To a certain degree, reviewing a
Guitar Wolf album is like trying to evaluate a thermonuclear attack -- what are you going to say beyond that there was a huge blast and a whole lotta destruction was left in its wake? Japan's leading leather-clad guitar punishers haven't added a whole lot of new tricks to their repertoire with
Love Rock, but like the H-Bomb mentioned, the pinned-in-the-red aural chaos they've made their trademark consistently devastates, and this album offers up still more of the primal howl, amped-up, six-string frenzy and percussion walloping you know and love from these guys. Even if he was singing in English all the time, no one would probably ever know what the hell
Seiji is yelling about, but the blasts from his larynx have their own special eloquence, and with titles like "Universe Youth," "Midnight Blood Pump," and "Ultra Might Night," you pretty much know what to expect from the material. The relentless sonic onslaught from this band is a mighty thing to behold, and the song "Demon Card" does offer one example of an interesting production choice -- the band roars like mad in the right channel, while one of Toru's toms quietly thumps in the left.
Love Rock is not for the meek of heart, but it's a quality thrill ride for the loud underground. Dig it.