way that still hints at a traditional folk influence, especially in how they play their drums (a bit like kodo drumming, very emphatic with plenty of space between beats). As the music progresses it seems to become more metal and less obviously Japanese though the vocalist sings in Japanese in a scrapey gibbering voice. A clean clear quality to the sound gives the music power and a lot of space even when the musicians play fast. Listeners may find a dramatic, even theatrical feel in the performance especially during the lead guitar break - it's as if the guys imagine themselves in an ancient Japanese play where they must use very stylised and artificial movements. Everything seems to be done for maximum effect at once, every beat and every riff is full of highly concentrated energy that is being channelled purposefully in a certain direction with care and precision.

"Kairai" is like a series of drumbeat punishments with controlled guitar that is still powerful. Percussion is almost industrial with a metallic edge to every thud. The singer continues to rave and gabble in a desperate and near-hysterical way, his voice as raspy as before. The song's pace tends to be medium-slow juggernaut-like and the music can be relentless with that pounding beat. A slight change in key and a change in rhythm about the 10th minute serve to lift the listener's flagging attention; the track becomes a bit more jazzy and starts to flow better. The guitarists concentrate on minimal riffing allowing the drummer to improvise and carve out some surprisingly complex rhythm structures and beats.

The whole recording seems very mannered and clean yet it's very stark, powerful and focussed. The drumming and percussion can be confronting and headache-inducing. Very interesting that Birushanah opt for a minimal style of guitar playing as much of the music is instrumental and offers many opportunities for melodic lead breakouts which are rarely taken up. I think if you are familiar with Japanese culture, especially with those traditions that emphasise a very refined and concentrated performance style or an approach that stresses concentrated focus, then Birushanah's take on powerful doomy-sounding metal may appeal to you. There is certainly a lot of drama going on yet the spacious production ensures the music never sounds confused.

As everything is sung in Japanese, a language I've never learned, I can't comment on what the vocalist sings about but with the music having an inward focus and the vocal delivery being desperate, it wouldn't surprise me if the guy was singing about some private psychological torment or desparing at the state of the world. Seeing that Birushanah have some association with Corrupted, I think my hunch may be close to the truth.

I first became aware of Birushanah when I started to get more into Corrupted. As both bands share a link, I decided to see what Birushanah had to offer. The tag of experimental doom and sludge appealed to me at first sight. I found this band during my phase of trying to find new Japanese bands. I had already known of Corrupted some time and even own an album or two, so I decided to give in to my initial interest and see what Birushanah were about.

I heard a sample or two on their MySpace account and the fact that this Japanese outfit managed to incorporate traditional Japanese instruments into their work, well, I was absolutely overjoyed. When it comes to Asian film, I really love the Eastern traditional music influence, especially the Japanese side. It just works so well when trying to portray certain feelings and for me, this element of Birushanah is excellent. 'Akai Yami' is the first time i've actually heard this band and it was a welcomed addition to my collection. The band are unique in several ways. I'm sure there must be other bands inside and outside Japan that use traditional instruments in their music, but Birushanah are possibly the first band i've come across to incorporate Japanese instruments into the doom and sludge genres, respectively.

Instead of sounding like dull doom metal outfit, Birushanah actually incorporate many genres into their style. Amongst others, I can hear drone. The slow build-ups on guitar are particularly a sign of this. Also, the way in which the music builds to a crescendo. This is another element of Birushanah that reminds me of the drone genre. Those slow and low riffs are enticing. They aren't exactly as experimental as I had expected, but the audience is given a fair amount of experimentation when it comes to the percussion aspect of this Japanese band. If i'm honest, Birushanah perhaps focus too much on the percussion. The use of traditional Japanese percussion instruments is welcomed, for sure, but there is a bit too much focus on that side of their style, as opposed to developing the guitar soundscapes better. The percussion does have a tendency to overwhelm the audience. There is so much going on and it can be hard to keep up with, at times. This is, I suppose, where a lot of the experimental tag goes in to. Birushanah aren't intimidated by constant change, in fact, they seem to welcome it.

Ever changing percussion is something you will have to get used to and quickly as the themes of the music are developed at rapid speed. This is where the drone aspect of Birushanah seems to go out the window. Sludge takes hold in the form of the aggressive vocals, which are perfectly suited to the percussion. The bass isn't as effective as one would perhaps like. It tends to get drowned out by the percussion, which is insane at times. The amount of dynamism that goes into the percussion has to be appreciated. it's an element of Birushanah that doesn't fail to strike a chord with the audience. It's vast array of sounds is fascinating to listen to and makes for an interesting release. 'Akai Yami' is like a complex movie. You have to come back to it several times before you truly understand it's meaning. Perhaps I will need to do the same.

However, I do understand the significance of the percussion and the driving melodies that the guitar creates. Birushanah use two bassists and this is where that thick underlying sound comes from. This is where the bass is utilised mostly. Creating a thick barrier for the rest of the instruments to fall back on is important to Birushanah. The band requires solid foundations to allow for experimentation to take place. This is something they achieve with great success, but one cannot help but feel they're overdoing it slightly. 'Akai Yami' will certainly be a hit with Corrupted fans, possibly fans of avant-gardé, but on a wider scale ... I'm not entirely sure.