KLACK - NO FEELING PHIMOSIS

WARNING:

The debut album of the very controversial group KLACK handles political subjects and other themes that may offend some people.


KLACK's debut album NO FEELING PHIMOSIS won't leave anyone cold. With it's streamlined punkish sound the recording concentrates much more to atmosphere, loudness and message than finishing of the actual music, not to even mention harmony. However, creating such an album with ultimately professional, diamond clear studio sound might indeed fight against it's own principles rather grotesquely - yet directly saying KLACK's music is a quite a mix, being packed to the maximum with all the instruments and the vocalist's abrasive voice. After a few listens you might get into it though, realizing the sound goes a lot deeper than the rugged coating.

The songs are sang in English, but due to the unclear yelling and the Japanese accent there is no need to worry about getting too many political messages to your ears. (Un)luckily the lyrics have been printed to the booklet both in English and in Japanese, miscounting the stylishly self-cencored Middle East related dialogue of the last track, which in any case can be heard on the CD.

Starting with a speech about the division of Korea, the fourth track 38℃ references to the situation of the Korean republics, which is one of the favorite subjects of the band, together with the nausea of the Japanese youth and the historical war memories. Sounding like a noble piece of classical music with calming bird sounds added in, the orchestra version of Intifada 2003 and with rebellious banging. The "song" is only about one and a half minute long, as is a few other interval track on the album, turning the CD into a insider's joke, that only the ones knowing the band would understand. All in all only 3 tracks break the limit of 3 minutes, which surprisingly doesn't seem like a bad thing, even if most Japanese bands create praisedly long songs. Yet in this case longer running time wouldn't have brought anything new to the tracks, quite on the contrary, probably would've numbed the listener with the restless overusage of such simple tunes.

The ones searching for an experience of more familiar, melodic rock might enjoy the songs Doesn't Matter and Beautiful Days, which present rather catchy guitar melodies leaving the rebellious and conquering vocals to the background.

All in all KLACK is not a band to be recommended first. The ones with a sense of humour might however enjoy the underground feeling of the loud punk album, as also the band's so called statements, where indeed you can find the truth behind all the kidding around.