After crazy eclectics Kinniku Shojo Tai reunited about a decade and a half ago, they decided to focus on what they did best. Melodic power metal, muscular funk rock, Queen-ish layered bombast and proggy weirdness. If that already sounds quite eclectic to you, you would not be wrong. Post-reunion Kinniku Shojo Tai just happens to sound a lot more focused than they did in the nineties and nowhere is that more obvious than on their 2015 release ‘Omake No Ichinichi (Tatakai No Hibi)’. It still has a few quirky detours, but is mainly a powerful heavy rock album with metallic guitar work.

While Kinniku Shojo Tai could not have come from anywhere else than Japan, there aren’t really any Japanese bands that sound like them. Even at his most neoclassical, guitarist Fumihiko Kitsutaka has too much feel in his playing to be dismissed as just another Malmsteen clone – besides, he debuted with Arouge around the same time as Malmsteen, so he probably is not a prime influence. Or even intenationally; guitarist Toshiaki Honjo’s funk riffs are far too measured to summon the Peppers spirit. In addition, Kenji Otsuki is far wilder than the average J-rock singer. His voice isn’t exactly beautiful per se, but his performance is spirited and convincing.

The songs are what makes ‘Omake No Ichinichi (Tatakai No Hibi)’ better than the rest of their already usually great post-reunion albums. The pounding hardrocker ‘Mazeruna Kiken’ and the interestingly structured yet still memorable ‘Kyutai Kansetsu Ningyo No Ie’ have since become staples in Kinniku Shojo Tai’s live set, as has the typical Kinniku Shojo Tai combination of dense, aggressive riffing and a big, open chorus that is ‘Owakari Itadaketa Daoka’. And let’s be honest: how many bands that have been around for nearly forty years can claim that some of their classics and audience favorites are less than twenty years old?

‘Omake No Ichinichi (Tatakai No Hibi)’ is not just about the hits though. ‘Rejitero No Yume’ is probably the closest the band has ever come to thrash metal, had it not been for the final minute or so, which is dominated by piano and acoustic guitar. Latter day Kinniku Shojo Tai turned out to be excellent in mid-paced hard rock with dragging riffs, as evidenced here by ‘Makura Nage Eigyo’ and the excellent ‘Toki Wa Kita’. Of course, bassist Yuichiro Uchida is responsible for some of the weirder moments, including the dark, eerie ‘S5040’. Despite Otsuki not having the ideal voice for them, even the ballads are great. Especially their cover of Fausto Cigliano’s ‘Watashidake No Jyujika’ is great. The light rocker ‘Live House’ is a surprisingly effective duet between Otsuki and Honjo.

For all their weirdness, if ‘Omake No Ichinichi (Tatakai No Hibi)’ proves anything, it would be that Kinniku Shojo Tai knows how to write a good song. The listening experience is further enhanced by the album having an excellent flow. Whoever came up with the song order obviously knew what he or she was doing. Ulitmately, there aren’t many bands as weird as Kinniku Shojo Tai that are this listenable. Eclectic bands are always at risk of not being enough of certain things to please anyone, but ‘Omake No Ichinichi (Tatakai No Hibi)’ has the potential to appeal to hardrockers, metalheads, J-rockers and prog fans equally.

Recommended tracks: ‘Rejitero No Yume’, ‘Toki Wa Kita’, ‘Owakari Itadaketa Daoka’, ‘Makura Nage Eigyo’

 

Order ‘Omake no Ichinichi (Tatakai no Hibi)’ from nearly anywhere in the world at CD Japan below