Haikai No Ku is a Psychedelic Blues/Noise/Death/Drone Rock Band from Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
The members are:
Jerome Smith - Bass
Mike Vest - Feedbacker Guitars
Sam Booth - Drums
Haikai No Ku are definitely a very hard band to describe. So I will let the press release that came with the album do the talking.
"The band has been described as: ”Death Toll Blues” . Ear damaging psych heavily influenced by Japanese bands like Mainliner, Les Rallizes Denudes etc. Crashing drums and Bass lay down the framework for fiery guitar attacks to lash across peoples faces. Expect dirge, noise and astral planes. Haikai No Ku play some of the most morose, damaged blues psych we’ve heard in years: death-toll bass and crashing drums lead the way for a solitary guitar line obliterated by total psychedelic guitar scree. Songs start off as loose jams that slowly build up to utter brain-melting acid psychedelia.
Or
New Newcastle supergroup featuring Mike Vest (Drunk In Hell, Bong, Master Slave,Ramesses, Basillica, Obey, etc), Jerome Smith (Female Borstal) and Sam Booth (Fooot Hair, Obey). Phew! Haikai No Ku play some of the most morose, damaged blues psych we’ve heard in years: death-toll bass and crashing drums lead the way for a solitary guitar line obliterated by total psychedelic guitar scree. Songs start off as loose jams that slowly build up to utter brain-melting acid psychedelia. Early Ramleh gone deathrock?
So DeathRock it is then. Or DeathNoiseDroneFuckUpYourBrainsRock I would call it. So it has Mike from Bong, Jerome from Female Borstal and Sam from Fooot Hair. A supergroup from my hometown.
Sick On My Journey is the bands first "official" debut album on Burning World Records. Though they have a string of excellent demos and live albums up for free download on their BandCamp page. So check em out now.
Sick On My Journey is a dark twisted nightmare into the vortex of Drone and Noise Rock. You won't believe how loud this album actually is. The album doesn't have a structure of narrative of any kind. It's an extended jam session played out in your worst possible nightmares. Drone based riffs are expanded to last for minutes rather than seconds. Noises come crushing around you. You don't have a clue in what the fuck your listening to. But damn. I can't describe the experience you will go through as Sick On My Journey is one of the most fucked up and pleasurable audio experiences I have ever experienced.
The epic 16:05 track - Violent Existence Of The Yagyu - is a breath of fresh air. Noises, ambient vibes and epic riffs all build upto an battle of sonic warfare. How the fuck is this amount of noise possible with a 3 man band. Damn. Feedback is king on this track. It's a psychedelic explosion waiting to take over your fragile life.
Haikai No Ku keep up the jam based nightmare through out the entire album. Songs start off slowly and quietly before exploding into another sonic meltdown that you cannot possibly ignore. The riffs are there waiting to be discovered but you have plenty of awesome nightmarish noises to overcome first. But it's still a rewarding experience for you to go through.
Songs like Sleep On Horseback and Maximum Zenith might feel they are going down the same path but I can ensure you these songs are alive and dangerous in their own right.
I don't know what else to say about this album. It's a complex, wonderful, fucked up, loud, angry journey into the unknown. And that what makes it exciting. It's fresh, original and almost a damn near perfect audio experience you can possibly get in the realm of Noise Rock.
We are big fans of this brilliant album at Sludgelord. Music was created for albums like this. To test and reward your patience in equal measure. Sick On My Journey is a musical odyssey that I never wanted to end.
An incredible experience I cannot recommend highly enough.
Brilliant. End Of.
Sick On My Journey is available to buy on Digital Download via Burning World Records Now. You can buy CD and Vinyls Here
Check Haikai No Ku from the links below.
BandCamp
