Album Review: Japan For - 'The Headache Suite EP'

17 May 2011 | 5:22 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

A good debut from a promising new act.

Colac is a small town in Western Victoria, about 150 clicks south west of Melbourne, which has a population of roughly 10,857 people. Four of those people make up a punk rock band called Japan For, who have just released their debut EP 'The Headache Suite.'

Let's assume that like many smaller towns there isn't much to do in Colac and the youth are frustrated bodies looking for ways to entertain themselves, if this is true, then the underlying aggressive nature of this music is explained.

Opening track Walls begins with a heavy, head-banging riff matched by a fast paced drum assault and frontman Murray McDonald's high pitched vocals wailing over the top. The band have managed to meld their influences into one rock extravaganza, hints of Rise Against mix with touches of Bodyjar which result in a can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it sound.

I'm going to guess that the second track, Profit, was one of the first that the band wrote together, mainly due to the fact it sounds slightly immature in its structure compared to the other tracks on the album. The stand out track is Expect A Problem, a barrage of guitar riffage and the catchiest most intense chorus on the EP.

Drummer Adam Collins seems to enjoy starting songs with some quick fills like in Trust, which features one of the finer percussive performances of the EP. The record ends with a demo track titled The Haunt, lesser in quality than the other songs (hence demo) however a solid number that would be good to hear recorded properly.

'The Headache Suite’ is an impressive start for this young band, as with most new groups their influences are quite clearly on their sleeves, but this will improve as they find their own identity, which they are well on their way to doing. Considering my obviously in depth knowledge of Colac, I think it’s safe to say that Japan For may one day be one of its finest exports.

1. Walls

2. Profit

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3. Expect A Problem

4. Trust

5. The Haunt