D-Sagawa – “I Want To Die Suffering”
A man who looks like an undercover cop walks out towards the back entrance of a Sushi restaurant on the North Shore of Boston, he pulls the glass door open and peers out at the young people who just played a music set on the stage inside.
They notice him, see he’s a conservatively dressed middle aged man, and they also see he’s about to speak to them. They assume he must be working for the club and is there presumably, to harass them, tell them something like they can’t smoke cigarettes out back.
“I just want to tell you guys, you played a really great set,” Slimedog says to them and they say thanks.
“I write reviews for an on-line music website,” he gloats, “and I’m gonnna review this show.”
“We have a bandcamp, too,” the singer relates.
“I know,” he says, “I’m gonna review that, also. Just keep up the good work,” he tells them as he goes back inside and they ponder if it’s okay to smoke there.
They describe themselves as “raw D-Beat cannibalistic punk.” I look up the word “Sagawa” and I find out he is, Issie Sagawa, someone who murdered and cannibalized a Dutch woman in France and subsequently, was declared insane. He was hospitalized and then deported to Japan where he was released and still lives freely. Quite the interesting, and some would say, appetizing item in your review, one that might whet the appetite for raw flesh instead of raw fish?
But I don’t think this band plays music. I think they play pure emotion and feeling with explosive energy, drastic abrasiveness and despairing lyrics that are coupled with euphoric sounds. But somehow, I don’t think that description completely explains the music that follows:
“War Baptist” starts out with some sampled voices either played backwards or in another language while a woman, crying, wails along in the background. But soon the music builds up and comes charging in like a jackhammer plowing straight through the center of your skull. “You’re all slaves/ Baptized in shit.” The music is not so much notes or rhythm as passion and noise scraping along the veins and nerves of your being. “In this world/ No ones wins/ You’ll all die/ Then it’s the end.” “We want war, we want chaos,”- they challenge. I want songs that are strong and brutal, fierce and true as this one.
“I Want To Die Suffering” stats out with some industrial noise and jagged rhythms but what I really feel is that I’m listening to a song by Iggy & The Stooges circa ’72 updated to ’16.” There is so much anger and energy and aggression in this song that it’s almost overwhelming but somehow, it never fails to put a smile on my face. “Die/ Suffering/ Die Suffering/ I want to die suffering/ Lock me up/ Throw me away/ Suffering.” It ends with what sounds like the air or perhaps your soul being sucked up out of your body. But I believe you’ll want to live just to hear this great song again.
“Warmachine (Anti-Cimex)” is a blistering song that builds up momentum as it glides freely along, all the while the guitar spirals off like a brain losing its grasp with reality. “Are you ready to die for your land? Lay Down/ Gun in your hand- War Machine.” This song is intense, powerful, apocalyptic and rocks out!
“Destroy Me” erupts with an uncontainable flow of emotion and energy as the drums beat as hard as possible and the guitars grind a noise to shatter and annihilate our senses. “Wartime/ Destroy Me/ I can’t help myself/ I know it’s wrong.” But I know I’m not wrong when I say you won’t find a song more exciting, more brutal, more passionate as this one.
I’m a big supporter of young bands and young people and bands with females in them, as well.
And I’ve been amazed, at least four times this year, with bands that are very young but seem to get the whole picture. And they paint it perfectly- true art. (The other three bands: Gas Stations Girls, DestrOi and Firewalker.)
And part of me says “Hooray for the young folks,” and another part of me says, “How are these young motherfuckers picking up on stuff so fast?” But here is a band, barely old enough to drive, delivering some of the best material I’ve heard all year.
And this is not “Oh, you sound so good for your age.” This is- “you sound better than most of the local bands I cover.”
They have lyrics that are great and music that exceeds older bands in their style.
This is some awesome, brutal stuff.
This is raw. This is true. This is real.
This is like a corkscrew being driven into your brain that leaves you reeling but smiling.
(Slimedog)
