Since the Chicago band Yakuza band formed in 2000, they have been dazzling fans and impressing critics with their genre-defying sound. We reviewers like to assign specific labels and genres to bands and keep everything in a neat little box. It doesn’t always work that way, because groups like Yakuza like to push their creative boundaries and experiment with all types of sounds and genres.
Their latest album, Transmutations, is no exception. Yazuka starts with a metal base, and then takes off from there. Some songs are slow, doomy dirges, while others are jazzy and progressive. You’ll sometimes get songs and parts of songs that are really extreme and heavy, with grinding guitars and oppressive vocals. Conversely, Yakuza also has the ability to sound melodic and accessible, quirky and likeable. Moods shift as quickly as the styles do, from uplifting to dark in the blink of an eye.
One thing Yakuza are is original. They are never afraid to try something new and different, even if there is a risk that it may not work.
