Adelaide 5 piece, Japam have been busy of late, with countless on stage antics giving way only to the release of new material, the boys show no signs of slowing down. How’s My EP? is the shiny new nail Japam have chosen to pound into our memory, and boy, does it deliver the goods.
Deep, chugging djent and catchy pop tendencies delivered with laser precision and musical technicality; Japam’s How’s My EP? has the full package.
The four-track EP builds on a solid foundation of increasingly melodic and thoughtful Metal that has been popularised in recent times by local legends, Northlane among countless others. The suspenseful first bars of EP opener, Seraph is exactly what it sounds like when a circle pit opens up to send sweaty bodies flying in unison, all in search of that elusive chill that comes from music’s liberation.
The track continues to deliver, in a reserved but rhythmically crescendoing track that will send listeners falling hopelessly into a void of sonic hypnosis. Thick smoke seems to billow from the lungs of vocalist, Ryan Lucivero with a vast range both in dynamic and pitch standing comfortably atop a mountain of pounding sound.
Things get a little bigger when lead single, DK Facepunch, rears its head with almost, dare I say it, My Chemical Romance-esque riffage in the introductory bars, soon bursting into an explosion of that satisfying fist to the face that is the band’s earth shuddering soundscape.
The EP’s heaviest and most visceral cut, Wolf Harass is the unapologetic djentrification the first two tracks leave you longing for. The sheer precision in the deep chugs of the rhythm section is enough to bring you to orgasm. Soon, however, the melody of the vocals takes centre stage and delivers an anchorage in the tidal wave of sound.
The screamed vocals in Wolf Harass’ breakdown are delivered with all the pinpoint outrage of the genre’s masters and originators. Such ferocity sends a wilful chill down the spine and is where Japam truly shine.
Leggy Blonde brings the catchy hooks promised by the band’s previous efforts with equally precise soundscapes. Double tracked guitars really shine here, creating the violent polyphony of a fire tornado and embedding its roaring complexity into the minds of willing listeners.
How’s my EP? they ask. Pretty fucking good. Tsunamis of aggression concocted with ultra-technicality and instrumental wizardry are poured into a wealth of memorable hooks and divine vocals. The EP serves to give but a taste of what Japam can do and you best be there when they offer up the main course.
You can still catch Japam on their DK Facepunch Tour, don’t miss it!
Saturday 21st May – Melbourne, VIC
BRUNSWICK HOTEL
with Myyth, Aburden, and Unlucky
FREE ENTRY
Saturday 28th May – Sydney, NSW
OXFORD ART FACTORY
with Bad Moon Born and Raised as Wolves
$10 ENTRY – TICKETS AT MOSHTIX
