(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): TETOLA93

Thursday, 22 May 2014

TETOLA93

Band: TETOLA93

Genres: Punk / Noise Rock / Grind / Emo-Violence / Hardcore / Metalcore / Screamo / Experimental / Thrash
Related artists: Atari, Agak and Totsugeki Sensya.
Country: 足利市, JAPAN
Years Active: 2003-2014
Song: "腐敗の一死報国 Dying For One's Corrupt Country"
Album: "Tetola93"
Year: 2014
Label(s): Zegema Beach Records / Meatcube Label / Echocanyon Records / ASLY Records
This post's artist is from the May 2014 Mix. This is track #8.
You can download the May 2014 Mix#5 right here or get the new June Mix#6 here.
For fans of: Killie, Louise Cyphre, Apoplexy Twist Orchestra, Tristan Tzara, MNWA, Heaven In Her Arms, Ampere, Orchid, Gas Up Yr Hearse!, Yaphet Kotto, Converge, Melt Banana, Envy, Spazz and Protest The Hero.

TETOLA93 were introduced to me when one of my partners in crime, Ryan from Meatcube Label, sent me their demo tracks for their new and final self-titled record. I immediately fell in love with band's ability to mesh caustic chaos with melody and interesting samples. This final album, I should mention, has all newly recorded versions of some of their old songs. Although the song titles are the same I can attest that they are sometimes completely different, making for a completely new experience. Not only that, but the recording quality of all the songs is way better.

TETOLA93 is truly the sound of the upcoming apocalypse. Not in any silly religious context, but the blindingly destructive path that we've set ourselves on as human beings that follow this insane idea that the "economy" is what should drive our species. This isn't growling with metal or doom music, this is chaotic and screamy with bursts of noise, beauty, clean singing, movie samples, the odd melody and a whole lot of aggression. The anger and passion are palpable. The best I can think of is a mixture between Killie, Yaphet Kotto and Melt Banana. Actually, that's pretty accurate.

As the band is very versatile, just checking a song or 2 on bandcamp isn't the best idea. The first track "Nagasaki Nightmare" is an acoustic-only track that leads into the short and crushing "take away the life there is no right" may cause your skin to burn due to it being abrasive and toxic as fuck, as it needs no more than a minute to leave the listener pummeled into submission, not unlike the following track "Falsified Habit". "Dying For One's Corrupt Country" was the song released early on Zegema Beach Records' Zampler #2 and is the best indication of the band's varying styles and overall sound. The song has some really good singing that compliments the sheer craziness and screaming from the other vocalist. This one-two vocal punch is part of what sets the band apart from others doing this style, as generally bands pass over a decent singer and opt purely for harsh vocals. "OVID" is on the longer side but never lets up for a minute. At times it reminds me of Refused and Phoenix Bodies, but it really jumps all over the place. My favourite part is from 2:04-2:40 when the band goes bananas. The vocals on many of the songs are absolutely unrelenting. This isn't light listening, that's for sure. "Meritocracy" is another great track that has heavy Yaphet Kotto influence on the vocals and instrumentals alike. "Someone" literally sounds like the soundtrack to a child's nightmare, with an Eminem-esque (say that 3x fast) beat and freaky Nintendo-core notes that sound like raindrops on the song. Very cool. Next up is "Anti-Japanese Newspaper" which has a woman crooning over a few keyboard notes before the instrumental section rears it's ugly head and builds a quick but epic finish to the song. "Sinks In Marsh" has some seriously deep and demented vocals that dominate the last half of the song and must emanate from a different vocalist, because its

I find myself walking around the house daily just humming this very simple yet very catchy melody.
The instrumental song/movie clip that is "R. vs. Hippie" the Japanese man cries and screams in anger right before the next track "Funeral Procession", that has a little girl speaking over a calming piano movement. Pretty engaging for a movie sample that I can't even understand and a simple piano melody. The song then is catapulted into epic, almost blackened, caustic screamo. This whirlwind of styles continues throughout the album, and some notable tracks are "Falsified Habit" and its really caustic vocals, "Dying For One's Corrupt Country" with its balance of melody and chaos, "take away the life there is no right" for its unrelenting pace, "OVID" breaks the 3-minute barrier and the epic monster that is the closer, "Funeral Procession".

Takatori, the bass player, has a distro called The Scythe Will Rust Away that can be found here. He imports a crazy amount of emo-violence into Japan.

So if you dig any of the bands mentioned above in the for fans of section, chances are you will really enjoy this new/final record by TETOLA93. Order from Zegema Beach Records here. If you live in the US pick it up from Ryan at Meatcube here. At the time of this post both of labels give you the option of getting the special edition LP which includes a cdr of the songs. If you'd like to read an interview that Ryan had with the band, check out this page and click on the pictures of the zine to open each page.

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DISCOGRAPHY

Click )==>here<==( to download the band's out of print discography in mp3 form.

2008 - 非常事態宣言 1st Demo cdEP
2008 - Phone / Ao 3-way split cdEP

2010 - 2010-11-14 2nd Demo cd

2012 - Visyaaa split cdLP (order here)
2012 - 3rd Demo cdEP

2014 - Tetola93 cd/12"LP (stream here and order here)

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(2014) TETOLA93 - "腐敗の一死報国 (Dying for One's Corrupt Country)" (from 'Tetola93')