I waited patiently, I saved up all my good boy points and forwent so many tendies for this release. Finally, it arrived at the door ready to be torn out of the box and listened to over and over again until the blood dried in my ears. Well, we’re now past April 25 and we have to ask, was it worth it?

This is one of those shorter releases by DEVILOOF. It is a single with only two new tracks. However, you lucky ducks get the write up of the whole thing though. Your least favorite reviewer threw all his yen at 9th Records to get that limited edition with those sexy two bonus tracks.

Let’s jump straight in, the review title is just as you thought a return to grindcore. There was no easier way to describe PURGE other than a dirty little grindcore album. It was graphic, violent, and in your face. Kaika is much of the same we had there but so much more. At a first listen it really threw me for a loop. Kaika, the title track really is everywhere. At times it has that feeling of impending doom with droning deep guitars and long drawn out screams. At other times, it’s a hyper song reaching new heights.

Kaika feels very experimental when lined up with their currently narrow catalog. It does fall neatly in place with the sound of PURGE but there are elements of Devil’s Proof in there as well. I wouldn’t say it is an instant hit but it really has me excited thinking about what else they may do in the future. It’s like a rebirth but rather than from the ashes, from the blood and fluids of the damned. It hits grindcore with those classic Keisuke guttural growls and hits masterful mixing and instrumental virtuosity all in one package. It is like a whole album in one track. To some that may be a downside.

The second track, Kodokushi keeps in tone with Kaika. Right off the bat, I felt that this one actually shone more. The vocals are so damn clear it is like Keisuke is screaming at your face. I wish he would. There is also an introduction to a slightly new cleaner style of singing. This is a type of vocal that can be heard in Aishitekudasai, a song featured on an omnibus no one can find. It has sweet transitions deep powerful yells into a cleaner more shrill sound. It hits hard like you want. It is again a return to the hellish visions of PURGE, makes you feel like you live in that album cover. What a beautiful world.

The bonus tracks are live performances of Ruin and Ishtar. Ishtar is honestly my all time favorite song from the ‘loof. It was everything I never knew I wanted when I first heard it. The best part of these tracks is getting to hear that DEVILOOF is as madly talented as the studio makes them sound. The lung capacity on Keisuke and the damn precision of the band are otherworldly. Like they came from hell just to let us hear them play. It was a nice bonus and definitely worth the extra shekels.

The bottom line with Kaika is that it is a good solid release. Two strong tracks and some nice live bonuses. It’s a glimpse into what is next and it looks awesome. It didn’t blow me into another dimension like Devil’s Proof but it definitely whets my appetite for more. I really can’t wait to hear what they have in store for the next release.

Kaika

Limited edition

CD

  1. Kaika (開花)
  2. Kodokushi (孤独死)
  3. Ruin (Live)
  4. ISHTAR (Live)

Buy at CDJapan

More info:
Official Website
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Twitter (Seiya (晟也))
Twitter (Daiki (太輝))
Twitter (Hiroto (ひろと))
Twitter (Ray)

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