Koenjihyakkei - Angherr Shisspa (2005)

If you need any more proof of the incredible vitality of modern Japanese rock, then I submit to you this wonderfully bizarre album. If there's any genre that's not over-saturated nowadays, it's zeuhl. And why's that? Because it's so incredibly hard to play and requires so much creativity and open-mindedness that one would be hard-pressed to see anyone interested in playing it at all! But lo and behold, master drummer Tatsuya Yoshida and co. aim to recapture the kooky magic of Magma, Univers Zero and others and make it their own. There are abundant jazz fusion stylings and a good deal of improvisation a la Ornette Coleman or King Crimson. But for the most part, it's pretty structured and not completely random. Rather what makes it weird are the rapid time changes, bizarre vocal stylings, and insane drumming. It's certainly not an easy album, but if you're an experienced fan of prog and fusion, then it shouldn't be too hard to get into it. And once you do, you'll have yourself a very rewarding and fun listen.
9/10