To prepare for this week’s Shuffle Sunday, I put my entire collection of Japanese artists and put them into a playlist. What we have randomly pulled out of this one is most definitely a gem. Think of the loudest song you have ever heard in your entire life and imagine it being played at full blast into your ears through your best pair of headphones. Now multiply that by fifty and you still won’t reach the volume intensity of this week’s Shuffle Sunday band, Guitar Wolf.
Guitar Wolf is a Japanese punk rock band that formed in 1987 and is still rocking strong today, playing live shows that are as extreme as ever. The band is very influenced by garage and noise punk, using the typical instruments in a punk band (guitar, bass and drums) but expanding their musical input by incorporating heavy distortion, feedback and dissonance. Their goal is always to release the loudest most amped up record they can. When they released their fourth studio album “Jet Generation,” it went down in history as the world’s loudest punk rock album, so I’d say they’re doing pretty good for themselves.
Whenever people ask me why I like punk rock music so much, I always answer “it’s because of the passion and fun put into it.” With Guitar Wolf, this is no exception. In every song that the band has recorded, they have always used every ounce of their soul and energy to make it the most in-your-face recording imaginable. You’ll never see these guys slacking on the job. Even when they play live shows, there is virtually no time in between songs, and they have been known to occasionally play non-stop sets. Below is a one of the bands live sets in Seattle, which just so happens to start with this week’s Shuffle Sunday song, “Loverock.” (It also so happens to feature them chugging beers and getting the crowd riled up for the first 3 to 4 minutes, but it just shows how hyped they get for their performances, even to the point of getting up close and personal with the fans at times.)
The song “Loverock” is the title track of their seventh studio album released in 2004 called, obviously, Loverock. “Loverock” starts off with a patented feedback supported “1, 2, 3, 4!!” by guitarist and vocalist, Seiji. This beautifully executed introduction prepares the listener for three minutes of pure noise punk. The garage punk elements are very recognizable, considering all three members are so slightly off beat from one another. The average music enthusiast would probably find that this would take away from the songs charm, but this is not the case. The song only pulls you in more with the mayhem presented by the members.
The songs instrumental elements are few, but grand. With feedback coming heavily from the guitar almost non-stop throughout the song, and a shredding whammy infested guitar solo dropping you into one final instrumental squealing verse, this song is a true definition of the band. Seiji’s soulfully screamed vocals are also an absolutely imperative element that makes this song as awesome as it is. With the simple driving refrain “Love, love, love! Loverock Baby! / Love, Love! Loverock!” bursting at the top of his lungs, one can’t help but feel like they’ve been switched to overload.
If you’ve always had a secret love for punk rock music and you’ve never heard of Guitar Wolf, I really encourage you to check them out. If you like it loud, heavy and in your face, there is no better band to turn to. I can certainly say that Guitar Wolf is one of my favorite hidden treasures from the land of the rising sun.
I couldn't find an mp3 version of this song anywhere for free, but I did find a video on YouTube of studio version of the song, put to scenes from the Japanese film, Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki. It can be found here:
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