Formed way back in 1998 (under a different moniker), ZEROSHIKI are a band who defy easy categorisation. Hard rock, metal, J-rock and alternative rock are all tags that have been thrown at this Tokyo trio, yet none have really stuck. In truth, they are all these things (and more) rolling their influences into a tight ball and then filtering them through their own sensibility until all that is left is a sound that is wholly original. The 2005 name change from Hyakushiki to ZEROSHIKI further solidified their ingenuity, operating as a kind of “Year Zero”, a fresh start that found the band reinvigorated and rejuvenated, attacking the world with a new sense of purpose. A multifaceted band with an array of disparate inspirations, latest release Banbutsu-Ruten finds ZEROSHIKI pulling the various strands that make up their DNA into a cohesive whole and will only enhance the band’s growing reputation.
A good introduction can really set the scene, whetting the listener’s appetite and foreshadowing what’s to come, and that’s exactly what Banbutsu-Ruten’s opening track (unsurprisingly titled Intro) does. A sixty-four-second instrumental of immense beauty, it employs tone and tonality to great effect, creating a soundscape that’s at once enticing and discombobulating. Akin to being entombed within a wall of sonics, Intro reverberates on a deep, primordial level and segues seamlessly into the following Circulation, and it is here where the album really slips into gear. The band immediately display their fluidity, delivering a shapeshifting song that never stays in one place for long. In a move that’s indicative of Banbutsu-Ruten as a whole, ZEROSHIKI resemble some strange, alien lifeform which is in a constant state of flux; the vocals waft through the air like a call to prayer, the guitars flit between the lithe and the heavy, whilst the bass and drums are equally versatile, switching up rhythms to great effect to ensure the album is built upon shifting sands. The result is Banbutsu-Ruten, an album that never sits still for long and constantly repositions the listener, altering our focus, which renders it a multidimensional affair, and one which shines its light in all directions.
The thing that really hits you about Banbutsu-Ruten is the production; it sounds absolutely massive: like the planet Earth dwarfed inside the universe, it leaves you feeling insignificant and infinitesimal in its shade. Not since Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album has a record sounded so vast and expansive, and as such, it is quite easy to get lost inside the sonic vistas found within songs such as Soar. It means that while the running time of this album is fairly brief at just thirty minutes (and with two of the nine tracks hovering around the one-minute mark), its sweeping nature makes it feel much longer. Of course, it helps that these songs are crammed full of good ideas: the term “progressive” is rarely used in conjunction with ZEROSHIKI, but it should be, as tracks such as Aequor are progressive in their purest definition, being songs of several suites that fill the cranium with all sorts of visions and take the listener on an amazing journey.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this album was delayed and took a long time in the making. However, Banbutsu-Ruten does indeed prove the old adage correct: good things do come to those who wait.
Tracklisting:
1. Intro
2. Circulation
3. Shokumetsu (贖滅)
4. Interlude
5. Frostbite
6. Engraved
7. Soar
8. Aequor
9. Tensei （纏声）
ZEROSHIKI’s newest album is available on the major streaming services, such as Spotify and YouTube Music.
